Technicolor Focuses On Film Restoration

Technicolor has organized a new company that will specialize in film restoration. The Technicolor Film Restoration Company will be headquartered in Universal City, California in a new facility adjacent to the main Technicolor Film Laboratory.""We must restore and preserve the past if we are to have a future for our films,"" says Technicolor President Ron Jarvis. ""Our goal is to make high-quality film restoration more affordable and accessible. Films are important to our culture, and a valuable asset for our customers. It is incumbent upon those of us who have a passion for film and itís creation to ensure that future generations are able to experience the history and essence of film at the highest possible quality. By separating the restoration function from Technicolorís mass production laboratory environment, we will be able to concentrate on the specialized care that film restoration demands. In addition, the synergy between traditional film restoration along with Technicolorís newly redesigned dye transfer process enables us to provide a unique and improved quality to our customers.""""Technicolor brings unique know-how and extraordinary technology to this mission,"" says Rami Mina, head of the new Technicolor subsidiary. ""Our heritage goes back to the earliest days of the motion picture industry. Many of us have worked in this industry for our entire careers. We know the cinematographers and directors whose films we are working to restore and preserve, and we are proud to be part of those efforts because we believe it is important work.""Mina says that the evolution of HDTV, Digital Television and new home video formats such as DVD are fueling vigorous interest in restoring and preserving old and new classic films. He says the studios and other content owners anticipate there will be a growing demand to fill the new entertainment pipelines with world-class films. He also anticipates a growing demand for classic films for global distribution.""There are millions of people who lived behind the Iron Curtain and in third world countries with emerging economies who are hungry for our films,"" he says. ""They now have the means to see them in new cinemas, on television, and with home video systems. We anticipate a significant and growing market which will help fund the restoration and preservation of many important films for posterity.""Mina estimates there are at least 11,000 American films that could be lost forever if they arenít identified restored and preserved. He says the requirements are complex and diverse. There were movies produced with two- and three-strip Technicolor, black-and-white and various color negative films. Many films were produced on a potentially volatile nitrate base, in multiple formats, including 65mm, Vista VisionÆ and 35mm.""There are some very good people and companies doing credible restoration work in this field,"" he says, ""but the industry needs to accelerate this process. The job is too big. One of the things we have done is modernize the tools use for optical and digital restoration, so there are economies of scale. We are also drawing on an enormous pool of experience and talent available through our parent company.""Motion picture film is actually a durable medium, much more so than any current form of electronic imaging. If stored properly film will last for hundreds of years, and they can be preserved indefinitely if new masters are made as needed.""We know a lot more today than we did even 10 years ago about how to preserve new and old classic films. I am convinced that 35mm motion picture film will be around for a long time and we at Technicolor will continue to develop the very best methods to restore, preserve, and continue the film tradition.""For information contact Rami Mina, Technicolor Film Restoration Company at 818 754 5000 or e-mail restoration@Technicolor.com.