Scan2Screen has successfully completed a major digitization project for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ upcoming exhibition, Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, digitizing 73 rare fragments from film archives including the Library of Congress, Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam, Lichtspiel / Kinemathek Bern, Bundesarchiv Film Archive Berlin. The exhibition is set to open in Los Angeles, CA on October 6, 2024 and run through July 13, 2025.
Multispectral scan of the tinted nitrate print by Scan2Screen.
Courtesy of Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam.
Founded in 2023, Scan2Screen is headquartered in California and Switzerland, with an additional lab in Berlin. Scan2Screen’s innovative approach to digitization combines high-resolution multi-spectral scanning with sophisticated color rendering software to capture the diverse range of different historical film colors and translate the vibrancy and authenticity of analog films into the digital realm. This advanced process underscores the company’s dedication to preserving the artistic and historical integrity of the films, all rooted in over a decade of scientific research into film digitization and historical film colors by Barbara Flueckiger, founder of the Timeline of Historical Film Colors, and the Scan2Screen team.
Multispectral scan of the tinted nitrate print by Scan2Screen.
Courtesy of Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv.
The Academy Museum project underscores Scan2Screen’s commitment to film preservation and the essential role digital technology plays in ensuring access to cinematic history for future generations. The company’s cutting-edge multispectral scanner, along with the expertise of its skilled technical experts, played a pivotal role in achieving exceptional results.
Multispectral scan of the tinted and toned nitrate print by Scan2Screen.
Courtesy of Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv.
The multispectral scans will be a centerpiece in the Academy Museum’s exhibition, Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema. The exhibition will showcase historically significant films and color technologies, emphasizing the evolution and artistry of color in cinema. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore color’s transformative impact on storytelling and visual appeal in films. Color in Motion promises to be a captivating experience, celebrating the rich history and technological advancements that have shaped the cinematic landscape. Learn more at academymuseum.org.
The notable Monochrome Film Installation will immerse visitors in the vibrant and otherworldly qualities of film colors across three large screens displaying clips from the silent era. Audiences will experience being immersed in the deep reds of Nero’s burning Rome in NERONE (ITA 1909, Luigi Maggi), the golden tones and luxurious gowns in THE AFFAIRS OF ANATOL (USA 1921, Cecil B. DeMille), the amber tinting in a rare surviving fragment of DIE NIBELUNGEN. KRIEMHILD’S RACHE (GER 1924, Fritz Lang), the mesmerizing purples in THE SOUL OF THE CYPRESS (USA 1920, Dudley Murphy), and the bold colors of the famous experimental film BALLET MÉCANIQUE (FRA 1923, Fernand Léger; Dudley Murphy).
Multispectral scan of the hand tinted nitrate print by Scan2Screen.
Courtesy of Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam.
The exhibition’s curatorial team, led by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel, was so impressed with the authentic results of the first two scanning sessions that they commissioned Scan2Screen to capture all the scans for the exhibition’s Monochrome Installation.
Scan2Screen’s successful completion of this project not only highlights the company’s technological prowess but also its dedication to preserving the cultural and historical significance of cinematic heritage.
Scan2Screen welcomes new partnerships and projects.
Multispectral scan of the tinted and toned nitrate print by Scan2Screen.
Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Credits
Curatorial Team Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Jessica Niebel, Senior Exhibitions Curator
Sophia Serrano, Assistant Curator
Manouchka Labouba, Curatorial Assistant
Alexandra James Salichs, Research Assistant
Advisory Board
Professor Barbara Flueckiger
Professor Joshua Yumibe
Professor Ranjani Mazumdar
Professor Kirsten Moana Thompson
Scan2Screen Team
Professor Barbara Flueckiger, CEO Scan2Screen US LLC, Project Management Scanning
Lutz Garmsen, Systems and Hardware Engineer, Scanning
Professor Giorgio Trumpy, Imaging and Color Science
Dr. David Pfluger, CEO Scan2Screen Switzerland
Martin Weiss, IT, Audiovisual Preservation Specialist
Julius Muschaweck, Optics and Illumination Specialist
Dr. Natalie Snoyman, Archivist and Ffilm Hhistorian
Archives
Library of Congress
Heather Linville, Acting Head, Moving Image Section
David Pierce, Retired
Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager
Courtney Holschuh, Archivist
Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam
Professor Giovanna Fossati, Head Curator
Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi, Curator
Leenke Ripmeester, Sales Collection
Annike Kross, Restorer
Lichtspiel / Kinemathek Bern
David Landolf, Director
Dr. David Pfluger, Head of Film Collection
Bundesarchiv Film Archive Berlin
Dr. Michael Hollmann, Director
Dr. Adelheid Heftberger, Deputy Head Film Archive
Dirk Förstner, Deputy Head, Operations Manager Film Preservation
Marlo Boelens, Technical Head Film Archive
Florian Höhensteiger, Film Access
Scan2Screen 
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