Digital Restoration

Projectors can display normal colors under normal indoor lighting, but let's leave that aside for now, as it's not very relevant to movies. However, the projected image, while not on a cinema-sized screen, is still on a screen much larger than a commercially available television.

Even magnified to this extent, little detail is lost. Eyebrows, corners of the eyes, fingertips—the most crucial subtle expressions and body movements for film are all clearly visible. Not to mention the details of the set design.

It's important to know that most of the people present weren't of an age where they could afford to go to the cinema to see this movie. So, they all watched this classic film on rented VHS tapes or on television movie channels.

What was missing from the television screen is now fully displayed. Their familiarity with cinematic language allows them to glean more information from the same footage, which is sure to amaze the directors.

What concerned them even more was that the projector used for the screening was not a cinema projector. In other words, this was not the result of film projection!

In order to match the way the film reel moves, the projector bulb in a movie theater actually flickers at a certain frequency, rather than being constantly lit.

That is, the light bulb will only light up when the film reel is wound up to a specific frame that is directly facing the light bulb, thus projecting that frame onto the movie screen.

During the scrolling process, the light bulb is turned off, and the image is not projected.

This process is very fast, at 24 frames per second, which is the frame rate that the human eye can perceive as smooth with dynamic vision. That's why the light from the projector seems continuous.

But there's a difference between flashing lights and continuously lit lights. Laymen might not be able to tell the difference, but experts certainly wouldn't. This is also why great directors are certain that the source of the film being played in front of them is not film reel.

Since it's not film, and given the technology Stark Studios has recently developed, everyone should know what kind of film is being shown.

Some directors who were very interested in film technology, such as Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, gathered around Henry and asked him about the various technical specifications and the film's progress.

Henry didn't hold back and engaged in serious conversation with these filmmakers.

Suddenly a voice came from behind. "How old was Catherine when this movie was?"

This was technically very impolite, but no one dared to question the woman who had interrupted, and they all stepped back.

Even if there were strangers, the others standing nearby would quietly offer hints. Given the shrewdness of everyone present, these people all stepped back to observe the situation.

Henry turned around, and an elderly couple he had only met once unexpectedly appeared. "Mr. Mellon, Mrs. Lambert, it's been a long time."

Although only their surnames were mentioned, this hint was enough for everyone present to recognize the two. They were Paul Mellon and his wife, Rachel Lambert Mellon, members of one of United States's top Old Money families.

Henry, acting as Audrey Hepburn's representative, met her once through Mr. Givenchy's introduction. He even borrowed a private jet to take Ms. Hepburn back to Switzerland to recuperate after her surgery.

Mr. Paul Mellon extended his right hand first and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Brown, on your achievement today. I hope you don't mind that my wife and I came uninvited."

Henry quickly shook hands and returned the greeting, saying, "It's an honor for Stark Studios to have you both here. We're more than happy to welcome you; how could we possibly mind?"

In the United States, unless it's an extremely private event that requires an invitation to enter, some people can get through by simply using facial recognition.

The banquet company that hosted this event had quite capable gatekeepers; at least they didn't turn away VIPs of this caliber. This isn't a military camp where entry is restricted without permission.

However, failing to notify the host of the banquet was a failure in itself, which allowed Henry to be caught off guard.

At that moment, another voice, seemingly refusing to be outdone, rang out. Tony Stark walked over and said, "Humanity's most precious asset is wisdom. To keep someone like that by your side like a bulletproof vest is a waste."

"It's like throwing Albert Einstein and Oppenheimer onto the front lines as common soldiers. Oh, maybe Ernest Hemingway could."

After all, once this old man had a bit of alcohol, his breath seemed capable of taking on an entire division single-handedly.

Paul Mellon's response was a mix of soft and hard. "The general attitude towards startups is to invest some money and see how they perform. Only those that are valuable will be incorporated into our portfolio companies."

"Simply handing over a mature company to someone else doesn't follow standard business practices. Betting on someone who can't prove themselves is as risky as randomly finding a piece of land and expecting to strike oil."

Tony Stark, undeterred, retorted, "It's still that old-fashioned theory of results-oriented thinking. I'm young, after all. It's normal to act a little crazy. What If...? I did everything according to the rules, I'd be dismantled by now."

Seeing that the sparks were about to ignite the fuse, Henry quickly changed the subject, trying to smooth things over. "Mrs. Lambert, you just asked about this movie. It's a movie that Stark Studios released in '32."

"During filming, Catherine Hepburn was 24 years old. It was Hepburn's first film after she had just emerged from theater stardom and stepped into Hollywood."

"Our engineering team used the latest computer technology to digitally restore old film reels. They not only overcame problems such as insect damage and moisture, but also successfully preserved all the details of the 35mm film."

Rachel Lambert politely took Henry's arm and, without blocking the projector's light, took a few steps closer to the screen. "Sometimes I really envy them, being able to preserve their best years for the world to remember."

Henry smiled and said, "Madam, I still remember your and Mr. Mellon's efforts and contributions to the preservation of culture. From Leonardo da Vinci,..."

From Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet to Paul Cézanne and Mark Thaddeus Ross, these figures have certainly become landmarks in history and culture.

"But without preservers and patrons like you, they would eventually become dust in history, forgotten in some unknown corner. The same is true for the art of film."

"What If...? these rolls of film are simply left in a warehouse, they will decay over time. The so-called classics will only remain as memories of an era, and others will never be able to see their true form."

"The same technology can be used on photographs and negatives, and even more. Like this—" Henry snapped his the Snap, "—engineers, the second piece of film after color correction."

Immediately, people started fiddling with the computers. Those tech-savvy directors and producers also noticed an interface on the screen that resembled the newly released Windows 95.

This confirms that the device connected to the projector is indeed a computer, and not a film projector hidden somewhere.

The second video Henry mentioned was the same clip from the previous black-and-white film, but with color. Everyone moved vividly, making everyone's eyes light up.

These film clips, in particular, are Catherine Hepburn's shining moments. She seems to be the center of everything, her skin shimmering on the big screen, freely displaying the beauty of the most beautiful era.