Re: Fading - particularly ANSCO

[Eric Goldstein <egoldste@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Wier wrote:
> I'd be interested in obtaining some examples of these
> to experiment with as far as digitization and color correction possibilities
> are concerned.


Bob-

You may want to hook up with the American Film Institute (AFI). They 
have done massive and exhaustive research on film restoration 
techniques, because of the on-going threat of loosing our film 
heritage to do the archival limitations of the original media. I think 
they are the group responsible for the restoration/re-release of such 
masterpieces as Laurence of Arabia.

If I've got this right, the bad news is that digitization/color 
correction offers little relief for the massive color loss you 
describe. Once one or more of the major color "channels" or emulsion 
layers is lost, channel pumping/rebalancing can't work because there 
is no information to enhanse. The restorers usually seek out as many 
internegatives, interpositives, release prints, etc as they can put 
their hands on, and mix and match to create a new and archival 
negative.

Because these films were so widely duplicated, they have a far greater 
variety of source materials to work from than we would...


Eric G.
egoldste@xxxxxx


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