logo Sign In

Fantasia Special Edition 35mm Restoration 1.0 (released)

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Just when you thought the flow of new Fantasia stuff would be extinguished, CMGF of originaltrilogy.com just came through with another amazing contraption and did more incredible work on it. To sum up, he obtained a 1956 scan of Fantasia (which is uncensored by default), restored the aspect ratio back to 4:3, patched up the lens switch scenes with footage from Thunderbean’s 35mm release, and synched it all with the patched laserdisc tracks from previous releases! The result is a mind blowing 35mm release that I didn’t think we’d be getting anytime soon! Here is his write up, starting with a disclaimer:

–start–


DISCLAIMER:

The 35mm footage we used is not from our scan and was supposed to be in originaltrilogy.com’s poita’s Fantasia project. I was given this by a member of originaltrilogy.com who worked with him, and I didn’t plan to release anything, but learning that the project is no longer being worked on, I thought it was a shame if no one would ever be able to view this print. So I contacted Class316 and we decided to let you all see this. All credit for the scan goes to poita and his coworkers.


This is the 1956 release of Fantasia on 35mm, squeezed back to 4:3 and synced with the two patched laserdisc tracks: Fantasound and mono. A minor color correction has been done on it, mainly because of the need to fix some brightness/ contrast issues. Also, the 15-minute intermission was inserted back in, using the opening card from Thunderbean’s 35mm release (which is similar to the intermission card).

We used the 1956 print as the main source for the video, but most of it is stretched to widescreen, and in some scenes there’s a lens switch to move between 4:3 and 2:20. As a result, those scenes were not usable and were replaced with Thunderbean’s 35mm release and color corrected to match the rest of the video.

A scene from the opening is missing on the laserdisc version, so it didn’t sync with the 35mm footage. For the Fantasound mix, I had a stereo mag soundtrack of the opening. For the mono mix, I used Thunderbean’s optical mono to replace the partially missing audio from the Laserdisc mono track.

It took a lot of time to get this one done, so I hope you all enjoy it!

–end–

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Class316, that sounds great! But a tiny request: Can you guys do a quick encode stretching the x to a 32:9 ar for my ultra-wide monitor, do more DNR than was done to the LotR/T2 4k releases, slather the image with alternating teal and yellow tints, and add frame rate mods/effects so it always appears like soap opera 120Hz refresh motion interpolation? I know you’ll say, “Couldn’t be happier to oblige with all that!” so I’ll give a thanks now ahead of time 😃

Just being silly of course. Wow, all you guys’ work here on OT with these Fantasia’s (TonyWDA’s thread too)… fascinating watching all these releases stepping higher and higher up the quality ladder, all the approaches…! Thanks so much for sharing not only the end results but the (telling the) steps!

LightWave = fun times with gfx for me 😃

Author
Time

WXM said:

Just being silly of course. Wow, all you guys’ work here on OT with these Fantasia’s (TonyWDA’s thread too)… fascinating watching all these releases stepping higher and higher up the quality ladder, all the approaches…! Thanks so much for sharing not only the end results but the (telling the) steps!

I have to agree the levels we have reached exceeded even my dreams and expectations. And yes I believe it should be clear where everything is sourced from and what has been done. Not only so people know what they are downloading and watching, but in this case to also make it clear that these Fantasia releases are not fan edits. They are fan restorations of Walt’s own edits!

Author
Time

Curiosity: is this 35mm print the same image harvest as the Thunderbean BD? Or a different print?

Author
Time

As stated in the main post, we used a 1956 print (which is not Thunderbean) as the main source for video. We could not use Thunderbean’s release because about a half of it has a severe color fading, but a very few scenes were replaced with it due to the lens switches the 1956 print has. Those scenes were color corrected to match the rest of the video and the fading was fixed.
TonyWDA has posted a great sample of how the lens switches look, and you’ll get immediately why we had to get rid of those:
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1512017/action/topic#1512017

“After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working”
-The wind in the willows

Author
Time

Glad there’s interest in this! We also want to make a V2 of this project, but for this, we’re going to need some help. I want to clean up the dust and scratches, but I don’t have the tools and skills to do that. Anyone who can offer some help or guidance, please? would be very appreciated! (You will be credited.)

“After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working”
-The wind in the willows

Author
Time

Very impressive restoration and certainly the best yet! I noticed the omission of the ending credits scene, imposed against the orchestra walking out. Was that omitted from the original release?

Author
Time

Thanks for the nice words! The ending credits were created especially for the 1990 re-release.

“After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working”
-The wind in the willows

Author
Time

It’s so great to see this movie finally getting its proper treatment.
Excited to check it. PM sent.

Author
Time

so this is the best way to watch fantasia as of 2022?

Fate is best Anime/Visual Novel.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Moiisty said:

so this is the best way to watch fantasia as of 2022?

Depends on your taste. There’s these 2 restorations as well.

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Fantasia-Special-Edition-Laserdisc-Restoration-with-Sunflower-v2-2/id/96261

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Fantasia-Special-Edition-Blu-Ray-Restoration-V1-0/id/99856

In terms of audio they are all the same. And all are uncensored. So depends which video source you prefer.

But yes these 3 restorations are the best most authentic ways to view Fantasia as of 2022.

Author
Time

I’m not sure what to say, other than WOW.

The 35mm is simply gorgeous.

“Before the Dark Times. Before the Prequels.”

Author
Time
 (Edited)

The excitement for this 35mm release is on a new level. It’s quite awesome to see. I haven’t even put it on torrent sites yet.

Back in February 2021, almost a year into the COVID pandemic, the world finally saw a Fantasia release in its authentic form. Uncensored, with Fantasound (or the closest we have to it), and Deems Taylor’s narration. It started with something relatively simple. Basically the laserdisc release with censored and missing video and audio from the Pastoral Symphony inserted back in. Since then, the quality and choices for this have have exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations. It’s honestly in the “too good to be true” realm.

Lots of people contributed to all of this in some form or another. Both knowingly and unknowingly. Be it in guidance, materials, edits, time, or otherwise. But in largest part, thanks to CMGF’s work for bringing all the resources and knowledge together and consolidating them into the edits we have now.

While there is always room of improvement like cleaning up or fixing current releases or new and better materials being made available for use in the future, if these are all that will exist I’d say we are in good shape. Not bad from basically nothing in 2020.

Here are links detailing the latest versions of every release:

90s master:

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Fantasia-Special-Edition-Laserdisc-Restoration-with-Sunflower-v2-2/id/96261

This uses the early 90s Disney master (free of Disney “retouching”) as the primary video source. This master is the same one that exists in the Library of Congress and used for the early 90s VHS and laserdisc releases. Sourced from the early 2000s Australian PAL DVD released by Disney (which by some odd miracle uses the early 90s master for its video).

Blu:

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Fantasia-Special-Edition-Blu-Ray-Restoration-V1-0/id/99856

This uses the blu ray footage as the primary video source. Sourced from the 2010 US blu ray released by Disney.

35mm:

https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/Fantasia-Special-Edition-35mm-Restoration-1-0-released/id/101085

This uses a 1956 35mm film scan as the primary video source.

Author
Time

Really interested in this, PM sent––thanks!

Author
Time

I’m really interested to see this. PM sent. Thanks in advance!

Author
Time

For those interested it seems someone restored the Kostal version and uploaded it to archive.org. Just google “fantasia Kostal” and it will be in the top results.

Author
Time

Wonderful PM I got on myspleen:


Hey, I just wanted to personally thank you for posting the 35mm restoration of Fantasia. My grandfather worked on the original 1940 movie when he was 13, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice part to be exact, and he is still alive with my grandmother. I am going to send this restoration to him. We have a special bonding over talking about classic movies/animation, and I would love for him to see this as this is the most faithful restoration of Fantasia you could find. He hasn’t seen the original version in a long, long time, and he probably never thought he would see it again.


Author
Time

This is so touching… I was always glad to be a part of this, but never in my dreams did I think that it would have such a meaningful result! Please ask the PM sender to update when his grandfather has watched it.

“After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working”
-The wind in the willows