It was announced this morning that as part of its 100th Anniversary celebration Jaws would be one of the next films Universal will release on Blu-ray with a full restoration on August 14. Accompanying the announcement Universal sent over a teaser trailer and an 8:28 look at the restoration process, but first here’s a list of the special features you’ll find on the Blu-ray:
- The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of Jaws: All-new feature-length documentary featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with cast and crew including Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider.
- Jaws: The Restoration: An all-new, in-depth look at the intricate process of restoring the movie.
- The Making of Jaws: A two-hour documentary featuring interviews with key cast and crew.
- From the Set: An insider’s look at life on the set of Jaws, featuring an interview with Steven Spielberg.
- Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
- Jaws Archives: Take a peek inside the Jaws archives, including storyboards, production photos and marketing materials, as well as a special segment on the Jaws phenomenon.
- Spotlight on Location: The Making of Jaws: Highlights from the full-length documentary featuring interviews with key cast and crew.
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- UltraViolet: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, store them in the cloud, and download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones. Currently available in the United States only.
- Digital Copy: Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie from a choice of retail partners to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.
- pocket BLU App: The popular free pocket BLU app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad, Android tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.
- Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.
- Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
- Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
- Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
- Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
- BD-LIVE: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more!
The Blu-ray features an all-new, digitally remastered and fully restored picture, 7.1 surround sound and along with the Digital Copy, the combo pack also includes a DVD copy of the film. Here’s a snippet from this morning’s press release:
The restoration process for Jaws began with researching and evaluating the existing film elements (original negatives, inter-positives, 35 mm prints, audio magnetic masters, etc.) As part of the Studios’ preservation process, Universal geographically separates duplicate sets of elements in vaults in Southern California and on the East Coast in an effort to protect the company’s most valuable assets. All items are catalogued in a detailed database via barcodes.
After testing the various picture elements for the best quality and resolution, Universal technical staff chose the original camera negative for 4K scanning. Due to the effects of time and use, the camera negative had scratches that needed to be removed. Using Cineric, a top restoration post facility in New York, the negative was scanned through a liquid gate process that eliminates surface scratches. The files of scanned film were transferred to servers at Universal Studios Digital Services. Working digitally, the Studios’ skilled technicians meticulously worked to balance color, remove dirt and scratches and repair any additional frame damage on a shot by shot, frame by frame basis. All work is done in keeping with the artistic integrity of the original film.
Once the picture restoration was completed, the team at Universal Studios Sound prepared to up-mix Jaws to a 7.1 mix from the 5.1 mix that had been created in 2000 using the original mono soundtrack. Now on the forthcoming Blu-ray, fans can enjoy Jaws in DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, optimizing the sound for the latest home theater technology.
The entire collaborative restoration process is done in conjunction with Amblin’s post production team. Steven Spielberg personally monitored the progress and approved the final picture and sound.
Now, here is a look at that restoration video and the teaser trailer.
