For decades, filmmakers and cinephiles alike have debated what a film really looked like when it hit theaters, but as this fascinating deep dive into SE7EN reveals, that answer is far more complicated than it seems.
After nearly two years of work, David Fincher oversaw an 8K scan and 4K remaster of SE7EN, aiming to restore the exact look of the film’s original release prints. But not everyone agrees with his results, with some fans claiming that amateur 35mm scans of old theatrical prints better represent the film’s “true” tone.
This video breaks down why those home scans can’t always be trusted. From lab-to-lab inconsistencies, film stock decay, and silver retention processing to subjective color grading and digital bias, it reveals just how unreliable even the best-intentioned restorations or scans can be.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQwQRFLFDd8
As the creator demonstrates, a single film print can be scanned and color-graded to look like a dozen “different versions” of the same movie, proof that every digital recreation is an interpretation, not a time capsule.
As colorists, editors, and post professionals, how do you define “authenticity” when remastering or restoring older films? Do you prioritize the filmmaker’s original intent, the theatrical experience, or how audiences remember it?
Ashley Renee Smith This is honestly one of the most fascinating videos I’ve watched in a while. I think it’s because this is a new area of film for me—color grading. I’ve been focusing on learning it, so watching this was incredibly insightful.
For me, authenticity when remastering or restoring comes from keeping the original in mind. While working on a project, it’s important to maintain the integrity of the original work. It’s easy to add a piece of yourself into something, but it’s much more challenging to step back, remove yourself, and focus solely on enhancing what’s already there.
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I’d also like to add that I’ve never seen this movie before and may not have even heard of it, but I absolutely love the color grading. I’m adding it to my watch list.