2 minute read
Now dubbed Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII for the remastered version, Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii was one of the seminal concert films of the 1970s and captures the band just as it is about to hit its creative peak.
In many ways, Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii should not have been the success it was. Filmed in the ghostly ruins of Pompeii's long-abandoned amphitheatre, there is no audience present; only the band noodling away at their repertoire just as they were pivoting from their psychedelic roots to all out prog. You don't get any Dark Side of the Moon as a result, that was released a couple of months after the film was, but you do get Echoes in all its glory, the trippy drone of Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, and a fairly out there performance of One of These Days.
And now you get it in a glorious 4k remaster courtesy of the team at FilmFinity using the restoration tools inside Filmworkz’s Phoenix software.
The restored film returns to cinemas next week, including special screenings at the BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest screen. More will hopefully follow worldwide.
The Filmworkz blog carries the full story of the restoration, and, as it writes, "A core principle for the team was maintaining the feel of Pompeii—the hazy heat of the Italian sun, the analog textures, the grain of 35mm film stock. These weren’t flaws to eliminate; they were essential to the film’s soul."
To make that happen at 4k the team was lucky enough to have the original first negative cut of the film from 1972 to work from. This was scanned using ARRI kit before the software got to work.
The hands-on restoration was led by Tom Barrett, FilmFinity’s Restoration Specialist, using Filmworkz’s Phoenix software.
“Filmworkz’s Phoenix was integral to the restoration of Pink Floyd at Pompeii. As with most restoration, the first pass of semi-automatically removing film dust and dirt is one of the most important processes. For this, we turned to DVO Dry Clean,” he says.
“DVO Dry Clean has been the biggest and most impressive advancement in years. It makes a big difference and is a huge benefit and advantage over other restoration software dirt filters. And with a good dry clean pass, you can cut down on the amount of manual cleanup needed, which is always the most time-consuming part of the restoration process.”
The team used tools like DVO Clarity, particularly in the Abbey Road sequences and scenic shots where grain was heavier—alongside DVO Steady 2, DVO Scratch Target, DVO Flicker, and DVO Fix. The full 4K aperture was then framed for UHD in Phoenix to achieve the clean, sharp final look.
Out of all the sequences, one in particular stood out to Barrett: “A lot of time was put into the song Echoes Part 1, so it was great to see this sequence come up clean and look so good. Also, what a great song to see picture and audio working so well together!”
The audio has been remixed by prog legend Steven Wilson from the original tapes to offer a properly immersive experience.
“Live at Pompeii isn’t just a gig—it’s pure music history, a cultural high note. We’re beyond proud that Filmworkz tools helped bring it roaring back to life. Being part of restoring that legendary fusion of sound, vision, and raw energy is a real honor,” says Daniel Broch, Strategic Director of Filmworkz.
Careful with that axe, now...
Tags: Post & VFX Filmworkz Restoration
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