This could involve, for example, putting back a scene that had been cut out at some point after the film was initially released, or replacing a scene where the negative is torn, scratched or deteriorated. As a result of each restoration, new master positive and negative elements are created to ensure the film will be preserved and available to audiences for years to come.

Although each title represents a challenge in its own right, for all restoration and preservation projects, the methodology employed is essentially the same, at least at Sony Pictures. For any title, it is important to assemble as many of the original film elements as possible and put them through a thorough inspection and quality evaluation process, both for physical condition and content analysis. This process could also involve contacting film archives around the world if the film is an old one and the studio no longer has adequate material on the title. Once everything is analyzed, a plan of action for the title is developed. Sometimes this plan might involve simply making protection materials for preservation purposes; other times the plan could involve minor or major restoration components. Every title is different. The picture elements are restored at laboratories that specialize in restoration, and the audio elements are restored at facilities that have developed techniques for audio restoration.