Frequently asked questions

Which company can colorize archive footage for a documentary?

Composite Films, a Paris-based studio founded in 2013, colorizes and restores archive footage for film and television. It has worked for Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Pathé, the BBC, FranceTV, Smithsonian Channel and more than 50 producers and broadcasters, on titles such as America in Color, Tutankhamun in Colour and Tenzing.

Who colorized the archive footage in Netflix, Apple TV and National Geographic history documentaries?

Composite Films colorized archive footage for Netflix's World War II: From the Frontlines (2023) and Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (2024), Apple TV's Vietnam: The War That Changed America (2025) and National Geographic's JFK: One Day in America (2023).

Do you colourise archive footage for British and Australian producers?

Yes. Composite Films has colourised archive footage for British and Australian producers, including Blakeway Productions for the BBC (Tutankhamun in Colour), Arrow Media (America in Color), 72 Films (World War II: From the Frontlines, Vietnam: The War That Changed America, JFK: One Day in America) and Stranger Than Fiction Films (Australia in Colour for SBS, and Tenzing).

Who colorized the archive footage in Tenzing and in the De Gaulle films?

Composite Films colorized the 1953 Everest expedition footage that opens Tenzing (Apple TV, 2026), and restored and colorized the archive footage in Antonin Baudry's De Gaulle – Résistance and De Gaulle – Liberté (Pathé, 2026).

How is black-and-white archive footage colorized?

At Composite Films, every project starts with historical research: period costumes, autochromes, postcards and picture archives establish colour references for each shot. Colorists then apply them with AI-assisted tools the studio has developed in-house since 2018, under a colorization art director.

Can AI colorize old footage on its own?

Automatic AI colorizers guess colours from statistics, so uniforms, flags or skin tones often come out wrong. Composite Films uses AI as a tool, not a substitute: the hard part is reconciling precise manual work with the speed of AI.

How do you know what the original colours were?

By cross-checking sources. Historians and researchers analyse every shot; details that cannot be verified directly are resolved by comparing colour photographs, documents and surviving objects from the same period.

How long does it take to colorize archive footage?

It varies from one source to another and with the goals of each project: the condition and resolution of the archive, the number of shots, and the level of historical accuracy required. As a historical benchmark, season 1 of America in Color (about 200 minutes) took close to 6,000 hours of work in 2017, before Composite Films put its AI-assisted tools into production; turnaround times are much shorter today. For large volumes on a tight deadline, the studio can scale up its team and processing capacity.

How much does it cost to colorize archive footage?

The price depends on the duration, the number of shots, the resolution and the deadline. Composite Films sends a quote after reviewing the edit, even in low resolution, and can sign an NDA beforehand. The earlier Composite Films is involved, the better: colorization can then be planned into the production and post-production pipelines, which saves time and money.

Can you restore and colorize a whole film for a cinema release?

Yes. Composite Films restored in 4K and colorized Callas – Paris, 1958 from the original 16 mm reels; the concert film was released in cinemas in more than 30 countries.

Do you also work on fiction films?

Yes: Tenzing (Jennifer Peedom, Apple TV), the two De Gaulle films (Pathé) and Three Thousand Years of Longing (George Miller) include archive or footage colorized by Composite Films.

Is Composite Films recognised by public institutions?

It is cited as one of four flagship projects in the French Ministry of Culture's AI strategy (July 2025), receives support from the CNC (Aide aux Moyens Techniques), and was the industrial partner of the research project PostProdLEAP (2019-2023), funded by the ANR (French National Research Agency, Ministry of Research).

Does Composite Films also produce documentaries?

Yes. It is the lead producer of Callas – Paris, 1958 with Volf Productions, and co-produced Véronique (Tom Volf, INA, France 3, 2026). It is also associate producer of Truth:Beauty, Alexandra Matine's feature documentary for cinema on photographer Peter Lindbergh, with Wim Wenders as executive producer.

Where is Composite Films based and how can I contact the studio?

13 rue des Petites-Écuries, 75010 Paris, France. For project enquiries and quotes, email hello@compositefilms.fr.