Blurry images, mottled traces, faded colors, and jumping frames … Are these what old movies look like in your memory? As time goes by, are those once-precious films on the verge of disappearing? In the Changsha Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industry Park, there is China's largest 4K classic video restoration base. Here a group of "time magicians" use technology as their brush to restore old films, bringing classic revolutionary videos back to life.
"High-definition restoration of classic films" may sound simple, but the process is highly intricate. A 90-minute film is composed of 130,000 frames. If each one were to be restored manually, even a team of 100 technicians dedicated to the restoration work against the clock would require several months to complete this "restoration journey through time."
To address the challenges of "long duration, high cost, and inconsistent effects," the Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industry Park has leveraged the advantages of cloud-based video industry technology to launch a classic revolutionary film restoration project. A comprehensive workflow system has been established gradually, combining AI-powered automated restoration with manual fine-tuning. In the classic revolutionary film restoration laboratory, dust-laden classic films are undergoing a remarkable transformation—from "mottled" to "vibrant," gaining a new lease on life.
"In the past, film restoration often faced the problems of ‘slow progress and inconsistent effects,’" said Long Xinbin, digital postproduction CTO of the Yunshang Lanshan Technology Co., Ltd. He explained to the reporter that, by leveraging mature audio-video production technologies and a team of professional talent, the Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industry Park has developed collaborative film restoration solutions integrating AI-powered restoration and manual fine-tuning. During the AI restoration phase, the team utilizes algorithm model training and self-developed models to achieve core processing of digitized images in old films—including scratch removal, color repair, and reduction of compression anamorphose, which can significantly enhance restoration efficiency. Meanwhile, the manual fine-tuning focuses on calibrating historical details, such as adjusting color tones and restoring the lighting texture of old scenes in the film "Lei Feng", to avoid deviation from the original era.
Since 2024, students and faculty from Changsha University have joined this "battle to safeguard classic revolutionary films." The university organized a restoration team of nearly 100 members. They leveraged the AI colorization platform of the Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industry Park alongside restoration and audio-video processing technologies to restore classic films to their original style, such as Suppress Bandits in Western Hunan and Mao Zedong in 1925. Through frame-by-frame restoration, the students are connecting with history, transforming their specialized knowledge into practical contributions that preserve the red or revolutionary culture. Technological advancement and spiritual inheritance resonate with each other in harmony here.
Currently, the Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industry Park has launched a Red Culture Digital Presentation Project, comprising a "Red Culture Production Line," a "Red Culture Gene Bank," and a "Cloud-based Red Culture Exhibition Hall." Supported by the increasingly mature technical system, the park has restored 13 classic revolutionary films, including Lei Feng, The National Anthem, Children of Troubled Times, Strike the Invaders, and Suppress Bandits in Western Hunan.
When blurry character images become lifelike, and the black-and-white frames are imbued with the colors of those eras, the unadorned play of light and shadow from that time, together with profound patriotic sentiment, resonates deeply with the audience. These restored films are making their way from Malanshan to big screens across the country, allowing generations across time to reconnect within the timeless stories.