The master of all masters - Digital Intermediates - Cover Story

Post, Dec, 2003 by Claudia Kienzle

the Digital Intermediate (DI) has moved post into a pivotal role in the movie-making process. Colorists now sit next to directors and help create the ultimate look and feel of the finished work. When the movie is released, colorists say that seeing their work on the big screen is exhilarating. But the thrill isn't cheap. DI work requires a huge, on-going investment in the most advanced equipment for color grading, conforming, effects, scanning and recording. And, even the smallest omission or error can be costly or jeopardize the movie's release date. So it won't likely be commandeered by desktop boutiques.

Pros we spoke with say they're optimistic that 2004 will be a good year for those offering DI service.

JAN YARBROUGH

Technical Director, Warner Bros. (www.warnerbros.com), Burbank

STRENGTHS: "We want to achieve the best possible results with the least amount of film handling, especially of the original camera negative (OCN). We carry this philosophy into the DI process, where the OCN gets scanned once, finished electronically at 4K resolution, then shot back to film. The less wear and tear on the film elements, the better.

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"Once the film is scanned or telecined, we go through one really intense color correction that everyone signs off on. The beauty of the DI is that we can utilize that same color correction to produce many deliverables, such as DVD, airline, HDTV, SDTV, international and cinematic versions."

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WEAKNESSES: "With the DI process, the image can be created any way the creatives want. While this is one of the strengths of the DI, it's also one of the weaknesses because there is simply not enough talent out there right now with sufficient film expertise. Our staff understands how film works and reacts, and how to achieve a cinematic rather than electronic look so the feature is the best it can be."

OPPORTUNITIES: "We can do more creatively in the same time with better consistency. Directors can tweak colors any way they envision, with greater precision than before.

"Handling the DI in-house gives us the utmost creative control and security since film elements never leave our lot. This full creative latitude will benefit Catwoman, the Halle Berry feature now in production for a 2004 release. Catwoman, our first DI feature, is especially conducive to the DI process since it will be visual effects and CGI intensive.

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"The DI also enables us to restore classic films, such as Singing in the Rain (1952) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)."

THREATS: "There is a pressing need for a digital archival format with longevity comparable to film. Magnetic tape media does not have the same track record as film when it comes to archival stability. While people suggest we take our archival tapes and periodically transfer them to newer media, this is very time consuming and will cost millions of dollars in on-going investment. This is simply not practical, so for now our primary archival medium is film.

"Our movie assets are the lifeblood of our business, so it's of utmost importance to be able to re-release the same assets time and time again, with superior quality, whether they've been in our vault for 25,50 or even 100 years."

OUTLOOK 2004: "As a whole, the industry will get better. For us, 4K-resolution will be the driving factor."

STEFAN SONNENFELD

President/Managing Director, Company 3 (www.company3.com), Santa Monica/New York

STRENGTHS: "The DI process enables filmmakers to develop images in collaborative sessions and see results immediately. Working with 2K or better data files, they can isolate and define areas within a frame and apply specific color correction treatments to them.

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"Company 3 has the da Vinci 2K Plus for color correction, the Quantel iQ for conforming and visual effects and MTI Software for dirt and scratch removal. We used these to complete DI service for Bad Boys II and color correction to Pearl Harbor, Spy Game, Blackhawk Down and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

WEAKNESSES: "The full potential of DI will not be fulfilled until high-resolution files are available of all material, including dailies. On Bad Boys II, we only scanned 2.5 hours of selected footage at 2K resolution. The economics are not yet compelling to scan all the footage shot in a feature at 2K, but it will become standard practice as storage and bandwidth costs decline and DI toolsets and processes are refined."

OPPORTUNITIES: "The studios can create a 'universal master' that saves tremendous time and money, bringing products to market quickly. The DI eliminates redundant processes so the film need only be transferred once and the resulting data file can be used as the source to record a new film negative for first-run quality prints.

"When I did Bad Boys II's HD dailies, we used the DI to generate the EPKs, TV spots, trailers and all video versions that were needed. If clients factor in the cost of preparing all these elements and deliverables--which can be easily produced from the single color corrected DI master--the DI works out from the business standpoint."