Colorworks Did Color Grading 3D Finishing on Hotel Transylvania

Sony Pictures Entertainment's digital intermediate facility Colorworks did the final color grading and stereoscopic 3D finishing for Sony’s Hotel Transylvania the animated comedy that was released in the U.S. last month. The project involved close collaboration between Colorworks and Sony Pictures Imageworks which created the film's spectacular animation. Image files were exchanged between the two facilities via direct fiber link. Final grading was performed by colorist John Persichetti whose previous credits include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Persichetti worked with director Genndy Tartakovsky visual effects supervisor Daniel Kramer and stereographer Von Williams in finalizing the film's color look and stereo 3D effects. Seeing the film on a big screen in our theater certain nuances become apparent that previously were impossible to see Persichetti said. The majority of our work involved fine adjustments making a character appear lighter or darker relative to the background or adjusting the color of a face. Persichetti performed a second color pass for the stereo 3D version of the film and applied color adjustments to compensate for 3D projection systems and the 3D glasses worn by audience members. Persichetti's main role was to ensure that the film's dazzling art and unique animation style translated properly to the theatrical masters. The film has a wonderful look he said. The interiors of the castle have a lovely warm feel due to the torches that illuminate them. The exteriors are a deep rich blue and the majority are nighttime scenes...because after all they're vampires. Hotel Transylvania tells the story of Dracula's lavish five-stake resort where monsters and their families can live it up free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend Dracula has invited some of the world's most famous monsters - Frankenstein and his wife the Mummy the Invisible Man a family of werewolves and more - to celebrate his daughter Mavis' 118th birthday. For Drac catering to these infamous friends is no problem - but his world could come crashing down when a human stumbles on the hotel for the first time and befriends Mavis.  Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky.  Produced by Michelle Murdocca.  Screenplay by Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel.  Story by Todd Durham and Daniel Hageman & Kevin Hageman. Colorworks http://www.sonypicturesstudios.com/productionsection/colorworks/colorwor... ,3611
DaVinci Introduces Auto Stereo LCD TV Package,2012-10-14,DaVinci 3D has introduced an auto stereoscopic LCD television package which includes 2D/3D content conversion. DaVinci 3D inventor and CEO Stephen Blumenthal said “DaVinci 3D has the only broadcast quality glasses free AS3D platform featuring viewer adjustable depth controls endless viewing comfort and technically is a seamless replacement for HDTV. By marrying classical 3D optics with math based PC processing we have created the next generation in 3DTV.” Anthony Vazques president of Los Angeles-based Sol Nine Productions said “I’ve worked closely with the DaVinci 3D TV platform and the 3D image quality is without peer. They clearly have the only picture which is Consumer market ready. It has no artifacts no discomfort and it looks and acts like a real TV. “ The DaVinci 3D TV offers 55-inch 42-inch and 23-inch AS3D TV’s customized for a variety of applications. DaVinci 3D says it also provides low-cost 2D to 3D content conversion and live 3D camera capture as an integral part of its system.   DaVinci has also announced the video-on-demand 3DTV ROKU Internet channel. Currently in beta mode  it is scheduled to launch next year and is designed to provide 3D stereoscopic content for stereoscopic consumer TVs. The online ROKU streaming feed will feature 3D stereoscopic movies/ ndie music videos animation sports and 3D art. ,3614
Colodner Named Digital Cinema Destinations General Counsel,2012-10-14,Digital Cinema Destinations has named Warren H. Colodner to fill the newly created position of general counsel. Digiplex chairman and CEO Bud Mayo said Warren has the integrity leadership skills and a distinguished record of providing positive outcomes for the companies he has represented. He has received numerous accolades which include listing in the prestigious 2012 Best Lawyers in America. His familiarity with the motion picture exhibition industry in particular reinforces the caliber of talent we have attracted to propel Digiplex towards a new era in exhibition. Prior to joining Digiplex Colodner was with K+L Gates one of the ten largest law firms in the United States where he was a founding partner of the New York office. His areas of specialty included commercial disputes securities and transactional litigation. He received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and is a cum laude graduate of New York University School of Law. After graduation from law school he was a law clerk for the Honorable Jacob Mishler United States District Court Eastern District of New York. ,3615
Ray Dolby Wins HPA’s Charles S. Swartz Award ,2012-10-14,Ray Dolby renowned inventor engineer and founder of Dolby Laboratories has been named recipient of the Hollywood Post Alliance Charles S. Swartz Award. Dolby accompanied by his family will be honored during the 7th Annual HPA Awards ceremony on November 1 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Ray’s son David Dolby will accept the award on his behalf. “My father is deeply honored to have been chosen for this recognition ” said David Dolby. “Ray has always been committed to achieving transparency between the work of creative professionals and audiences around the world. We look forward to celebrating my father’s work and contributions at the Hollywood Post Alliance Awards.” Leon Silverman president of the HPA said “The HPA is honored to recognize Ray Dolby whose lifetime of creative innovation has had a profound impact on our industry and society. Through his own contributions to image and sound recording technology and through the company he founded Ray has played and continues to play a fundamental role in countless hours of entertainment enjoyed by audiences around the globe. His accomplishments epitomize the reason that the Charles S. Swartz award was created.” The HPA Awards were launched in 2006 and have become a standard by which creative and technical excellence in the art science and craft of post-production is measured. The Charles S. Swartz Award was created to honor a person group company or technology that has made a significant artistic technological business or educational impact on post-production. The mission of this award is to recognize broad and lasting contributions that have advanced and/or provided some unique purpose to the field of post-production. Ray Dolby was born in Portland Oregon in 1933. While still in high school he worked at Ampex Corporation in California where he focused on audio and instrumentation projects and was primarily responsible for the development of the electronic aspects of the Ampex videotape recording system. He received his BS degree from Stanford University in 1957 and earned a PhD in physics from Cambridge University in England in 1961. In 1963 Ray took up a two-year appointment as a United Nations advisor in India. Returning to England in 1965 he established Dolby Laboratories in London where he created the renowned Dolby A-Type noise reduction system. In 1976 Ray moved to San Francisco and established offices laboratories and manufacturing facilities where his team focused on the development of technology for film and other industries among them the Dolby Digital Surround Sound system used by tens of thousands of movie theaters worldwide. Dolby’s accomplishments and those of his company are extensive and legendary. He is a Fellow and past President of the Audio Engineering Society and a recipient of its Silver and Gold Medal Awards. He is an Honorary Member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and a recipient of its Samuel L. Warner Memorial Award Alexander M. Poniatoff Gold Medal and Progress Medal. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted him a Scientific and Engineering Award in 1979 and an Academy Award in 1989 when he was also presented an Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Additional industry honors Ray has received include the 2004 Médaille du Festival de Cannes and the 2012 Berlinale Camera award. A holder of more than 50 patents Ray was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1995 and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2004. He served as chairman of Dolby’s Board of Directors from 1965 until 2009 and retired from the Board in 2011. The award to be presented to Ray Dolby was named in honor of the late Charles S. Swartz who led the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California from 2002 until 2006 and helped to build it into the industry’s premier test bed for new digital cinema technologies. Charles was a member of the Hollywood Post Alliance Board of Directors until his passing in 2007. The Charles S. Swartz Award is not bestowed every year but rather as worthy recipients are identified. Ray Dolby is just the third recipient in the history of the HPA Awards. ,3617
Egripment Introduces Universal Dolly,2012-10-14,Egripment has introduced the Universal Dolly which the company says combines the best features of all of its previous dollies into one.   The Universal Dolly uses a completely new method of steering and folds into a small and lightweight package that weighs 16.8 kgs/37 lbs. carries a payload of 200 kgs/440 lbs and offers a solid camera platform. It also offers steering from the back or the front side both two-wheel steering and also four-wheel steering when very tight turns are required. It can also be equipped with sideboards that are flat or contain 100mm or 150mm camera bowls and can be operated with pneumatic wheels hard rubber wheels or track wheels. When equipped with track wheels it runs on standard 62 cm/24.5-inches wide track. It can also be equipped with most Egripment accessories. ,3618
Empire Acquires Seven Top Sound Facilities in North America,2012-10-14,Empire Investment Holdings has acquired CSS Studios from Discovery Communications. CSS Studios is a holding company that owns seven distinct businesses including the largest independent post-production sound company in North America. Through this acquisition Empire adds Todd-AO Soundelux Sound One Modern Music POP Sound Soundelux Design Music Group and The Hollywood Edge to its global portfolio. “The Empire team understands and respects the importance of these companies to the creative community ” said David F. Alfonso Empire's chairman and chief executive officer.  “We intend to protect and enhance the company’s unique value proposition and creative leadership as the preferred destination for some of the most important filmmakers of our time.” “Empire demonstrated a clear passion for the business and emerged as the right owner ” said Andrew Warren chief financial officer at Discovery Communications. “We look forward to partnering with the team at Empire as we focus on continuing to build on the body of award winning work created by the best talent in the industry ” said Robert C. Rosenthal president at CSS Studios. Our team is energized to begin working with the management team and the creative talent within each business said Alfonso. We will build upon the successes that the team of creative sound editorial and mixing talent has created over the years while promoting an environment that will continue to set the standard and produce award winning results. ,3619
Peoria Riverfront Museum First to Feature GSX Giant Screen,2012-10-14,On October 20th the new Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria Illinois will open to the public with the first GSX giant flat screen theater. The facility will become the highest resolution digital Giant Screen Cinema in the world capable of 2D and 3D presentations and will be the only theater to offer multiple automated aspect ratio modes including 4:3 at 4K by 3K resolution. Since being approved in 2001 the PRM project in Peoria Illinois has worked to clearly defined objectives to become a cultural center for art history science and achievement through the application of pioneering design technology and innovation. Global Immersion collaborated with PRM and its team of technology and consultancy partners to develop the theater. The PRM theater will feature a 70x52-foot screen 200 seats and a range of features unique to GSX that will enable the museum to play an unrestricted range of content including traditional Giant Screen films streamed alternative live and online media in multiple aspect ratios and file formats including Digital Cinema Initiative-encrypted films. The system is capable of playing content at up to 60 frames per second and in 12-bit color depth. Speaking about the project and the unique capabilities of the new system Martin Howe CEO at Global Immersion said “We are incredibly proud to be delivering the first GSX to such a visionary team of museum and technology professionals. Since the beginning we have worked diligently to evaluate the best possible technology choices and partners and to set ambitious goals for our digital Giant Screen Cinema system in order to provide a high performance platform that rivals and even outperforms the quality of film and yet offers the broadest possible range of content for the Giant Screen Cinema world.” Jim Richerson president and CEO of Peoria Riverfront Museum said “From the beginning the museum has been focused on creativity and innovation. Clearly Global Immersion's GSX system delivers that and more. With this system Global Immersion delivers several industry firsts and this will most certainly Play in Peoria. Key to serving our mission and bottom-line is a system like GSX that is flexible in programming and technologically upgradeable.” To learn more about GSX visit www.globalimmersion.com/gsx ,3621
Goodrich Expands Relationship with Cinedigm,2012-10-14,Goodrich Quality Theatres has expanded its relationship with Cinedigm Digital Cinema and is incorporating a full suite of Cinedigm Software to further integrate and streamline its circuit-wide movie operations. Since converting 274 screens at 30 theaters to digital in 2011 Goodrich has been using Cinedigm's LMS Theatre Command Center as the operational hub within the theatre to manage and coordinate the scheduling and playout of all digital content including features advertisements and movie trailers. Goodrich is now deploying Cinedigm’s Exhibitor Management System and Enterprise at Goodrich's head office in Grand Rapids Michigan. Our initial twelve months with Cinedigm Software convinces me that we have found a flexible and collaborative technology partner that will work with us to implement the software integrations we will use to increase our net income said Bob Goodrich owner of Goodrich Quality Theaters. Our move to digital cinema has provided solid benefits to our customers because of increased flexibility in our on-screen content. Our exhibitor software platform is designed to empower partners like Goodrich who have fully embraced the power of digital cinema and now together we can truly optimize circuit operations said Adam Mizel COO of Cinedigm. Cinedigm is very excited to expand our technology relationship with Bob and their team. ,3622
Baltasar Kormakur’s The Deep Chosen as Iceland’s Oscar Nominee,2012-10-14, Iceland has selected Baltasar Kormakur’s compelling drama The Deep as its entry for the 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar. The Deep co-written and directed by Kormakur premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Screen International called it “… a masterful blend of sound and fury …” In its opening weekend in Iceland The Deep took in more than half of the country’s total box office receipts.
 Based on an astonishing true story The Deep follows Gulli (Olafur Darri Olafsson) the miraculous sole survivor of a fishing boat that sank off the south coast of Iceland in 1984.  Against incredible odds Gulli swam for five hours through the frigid sea only to find himself on a deadly lava field. The Deep is the tale of an ordinary man whose tenacious will to live made him both an inexplicable scientific phenomenon and a reluctant national hero whose truly fearless act was to return home. Gulli eventually returns to his village embraces the simple life he has always known and in the process reclaims himself.   The incident it is based on is well known in Iceland and the movie is also Kormakur’s reflection of the country itself an island nation constantly affected by the sea and particularly the vagaries of the world beyond. Kormakur eschewed green screen and tank work and shot the film in the North Atlantic and many times found himself swimming in it to achieve shots.  The filmmaker also served as The Deep’s defacto stunt coordinator and vowed not to ask his actors to do anything he would not attempt either. Kormakur co-wrote The Deep with Jón Atli Jónasson based on the stage play of the same name. He produced the movie along with Agnes Johansen through his Blueeyes Productions. Since its inception in 2000 Blueeyes has focused on the production of feature films and stage productions but recently opened a television arm. ,3623
Key and Peele Shot with a Limited Crew Camera Package,2012-10-15,Comedy Central’s sketch comedy Key and Peele might be shot with a limited crew camera and gear package on a mandated short shooting schedule but that doesn’t bother cinematographer Charles Papert. “Achieving a high-end look simply requires a lot of creative corner-cutting and strong support ” he says. For the series which involves live comedy performances the producers wanted highly polished production value. No two sketches look alike and all are shot on location or on standing sets. “We went with Sony F3s Alura zooms and a set of Superspeeds ” he explains. Papert insisted the support had to be from OConnor. “The 2575 is the industry standard and represents zero compromise on set ” he says. “I started out as a shooter at a small production company with an OConnor 100 then purchased 2575s in the 90s then a 1030 later. They are extremely reliable. I’ve always appreciated how ‘invisibly’ OConnors perform. “Although as a DP I’m no longer particularly hands-on with the camera ” he explains. “I want to ensure that my operators have the right tools to be able to perform shots without compromise so OConnor is the head of choice. Non-negotiable. Every one of my operators has a different preference on how much drag they like and the continuous adjustment of pan and tilt makes dialing in the perfect setting easy. In addition the ability to tilt the camera 90 degrees up and down is often a requirement for specialty shots.” Papert and crew really test the OConnor capabilities on Key and Peele. “On our show we have a number of situations that require a manual jib and sometimes it puts my operators into the unenviable position of having to maneuver around the arm for fairly complex moves including back panning and tilting. With that kind of challenge it’s absolutely critical to be able to dial in exactly the amount of drag that will allow for smooth camera moves while not restricting the swing of the arm ” he says. “On one concert sequence A-Camera Operator Denis Moran did an amazing job clambering around a multi-level set of risers operating the jib smoothly then letting it soar up and over his head. Back at the monitors I never saw the transition point or ‘clunk’ as he took or relinquished control of the camera – to his and of course the OConnor head’s credit.” Photo: DP Charles Papert operator Denis Moran first assistant camera Robert Schierer ,3625
London Transport Museum Uses Projection to Tell its Story,2012-10-15,Situated in Covent Garden Market the London Transport Museum is the city’s most frequented tourist hot spot. “In 1933 chief executive Frank Pick’s mantra was ‘fitness for purpose’ and he believed that good design was essential. This principle applies to the design of technology in our gallery ” explains Rob Lansdown chief projects and infrastructure officer at London Transport Museum. Today the museum uses projectiondesign F3+ and F1+ series projectors throughout the museum’s exhibit areas to tell the story of transport within London. The projection system was installed and maintained by global systems integrator Electrosonic. “We use projection to show how this unique design culture was developed across the company's entire range from vehicles and architecture to information signs and publicity. Our requirements in 2007 were for high-resolution projectors that would be stable over time as well as produce outstanding image quality in various ambient light levels and which required minimum maintenance over the lifetime of the exhibit. We are very pleased with how well the projectors have performed.” F1+ projectors are installed in a specially designed ceiling mount to project a massive 12-meter floor canvas. Visitors can see the collection of 5 000 posters and art collection for themselves as they walk through the exhibit. The technology is used to communicate the story of London in major exhibits such as Victorian transport World’s first underground Pioneer tube Travel revolution Growth of suburbia London in the 1920s and 1930s London transport at war London Icons and Transport futures. Our museum has no moving parts so through projection we are able to visualize the scale size and complexity of London’s transport adds Lansdown. “The building is an English Heritage grade II listed former Victorian flower market which relies on natural cooling and heating. As with all technology heat is an issue for us and Electronsonic designed specially mounted projection systems.” ,3626
The Lookout One of First Films to Use Codex/ArriRaw Workflow,2012-10-15,The Lookout (Le Guetteur) the new French-language crime thriller from Italian director Michele Placido (Crime Novel Angel of Death) is a riveting tale of bank robbers a sniper and hard-nosed cops that plays out in the meanest streets of Paris—it’s also one of the latest films to employ the Codex/ArriRaw workflow. Cinematographer Arnaldo Catinari shot the majority of the film with Arri Alexa cameras capturing ArriRaw data on Codex Onboard M recorders. Codex Transfer Stations were employed on-set to process dailies so that media from each day’s shoot could be delivered to the film’s editorial team without the need for additional post-house processing. The result was a workflow that delivered imagery of the highest quality while facilitating a production schedule of just nine weeks and a production budget of 14 million euros. Babe Films’ Fabio Conversi who produced the film said that they chose Arri Alexa and Codex Onboard because they valued the qualitative advantages of capturing ArriRaw. “When audiences enter a movie theater they expect to be amazed ” he explains. “Today people have access to imagery on many screens—television the Internet smart phones and iPads—and therefore cinema has to be an exceptional experience; it must be the very best.” Catinari notes that he wanted to give the film an art house look and so shot in 1:2.35 aspect ratio and 800 ASA. The view of Paris presented by the film is thus a far cry from what is seen in tourist brochures; the city is grey and malevolent a dense urban jungle. “The Codex recorders allowed us to shoot with the Alexa set at its highest quality ” Catinari observes. “I love shooting with very little light and have adopted the method of the great Almendros concerning the use of natural light. We were able to use natural light even in interiors as key light—again that would not have been the same without Codex and ArriRaw.” Catinari adds that many of the scenes were shot handheld. “I used the Easyrig and with the handle over the Codex we had perfect balance ” he recalls.  “I look forward to using the new Codex Onboard S as its lightweight design will make handheld shooting even easier.” ,3627
M3 Creative Forms Trailers Division Names David Yocum Creative Director,2012-10-15,The creative content agency M3 Creative has named theatrical marketing producer David Yocum as partner/creative director of newly formed M3 Creative Trailers its motion picture advertising division. With the arrival of Yocum who joins M3 Creative Partners Andy Meyers Brad Baruh and Roman Perez the company says it is bolstering its involvement in theatrical campaigns for the major studios and independents. The new division follows M3’s recent expansion into independent film production with the creation of another division M3 Film. Yocum’s work encompasses trailer and TV campaigns for 300 Ocean’s Eleven Watchmen and The Matrix as well as every one of the Harry Potter films. Other trailer titles include Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Rock of Ages and Crazy Stupid Love. Yocum has won multiple Key Art and Golden Trailer awards for campaigns including Sherlock Holmes The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and 300. “Dave is an extraordinarily talented marketing producer who has played key roles in creating some of my favorite trailers and TV campaigns for blockbuster movies ” Meyers said. “At M3 we’re looking for the most creative independent marketing superstars out there and Dave fits that mold having earned a stellar reputation for his wide range of outstanding work across all genres. All of us at M3 are so excited to be building another key component of our expanding film operation.” Yocum said “M3 Creative is considered to be one of the best in the business. I’ve known these guys for years and when the offer came to launch and build a new trailer division at this groundbreaking company I jumped at the chance. We are creating something truly unique and special here and I look forward to all of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.” ,3628
Metropolitan Theatres Reaches VPF Agreement with Cinedigm,2012-10-15,Metropolitan Theatres has signed a long-term virtual print fee deployment agreement with Cinedigm Digital Cinemas to convert 82 screens; the installation should be completed later this fall and will incorporate systems from Barco. Metropolitan currently operates 16 theatres in California Colorado Idaho Utah and British Columbia. “Metropolitan has been very diligent in evaluating their conversion options and we are thrilled they have chosen to work with us ” said Gary Loffredo Cinedigm’s president of Digital Cinema Services.  “We know David and his team will immediately benefit from the many enhancements digital cinema offers both from the operational side as well as the consumer viewing experience.” Metropolitan’s president David Corwin said “We are excited to complete our transition to digital cinema with the support of experienced industry leaders Cinedigm and Barco.  They will be great partners in the continuously changing landscape of theatrical exhibition and the many new opportunities presented.” ,3629
Gambol Buys Panasonic Camcorders for Awesome Adventures Wild about Animals,2012-10-15, Cinematographer Mark Gambol principal of MG-Pictures of Lansdowne Pennsylvania has purchased two Panasonic AG-HPX250 P2 HD handheld camcorders to shoot two nationally syndicated series for teens Wild about Animals and Awesome Adventures.

 Produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions of Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania the award-winning Awesome Adventures takes teens ages 13 to 16 on incredible journeys all over the world. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress Mariette Hartley Wild about Animals travels the globe to bring young viewers fascinating stories based in nature.

Gambol who currently holds the director of photography credit on both series is a veteran Panasonic shooter and previous generations of P2 HD handhelds the AG-HVX200 and AG-HPX170 long served as mainstays of his business. He purchased his first HPX250 at the end of last year then the second in the spring to handle the television assignment. (Awesome Adventures is a two-camera production.) This is the first year Awesome Adventures is traveling its DP and the first year the shows are airing in high-definition. Gambol said the HPX250’s small size and attractive price point supported the expanded production and transition to HD.

 “When I wanted to replace my HVX200 and HPX170 I naturally gravitated to the HPX250 since I was already invested in P2 cards and the workflow ” he said. “Ergonomically the HPX250 is hands down the best balanced handheld in its range with the considerable benefits of longer lenses a full-resolution HD sensor and the AVC-Intra codec. Jam syncing the time codes for multi-camera operation is quick and easy and the HD-SDI out improves and facilitates monitoring.”

 Gambol has already had the HPX250s on location in New Zealand Maui Alaska multiple cities in the U.S. and is currently in Australia with Awesome Adventures. “I can’t overemphasize how user-friendly these cameras are ” he said. “They match so well and are light and easy to travel with. I’ve worked with them while the teens—and I—have been bungee jumping white water rafting jet boating and shooting from a glider with the camera jammed right in front of my face: the HPX250 absolutely fits our run-and-gun criteria.” “The camcorder is affordable enough that I can take chances with it ” he added. “The images are looking great. What’s more we pick up our second cameraman in each location and it’s been real easy to train these shooters on the camera if they haven’t used it before.”

Gambol is shooting Awesome Adventures and Wild about Animals in AVC-Intra 50 which he considers “the ideal trade-off between image quality and recording capacity.”   He is shooting several long and short-form documentaries while also working on marketing pieces for non-profits such as Delaware Valley College Maccabi U.S.A. and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. For these assignments he shoots AVC-Intra 100 with the HPX250 outfitted with the Letus35 Ultimate 35mm adapter for the “popular effect of shallow depth of focus but with the high-quality Panasonic codec.”

 The DP has teamed the HPX250 as a B camera with Panasonic’s AJ-HPX3100 2/3” P2 HD shoulder-mount for documentary assignments. “Panasonic has a good overall system with all the cameras integrating very well ” he said. ,3630
MTI Film Provides Grading Post for New Drama Major Crimes,2012-10-15,MTI Film is providing final color grading and other post-production services to Shephard/Robin Company and Warner Bros. Television for the inaugural season of the new prime-time drama Major Crimes. MTI Film first teamed with Shephard/Robin ten months ago midway through the final season of The Closer when that show made the switch from 35mm to digital capture. Major Crimes a spinoff to The Closer centering on the same Los Angeles police department unit has gone digital from the start with cinematographers Kenneth Zunder ASC and David A. Harp using Arri Alexa cameras to capture principal imagery as ProRes 4:4:4 data (Log C). MTI Film processes the dailies and prepares editorial review and back-up media at its facility in Hollywood. Following editorial the show returns to MTI Film for final grading and conforming prior to air. Like The Closer Major Crimes aims to provide viewers with a portrait of the workings of a high profile crime unit in a realistic and visceral manner and it does so in part through fluid camerawork and organic imagery. Zunder explains that much of the show is shot hand-held. “They're not Hollywood cops we try to make them real detectives ” he says.  “It's active.  Whether in the office or on the street we want to be in the mix in the fray and hand-held gives it that feel.” Zunder notes that he does not use LUTs to apply color treatments on the set but rather lights the set the way he wants it to look and relies on MTI Film dailies colorist Mauricio Tassara to expand upon the look based on his instructions and the rapport they developed while working on The Closer. “We don’t always have ideal conditions to view a monitor on the set and I don’t want to impose a look that might not be the best possible ” he explains. “Mauricio knows what I like and I want to give him a chance to make it better. That’s what we always strive for—to improve the show.” The MTI dailies workflow allows ASC CDL metadata to pass through to final grading. As a result  MTI Film senior colorist Jeremy Sawyer can focus on refinement and nuance. Shephard/Robin’s Sheelin Choksey a producer and director of the show says that the final grade can become highly detailed. “This is television so we want to see into people’s eyes ” he observes. “The show has a lot of great cinematography but in the end it comes down to the close ups and we want our people to look good.” MTI Film’s software-based color grading system offers many more tools for perfecting such details than are available in hardware-based systems typically used to grade shows shot on film. “With all the windows that they can apply we have much more control over the look than we had when we were shooting on film ” says Choksey. “It’s been a spectacular experience ” adds Zunder. It’s also been a very efficient experience Choksey notes. Although the process of producing a new show can sometimes be complicated by unforeseen circumstances or last minute changes MTI Film has helped to ensure that Major Crimes maintains its delivery schedule. “MTI Film maintains a family atmosphere and that makes it a fun place to work but they are very professional. They thread that needle very well ” notes Choksey. “If I need something at the last minute it always shows up. They find a way to do it.” ,3631
Pushing Gear to Extremes,2012-10-15,After traveling the world for years starring in some of the ski genre’s most acclaimed films Tom Day made the successful switch to the other side of the lens as a cinematographer. Since then he’s shot action sports commercials and documentaries for top names including Warren Miller Entertainment. His latest effort took him to Alaska where he tested gear for a shoot later following extreme athletes across the South Pole for a movie called The Push. Day began shooting with 16mm and 35mm cameras and more recently moved to digital video explaining “No matter what format I’ve been using Sachtler fluid heads from the outset.” “When I started shooting with DSLR cameras I admit I tried a different cheaper tripod. We did a test trip to Alaska late last year in preparation for our trip to photograph The Push ” Day who served as the films director of photography and on-location director explains. “It follows two adaptive athletes pushing the limits and themselves in the most inhospitable place on the planet – the South Pole. “We learned quickly that we were up against tremendous odds ” he says. “At temperatures from 0 to -15 degrees our equipment would seize up in the cold so I couldn’t do a simple pan. When I came back I knew I needed new support. So it was back to my trust in Sachtler. “The specs on the FSB 8 went to -40 degrees. Exactly what I needed for this journey ” he says. “I’d chosen the Sony NX5 and the Canon 7D cameras. I’ve found that one of the biggest mistakes people make is to undersize their tripod ” he adds. “When you get on the long end of the lens you get into a shaky situation so you have to go with solid support. By choosing the FSB 8 system we still had a lightweight 75mm ball to attach to smaller legs and we could go long and handle the extremes we faced.” Traveling to the location was not an easy chore. Day’s equipment needed to pack easily travel lightly and set up quickly. “I had to carry everything as we flew to Antarctica journeyed to the staging area at Union Glacier then flew to The Last Degree (the 89th degree below the South Pole). We then packed everything on our sleds and followed adaptive athlete Grant Korgan as he did the 72-mile trip up to the 90th degree – the South Pole. “We did roughly six to eight miles a day depending on conditions ” Day explains. “The average temperature was -30 to -40 degrees. Our food tents and so forth were tied down to our sleds with the camera package on top. The Sachtler FSB 8 was crucial to the shoot. Since we could move faster than Grant we stayed ahead of him. We’d find a spot pull out the equipment set up and shot then pack up and move on. “It got so that I didn’t even think about the cruel environment that I was putting the Sachtler through ” he adds. “I trusted it so much I knew when it came to panning shots no matter what the temperature it would give me what I wanted and more. “Now that I’ve put the FSB 8 through the extreme paces needed to capture The Push I look forward to using this newest Sachtler support in my arsenal on future jobs.” The Push which follows adaptive athletes across the frozen Antarctic landscape shows the capacity of the human spirit to overcome life-altering injuries and live up to their potential is now in post-production. When finished the project team will submit it to various film festivals and hopes it will also air on television. ,3633
Xpand Provides 3D for 60th San Sebastián Film Festival,2012-10-15, Xpand 3D provided the 3D cinema system through for the 60th San Sebastián Film Festival in San Sebastián Spain. Regional partner Kelonik handled the project for Xpand. This year’s San Sebastián Film Festival featured Dustin Hoffman Tommy Lee Jones Ewan McGregor John Travolta Oliver Stone Benicio del Toro Ben Affleck and Catherine Deneuve receiving Donostia Awards. The Festival also included screenings of Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild David Frankel’s Hope Springs Oliver Stone’s Savages and Ben Lewin’s The Sessions. The San Sebastián Film Festival also featured the world premiere of The Art of Flight 3D and the European premiere of Storm Surfers 3D both of which are sponsored by Red Bull. Both films were screened in the Velodrome which features a 25x11-meter screen and seats approximately 3 500 people. Kelonik outfitted the Velodrome with an Xpand 3D system featuring Xpand’s classic X101 active 3D glasses. “The Art of Flight 3D and Storm Surfers 3D both demonstrate the amazing possibilities of the 3D cinema experience with stunning photography fast-paced action and innovative content ” said Maria Costeira CEO of Xpand 3D. “Xpand 3D cinema systems allow the artists who created these works to truly realize their visions by enabling the audience to see 3D the way it is meant to be seen.” “Xpand systems are the only way we can deliver the highest quality 3D while also maintaining the highest quality in 2D projections on the giant screen at the Velodrome during the Festival ” said Tomas Naranjo managing director of Kelonik. ,3635
Hallett Cinemas All Digital with Barco Projectors,2012-10-31, All of the rooms across Hallett Cinemas’ 42-screen circuit with sites located across Washington and Idaho are now equipped with Barco projectors. “We want to offer our loyal patrons the best cinema entertainment available ” said Ray Hallett general manager/owner of Hallett Cinemas. “After touring the Barco factory in Belgium I was very impressed with the quality and care Barco invests in both the design and manufacturing of their projectors. With Barco we’re taking show quality to the highest levels in our double-stack 3D auditoriums.  We’re achieving 3D images averaging 10 foot lamberts per eye to deliver amazingly bright crystal clear 3D movies plus averaging 16-18 foot lamberts on every 2D screen using lower wattage lamps.” As a business owner Hallett also appreciates the positive ROI associated with owning and operating Barco’s digital cinema projectors. We're a ‘value-based’ company that believes it’s essential to consider the total cost of a product over its life cycle not merely a low initial purchase price ” he said. “I'm pleased my investigation has confirmed that Barco's DP2K-23b is a winner in both. We’re optimizing the projectors to take full advantage of their modularity and energy efficiency to generate a quick payback - like retrofitting them with projector-mounted exhaust fans and utilizing the less expensive/longer life lower-wattage lamps.” Hallett Cinemas’ new 100 percent Barco digital cinema footprint features 40 percent 3D and 60 Percent 2D auditoriums which can be easily configured for giant screens as well as cost-effectively upgraded to 4K resolution with a simple retrofit. “Hallett Cinemas is the perfect Barco client in that they share our passion for stellar-quality movie presentation and are willing to invest in the best tools to achieve it ” said Scott Freidberg vice president sales digital cinema for Barco North America. “Mr. Hallett is a savvy exhibitor who knows how to leverage the latest technology to create the optimum viewing experience while maximizing Barco’s low total cost of ownership.”