HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

I believe that only one word may be able to describe the experience all 50+ of us had at the Warner Brother lots: breathtaking.

Upon arrival, we were graciously brought around the studio lots and were shown how a few restorations are done (How The West Was Won was highlighted in an excellent presentation), how dailys are completed, where a mass majority of the film reels (some that were seen included the Harry Potter films, Heat and North By Northwest) are kept (in nearly a 50 degree room that has a majority of the oxygen sucked out in case of a fire) and (the absolute most amazing part for me) a quick tour of the Warner museum. This part only folks was a easy highlight of THE WHOLE WEEK as both Justin and myself (huge, huge fans of the late Ledger) got to see the ACTUAL outfits of the Joker and his Nurse outfit. Simply jaw dropping.

After this we were lead into a theater and were shown one particular restoration that Warner is working on, which will be coming out sometime in the next year on Blu-ray. Once this was complete we did manage to get in a few questions, all of which were answered with no dodging and nothing but the truth (the AOL-Time Warner bit had the audience laughing up a storm).

After this we were given a rather nice giftbag, which included the new A Christmas Story Ultimate Collector's Edition, The Dirty Harry chocolate gun, JFK Digibook Edition and a few other goodies.

Lastly we were all allowed to rumage through the Warner store for a few purchases.

All in all this was one of the best studio visits we had the whole week. The Dark Knight moment was amazing and simply heartbreaking at the same time as we lost a legend way too soon.

Thanks to all at Warner for putting on an amazing tour and we all hope to see you soon!

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

Our final studio visit was with grand old Warner Brothers.

Restoration and preservation was the main theme for our visit with Warner Brothers (WB). Due to the size of the various offices and locations we would be visiting on the WB lot, we were split off into smaller groups.

WB showed my group their hard drive storage rooms for current work-in-progress projects, and their current capacity is a petabyte (a million gigabytes), and seeing was believing. We were also shown rooms that contained reels and reels of film titles from their voluminous catalog of titles, and the flame-suppression systems in place to ward off damage that would be inflicted by fire. Also, the films (pre-1951) with nitrate stock are stored in the salt mines of Kansas.

We were shown a Spirit 4K scanner that encodes each frame of a film to be restored and/or color-corrected. Each film encoded typically take up lots and lots of terabytes on their servers.

Dailies are sent to the WB studios via private network links from all over the world, and they are electronically watermarked before they are sent to anyone for review (obviously to control and identify leaks of dailies footage).

Restoration efforts are labor-intensive as each restoration technician/artist is responsible to remove scratches and dirt from each frame of film (there are filters that can automate some of the process, but it can be a manually-intensive process that requires a lot of effort to restore a film as well as possible due to the limitations of the filters).

TV shows shot on film also gets the Spirit telecine process and the footage gets converted to high-definition video, and color-corrected, edited with an AVID system. The use of the electronic markers before each scene's beginning allows the editors to find the exact time the audio starts on the footage of each scene, so syncing the audio is relatively easy to do with the timestamp. We saw a brief snippets of the dailies from "The Mentalist" show.

We were also shown a room containing a film projector, and a couple of Christie projectors (2K and 4K models).

Then we were led into a small screening room to see a presentation on the recent restoration of "How The West Was Won" as it was a huge challenge to take the original Cinerama film elements and correct for the cinerama effects, vignetting, and panoramic stitching of the footage where the original aspect ratio was 2.89:1, and then it was stitched together for a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, and finally pared down to a 2.40:1 aspect ratio after it was restored. The restoration team also produce Smilebox, which created the Cinerama viewing experience on the Blu-ray for "HTWWW". Overall, a very impressive restoration project, and an enlightening presentation. This restoration crew also did the restoration of "The Godfather" parts 1 and 2.

As we made our way around the block, one of the sets had snow created for it by ice trucks on lot for "Pushing Daisies". We also walked by the offices for Silver Pictures (headed by mega-producer Joel Silver). We also got to see the building that housed Legendary Pictures.

The tour guides led us to one of WB's theaters, and WB's George Feltenstein (long-time friend and supporter of the HTF) was gracious enough to walk around with us, and then present a few goodies for us at the theater:

2k vs. 4k presentation: It appears that scanning at 4K is sufficient to preserve older films, actually 3k is fine, but 4k overscanning gives them a bit of leeway in terms of headroom for detail on each scanned frame. After comparing the fine details of a 2k scan and a 4k scan, the 4k scan is much more desirable in maintaining the grain structure and details within the frame, and 2k isn't up to snuff for the newer Blu-ray 1080p transfers, though it was good enough for DVD's 480p transfers earlier this decade.

Just as an aside, Superman Returns was shot with the Genesis high-definition cameras with an original resolution of 1920x1080, which is nearly a 2k scanned product, so it is what it is.

The Godfather restoration workflow was mentioned, as they faced challenges for part 1 and part 2 in terms of usable film elements for the restoration effort.

On the Technicolor films in the restoration pipeline:
We were shown footage from the "An American in Paris" DVD, which was a little soft (as expected), but then we got to see the first glimpse of the restoration efforts from a 4k scan, and it was a nice vibrant and sharp presentation of the film, its eventual blu-ray release will look very good, even through the source came from a 2nd generation print due to past fires that destroyed the first generation material.

On the Eastern Kodak films front, they are prepping a film restoration project for "North by Northwest" for a theatrical release in the near future, which means the master for the film prints need to be cleaned up.

We were treated to the first glimpse of the restoration effort on "A Star is Born" (starring Judy Garland and Rex Harrison), which was a work-in-progress and needed more work on it (like color correction and clean-up), but still a treat of a nice sneak peak.

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Q-and-A:

The older James Cagney films will eventually make it to DVD, though the return on investment makes it prohibitive to restore just any old catalog film these days.

The recent Gangsters box set cost $1 million to re-master and restore.

"My Fair Lady" on Blu-ray is up in the air since the rights to produce such a Blu-ray title reverted back to CBS after 7 years from the original deal that allowed WB to put out the film's DVD. WB is busily negotiating with CBS to get the rights back so they can put out a Blu-ray edition that would port over the original extras on the DVD counterpart, and also manage to include new features for the Blu-ray release.

The "Wizard of Oz" Blu-ray is coming for its 70th anniversary edition in 2009. They will be using a brand new 4k master for the BD, and it will retain the previous extras and include new extras for this new edition on BD.

WB has a program to preserve older obscure film titles since there is a list of films in the WB catalog that forms the systematic basis for a schedule of film preservation as WB has a mandate to preserve every film in its catalog, and the acquisition of the Turner library (pre-1949 films) has been included in the preservation commitment.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy on BD will be happening, it's just a matter of Peter Jackson's schedule as he is on board with the BD effort.

It's looking like WB might be offering online selections of films on DVD that are relatively obscure titles, bypassing the usual brick-n-mortar distribution of such titles. This is pure conjecture, but WB is committed to making such obscure titles on DVD available their fans.

Silent films, like Rin Tintin, have obstacles in the form of a lack of master footage available, so they are reliant to secondary sources and limited budgets.

The Jazz Singer 25th anniversary edition will have a disc replacement program, where you only need to send in disc 1, but you'll get back corrected version of disc 1 and disc 2.

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A raffle was held, and the winner was Michael Deakin, who won a hardcover book "You Must Remember This". Each attendee was given a handsome goodie bag from Warner Brothers that contained the Blu-ray collector's tin for "A Chrismas Story", JFK on Blu-ray, Quo Vadis on DVD, and some fun promo items, like a .357 Magnum-shaped (it could be a .44, though) chocolate candy to promote the Dirty Harry collection on Blu-ray, a magnetic photo holder with a photo of the WB water tower, a Bugs Bunny pen, and a Dirty Harry keychain that comes with mini-handcuffs.

We were allowed to shop in the employee's Warners store, and I picked up some shirts, and some shirts for friends as well.

Thanks to Warner Brothers for a wonderful time at their studio lot!

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

A few more tidbits from our visit to MPI (the film scanning and restoration unit at Warner). This was from a conversation I had with the senior official who was guiding our particular small group, whose name I unfortunately did not write down.

• App. 90% of current motion pictures pass through a digital intermediate (DI) stage.
• Most DIs are still done at 2K resolution.
• MPI's ultimate goal is to offer 4K work at 2K prices, but they're not there yet.
• DVDs and Blu-rays are mastered directly from the DI, if one exists (thus confirming something many of us have long suspected).

This was an exciting visit for me. I've read a lot about the operations of telecine and restoration facilities, but never seen on in real life. MPI is probably the best in the world right now, as indicated by its selection for the Godfather restoration. Getting to see it in operation was thrilling.

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

More on this later but I will say two things now:
THESE PEOPLE LOVE FILM.
The work on How the West Was Won was remarkable and if this does not sweep a lot of Best BluRays of the year I will be shocked.

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

Thank you Warner Brothers for sharing your time and your love of what you do with us! What a treat to visit with folks who love what they do and really care about their products.
I would bet that folks have no idea how much loving care and hard work it takes to make these DVDs look so great.
I can't wait to get my copy of How The West Was Won!

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

Warner Brothers, you totally outdid yourselves. What a busy backlot! We got to see tons of action going on and the quick tour of the some of the famous locations was informative.
I was in total awe of the work that goes into film restoration and preservation. Wonderful stuff. I was eating it all up.
Anyone that attended felt like they weren't just being told that they were glad to be there - you could feel that Warner really meant it. While I felt like it was a privilege to be there, Warner made it feel like it was a privilege to have me there as a guest.
Great way to wrap up an awesome week!

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

If I was asked which was my favorite studio experience? I’d go with WB studio.
We were met by our host in the parking lot. Directed where to park our 9 or 10 car pool vehicles on the back lot.
Then we got an extended look at their restoration facilities, the quick trip through the WB museum. Where I could have spent the whole day there.

I think southpaw said it best, WB made it feel like it was their privilege to have me as a guest.

Not much more I can add to what others have already said, other than my thanks for their generous hospitality and the opportunity to visit the WB employee store.

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

HTF's Warner Brothers visit got a mention by Susanne Ault of Video Business:

Warner and Peter Jackson: BFFs - BLU STATE - Blog on Video Business Online

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

As a frequent reviewer of Warner's high definition product, I've come to expect a high level of consistency and quality from the studio's releases. After our wonderfully welcoming and informative visit, I now understand why. The people behind the iconic "WB" logo are passionate and committed to film and the studio they work for. It is probably most evident in George Feltenstein, Senior Vice President of Warner Home Video. His enthusiasm was infectious and it had clearly rubbed off on the staff and technical personnel, who made our time there fun and highly memorable. Whether it was stepping into the chilly storage vault containing the classics of cinema, seeing the 4K film scanners that mark one of the first phases in the film restoration process, or getting a personal presentation from the very man responsible for the restoration of "How the West was Won," there was something to please and excite everyone.

On our HTF meet four years ago Feltenstein and his crew were unavailable to meet with us and it appeared they'd been thinking of how to make up for it ever since. They rolled out the red carpet, made us feel more welcome than we probably deserved, and humbled us with their graciousness and hospitality. Thanks to Mr. Feltenstein, his amazing staff and Warner Brothers Studio!

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

It's astounding what a difference in perspective can be made by having personal contact with some of the people responsible for creating the product in which we take such keen interest.

Compare the comments in this thread to some of the bloviating about Warners that's occurring (still!) in the Hi-Def Software area. (I'm not naming names, but it ain't hard to spot.)

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

As a long time Laserdisc fan (kiddies, ask your parents what those were!) with about 2000 titles still in my inventory I can say with a certain degree of authority that George Feltenstein is, in every sense of the word, a giant in the LD (and now the DVD and HD) industry. He was responsible for a lot of the quality and titles that actually reached our homes. His enthusiasm for HT and its media is infectious and extremely productive. Warner has a gem here!

To find out that the HTF his first internet stop every morning after pouring his coffee is an amazing complement to the forum and speaks volumes about the value of the Epstein/Clack enterprise. The HTF is the place for HT fans to congregate for the complete experience and not just talking about equipment.

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

Thank you Warner Brothers! Yours was one of the very best events of the whole week. The studio really put out the welcome wagon. Others have already mentioned the activities that we participated in during our visit. So, I won’t say much about the details except to say that it was an exciting visit. I came away with a clear sense that Warner Brothers is indeed excited and proud of their studio, their history, and the myriad of films that they have produced through the years. They are committed to preserving and restoring these films as well as sharing them with the public. The following story demonstrates why I think Warner Brothers is so successful.

When we got to WB, we were led through the lot and one of their staff was animatedly pointing out places of interest to our group. He showed us where the Paris scene in Casablanca was filmed. He pointed out the steps where Jimmy Cagney’s character, Eddie Bartlett (He used to be a big shot), in “The Roaring Twenties” died. I remember thinking, “Wow, this guy is enthusiastic and excited. He really loves what he does”. I didn’t know until he was introduced later that he was George Feltenstein. I think the above story pretty much explains why Warner Brothers leads the field in Home Video Entertainment.

George’s love and enthusiasm for what he does has a profound and positive affect on the final product that his division at WB’s produces. His excitement for his work is certainly contagious. The members of his staff seemed to be just as enthusiastic as he was. I remember thinking that I would probably really enjoy working for him. I believe the man really loves what he does and it affects his work in a positive way, which means it affects us positively.

So thank you, George, for not only a memorable experience at Warner Brothers, but also for the great work you’ve done over the years in bringing us great movies from the studio. You illustrate well why Warner Brothers is a class act.

Re: HTF Attendees Report: Warner Brothers Studios 10/24

WELL SAID!