Film Restoration & Preservation Film Restoration & Preservation
• Of course this requires scientific processes including: Howard Besser – Chemistry (for analog restoration & preservation) NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program – Computer skills(for digital restoration and preservation) http://besser.nyu.edu/howard • But this also requires important non-scientific http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/ processes: – Curatorial (historical research, contextualization) – Collection management (record-keeping, tracking, planning)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Examples of Collections & Film Restoration & Preservation- Problems • Examples of Collections & Problems • Digital Works • 4 Distinct Digital uses • What is reformatting? • Scientific approaches to reformatting • Why we need more than science
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Cinemateca Brasileira (video storage) Svenska Filmhuset
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
1 Univ of GA Univ of GA Walter J Brown Media Archives Walter J Brown Media Archives
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Univ of GA Storage-Main Smithsonian Walter J Brown Media Archives
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Storage-Main Smithsonian Storage--Smithsonian History Museum
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
2 Storage-Smithsonian History Museum Hogan Jazz Archive Tulane Univ
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Univ of GA Vinegar Syndrome Walter J Brown Media Archives Deterioration Image Permanance Institute
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Acid Detection Strips at NYU Library Because of deterioration, we (Internship) need to ReFormat
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
3 Most Common Digital Sizes Digital Works • For ReFormatting (TeleCines) and Display • Can be (Projection) – “born digital” (recorded with a digital camera, edited on a digital editor), or – 2K (2048×1080) – “Digitized” from Analog works (film), or – 4K (4096×2160) – “Hybrid” (combining “Born digital” elements • Most cameras today are roughly 2K, as are with “Digitized” elements, or Digitizing as most projectors an intermediate step between original film • Laboratories are often equipped with and new film master variable-size reformatting specifically for
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca intermediates Mexicana, 27/7/09
4 distinct Digital Uses- Digital Restoration
• Digital Restoration • Use digital or hybrid techniques, and • Digital Projection end-product can be output to film or • Digital Preservation digital form • Digital Access Digital Restoration output to film is the most widely used today
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Digital Projection Digital Preservation-
• Use DCI-compliant projectors to show films in digital • Expensive & requires large set of skills form • But projectors are really made for contemporary • Requires a very large infrastructure to Hollywood films, so they may cause deep problems maintain for the Film Archive world: – Only support 24 and 48 fps – Fixed Aspect Ratios, meaning that Scope prints must use less pixels (currently being addressed) – Built-in security, matching cinema content to a projector number • FIAF has been trying to influence the SMPTE standard
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
4 Digital Preservation AMPAS Digital Dilemma http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/council/projects/digitaldilemma/
• Requires new file formats and new physical strata at regular intervals • Needs a serious Managed Environment • Requires staff with knowledge of computer storage, metadata, migration strategies, obsolescence issues, as well as curatorial
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Digital Access-NFB Digital Access-Merce
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Difficult Materials become What is reformatting? obsolete relatively quickly • The physical carriers decay or become obsolete • The technology required to view the carriers changes frequently • The encoding formats needed to decode the content shift
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
5 Obsolete Carriers & Info Techn Obsolete or deteriorated Physical Carriers
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Obsolete Carriers Obsolete Carrier viewing Technology?
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Kodak stops making some films Old Video Formats (www.vidipax.com)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
6 List of old Audio Formats Disaster Recovery-New Orleans
Format Description Years in Use Wax Cylinder Records 2- or 4-minute formats, wax 1888– 1929 or wax compound Recordable Disc Records 7”, 12”, or 16”, recorded at 1929– 1960s (Direct or Acetate Discs) 33 or 78 revolutions per minute (rpm). Generally vinyl on a paper, glass or metal base Recording Wire Spooled wire, usually in 15- c. 1945– 1955 to 30- minute lengths, one direction only Open reel recording tape 1/4”– 2”, 3”– 10 1/2" reels, c. 1945– Present 1 7/8– 30 inches per second (IPS) speeds Compact Cassette 1/8” tape in hard case, 1 7/8 1965– Present IPS format Microcassette/Minicassette Very small 2-4 cm cassette 1977– Present tapes Digital disk, MP3, and other Audio recorded directly in 2000– Present digital recorders digital files to optical disks or internal hard drives
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition We can’t keep all the Harold Schellinex equipment for all film formats • Nitrate • 8mm • Super 8 • Cinemascope • 55mm-
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
55mm AND Cinemascope Why do we Reformat?
• Because we cannot sustain the original object (its physical characteristics are deteriorating too fast) • Because continued access and handling of the original object will rapidly decay its physical characteristics (so we create a surrogate for users and store the original in very good conditions, away from users) • Because viewing the work requires some kind of technology, and we can’t keep that technology working very far into the future-
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
7 Edison Metal sound recording Disks Casa Rui Barbosa
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Paper print (LC Dayton) Record Turntables
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Slide Projector Limitations of Reformatting
• Authenticity issues (more later) • User behaviors (newspaper, book, video game, …) • Users mistaking the reformatted work for the original
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
8 But unless we Reformat, we totally lose Critiques of Reformatting some kinds of works (particularly audiovisual works like film) Mainly User Behaviors • 50% of all titles produced before 1950 have vanished (approximate number as of late 1970s) • This reflects full-length features; survival rates are much lower for other types (studio newsreels, shorts, docs, independent, • Can’t view outside …), and these “orphans” are particularly in peril the library • Fewer than 20% of features from 1920s survive in complete form; survival rates of 1910s is <10% (& none of these are • Only sequential negatives) access • Viewing and -Film Preservation 1993: A Study of the Current State of American studying is awkward Film Preservation, Vol 1: Report, June 1993, Report of the Librarian of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/film/study.html) • … Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Scientific approaches to Restoration-Scratches (On the Waterfront) reformatting
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Restoration-Splices/Scratches Restoration-Opernball
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
9 Restoration-HP Labs Color Restore (VidiPax)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
RCI Color Restoration RCI Color Restoration
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Restoration-Panorama Stitch Restoration-Panorama Stitch
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
10 Metropolis Lost Horizon
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Why we need more Commercial Reformatting Issues: than only science PR at 1967 re-issue of GWTW • “Spherical Blow-Up” • “In the Splendor of 70mm. Wide screen and full stereophonic sound!” • “For the thousands who remember its unparalleled drama, action and romance! For the new thousands to whom the wonders will be revealed for the first time! Breathtaking spectacle, inspired acting by the greatest cast ever assembled! The screen's most exciting love story! The most-talked about picture ever made!” • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/taglines
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
But most people didn’t know that 70mm Change in Aspect Ratio forces cutting widescreen is different shape than 35mm normal
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
11 This meant eliminating part of Pan and Scan example the frame
• 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Stanley Donen, MGM, 1954 from http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_and_scan
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
But the re-release wasn’t Eliminating even in famous scenes governed by artistic concerns • Intellectual Property is owned by MGM, not by Fleming or Selznick • MGM is motivated maximizing profit, not in maintaining artistic integrity • Bigger is always better
• Not radically different than another blow to artistic integrity/originality in Atlanta 20 years later…
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Sometimes even the Director wants to go Atlanta was also home of back and change their original film 1980s Colorization movement
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
12 Star Wars 1977 vs 2004 Someone needs to maintain the integrity of artistic works • This means preserving original versions – even when commercial interests want to replace the older version with something new and fancy – even when the “artist” wants to use more recent technological developments to “improve” their work
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Film & other Media Archivists Viewing Context (images like in Dayton-Hudson)
• Preserve original works • Provide access to older versions • Maintain the integrity of the “original” in any restoration process • Champion works that do not have commercial entities pushing for their preservation and distribution • Try to make sure that works are viewed within their original context-
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Historical Research Extra Material
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
13 La Venganza de Pancho Villa The Lost Reels of Pancho Villa (Edmundo &Felix Padilla, 1930-34, restored 2008) (Gregorio Rocha 2003)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Fox Newsreels Fox Newsreels (naming): NY Street Scenes & Noises NY Street Scenes & Noises
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Fox Newsreels (background): Fox Newsreels (shot locations): NY Street Scenes & Noises NY Street Scenes & Noises
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
14 Fox Newsreels (dating): Fox Newsreels (then & now): NY Street Scenes & Noises NY Street Scenes & Noises
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Fox Newsreels (then & now): NY Street Scenes & Noises Television Pictures March 12, 1931
Unedited material used in a Fox Movietone newsreel
project by Kara van Malssen, Sean Savage, Paula Felix -Didier, Lindsay Herron
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Clip #2 Ernst Fredrik Werner Alexanderson in the General Electric “House of Magic” • “We have succeeded to photograph the television image on a moving picture film. Important events that in the future may be intercepted by the television camera and broadcast to all corners of the world may thus be recorded on the film and kept in readiness in moving picture houses for projection of a lifetime some minutes or hours • The scanning disk "is perforated with 48 small holes, three after the event.” sixty-fourths of an inch in diameter which are arranged in a spiral on the outer edge of the disk..." • Cuts to close-shot: “We hope that this will be one • Clip continues later on tape after a repeat of Clip #1 more step to widen our horizon and to make all people our neighbors.” Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
15 Early experiments with television Limitations
• 48 lines of resolution (not a life-like image) • Audio: synchronization & pitch • Required the subject be in close proximity to the apparatus
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Preserving newer media What we were able to verify. formats Date.
First successfully recorded image shown to the public.
Alexanderson.
The apparatus.
Was edited and shown in theaters.
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Who is preserving DVD Extras? Who is preserving YouTube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkmczhkrKYA
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
16 iTunes-U UCB Campus Events iTunes-U Duster Video
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Do we trust iTunes to Possible endless need for preserve these? reformatting implies • Possible loss with each generation • Requires managed environment • Can lead to © violations-
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Managed Environment Storage Media
• More than temperature & humidity • Removable media (like CDs) is not a control long-term answer • Periodic monitoring of the works • The long-term answer requires ongoing • Periodic monitoring of the technical management, and involves regular environment for viewing the works migration or emulation. This solution is (software, systems, hardware) only viable with storage on spinning disks- • Trusted repositories
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
17 Storing on CDs becomes a big problem over Consumers replace their CDs with a time hard disk (& so should archives)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Plain DVDs are no longer the latest format So, with electronic works, the focus should be less on stable temperature (Helsinki underground vaults)
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
And less on the construction of Paradigms Shifts needed Vaults (Helsinki underground vaults) Old New Physical atmospheric cntrl ongoing mgmt preservation What to save? artifact idea + ancillary material & documentation Cataloging Individual work in FRBR hand Later access Artifact & Restaging, documentation ancillary material Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 & documentation
18 Your Challenges as an Archivist Film Restoration & Preservation
• You are custodians of our Heritage • Of course this requires scientific processes • You need to make sure that that Heritage including: – Chemistry (for analog restoration & preservation) endures (preservation) – Computer skills(for digital restoration and preservation) • You need to make sure that that heritage can • But this also requires important non-scientific be used for research, education, etc. (access) processes: • We live in a media-saturated era, and new – Curatorial (historical research, contextualization) media works pose continuing challenges for – Collection management (record-keeping, tracking, planning) us Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
Film Restoration & Preservation Film Restoration & Preservation
• http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/ • http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/ • http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/Talks/ • http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/Talks/ • http://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/ • http://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/ • http://www.nfsa.afc.gov.au/screensound/screenso.nsf/ • http://www.nfsa.afc.gov.au/screensound/screenso.nsf/
Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09 Besser-Cineteca Mexicana, 27/7/09
19