Hey, all.
I’m currently in the planning stages of a very personal Fantasia preservation project, but for it to move entirely forward, I need some help. The film’s footage will be sourced from a (drop dead gorgeous) IB Technicolor print from 1954, which unfortunately lost reels 1 and 4 to the worst case of vinegar syndrome I’ve ever witnessed: completely unusable. If I can get those two reels from another 35mm IB Tech print comprised of 8 reels-- even if I can only borrow them for scanning, then we’re in business. (Not literally, this is strictly a non-profit preservation project, as it should be.)
The other problem involves the film’s master of ceremonies, Deems Taylor. As Fantasia’s original sound elements no longer exist, neither do Taylor’s complete commentary tracks, and all that has ever survived is what’s available in the general release version. Or so I thought; according to this post, studio continuity drafts for the 1942 release confirm that more of Taylor’s recordings did survive in that 81-minute cut. I guess this is a call to action of sorts to all film collectors/archivists and dedicated enthusiasts who happen to peruse these threads, that either have access to a reduction print or an original blue-track Technicolor print of this release or at least know where either may exist. I’m trying to include as many of the original soundtrack elements as possible in this homebrew, even if it’s just a minute or two more of commentary audio that wasn’t previously available, so locating a good copy of this release would be an enormous help.
I hope to share more about this meaningful project soon. =)
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ☑️ | Complete |
| ⬜️ | Incomplete |
| 🔄 | In Progress |
Scan Visual Elements
☑️ 1956 SuperScope Print (8/8 Reels)
☑️ 1969 Eastman SP Print (8/8 Reels)
🔄 U.K. Technicolor Print (5/6 Reels)
🔄 U.S. Technicolor Print (3/7 Reels)
Digitize Audio Sources
☑️ 1956 SuperScope Print (4-track Magnetic Stereo)
☑️ 1969 Eastman SP Print (4-track Magnetic Stereo)
🔄 U.K. Technicolor Print (Optical Mono)
🔄 U.S. Technicolor Print (Optical Mono)
Refurbish Audio Sources
⬜️ 1956 4-track Magnetic Stereo
⬜️ 1969 4-track Magnetic Stereo
⬜️ U.K. Optical Mono
⬜️ U.S. Optical Mono
Create Video Transfer
⬜️ Color-correct scanned footage.
⬜️ Apply mild cleanup to color-corrected footage.
⬜️ Edit corrected footage.
Create Audio Mixes
⬜️ 1940 Fantasound Mix*
⬜️ 1946 Monaural Mix
(*1956 General Release Version)