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Automated Desktop Film Restoration
Film Fix is designed for documentary filmmakers and post production studios that need film and video restoration tools. Using Film Fix, After Effects and Digital Fusion users can restore tears, remove dust and dirt particles, and stabilize footage originated on film and video resolution material transferred from film. The processing is nearly automatic and provides high-quality output.
Features
- Repair seams with the only automated tear-repair tool on the market
- Stabilize footage with a software-based 2D translation that is near real-time
- Automatically eliminate severe non-linear inter-frame brightness fluctuations
- Remove dust and sparkle defects using motion detection information
Before & After image
Courtesy of Artbeats Software, Inc.
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Untitled Document
Download side-by-side video examples
Courtesy of Artbeats Software, Inc.
Dust & Sparkle defect removal (2.48 MB)
John F. Kennedy speech Film Fix'd (5.15 MB)
De-flicker example (5.11 MB)
Behind the technology
The technology for Film Fix was developed by Green Parrot Pictures’ Dr. Anil, a pioneer in motion picture restoration with over 25 years of experience in the field. Dr. Kokaram’s work includes the book “Motion Picture Restoration” and more than 60 papers on general video processing—40 of which are specifically on video and film restoration. Dr. Kokaram is a Senior Lecturer at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Red Giant Software and Green Parrot Pictures' have formed a partnership to bring this amazing new technology to market as desktop plug-ins.
Film Fix utilizes FAME (Fast Accurate Motion Estimation), which processes pixel-accurate image data at different scales similar to the way the human eye views the world. These powerful, intelligent algorithms allow it to identify problems such as dust, dirt, and tearing despite complex motion in the footage. Once identified, these artifacts can be quickly and naturally removed.
A recent surge in film restoration
In an article by Claudia Kienzle, Post Magazine (May 2004) writes:
"The surge in demand for film restoration is being fueled by two major trends. First is the recognition by motion picture studios of the value of their content. Before the advent of cable channels, HDTV, DVD and other new distribution outlets hungry for content, movies used to be packed away in vaults with no real plans for re-use beyond the theatrical release. Now, studios want to preserve classic movies for posterity, as well as re-purpose them for re-release in today's exciting new venues.
The second trend is the demand for an ultra-pristine image by consumers of DVDs, HD TVs and other home theater equipment. Because of this, even today's big-budget movies are routinely restored - to remove dirt, scratches, grain, flicker, jitter, among other defects - as part of the digital intermediate process. As a result, the post houses we spoke with all say they have seen a dramatic increase in the volume of film restoration business." Read entire article
Who needs Film Fix?
The target market for Film Fix is post houses or individuals that currently do most of their restoration work manually using tools such as After Effects, Combustion or even Photoshop. Film Fix customers have found that this type of restoration can be reduced by more than 50%. We also recommend Film Fix to post houses that would be interested in expanding their services to include film restoration work for their clients.
"There is a lot of interest in HD video restoration of classic flims headed for HD broadcast or HD DVD, and that is the direction we are moving," says Kevin Chirstopher, director of technology for Cinepost in Atlanta. "When you do a film transfer to HD, the HD video really shows the flaws, and broadcast and cable networks all want really clean masters for their HDTV broadcasts.
For us, once the film is transferred, film restoration is done using Red Giant Software's Film Fix. Film Fix is an automated solution that can handle roughly 90% of the film restoration work, with the remainder fixed by hand."
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