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Idea: 35mm Transfer - make a preservation project from it?

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I read in the savestarwars FAQ that there is indeed 35mm reels of the OT out in the world. Some of them are the very reels shown in theaters. Wouldn’t it be the ultimate preservation to get a hold of a set of these our selves, scan it in 1080p, do some retouching, and release it as the definitive HD theatrical cuts?

I mean, I’m looking at all the work being done here: converting 8mm film, rotoscopes combining the best of the laser disc and SE footage, upscaling, color correction, and even new effects. Why not just go right the source and scan it? I’m assuming this would to the trick as far as scanning and dust/scratch removal. I know it would be a lot of work, but so is all this restoration/upscaling stuff and it just gets out dated quickly.

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If somebody reliable were to get their hands on a print it could happen, but so far no luck...

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

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I think one major hurdle is the cost but to be economical you could just scan in the parts that were specialized.  people seem to forget that we already have about 80% of the original unaltered trilogy in HD.

"I will laugh my ass off a hundred years from now when the only version of STARWARS people remember are harmys despecialized editions.  They will project it on a 20' by 40' screen with perfect quality."

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joshdv said:

I think one major hurdle is the cost but to be economical you could just scan in the parts that were specialized.  people seem to forget that we already have about 80% of the original unaltered trilogy in HD.

Yes and no.  It still has the crushed blacks.  A fresh 35mm scan could avoid that.

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

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Indeed, the holy grail of fan preservation would be a scan of a 35mm print, ideally one of the very rare technicolor prints.

 

The problems, as outlined in the linked thread are that you first have to find one of these prints in decent condition with an owner willing to scan it.

The next step would be finding someone willing to do the scan.  While DIY solutions can work, you likely will run into problems down the line whether it be sync issues or framing issues, or physical issues with the film itself that a professional post house can deal with.

There's a local community college near where I live that recently acquired a 2k DI scanner, and if someone had a print, I'm curious if we'd be able to pull some strings.  Since they aren't a commercial post house, they might have less red tape to deal with, and if the right person was asked, who knows.  Just throwing that out there.

BTW: there is a someone who may have already done a high quality scan of a 35mm print.  Mike Verta recently posted this drool inducing still on his forum:

http://www.mikeverta.com/Posts/SW_SP_R1.001658.png


That appears to be nearing 4k resolution and has outstanding detail.

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." - Orson Welles

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PreserveOurHeritage said:
BTW: there is a someone who may have already done a high quality scan of a 35mm print.  Mike Verta recently posted this drool inducing still on his forum:

http://www.mikeverta.com/Posts/SW_SP_R1.001658.png


That appears to be nearing 4k resolution and has outstanding detail.

The resolution is outstanding on that still, but it also seems completely devoid of filmgrain.

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

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Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

joshdv said:

I think one major hurdle is the cost but to be economical you could just scan in the parts that were specialized.  people seem to forget that we already have about 80% of the original unaltered trilogy in HD.

Yes and no.  It still has the crushed blacks.  A fresh 35mm scan could avoid that.

 i agree a full scan would be ideal.  if the reels are damaged though or the person doesn't have enough money to scan it all i'd go with the highest priority frames which would be the specialized ones.  to be honest the crushed blacks don't bother me that much and i think if george had released the original unaltered trilogy in the quality of the 2004 dvds i would be for the most part satisfied. or at least not as pissed ;-)

"I will laugh my ass off a hundred years from now when the only version of STARWARS people remember are harmys despecialized editions.  They will project it on a 20' by 40' screen with perfect quality."

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joshdv said:


I think one major hurdle is the cost but to be economical you could just scan in the parts that were specialized.  people seem to forget that we already have about 80% of the original unaltered trilogy in HD.
All of the wipes were redone, so technically that would be a good representation of the originals, but not the "unaltered" version.

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That Verta scan looks interesting, but something looks off. I can see grain in the text, but especially at the top, the text doesn't seem to blend in with the starfield, almost as if the text were cut out and pasted over a new  background.

I am in no way dismissing it as some kind of hoax, it is definitely real, but it looks strange to me.

I'd love to see a 35mm/70mm print preservation almost as much as a real theatrical screening.

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stupid 

Question?

 We know that there are 16mm prints of the OT.

If they where scanned in HD could they be used for fixing crushed blacks?

I know they are cropped but if you combine GOUT and 2004 DVD and maybe blu ray could you get something that look good?

I know a 35mm Transfer would be the best but would the be a better chance of finding some one that could scan the 16mm. Seeing how the 16mm is legal to own.

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Why do these people always break up the damned reels?

And where the heck do all those odd reels of Episode III keep coming from? I see them on Ebay practically once a month!

Where were you in '77?

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He does have the other two reels. It's idiotic that it's in two separate auctions that end at the same time. What will anyone do with a single reel and no time to bid on the other two?

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SilverWook said:

Why do these people always break up the damned reels?

And where the heck do all those odd reels of Episode III keep coming from? I see them on Ebay practically once a month!

security reasons i guess.

later

-1

[no GOUT in CED?-> GOUT CED]

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Gary Sebben said:

He does have the other two reels. It's idiotic that it's in two separate auctions that end at the same time. What will anyone do with a single reel and no time to bid on the other two?

not a problem. that's how i got 1 set of star wars. 1 reel at a time.

just use a sniping program.

 

later

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[no GOUT in CED?-> GOUT CED]

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Fascinating that ESB reels still get out. Of course, a telecine would be amazing and the best version ever, but, as said by others, it is easier said than done. Anyone here thinking of seriously picking up those ESB reels for sale now?

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The Aluminum Falcon said:

Fascinating that ESB reels still get out. Of course, a telecine would be amazing and the best version ever, but, as said by others, it is easier said than done. Anyone here thinking of seriously picking up those ESB reels for sale now?

take a guess!

later

-1

[no GOUT in CED?-> GOUT CED]

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Oh LOL gotcha. I thought you were just throwing ideas around about sniping and getting information about it but okay. Good luck on that.

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If I had the means, I'd be all over helping assemble 35mm prints of the OT. I'm actually kinda surprised that nobody here has managed to secure at least one of the films this way. I know it's a long, expensive process, so I guess that is the main problem. I just hope everyone here isn't as poor as I am! Here's to hoping this actually comes to fruition someday. *Raises glass*

It’s really sad when the “creative minds” behind something we hold dear are also guilty of its destruction.