UK exhibitor Reel Cinemas and digital cinema service company XDC have agreed on the terms for a deployment of 57 digital cinema systems at 15 cinemas. K.C. Suri managing partner of Reel Cinemas says We made the decision for XDC because they offered the most comprehensive solution available today on the market: simple and efficient financing structure clear and transparent business model keen technological expertise. With the help of XDC we are able to complete a full roll out within a reasonable short time frame which allows our circuit to benefit from the advantages of digital cinema: 3D experience alternative content programs operational cost savings. Serge Plasch XDC's chief executive officer says Having this first VPF deal in UK is for XDC a very strategic milestone since UK has always been a key market for cinema business. Reel Cinemas is a respected exhibition circuit and we are very proud to have been selected for their digital roll out plan. This agreement also demonstrates the solidity of our business model which is the only one able to offer agreement with all the six majors US studios available financing from BNP Paribas Fortis and advanced knowledge in digital cinema technology ''. David Pope XDC's director UK operations adds It really has been a pleasure working with Kailash Suri and Reel Cinemas to develop a digital cinema solution to suit their exact requirements. I am looking forward to our UK operation starting the role out and supporting Kailash and his team with a seamless transition to digital maintaining the extremely high quality operation and outstanding entertainment service that Reel have provided to the public over the years. Under the terms of the agreement with XDC Reel Cinemas will install Series 2 DCI-compliant Barco digital projection systems. Reel Cinemas will also implement a fully integrated and networked solution across the circuit using XDC's theatre management system and central library the XDC's CineStore Plaza. A content delivery network will also be implemented by XDC in order to allow distributors to deliver films directly by satellite and/or broadband connection to the cinemas as well as to give the opportunity to Reel Cinemas to perform live 2D and 3D transmissions. ,2113
Schklair Named CEO of 3ality Digital ,2010-12-12,3ality Digital has appointed Steve Schklair as its CEO. Schklair a well-known figure in the S3D community has led the creative debate on what makes good stereo 3D over the past five years while acting as CEO of the technology development and production subsidiary of 3ality Digital which drove the company’s outstanding growth in 2010. The global S3D business is developing rapidly. Many new channels have launched in Europe and North America over the last year and 3ality Digital’s business has recorded a remarkable 600 percent growth. This is due largely to demand for use of 3ality Digital’s innovative camera rigs and stereoscopic processors in live television broadcasts commercials features and episodic productions. “3ality Digital is an amazing company with an international presence and the best team I have ever had the privilege of working with ” Schklair says. “2010 has been a great year for stereoscopic 3D - there have been twice as many movie releases in S3D as last year and 2011 looks set to rise again by another 50 percent. There has also been a flurry of S3D television production internationally particularly in live sports and 3ality Digital is honored to have been selected as the production technology powering many ‘firsts’ in the marketplace ranging from the first live broadcast of an NFL game in the US to the first live terrestrial broadcast of S3D in Australia and live S3D cricket in India.” “We are particularly proud to be the primary technology behind the BSkyB launch of their S3D network ” Schklair says. “Sky did an extensive amount of research and testing before choosing us as a partner and we are gratified that they have recognized 3ality Digital as the best technology to meet the rigors of live S3D broadcasting on a weekly basis.”
“Our mission is to empower filmmakers and broadcasters with the tools and services to harness the enormous growth of the market ” says 3ality Digital chairman David Modell head of the company’s majority shareholder Modell Ventures. “We believed in that vision when we invested in the company and we believe that Steve with support from 3ality Digital COO/CFO Gari Ann Douglass and Modell Ventures managing director Luis Perez is the right CEO to lead the amazing team at 3ality Digital. I am confident that this team will continue to develop innovative solutions to address the unique problems of S3D content creation delivery and exhibition. S3D is a media revolution and 3ality Digital will remain at its forefront.” ,2117
Arqiva Supports Launch of Live Cinema Events Website,2010-12-12,Arqiva has supported the launch of an independent website promoting live alternative content to cinemas. The new website LiveCinemaEvents.com allows rights holders to publish details of their available events and for cinemas to express an interest in screening them. LiveCinemaEvents.com will carry the details of a wide range of sports arts and entertainment content from all around the world. Barrie Woolston commercial director at Arqiva Broadcast & Media says “Live alternative event cinema is more popular than ever. Events organizers rights holders and exhibitors recognize the demand for live alternative content and the opportunity this presents. Our experience of working with exhibitors and delivering events on Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite Distribution System identified the need for an independent website to act as a comprehensive database for all live events from all rights holders and all distributors. While Arqiva has been instrumental in launching LiveCineamEvents.com the website is truly independent and we hope that it will be fully embraced by the industry as a whole.” The industry response to the move has been very positive. Howard Kiedaisch CEO at Arts Alliance Media says “We truly welcome this positive move by Arqiva our digital cinema satellite partners. The undeniable need for such an independent website reflects the successful growth of live alternative content and it will certainly satisfy the demand for a central point of contact to collate the many events offered by alternative content distributors around the world.” Daniel Webber managing director at SuperVision Media says “We welcome Arqiva’s initiative in establishing this important website which will certainly list all of our live alternative event content. The ability to liaise directly with exhibitors through the easily accessible medium of LiveCinemaEvents.com will prove invaluable in further growing this extremely promising market.” Christine Costello managing director at More2Screen says “As live alternative event cinema comes of age this website represents a definite move into the mainstream. Cinema audiences of all ages and backgrounds want more live alternative content – from sports to the arts. This website will connect local exhibitors with global events meeting and further fuelling the demand for world class live alternative content ‘at a cinema near you’.” Rob Arthur managing director Apollo Cinemas says “Up to now there has not been a central directory for exhibitors to review what alternative content is available. From our perspective LiveCinemaEvents.com will be a very useful tool which aligns live alternative content with mainstream content.” Fabrice Testa vice president sales and business development at XDC says “It’s great a really important and positive step forward for the alternative content market. It’s the sort of simple innovation that could have a really big impact on the uptake of live event cinema.” Rich Welsh director at Dolby says “The delivery of live alternative content must match the high quality that the audience expects from the cinema. Dolby welcomes the launch of LiveCinemaEvents.com as it provides essential information on events which will support exhibitors in choosing the best and most reliable experience for their audiences.” ,2119
Barco Claims Guinness World Record as Brightest Projector,2010-12-12,Barco has achieved a notable Guinness World Record: its DP2K-32B digital cinema projector has been recognized as the brightest projector on the planet. The successful record attempt took place at Barco's own facilities in Kuurne Belgium on December 1. Witnessed and verified by Guinness adjudicator Kaoru Ishikawa a Barco DP2K-32B digital cinema projector achieved an exact brightness of 43 000 lumens after color correction to match the DCI color spectrum measured at the center of a four-meter cinema screen at a distance of five meters from the projector. Miss Ishikawa presented a certificate proving the successful record attempt in person to Wim Buyens vice president of Barco Digital Cinema. “The projector's brightness is a crucial element in providing moviegoers with a captivating and immersive cinema experience. This is especially true in the case of 3D movies which require a lot of brightness ” says Buyens. “This makes it very hard to efficiently project 3D content on larger screens where only ultra-bright projectors can guarantee an optimal viewing experience. In this respect this world record is more than merely a technological achievement: it is an answer to one of 3D digital cinema's biggest challenges today.” The model used for the record attempt was an off-the-shelf Barco DP2K-32B equipped with a standard 7 kW Ushio lamp. “Ever since its launch we have billed the DP2K-32B as the brightest digital cinema projector on the planet ” says Buyens. “Being recognized by the famous Guinness World Records now makes this title official and once again demonstrates Barco's technology leadership in digital cinema projection. I would like to congratulate our excellent engineering team and everybody involved in the development of this projector for this accomplishment. More brightness means a more immersive 3D experience and this is exactly what our technology enables.” ,2120
Bats Documentary Wins 3D Cinematography Prize,2010-12-12,The Dark Carnival Film Festival in Bloomington Indiana presented the Best Cinematography award to San Diego-based 3D Production studio PassmoreLab for its just-released 3D documentary The Extreme Nature of Bats. Called the Sundance of horror Dark Carnival was named one of the top 25 film festivals by MovieMaker Magazine. Hosted by AMC Monstervision’s horror alum and syndicated film critic Joe Bob Briggs the three-day festival culminated with the awards ceremony which included 13 different categories. Shot in Texas Romania Belize Africa and Mexico the film which explores the truths myths and dark legends that have stalked the worlds only flying mammal closely examines three bat species; the free-tailed bat the megabat and the infamous vampire bat. It takes an in-depth look at bats as unique and important animals but because of fear and misconceptions associated with them throughout history they are also some of the most misunderstood animals in the world. The 35-minute documentary was directed by Greg Passmore president of PassmoreLab and handled all aspects of 3D production out of San Diego. “It is truly an honor to accept this award for cinematography ” says Passmore. “Three bat species four jungles numerous caves and five countries later – it is especially humbling to be recognized for being able to put it all together and see the support for this film.” Using Red camera technology The Extreme Nature of Bats took six months to shoot due largely to the travel required to capture these bats in their natural habitats in some of the largest bat caves in the world. Production wrapped earlier this year off the coast of Africa on a primitive island in the Indian Ocean netting the crew some never-before-seen-footage of bats. “This film is far from a typical bats documentary and continues to create a lot of audience interest ” says Steve Glum PassmoreLab’s head of branding and distribution. “It’s thrilling to see that as we ready it for release.” Dark Carnival Film Festival www.darkcarnivalfilmfest.com Passmorelab www.passmorelab.com ,2121
Cinemark Opens New XD Extreme Theatres,2010-12-12,Cinemark has opened new Cinemark XD Extreme Digital Cinema auditoriums at the Century 20 Downtown Redwood City Theatre in Redwood City California the Century at Tanforan Theatre in San Bruno California and the Century 14 Downtown Walnut Creek in Walnut Creek California. The Cinemark XD auditoriums have become very popular with our customers across the nation especially in Northern California. Now we have the ability to share this new experience with our valued guests in three more cities says Alan Stock Cinemark's chief executive officer. Our XD auditoriums offer the perfect entertainment environment to enjoy this year's terrific holiday film line-up. Cinemark has transformed one auditorium at each location into a state-of-the-art cinema experience. The Cinemark XD entertainment environment features large wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor screens plush seating a custom JBL sound system featuring crisp clear digital sound and digital images delivered by a Doremi server and a Barco digital projector. The Cinemark XD auditoriums are able to exhibit the newest movies every week including 2D and Real D-3D pictures. Cinemark www.cinemark.com ,2123
Deluxe To Acquire Business Units from Ascent Media,2010-12-12,Deluxe Entertainment Services Group has signed an agreement with Ascent Media Corporation to acquire Ascent's Creative Services and Media Services businesses including the well-known brands of Company 3 Beast Method Rushes Encore Hollywood and Level 3 Post. The acquisition is designed to enhance Deluxe's services for clients that include life-cycle library management and digital asset management. Digital services include file based mastering archiving digital distribution DVD and Blu-ray authoring. Deluxe is the world's largest processor of film for the motion picture industry and the industry's largest provider of Blu-ray authoring services. Over the last few years Deluxe has significantly increased its service offerings in digital services and content delivery. The company's pipeline includes 2D and 3D post production services from film or digital capture to digital intermediates with the proprietary EFilm workflow theatrical release (35mm and digital cinema) and home entertainment services for every digital media platform. Deluxe is well positioned to take our company into the future as technologies continue to transform how customers create and distribute content for films and television programs says Cyril Drabinsky president and CEO of Deluxe. We look forward to this talented group of people joining the Deluxe team. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of the year. Deluxe Entertainment Services Group www.bydeluxe.com ,2124
Doremi Cinema Opens Second Manufacturing Facility,2010-12-12,Doremi Cinema has opened its second manufacturing facility in Burbank California. The addition of the second structure has increased production capacity to over 2 000 servers per month. This includes the DCP-2000 and DCP-2K4 as well as Doremi’s IMB and ShowVault. “All of Doremi’s manufacturing and production is based solely in Burbank ” says Michael Archer vice president digital cinema. “Being a U.S founded company our goal has always been to create jobs in America. In addition to our own production our two key vendors are also based in California adding to the U.S work force for Doremi.” The increased capacity more than doubles the output Doremi sustained during 2010. The growth in the production area provides increased efficiencies for the department to build greater inventory levels and will afford Doremi’s customers minimal lead times. The timing of opening the facility coincides with the anticipated growth in the digital cinema market globally over the next few years as the market is expected to grow at a pace of 25 000-35 000 screens per year. Doremi also announced that the company shipped more than 800 servers and IMBs in December elevating their total number of units shipped to over 20 000 globally. “Our production team really outperformed themselves throughout the year. Their ability to supply our sales team with over 900 units a month allowed our customers to depend on minimal lead times during the critical installation times through the summer and the current holiday period ” says Archer. “It is quite an achievement for our entire organization to have produced and shipped this vast quantity of product.” ,2126
GDC Ballantyne to Install 200 Digital Cinema Systems for China Film Group,2010-12-12,GDC Technology has signed a deployment contract with Strong Westrex a subsidiary of Ballantyne Strong in the latest round of digital rollout spearheaded by China Film Group Corporation. A total of 200 systems of NEC Series 2 DLP Cinema projector integrated with GDC’s Integrated Media Block and SX-2000 server have been adopted by CFGC in its 2010 digital cinema deployment scheme. Strong Westrex has been selected by CFGC in supplying and maintaining the NEC and GDC products under its full-service office in Beijing. China Film Group Corporation is the largest and most influential state-run film enterprise in China. For over a decade CFGC’s subsidiary China Film Import & Export Corporation has been the sole government-authorized importer of films. “CFGC has worked with GDC for close to a decade now and our faith in GDC has never been stronger ” says Han Sanping chairman of CFGC. “With over 1 000 GDC servers running in our cinemas tirelessly and reliably delivering picture perfect every time it is easy to understand why we decide to stick to GDC in our latest round of deployment.” “We have been in close working partnership with GDC in both the Americas and Asia ” says Gary Cavey president and CEO of Ballantyne Strong. “We are pleased to support GDC with NEC products in the CFGC digital cinema deployment which is an extension of our very successful partnership with GDC in the U.S. With China expected to increase its digital footprint to fully digitize all the screens in the next three to five years I am optimistic that our partnership with GDC will bring us more success.” “We are honored to work with Strong Westrex in the latest round of digital deployment for CFGC ” says Dr Man-Nang Chong founder and CEO of GDC Technology. “GDC’s innovative IMB offers its customers a digital projection solution that is both cost-effective and future-proof and above all truly satisfying their actual needs. With a strong R&D base and forerunning technology in the industry we have reached a new milestone in digital cinema.” Ballantyne Strong www.ballantyne-strong.com GDC Technology www.gdc-tech.com ,2127
IBC Seeks Nominees for 2011 Innovation Awards,2010-12-12,IBC has issued the first call for entries for its 2011 Innovation Awards the unique program that recognizes that success comes when vendors and users collaborate on perfectly tuned solutions. There are many awards for technology but the IBC Awards dig much deeper says Michael Crimp CEO of IBC. To win an IBC Innovation Award you have to demonstrate that manufacturers integrators and users worked together to develop something innovative that solved a real challenge whether that was creative technical or commercial. The whole ethos of IBC is about getting together to share knowledge and with our awards program we honor those who really put that into practice. There are three categories in the IBC Innovation Awards scheme: for the most innovative projects of the year in content creation content management and content delivery. A fourth prize is in the gift of the judging panel which may be one of the category winners or it may be another significant achievement during the year which caught their attention. In 2010 the awards went to the Red Bull Air Race for the unique way it captured and displayed the action; to the European Parliament for its bold project to make its complete audio-visual archive available online to citizens; and to the very rapid work led by BBC research and development which developed the second generation digital television standard DVB-T2 making over the air HD broadcasting practical. The 2010 Judges' Prize was given to the four partners involved in stereoscopic 3D coverage of the World Cup: Fifa HBS ESPN and Sony. Manufacturers system integrators and broadcasters have until February 11 2011 to complete their submissions. The judging panel is a group of international journalists and editors who will announce their shortlist in May 2011. The winning projects remain a closely guarded secret until the Awards Ceremony itself held during IBC in September. IBC www.ibc.org ,2128
MasterImage 3D Introduces MI-2100S for Small Theatres,2010-12-12,MasterImage 3D has introduced a new digital 3D cinema system the MI-2100S designed with a small form-factor to meet the needs of theatres with low projection windows. The new MI-2100S is a smaller version of the company's MI-2100 digital 3D cinema system and delivers the same high image clarity and compelling ownership-based business model as the original product. While it was designed smaller to sit lower the new MI-2100S includes an optional stand; a fast programmable up/down electric lift actuator that enables it to be used in either low-window or standard projection rooms. The new system also includes improved automation interfaces and programming options for Ethernet and 3D and a new filter for its circular polarizing wheel that improves overall brightness which is available for both the MI-2100 and MI-2100S systems. MasterImage 3D chairman and CEO Younghoon Lee says We heard from theatres in India and China that they wanted to convert to 3D but that their projection rooms didn't accommodate the size of most 3D cinema systems. We were able to engineer a smaller version of the MI-2100 to meet their projection room dimensions and update it with new capabilities at the same time. Having a small projection room has not stopped us from bringing the excitement of 3D to audiences says D. Teddy Joshua manager at SPI Cinemas in Tamil Nadu India an early adopter of the MI-2100S. The new MasterImage system is designed for small spaces and has been perfectly stable and reliable. ,2131
Odeon UCI Selects Unique Digital’s Rosetta Bridge and Cinema Accord,2010-12-12,The Odeon and UCI Cinemas Group has selected Unique Digital’s Rosetta Bridge and Cinema Accord as an integral part of its bespoke digital exhibition infrastructure. Odeon has 202 cinemas and 1 802 screens across Europe and has begun a full digital rollout in the UK. Rosetta Bridge provides Odeon’s management and staff with a suite of tools to manage film and advertising content within each site complex through an intuitive and easy to use interface. Key features include a scalable library server agnostic player and projector interface automation control and content distribution with all elements being managed using a simple drag and drop GUI. In addition Unique Digital will supply Cinema Accord their VPF content and key management back office system. Cinema Accord is designed to enable exhibitors to centrally administrate their estate of digital screens. The system communicates with other essential third party systems such as box-office and financial systems to allow advanced forecasting and reporting. With a secure web based interface Odeon will manage each cinema TMS integrate with the theatre booking systems and have secure management of KDM delivery and VPF reporting. “Odeon made a full evaluation of the complete range of hardware and software solutions available and in the end we were impressed by the level of experience and technical ability offered by Unique Digital ” says Roger Harris COO for Odeon UCI. “The Rosetta and Accord systems will play an integral role in the operational viability of our digital infrastructure.” Rod Wheeler sales and marketing director of Unique Digital says “Following extensive evaluation and in-field acceptance by Odeon this announcement is validation of the dedicated set of software and hardware solutions developed by Unique Digital to optimize the digital experience for cinema operators. We are proud to support Odeon in ensuring the success of their full conversion to digital cinema” “Odeon UCI is the leading exhibitor in Europe and we are delighted to have been selected to work with them in this significant project in the UK. We are pleased to have demonstrated not only the level of our technical solutions which have been developed over many years but also our experience in managing and supporting large scale network roll outs ” says Chris Hagan managing director of Unique Digital. “Coupled with our recent success in winning 90 percent of the Norwegian digital cinema market this announcement underlines Unique Digital’s position as market leader.” ,2132
Prime Focus Awarded Multi-Picture Deal for 2D-3D Conversion,2010-12-12,Prime Focus group has been awarded a multi-picture order worth approximately $45 million for 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion work from a Hollywood studio to be executed in the next 30-36 months. The name of the studio was not released. The jobs will be carried out between its facilities in the North America UK and India.
Prime Focus has previously worked on movies like Avatar Clash of the Titans Cats & Dogs My Soul to Take and Narnia amongst others.
View-D from Prime Focus is a proprietary system for the conversion of 2D moving images to stereo 3D images. For new productions View-D gives filmmakers a viable alternative to shooting with twin cameras offering the flexibility to shoot film or digital to move the camera as they wish and to work with Prime Focus artists between the cut and the stereo conversion to make the 3D viewing experience as rich as possible.
Prime Focus North America a 100 percent subsidiary of the group has filed an application for patenting its trademark technology View D which converts 2D images to 3D. ,2133
Cinema Entertainment Corporations Signs with Screenvision,2010-12-12, Screenvision has signed an exhibitor agreement with Cinema Entertainment Corporation. With this deal Screenvision will have exclusive national selling rights exhibited within Screenvision’s Premium Pod and non-exclusive rights for promotions. The deal represents CEC Theatres’ first foray into national advertisement display. CEC Theatres currently operate 16 theatre locations and 123 screens across ten markets including the Minneapolis market. Other key locations include Des Moines Sioux City and Davenport Iowa as well as Fargo North Dakota.
“The deal with CEC Theatres further expands Screenvision’s reach in key Midwest markets ” says Darryl Schaffer executive vice president exhibitor relations Screenvision. “We are proud that CEC has chosen Screenvision for its national cinema advertising needs and we look forward to providing them with a new stream of revenue.”
“Creating a national advertising program through our agreement with Screenvision aligns with our strategy for growth and expansion while we continue to provide our guests with a superior cinematic experience ” says Bob Ross president CEC Theatres.
CEC Theatres www.cectheatres.com Screenvision www.screenvision.com ,2134
SMPTE Seeks Proposals for 2011 Conference on 3D,2010-12-12,The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is seeking proposals for scientific academic and highly technical papers for the 2011 SMPTE International Conference on Stereoscopic 3D for Entertainment chaired by Disney’s Howard Lukk. Proposed papers must be informational in nature and must address technical theory research clinical results or emerging technologies specific to stereoscopic 3D for entertainment. Technical topics to be considered include: -- Novel stereoscopic and multi-view camera systems -- Human perception factors for stereoscopic and volumetric imaging -- Real-time depth mapping using LIDAR time of flight and other methods -- Light-field camera systems -- Assisted auto-edge segmentation -- Real-time 2D-to-3D conversion algorithms -- Advances in image segmentation -- 3D tracking software -- Visual-error tolerances -- Video codecs for stereoscopic and multi-view transmission -- Metrology and test methods for 3D image quality analysis -- Emerging technologies for computer generated synthetic stereo space -- Advances in autostereoscopic displays -- Horizontal image translation -- Holographic and volumetric display technologies -- Other technologies that enhance 3D imaging Interested parties are invited to submit a one-page abstract of no more than 150 words. Submissions must include topic heading paper title delivery method a brief description of the proposed paper’s content name of author/presenter company mailing address telephone and fax number. Submissions are due no later than February 28 2011. Authors will be notified regarding the status of their submitted abstracts no later than March 11 2011. Electronic versions of selected manuscripts are due no later than May 2011. ,2136
Suick Theatres Signs with Sonic Equipment to Convert to Digital,2010-12-12,Suick Theatres has signed with Sonic Equipment Company of Iola Kansas to fully convert their four-screen facility in Shawano Wisconsin. Suick Theatres will showcase the theatre as the first of their facilities to be converted. The company will install Christie Solaria CP2220 digital cinema projectors and Dolby 7.1 sound technology. The conversion is expected to be completed in early January. “We want to do the upgrades for the benefit of our customers ” says Tim Suick owner of the Suick Theatres circuit. “Our goal is to provide them the best presentation and the best sound.” The systems will be installed before the end of the year by the Sonic Equipment install team. Sonic has become a proven leader in the conversion of theatres to the new digital cinema with more than 130 conversions in 2010 alone. Sarah Noah sales manager of Sonic adds “We are happy to begin a new relationship with Tim and look forward to working together for many years to come. Suick Theatres is a wonderful company and a great addition to our Sonic Family.” “Christie known for its support and commitment to independent exhibitors is taking audiences into the 21st century of entertainment with their Christie Solaria Series of DLP Cinema projectors ” says Craig Sholder vice president entertainment solutions at Christie. Sonic will also be presenting its service and maintenance package using Christie Managed Services. “The quality of the presentations is the focal point of our program and CMS is an important part of that ” says Noah. Suick Theatres is also in the planning stages to convert their Sturgeon Bay Antigo and Ashland Wisconsin locations in 2011. Sonic Equipment Company www.sonicequipment.com ,2137
Technicolor Asia Celebrates ISO Certification on Seventh Anniversary,2010-12-12,Technicolor Asia has become Thailand’s first post-production facility to achieve ISO 9001:2008 certification. The announcement was made last month as the facility celebrated its seventh anniversary in business. The certification means that Technicolor Asia has shown it provides a quality management system demonstrating its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements it aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system including processes for continual improvement of their systems and the assurance of conformity to customer requirements. The Technicolor facility in Bangkok was actually established in 1977 as CineColor Lab. Technicolor took over in 2004 and further developed the full service motion picture film laboratory which provides worldwide servicing for motion pictures commercials and documentary projects. Technicolor Asia manufactures release prints and offers high-end sound video and digital imaging services for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets. Recently Thailand has become a center for production services in the SE Asian region and Technicolor has been instrumental in providing the finest in sound video and digital imaging services as well as rolling out the dynamic Technicolor 3D system which offers theater owners an affordable easy to use 3D system that has proven to increase box office revenues. We are extremely appreciative of ISO: 2008 certification says Sergio Bosso managing director of Technicolor Asia. But we realize that we must continue to work hard and provide international quality services while growing our facility adding new equipment and accommodating the needs of our clients. We are also committed to supporting new generations of film makers by offering them assistance through awards at film festivals like those at Pusan Tokyo and Vietnam. ,2139
The Foundry Launches Free Public Beta of Storm,2010-12-12, The Foundry has launched an open beta of their new digital cinema camera workflow product Storm which addresses the growing complexity of shooting digital performing a variety of core tasks on and near-set and bringing camera and post-production closer together.
According to the company Storm can rapidly navigate and playback footage allowing producers directors and editors to view takes in high resolution without interruption or delay. Anyone who has done basic color correction and editing will feel comfortable sitting with Storm and cutting together a rough edit or exploring a ‘look’ interactively with the cinematographer. Supporting the digital technician Storm provides simple and intuitive metadata tagging and timeline re-conforming to ensure the exchange with editorial and post-production is sped up significantly.
The Foundry is making this public beta widely available in response to the huge amount of interest shown in Storm since it was first shown at IBC this year. “Storm has been developed in very close collaboration with users and the open beta is a chance to gain wider feedback - ensure that Storm lives up to expectations and continues to develop to meet the growing needs of the digital camera community. The Foundry looks forward to seeing the Storm platform grow to deliver new and exciting things in the future ” says Richard Shackleton head of product development at The Foundry.
The Storm beta can be downloaded from http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/storm and is free to use until March 1 2011. It requires a MacBook Pro Mac Pro or iMac with at least 2GB RAM running OSX 10.6.4 or later. Storm is optimized for Red R3D footage and will use a Red Rocket card if one is installed.
Red’s Ted Schilowitz says “Having seen Storm in detail I’d describe it as RedCine-X on steroids. Well worth the time to investigate it's capabilities if you are involved in post-production working with Red footage. The Foundry have looked at Red workflow in great detail and taken logical integration with Red to a very evolved state. We’re very excited that those shooting and posting Red all over the world will soon have access to this software.” ,2140
Utopia/Utopolis Upgrades 45 Installations with MasterImage 3D,2010-12-12,The Benelux-based Utopia/Utopolis Group is planning to boost its 3D business with 45 MasterImage 3D installations. As the very first exhibitor to have projected digital 3D at its main sites in the Benelux countries Utopia/Utopolis Group one of the major cinema circuits in Belgium Holland and Luxembourg entered into a deal with FTT Benelux youngest member of the FTT family for the supply and installation of 45 MasterImage 3D digital cinema systems. Moreover FTT also won the bid for the supply and installation of all silver screens for the group. Thomas Rüttgers managing partner of FTT group says “We are very happy that our new subsidiary will implement its first long-time project together with Utopolis. They have been our customers for such a long time already and we are delighted that they have expressed their confidence in us one more time.” Nico Simon general manager of Utopia says “Having tested different options we think that the MasterImage 3D solution is the one that suits our requirements best and look forward to co-operating with FTT once again. For us it was surely a crucial factor that they have a relevant experience in digital 3D installations and branch offices close to our cinemas.” Brian Kercher managing director of MasterImage 3D Europe cinema says “3D is one of the important drivers of digital cinema and it surely stimulated the demand for digital cinema equipment. We are proud to work with FTT and Utopolis on this project as they are both renowned companies in their respective markets.” The roll out for Utopolis was scheduled to start in December with the installations in Luxembourg and will then be carried out step by step in several waves. However at least four to six screens will be equipped by the end of this year. MasterImage www.masterimage.com ,2141
Stereoscopic 3D Training Program Scheduled for January,2010-12-12, Principal Large Format will lead a three-day training course on 3D for cinema and television next January in London. Titled Advanced 3D – The National Stereoscopic 3D Training Program the course is being presented by PLF in association with Talking Point and funded by the Skillset Film Skills Fund as part of A Bigger Future 2 and by Sky.
Brian Lenz – Sky’s director of TV product development says “With the rapid growth of 3D gaming cinema and the exciting launch of 3D TV spearheaded by Sky there are a wide range of creative and commercial opportunities. However to position the UK as a true centre of 3D excellence it’s essential that program makers invest themselves in the art of 3D so that we create world leading content. That’s why we’re supporting valuable training program such as this.”
The course will have two sites tailored to the differing activities and their expected attendance levels. Part 1 on January 25th will be held at BAFTA for a maximum of 220 attendees. The day will cover everything delegates need to know to decide if a particular project is right for 3D – whether it be a feature film a commercial a high-end documentary or an ‘as live’ concert performance. And if it is right which 3D rig you should use and the impact that your decisions have on design post-production budget and schedule. Attendees will be also treated to networking drinks as well as a 3D screening at the end of the day.
Part 2 on January 26th and 27th will be held at Twickenham Studios Stage 1 for a maximum of 35 attendees all of whom will have to have attended the opening day’s sessions at BAFTA. The Twickenham sessions will provide an intensive hands-on practical guide to 3D movie-making using all the major 3D rigs as well as monitoring recording and post-production tools. 3D equipment will be provided by On Sight SGO Mistika Telegenic and Mytherapy. And again networking drinks and 3D screenings will take place on both days. Pre-registering attendees will be given handouts a reading list and other recommendations before the course while all three days will feature 3D screenings and guest speakers with refreshments available throughout and plenty of opportunities for networking. PLF founder Phil Streather’s 3D production credits include Bugs! in Imax 3D The London Eye 4D Experience for Merlin Entertainments Carmen in 3D for RealD and Royal Opera House and Meerkats 3D with Oxford Scientific for National Geographic and Sky.
Streather says that the two-stage nature of the Advanced 3D course is one of the things that makes it unique. “On the first day at BAFTA the sessions will take place in a 3D cinema as a stand-alone module ” he says “and we expect to host a broad range of broadcast movie and advertising industry professionals to discuss everything from lens choices to budget implications. Then on days two and three we will take a smaller group of DPs first ACs VFX supers editors directors and producers to apply some of the insights gained on the first day to real-world 3D content production.”
Having previously run 3D master classes at NAB Las Vegas IBC Amsterdam the Edinburgh International Film Festival and many other events and locations Streather feels that PLF is well-placed to give a balanced overview of current technologies and approaches to 3D production.
“I have a very practical and clean approach to 3D training ” he says. “Clear definitions of terms such as convergence parallax and depth budget are combined with hands on experience. I then explore 3D style and storytelling through the screening and analysis of a diverse selection of 3D material. Stereography is a craft science that every head of department involved in 3D production should now become versed. Advanced 3D is proud to take its place in this important learning process.”
Skillset’s director of film Neil Peplow says “3D training is at the top of the agenda for the UK Film Skills Strategy and Skillset is incredibly excited to be funding Advanced 3D alongside Sky. Principal Large Format’s pioneering training programme delivered by top industry practitioners will present a necessary and rich overview of 3D. Industry professionals working in the UK Film industry attending these courses will undoubtedly gain a deep practical understanding of the economical and technological impact of 3D.”
Fees for Advanced 3D are £250 (plus VAT) for Day One only and £750 (plus VAT) for all three days. The registration deadline is January 14th. For details visit the Principal Large Format website www.plf.cc ,2142
YoYo Powers the Pipeline at The Mill
,2010-12-12, London VFX studio The Mill is using YoYotta’s YoYo workflow management system to anchor its production pipeline. The award-winning studio handles commercials work for a wide variety of high-end clients including recent spots for companies like Nike Mercedes-Benz Sony PlayStation Ford and T-Mobile. The company says its YoYo system contributed greatly to the success of the Nike World Cup three-minute spot Write the Future.
“Every single EDL that comes into the building goes through the YoYo so it serves as the lynch pin of the back-room processes ” says colorist Seamus O’Kane. “We have two YoYos – one is permanently hooked up to the Pandora color processor in my suite while the other one sits in the back room as part of the data lab where the assistants organize our work for us feeding data to the Pandora as well as preparing content for our Baselights.”
O’Kane explained that over the years the DI workflow in commercial post-production has evolved separately from the filmic DI approach.
“The whole concept of DI had to be a little more flexible for commercial clients ” says O’Kane. “That was the focus of development on the YoYo as a fast flexible system that would allow you to do commercial work without having to hold up your hand and say ‘Sorry we have to wait for this to process.’”
Originally designed as a conform i/o interface for Pandora color correctors YoYo has evolved into a suite of three modules that give post facilities a comprehensive toolset for managing their workflows. With YoYo facilities can ingest transcode conform and output just about every standard video- or data-based file format. “The beauty of the YoYo and the Revolution is they’re very light and flexible ” says O’Kane. “It starts to make you imagine other ways of working which might be better suited to production in the future.”
With the YoYo’s rich feature set many of the processes that would traditionally have been done in an expensive suite can now be done in the background.
“Even as a stand-alone box it can actually do quite a bit of color processing in its own right ” says O’Kane. “Plus it can take full authorship of the client’s EDLs if we need to change something on the fly. Flexibility is vital to everything we do these days.” This paradigm shift has given the facility the efficiency to produce high volumes of top-notch work under tight deadlines like the Nike World Cup three-minute spot Write the Future directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The spot which aired earlier this year relied mainly on the YoYo’s data workflow. “The Nike spot was a good illustration because we turned around 236 effects shots in about six weeks which is a huge amount of work ” O’Kane says. “It was a very concentrated pipeline and I feel that that’s how VFX should be done.”
YoYotta www.yoyotta.com ,2143
Cinema India Expo Convenes in June,2011-01-14,Cinema India Expo 2011 will take place at the Renaissance Convention Centre Powai Mumbai on June 24 and 25. Over the course of the two days attendees will be able to explore the latest technologies and will also have access to an expanded slate of offerings including seminars educational tracks for cinematographers and directors and red-carpet premiers of international movies. With a global focus Cinema India is the only industry event to spotlight the growing ties between Bollywood and Hollywood and continues to deepen its footprint to match the rapid implementation of digital technologies amid the global creative environment. Launched in 2000 Cinema India Expo is increasingly seen as an international venue where cinematographers directors visual effects artists and producers gather to learn about the trends and tools impacting their careers. The conference and education program to be announced early in 2011 will include Keynotes from Bollywood stars world-class directors of photography visual effects artists and filmmakers. Scrabble Entertainment India’s first 2K DCI-compliant exhibitor is the presenting sponsor of Cinema India Expo. After their successful deployment in India they recently announced their expansion to the Middle East region on the basis of their contracts with the Major Hollywood Studios. Ranjit Thakur CEO of Scrabble says ” We are extremely proud to be closely associated with the Cinema India Expo. The whole idea is to spread complete knowledge of all segments of digital cinema right from capture to playback ” Anil Chopra managing director of diversified communications India Pvt. Ltd. says “Cinema India Expo unfolds against of the backdrop of an industry in transition to digital in a highly competitive environment. In order to succeed in this dynamic time multiplex companies and their leaders must have the latest industry trends and experience personally the future at Cinema India 2011. India is engaged in a massive digital transition from acquisition through distribution. As the leading trade show and conference addressing these topics in the region Cinema India Expo is in a unique position to put the latest and best information and products in front of key players in the digital cinema industry.” Createasphere manages international sales for Cinema India Expo and contributes to the programming. Createasphere president Kristin Petrovich Kennedy says “The eyes of the world are on India at this moment. Bollywood’s influence is growing and the digital transformation is in progress. There is unprecedented opportunity to put the most engaging speakers and information in front of an audience hungry for cutting edge knowledge. Today India is the most exciting marketplace for digital cinema in the world and Cinema India is growing to meet the industry’s needs.” Two days of conference sessions a full tradeshow floor and a number of evening events and galas are in process. Createasphere www.createasphere.com Diversified Communications http://www.diversifiedcommunications.in/page.cfm/link=43 ,2150
IMAX Cinemark Reportedly Settle Their Lawsuit,2011-01-14,After a years-long legal standoff Cinemark Holdings and IMAX have reached an out-of-court settlement according to a report by Brent Lang of the website The Wrap. This story is especially interesting in light of the recent rumors that Sony plans to acquire at least some IMAX theatres. The two companies recently announced that they have amicably resolved their litigation claims against each other and are partnering on a series of IMAX theatres in Cinemark owned locations. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. In September 2009 IMAX sued Cinemark over its attempts to produce its own high-end theater system. In court filings IMAX charged that Cinemark had violated its contract and stolen trade secrets stemming from its long association with the big screen chain to build a competing system called Cinemark XD and Extreme Digital Cinema. Yet according to The Wrap the two have put aside their differences and say that all claims and counterclaims in the patent litigation in Texas and contract litigation in New York are being dismissed with prejudice. The companies announced that Cinemark Holdings will acquire two new digital IMAX theatre systems in Lancaster California and Corpus Christi Texas. Both theatres are expected to open in April. In addition to adding two new sites Cinemark will upgrade all six of its film-based IMAX locations to IMAX digital theaters. That should also be completed by April. ,2151
Comcast Doubled Day-and-Date DVD Releases in 2010,2011-01-14, Comcast doubled the amount of movies available to customers on demand that were released the same day as the DVD in 2010 with more than 200 “day-and-date” movies. The company also announced that in 2010 its on demand service reached a total of 18 billion views since it launched in 2003.
Our customers continue to use on demand and embrace day-and-date movies in record numbers ” says Marcien Jenckes senior vice president and general manager for Comcast. Our customers are also watching more kids programming TV series and music on demand than ever before and in 2011 we will continue to bring them more entertainment choices available anytime both on demand and online.”
Comcast works with a number of major studios to bring same day as DVD movies to its customers including: Warner Bros/New Line Fox Universal Summit Sony MGM Paramount Disney/Buena Vista DreamWorks and LionsGate. Movies available the same day as DVD release continue to rise in popularity and are consistently among the top performing content on demand. These were the top performing movies on demand:
The Blind Side
Couples Retreat
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Hot Tub Time Machine
The Hurt Locker
It's Complicated
Shutter Island
Date Night
The Book of Eli
Avatar Comcast Corporation www.comcast.com ,2152
Deluxe Closes Ascent Media Deal,2011-01-14,Deluxe Entertainment Services Group has closed its acquisition of Ascent Media Corporation's creative services and media services businesses including Company 3 Beast Method Rushes Encore Hollywood and Level 3 Post. Many of the acquired business units provide creative and media services in television and commercial post-production that go beyond Deluxe's portfolio of services for the theatrical market. In the coming weeks and months Deluxe will be advising customers on the new service offerings says Cyril Drabinsky president and CEO of Deluxe. We look forward to providing our customers with the best that the combined companies and teams of talented employees have to offer. Deluxe Entertainment Services Group www.bydeluxe.com ,2155
Digital Artists Killer Digital Announce Partnership,2011-01-14,Digital Artists has reached a multi-year collaboration with Killer Digital a newly formed partnership between Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler’s Killer Films and their former CAA agent Kevin Iwashina. Beginning at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival DA and Killer Digital will unveil a live series that brings together some of the most promising personalities at the forefront of creative storytelling. Acclaimed film and television producer Christine Vachon (Boys Don’t Cry Far From Heaven This American Life) hosts the four-day series featuring live and mobile reporting on news and trends by indie luminaries and rising digital talent. Online participants can view live streams and interact from home through real-time social media and search engine integration. “The efficiencies of digital production and distribution have empowered filmmakers to be more creative with fewer resources ” says Christine Vachon co-founder of Killer Films and Killer Digital. “We share a passion for these creative innovations with Digital Artists and are excited to work with them to deliver quality stories in this new medium.” Coinciding with the launch of the Killer Digital partnership Oren Aviv former president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production has joined the company’s board of directors as an active advisor. “Our new creative collaboration with Killer Digital elevates Digital Artists’ cinematic storytelling capabilities and furthers our mission to partner with best-in-class talent to produce and distribute original digital entertainment for all screens ” says William Kendall chief creative officer of Digital Artists. “The addition of Oren Aviv to our board brings key strategic insights and significant talent relationships to the fold as we continue building a studio home where established and emerging artist-entrepreneurs can bring their original ideas to life.” “Killer Digital and Digital Artists are creating smarter opportunities for talent and brands to reach beyond the traditional box office ” says Aviv newly appointed Digital Artists board member. “This partnership will prove that progressive content resonates among audiences across any platform.” ,2156
Dolby Laboratories Announces Major Order in China ,2011-01-14,The Dadi Media Group is China has ordered 600 Dolby Digital Cinema systems including 600 Dolby Screen Servers (DSS200s) and Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors. Dadi plans to have these systems installed by the end of 2011. “We have three years of unique experience with digital cinema investment and operation in China’s domestic market. When we started working with Dolby in 2009 it allowed us to enhance our exhibition stability and offer our audience a new immersing entertainment experience when watching movies ” says Liu Kaijun general manager cinema investment Dadi Media Group. “We have been impressed by the technical and service performance of the Dolby Digital Cinema system and with the Dolby team which has given us the confidence for further cooperation. Dadi has ordered 600 Dolby Screen Servers and 600 Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors to serve our rapid cinema deployment in China. We believe working with a leading global entertainment technology and product innovator like Dolby will reinforce Dadi’s overall partnerships in China and contribute to our presence in the market.” “We thank Dadi for their continued confidence in Dolby and believe this collaboration is a major breakthrough for driving digital cinema adoption in China. Dolby is dedicated to assisting China’s cinema industry transition from analog to digital ” says Mahesh Sundaram vice president Asia Pacific Dolby Laboratories. “Since the debut of Dolby technology in cinema nearly 40 years ago we have worked to constantly improve the entertainment experience of cinema from both a visual and audio perspective. China has a dynamic entertainment market and is strategically important for Dolby. For this reason Dolby continues to introduce a variety of technologies and value-added services to our partners in China.” Dolby Digital Cinema www.dolby.com ,2157
Doremi Cinema Expands Sales Staff,2011-01-14,On the heels of the successful launch of seven new products for digital cinema and the shipment of its 20 000th server Burbank-based Doremi Cinema has expanded its sales and customer service team to include Beth Figge and Hannah Cash as senior sales managers. Figg and Cash will oversee the service sales and customer relationships for their family of cinema products with exhibitors and dealers in North America. Adding to the expansion strategy Jim Murray Doremi’s director of international business development has relocated to Sydney Australia. The move was made to provide a closer connection to Doremi’s client base in Asia South East Asia Australia New Zealand India and the Middle East. “With our continued success and growth throughout the region being in Australia affords me greater time to concentrate on the rapidly expanding countries in the territory ” Murray says. “We have always set the standard for product innovations and service in the industry and expanding our personnel bandwidth is an important element of our continued commitment to our customers ” said Michael Archer vice president for digital cinema at Doremi. “Beth and Hannah’s combined experience are the perfect compliment to our team.” Figge has over 17 years of cinema industry experience. She started as cinema sales coordinator for JBL Professional and redefined the dealer network by instituting rebate programs for the cinema dealers thus boosting sales. From there she spent several years as North American sales manager at Sony Cinema Products where she was instrumental in the installation of hundreds of SDDS systems. Figg continued her cinema career at Dolby Laboratories as cinema sales manager helping Dolby to become the leader in digital sound. She is a graduate of Patricia Stevens College in St. Louis with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Cash has been working in digital cinema for more than five years. She has a degree from the University of Arizona and years of sales management experience with Qube Cinema and Visual Data Media Services. “I am passionate about digital cinema ” Cash says. “From an industry standpoint Doremi’s innovations have surpassed every expectation in the field. From 3D and 4K solutions to alternative content and closed captioning accessibility products I am excited to be apart of this team and represent this company.” ,2158
Grand Cinema Hong Kong Installs Sony 4K,2011-01-14,The Grand Cinema in Hong Kong is installing Sony 4K digital cinema systems. With the completion of this project The Grand Cinema will have the highest number Sony 4K systems in Hong Kong. The Grand is the largest exhibitor in Hong Kong with 1 600 seats in twelve houses. “At The Grand Cinema we are driven to offer an immersive entertainment experience for our guests by offering the highest picture resolution of all available projection technologies. Implementing Sony’s 4K digital cinema solution enable us to offer an unrivalled state-of-the-art screening and best possible cinematic experience for movie-goers ” says Helena Young general manager The Grand Cinema. “4K is the future of cinema and it is here today sweeping across major cinemas around the world. As the only manufacturer of commercially available 4K resolution digital cinema projectors and the only manufacturer to provide the complete end-to-end cinema digital solution to exhibitors; SXRD 4K technology from Sony is leading the digital cinema revolution. We are glad that The Grand Cinema has chosen Sony as they move towards a digital future ” says Katsuhiro Masaoka general manager of business development division business and professional products Asia Pacific Sony Electronic Asia Pacific. With many cinemas upgrading to 4K the top Hollywood studios are increasing the number of movies given a 4K release including “The Green Hornet” “The Social Network” “The Karate Kid” “Salt” “The Other Guys” “Eat Pray Love” and “Burlesque”. There is a generous flow of content for 4K motion pictures currently and this will move towards becoming a major format in the near future. ,2161
Francisco Partners Completes Acquisition of Grass Valley,2011-01-14,Francisco Partners has completed the closing process with Technicolor and finalized the acquisition of the Grass Valley Broadcast & Professional business. As of January 1 2011 Grass Valley began doing business as an independent company under the trade name Grass Valley. Terms of the sale include 100 percent ownership of the current Grass Valley Broadcast & Professional business. This includes the camera content repurposing editing master control modular news production production automation production switchers routing and video servers product lines including their entire product portfolios the R&D centers and factories around the world the sales and systems activities and customer support organization worldwide as well as the management and administrative support functions dedicated to the business. To help customers and technology partners to understand the specifics of the acquisition Grass Valley has established a special website (www.grassvalley.com/greenergrass) with the latest most accurate and complete information. ,2162
LuXin Cinema Installs Barco Projectors,2011-01-14, LuXin Cinema in Shandong China is installing 120 Barco Series II digital cinema projectors. The LuXin Group plans to first operate the complexes in 17 cities – including the capital city Jinan – and then to move into more cities and perhaps other provinces. By late 2011 20 cinemas – each with six-eight halls – will be open. LuXin Cinema is promoting the film industry in cities like Jinan and Qingdao and bringing the modern multi-hall cinemas into secondary cities such as Yantai Dezhou Dongying Taian and others.
Wenjun Liu assistant to the general manager of LuXin Cinema says “Barco enjoys a large market share and a good reputation in China's film industry. We selected Barco not only for its excellent product quality but also for its superior after-sales services and professional customer support training programs. We are optimistic about LuXin's future development – and we look forward to further cooperation with Barco as we move ahead.”
“Barco's success stems from the trust of all of our customers ” says Yan Fei managing director of Barco Greater China. “Our cooperation with LuXin Group has been a pleasure. Barco will continue to provide support for the development of LuXin Group in the future.” ,2164
Panasonic Shipping AG-AF100 Camera,2011-01-14, Panasonic has begun deliveries of the AG-AF100. Targeted at the film and video production communities the AF100 delivers shallow depth of field and the wider field of view of a large imager. It is available now at a suggested list price of $4 995. “The design of the AF100’s advanced custom-designed 4/3-inch sensor affords depth of field and field of view similar to that of 35mm movie cameras in a more affordable camera ” says Jan Crittenden Livingston product line business manager Panasonic Solutions Company. “What’s more Panasonic engineering ingenuity has resolved the aliasing and moiré that has haunted the DSLR shooter. In fact the AF100 was based on what we heard from and saw customers doing: purchasing DSLR cameras because they liked the look of the image but then agonizing over all of the workarounds required to achieve an acceptable high definition recording.”
The AF100 incorporates a large 4/3-inch 16:9 MOS imager (with an imaging area just slightly smaller than 35mm cinema film) that minimizes skew with fast imager scanning and incorporates an optical low pass filter for elimination of aliasing and moiré. The camcorder records 1080 at 60i 50i 30P 25P (Native) and 24P (Native) and 720 at 60p 50p 30p 25p and 24p native in AVCHD’s highest-quality PH mode (maximum 24Mbps). The AF100 also records in AVCCam’s HA (17Mbps) and HE (6Mbps) modes 1080i only. Ready for global production standards the camcorder is 60Hz and 50Hz switchable. Equipped with an interchangeable micro 4/3-inch lens mount the AF100 can utilize an array of low-cost widely available still camera lenses as well as film-style lenses with fixed focal lengths and primes.
Variable frame rates (VFR) are available in 1080p selectable in 20 steps from 12p to 60p at 60Hz and 20 steps from 12p to 50p at 50Hz. The camcorder has a built-in stereo microphone and features two mic/lines switchable XLR inputs with +48V Phantom Power capability. It can record 48-kHz/16-bit two-channel digital audio (in PH mode only) and supports LPCM/Dolby-AC3 in any of the modes.
This newest Panasonic camcorder is the first to enjoy the benefits of advanced SDXC media card compatibility in addition to existing SDHC card support. SDXC is the newest SD memory card specification that supports memory capacities above 32GB and up to 2TB. With two SD slots for continuous recording the AF100 can record up to 12 hours on two 64GB SDXC cards in PH mode with automatic clip spanning across the two cards. The AF100 offers still image capture as two megapixel (1920 x 1080) still images.
Weighing only 3.5 pounds (without lens or battery) the AF100 other features include Dynamic Range Stretch in all modes and frame rates; six built-in customizable scene files that are exchangeable for quick and easy matching between multiple cameras; seven built-in gamma curves with four selectable color matrices; a built-in optical ND filter; adjustable shutter speed and Syncro-scan function; and a high-resolution variable angle color LCD monitor and tiltable viewfinder. Panasonic will support the AG-AF100 with a three-year limited warranty (one year plus two extra years upon registration) upon registration of the camera with the PASS customer support program. Panasonic www.panasonic.com/broadcast ,2165
ShowPlex Cinemas to Install 83 Digital Screens across Five States,2011-01-14,ShowPlex Cinemas is installing 83 digital screens in locations in Missouri Kansas Oklahoma Nebraska and Arkansas. Most of the installations are anticipated to be done in the next 12 months with the final few to be completed in the beginning of 2012. The exhibitor is working with Cinedigm. ShowPlex Cinemas is a newly established theatre circuit owned by Texas-based Trinity Hunt Partners. Cinedigm's deployment financing of ShowPlex Cinemas was made possible by KBC the same lender as previous Cinedigm financing deals with Premiere Rave Starplex and Movie Tavern. This financing will also cover Showbiz Cinemas with their 14 screens that Cinedigm also signed recently. ShowPlex Cinemas is committed to providing the finest movie-going experience for consumers making Cinedigm the perfect partner both for the deployment and for the digital content our consumers want to see including LIVE 3D sports gaming special events and more says Al Lane CEO ShowPlex Cinemas. We are extremely pleased to welcome ShowPlex Cinemas to our proud list of exhibitor partners says Chuck Goldwater president Cinedigm's Media Services Group. Our team is excited to be working with the ShowPlex team to help them take full advantage of the operational and the programming applications made available by Cinedigm's digital cinema platform.
Cinedigm www.cinedigm.com ,2167
SMPTE Forms Study Group to Consider Movie Theatre Sound Improvements,2011-01-14, The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers‘ Standards Committee has created a Study Group focusing on movie theatre sound system measurement and adjustment techniques with an ‘ear’ toward possible improvements in sound quality and consistency.
The purpose of this group chaired by Brian A. Vessa is to examine and investigate possible design setup and performance issues with movie theatre sound systems (generally known as the B-chain) and recommend areas where these could be improved. These recommendations might result in new B-chain measurement techniques leading to more consistent and better-sounding movie theaters. According to organizers this presents a rare opportunity to take a comprehensive look at these issues and possibly arrive at new methodologies to assist in providing the best practice in cinema audio for the audience.
The Society welcomes participation from all interested parties.
To directly participate in this work information on SMPTE membership (required) can be found at: https://www.SMPTE.org/kmembership_info/individual_membership_types. ST-SG Theatre B-Chain information can be accessed by SMPTE members at https://www.SMPTE.org/apps/org/workgroup/st-b-chain/.
Non-SMPTE members interested in participation may contact Peter Symes SMPTE director standards and engineering via the SMPTE website at http://www.smpte.org/about/staff. ,2169
SOC Operator of the Year Nominations Lifetime Achievement Recipients Announced,2011-01-14,The Society of Camera Operators has announced its nominees for the Camera Operator of the Year competition and the Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. The awards ceremony a black tie fundraising event to support the Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles will be held on February 5th at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank California. Nominees for Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film Hereafter – Steve Campanelli Iinception - Scott Sakamoto The Fighter - Geoffrey Haley The Social Network – Peter Rosenfeld The Town - Colin Anderson Nominees for Camera Operator of the Year - Television: House - Tony Gaudioz Bones - Greg Collier Sons of Anarchy - David Frederick Raising Hope - Doc Karman 24 - Guy Skinner “During the nomination process our members were amazed at the caliber of work out there this year ” says SOC first vice president Jack Messitt. “It was not easy to narrow down the field. Every nominee represents the very best in the craft of camera operating and it will be extremely difficult to chose a winner.” The Camera Operator of the Year Award will be voted upon by the SOC active membership and announced the night of the awards show. The SOC Lifetime Achievement Recipients are: Camera Operator: Michael Ferris (Die Hard Scarface Spiderman 3 Back to The Future II) Camera Technician: Alan Disler – First Assistant Camera (Pearl Harbor Master and Commander The Patriot Mars Attacks) Mobile Camera Platform Operator: Peter Romano ASC – Underwater Camera Operator (Inception Star Trek The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Minority Report) Still Photographer: David James (Shindler’s List Saving Private Ryan Batman Begins Minority Report) Technical Achievement: Arri Alexa Camera System Ultimate Arm - Gyrostabilized Camera Crane Historical Shot: Das Boot - Running in Hallway of Submarine “The SOC is proud to honor this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients ” says SOC president Dan Kneece. “Their career long achievements are a testament to the creative impact of the entire camera crew and the technical innovators vital to our craft.” Society of Camera Operators www.SOC.org ,2170
Thailand Earned $60 Million on Film Production in 2010,2011-01-14, Thailand earned $60 million from foreign film production teams shooting in the country last year according to the Department of Tourism.
Department of Tourism director-general Supol Sripan says statistics of the Thailand Film Office showed that 578 productions were filmed in Thailand in 2010 earning the country $60 million in 2010 double the more than $30 million earned in 2009.
The greatest number of foreign production teams was from India and Japan with European and Korean productions following close behind according to Wanasiri Morakul director of the Thailand Film Office. Morakul says Thailand's lower costs were only one factor for the rise in foreign film production in Thailand last year. Foreign film makers consistently note the availability of top quality equipment exotic locations and multilingual/cultural Thai crews that work extremely hard says Morakul.
Director-general Sripan says he expected additional growth in the industry in 2011 because the Thai government has approved incentives to filmmakers. The Cabinet approved the exemption of film shooting fees in areas owned by seven state offices including the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation the Department of Fine Arts the State Railway of Thailand the Treasury Department the Royal Forest Department the Royal Irrigation Department and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Both local and foreign film production teams are subject to receive the incentive.
The Cabinet approved additional incentives which are still under review by the Revenue Department.
We hope additional growth will come from road shows in Europe and Russia later in 2011 and also an inbound road show of top studios producers and location coordinators that will spread the word about Thailand's industry says Morakul. ,2171
Warner Bros. Signs Deployment Agreement with Key Taiwanese Exhibitors,2011-01-14,Warner Bros. Pictures International has entered into digital deployment agreements directly with several key cinema circuits in Taiwan. Under agreements with Showtime Cinemas Miramar WV Cinemas Cinemark-Core Pacific and Ambassador Theatres WBPI will supply digital feature films to DCI–compliant digital projection systems installed by these circuits. The Studio will make financial contributions towards their recoupment. The announcement was made jointly today by Tom Molter senior vice president distribution WBPI; Willy Liao vice president Showtime Cinemas; Shih-Chen Huang president Miramar WV Cinemas; Jack Chen general manager Cinemark–Core Pacific; and Joe Chang president Ambassador Theaters. We’re thrilled to work with our partners at Showtime Cinemas Miramar WV Cinemas Cinemark-Core Pacific and Ambassador Theatres in bringing high quality cinema to digital screens in Taiwan Molter says. It’s tremendously gratifying that our partners in Taiwan share our commitment to innovation in creating the highest quality visual experience possible. Eric Shih WBPI’s manager for Taiwan says Their enthusiasm and dedication to moving into the future with digital cinema in Taiwan is gratifying. As the first company to introduce the digital cinema experience to Taiwanese audiences Ambassador is very pleased to take the next step with this partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures to digitize our screens which will facilitate the best 2D/3D movie going experience in our theatres says Joe Chang. The partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures will facilitate a much more aggressive roll–out of digital cinemas on all of our screens to demonstrate our commitment to giving the Taiwan audience the best seat experience possible says Jack Chen. Showtime Cinemas is very honored to be part of the era that revolutionizes the movie industry says Willy Liao. We strive to bring premium entertainment service to the people. Joining the VPF program we also look forward to working more closely with Warner Bros. Pictures to achieve that goal. Miramar is always committed to bringing the state–of–the art cinematic technology to Taiwan says Shih–Chen Huang. Being the first to import the IMAX experience Miramar is pleased to have inked the digital cinema deployment deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to completely digitize our screens. ,2172
XDC to Deploy SmartJog Service in 100 Cinemas,2011-01-14, XDC will deploy SmartJog service in 100 cinemas under contract with XDC. The service enables all cinemas to be connected to the SmartJog network as well as provides cinemas with a storage library for Digital Cinema Packages. XDC will handle the installation and first tier of support with local exhibitors while SmartJog will provide the end-to-end service including the hardware and software solution in cinemas permanent optimized satellite capacity supervision and additional support to XDC. The deployment is in progress in Portugal and in Belgium and XDC plans to deploy the SmartJog services to additional cinemas within the next two years which will mean an additional 200 cinemas connected to the SmartJog network. Under the terms of the agreement XDC will also use SmartJog for the delivery of DCPs and SmartJog will use the XDC Digital Content Lab for joint mastering and electronic delivery services as well as to supply a fast emergency recovery support. “We have selected the SmartJog library to equip the XDC sites because SmartJog offers with its robust solution for the electronic satellite distribution a Library Management System for DCP storage. The SmartJog library is fully integrated with our TMS the CineStore Plaza. This enables full installation in technical room avoiding useless duplication of equipment” says XDC vice president information systems & operations Thierry Van der Kaa. “As we continue to expand our digital cinema roll-out in Europe we’re happy to expand our footprint to interconnect all the mastering facilities distributors and cinema chains. XDC is a key player in the digital cinema industry and we are excited to extend our agreement and provide a complete solution for Exhibitors ” says SmartJog director of theatrical sales Nicolas Dussert. Currently SmartJog has around 300 cinemas and more than 1300 digital screens connected to its network in Europe ,2173
American Movie Company adds Red Ones,2011-01-31, The American Movie Company New York has added two Red One digital cinema cameras to its line-up of advanced equipment. Two fully trained competent technical operators also join the AMC team to meet the growing market demand for digital cinema quality.
“I really enjoy the freedom the Red One allows in the studio. We’ve got a Kino and Fresnell tungsten arsenal that gives me so much room to work with and the two Red One cameras add that cinema quality depth and the range to light creatively and make some beautiful images ” says Adam Barbay head gaffer and grip at the American Movie Company.
The two Red Ones add a significant amount of depth to the budget capabilities offered by AMC rounding out a range of possibilities that include everything from DSLRs to professional grade cameras like the Sony F900.
The American Movie Company www.americanmovieco.com ,2185
Arqiva Helps Cineworld Launch Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story,2011-01-31, Arqiva provided complete transmission services for Cineworld’s launch of Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story in their UK cinemas. Arqiva’s SNG/production-facilities truck was deployed to the Cineworld Cinema on Haymarket where it played out and uplinked the film to satellites including Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Platform on IS905. The truck then provided HD filming and uplinking of the live Q&A session with Eddie Izzard hosted by Phil Jupitus in front of a celebrity audience. The complete event was downlinked and screened by nearly fifty Cineworld cinemas around the UK in November.
George Eyles head of digital media networks at Arqiva Broadcast & Media says “Arqiva has already successfully provided satellite services for live event Q&As into Cineworld’s digitally enabled cinemas. The additional transmission of recorded content by the onsite SNG reinforces the range of services offered by Arqiva and how these can be used by rights holders and broadcasters to create unique and exciting live events for digitally enabled cinemas all around the world. We look forward to working with Cineworld on future events.”
Arqiva www.arqiva.com ,2186
The Aroma of Marketing at Sundance?,2011-01-31,The Big Pony Fragrance Collection from Ralph Lauren made its digital debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival with what the company called a fragrant twist on sound cinema and digital technology. Among the VIPs who attended were Elijah Wood Elizabeth Olsen Jonnie Penn and Ben Nemtin and Duncan Penn from The Buried Life. Marcus Glocker chef de cuisine of Gordon Ramsey at The London NYC prepared four courses inspired by the fragrance collection and Jesse Marco was DJ for the after party. The event incorporated several digital interactions across Twitter Facebook and Gowalla including a digital photo booth where an iPad station enabled immediate uploads to guests' social media sites step and retweet photo opportunities song dedication by lead singer Ryan Tedder for a winner selected via @OneRepublic and @BigPonyTeam Twitter feeds and live tweeting throughout the event @BigPonyTeam. The Big Pony Collection by Ralph Lauren is a new team of four fragrances that embraces the key facets of modern men: Sports Seduction Adventure and Style. Inspired by the iconic Big Pony polo shirts the vibrant and diverse collection gives guys a chance to engage one or all of their interests through their fragrance wardrobe. ,2188
Carlton Adopts Unique Digital’s Advertising Accord Techbology,2011-01-31,Carlton Screen Advertising has chosen Unique Digital’s Advertising Accord system to manage its content. Developed at the start of the e-cinema revolution Advertising Accord has evolved to make full use of the growth in digital cinema deployments. The Advertising Accord system includes a suite of modules including a full-featured CRM proposal creator contract calculator campaign manager and advert scheduler. CSA is working closely with Unique Digital’s Dublin-based development team to customize the software to the specific requirements of the Irish screen advertising market. The heart of the system is a complex rule based scheduler that is fully programmable by the CSA sales and operations staff to maximize individual campaign returns for customers. “We have been delighted with our collaboration with the team at Unique to implement a system that completely fulfils our ongoing business and operational needs in an increasingly digital market ” says Eoin Wrixon general manager of CSA in Dublin. “The transition to a single system managing all screens from sales to exhibition will bring enormous benefits to both our customers and cinema operators. Selecting Unique Digital’s Advertising Accord solution allows CSA a future integration path directly to screen level ensuring an efficient and auditable route to screen for advertisers”. Rod Wheeler sales and marketing director of Unique Digital says “Ireland remains Europe’s leading cinema market by attendance and as the dominant screen advertising company CSA will play a crucial role in the successful migration to an all digital network. We are delighted to be working with Eoin and his team in delivering the next generation of advertising solutions from sales to distribution in Ireland. Advertising Accord is now used to schedule and distribute content to over 3000 screens in Europe” ,2190
Cineplex Entertainment Planning Major Developments across Canada,2011-01-31,Cineplex Entertainment plans to develop new entertainment complexes in Abbotsford British Columbia; and Edmonton Alberta and Chatham Ontario. We are pleased to bring cutting edge entertainment complexes to these great communities says Ellis Jacob president and chief executive officer Cineplex Entertainment. We look forward to delivering excellent guest service at each of our innovative new theatres. Each of these Cineplex Entertainment theatres are custom designed for the local community and will utilize the latest audio visual digital and RealD 3D technology in addition to offering UltraAVX. An UltraAVX auditorium features a screen significantly larger on average than the company’s traditional screens Dolby digital 7.1 surround sound extra-wide high back rocker seats and reserved seating. There are currently 11 UltraAVX locations across Canada with many more opening in 2011. Approximately 43 000 square feet Cineplex Odeon Abbotsford will feature 11 screens and 1 950 seats. The theatre will include digital projection RealD 3D technology three VIP Cinemas and one UltraAVX auditorium. Cineplex Odeon Abbotsford and VIP Cinemas will be the first newly built theatre in British Columbia to offer VIP Cinemas. It is scheduled to begin construction in the fall of 2011 with an opening in spring 2012. Cineplex is a tremendous addition to our new retail entertainment complex says Graeme Johnson executive vice president leasing Shape Properties. The theatre is sure to attract local residents and visitors from nearby communities to enjoy Hollywood movies and the latest entertainment offered by Cineplex. Cineplex is known for operating world-class theatres in Canada says Lanny White development manager Windermere Commercial Lands. This theatre has all the latest entertainment options available in one spot – UltraAVX VIP Cinemas 3D and Xscape. There is no other complex like it anywhere in Canada and it is a great fit for Currents and the City of Edmonton. We are delighted that Cineplex Entertainment has chosen Chatham-Kent to build a new theatre says Iyman Meddoui president planning and development Medd Development Group. In addition to all the technological and design features it also means many new jobs for the area. While construction begins on Cineplex Odeon Windermere and VIP Cinemas and Galaxy Cinemas Chatham spring 2011 will also see the opening of Cineplex Odeon Westshore Cinemas in Langford British Columbia. This seven-screen complex will feature UltraAVX and 1 300 stadium seats. Cineplex www.cineplex.com ,2191
Digital Cinema Destinations Raises Equity Fund,2011-01-31,Digital Cinema Destinations has raised $1.8 million of a $5 million equity offering from eight investors according to a filing with the SEC.
Named in the filing were CEO A. Dale Mayo vice president Brett Marks and director Martin B. O'Connor II an attorney at O'Connor Morss & O'Connor. Mayo was founder and CEO of Clearview Cinemas in New York which was sold to Cablevision Cinemas in 1998. He served as CEO and president of Cablevision Cinemas then until 2000 when he founded Cinedigm Digital Cinema a technology and services integrator that converts movie theaters into digital and networked entertainment centers. He retired from Cinedigm in June 2010. Mayo was earlier the founder chairman and CEO of Clearview Leasing a lessor of computer peripherals and telecommunications equipment founded in 1976. He began his career as a computer salesman with IBM in 1965.
Westfield New Jersey-based based Digital Destinations represents the latest venture by Mayo in digital entertainment and will use Cinedigm's proprietary technology and software. The company's first project has been the conversion of the five-screen Cranford Movie Theatre a landmark in downtown Cranford New Jersey since 1927 into a digiplex interactive entertainment center. The theatre will present live sports events concerts opera fashion shows children's shows as well as top movies and 3D films as well as interactive conferences and meetings. ,2193
Film Independent Announces Program for Tenth Directors Close-Up,2011-01-31,Film Independent has announced the program for its 10th annual Directors Close-Up series that takes place February 2 to March 2 at The Landmark – West Los Angeles. Writer/directors James Gray (Two Lovers) and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Los Angeles Film Festival artistic director David Ansen will be moderators. Series panelists include writer/directors Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right) Jay Duplass (Cyrus) William Friedkin (The Exorcist The French Connection) Nicole Holofcener (Please Give) director Matt Reeves (Let Me In Cloverfield) composer Michael Giacchino (Up Star Trek) Skywalker Sound's Douglas Murray (Let Me In Cloverfield) sound designer Will Files (Let Me In Cloverfield) with additional names to be announced. Over the course of five consecutive weeks guests will hear first-hand from prolific film directors whose originality ingenuity and talent have set them apart as leaders in their craft. Film Independent's 2011 Directors Close-Up sponsors include Skywalker Sound The Landmark Theatres the Directors Guild of America and SAGIndie/Screen Actors Guild. Cinedigm Digital Cinema is the official digital advisor and reception host. We are incredibly proud to celebrate 10 years of the Directors Close-Up series and are looking forward to another great year ” says Maria Bozzi Film Independent’s director of education. “The range of accomplished independent directors writers actors and filmmaking talent that have shared their stories and career advice with our attendees is truly amazing. Past panelists include Miguel Arteta John August Lisa Cholodenko Bill Condon Cherien Dabis Jonathan Dayton Guillermo del Toro Valerie Faris David Fincher Ruben Fleischer Marc Forster Rodrigo Garcia Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Susannah Grant Paul Haggis Catherine Hardwicke Amy Heckerling Nicole Holofcener Tamara Jenkins Spike Jonze Miranda July Richard Kelly Neil LaBute Kasi Lemmons Justin Lin Tom McCarthy Alexander Payne Gina Prince-Bythwood Jason Reitman Eli Roth Walter Salles Julian Schnabel Jim Sheridan Kevin Smith Melvin Van Peebles Mike White George C. Wolfe and many more. This year's panels will cover the following topics: February 2nd – Music and Sound Design February 9th – The Creative Team: Bringing the Vision to Life February 16th – Casting and Directing Actors February 23rd – The Spirit of Independence: A Roundtable Discussion March 2nd – Writing and Directing All panels will take place at The Landmark - West Los Angeles on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Series passes are available for a discounted rate of $99 for Film Independent members and $130 for the general public. Film Independent www.filmindependent.org ,2195
On the Road with Napoleon,2011-01-31,Jim Carbonetti stereoscopic supervisor and compositor for 3D Blast in Los Angeles was recently tapped to guide the stereoscopic production for Napoleon 3D a new comedy starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Russian actress Anna Semenovich that brings an entirely new perspective to this legendary historic military conqueror. Using the latest version of Iridas Speedgrade 2010 on location during filming of Napoleon 3D in Kiev and Yalta Ukraine Carbonetti was able to quickly make adjustments and corrections to stereo footage. “We shot this 3D feature comedy with 2 sets of Red One MX-chipped cameras mounted on two Element Technica Quasar rigs. I was able to load raw 4K Red footage along with smaller HD stereoscopic files recorded on Convergent Design's NanoFlash recorders on my Windows7 3D laptop scrub through the clips checking alignment and other stereo settings while monitoring our live feed in our stereoscopic video village ” Carbonetti says. At one point halfway through production the producers needed a three-minute stereoscopic music video for presentation to distributors in eastern Europe. Our editor was set-up in our hotel conference room where he was cutting sequences on his Avid edit station. After exporting an EDL from the Avid and loading it into SpeedGrade 2010 we imported all the Cineform-mixed stereoscopic files directly into the timeline ” Carbonetti says. “I then synchronized and aligned each clip in the edit going quickly from cut- to-cut. Since I favor setting my convergence in post I was able to make all geometric corrections quickly allowing me more creative time to play with convergence to get it just right. I was portable; I had just a small RAID connected to my laptop in my hotel room where I was able to build adjust and render back out. Real time playback was not necessary but surprisingly I was able to play short sections at speed; I just needed to be able to quickly jump from cut-to-cut and work each shot. Color adjustments were mainly made using SpeedGrade’s new automatic color match feature [which was a] big time saver.” SpeedGrade 2010 plays an important role in Jim’s stereo pipeline today largely because his experience with Iridas and its early innovations in real time stereoscopic and HD playback tools goes back to 2002. Much like with Napoleon 3D Carbonetti was faced with some significant challenges on a very high profile project with Paramount Theme Parks. My history with Iridas' stereoscopic software began eight years ago ” he says. “After principle photography was completed on Paramount Theme Parks' StarTrek: Borg Invasion 4D in late 2002 we needed a realtime stereoscopic HD playback solution as we began the post-production at Threshold Digital Research Labs in Santa Monica California. I had heard about FrameCycler DDS Bichannel (the predecessor to Speedgrade) and how it was able to playback dual streams of uncompressed HD content. We contacted [Iridas CEO] Lin [Sebastian Kayser] in Germany and he sent us a demo of the Bichannel software. We loaded it up on one of our Dual Xeon IBM workstations with an early Nvidia Quadro graphics card. We then plugged into twin linear- polarized projectors. The next thing I know we have full HD playback going.” “Paramount was thrilled to see our work on the big screen in real time. Reviewing shots on the big screen became such an important aspect for the artists; instant feedback allowed faster turnaround times for the work. That version of DDS BiChannel really pushed the envelope and allowed us to become one of only a few post houses equipped to playback dual stream HD stereo footage direct-from-disc. I remember the constant procession of producers and directors visiting our facility where we would showcase our latest stereoscopic magic all played back using Iridas' software.” “And ” Carbonetti says “from those early beginnings to the latest fully-developed Speedgrade 2010 incarnation the basic principles still exist: fast uncompressed dual-stream playback but now with the addition of a full DI color toolset compositing timelines and real time geometric adjustments. I'm amazed at where the software has grown in these eight years and I'm thrilled to be along for the ride.
XDC and Reel Cinemas Agree to Deploy 57 Digital Screens in UK
