my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Dirty Film to DVD

Author Topic: Dirty Film to DVD Steven Pickles Film Handler Posts: 81 From: Gainesville, FL, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 11-29-2001 12:56 AM                     Why is it that when a company releases a DVD of one of their titles that the picture is sometimes dirty? Not too noticibly dirty but a speck here and there... as if the film they transferred from was not clean. Why wouldn't the production company use a completely new film and if necessary take out the dirt using a computer before mass producing the final product? This especially affects some of the older titles (which I can understand to some degree) but also has been noticable to me on some new ones too. Anyone have any ideas?  |  IP: Logged Christopher Duvall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 500 From: Denver, CO Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-29-2001 04:41 AM                     Laziness...'nuff said. It is like some of the lame ass projectionists in the field. Enough to make you weep...  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 11-29-2001 07:12 AM                        You would expect them to ultrasonically clean a print immediately before telecine, in which case (assuming the print wasn't beyond hope before it got cleaned), assuming the telecine was done properly, you shouldn't see any dirt.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-29-2001 09:02 AM                        Although prints are sometimes used to make the masters for video release, most today are made from a pre-print element, which offer much higher image quality. Sometimes an existing element is used, which may have some wear-and-tear from previous trips through printers or telecines. In most cases, digital "dust-busting" is used for cleaning up artifacts that were not removed by normal cleaning methods. But as with anything today, it's a cost/benefit judgement as to how much is done to make a perfect master. ------------------ John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243 E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion  |  IP: Logged Peter Eaves Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Burbank, California, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-29-2001 10:44 AM                     Typically, the major assett holders go to great pains to make the best possible element for transfer from original elements. Original negatives are often painstakingly cleaned frame by frame to remove dirt. But since many of these titles are older, much of the dirt may have been embedded over the years. Scratches and digs are identified and every effort is made to find replacement shots from other pre-print elements. Alas, in some cases there is nothing that can be done photochemically to eliminate some problems and the solution lies in the digital (and expensive) world. As John Pytlak has said, it often comes down to a cost factor. If you were able to see the condition of many negatives before any of this work is done, you would be amazement at the improvements. ------------------ Peter Eaves Director of Film Restoration FotoKem Film and Video 2801 West Alameda Avenue Burbank, CA 91505 Tel : 818-846-3102 Fax : 818-557-0385 E-mail : peaves@fotokem.com  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-29-2001 04:28 PM                  I understand the dust/scratches/etc., but what bugs the HELL outta me is IMAGE WEAVE! What the heck is wrong with these idiots that they cannot correctly set-up the projector or Rank or whatever!? Ya pay good $ for a "Special Edition" and it wanders! NO EXCUSE! GEEEZE! >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.