How Criterion Collection Brings Movies Back From the Dead

There are few names that stand for a dedication to the dispersion of classic celluloid like theCriterion Collection . Since the 1980s , they have remastered and let go 100 of motion-picture show on Laserdisc , DVD and Blu - Ray . We latterly visit the Criterion headquarters in New York to get a first - hand look at the meticulous return process that brings cinematic gems back to life .

When we spoke with technical conductor Lee Kline and the team of editor and re - touchers at Criterion , they were in the summons of restoring Alfred Hitchcock ’s 1940 espionage thriller , Foreign Correspondent . In the video above , Kline talks about how the first step in the process is get over down the disconfirming , or a print , that is in enough condition . In this case , that meant blend to the Library of Congress , which had the original negative of the film . standard scan it at 2 M resolution , frame by frame , into digital file .

The digitalise reel then make the rounds from department to section . Color is range ; scandal and scratches are retouch ; audio frequency is remastered . The team uses a combination of automated software package that find and removes flaws in the image , and manual re - poignant of every human body . The intact process can from a few weeks to a few months for a single film , depending on the original condition it was in . Once the faithfulness of the final intersection is assured , Criterion art director Eric Skillman gestate the terrific art that come with the phonograph record .

For every film Criterion tackles , the end resultant role is a beautifully packaged ode to movies . For a company that has to constantly reinvent its appendage to accommodate exchange technology — remember , Laserdiscs — they have a firm compass on how to make each attend and vocalize the absolute best it can . Check out the picture up top for a closer flavour .

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