Reversing a fade to black

[dave_van_damme]

Hi,

I've got a few deleted scenes from a film that I'd like to re-insert into the original film to make an 'extended version', of sorts. The problem is, these clips have roughly a 1second fade to black at the start and end of them, making it difficult to insert them into the film with a clean cut. Is there anyway these fades can be reversed so this 1sec clip (complete with audio that DOESN'T fade) can be seen clearly? Hope I've explained this clearly! Cheers.

[lordsmurf]

No.

[dave_van_damme]

Is that an out and out no or isn't there even the slightest possibility?

[guns1inger]

It is an out and out "No". A resounding negative. An absolute no can do.

[dave_van_damme]

Oh well, thanks anyway.

[jagabo]

The frames that are not complete black can be partially restored. The darker they are the more problematic they will be -- the parts that have become completely black will have no detail left. You will probably end up adjusting them one by one. And you will bring out lots of compression artifacts that were too dark to see in the dark frames.

[Supreme2k]

Trim the clips, then insert them. Easy-peasy.

ON THE OTHER HAND, if you're talking about removing the "black", then that is impossible. It's encoded in the finished film. You're in the same boat as the guys here who want to un-pixelate the japanese porn: SOL.

[jagabo]

Normal frame, just before fade to black:


Dark frame near end of fade to black:


Dark frame lightened (VirtualDub) to approximate the normal frame:


These were from a h.264 encoded video. You could do a little better if you spent more time on it. I don't know which would be more distracting -- the temporary fade to black or the normalized restoration.

[Noahtuck]

Trim the clips, then insert them. Easy-peasy.

ON THE OTHER HAND, if you're talking about removing the "black", then that is impossible. It's encoded in the finished film. You're in the same boat as the guys here who want to un-pixelate the japanese porn: SOL.

LOL!!!

I have not seen a post about that in forever!!!!!!

[AlanHK]

Is there anyway these fades can be reversed so this 1sec clip (complete with audio that DOESN'T fade) can be seen clearly? Hope I've explained this clearly! Cheers.

You could do this in Avisynth.
You could try brightening a few frames, using Tweak, but this is unlikely to be very successful, as Jagabo's demonstration shows, it would look posterized.

Otherwise, use Freezeframe to cover the fade. Perhaps half second from the previous scene, half second from the next (your clip) one second in.
(Freezeframe doesn't affect the audio.)
Of course, if it's a face of someone talking or walking, this will be rather obvious.

[AlanHK]

un-pixelate the japanese porn: SOL.

Or use GMask.