Techniques & Rationale for Motion Picture Restoration Kevin Manbeck MTI Film, LLC Providence, RI Jay Cassidy, Donald Geman, Stuart Geman, Donald McClure

Outline Factors driving demand for restoration Factors driving demand for restoration Categories of restoration Categories of restoration Motion picture restoration examples Motion picture restoration examples Open problems in motion picture image processing Open problems in motion picture image processing Restoration examples in detail Restoration examples in detail

Demand for restoration Film damage can be distracting Film damage can be distracting Dust and debris Dust and debris Lint and hair Lint and hair Chemical stains & water spots Chemical stains & water spots Persistent vertical scratches Persistent vertical scratches Cue marks (reel change indicators) Cue marks (reel change indicators) Finger prints Finger prints Film Tears Film Tears Splice marks Splice marks Customs stamps! Customs stamps!

Demand... Evolution of tools has raised viewer’s expectations Evolution of tools has raised viewer’s expectations Small community of creative people Small community of creative people Intense competition between facilities Intense competition between facilities Pride in finished product Pride in finished product Post production workflow improvements have made restoration affordable Post production workflow improvements have made restoration affordable

Workflow model before 1995 color correct remove dirt 525 FF film color correct remove dirt 525 LB film color correct remove dirt 625 FF film color correct remove dirt 625 FF film color correct remove dirt HD film color correct remove dirt airline film color correct remove dirt T.V. film

Anecdote Titanic (1997) Titanic (1997) Huge restoration project in 1998 Huge restoration project in /7 for 4 weeks. 2 systems. 24/7 for 4 weeks. 2 systems. Billed 1300 hours Billed 1300 hours 12 versions 12 versions 100 hours per version 100 hours per version

Modern workflow film color correct remove dirt HD Master 525 FF 525 LB 625 FF 625 FF airlineT.V. Typical new feature film receives about 40 hours of restoration Typical new feature film receives about 40 hours of restoration Scan once, use many Scan once, use many

Demand for restoration The DVD revolution The DVD revolution Excellent image quality Excellent image quality Stop and jog functions Stop and jog functions Cost structure allows small or niche production runs Cost structure allows small or niche production runs On VHS, feeble restoration efforts were adequate. Not so for DVD. On VHS, feeble restoration efforts were adequate. Not so for DVD.

Image quality continues to improve Digital projection in theaters Digital projection in theaters Star Wars Episode I (1999) 10 Digital Theaters Star Wars Episode I (1999) 10 Digital Theaters Star Wars Episode III (2005) 67 Digital Theaters Star Wars Episode III (2005) 67 Digital Theaters My prediction: digital projection is unstoppable My prediction: digital projection is unstoppable Superior image quality Superior image quality Reduced distribution costs ($1200 vs. $200) Reduced distribution costs ($1200 vs. $200) Added flexibility for theater Added flexibility for theater More demand for restoration More demand for restoration

Image quality Standard definition video is 720 columns wide Standard definition video is 720 columns wide High definition video is 1920 columns wide High definition video is 1920 columns wide Data scans are typically 2048 columns wide Data scans are typically 2048 columns wide Special effects are often 4096 columns wide Special effects are often 4096 columns wide Inherent resolution of 35mm film appears to be between 3000 and 4000 columns Inherent resolution of 35mm film appears to be between 3000 and 4000 columns

Categories of restoration New features / Episodic television New features / Episodic television High volume High volume Adequate budgets available Adequate budgets available Material not too distressed Material not too distressed Chemical stains Chemical stains Isolated dirt Isolated dirt Vertical scratches Vertical scratches Utter intolerance to artifacts Utter intolerance to artifacts “Crisis of Confidence” is not allowed “Crisis of Confidence” is not allowed

Categories... Major Re-release of marquee titles Major Re-release of marquee titles Few titles per year Few titles per year Large libraries in need of preservation Large libraries in need of preservation Adequate budgets Adequate budgets Material moderately distressed Material moderately distressed Heavy dirt Heavy dirt Splice marks Splice marks Film tears Film tears Intolerance to artifacts Intolerance to artifacts

Categories... Re-release of niche titles Re-release of niche titles High volume High volume Low budgets Low budgets Severely distressed material Severely distressed material Willing to compromise automation for artifacts Willing to compromise automation for artifacts

Categories... Archivist preservation of historic titles Archivist preservation of historic titles Careful documentation of preservation decisions Careful documentation of preservation decisions Generally funded by government or foundations Generally funded by government or foundations Not necessarily interested in public distribution Not necessarily interested in public distribution

Restoration examples Switch to Macintosh demo Switch to Macintosh demo

Open problems Better use of Grammar Better use of Grammar Cuts are important for dirt removal Cuts are important for dirt removal Automatic splice bump detection & repair at cuts Automatic splice bump detection & repair at cuts Dissolve might be useful in grain reduction Dissolve might be useful in grain reduction Upconvert / super resolution Upconvert / super resolution Panning too fast for digital cinema Panning too fast for digital cinema Image stabilization for digital cinema Image stabilization for digital cinema

Open... Gate hair Gate hair “This picture came from T.V.” “This picture came from T.V.” “This footage came from a cell phone” “This footage came from a cell phone” Motion estimation Motion estimation

Gate Hair The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)

with Ting-Li Chen

Grain Reduction Dr. Mabuse (1933)

Repurpose material Upconvert SD material to HD. Super resolution. Upconvert SD material to HD. Super resolution. Temporal changes Temporal changes

Pans for digital projection My prediction: audiences will be confronted with material with objectionable “judder” My prediction: audiences will be confronted with material with objectionable “judder” Take a lesson from animation? Take a lesson from animation? The Contender

Motion analysis Phase correlation Phase correlation Optical flows Optical flows Block matching Block matching