Posts Tagged ‘film digitization’

John Lowry Dies, Innovative Film Restoration Executive

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Film Restoration Innovator John Lowry Dies

Lowry To Be Honored By Academy

John D. Lowry, the innovative film restoration executive whose technology has been used to restore classic films from “Casablanca” to “Star Wars,” died on January 21st at the age of 79. Lowry, shown here with the Star Wars writer/producer/director George Lucas, was the founder of Lowry Digital Images. Of Lowry, Lucas said that “his passion for cinema and expertise in technology were essential in preserving the work of filmmakers for future generations to enjoy.”

The Burbank-based Lowry Digital Images is renowned in the entertainment technology industry for its work restoring some of the most important films in history for their release on DVD and Blu-ray. Lowry’s proprietary film digitization and restoration technologies have been used to preserve classics such as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Gone With the Wind.” Timeless Disney films such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Bambi” were also given the Lowry treatment, as were thrillers such as the “Indiana Jones” and “James Bond” films.

Lucas went on to say that Lowry’s innovations had “rescued many movies from irreparable decay, making it possible to enjoy them forever as the artists envisioned, without the damage of time.” Lowry’s career took shape in 1971 when he launched a company called Image Transform. This company developed a system for NASA to clean up live images being broadcast from the moon. Lowry later developed a new system for reducing visual “noise” in motion pictures. This process became the centerpiece of Lowry Digital Images, which Lowry launched in 1998 with engineer Ian Cavén. The film digitization and de-noising process allowed restorers to sharpen images, remove dirt, repair scratches, and reduce visible flicker in films. The process is not only intended for old films – new ones can be improved as well. Recent films such as “Avatar” and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” also benefited from improved image quality after being treated by the Lowry System.

Less than two weeks before Lowry’s death, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Lowry and his partners would be honored at this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony, held on February 11th, for the invention of the Lowry System.

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Kodak Files Chapter 11 As Film Industry Dwindles

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Kodak Falls Victim To Own Creation: Digital Photography

Unable To Adapt, Kodak Calls It Quits (For Now)

Eastman Kodak Co., one of the most recognizable name brands of the 20th century, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last Thursday after months of speculation about the company’s ability to stay afloat amid falling sales in an increasingly digital world. A vanguard brand in the world of photography, Kodak became a household name with products such as Instamatic cameras and Kodachrome photographic film (forever immortalized in the song by Paul Simon). But this former trailblazer has lost its glory now that film cameras and printed photos are on their way to becoming relics of the past. Digital photography, which actually originated decades ago at Kodak, has now made the film maker nearly obsolete. Although Kodak did try to compete in the digital camera business, it never had as strong a presence as camera hardware specialist such as Nikon and Canon, or consumer electronics giants such as Sony. Interestingly, the advent of digital photography has now cannibalized the digital camera business as well, because smartphone cameras have become so good and so ubiquitous that many casual users have ditched their point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Based out of Rochester, New York, Kodak has been exposed to heavy foreign competition in its primary business of film sales and processing, and has had a dwindling customer base over the last 15 years or so. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the news was “difficult and disappointing,” and that the city of Rochester owed much to the 132-year-old company. With the help of an 18-month, $950-million credit facility from Citigroup, Kodak continue operating through the restructuring. Kodak’s CEO Antonio M. Perez said that filing for bankruptcy was “a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak.” In the last nine years, Kodak has closed13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing labs, laying off 47,000 workers in the process.

Widespread film digitization, which of course has contributed to Kodak’s woes, may eventually be the key to future profitability. Last year, the company’s digital and printing technologies accounted for 75% of its revenue. Many analysts believe that film digitization wasn’t Kodak’s main problem. Instead, the trouble lay in the fact that Kodak didn’t listen its own innovators – the ones who invented digital photography – when they predicted that digitization would one day make the film business obsolete. Back then, the film industry was Kodak’s main moneymaker, and the company wasn’t prepared for widespread sea change. Just ten years ago, Kodak stock was trading at $20 or more. Last Thursday, it was down 35% from the day before – at 36 cents per share.

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Stop Online Piracy Act Has Strong Critics In Google, Facebook

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Companies Fear SOPA Gives Government Power To Censor The Web

Bill Would Help Block Piracy, But At What Price?

The digital world has many benefits, and most of us couldn’t imagine life without its many treasures. Perhaps most significantly, the advent of the Internet has combined with the media digitization – from music to movies – to complete change the way we consumers get our hands on information and entertainment. But while music and film digitization has made it easier to consume content from sources like iTunes, Hulu, and Netflix, it has also opened up a new world of online piracy – a business of bootlegged content that hurts not just the film and record industries, but the entire economy.

And now, the  House of Representatives committee is preparing to debate a bill of great significance to many industries, including the movie business, the record industry, the television industry, content providers such as Netflix and cable/satellite providers, and internet services from Google to iTunes. The bill in question is called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Basically, the bill would empower the U.S. Attorney General to take action against websites (even those based outside of the United States) that host the illegal streaming and downloading of copyrighted intellectual property, such as music, movies, and TV shows. SOPA and a similar bill called Protect IP are being supported by the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, Netflix, and many other movers and shakers in these industries.

But critics of the Stop Online Piracy Act, which include well-known web companies such as Facebook, Google, Ebay, PayPal, AOL, and Wikipedia, say that the bill gives law enforcement authorities the power to censor the World Wide Web to a startling degree, without a trial or proof of wrong-doing – thus threatening free speech and the rights of due process. Microsoft and Verizon have recently expressed their own concerns about the bill, though criticism from such major businesses has not prevented the development of considerable bipartisan support in the legislature.

In an open letter to Congress, these high-profile SOPA critics said that the proposed legislation would have a “chilling effect on innovation,” and went as far as to compare the bill to censorship techniques used in China, Iran, and other totalitarian governments. The technology community fears that, under the bill, the government would have the power to shut down websites like Google and Yahoo!, and payment processors like PayPal, simply because they may serve or link to sites that are in violation of the terms of the law. The threat of censorship is not to be taken lightly, but the supporters of SOPA aren’t concerned that such a legislation would lead to a “big-brother” society. First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams summed up his feelings on the subject in a column in the Washington Post, saying, “Chinese dissidents do not yearn for freedom in order to download pirated movies.”

As music and film digitization continues to push physical media into obsolescence, enforcing legal downloading will be crucial to our economy. It is clear to everyone that some measures must be taken to inhibit piracy, but it remains unclear how best to do so. At press time, SOPA had just been modified so that it no longer includes a provision that would require internet service providers to block access to overseas Web sites that have been accused of (though not convicted of) piracy.

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National Film Registry Aims To Digitize, Preserve Important Films

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Library Of Congress Selects Films For Preservation

National Film Registry To Include “Bambi,” “Silence Of The Lambs,” “Forrest Gump”

In 1988, the National Film Preservation Act established a group called the United States National Film Preservation Board. Each December, the Board helps the Librarian of Congress choose 25 films to be included in the National Film Registry, a film digitization and preservation project conducted by the Library of Congress. So far, the National Film Registry contains 575 films that have been deemed significant “culturally, historically, or aesthetically.”

“These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “Our film heritage must be protected because these cinematic treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams.” Billington finalized this year’s selections to the registry after meeting with library film curators and members of the National Film Preservation Board to discuss the top contenders. Nominations come from the public, and this year saw 2,228 films nominated. Of these, Billington himself reviewed several hundred.

The chosen few will receive top preservation efforts from the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation, which works to safeguard our film heritage. Film digitization is an important part of preservation, both because it protects the films against damage to physical media, and because it allows for practically infinite distribution of the films. Billington said that one of long-term goals of the project is to make all films in the registry available online. “Maximizing public access is one of the core concerns of the Library of Congress, because it’s the closest thing we have to a national patrimony of the creative arts,” he said.

This year’s selections included some relatively recent films such as Academy Award winners “Forrest Gump” (1994) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991). The oldest film to be included in this year’s batch was Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length feature, “The Kid” (1921). Also selected were “Norma Rae” (1979, starring Sally Field), George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” (1959), and the Disney classic “Bambi” (1942).

For more information, and to see a complete list of this year’s selected films, go to 2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates.

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Importance Of Film Digitization Discussed At eDIT Filmmakers Festival

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

IMAGO President Nigel Walters Urges For Mass Film Digitization

To Protect European Film Heritage

Lack Of Action Could Cause ‘Disappearance of Newly Produced Films’

Cinematographer Nigel Walters, who is president of International Cinematographers Federation IMAGO, spoke about the costs of, and pressing need for, film digitization at the recent eDIT Filmmakers Festival. “Unless there is serious money invested in the digitization of the European film heritage,” said Walters, “a lack of action in eight years’ time will result in the disappearance of newly produced films. If we do not digitize the danger is that even film archive will be useless if the technology to preserve on film becomes obsolete.”

According to Walters, there is a need for widespread film digitization, but the funds aren’t there. Even after a complete digitization of Europe’s film heritage, preserving such a colossal collection would cost an estimated 290 million Euros (roughly $410 million) annually. But the first hurdle is funding the process of digitization itself, which Walters reports would cost between 500 million Euros (about $707.5 million) and 2 billion (about $2.8 billion). Walters said that the undertaking is “rather like a bank crisis with black holes for endless pits of our money.”

Though Walters is clearly a proponent of digitization as a method of preservation, he does not suggest that filmmakers abandon the use of film when making movies. After giving his thoughts on the importance of film digitization to the future of the European cinematic heritage, Walters discussed the use of film in current movies. “Film is far from dead,” he declared, “as witnessed by the use of Super 16mm on The Hurt Locker and Black Swan.” Walters also noted that cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel is in the process of doing Super 16mm tests for a new movie by the Coen Brothers, who have helmed such acclaimed projects as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit. “The final decision will be made after the testing by Bruno and discussions with the directors,” added Walters.

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