People working on Disney’s recent restoration of Cinderella were able to right a wrong that has been many years in the making, the gradual alteration and deterioration of the colours Disney concept artist Mary Blair intended for us to see on screen.
Kevin Schaeffer, director of mastering at Walt Disney Studios, says of the problem, “people will refer back to the last time that was done. They’re interpreting an interpretation, sometimes of an interpretation”. On this occasion, however, Kevin and a team that included supervising animator/director Eric Goldberg and art director Michael Giaimo were able to access the original 1950 prints of the film from the Library of Congress and focus right in on the detail, including tiny animals’ clothes and scenes that take place in darkness, particularly Cinderella’s coach ride.
“For many years, Cinderella was not the right colors. Her hair [is] dusty blonde, and her dress is silver. And over the years, we’ve seen her hair look the color of Cheez Whiz. We’ve seen her dress be bright blue. We’ve seen all sorts of stuff. So going in, for myself and Michael Giaimo, the very first thing was, Let’s get that hair and dress right.”
Eric Goldberg
Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty and Alice In Wonderland are potentially being lined up for the same treatment, and, of the process, Kevin Shaeffer says, “I think of it like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. By the time you get through all the classics, technology has moved far enough where it’s time to go back”.
Source: Polygon
Main image source: TechRadar