[No Longer Available] Skyfall Open Matte (aka Skyfall IMAX Version)

[PDB]

Working on trying to cleanup the HDTV(s). Per the usual the HDTVs are messy with lower bit-rates, compression, lower details, etc.

Can't work magic and there are certain problems that can't be fixed but I am making progress.

HDTV\Cleanup 1 (ignore color differences)


Close-up 1


HDTV\Cleanup 2


Close-up 2


HDTV\Cleanup 3


Close-up 3

[Hitcher]

Nice work.

[nafroe]

I appreciate your work on this for sure!

This question coming from someone who has no experience in this sort of thing... but is it theoretically possible to overlay the BD/digital download, etc. over the top of this? I'm assuming that would make things a real pain in the ass though... Would the effort theoretically even be worth it?

[DeafYakuza]

WoW... you are really a hero! Your project looks very great and I love it!

[PDB]

I appreciate your work on this for sure! 

Thanks!

This question coming from someone who has no experience in this sort of thing... but is it theoretically possible to overlay the BD/digital download, etc. over the top of this? 

Yes

I'm assuming that would make things a real pain in the ass though...

Yes

Would the effort theoretically even be worth it?

If you can get it aligned perfectly, feather out the edges properly and grade the colors the same, it should provide a benefit. That's what random.next's auto align script is all about (or maybe f_align in nuke). Problem is I could never get AA to work 100%. There was always some slight difference. Now that's on me not the program but when I went to download it on my new-ish computer, it seems to be missing component so I couldn't even try on this.

That's ok because it pushes me to really dig out the details in the existing HDTV copies. Use every trick in the book to make this better. It will at least be consistent over the whole frame.

[nafroe]

Thanks for the clarification!! Yeah, Honestly I'm just super excited that this kind of project is even a reality! Thank you so much for what you're doing... for preserving (as closely as possible) one of my favorite movie-going experiences ever! :-)

[PDB]

This project has been my priority for the last few weeks. The goal is to get it finished before the release of the new Bond in April. I think I have the HDTV(s) looking much better then before. Got rid of vast majority of the compression artifacts. I've also been able to pump up the details by upscaling and then downscaling with several methods. Also been picking the best shots and scenes from each HDTV. It falls just short of the BD in details but hopefully no one would notice unless doing a one-to-one comparison. The output is still much, much better than the input.

Also I can confirm the HDTV is 90% "true" open matte. By that I mean, the scope shots have a little bit shaved off the ends but a lot more added on the top and bottom for every shot. Thank you Roger Deakins



Outside of a few dozen shots the major exception is the opening sequence. Its still open matte with more info on the top and bottom it has more cropped off the scope on the sides then the rest of the film. The sequence was probably rendered for a space bigger than 2.39 (1.90?) but it still doesn't cover the whole 1.77 space.

[maksnew]

It will be interesting to wait for the release of the Amazon STARZ version. As it happened more than once, there are source codes with the most complete frame compared to others that were previously on the network.

[PDB]

Another source can always be useful. Maybe a V2 if the broadcast is a while off.

[maksnew]

As soon as the source from STARZ appears, I will inform you and share it.