Changing Hues: Multispectral Scanning at the BFI National Archive with Scan2Screen
In a recent blog, our Preservation Manager Kelly Hyams wrote about her visit to “The Colour Fantastic Revisited” conference, held at the Eye Filmmuseum. The historic, geographic, cultural and scientific range of presentations proved once again how the colours of cinema history are endlessly fascinating.
Describing, caring for and reproducing those colours is also an endlessly engaging aspect of our work at the BFI National Archive. And, given the scope of the collections, we have enjoyed many collaborative research and restoration projects with international partners.
One of the most sustained relationships has been with Barbara Flueckiger, celebrated for her innovative and groundbreaking work in this area. Barbara was the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Turner Medal, awarded by The Colour Group (GB), and you can spend many happy hours browsing the incredibly beautiful images of historical film prints captured by Barbara and her team – from the collections of many archives around the world – on The Timeline of Historical Film Colors.
Barbara and the BFI conservation team have contributed to several editions of the International Colour in Film Conference, hosted at BFI Southbank. Organized by Dr. Elza Tantcheva-Burdge of The Colour Group (GB), and Professor Ulrich Ruedel from HTW Berlin (a leading university of applied sciences), these conferences laid important groundwork for a shared vision of scientifically rigorous, conservation-focused film digitisation.
At the start of June, Barbara, now CEO of Scan2Screen, and Systems Engineer Lutz Garmsen, brought their trailblazing multispectral film scanner from Paolo Alto, California, to the BFI National Archive’s John Paul Getty Jr. Conservation Centre. Under the generous and watchful eye of Film Conservation Manager Elena Nepoti and her teams, Barbara and Lutz digitised an invaluable selection of historically significant colour films – including the evergreen Changing Hues (1922) and the 1905 hand-coloured film of Loie Fuller’s dance.
Developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists and film restoration specialists, Scan2Screen’s multispectral scanner captures the full colour spectrum present in historical films using both diffuse and directional illumination. In short, it scans each film frame seven times with LEDs that together represent the full visible spectrum and infrared light. This allows for accurate recording of the dyes used throughout cinema history.
But colour is also greatly affected by the light of the film projector and this has changed over time. Scan2Screen’s rendering software synthesises the multispectral scans based on spectral measurements of cinema projection lights, allowing for digital representations that closely resemble how these films would have appeared in their original theatrical screenings.
The system is purpose-built for archival material, including delicate nitrate films, using a gentle, low-tension transport mechanism that minimises handling. As a result, most films can be scanned with no preparation beyond optional cleaning, preserving their integrity while streamlining the process. In addition to digitisation, the film elements are closely examined in detail for their material composition and aesthetic properties, supporting a comprehensive documentation approach.
Apart from the opportunity to make incredible new preservation scans of innovative and delicate colour films, this collaboration also reflects the BFI’s commitment to research-led conservation. Our Moving Image Conservation Research Laboratory (MICRL) will open later in 2026 as part of the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme. This major £80 million research and innovation investment will support technological and scientific advances needed to unlock the potential of existing heritage collections. It will provide access to untapped cultural assets and help safeguard (and grow) the UK’s £29 billion heritage sector for future generations.
Fantastic colours are a crucial research topic for MICRL and we look forward to further collaborations with Scan2Screen, Barbara and others to explore new opportunities at the intersection of science, conservation, and film history.
– Elena Nepoti, Film Conservation Manager and Kieron Webb, Head of Conservation
BFI Curators attend the EVCOM Clarion Awards 2025
Philippa Forrester in conversation with Bill Mountain at the EVCOM Clarion Awards 2025 (Photo credit: Becky Vick)
The EVCOM Clarion Awards 2025 took place on Tuesday 8 July, at the London Stock Exchange, an annual ceremony to celebrate the outstanding work from across the corporate film and events sector. Patrick Russell (Senior Curator of Non-Fiction) and myself were cordially invited to attend the grand occasion to toast the jubilant winners.
Who are EVCOM you might ask? This stands for Event & Visual Communication Association. The membership is made up of corporate film commissioners, agencies, production companies, suppliers, venues and freelancers. One of the main goals of this association is to facilitate the sharing of ideas and best practice, for a vibrant and socially responsible future for the industry.
Championing the achievements of this communications arena, the event shone a spotlight on those addressing social, ethical, and environmental issues to ‘drive real-world change’. It was heartening to see some of the titles we have successfully acquired for the Our Screen Heritage project (supported by National Lottery via the BFI Screen Heritage Fund) – including Plastic Pictures ‘Wild Spaces‘ – being recognised in the best environmental film category.
Image of the ‘Sustainability and Winning Business: What Clients Want’ panel discussion (Photo: Becky Vick)|
Hosted by the television presenter and environmentalist, Philippa Forrester, as well as award presentations, the event incorporated talks from Bill Mountain (Managing Director of ACrew4U), who shared his sustainable corporate production guidance, and the panel discussion: “Sustainability and Winning Business: What Clients Want” that explored how agencies can meaningfully integrate sustainability into their work without falling into the trap of greenwashing.
The glam gathering ended with the event’s customary drinks and nibbles on London Stock Exchange rooftop terrace to celebrate and network. Hope you will agree, the view of St Pauls Cathedral, was quite something!
– Becky Vick, Assistant Curator
The Inside the Archive blog is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.
