3D What's up with Warner? Kiss Me Kate last 3D Blu-ray release in 2015 (1 Viewer)

[RolandL]

It's been over two years since Warner Brothers released a vintage 3D movie title (Kiss Me Kate in 2015). Any guess when their next one will be released?

 

[Camps]

Deferring to Bob Furmanek to answer.

But if necessary -- depending on Bob's guidance -- we may want to consider preparing to rally the HTF 3D troops for an email campaign petitioning WB's George Feltenstein. He may not have direct oversight on this but we know at least he's more attentive/engaged/responsive than your typical studio homevid exec.

 

[Brandon Conway]

WB isn't even releasing catalog titles outside of the Warner Archive anymore, so....

 

[revgen]

Bob Furmanek has stated before that Warner Bros. appropriates six-figure budgets for all of their 3-D restorations. This kind of expense is simply not economical. The 3-D Film Archive, on the other hand, spends about $10,000 to $14,000 on each 3-D film restoration.

If Warner's does release more of their 3-D titles, it doesn't matter whether their MPI lab does the work or a 3rd party like the 3-D Film Archive does it as long as the costs are reasonable and economical. So far, nobody except the 3-D Film Archive has done high-quality 3-D film scanning and restoration (vertical alignment fixing, panel matching, etc) in an economical manner. If MPI can and will do it, then great, but so far nothing is happening.

 

[Robert Harris]

Bob Furmanek has stated before that Warner Bros. appropriates six-figure budgets for all of their 3-D restorations. This kind of expense is simply not economical. The 3-D Film Archive, on the other hand, spends about $10,000 to $14,000 on each 3-D film restoration.

If Warner's does release more of their 3-D titles, it doesn't matter whether their MPI lab does the work or a 3rd party like the 3-D Film Archive does it as long as the costs are reasonable and economical. So far, nobody except the 3-D Film Archive has done high-quality 3-D film scanning and restoration (vertical alignment fixing, panel matching, etc) in an economical manner. If MPI can and will do it, then great, but so far nothing is happening.

Sorry, but with all due respect, a 3-D restoration, creating true, full resolution asset data, cannot be performed for 10-14k.

 

[revgen]

I'll let Bob Furmanek and Greg Kintz answer that one.

 

[Mark-P]

I'll let Bob Furmanek and Greg Kintz answer that one.

What I believe RAH is saying is that the 3D Film Archive does not create asset data. They work with what they are given to create acceptable Blu-ray releases.

PS. And of course "acceptable" was not meant as a slight as the 3D Film Archive does phenomenal work!

 

[revgen]

What I believe RAH is saying is that the 3D Film Archive does not create asset data. They work with what they are given to create acceptable Blu-ray releases.

I'm not sure what you mean by "asset data".

I know that RAH said something similar about September Storm last year. Basically saying it couldn't be done for the $25,000 price the Kickstarter campaign was asking for. The entire print negative was scanned and restored and put onto 3-D Blu-Ray. There were no previously scanned elements they worked with. In fact, the owner didn't even know he had a 3-D print negative until Bob checked the vaults.

 

[Robert Harris]

I'm not sure what you mean by "asset data".

I know that RAH said something similar about September Storm last year. Basically saying it couldn't be done for the $25,000 price the Kickstarter campaign was asking for. The entire print negative was scanned and restored and put onto 3-D Blu-Ray. There were no previously scanned elements they worked with. In fact, the owner didn't even know he had a 3-D print negative until Bob checked the vaults.

The word "asset" refers to true preservation, and the ability to record to a full resolution negative on 35mm film.

Anything less is not considered a studio asset.

 

[Jimbo64]

I've read that WB only does their work in house and lets nothing off their property, if that's true it could be quite a while until we see more vintage 3D from them

 

[Keith Cobby]

Which Warner 3-D titles do we want next?

 

[Camps]

Which Warner 3-D titles do we want next?

Phantom of the Rue Morgue. Plus an extra of the 1941 MGM Pete Smith short Third Dimensional Murder.

I think it would be fair to use Twilight Time's presumably robust sales on Mad Magician/ the 3 Stooges 3D shorts as an analog, were the folks at TT willing to give the folks at WB a hint.

 

[Camps]

The word "asset" refers to true preservation, and the ability to record to a full resolution negative on 35mm film.

Anything less is not considered a studio asset.

At the risk of sounding confused.... hasn't WB been doing a creditable if not excellent job of preserving the assets on its '50s 3D classics? If yes, then why would it be a problem for 3D Film Archive to do a comparably bang-up job on WB titles? (If the answer is "no," then I'll stand corrected.)

 

[Robert Harris]

I've read that WB only does their work in house and lets nothing off their property, if that's true it could be quite a while until we see more vintage 3D from them

Untrue

 

[Robert Harris]

At the risk of sounding confused.... hasn't WB been doing a creditable if not excellent job of preserving the assets on its '50s 3D classics? If yes, then why would it be a problem for 3D Film Archive to do a comparably bang-up job on WB titles? (If the answer is "no," then I'll stand corrected.)

You're mixing metaphors

 

[John Hermes]

Sorry, but with all due respect, a 3-D restoration, creating true, full resolution asset data, cannot be performed for 10-14k.

Maybe not, but I'd rather have something than nothing. I ain't gettin' any younger.

 

[Mike Ballew]

Mr. Harris, I have profound respect for your expertise and for your myriad accomplishments. We who love films owe you a debt of gratitude for all you have done to preserve and restore any number of classic motion pictures. But am I to understand you believe the only restorations worth pursuing must end up on archive-quality 35mm film? If so, then you are surely consigning thousands of films to perpetual obscurity and inevitable disintegration.

I have watched several very handsome DCPs that were the handiwork of the 3-D Film Archive, and which looked splendid to me on large projection screens. Others can say whether these restorations would pass muster if output to 35mm. But if the end game is to create high-quality DCPs and Blu-Rays that put vintage 3-D films before the public, and at a very reasonable cost, then the Archive has shown itself capable time and again.

I think the unreleased 3-D films in Warners' hands would profit immensely from the work and know-how of the 3-D Film Archive. The Archive's DCPs and Blu-Rays bring high-quality restorations of these "lesser" 3-D films to repertory cinemas and home cinephiles, and preserve their visual, audio and narrative content for future generations. This is surely a worthy goal, one to be praised.

 

[John Hermes]

Which Warner 3-D titles do we want next?

I would like to see WB release The Charge At Feather River in 3-D.

 

[revgen]

Which Warner 3-D titles do we want next?

The French Line (musical), Phantom of the Rue Morgue (horror), and Charge at Feather River (western) are at the top of my list.

Here's a list of all of the ones NOT on 3-D Blu-Ray.

Arena
Second Chance
Charge at Feather River
Devil's Canyon
Son of Sinbad
The Moonlighter
Louisiana Territory
The French Line
Dangerous Mission
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
The Command
The Bounty Hunter

 

[Jack Theakston]

Sorry, but with all due respect, a 3-D restoration, creating true, full resolution asset data, cannot be performed for 10-14k.

Bob, you sound like Frank McHugh in FOOTLIGHT PARADE. "It can't be done, Mr. Kent!"

No, factor in a photo-out and you can't do it for that price tag. But that's not a home video department priority, and it can be done in that range out-of-house. And has been with at least three major studios so far. We can argue semantics as to what constitutes a "restoration" these days, but I can tell you that everyone involved thus far has been very happy with the work the 3D Archive is doing.