When classic movies are re-released, they’re often advertised as being “restored”. What does this mean, and how do they do this?
Universal, for example, is marking its 100th anniversary this year and has been restoring films since the 1990s.
Technology is available today that allows film studios to go back to older movies and remove any small imperfections in the original film, not to detract from the original vision of the filmmakers but to make these imperfections less distracting and visible.
Using the film’s original camera negative, every single frame of a film is turned into a digital frame that is three times the resolution of the original and a series of talented artists deal with a series of technical issues:
Grain
In some cases, like in To Kill A Mockingbird, the camera didn’t actually zoom in on characters – the film was altered in a lab to appear to zoom in by making the image bigger, which makes the grain that much worse.
During the restoration process, this graininess is removed in areas of the film where it can become distracting.
Flicker
In very old films from the 1930s and 1940s, flicker on the actual negative can remain an issue and that is removed. Deteriorating films can also flicker worse than they should, but software is available today to easily remove flicker without compromising the film.
Stabilization
Film stabilization is a problem for many films – the frame actually jumps around and cracks or other issues can become visible. Software tracks key points in the frame and keeps it still to avoid distracting the viewer.
Colour
Older film colours can fade, so colourists isolate the faded layers and revitalize the colour in the film.
Cracks and Tears
Old original film negatives can tear or become scratched. Digital artists remove these imperfections using something similar to a Photoshop blemish tool. However, some frames actually need to be stitched back together – requiring a tremendous amount of talent.
Audio
Crackles and distortion are prevalent in some older films. Artists clean up the audio tracks for these films resulting in crystal clear audio.
In celebration of its upcoming anniversary, Universal has released this Youtube video detailing the process of film restoration on Hollywood classics.
More on how to transfer your home movies onto DVD
Image from Ben Hurr