Workprint

[eledoremassis02]

I was looking up differences between workprint and final cuts and ran across this on Reddit
"It's pretty much the same, it's just a rough version. The aspect ratio is very shaky, from what it looks like its recorded from 35mm film as a test footage from the editing room. The colors are extremely cold. Texts is mentioned on the corner left screen that says "IVC" it only appears 30 minutes during the film. That's about it... I guess."

Sounds like it could be a later Workprint (since there doesn't even seem to be temp music or drafts of the final score. But the cold timing has me intrigued (to compare to the 4k)

Has anyone seen any Returns Workprint?

[Gotham Knight]

Would be interested in knowing about any differences that appear in this cut.

[eledoremassis02]

The original poster seemed to have deleted their post. I can't find anything else about it :O

[thecolorsblend]

The colors are extremely cold.

That's something a few people who are older than me have said about the theatrical release. They claim that the theatrical run of BR looked a lot more like the movie clips from the "Face To Face" video.

I only saw the movie in theaters once and it was when I was wee ol' laddie. So my recollection is pretty hazy.

Assuming that's true tho, it's possible that the movie was released theatrically in colder tones/color timing and then brightened up starting with the home video release in 1992.

[thecolorsblend]

The colors are extremely cold.

That's something a few people who are older than me have said about the theatrical release. They claim that the theatrical run of BR looked a lot more like the movie clips from the "Face To Face" video.

I only saw the movie in theaters once and it was when I was wee ol' laddie. So my recollection is pretty hazy.

Assuming that's true tho, it's possible that the movie was released theatrically in colder tones/color timing and then brightened up starting with the home video release in 1992.

So hmm. This is kind of interesting. Further to my post above, I finally checked out one of the Batman Returns clips in my YouTube recommends.

Now, I'm used to Batman Returns looking more or less like the 2005 DVD:



So imagine my surprise when I watched the clip and saw:



Note the much cooler color timing. This can all be seen in context from WBE's official YouTube channel if anyone besides me finds this interesting:

Anyway, so this is basically what I was talking about above, where the old timers said the movie looked different in theaters. So I popped open iTunes to review what I have. I bought Batman Returns on iTunes months ago but never got around to watching.

I bought it because it was on sale and figured I'd watch it when the mood strikes. And the colors look like they match up with the YouTube clip.

This was news to me. I haven't seen this commented upon anywhere else. So I thought I'd throw it out here.

[eledoremassis02]

The new 4k remasters are said to look petty close to their theatrical color grading.

[Slash Man]

The new 4k remasters are said to look petty close to their theatrical color grading.

I think that's an advantage that studios are now taking advantage of with HDR now at their disposal. I've gradually learned that film as a medium is very dynamic and not easily adapted to home video. Digital transfers easily become very flat and lifeless. I think the Laserdiscs would make a good comparison as I believe studio tinkering was not yet commonplace.

[The Dark Knight]

The new 4k remasters are said to look petty close to their theatrical color grading.

I think that's an advantage that studios are now taking advantage of with HDR now at their disposal. I've gradually learned that film as a medium is very dynamic and not easily adapted to home video. Digital transfers easily become very flat and lifeless. I think the Laserdiscs would make a good comparison as I believe studio tinkering was not yet commonplace.

Indeed. I've heard positive stories about 4K and the visual experience. It's opened a whole new world.

For example, the Matrix series looks how it should, and then even better:

The Wachowskis have entrusted the creation of the HDR mastering with the original Director of Photography Bill Pope, ASC. Working with Bill I have come to realize that he has a full understanding and appreciation for the dynamics of the HDR format. The Matrix is created in two worlds: the "real" world in cool blue tones; and the "data" world in ever present green. Now with HDR, this film can be viewed in its futuristic and data centric realm more accurately than previous formats would allow. HDR with its huge dynamic range of luminance and color gamut allows for a true film gamma replication while adding additional dynamic range for accurate highlights and deep detailed blacks. DP Bill Pope has taken advantage of this to create a version with color timing as it was originally intended, crafting a high resolution digital master that is more accurate than the original theatrical release.

[thecolorsblend]

The new 4k remasters are said to look petty close to their theatrical color grading.

I think that's an advantage that studios are now taking advantage of with HDR now at their disposal. I've gradually learned that film as a medium is very dynamic and not easily adapted to home video. Digital transfers easily become very flat and lifeless. I think the Laserdiscs would make a good comparison as I believe studio tinkering was not yet commonplace.

Indeed. I've heard positive stories about 4K and the visual experience. It's opened a whole new world.

For example, the Matrix series looks how it should, and then even better:

The Wachowskis have entrusted the creation of the HDR mastering with the original Director of Photography Bill Pope, ASC. Working with Bill I have come to realize that he has a full understanding and appreciation for the dynamics of the HDR format. The Matrix is created in two worlds: the "real" world in cool blue tones; and the "data" world in ever present green. Now with HDR, this film can be viewed in its futuristic and data centric realm more accurately than previous formats would allow. HDR with its huge dynamic range of luminance and color gamut allows for a true film gamma replication while adding additional dynamic range for accurate highlights and deep detailed blacks. DP Bill Pope has taken advantage of this to create a version with color timing as it was originally intended, crafting a high resolution digital master that is more accurate than the original theatrical release.

I remember the original 1999 Matrix theatrical run and DVD release. I thought both looked fine at the time but coming back to them even a few years later, they looked crude and unfinished. Almost like a rough workprint or something. The color timing was just not good.

As you probably know, the color timing for the original film got one hell of an upgrade with the big fancy pants 2004 DVD boxed set. DVD, yeah, but that was STILL a quality product. I believed so at the time and I believe it now.

As to the other, while the technical superiority of 4K and HDR and all that stuff is not open to debate, I've seen some rather persuasive arguments that 4K imaging (and related technologies) actually far exceed the resolution that the human can take in within the context of the motion picture format. I'm not a videophile so it's not my business to argue the point there.

Still, the wiki page about HDR shows some pretty amazing still images. And imagining that type of technology being applied to The Matrix films (can't call it a "trilogy" anymore, now can we?) is certainly exciting.

However, I wonder how this will all play out with the franchise's many CGI shots. Again, I'm not a tech-head on this. But if the original CGI shots were rendered in HD, won't they have to be redone to match the new format?