- The archival footage and photographs in this film are authentic.

Some of them had faded and even suffered water damage over the years.

Our goal was to restore and enhance them by adding color so that viewers today could experience King records as vividly as possible.

The process grew out of my computer science research and my research into 1950s hand drawn animations.

At the time, films relied on technicolor, a process that didn't reproduce colors literally, but created a distinct look that defined the era.

Inspired by that, we developed a workflow that combined technicolor style palettes with modern digital tools using machine learning.

We analyze the brightness and the texture patterns in black and white images, then cross-reference them with authentic examples, real photographs, rare color films from the fifties and forties, and input from people who lived through the period.

In some cases, we actually even contacted some people that were in the images as well, as well as comparing and cross-referencing them to Cincinnati landmarks that exist today.

So while not every shade can be proven to be exact, the results are historically consistent and carefully verified.

To be respectful of the record, these enhancements allow us to see king records with fresh eyes.