AGI Studios started as Architectural Graphics Inc. in 1992. After many years of supplying visualization services to the architectural and engineering community, AGI Studios began to develop 3D modeling for real-time 3D games. With growing investment in talent and state-of-the-art equipment, AGI Studios continued to evolve into a high-end post production and animation facility with multimedia capabilities.
Today, AGI Studios continues to explore new technologies by offering SD and HD video restoration of classic films to be used in SD/HD broadcast or SD/HD DVD. Recent credits include film restoration for A Christmas Carol; La Ronde with Jane Fonda; Parlor, Bedroom and Bath with Buster Keaton; Bright Leaves a documentary; as well as the Japanese films, Taro the Dragon Boy, an animation and Zero Woman, a live action.
Challenge
"There is a lot of interest in HD video restoration of classic films headed for HD broadcast or HD DVD, and that is the direction we are moving. When you do a film transfer to HD, there is quite a bit of film damage to the head and tail of the film. Usually, this is due to improper packing of the film in the canister causing dirt to accumulate on the print, eventually damaging the film. One of our jobs is to clean up these flaws for the broadcast and cable networks that want really clean masters for their HDTV broadcasts," said Kevin Christopher.
Solution
"Once the film is transferred, we begin by using Film Fix -- the software provides an easy-to-use automated solution that can handle roughly 90% of the film restoration work, with the remainder fixed by hand. Prior to Film Fix, we used a manual paint and clone method that ate up of tons of hours. I'd estimate that we are now 60% more productive with Film Fix's automated Dirt Remover," continued Christopher.
The Before and After examples of the Parlor, Bedroom and Bath restoration show how well Film Fix can differentiate between white titles and film damage. The opening credits of this feature showed lots of wear so Film Fix was used (completely automated) to fix the damage without losing sharpness in the title.
A Christmas Carol: here there were many flickering hi-lites on the leather book covers for the. Film Fix worked well repairing only the damage, and not the hi-lites.
The Bright Leaves proejct had a different kind of problem. The original cut film had dirt embeded in glue spots at each cut. Film Fix aided in repairing some of the more dirty cuts.
