* * * This message was from Joseph DeMartino to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
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{at}MSGID: 
{at}REPLY: 
Immortus45 wrote:

> Are you trying to say that there was no point at which the CGI  was
> transfered to 35 mm film?  They don't have complete 42 minute episodes
> on film in a vault somewhere?

Exactly.  On a feature film you *have* to output CGI and digitally
composited shots to film because the final result has to be a complete,
edited negative from which film prints can be struck.  Theatrical films
are, after all, distributed *on film.*   But TV shows aren't anymore.
They're uplinked to a network satellite and then downlinked to the
local station where they are recorded on broadcast-standard videotape
(or stored on a hard drive) and held for broadcast.  "B5" always did
things using the cheapest and fastest methods just to stay on time and
on budget.  There was no time to output the finished episodes to film
even if they had wanted to do so.  That's why the CGI and composite
elements look so bad compared to the live action material on the DVDs,
because the live action could be sourced from film (had to be extract
the widescreen frame from the Super35 prints) but the rest existed only
as broadcast master tapes.

Complicating the issue further is the fact that WB lost/destroyed all
the CGI computer files.  If those still existed the original CGI shots
could be re-worked and re-rendered at higher resolution.  Even the
composite shots could be recreated assuming the other elements (live
action, background plates, animation cels) are still around or (in the
case of the rotoscope stuff) could be easily recreated or even replaced
with CGI.  But given the the files and models aren't there anymore, all
of it would have to be recreated from scratch for there to ever be a
true HD version of "B5".  And that means Warenr Bros. spending a
massive amount of money.  Now it isn't *impossible* that WB might
decide to invest the kind of money if it thinks it will get a decent
return on it over the long haul, but I wouldn't bet the rent money on
that happening.

OTOH, this is "B5" we're talking about.  The pilot wasn't supposed to
get made.  Then it was never going to series.  Then it wouldn't last a
season.  It was going to be cancelled every single year.  It
*certainly* wasn't going to make it to the planned 5th year.  Ten years
ago people scoffed at the idea that anybody would buy a TV show on DVD,
that anybody would spend the money to buy whole seasons of a show, and
especially that there would be a big enough audience for an obscure
syndicated show like "B5" to make a DVD release worthwhile.  I myself
was called nuts for saying that a "B5" DVD release was not only
possible, but that it could be successful enough to get WB interested
in a feature film.  Well, 500 million dollars in DVD sales later WB
*did* approach JMS about a feature film and *he* turned *them* down
(for the time being) - but only because real life (and sadly, death)
had made it impossile for him to consider such a project *now*.

So who knows?  A couple of years of doing well with "The Lost Tales"
and a "B5" feature film around 2010 that does better than the studio
expects could make them decide that to pull a "Trek" and revamp
"B5"
for true HDTV.

Of course, that means I'll have to buy the whole damned show all over
again, but I'll take that chance.  By then, with luck, the format war
will be over and I'll actually own a hi-def DVD player.  

Regards,

Joe

"See this?  It's gonna replace CDs in a few years.  Looks like I'm
gonna have to buy 'The White Album' again."  -  Agent K "Men in Black"
                                                                      
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