Removing dust and scratches?

Question

Level 3

669 points

Removing dust and scratches?

I just had some of my parents' old home movies digitized (homemoviedepot.com) to Digital8 format, and as I write this I'm importing them into iMovie. Eventually they'll have a soundtrack applied and it'll move into iDVD.

However, since some of these movies are more than 45 years old there's a fair amount of dust and scratches and such from them. Home Movie Depot did a fantastic job at converting them to digital format (far better than the old VHS transfer that my sister had done ~12 years ago) but there's still room for improvement -- not only with the dust and scratches but also with color restoration.

What's the fastest/best/easiest way to clean this up? Is there a "De-Age Film" iMovie plugin somewhere that'll get me started?

G5 Dual 2GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jul 3, 2006 11:56 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 3, 2006 12:17 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

Is there a "De-Age Film" iMovie plugin somewhere that'll get me started?

not to my knowledge...
every tried to accomplish that with a still?
I do use Photoshop, it offers some "remove dust/disturbances" feature... which mainly "blurres" fotos... I don't like it, prefer to "stamp out" errors by hand... a video has 25/30 stills per second..................

and:
how should the software know, what is dust, what is grain? is this a "hair", or ... some hair 😉 ?

geethree.com offers in Slick9 some more elaborated hue & stauration adjustments then iM does....

besides:
isn't it wonderful, to see with a blink of an eye, that "recording" ist 45 years old? let it be old.... we apply so many effects to our 3ccd HiDef video, to make it look "natural", "sepia", "movie like"... restauration can be overdone... (ever saw these "colored" versions of b/w classics? brrrrr)

helpful?

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Answer 2

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 12:26 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

every tried to accomplish that with a still?

Yes, all the time. But the rules regarding a still are quite different from the rules regarding video.

how should the software know, what is dust, what is grain?

By comparing median values of the previous and following frames. Mathematically speaking, it's actually pretty darned easy to figure out if there's dust in a video frame or not. All you have to do is compare color and texture values from one or more preceeding and proceeding frames. If there's "blue" in a given range of ten frames, then there's "black" in a frame, then "blue" in the next ten frames, odds are that "black" section is dust. Have the computer interpolite the color and texture values for that region based on the frames immediately before and after it.

geethree.com offers in Slick9 some more elaborated hue & stauration adjustments then iM does....

Yes, I already have that and will be experimenting with it eventually. I would like to remove the dust and such before playing with color, however.

isn't it wonderful, to see with a blink of an eye, that "recording" ist 45 years old? let it be old....

This is just a matter of opinion. IMO, removing excessive dust and debris from the frame is not robbing the film of its age. I'm not colorizing a b&w film; I'm restoring the color that was lost to age.

I mean, you could go even further back with that argument. Doesn't converting the film to a "sterile" DVD and watching it on a TV screen rob the film of its "old-time charm" of setting up a projector and video screen?

IMO, this is exactly the sort of thing that iMovie was made to do.

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Answer 3

Jul 3, 2006 12:38 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

ooops, sorry, I just read once in a while about film restauration, millions of $$$ spend, but now I know, it is pretty darned easy if they asked you....

try this
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeschot/home.html#JVC

hope, it fullfills your standards.............

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Answer 4

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 12:45 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Y'know, it never fails. There's ALWAYS someone in this message forum who can't help but be uber-sarcastic. I'd thank you, but until you lose that attitude you really don't deserve it so I won't.

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Answer 5

Jul 3, 2006 1:11 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

ÜberMacHead,

Karsten is German. Sometime his "accent" and sense of humor comes across as sarcastic.

It's never been my experience that it is intended. He is always sincerely trying to help.

Give JES Video Cleaner a try. I'll be interested to know your results.

Matt

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Answer 6

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 1:53 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

ooops, sorry, I just read once in a while about film restauration, millions of $$$ spend, but now I know, it is pretty darned easy if they asked you....

You honestly expect me to believe that this statement isn't intended to be sarcastic?

There's nothing even remotely humorous about his statement. Karsten has an attitude that isn't even vaguely beneficial to this conversation.

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Answer 7

Jul 3, 2006 2:10 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

Well, I'm certainly not trying to start an argument.

I'm just trying to give you the benefit of what I've learned about Karsten from reading many of his posts.

Good luck with the project.

I am sincerely curious to know how you make out. I'm contemplating a project similar to yours with movies shot by my grandfather in the late 50s and early 60s.

Matt

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Answer 8

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 2:36 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

The "JES Video Cleaner" app is completely useless.

The program launches, I set the parameters (source file, destination file, and noise reduction), click "OK" to begin, and that's basically as far as the program gets. It does frame #1 in about two seconds, then hangs up on frame #2. Doesn't matter what video I feed it; I've let it run for 15+ minutes and it does nothing. Clicking CANCEL does nothing either; the only way out of the app is to force-quit.

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Answer 9

Jul 3, 2006 2:58 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

The way it works is a bit quirky.

First step is in the Input Pane. Click the Choose button and select the clip you wish to work with.

Second step is in the Process Pane. Select the effect you want, Noise Reduction for example. Adjust the settings as you wish (you'll need to do some experimenting) and the check then Apply box.

Third step is in the Output pane. Click the Put button and name your output file. If you like you can also Preview your clip at this point to.

Last step click OK and you processed clip will be created.

Matt

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Answer 10

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 3:24 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

Yes, did that. See the last three sentences of my previous response for the results. Although its interface is kludgy it isn't impossible to figure out. The program simply doesn't work, at least not for me.

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Answer 11

Jul 3, 2006 3:34 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

Yes. I read your post in it's entirety.

What you describe is exactly what will happen if you do certain steps out of order, like naming the destination file before you Apply the cleaning.

Matt

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Answer 12

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 4:30 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

I just tried it again, in exactly the steps you describe, and got exactly the same results.

Thanks anyway.

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Answer 13

Kjolner

Level 2

354 points

Jul 3, 2006 4:37 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

Hia there!
To remove dust from oldemovies MUST be done before scanning the company should do that .
However dust in the lens area of filmcamera is chapter past ,its embedded in the picture ! To "photoshop" each and every pict will be incredebly time and prosessorconsuming and done profsnly cost MUCH €€€€...

keep the flaws and enjoy editing with the exelent iMovieapp ,you can make great movies.
Make many separate small films drag each to a new iDvd project people can then watch and take breaks inbetween ( go pea make more popcorn whatever) )

In the meantime rent the newly restored Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland and see what $$$ can do to olde film 😉

Go with tiger! Ivar. . P.S. There is nuthing wrong with sarcasm unless you dont get the point!

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Answer 14

Jul 3, 2006 4:39 PM in response to ÜberMacHead

Alright, suit yourself.

Matt

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Answer 15

ÜberMacHead Author

Level 3

669 points

Jul 3, 2006 4:46 PM in response to Matthew Morgan

Alright, suit yourself.

Well that's something of a bizarre answer. Yes, repeatedly running a program that doesn't work suits me just fine. Right. Whatever.

Y'know, let's just call this thread closed. It's clear there's nobody offering useful information here, just a lot of sarcasm and attitude. And Mac users wonder why people think they're so full of themselves. Sheesh!

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