A group of young skaters on a frozen lake in Montreal. Filmed between 1899 and 1902 at Parc La Fontaine. Brought to life with deep learning neural networks. AI enhanced and colorized w/added sound.

Witness a captivating scene as Edwardian era children and adults glide across the ice, past a stationary camera. In an era where motion picture cameras were a novelty, the subjects were likely unaware of being immortalized on film.
Thanks to cutting-edge film colorization and upscaling technology, we've breathed new life into this silent, damaged footage. Through the lens of AI, we're granted a unique glimpse into the past, experiencing it as if we were right there.

AI Enhanced 4K 60fps film by Glamourdaze.com

Deep Exemplar-based Video Colorization - Bo Chang & associates
Read the teams paper on deep exemplar based video colorization here:
https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.09909

Original BW silent Footage: Library and Archives Canada
Skating in Montreal
http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirec...

The Restoration Process:

To bring old silent 16 fps footage to life, several processes are typically employed:

1. Colorization: Using advanced algorithms and manual techniques, black and white footage is meticulously colorized to recreate the original colors of the scenes. This process involves extensive research to ensure historical accuracy.

2. Upscaling: The footage is upscaled using sophisticated algorithms to increase its resolution while preserving as much detail as possible. This helps enhance the clarity and visual quality of the footage, making it more suitable for modern displays.

3. Interpolation: Interpolation techniques are applied to increase the frame rate of the footage, smoothing out motion and reducing the choppiness inherent in low frame rate silent films. This involves generating additional frames between existing frames to create a smoother, more fluid motion.

4. Adding a New Soundtrack: A new soundtrack is composed or selected to accompany the footage, adding atmosphere and depth to the viewing experience. This may include background music, sound effects, and even dialogue or narration to further immerse viewers in the historical context of the footage.

Overall, these processes combine to breathe new life into old silent footage, allowing audiences to experience the past in a more vivid and engaging manner.