18 Jan
2003
18 Jan
'03
2:14 p.m.
Wayne M. Smith wrote:
Perhaps I need to write a bit more clearly. The antecedent for "this
simply doesn't happen" in my post is "studios . . . spend huge amounts
of money to restore the prints for issue in DVD format." UCLA, last
time I looked, is not a studio. Academia is almost always an exception
to any general rule.
Often it simply isn't worth it to build upon
something unless you
enjoy exclusive rights. The restoration of old films is a good
example. The studios that hold copyrights to old pictures
spend huge
amounts of money to restore the prints for issue
in DVD format
precisely because they hold exclusive rights and can make back what
they spend. In the case of public domain films, this
simply doesn't
happen.
Demonstrably false. UCLA has restored many films that the
studios weren't willing to spend a penny on; some still in
copyright but most expired. In general they've done a much
better restoration job than the studios usually do.