Find a photo lab that offers telecine service. Photo labs throughout the world offer this process with varying levels of quality. Search for "telecine" on a search engine to find a lab that meets your budget.
Locate the 8mm telecine order form on the photo lab's website. Print and fill out an online order form and send it with your film. Some companies offer online order forms. Call the lab directly for a quote or if you have any questions.
Fill out the order form, indicating the type of film you are sending, the amount of film (in feet), and the format for which you want your digital files to be sent. MiniDV and Quicktime AVI files are practical programs for digital editing.
Submit your order form online or include it with your film shipment, depending on the lab's rules and regulations.
Package your film and take it to the post office to send to the lab. Include your order form, label your film reels with your order number and name and include your payment information. If you are paying via check, include it in the package.
Wait for the lab to finish processing your film and send it back to you. If it has been more than two weeks, call them to check on the status of your film transfer.
Tape a blank piece of thick, white paper or cardboard to a wall or another flat surface. Avoid distorting the image by ensuring it is flat.
Set up an 8mm projector so the image is projecting on the white paper. Let it run without any film so that the bulb is shining a white square on the paper.
Set up a digital video camera on a tripod near your 8mm projector.
Load the film you want to transfer into the 8mm projector.
Zoom in with the video camera so the image from the 8mm projector fills the video frame. Adjust focus and brightness on the camera to get video that looks accurate to the projected image.
Adjust the video camera's shutter speed to avoid any flickers. You may be able to adjust the speed on your 8mm projector to help eliminate flicker.
Reload your film into the 8mm projector.
Press "Record" on the video camera at the moment you wish to start recording your film to video.