Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel76  The Arrow version has more natural grainstructure and a proper film look. Also, the contrast isn't blown out any longer.
I don't know what magic Arrow is using, but at the moment, they are the only label (together with Synapse) that does a proper job with these Italian films. |
The magic formula: returning to original 35mm elements (original camera negative or interpos, whichever's in better condition) and either scanning them under first-hand supervision at Deluxe in London or, if they're not allowed to leave Italy, they're scanned by an approved facility (most likely L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, with whom Arrow has an excellent relationship) to James White's exacting technical specs.
And there's always a test scan of part of the element made beforehand so that James can determine that they're doing it right before the full scan is carried out - and it's always carried out on state-of-the-art gear like an ArriScan, which is completely transparent in that it doesn't introduce any digital noise or other nasties as a by-product of the process (unlike older CRT-based telecine machines).
The upside is that this produces the best possible results. The downside is that it's the most expensive way of doing it - but thus far the market is big enough to sustain it (although Arrow had to expand into the US in order to justify a significant increase in original restorations).