Giovanna Fossati
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FRAMING GIOVANNA FOSSATI FILM GIOVANNA FOSSATI GIOVANNA FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL In From Grain to Pixel, Giovanna Fossati analyzes the transition from analog to digital film and its profound effects on filmmaking and film archiving. By reflecting on the theoretical conceptualiza- tion of the medium itself and posing significant questions about the status of physical film and the practice of its archival preservation, restoration, and presentation, Fossati proposes a novel theorization The Archival Life of Film of film archival practice. From Grain to Pixel attempts to bridge the fields of film archiving in Transition and academic research by addressing the discourse on film’s ontology and analyzing how different interpretations of what film is Giovanna Fossati is the chief PIXEL FROM GRAIN TO affect the role and practices of film archives. curator of Eye Film museum THIRD REVISED EDITION Almost a decade after its first publication, this revised edition and professor of Film covers the latest developments in the field. Besides a new general Heritage and Digital Film introduction, a new conclusion, and extensive updates to each Culture at the University of chapter, a novel theoretical framework and an additional case study Amsterdam. have been included. Giovanna Fossati’s From Grain to Pixel has been an immensely valuable source for theories and practices of film digitization and restoration since its first publication in 2009. The new updated edition considers the changing requirements of this extremely dynamic, evolving field. Thanks to her double expertise as a film scholar and a curator, Fossati is able not only to provide deep insights into current approaches and advanced tools, but also to integrate them into her highly reflected theoretical framework, thereby providing a state-of-the-art reference for research and teaching. Barbara Flückiger, Professor of Film Studies, University of Zurich When From Grain to Pixel appeared, it was the first motion picture study to fully engage with both archival practice and film theory, thus setting a high standard for the emerging area of film heritage studies. After nearly a decade, Giovanna Fossati’s book still stands alone – fascinating, visionary, and provocative. Remarkably, the updates in this revised edition make it even more essential today. Jane M. Gaines, Professor of Film, Columbia University Giovanna Fossati does more than simply give the most thoughtful, thorough and up-to-date account of the transformation in motion picture archiving over the last decades. She forces us to reconsider the nature of the moving image and prepare for a new era of communication and preservation. Tom Gunning, Professor of Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, University of Chicago FRAMING AUP.nl FILM 9789463725002 EYE FILMMUSEUM FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL FRAMING FILM FRAMING FILM is a book series dedicated to theoretical and analytical studies in restoration, collection, archival, and exhibition practices in line with the existing archive of Eye Filmmuseum. With this series, Amsterdam University Press and Eye aim to support the academic research community, as well as practitioners in archive and restoration. SERIES EDITORS Giovanna Fossati, Eye Filmmuseum & University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Leo van Hee, Eye Filmmuseum Frank Kessler, Utrecht University, the Netherlands Patricia Pisters, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Dan Streible, New York University, United States Nanna Verhoeff, Utrecht University, the Netherlands EDITORIAL BOARD Richard Abel, University of Michigan, United States Jane Gaines, Columbia University, United States Tom Gunning, University of Chicago, United States Vinzenz Hediger, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany Martin Koerber, Deutsche Kinemathek, Germany Ann-Sophie Lehmann, University of Groningen, the Netherlands Charles Musser, Yale University, United States Julia Noordegraaf, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands William Uricchio, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Linda Williams, University of California at Berkeley, United States GIOVANNA FOSSATI FROM GRAIN TO PIXEL The Archival Life of Film in Transition THIRD REVISED EDITION AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS Published by Eye Filmmuseum / Amsterdam University Press Cover illustration: Amour et science (H.J. Roche, Éclair, France, 1912 – courtesy of Eye Filmmuseum) Cover design and lay-out: Magenta Ontwerpers, Bussum ISBN 978 94 6372 500 2 e-ISBN 978 90 4854 352 6 NUR 674 First edition 2009 Second edition 2011 Third revised edition 2018 Creative Commons License CC BY NC (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) G. Fossati / Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2009, 2011 and 2018 Some rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, any part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise). TO GLORIA AND MATILDA TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 9 | 7 Introduction to the Third Revised Edition 13 Framing Film (in Transition): an Introduction 21 PART ONE PRACTICE AND THEORY OF (ARCHIVAL) FILM 39 1 Film Practice in Transition 41 2 Theorizing Archival Film 145 PART TWO THEORIZING (ARCHIVAL) PRACTICE 195 3 Film Archival Field in Transition 197 4 Restoration Case Studies: Theorizing Archival Practice 271 A New Mindset for (Archival) Film in Transition: a Conclusion 325 Conclusions to the Third Revised Edition 331 Notes 339 Notes to the Third Revised Edition 363 Glossary of Technical Terms 379 List of Illustrations 385 Filmography 387 Bibliography 391 Index 411 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first of all like to thank Frank Kessler and Nanna Verhoeff at Utrecht | 9 University and William Uricchio at Utrecht University and Massachussetts Institute of Technology who have encouraged and supported this project from the very beginning. Their stimulating input has added greatly to the substance of this work. This book has also benefited from the advice and the fruitful suggestions by Tom Gunning (University of Chicago) whom I would also like to thank for his support. The research for this book has been made possible by the support of the Neth- erlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Special thanks also to Eye Filmmuseum (formerly known as the Nederlands Filmmuseum), and in particular to former Director Rien Hagen and current Director Sandra den Hamer, who believed in this project and have made it pos- sible for me to carry it out. Among the people who have helped me at Eye Filmmuseum, I would like to especially thank Mark-Paul Meyer, not least for all that he has taught me since I started working in the film archive in 1995. His comments on this pro- ject have been of great value. Many thanks also to my colleagues Leontien Bout, Andreas Busche, Cath- erine Cormon, Guy Edmonds, Anne Gant, Irene Haan, Rixt Jonkman, Nico de Klerk, Annike Kross, Simona Monizza, Ad Pollé, Emjay Rechsteiner, Geke Roe- link, Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi, Frank Roumen, Jan Scholten, Dorette Schoote- meijer, Walter Swagemakers, Ronny Temme, Frédérique Urlings, Jeannette Verschure, and to my ex colleagues and friends Eef Masson (Utrecht Univer- sity) and Claudy Op den Kamp (University of Plymouth). I would also like to thank my colleagues of the MA Programme Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image (P&P) at the University of Amsterdam, as this course was an important inspiration for my work. In particular, many thanks to Julia Noordegraaf for her support. I also owe a debt to my P&P stu- dents who were an important part of this inspiration. This book would not have been possible without the assistance of the archives and laboratories that were the object of my case studies. My gratitude goes in particular to Grover Crisp and Michael Friend (Sony Pictures Entertain- ment), Andrew Lampert (Anthology Film Archives), Rani Singh (Harry Smith Archives), and Thomas C. Christensen (Danish Film Institute). Many thanks also to Peter Limburg, Paulo Fonseca, Juan Vrijs, and Tom De Smet for their time and valuable information on the work at Haghefilm, and to Balázs Nyari, Tom Heitman, Simon Lund, Diana Little, Daniel DeVincent, and Seth Berkow- 10 | itz, for the many productive conversations with regard to the work at Cineric. As regards my analysis of the Digital Film Lab, I would like to thank my friend Paul Read (consultant to the lab) for his invaluable help. My thanks also go to Amsterdam University Press, in particular to Jeroen Sondervan and Chantal Nicolaes for their enthusiastic and responsive assis- tance in the editing and publication process. I am particularly indebted to my dear friend Sabina Gorini for her irreplace- able intellectual and emotional support. Thank you to my parents Silvia Levis and Marco Fossati for the many ways in which they have made this project possible and for simply being who they are. This book owes its existence to Andrea Battiston whose continuous feedback throughout the project has greatly contributed to its clarity and final form. Thank you also for being a great life partner and father. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO THE THIRD REVISED EDITION This revised edition of From Grain to Pixel would not have been possible with- out the support and generous sharing of invaluable knowledge of a number of colleagues. I particularly would like to thank: Seth Berkowitz, Daniel DeVincent, Simon Lund, Balázs Nyari, Eric Nyari (Cineric); Ronald Bosdam, Gerard de Haan, Bin Li, Peter Roelofs, Juan Vrijs (Haghefilm Digitaal); Robert Byrne (San Francisco