Revamping Blondie's Music Videos Using Continuum Technology
Bill Randolph, a renowned video remastering expert, recently undertook an impressive project - the remastering of Blondie's full music video catalog. This extensive project included iconic videos such as "Heart of Glass" and "Presence, Dear."
Randolph's approach to this project was unique and meticulous. He employed a combination of powerful tools to achieve the desired results.
The Role of Continuum
At the heart of Randolph's workflow was the use of Continuum, a comprehensive visual effects and video editing plugin suite. Continuum is commonly used for effects like image restoration, film grain removal, color correction, and enhancement in professional remastering.
Randolph utilized various tools from Continuum's image restoration suite, including BCC+DeBand, Flicker Fixer, and BCC+Beauty Studio, to improve less-than-ideal footage. For instance, he removed noise from the video for "Presence, Dear" using After Effect's clone/stamp tool and then used Continuum's Flicker Fixer to eliminate unsightly flicker.
Moreover, the integrated Mocha planar tracking and masking in Continuum made it easy for Randolph to composite parts of one video layer onto another. This workflow was used on many subsequent videos, including 'The Hardest Part.'
The Role of Adobe Premiere
While Continuum provided the necessary tools for image restoration and enhancement, Adobe Premiere served as the editing environment for assembling, fine-tuning, and color grading the videos. Randolph used Premiere to edit the footage, apply effects, refine cuts, and export the final masters.
Unique Techniques
One of the most interesting aspects of Randolph's work was his discovery of a unique workflow using Continuum's AlphaKey effect. This workflow involved rendering Debbie Harry's hair and face with different AI settings, which was particularly useful in the video for "Presence, Dear," where Flicker Fixer was also used on Debbie Harry's clothing.
Randolph's favorite video from the project is '(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear' due to its depiction of the band before they hit it big and the effort put into making it look pristine.
Despite extensive research, specific details about Randolph's precise workflow, such as whether he used specific Continuum plugins or particular Adobe Premiere features, remain unavailable. However, it is clear that his techniques resulted in a polished remaster of Blondie's video catalog.
Universal Music and the band's manager have expressed their satisfaction with the results of Bill Randolph's work. The remastered videos have been well-received by fans and critics alike, showcasing the skill and dedication that went into this project.
In cross-disciplinary ventures, Bill Randolph's inspired approach to the remastering of Blondie's music video catalog incorporated not just video remastering expertise but also an adaptation of technology in home-and-garden and data-and-cloud-computing sectors. For instance, Continuum, a renowned tool in visual effects and video editing, was utilized for image restoration and enhancement, while Adobe Premiere served as the platform for video editing, fine-tuning, and color grading. This combination, augmented with unique techniques like the AlphaKey effect, resulted in a polished, high-quality lifestyle presentation.
