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Focus on Company 3
File-based Workflow Achieved with the ARRISCAN
Sonnenfeld: With a good 2K scan, a
colorist gets to work with more of the information
that the cinematographer captured
on the original negative. It's always better
to have more information than less – it gives
you a more robust image to start with and
lets the colorist have more room to finesse
the look.
Chiado: Also, with a scanner,
you're starting out with
full-resolution red, green and
blue channels. You aren't
losing information in order
to work with a particular
HD codec.
Why did you choose the ARRISCAN?
Chiado: We compared the images from a
number of scanners. In terms of stability,
noise, resolution, and overall image quality,
ARRISCAN was the best. It lets us work at
higher than 2K resolution if the project
requires it. Generally, for feature work, we
use the option that scans at 3K and then
down-rezzes to 2K. The scanner offers a
number of options – we can scan at 6K
and down-res to 4K. I like the double flash
option, which lets you hit the film with twice
as much light; it reduces the noise and pulls
a more dynamic range from the original,
especially if you start out with a particularly
dense negative.
Were there other features specific to the
ARRISCANs that sold you on them as
opposed to the other scanners you
considered?
Chiado: The pin registration was a factor.
Producers can send our scans to any visual
effects house with the knowledge they have
optimal quality, pin-registered images to
work with. They don't need to transfer
certain material differently because it's part
of a visual effect. They don't have to retransfer
a series of shots additional visual
effects elements are added in later.
Are there other advantages to going the
scanning, rather than the telecine, route?
Chiado: With an all-data workflow, we
don't need to worry about physically moving
tape elements around. The media sits on our
SAN (storage area network). All of our bays
are networked so if a project is moved to
another suite, it's just a question of accessing
data – the DPX files, the color corrector
session file, an EDL (edit decision list) – and
the colorist is ready to go. Of course, you
have all the advantages that go with random
access to media: Nobody has to waste a
client's time queuing up tapes or changing
film rolls; the colorist isn't forced to access
shots in the order they were captured. Also,
it’s great when changes are made to the
cut and a new EDL is sent from editorial. In
a tape-based system, changes can turn into
a complex procedure involving additional
dubs and often a loss in quality. We don’t
experience those issues working this way.
D i g i t a l I n t e r m e d i a t e S y s t e m s
How have your commercial and music video
clients reacted since you started scanning
all their film material this way?
Chiado: The reaction has been very positive
from our commercial clients. In addition to
the increase in quality, they are happy with
the nonlinear workflow and the ability to
grade shots in context.
Sonnenfeld: What I hear has more to do
with the quality and how much of the visual
information from the negative we're able to
work with during the grading process. The
more picture information the colorist starts
with, the better the results can be.
Isn't everything migrating to digital cinematography?
Looking to the future, do you still
feel the investment in four film scanners was
a good one from a business standpoint?
Sonnenfeld: The majority of commercials
are still shot on 35mm film and many people
prefer the look and quality you get when
you shoot film. But that is changing slowly
and we’ve developed a DCC (Digital
Camera Capture) division to address
projects shot digitally.
Chiado: We have the infrastructure to work
with material shot on any of the major digital
cameras – many of which are great for certain
applications. But film continues to be the best
choice for a lot of projects. Many of our clients
see film as the best medium for their needs,
and we expect that to be true for some time.
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