by Dai » Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:13 am
Now that we're seeing HD re-issues of the Godzilla movies, I started wondering about this. How would you react if Toho started meddling with the special effects in their catalogue titles? In particular, where would you draw the line in what you would consider acceptable? From least to most intrusive, I would class the tiers as:
- Digital clean-up. A step on from the more common practice of removing dust and scratches, this level would include wire removal and enough digital grading to ensure consistent colour timing between shots.
- Digital compositing. In practice, this would probably be impossible, as I doubt the original effects elements still exist. However, if they did, this level would include re-doing all composited shots digitally.
- Stylised digital grading. Rather than just ensuring consistent colour timing, this level of digital grading would alter the look of whole scenes. This could give scenes a more 'modern' or stylised look, albeit at the expense of the director's original intent.
- Effects replacement: mild. This would include creating new CG effects for beams and missiles.
- Effects replacement: moderate. Replacing model vehicles with CG. Replacing matte paintings/set backdrops with new renders.
- Effects replacement: high. CG monsters.
- Effects replacement: total. 100% CG for all all effects shots, including cityscapes.
For the sake of argument, assume that any new CG effects would be of the same quality as Godzilla 2014 rather than what we could more likely expect on a Toho budget.