Digital Film preservation in focus at IFFI 54 masterclass

Filmmakers today are faced with the ever evolving reality of securely archiving their film or file based productions, digitally. A Masterclass session on ‘Digital Motion Picture Preservation’ was held today at the 54th International Film Festival of India, Goa deliberating on this topic. The Masterclass, led by veteran film restoration expert and film historian, Theodore E. Gluck, aimed at emphasizing the efforts of the ‘Academy Digital Preservation Forum’ in preserving the motion picture in digital format. It is an initiative of the Science and Technology Council under the ‘Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.’

In his address, Theodore E. Gluck underlined the delicate balance to be followed by restoration professionals in not harming the aesthetics of the original work. “The challenge lies in meeting the demand for digital preservation while preserving the artistic integrity and intent of the original work. The primary goal should be to enhance the film rather than altering it,” he added. He also underscored the importance of respecting the original artistic intent of the filmmakers in any restoration project.

One of the key takeaways from the Master class was the substantial cost associated with restoration and preservation. “The expense depends on what you are trying to accomplish through the restoration project,” he explained. Theodore also acknowledged the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence in the future of film preservation, while underscoring the irreplaceable significance of human intervention.

Responding to queries about the security of digitization, Theodore assured the audience that solutions for secure encrypted storage for the digitized film content are readily available.

Chairman of Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) – India Section, Ujwal N. Nirgudkar moderated the session.
BCS Bureau