Report and photos from the 4K remastered screening of "Ghost in the Shell" with Director Mamoru Oshii on stage!

The 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray version (hereafter, 4K remastered version) will be released on June 22, and a screening of the 4K remastered version was held before the release, with director Mamoru Oshii and Makoto Imatsuka of Q-Tech, the post-production company that produced the 4K remastered version, on stage. The film was released in 1995.

Released in 1995, the film was a huge hit in Japan and abroad. GHOST IN THE SHELL" is still influencing many creators. The 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray version (hereafter, 4K remastered version) of the film will be released on June 22.

Prior to the release, a screening of the 4K remastered version was held with director Mamoru Oshii and Makoto Imatsuka of Q-Tech, the post-production company that produced the 4K remastered version, on stage.

The following is a report from the screening, in which Director Mamoru Oshii spoke about the film and the 4K remastering process, as well as his thoughts on the ever-changing media.

Official Report】 ※Titles omitted

The film was released in 1995 and was a huge hit not only in Japan but also overseas. GHOST IN THE SHELL" is still influencing many creators. The 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray version (hereafter, 4K remastered version) of the film will be released on June 22. Prior to the release, a special media screening of the 4K remastered version was held in Tokyo.
The 4K remastered version of the film left a very different impression, especially in the reproduction of dark areas, and while the HD remastered Blu-ray version reproduced the information of the film well, the 4K remastered version seemed to have been reborn with an overwhelming amount of information.
After the screening, Director Mamoru Oshii took the stage. Makoto Imatsuka, who was in charge of the production of the 4K remastered version, explained the amazing high picture quality.

He said, "I myself was eagerly awaiting the 4K version of 'Innocence,' and since the IMAX version was so spectacular, I wanted those who had not seen it to see it in 4K." (Director Mamoru Oshii)

However, "Ghost in the Shell" is an analog film production. Although it has the advantages of analog (manual work), there were many cuts that he felt were left undone, and there were still some technical mistakes, so he was anxious about converting the film to 4K, which has a large amount of information.

However, when I saw the 4K remastered version, it was surprisingly good. I am relieved.

When asked about the difference in impression of the 4K remastered version from the original version shown in movie theaters, Director Mamoru Oshii said, "That's fine.

He said, "The amount of information on the film is much greater than I imagined, and I could not see even half of it in the film screening. That becomes visible only after 4K scanning. It can and should be different from the original. For those who have seen the film in theaters, it will be a different experience, and for those who have seen it on digital media such as Blu-ray and DVD, the 4K remastered version will be the definitive version. I think that each person who has seen the film has his or her own way of seeing and receiving it, and the film contains enough dense information to respond to that," said Mamoru Oshii, director.

Makoto Imatsuka, who was in charge of the 4K remastering, gave us a more technical explanation. 4K remastering involves restoring the film in 4K resolution by removing scratches and dust, followed by grading (* adjusting colors and tones). Grading is particularly important for HDR, which can display high luminance, and the reproducibility of dark areas and the clarity of vision with little noise are said to be largely due to this process.

HDR is a technology that expresses high luminance, and the way it looks is different compared to SDR, with particles in bright areas being more noticeable. The same is true for noise. We repeated tests for each cut, taking into account the differences in the way the image looks, before grading. Also, since transmitted light is realistic light, HDR is able to light it up with high brightness, and you can clearly see this difference in the 4K remastering. Dark gradations also come out well, but not too much.
So we asked the director to check and fine-tune the image.

Makoto Imatsuka: "I was very particular about the dark areas in this film. I wanted the blacks to look wet, the darks to be reproduced with no black lift, and the darks to be sufficiently subdued, so that the viewer can see the very edge of what is visible. We wanted to reproduce the areas that until now could only be seen on a theater screen, but now we are able to see them and not show them too much. That part has been done well" (Director Mamoru Oshii)

One last surprising information. The skin color of the main character, Motoko Kusanagi, is actually a different color in every cut. The color of Motoko Kusanagi's skin is actually different in every shot. This was done in order to match the skin color best suited to the scene and background, and every detail was adjusted during the shooting and development phases. The 4K remastered version precisely reproduces even such differences in skin color.
Director Mamoru Oshii says, "When you watch the 4K remastered version, please watch it on a TV with good picture quality. The 4K remastered version of the film can be enjoyed with the high-density images that were thoroughly created by Mamoru Oshii and the other creators, and should definitely be viewed on a high-quality TV.

4K ULTRA HD refers to video content recorded in 4K resolution, including not only 4K but also the wide color gamut standard "BT.2020" and the high brightness technology "HDR.

HDR is a technology that reproduces intense light that could not be reproduced in the past. It not only reproduces intense brightness, but also greatly improves the reproducibility of dark areas.

SDR refers to video recorded at general brightness without HDR. Most images in current TV broadcasts and other media are classified as SDR.

Event Summary

Screening of "GHOST IN THE SHELL" 4K remastered version
Venue: Q-tec Inc.
・Guests on stage:
　Mamoru Oshii ("GHOST IN THE SHELL" director)
　Technical commentary: Makoto Imatsuka (Technical Coordinator/Senior Colorist, Q-tec Inc.)
Screening monitor: OLED TV "TH-65FZ1000" (Panasonic)

Product Information

GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K Remastered Set (4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray Disc 2-disc set)
Item number: BCQA-0007
Price: 9,800 yen (excluding tax)

■"GHOST IN THE SHELL" & "INNOCENCE" 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray set
　Limited time production until June 30, 2019
Part number: BCQA-0008
Price: 12,800 yen (excluding tax)

・Release date: June 22, 2018
Publisher: Namco Bandai Arts, Kodansha, MANGA ENTERTAINMENT
Distributor: Namco Bandai Arts Inc.

<Bonus Specifications>
*Bonuses and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Special features: ■Theatrical special feature/theatrical trailer
[Other specifications] ■Audio and subtitles in Japanese and English ■New illustration jacket newly drawn by Hiroyuki Okiura, character designer

*Benefits and specifications are subject to change without notice.

UHD BD requires a dedicated player and playback environment compatible with ULTRA HD Blu-ray. 4K (HDCP2.2 compatible) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) are not supported on televisions, etc., andthe original image quality will not be reproduced.
ULTRA HD Blu-ray" and the "4K ULTRA HD" logo are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.

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