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  1. Member
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    Hey there, I wasn't sure where to ask this question, maybe there is somewhere more appropriate?

    Anyways, I have transferred some old super 8 film footage to HD. Everything looks great as it was shot. However, some footage has what appears as maybe a smudge or dirt that is on the lens. Actually it's all over the lens, like a soft bubbly blobby pattern. For the most part, especially if the camera is moving and it isn't too bright a scene then it isn't that noticeable. They are most apparent when looking at a sky or any plain uniform surface. Also, the pattern doesn't change.

    I've dealt with this before with some success of applying an inverted monochromatic image of a still frame of the blob/dirt pattern, but in this case, there is never a perfect shot of solid color that I could use or easily assemble.

    Here's my big dream filter.

    Has anyone heard of software or technology that can review X amount of footage (with the fixed pattern of dirt artifacts) and calculate a clean plate to be used to remove these artifacts?

    I know this is a long long shot, and it may be more of an academic endeavor. Maybe I need to go to a different forum.

    Please advise.
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  2. For simple things, like a dust spot on the lens or a hair in the film gate in the camera or transfer machine, you can use Delogo. Here's a tutorial I produced showing how to remove a simple sensor dust spot on a video taken with a digital SLR camera:

    Tutorial on Delogo Filter for Virtualdub

    You need to provide a sample of what you are trying to fix, but if it is a smudge, like a greasy fingerprint on the lens, I think you are totally out of luck. The reason I say this is that the result of such a smudge is very likely too large to be replaced by using adjacent pixels (which is what Delogo does), and it is almost the equivalent of an out-of-focus video, for which no fix exists.
    Last edited by johnmeyer; 29th Jun 2020 at 20:20. Reason: typo
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  3. Newer versions of Adobe After Effects - have content aware fill for video now . It used to be batch process in photoshop, but the AE version tracks the background and uses "AI" now
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  4. Originally Posted by Wheaticus View Post
    I've dealt with this before with some success of applying an inverted monochromatic image of a still frame of the blob/dirt pattern, but in this case, there is never a perfect shot of solid color that I could use or easily assemble.
    You can use parts of several separate frames. Either by piecing them together into one mask or by isolating separate spots (or groups thereof) in separate frames then applying each mask to the video separately.

    For large solid spots you could make a map of what never changes over several shots. But you will still have to infill.
    Last edited by jagabo; 30th Jun 2020 at 08:37.
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  5. Member
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    Thanks for all the replies!

    johnmeyer's DeLogo at first look at the interface looked promising. However, as you mention it isn't effective with large greasy fingerprint spots. Which I would say is the case with my footage, except maybe more than several finger spots or whatever they are.

    jagabo's solution of separate masks based on the 'clean plates' I can locate thru the entire video is probably the best I can do at the moment. Unfortunately, I cannot assemble the partial plates to one single image, since each 'clean plate' has varying existing gradients or slight textures, cloud wisps, its all imperfect, but likely better than nothing.

    I would still love to hear if there are other people's solutions. Thank you.
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