HAGHEFILM FOUNDATION AWARD LAUNCHED WITH NEDERLANDS FILMMUSEUM
On January 6, 2010, Haghefilm Foundation Director Paolo Cherchi Usai and Sandra den Hamer, Director of the Nederlands Filmmuseum, signed an agreement to establish the Haghefilm Foundation Award, a monetary prize intended to promote and encourage research on film preservation and curatorship. The event took place in the Study Center of the Haghefilm Foundation and was attended by representatives from the partner organizations, including Mark-Paul Meyer and Giovanna Fossati from the Nederlands Filmmuseum, Uli Ruedel (Project Coordinator for the Haghefilm Foundation), and Peter Limburg and Menno Revers from Cineco BV, sponsor of the Foundation.
“The Haghefilm Foundation Award celebrates our ongoing collaboration with the Nederlands Filmmuseum”, said Paolo Cherchi Usai. “It is also an expression of our enthusiasm in supporting the Filmmuseum’s mission to cultivate film preservation and curatorship at the highest level”. Under the terms of the agreement, the recipient of the Award will undertake a project at the Nederlands Filmmuseum, selected from a list of topics pertaining to the documentation, restoration, and programming of the national and international moving image heritage. The annual selection of the winner will be jointly made by the Haghefilm Foundation and the Nederlands Filmmuseum. For further information on the Award – including application guidelines and procedures – see the Awards section on this webpage.
COLLEGIUM SESSION ON RESTORING COLOR, LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO, PORDENONE, OCTOBER 3-10, 2009
For the October 7 Collegium session of the 2009 edition of Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (October 3-10, 2009), Ulrich Rüdel and Daniela Currò presented the preservation approaches, curatorial challenges and academic implications of Restoring Color. Their session included showreels of tinted and toned sequences preserved on color film stock using different materials and routes; a comparison to chemical tints and tones of black and white material, based on historic recipes; and a demonstration of improved rendition of subtle stencil colors by conservatively applied digital color restoration over the common photochemical preservation. Use of modern conservation science and photographic control procedures towards color restoration issues were also illustrated as examples for the approach to bring science, both with modern tools and based on historic techniques, into film preservation.
COLOUR AND THE MOVING IMAGE CONFERENCE, BRISTOL, JULY 10-12, 2009
In the panel Towards a More Accurate Preservation of Colour Claudy Op den Kamp, Daniela Currò and Ulrich Rüdel introduced the Haghefilm Foundation, its goals and objectives to an audience of academics and archivists. Through the use of showreels comparing different film stocks and preservation routes, they illustrated the historical development of color preservation methods and the challenges still ongoing in the preservation of color. The presentation of specific research-related case studies also emphasized the importance of collaboration between archives and preservation laboratories as encouraged by the Foundation, and specifically the relevance of historical, technical and scientific investigation in order to find appropriate strategies towards a more accurate rendering of historic color. Also, in the panel discussion following the screening “All the Hues of Nature” – Colour Film and Restoration, chaired by Tom Gunning (University of Chicago), Daniela Currò discussed, together with Giovanna Fossati (Nederlands Filmmuseum), Sonia Genaitay (BFI) and Joshua Yumibe (Oakland University) preservation practices and ethics, presentation approaches and, more broadly, the relationship between film laboratories, archives, and the public.
Click for the review of the bristol conference
Click for the review of the bristol conference
DIGITAL RESTORATION OF PATHÉCOLOR
During the course of its 2010 Biennale, eye Film Instituut Nederlands hosted the 24th edition of the well-known technical symposium, The Reel Thing, on April 7, 2010. At the opening presentation Daniela Currò and Ulrich Ruedel, along with eye Film Institute film restorer Guy Edmonds, presented a case study on the restoration of stencil colors.
A comparison between the 1989 preservation of the Pathécolor production La Dette (Pathé, 1910) on internegative (IN) with a newly struck negative on Fuji camera negative stock (F64D) yielded further insight in the advantages and disadvantages of the different preservation routes.
While the results of newly timed prints from the 1989 internegative were adequate, an improved saturation of many colors was achieved with the use of the Fuji camera stock. Surprisingly, however, a pale yellow all but disappeared. The issue was also confirmed by printing comparisons made with newly made, modern hand-dyed film samples. In general, analog preservation is limited in its potential to capture and reproduce the vast range of subtle and saturated colors found in stencil colored material. Further problems emerge when preserving the films by optical printing, as often necessitated by their shrinkage. This is due to the inherently different properties of the stencil color dyes and the underlying black and white silver images. While the dyes are optically transparent, the black and white images are comprised of silver grains. These scatter the collimated light employed in an optical printer, leading to a contrast increase (the so-called “Callier” effect) of the black and white image components only, effectively further suppressing the colors.
As demonstrated by a 35mm comparison show reel, these issues can be successfully addressed by resorting to digital restoration. Due to its use of diffuse light, scanning can already lead to a better capture of the colors to begin with, eliminating the Callier effect discussed above. With the original nitrate print as constant reference, colors can then individually be adjusted digitally to ensure a more faithful reproduction of the original colors and their relations within the range of colors offered on modern film stock, yielding far better results compared to the 1989 and 2010 analog elements.
The new and improved restoration of the film within the Beelden voor de Toekomst (Images for the Future) project was also screened in its entirety during the Biennale program on April 10, 2010.
During the course of its 2010 Biennale, eye Film Instituut Nederlands hosted the 24th edition of the well-known technical symposium, The Reel Thing, on April 7, 2010. At the opening presentation Daniela Currò and Ulrich Ruedel, along with eye Film Institute film restorer Guy Edmonds, presented a case study on the restoration of stencil colors.
A comparison between the 1989 preservation of the Pathécolor production La Dette (Pathé, 1910) on internegative (IN) with a newly struck negative on Fuji camera negative stock (F64D) yielded further insight in the advantages and disadvantages of the different preservation routes.
While the results of newly timed prints from the 1989 internegative were adequate, an improved saturation of many colors was achieved with the use of the Fuji camera stock. Surprisingly, however, a pale yellow all but disappeared. The issue was also confirmed by printing comparisons made with newly made, modern hand-dyed film samples. In general, analog preservation is limited in its potential to capture and reproduce the vast range of subtle and saturated colors found in stencil colored material. Further problems emerge when preserving the films by optical printing, as often necessitated by their shrinkage. This is due to the inherently different properties of the stencil color dyes and the underlying black and white silver images. While the dyes are optically transparent, the black and white images are comprised of silver grains. These scatter the collimated light employed in an optical printer, leading to a contrast increase (the so-called “Callier” effect) of the black and white image components only, effectively further suppressing the colors.
As demonstrated by a 35mm comparison show reel, these issues can be successfully addressed by resorting to digital restoration. Due to its use of diffuse light, scanning can already lead to a better capture of the colors to begin with, eliminating the Callier effect discussed above. With the original nitrate print as constant reference, colors can then individually be adjusted digitally to ensure a more faithful reproduction of the original colors and their relations within the range of colors offered on modern film stock, yielding far better results compared to the 1989 and 2010 analog elements.
The new and improved restoration of the film within the Beelden voor de Toekomst (Images for the Future) project was also screened in its entirety during the Biennale program on April 10, 2010.
Courtesy EYE Film Instituut Nederlands
HOME MOVIE DAY 2010
On October 16, 2010, Haghefilm Foundation staff and students participated in the annual worldwide celebration of the Home Movie heritage during an event held at EYE Film Institute Netherlands in Vondelpark, Amsterdam. In the course of the gathering, Daniela Currò and Stella Dagna helped visitors in identifying, assessing and repairing old family footage on 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm and 16mm. Members of the public also obtained advice on how to best store and take good care of their films. For an overview of the Home Movie Day celebrations across the world, see
GRAINS AND PIXELS AT THE PORDENONE COLLEGIUM
(LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO, OCTOBER 4, 2010)
In a highly successful Collegium session of the 2010 Giornate del Cinema Muto held in Pordenone between October 2 and 9, 2010, Ulrich Ruedel and Daniela Currò discussed the elementary units of analog and digital moving images in “Perception or Suggestion? Towards a Concise Dictionary of Film Preservation - Part 1: Grains and Pixels”. This was the first installment in a new series of technical presentations, aimed at providing - in a clear and accessible language - a deeper understanding of image characteristics. In the course of their well-attended Collegium session Daniela and Uli took a closer look at image phenomena and elements such as graininess, grains and pixels, how they are related, and how they affect the way we see an image. The talk was preceded by the projection of a 35 mm showreel on the relationship between graininess, contrast and duplication. Special emphasis was given to the appearance of graininess in color, black and white and toned film, comparing how different scanning resolution resolves graininess, and showing how both pixels and grains can become “troublemakers” in the preservation process.
HAGHEFILM FOUNDATION / SELZNICK SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP 2010
The Haghefilm Foundation / Selznick School Fellowship is awarded annually to an outstanding student graduating from the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. The Haghefilm Foundation Fellow selected for 2010 is Ms. Karin Ane Carlson from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Karin worked with the staff of Haghefilm in September 2010 to preserve two short films from 1910, Mulcahy’s Raid and A College Chicken (both produced by Essanay), which had been considered “lost” until they were recently identified in the GEH vaults. Originally released together as two split-reels, these films offer early examples of slapstick from the studio later known for its Chaplin comedies and Broncho Billy westerns. The world premiere of the films was held at the Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone (October 8, 2010), where Karin personally introduced the show.
Mulcahy’s Raid (1910) Karin Ane Carlson A College Chicken (1910)
On October 16, 2010, Haghefilm Foundation staff and students participated in the annual worldwide celebration of the Home Movie heritage during an event held at EYE Film Institute Netherlands in Vondelpark, Amsterdam. In the course of the gathering, Daniela Currò and Stella Dagna helped visitors in identifying, assessing and repairing old family footage on 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm and 16mm. Members of the public also obtained advice on how to best store and take good care of their films. For an overview of the Home Movie Day celebrations across the world, see
GRAINS AND PIXELS AT THE PORDENONE COLLEGIUM
(LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO, OCTOBER 4, 2010)
In a highly successful Collegium session of the 2010 Giornate del Cinema Muto held in Pordenone between October 2 and 9, 2010, Ulrich Ruedel and Daniela Currò discussed the elementary units of analog and digital moving images in “Perception or Suggestion? Towards a Concise Dictionary of Film Preservation - Part 1: Grains and Pixels”. This was the first installment in a new series of technical presentations, aimed at providing - in a clear and accessible language - a deeper understanding of image characteristics. In the course of their well-attended Collegium session Daniela and Uli took a closer look at image phenomena and elements such as graininess, grains and pixels, how they are related, and how they affect the way we see an image. The talk was preceded by the projection of a 35 mm showreel on the relationship between graininess, contrast and duplication. Special emphasis was given to the appearance of graininess in color, black and white and toned film, comparing how different scanning resolution resolves graininess, and showing how both pixels and grains can become “troublemakers” in the preservation process.
HAGHEFILM FOUNDATION / SELZNICK SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP 2010
The Haghefilm Foundation / Selznick School Fellowship is awarded annually to an outstanding student graduating from the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. The Haghefilm Foundation Fellow selected for 2010 is Ms. Karin Ane Carlson from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Karin worked with the staff of Haghefilm in September 2010 to preserve two short films from 1910, Mulcahy’s Raid and A College Chicken (both produced by Essanay), which had been considered “lost” until they were recently identified in the GEH vaults. Originally released together as two split-reels, these films offer early examples of slapstick from the studio later known for its Chaplin comedies and Broncho Billy westerns. The world premiere of the films was held at the Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone (October 8, 2010), where Karin personally introduced the show.
Mulcahy’s Raid (1910) Karin Ane Carlson A College Chicken (1910)
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AMIA-IASA 2010
The annual AMIA Conference in Philadelphia (jointly held with IASA on November 2-6, 2010) saw two presentations by the Haghefilm Foundation and Haghefilm Conservation BV. In a talk for “The Reel Thing” XXVI on November 3, Daniela Currò and Ulrich Ruedel showcased three different case studies on stencil color preservation, ranging from early 1912 Pathécolor (in collaboration with EYE Film Institute Netherlands) and late 1920s American material (courtesy of George Eastman House), to preliminary results obtained by duplicating modern, one-of-a-kind handcoloring created at the Haghefilm Foundation by Lila Silva Foster based on a concept initiated by Loubna Régragui, both during their HFF internships.
The following day, Uli and Daniela chaired the panel “Applied Color: Restored, Revived, Revisited.” In the papers and discussion, GEH’s Anthony L’ Abbate shared his remarkable historic and filmographic research into dozens of mainstream Hollywood films from the 1930s-50s which, unbeknownst to most, did employ tinting and toning to a surprising extent. Daniela and Uli then shared their take on chemical tints, tones and film preservation methods to reproduce them, discussing their shortcomings and advantages. Last but not least, Sean Kelly, student from the University of Amsterdam and former HFF intern, discussed issues of stability and restoration methods, based to a large extent on his related studies at the Image Permanence Institute in Rochester, NY.
The annual AMIA Conference in Philadelphia (jointly held with IASA on November 2-6, 2010) saw two presentations by the Haghefilm Foundation and Haghefilm Conservation BV. In a talk for “The Reel Thing” XXVI on November 3, Daniela Currò and Ulrich Ruedel showcased three different case studies on stencil color preservation, ranging from early 1912 Pathécolor (in collaboration with EYE Film Institute Netherlands) and late 1920s American material (courtesy of George Eastman House), to preliminary results obtained by duplicating modern, one-of-a-kind handcoloring created at the Haghefilm Foundation by Lila Silva Foster based on a concept initiated by Loubna Régragui, both during their HFF internships.
The following day, Uli and Daniela chaired the panel “Applied Color: Restored, Revived, Revisited.” In the papers and discussion, GEH’s Anthony L’ Abbate shared his remarkable historic and filmographic research into dozens of mainstream Hollywood films from the 1930s-50s which, unbeknownst to most, did employ tinting and toning to a surprising extent. Daniela and Uli then shared their take on chemical tints, tones and film preservation methods to reproduce them, discussing their shortcomings and advantages. Last but not least, Sean Kelly, student from the University of Amsterdam and former HFF intern, discussed issues of stability and restoration methods, based to a large extent on his related studies at the Image Permanence Institute in Rochester, NY.