Posted by Invid Fan on 07/15/06 16:50

In article <1152974429.655882.87590@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
unglued <dragonseed@spray.se> wrote:

> Steve wrote:
> > On 14 Jul 2006 11:37:20 -0700, "unglued" <dragonseed@spray.se> wrote:
> >
> > >New digital technology makes it easier and cheaper enhance old prints.
> >
> > But the point is the owners of the film have in many cases the camera
> > negatives, or the best production elements of their films. You can't
> > make an worn out circulating print look like "New." It took two
> > million dollars to restore "Sunset Boulevard" because no decent
> > elements had survived due to several changes in the library ownership.
> > Having a studio own the rights to a film means that film remains
> > protected. A studio that collapses and loses control of its prints
> > means their films ALL end up being inferior dupe prints. You can't
> > make a dupe 16mm print look worthwhile.
>
> That certainly is ONE point, but like I said a large proportion of the
> worlds cineast population can't afford to pay for multi-million dollar
> resaurations of old films and they don't expect a film from the ´30s
> to look new they just want to see it because they love films, and, have
> no reason to be loyal to film studios trying to milk them.
> And often as not they don't even have that choice because a major
> studion doesn't want to or is too ineffective to release a lot films
> there is a demand for.
> In principal, what you're saying is "If you can't eat at a 5 star
> restaurant there's no point in eating at all."
>
I thought he was saying that if nobody own a particular film, nobody
will have an interest in keeping a set of original prints or restoring
damaged ones. That's how films get lost.

If you're worried about a studio not releasing certain films at all,
maybe a system where anyone can release an out of print film but has to
pay set royalties. Thus those who want to can see a bad copy, and the
studio can discover that there's a market for a better version.

--
Chris Mack "Refugee, total shit. That's how I've always seen us.
'Invid Fan' Not a help, you'll admit, to agreement between us."
-'Deal/No Deal', CHESS

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