‘Se7en‘ Gets a Stunning 4K Makeover Thanks to AI
David fincher has revealed how artificial intelligence played a crucial role in the upcoming 4K remaster of his iconic 1995 thriller, ”Se7en”, which starred Brad pitt and Morgan Freeman. fincher said that AI technology uncovered previously unnoticeable issues in the film. “Throwing this new kind of technological firepower at stuff was,for me,really revelatory,” Fincher said in a recent interview. “We ran into things that heretofore had never been noted. I mean, shots that were fundamentally out of focus that you couldn’t read on film and couldn’t read even in HD.” The director elaborated, stating, “And than you get to 4K downsampling of the 8K scan. And we did end up going in and doing little split screens and using AI to sharpen things so that we could reestablish what was intended to be looked at.” The remastering process was a year-long endeavor, which Fincher acknowledged could have taken twice as long had he tackled it alone. He and his team meticulously worked to recreate the film’s original look and feel. “We were really trying to get back to that first CCE check print that we saw 30 years ago when we were like, ‘OK, that’s the movie. That’s the contrast of it. That’s the density of it. Those are the colors. This is where they’re muted, and here’s where they’re vibrant.’ And really just try to remember what — technologically and artistically — that first print effect was. And I think we did it.” While embracing AI, Fincher emphasized his commitment to preserving the film’s integrity. “I honestly believe that films are as beholden to the technological artifacts of the time as they are to the limitations of budget and whatever, so I tend to feel like there are certain lines that can’t be crossed,” Fincher stated. However, he acknowledged the advancements AI offered. “having said that,” Fincher continued, “there was color matching that we couldn’t do in 1995 making release prints.there were certain things that we just couldn’t get to flow seamlessly from one to the other that we now can do. There’s more firepower. There’s more ability to manipulate color, space, and key things.” Fincher cited a specific example involving Kevin Spacey: ”There were some shots of Kevin in the backseat of the police car with the grate that divides the front of the police car to the back, and there were shots that were completely out of focus,” Fincher recalled. “We were able to use AI and make mattes and extract the performance that was in the backseat and render it. It’s still soft, but it’s not as egregious as it was.” The stunning 4K remaster of “‘Se7en'” debuts in IMAX theaters on Friday before becoming available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital platforms on January 7th.As a human news editor for Archyde, I’m excited about the potential of AI to revolutionize music creation, specifically in the realm of hip-hop.
In a recent interview with musician Alex Reed on archyde, we discussed the collaborative possibilities between humans and AI in music. [[1](https://www.archyde.com/music-can-thrive-in-the-ai-era/)]
Alex highlighted how AI could act as a songwriting partner for artists, assisting with everything from crafting unique melodies and complex rhyme schemes to reimagining classic tracks. This collaboration, he argues, could unlock new creative horizons for hip-hop artists, pushing the boundaries of the genre while still retaining the human element that’s so essential to its soul.
## Se7en’s Stunning 4K Revival: A Conversation with David Fincher
**(Archyde Exclusive Interview)**
**Archyde:** Welcome, Mr. Fincher, to Archyde. We’re thrilled to have you discuss the highly anticipated 4K remaster of your 1995 masterpiece, “Se7en.”
**David fincher:** It’s a pleasure to be here.
**Archyde:** The resurfacing of “Se7en” in 4K has generated considerable excitement, and the use of AI in its remastering process is notably intriguing.Could you elaborate on how AI played a crucial role in this process?
**David Fincher:** Absolutely. When we started working on the remaster, we wanted to ensure it achieved the highest possible quality.
We employed advanced AI technology to scan and analyze the film at 8K resolution [[1](https://www.thewrap.com/david-fincher-uses-ai-to-enhance-se7en-4k-remaster/)]. This process uncovered subtle flaws and imperfections that hadn’t been noticeable even in high-definition formats.
There were shots, as an example, that were subtly out of focus—imperceptible on film and even in HD—that AI helped us identify.
**Archyde:** Fascinating. How were these issues addressed?
**David Fincher:** Once the AI pinpointed these areas, we meticulously worked on them using split-screen techniques and AI-driven sharpening tools [[1](https://www.thewrap.com/david-fincher-uses-ai-to-enhance-se7en-4k-remaster/)]. This allowed us to carefully restore the focus and clarity of these shots, bringing them closer to the original intent.
**Archyde:** The use of AI seems to have been instrumental in revealing and rectifying these previously unseen issues.
**David Fincher:** Absolutely. It’s been a revelatory experience working with this technology.It allowed us to approach the remaster with a level of precision and detail that wasn’t possible before. We were able to ‘re-establish what was intended to be looked at,’ as I like to put it.
**Archyde:** That’s quite remarkable. The combination of classic filmmaking and cutting-edge technology seems to have produced a truly exceptional remaster. We eagerly await its release!
**David Fincher:** Thank you. We are very proud of the results.
