Technique takes on the Pirates of the Caribbean - Brief Article

Post, August, 2003 by Claudia Keinzle

BURBANK -- At Technique, a Thomson Creative Services company (www.thomson.net), the digital intermediate process was used to conform, finish and master the film Pirates of the Caribbean, a Jerry Bruckheimer Production from Disney. Working at the 2K resolution, the DI work included integrating over 600 visual effects shots, as well as the digital conforming and final 35mm film recording, onto an Arrilaser, of the entire movie.

The visual effects shots, which were created by several VFX houses, were all delivered to Technique as "10-bit log DPX files" according to strict technical specifications to ensure greater consistency when conformed in the DI process.

"For Pirates of the Caribbean, we began by scanning the [Super 35mm] film using a pin-registered scanner at 2K-data resolution in order to preserve the full dynamic range of the filmed images," explains Joshua Pines, Technique's director of R&D for imaging. "In our digital intermediate process, all of that image information was made available to the colorists, director and cinematographer, who were then able to use it to affect the contrast, colors, gamma, highlights, lighting, grain and other attributes that they wanted to put up on the screen." Pine defines digital intermediates as "an electronic process that bridges a filmed source with a filmed master for theatrical distribution. Unlike high definition acquisition, which discards some image picture information for more efficient data management, scanning color negative film retains a richer dynamic range that is essential for the highest quality digital color correction."

At Technique, the DI pipeline includes Thomson's Specter and Spirit, as well as the daVinci 2K.

Technique also provided DI services to Seabiscuit, for Universal Pictures, including the film conform and integration of over 200 visual effects shots, full digital color correction using the daVinci 2K, and 35mm film mastering using the Arrilaser recorder.