[Videolib] RE: The return of colorization?

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Thought the group might find this article interesting. Personally, I
can handle the colorization of Laurel and Hardy or Three Stooges shorts
without losing much sleep -- but films like "My Man Godfrey" or
"Casablanca" NEVER!
=20
________________________________

A newer look for older films

S.D. company's colorization technology has changed some skeptics' minds

By Frank Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER=20

July 27, 2006=20

The colorization of vintage black-and-white movies, which caused film
buffs to see red when it was introduced in the 1980s, is getting a major
revival.=20

San Diego-based Legend Films is restoring and colorizing dozens of old
features, from "My Man Godfrey" with William Powell, to director Ed
Wood's cult classic "Plan 9 From Outer Space."

=20

JOHN GIBBINS / Union-Tribune
Rosemary Horvath, creative director for Legend Films, worked with images
from "March of the Wooden Soldiers." The Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
comedy is one of the films being colorized by the San Diego company.
The first wave of colorization largely faded from view in the early
1990s after about 400 movies had been tinted.=20

"Twenty years ago, colorization was substandard, very artificial and
pastel-y," said David Martin, Legend's chief executive. "But today,
using high-definition digital technology, these movies look as if they
were actually shot in color."

Legend's roster includes about 50 films revitalized for studios such as
20th Century Fox ("Miracle on 34th Street," "The Mark of Zorro"),
licensed from copyright holders or acquired through the public domain.

Martin, a former executive at the video retailer Hollywood
Entertainment, stressed that Legend's DVDs contain both colorized and
black-and-white versions and that the company consults original
directors and players when possible.

Such distinctions hardly mollify anti-colorization activists, many of
whom have decried the technique as artistic theft since the day media
mogul Ted Turner began tinting films such as "Casablanca" and "The
Maltese Falcon" in his MGM vaults in the mid-1980s.

=20

Legend Films
Legend Films has 11 patents on its colorization technology, which
includes software that keeps colors consistent through all the frames.
Directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were among those who
testified before Congress against colorization and the alteration of
film, describing the makeovers as examples of cultural vandalism.=20

Old films "are works of art," said Andy Friedenberg, director of the
Cinema Society of San Diego. "It's like somebody looked at the Mona Lisa
and said, 'Let's add a line of blue.' "

The Film Foundation, a New York-based subsidiary of the Directors Guild
of America, said it opposes colorization unless the original filmmaker
approves the makeover.

"The issue arises when the director is no longer available to be
consulted," said Margaret Bodde, the foundation's executive director.

Legend has successfully converted some skeptics. CEO Martin and Legend
President Barry Sandrew set up a computer in Shirley Temple Black's
living room four years ago and screened the company's color rendition of
her starring vehicle, "Heidi."

"She was convinced," Martin said.

Now Legend has an agreement to market her TV series from the late '50s
and early '60s, featuring such stories as "Babes In Toyland" and "The
Little Mermaid."

Legend also has a partnership with special-effects pioneer Ray
Harryhausen ("Mighty Joe Young," "Clash of the Titans") to colorize
several of his early films.

The company "has vastly improved colorization technology (and) has
constantly impressed me with the quality of their colorization
technology," Harryhausen said in a statement. "I am completely
comfortable having them work on my films."

Privately held Legend, founded in 2001, didn't begin colorizing movies
until 2003. While declining to divulge sales revenues, the company said
its business grew 10-fold from 2004 to 2005 as mainstream audiences took
to the idea of seeing the Three Stooges' Curly and Sherlock Holmes'
Basil Rathbone in the pink.

Many of Legend's titles are carried by mass retailers such asTarget and
Wal-Mart Stores or online at Amazon.com.

Legend is largely the culmination of the work of Sandrew, who co-founded
the pioneering film colorization company American Film Technologies of
San Diego in the mid-1980s and developed the company's film-tinting
process. It was under Sandrew's guidance that AFT tinted dozens of
Turner's MGM movies.

Sandrew had previously been on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and
a staff member at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he'd used color
imaging technology to study neurological impairments.

Legend has about 200 employees at a colorization facility in Patna,
India, as well as 25 workers at its San Diego headquarters.

Legend's sophisticated colorization technology, which has 11 patents,
has been refined to the point to which the company has virtually no
competition, according to Legend executives.

The typical Legend film project begins with a search for the original
35-millimeter print, Martin said. Each film frame - there are 140,000
frames in a typical movie - is dusted and cleaned before colorization.

Key to the process, Martin said, is thorough research to determine as
closely as possible the color schemes used in the original film shoot.

"Nobody knows what color pants Spanky was wearing" in a Little Rascals
feature, Martin conceded.

However, Legend employs several experts in period costumes, decor and
architecture who study studio archives, original color footage from a
previous era and even lobby cards to determine the right hues of the
military uniforms in "The Mark of Zorro" or the metallic tinge of the
submarine in "It Came From Beneath the Sea."

The entire process can take up to two weeks of design study and four
more weeks to drop in the array of colors.

The other day, designer Robert Silva, a former AFT designer, was looking
at pictures on his computer of old cans of Ben Hur-brand paprika, curry
powder and sage. Ben Hur cans were in the background in several frames
of a "Little Rascals" black-and-white feature he had been assigned to
research, and he wanted to make sure the cans' red and white colors were
accurately transferred to the print.

Martin said the core of the company's proprietary technology includes a
process in which the colorization software can identify the reds, blues
and greens in the first frame and keep them consistent in succeeding
frames.

"We have the ability to go to frame two, push a (computer) button, and
the color from frame one fits," Martin said.

Legend is moving beyond film colorization into related projects,
including theatrical distribution of some of its public-domain movies.

Through a distributor, the company recently screened its color version
of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" at theaters in New York City and San
Francisco.

The company also recently signed Michael Nelson, longtime host of the TV
film parody "Mystery Science Theater 3000," to serve as its chief
content producer. Nelson's work at Legend has included commentaries and
video wraparounds for "The Three Stooges In Color," "House On Haunted
Hill" and "Reefer Madness."

"We want to find other ways to utilize old movies to get them in front
of new eyes," Nelson said.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

July 27, 2006=20

The colorization of vintage = black-and-white=20 movies, which caused film buffs to see red when it was introduced in the = 1980s,=20 is getting a major revival.=20

San Diego-based Legend Films is restoring and colorizing dozens of = old=20 features, from “My Man Godfrey” with William Powell, to = director Ed Wood's cult=20 classic “Plan 9 From Outer Space.”

JOHN GIBBINS / = Union-Tribune Rosemary Horvath, creative director for = Legend Films,=20 worked with images from "March of the Wooden Soldiers." The Stan = Laurel=20 and Oliver Hardy comedy is one of the films being colorized by the = San=20 Diego company.

“Twenty years ago, colorization was substandard, very = artificial and=20 pastel-y,” said David Martin, Legend's chief executive. “But = today, using=20 high-definition digital technology, these movies look as if they were = actually=20 shot in color.”

Legend's roster includes about 50 films revitalized for studios such = as 20th=20 Century Fox (“Miracle on 34th Street,” “The Mark of = Zorro”), licensed from=20 copyright holders or acquired through the public domain.

Martin, a former executive at the video retailer Hollywood = Entertainment,=20 stressed that Legend's DVDs contain both colorized and black-and-white = versions=20 and that the company consults original directors and players when = possible.

Such distinctions hardly mollify anti-colorization activists, many of = whom=20 have decried the technique as artistic theft since the day media mogul = Ted=20 Turner began tinting films such as “Casablanca” and = “The Maltese Falcon” in his=20 MGM vaults in the mid-1980s.

Legend Films Legend Films has 11 patents on its = colorization=20 technology, which includes software that keeps colors consistent = through=20 all the frames.

Old films “are works of art,” said Andy Friedenberg, = director of the Cinema=20 Society of San Diego. “It's like somebody looked at the Mona Lisa = and said,=20 'Let's add a line of blue.' ”

The Film Foundation, a New York-based subsidiary of the Directors = Guild of=20 America, said it opposes colorization unless the original filmmaker = approves the=20 makeover.

“The issue arises when the director is no longer available to = be consulted,”=20 said Margaret Bodde, the foundation's executive director.

Legend has successfully converted some skeptics. CEO Martin and = Legend=20 President Barry Sandrew set up a computer in Shirley Temple Black's = living room=20 four years ago and screened the company's color rendition of her = starring=20 vehicle, “Heidi.”

“She was convinced,” Martin said.

Now Legend has an agreement to market her TV series from the late = '50s and=20 early '60s, featuring such stories as “Babes In Toyland” and = “The Little=20 Mermaid.”

Legend also has a partnership with special-effects pioneer Ray = Harryhausen=20 (“Mighty Joe Young,” “Clash of the Titans”) to = colorize several of his early=20 films.

The company “has vastly improved colorization technology (and) = has constantly=20 impressed me with the quality of their colorization technology,” = Harryhausen=20 said in a statement. “I am completely comfortable having them work = on my=20 films.”

Privately held Legend, founded in 2001, didn't begin colorizing = movies until=20 2003. While declining to divulge sales revenues, the company said its = business=20 grew 10-fold from 2004 to 2005 as mainstream audiences took to the idea = of=20 seeing the Three Stooges' Curly and Sherlock Holmes' Basil Rathbone in = the=20 pink.

Many of Legend's titles are carried by mass retailers such asTarget = and=20 Wal-Mart Stores or online at Amazon.com.

Legend is largely the culmination of the work of Sandrew, who = co-founded the=20 pioneering film colorization company American Film Technologies of San = Diego in=20 the mid-1980s and developed the company's film-tinting process. It was = under=20 Sandrew's guidance that AFT tinted dozens of Turner's MGM movies.

Sandrew had previously been on the faculty of Harvard Medical School = and a=20 staff member at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he'd used color = imaging=20 technology to study neurological impairments.

Legend has about 200 employees at a colorization facility in Patna, = India, as=20 well as 25 workers at its San Diego headquarters.

Legend's sophisticated colorization technology, which has 11 patents, = has=20 been refined to the point to which the company has virtually no = competition,=20 according to Legend executives.

The typical Legend film project begins with a search for the original = 35-millimeter print, Martin said. Each film frame – there are = 140,000 frames in=20 a typical movie – is dusted and cleaned before colorization.

Key to the process, Martin said, is thorough research to determine as = closely=20 as possible the color schemes used in the original film shoot.

“Nobody knows what color pants Spanky was wearing” in a = Little Rascals=20 feature, Martin conceded.

However, Legend employs several experts in period costumes, decor and = architecture who study studio archives, original color footage from a = previous=20 era and even lobby cards to determine the right hues of the military = uniforms in=20 “The Mark of Zorro” or the metallic tinge of the submarine = in “It Came From=20 Beneath the Sea.”

The entire process can take up to two weeks of design study and four = more=20 weeks to drop in the array of colors.

The other day, designer Robert Silva, a former AFT designer, was = looking at=20 pictures on his computer of old cans of Ben Hur-brand paprika, curry = powder and=20 sage. Ben Hur cans were in the background in several frames of a = “Little=20 Rascals” black-and-white feature he had been assigned to research, = and he wanted=20 to make sure the cans' red and white colors were accurately transferred = to the=20 print.

Martin said the core of the company's proprietary technology includes = a=20 process in which the colorization software can identify the reds, blues = and=20 greens in the first frame and keep them consistent in succeeding = frames.

“We have the ability to go to frame two, push a (computer) = button, and the=20 color from frame one fits,” Martin said.

Legend is moving beyond film colorization into related projects, = including=20 theatrical distribution of some of its public-domain movies.

Through a distributor, the company recently screened its color = version of=20 “Plan 9 From Outer Space” at theaters in New York City and = San Francisco.

The company also recently signed Michael Nelson, longtime host of the = TV film=20 parody “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” to serve as its chief = content producer.=20 Nelson's work at Legend has included commentaries and video wraparounds = for “The=20 Three Stooges In Color,” “House On Haunted Hill” and = “Reefer Madness.”

“We want to find other ways to utilize old movies to get them = in front of new=20 eyes,” Nelson said.

• In reply to: Brigid Duffy: "Re: [Videolib] College Access Videos? Any idea?"
• Next in thread: Daisy Dominguez: "Re: [Videolib] College Access Videos? Any idea?"