From Vault to Screen: The Art of Restoring Universal's Cinematic Legacy

For more than 112 years, Universal's film group has been behind some of the most iconic films in cinema. Committed to preserving this rich legacy, Universal launched its Restoration Project in 2012 in partnership with The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. 

NBCUniversal's Film Restoration Process 

When choosing which films to restore, NBCUniversal collaborates heavily with The Film Foundation—a non-profit organization founded by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.  The Restoration team has identified many films for restoration and has already restored 149 films of significance to the industry including Spartacus, E.T, Jaws, Schindler's List, Back to the Future, To Kill a Mockingbird, House of Frankenstein and many more. Each year, 10-12 titles are restored - this years ten titles are below:

Once a film has been identified for restoration, the Studio Mastering team does extensive research and analysis of the Universal Picture archive, collaborating with many teams —from the physical vault to the digital vault. These groups create and maintain best practices ensuring that assets are migrated with the latest digital standards and least amount of handling, so they may be utilized again in the future. The title is thoroughly researched with both internal and external subject matter and legal experts consulted, followed by a physical inspection and evaluation. 

The NBCUniversal Vaults host the 112 year film collection which includes more than 40 miles of actual shelving space -- including the original cut negative, that ran through the camera when that movie was being filmed.  Scanning is the first step of restoration where the editors, colorists and visual effect artists start working on a good scan. 

Then digital artists are able to provide services that include dirt and scratch removal, deflickering, stabilization, and grain management. We have tools that have been specifically developed and designed to be able to deal with film damage. 

When a project is complete, the restored version of the film is added to NBCUniversal archive and can be submitted to film festivals around the world. 43 of the 149 restoration titles have been screened 227 times over the course of 42 international festivals including but not limited to Festival De Cannes, MoMa, Focal International and more. 

NBCUniversal Restoration Spotlight: Sugarland Express

As the team was researching titles for 2024, they realized that it was the 50-year anniversary of Sugarland Express, Steven Spielberg’s first major studio theatrical release. In this film, the audience really gets to see how Mr. Spielberg was starting to think about filmmaking and see his classic trademarks coming to life. 

The Restoration team worked closely with Mr. Spielberg and Amblin for six months to restore Sugarland Express around shot and color correction, stabilization and music. The film took place in rural Texas where the weather can change in an instant - so you have shots that should be taking place right after another with drastic changes in the sky. The restoration team was able to color correct so each shot would then match the appropriate sequence. 

The music in the film was an original three track mix, the dialog, music and effects. In working with Amblin, the team was able to perform a new 5.1 remix which gave the movie an all new surround track full of effects, yet maintaining the original feel of the 1974 soundtrack. 

At the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, Mr. Spielberg discussed the restoration and the importance of it to him personally. While introducing Sugarland Express at its packed screening, he joked that “You’re the first audience to ever see Sugarland Express in 50 years,” highlighting that this restoration marks a new lease on life for the film. The film marked the first time he worked with producers Richard Zanuk and David Brown, and was the impetus that led him to direct Jaws.

The Value of Restoration

The restoration program protects Universal Pictures 112-year-old film library through digital preservation of picture and audio elements, ensuring these works can be experienced fully by generations of cinemagoers for years to come, regardless of the speed at which the original film will naturally degrade over time.