By Elina Shatkin, October 2, 2003
da Vinci Systems announced that Modern VideoFilm, a full-service post-production company with facilities in Burbank, Glendale, LA, and San Francisco, is using da Vinci's 2K Plus color enhancement systems as an integral part of its digital intermediate (DI) workflow on feature film projects including the digital remastering and restoration of the 1979 classic film "Alien."
The 2K Plus interfaces directly with the Quantel iQ servers in Modern VideoFilm's Glendale digital intermediate facility, enabling the staff to maintain a cohesive DI workflow that allows them to seamlessly perform color correction, restoration, and other post-production tasks through a single user interface.
Unlike the 20th anniversary DVD release of "Alien," the new theatrical release was cut from the original negative and the interpositive, which Modern VideoFilm scanned into a Phantom data engine using a Philips Spirit DataCine
. Once image data was pulled into the iQ systems, the restoration began with removal of dirt, scratches, and bumps, as well as modernizing many of the composites and artifacts inherent in the 1970s technology used to create the film. Finally, Kimball sat with "Alien" Director Ridley Scott to color correct the high-resolution images using the 2K Plus. Once color timing was performed with the 2K Plus, an Arri Laser film recorder was used to record digital images back onto film.
To complement the re-release of "Alien," Modern VideoFilm will use this same process to complete a director's cut of the film and remaster "Aliens," "Alien3," and "Alien Resurrection" for a new DVD boxed set. This boxed set is due for release when the remastered "Alien" hits theaters in the fall of 2003.
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