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Help Wanted: '2001: A Space Odyssey' - 35mm Preservation (original 1968 prints obtained) (* unfinished project *) — Page 4

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do you think that it could have something to do with the way that the computer systems in the player and monitor/TV handle framerate conversion?

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jeffgale, was your comment directed at me? If so, can you clarify? I’m not sure what you’re referring to…

BTW, R1 is almost ready to be scanned. However, until we pay off the first scan, we won’t be able to do a second, so if you have any spare change clinking around, any donation amount would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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BTW, all of you who donated, PM me - I have some new sweet sources, including audio! 😃

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I saw 2001 in 1968 when I was 8 years old, in 70mm. I remember that experience very clearly and LOVED the film, although obviously I don’t remember any details that would be useful here.

I also saw the film in 70mm at the Castro Theater early in its tour around the country in 2001 (before it got all beat up). That may have been the most astounding image I ever saw on the big screen. Corner to corner flawless, not even a piece of dust, with colors that leapt off the screen. The audience was sold out for each show, and loudly cheered at several points during the movie.

"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars

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ww12345 said:
I’m hoping my print (the complete print) will have a little more color … the scanner does need some of the funds for the scanning, so if you have any extra cash lying around, it would be greatly appreciated.

My poor pockets say "go for it!" For these things every little bit adds up to move the projects along. Will click on your name to send a Private Message for contact/details . .

“Xray Delta One, this is Mission Control. Roger your one-niner-three-zero. We concur with your plan to help the project with a donation. And we’ll get more info to you just as soon as we work it out.”

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Sweet, thanks! This project will be really cool when it is finished; I’ve already started digging into some of the audio. Oh glorious four-track mag! 😃

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 (Edited)

OK, just sent for Frank to suit up and EVA, to type the “Private Topic” on the antenna keyboard. In the meantime, I’ll keep HAL busy in a chess game. ;D

update:
Well. Frank came back, mission accomplished. And I beat HAL in chess.

Doesn’t seem right somehow. Script-girl, where’s Stanley's latest script?!

Hmmm . . .

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Just bumping to ask if there are any updates on the project. Anything new?

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

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The audio is preserved in the first two DVD releases, with the 2nd DVD release being the best.

I think a good sub-project would be to use the DVD audio from the 2nd DVD release and hybridize it with the orchestral sections from the most recent releases.

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As some one who has seen 2001 in 70MM four times in the last 4 years (with one of the prints having been recently made), I don’t entirely get the motivation here; the Blu-Ray is quite faithful to the print.

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For the original 4-track magnetic audio. And as far as I know, the BD isn’t faithful, nor is it pleasant looking aside from accuracy.

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

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Sorry for the delay - things are happening, even though they are more “behind the scenes” at this point.

We’re still waiting on that VS R1, and seeing if there is anything we can do to save it. We did scan the second print - audio as well as video - so that part is done. The scanner just finished rebuilding and calibrating the mag machine to get the best scan possible out of the second print (the complete print) so I have full faith that we will do it justice.

As far as accuracy, that’s correct - there were a few visual problems with the BD (mostly compositing issues), as well as the lack of 4 track audio. By completing this, I hope to release a version which will right a few wrongs as well as preserve an original “original” print. I know I’m a bit of a purist that way, but to know that this version was struck for the first run elevates its status a little in my opinion, and I’m a fan of the way prints look, rather than the sometimes overdetailed negatives.

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ww12345 said:

Sorry for the delay - things are happening, even though they are more “behind the scenes” at this point.

We’re still waiting on that VS R1, and seeing if there is anything we can do to save it. We did scan the second print - audio as well as video - so that part is done. The scanner just finished rebuilding and calibrating the mag machine to get the best scan possible out of the second print (the complete print) so I have full faith that we will do it justice.

I’m glad to hear things are going nicely! 😄

As far as accuracy, that’s correct - there were a few visual problems with the BD (mostly compositing issues), as well as the lack of 4 track audio. By completing this, I hope to release a version which will right a few wrongs as well as preserve an original “original” print. I know I’m a bit of a purist that way, but to know that this version was struck for the first run elevates its status a little in my opinion, and I’m a fan of the way prints look, rather than the sometimes overdetailed negatives.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

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Synnöve said:
As some one who has seen 2001 in 70MM four times in the last 4 years …

Whoa, I nominate you as class president!

…the Blu-Ray is quite faithful to the print.

Oh, I un-nominate you. 😄 But only because of this:

Spaced Ranger said:
I tried a test color-correction to confirm that the 2001 HD release screenshot from the DVDBeaver review, linked previously wasn’t some unholy Lucas-Lowry space graffiti. Fortunately not, for my simple histogram R-G-B manipulations corrected the spectrum nicely:

And the rest of the Blu-ray is just as bad.

.

ww12345 said:
We did scan the second print - audio as well as video … The scanner just finished rebuilding and calibrating the mag machine to get the best scan possible …

That is excellent! This will be really cool!

BTW, I’m keeping an eye on DrDre’s matching/prediction color-correction project. It just keeps getting better and better, and may be very useful here.

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Hmm. I’m probably going to see it again in 70MM within the next year, so I’ll be sure to make careful note of that scene, though off the top of my head, I don’t recall the station scenes as being that white, or with that high a gamma. That being said, comparison is difficult because film has a somewhat wider colorspace than rec709 media, and the “white point” is dependent on a few factors like the screen material and the quality of the light source.

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Synnöve said:
I don’t recall the station scenes as being that white, or with that high a gamma.

I’m not using a calibrated monitor (in fact, this laptop LCD changes the picture as I move my head) so just consider my proof-of-concept adjustments as a general direction towards color correction. There’s much more on this over at captainsolo’s thread Cinerama 70mm 2001 preservation. Is it possible?, including this on-the-set shot from the must-have Taschen book The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (plenty of it’s awesome pictures all over the Internet – definitely worth searching out):

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So… dare I ask how things are going along with this?

Ol’ George has the GOUT, I see.

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Moving along - R1 is still being processed, but developments are being made, don’t worry. 😃

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How long does it take to process one reel?

Ol’ George has the GOUT, I see.

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When it has vinegar syndrome, quite some time in preprocessing, relaxing with camphor and various film chemicals before it can even be scanned.

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How’s progress? It’s been a while since we’ve had an update on this.

Ol’ George has the GOUT, I see.

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For anyone within traveling distance of the Castro Theatre in San Francisco…

THURSDAY JULY 13 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 16 SPECIAL EVENT
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Projected in 70mm
Thu & Fri 8:00; Sat & Sun 5:00, 8:00

Four years in its creation, Stanley Kubrick’s metaphysical science-fiction epic traces man’s history and his contact with new life. Revealing itself on an almost subliminal level, this mind-bending masterpiece is a landmark in film history. With Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and the soothing voice of Douglas Rain. (1968, 142 min + intermission, 70mm ‘Scope)

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nafroe said:

For anyone within traveling distance of the Castro Theatre in San Francisco…

THURSDAY JULY 13 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 16 SPECIAL EVENT
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Projected in 70mm
Thu & Fri 8:00; Sat & Sun 5:00, 8:00

Four years in its creation, Stanley Kubrick’s metaphysical science-fiction epic traces man’s history and his contact with new life. Revealing itself on an almost subliminal level, this mind-bending masterpiece is a landmark in film history. With Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and the soothing voice of Douglas Rain. (1968, 142 min + intermission, 70mm ‘Scope)

I’d love to go see that but I’d doubt I’d make it. One of my all time favorite movies and never seen it in 70mm.