RESTORATION

WHAT IS DIGITAL RESTORATION?

There is a big difference between digital restoration and the ‘re-mastering’ of an image for DVD. When we refer to ‘restoration’ the team here at Dragon DI are talking about supplying a film negative, on modern stock, in pristine condition, exactly as the original DoP would have demanded. Of course a DVD release will almost certainly be part of the package, but our main concern is to restore the movie to its former glory. We will supply a new negative that the original production would recognise as their own – turning back the clock and removing the damage brought by time and overuse.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT DRAGON DI’S APPROACH TO FILM RESTORATION?

Archive film is precious – sometimes irreplaceable. The question for owners is how best to exploit the potential of the film, yet at the same time safeguard the assets and stay faithful to the original production? The answer is to entrust the work to people who care about film. At Dragon DI we will take great care, not only to safeguard and preserve your physical assets, but also to restore in sympathy with the original production. We won’t put in anything that wasn’t there originally, and we won’t take out anything that the original Director of Photography wouldn’t want removed. Our aim is to make the film as good as new, not to make a new film.

GOOD. SO THE FILM IS IN SAFE HANDS. WHAT DOES DRAGON DI DO WITH IT?

At Dragon DI we begin by digitising the material at very high resolution, up to 6k, to replicate exactly the subtlety and depth of information held in the original film frame. We then employ state of the art techniques to bring the material back to life. The art is to combine awesome digital power with a delicate, sensitive hand. By adopting this ethos it is possible to remove not just scratches and dust spots, but also physical damage such as tears and stains. It is also possible to stabilise unwanted movement, compensate for shrinkage, and remove flicker. Finally, we utilise our large grading theatre to re-grade the film, either restoring the original colour palette to its former glory, or with black and white movies, balancing the whole movie to achieve full tonal representation.

…AND WHAT WILL WE GET BACK?

From the digital master, we then supply a brand new negative, output via a laser recorder onto modern negative stock and developed in the normal way. We can also supply an HD version for DVD, as well as panned and scanned TV versions in both PAL and NTSC. Crucially, we take all these versions from the same digital ‘film’ data to ensure flawless consistency of colour across all formats.

HOW DOES DIGITAL RESTORATION WORK?

There are three phases to Digital Restoration:

1) Scanning. Firstly, we do not use telecine, instead we scan at very high resolution – up to 6K, using state of the art laser scanning technology. This not only records every last detail and nuance of information held in the film frame, but also places the minimum amount of stress on the original material. We are also working in conjunction with the manufacturer of the scanner to develop an ‘archive specific’ film transport.

2) Digital Restoration and Grading: This is where individual problems are addressed such as dust spots and scratches, weave and flicker, or any kind of unwanted movement. The tools that are used to conduct these repairs are infinitely variable in how they can be ‘automated’. This means that the operator can totally automate the repair for simple blemishes, or have complete manual control for frame-by-frame hand-retouching. Furthermore all of the tools are infinitely variable between full automation and full manual operation, giving total flexibility throughout.
Once the repairs are complete, and every scene is fully restored, the film is transferred to the grading theatre for final grading. Here, the film is viewed on a 7-metre screen in a theatrical environment for colour grading, to best replicate the cinema experience. Original colours are restored, balanced, and perfected until the image playing on the big screen finally represents exactly what the original audience would have enjoyed at its Premiere. Likewise, black and white films pass through this stage to maximise density and latitude, as well as being balanced for consistency throughout.

3) Recording and Deliverables. Finally, the film is recorded back to negative, which is then developed in the normal way. At this stage, Dragon DI can also supply an HD master copy for use in DVD production, as well as panned and scanned TV versions, at any size in PAL or NTSC, as necessary. We can also record out YCM separations for long term archival storage.