Following its recent alliance with Barco Dreamworks Animation has released The Croods in the Auro 11.1 by Barco cinema sound format. The movie screened in Auro 11.1 at the CineStar Sony Center in Berlin last month. CineStar’s Sony Center cinema at Potsdamer Platz has eight theaters equipped with Auro 11.1. “The sound quality of the Auro 11.1 cinema sound format is simply amazing says Oliver Fock managing director CineStar. “It ensures a truly immersive experience. As the first theater with this audio system here in Berlin we are proud to offer this experience to the Berlinale audience starting with the première of 'The Croods'.”
The Croods written and directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco tells the story of the world’s first family road trip. When their cave is destroyed the Crood family must embark on a comedy adventure into strange and spectacular territory in search of a new home. As if patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) didn't already have enough to handle it goes from bad to worse when they encounter an imaginative nomad named Guy (Ryan Reynolds). With Guy's help the Croods conquer their fear of the outside world and discover that they have exactly what it takes to survive – each other. “This is the first movie where we have started post-production using the Auro 11.1 sound format from premix through to final mix. The Auro workflow has exceeded our expectations in terms of ease of use sound quality and meeting our budget. We actually finished the mix ahead of schedule ” says Jim Beshears head of post-production at DreamWorks Animation. ,3896
Barco Introduces 4K Projector for Post,2013-02-27, Barco has introduced what it says is the world’s first 4K projector dedicated to post-production archiving restoration and 4K color grading. The DP4K-P features an expanded color gamut higher contrast and superior color uniformity in comparison with standard digital cinema projectors is specifically designed to meet the exacting demands of the postproduction industry. A unique feature for the post-production community is the dedicated Communicator software which provides greater control over the color space enables color correction per eye for 3D content and offers powerful input analysis. “To achieve best-in-class performance for post-production we have equipped our DP4K-P with purpose-designed components such as a 4K input board and a high-contrast lens ” says Goran Stojmenovik product manager at Barco. “And thanks to the redesigned Communicator software – fully tuned to the post-production workflow – post-production professionals will be able to boost their creative processes.”
The DP4K-P comes with a dedicated 4K (4 x 3Gb/s) input board which enables playback of native 4K content. Its special color filter creates a wide gamut – considerably wider than the current DCI/SMPTE recommended color space – to accurately match colors to any color gamut. Each projector is calibrated for superior brightness and color uniformity. ,3897
Be Film The Underground Film Festival to be Held April 23-27 in New York,2013-02-27,Be Film The Underground Film Festival has announced dates for its 10th edition scheduled for April 23-27. The opening night party and screening will take place at the Dolby Screening Room in New York on April 23rd at 6:00pm. Be Film terrific short-form works across all genres and creative forms and it is proud to have been the first shorts festival in the world to introduce a stereoscopic 3D category for filmmakers eager to stretch their craft into entirely new dimensions. Several of the festival's official selections have gone on to the highest levels of industry success and have nabbed Academy Awards BAFTA awards and Moliere Awards as well as numerous additional honors. As one example director Ari Sandel whose short musical comedy West Bank Story stole hearts at Be Film went on to win an Oscar. Be Film winners take home prizes ranging in value from $500 to $5000 from several generous sponsors. ,3898
Brown Bag Films Deploys Aspera Sync ,2013-02-27,The animation studio Brown Bag Films has deployed Aspera Sync to enable real-time post-production collaboration between its partner studios in Ireland Mumbai Singapore and Indonesia. Aspera Sync offers a scalable and multidirectional file-synchronization and replication solution for moving big data over large distances at high speed. It provides an alternative up to 100 times faster than traditional sync and replication technologies and eliminates the inefficiencies and costs of manually shipping tapes. Brown Bag Films relies on worldwide partner studios often in far-flung locations for portions of their animation workflow. To successfully manage the ever greater number of projects in its pipeline and increasingly handle the big data demands of 3D and HD productions Brown Bag Films needed a real-time 24/7 collaboration solution to enable quick and easy file-sharing with its worldwide partners. Other key requirements for the file solution were that it had to be fast reliable and stable while ensuring no file corruption occurred during transfers. FTP was unable to meet Brown Bag’s stringent requirements. Even with a dedicated team to manage file transfers and content movement across sites Brown Bag Films experienced partial transfers leading to corrupted files while the latency between the site in Ireland and the overseas studios caused transfers to almost grind to a complete halt. Brown Bag Films needed a more stable and sophisticated mechanism to reliably move and synchronize the large data sets. “We had reached capacity in terms of the work we could realistically handle and the number of new projects we could take on at any one time ” said Brian Gilmore head of technology at Brown Bag Films. “We wanted to be able to maximize our available global resources and implement 24-hour production without being hindered by the transfer of large files. After reviewing the offerings out there Aspera Sync proved the best solution that could meet our demanding needs.” Brown Bag Films selected and deployed Aspera Sync to move and replicate file sets between sites in the background and leveraged a Web-based production tracking system to keep track of all replicated files and versions in a ‘hands-free’ operation. Users at the overseas studios simply access files via storage mounted to their desktops. When users place the finished files back onto the mounted drive Aspera Sync automatically transfers all new or modified files at high speed back to Ireland where Brown Bag Films’ internally developed tools create a ‘package’ of files ensuring correct naming convention. Gilmore said “Aspera Sync has revolutionized our data transfer workflow helping us to take on four times as much work at any given time by splitting it between locations – all in the knowledge that quality will be maintained no matter where the file is active in the world. As a company it has helped us become more productive at a glance increasing efficiencies across our data flow management.” “We’re delighted Brown Bag Films has selected Aspera Sync to support its global workflows ” said Bruce Brewer European sales director at Aspera. “The ability to keep multiple sites in sync at high speed without needing to employ production assistants for file transfer monitoring or worry about quality control drastically increases efficiency and will continue to support Brown Bag Films’ rapid business growth.” Brown Bag Films www.brownbagfilms.com ,3900
Cinedigm Tribeca to Distribute The English Teacher,2013-02-27,Cinedigm Entertainment Group and Tribeca Film have acquired the U.S. distribution rights to director Craig Zisk’s (Nurse Jackie Weeds) feature directorial debut The English Teacher. The film will release in spring 2013 with an ultra VOD and digital window followed by theatrical release DVD and broadcast. The English Teacher stars four-time Oscar nominee Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights The Hours) who most recently won Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for her lead role in the HBO movie Game Change. Moore plays a beloved English teacher whose repressed personal life exists in stark contrast to the passion she brings to the classroom. Her routine is upended when a former star pupil returns to her small town after failing miserably as a playwright. Co-written by Dan and Stacy Chariton The English Teacher also stars two-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane (The Producers The Good Wife) Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets Little Miss Sunshine) Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) and Michael Angarano (Ceremony). Matthew E. Chausse Naomi Despres Ben LeClair and Robert Salerno produced the film. “The English Teacher has everything audiences want in an independent film. It cleverly tells an honest relatable and extremely funny story of self-discovery and reinvention that pops with great performances ” said Vincent Scordino vice president of acquisitions theatrical for Cinedigm. “We’re excited to be working with Tribeca and look forward to getting this film in front of as many people as possible. They’re going to love it.” We feel very fortunate to have had such wonderful collaborators in the making of this film from our talented director and screenwriters to our wonderful cast ” said Robert Salerno. “We are now excited to bring the film to its audience and are thrilled to be partnering with Cinedigm and Tribeca. Their enthusiasm and energy for this film is amazing. “The English Teacher is a film about life lessons taking risks and fulfilling one’s dreams no matter how old you are. In a performance that is at once dynamic funny and moving Julianne Moore leads a superb cast in this sparkling debut feature by Craig Zisk ” said Geoffrey Gilmore chief creative officer of Tribeca Enterprises. ,3902
Regal’s Miles to Receive 2013 NATO Marquee Award,2013-02-27,The National Association of Theatre Owners will honor Amy Miles chief executive pfficer of Regal Entertainment Group when they present her with the 2013 NATO Marquee Award during this year’s CinemaCon it was announced by the convention’s managing director Mitch Neuhauser. CinemaCon will be held from April 15-18 2013 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Miles is being singled out by NATO for her unequalled dedication commitment and service to the motion picture theatre industry. She will receive her industry tribute as part of CinemaCon's State of the Industry: Past Present and Future presentation on April 16. “Amy Miles has proven herself time and time again as a strong and influential leader via her various executive roles within the industry said Neuhauser. “We couldn’t think of a more deserving recipient and are extremely honored to present the 2013 NATO Marquee Award to Amy Miles. Miles was named the CEO of Regal Entertainment Group in June 2009. During her tenure there Regal Entertainment has worked with industry partners to convert the exhibition industry to a digital cinema platform. Prior to serving in her current role she served as the company’s executive vice president chief financial officer and treasurer from January 2000 to March 2002. Prior to joining Regal she was a senior manager with Deloitte & Touche and served in various capacities with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Miles formerly served as NATO's treasurer and currently chairs NATO's Investment Committee and she is a member of NATO's Executive and Advisory Boards and serves on its Audit Committee as well. She also serves as a director on the boards of Regal Entertainment Group National CineMedia Variety of Eastern Tennessee and the Regal Foundation. This past December she was named to The Hollywood Reporter's 21st annual Women in Entertainment: Power 100 list. ,3903
Kormákur’s The Deep Wins Eleven Edda Awards,2013-02-28,Baltasar Kormákur’s riveting drama The Deep won a record 11 Edda Awards at the annual ceremony celebrating Icelandic film and television the most honors a film has received in the event’s 15 year history. The film received 16 nominations in 14 categories and among the prizes won was Best Film of the Year Best Director Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ólafur Darri Ólafsson Best Cinematography Bergsteinn Bjorgulfsson and Best Original Score Ben Frost and Daníel Bjarnason. Focus World will release The Deep in the United States on May 21 and the movie will open in 19 countries throughout Scandinavia and Europe in the coming the year as well as Canada Japan Brazil and several Latin American countries. Kormákur’s next feature will be an American movie that films in Iceland called Everest based on the cautionary tale and real life adventure on the mountain in 1996 when eight climbers died in the span of two days due to a series of horrific mishaps and bad decisions. The Deep is based on the astonishing true story of the sole survivor of a capsized fishing boat and the actual incident captured the imaginations of the Icelandic people including Kormákur who was a teenager at the time. Much later he saw a stage play based on the event which also coincided with Iceland’s infamous economic meltdown. Kormákur saw a metaphor in the protagonist whose greatest act of courage is to return home and to the sea to a lifestyle and value system that seemed to have gotten away as Iceland became more economically prosperous. Kormákur’s take on the story clearly resonated with his countrymen as evinced by the Edda Awards and the opening weekend gross when The Deep took in more than 50 percent of the total box office receipts. The Deep became Iceland’s Academy Award nominee and made the foreign Oscar shortlist. Kormákur is in pre-production on his next Icelandic feature Rocketman which he will produce through his Blueeyes Productions along with Agnes Johansen for Dagur Kari to direct. His upcoming American movie the thriller 2 Guns from Universal Pictures starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg opens August 16 and he will also direct the pilot episode of the HBO thriller The Missionary which Mark Wahlberg Steve Levinson and Malcolm Gladwell will produce. ,3906
Flanders Fields Museum Provides a Modern Look at WWI,2013-02-28,The newly opened In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres Belgium interprets the stories of the First World War as seen in the Flanders region using modern museum techniques and multimedia for visitors of today and tomorrow. Specialist museums system integrator Ocular BVBA installed projectiondesign projectors and other technology in the Belle Epoque First Battle Ypres Salient and Third Battle exhibit areas with the aim of stimulating a more in-depth look at how museum visitors deal with war and peace. On entering the museum a Poppy Bracelet is given to all visitors. As visitors move around the beautifully restored medieval cloth-hall building in the city’s main square a micro-chip inside their Poppy a globally recognized symbol of the First World War provides them with video projections interactive touchscreens and soundscapes used to re-create the pain and tragedy of the War. The museum has always focused on the stories of individuals within the larger picture of the Great War. These personal stories are told through many and varied objects on display interactive installations and life-like characters. Piet Chielens coordinator In Flanders Fields Museum says “To really embrace the whole public with the impact of landscape then I think the best way of doing it is with projection. That is what we’ve done here. People are really thrilled with the experience and that is largely due to the techniques we’ve chosen to present it.” Nicolas Vanden Avenne managing director at Ocular BVBA says “Every projection surface in this museum is either curved or has a rather unusual shape for projection which made this a technical challenge. Along with projection we use the blend and warp functionality of the WB processors throughout the museum.” As visitors enter the museum they walk through the Belle Epoque exhibit which highlights the period of time leading up until the war. In this area two F32 projectors are used to project footage on to a curved structure that looks like a forest of wood panels. In the First Battle exhibit a projectiondesign F35 wqxga projector is used to project from the ceiling onto a 3D scale model map of the battlefields from the North Sea to the front line. Viewers can watch the deployment of allied troops in the city of Ypres and the first battle from an eagle’s point of view. Ypres Saliant uses three projectiondesign F22 projectors and WB1920 processors onto a 170-degree curved screen to observe the progress of the war as if travelling in a balloon high in the sky. Footage includes a view over buildings and deployment of troops around Ypres. The content is a combination of historical footage and custom-made film. Perhaps the most harrowing exhibit the Third battle uses four F22 projectors onto a curved screen and ceiling to provide symbolic visuals with narration by nurses doctors soldiers priests about one of the bloodiest battles in the First World War. “To achieve the exhibit areas ” Vanden Avenne says “We had to look for a partner that could do the engineering of our projections and cooperate with us during the building of the museum. We turned to projectiondesign because of their high-performance projectors for each exhibit area and choice of lenses.” “As the museum is open ten hours a day we wanted to have reliability longevity with no image degradation. Projectiondesign guaranteed that their projectors would remain consistent during heavy use ” says Vanden Avenne. Anders Løkke marketing director says “We are consistently impressed with the integrated approach that Ocular has taken. The exhibit areas are pushing the boundaries of how projection can be used to engage inform and tell the story of the First World War. The added touch is that visitors to In Flanders Fields Museum can take their poppy home to remember the video projections and the stories of the First World War.” Vanden Avenne says “Working for clients such as the In Flanders Fields Museum is a richly rewarding learning experience. Ocular loves creating experiences and will continue to bring people’s stories to life for academic and cultural institutions for a long time to come.” ,3908
Fraunhofer Provided Technical Support for Berlinale,2013-02-28,For the second year Fraunhofer IIS’ Department of Moving Picture Technologies was selected as the go-to digital cinema technical expert for the 63rd annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). As the global tally of digital cinema rises more and more festival entries are being submitted in the digital cinema film format. However for smaller production companies in particular producing these digital cinema packages is no easy task. To help scientists from Fraunhofer IIS provided their expertise to the Berlinale to assist in technical quality control so that every film submission could have its moment of glory on the big screen. “We’re very pleased that this year we are once again putting our specialist know-how to good effect for one of the landmark international film festivals of 2013 ” said Heiko Sparenberg head of the Department of Moving Picture Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS. “This chance to work with filmmakers is extremely important to us as it allows us to learn in even more detail exactly what the film industry wants and needs especially for film festivals and to make sure these requirements carry over into our work developing the necessary technologies.” ,3909
Gotham PELA Announce Merger,2013-02-28,The entertainment management and production company Gotham Group and talent management firm Principal Entertainment Los Angeles have joined forces effective immediately and will be housed in The Gotham Group’s existing offices in Los Angeles. The announcement was made by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein founder and CEO of The Gotham Group and PELA partners Marsha McManus Larry Taube and Liz Robinson. Gotham’s Lindsay Williams and Lee Stollman will help manage the relationship on the Gotham side. “The intersection between PELA's impressive talent representation capabilities and Gotham’s broad expertise across the animation film and television worlds will expand opportunities for all our clients ” said Goldstein-Vein. “Gotham’s deep well of intellectual property and production resources is the perfect match to our impressive talent pool said PELA’s McManus Taube and Robinson. Principal Entertainment Los Angeles boasts an international roster of highly respected film television and stage actors as well as a powerful pool of writers directors and producers McManus and Robinson have been in partnership as managers since 1993 and Taube joined them in 2006 after almost 20 years at William Morris and The Gersh Agency. Their client roster includes Seth Rogen Emmy winner Jim Parsons Emmy nominee Sandra Oh Cheryl Hines Alexander Skarsgard Oscar nominee Golden Globe and Emmy winner Tom Wilkinson Golden Globe nominee Andy Serkis Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson Steve Zahn Christopher Eccleston Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins Emmy nominee Joanne Frogatt Taylor Kinney Katy Mixon Emmy and Tony Award nominee Kate Burton National Board of Review winner and Independent Spirit Award nominee Ann Dowd Sally Pressman James Roday Paul Adelstein Matt Lauria Shea Whigham Adam Arkin Skylar Astin Seth Numrich and Oscar- nominated and Independent Spirit Award-winning Dan Futterman. In addition literary clients include writer director Stephen Kay writer director Joe Ahearne as well as Lauren Ann Miller who wrote and starred in the 2012 Sundance hit For A Good Time Call. Among PELA’s top managers are Mike Smith Jen Weinbaum Atil Singh and Liz York who recently joined PELA from Management 360 bringing with her clients Jordana Brewster Dylan O’Brien among others. The Gotham Group established in 1993 by Goldsmith-Vein reps a client roster of over 300 top writers directors publishers authors illustrators animation talent and comic book companies. Gotham controls more source material than any other entity in the entertainment industry. Among its clients are publishers Scholastic Simon & Schuster HarperCollins Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Bloomsbury Walker US Soho Dark Horse Comics and Arcana. Other clients include: Henry Selick Danny Strong Dave Eggers Steve Buscemi David Gordon Green Zach Helm Thor Freudenthal Wentworth Miller Emily Kapnek Dan Simmons Angus Wall Burr Steers Adam Cozad Brian Percival Nick Santora Aardman Animations Robert Nelson Jacobs Mark Steven Johnson Chris Murphy Jay Chandrasekhar Mark Andrus Dan Lagana Butch Hartman Doug Tenapel Colum McCann Mike Jones and Tony DiTerlizzi. On the production side The Gotham Group has a first-look deal at Sony Pictures Animation for fully animated and CGI/hybrid films as well as a first-look deal in television with ABC Studios. The Gotham Group is currently in production on an untitled Elmore Leonard project based on his novel The Switch. Written and directed by Daniel Schechter the film stars Jennifer Aniston John Hawkes yasiin bey (aka Mos Def) Tim Robbins Isla Fisher Will Forte and Mark Boone Jr. A May production start is planned for The Maze Runner (Twentieth Century Fox) based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author James Dashner. Other upcoming Gotham producing projects include: Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper to be directed by Gary Ross for Universal; The Devil You Know to be produced with Shawn Levy for 20th Century Fox; Ghostopolis based on client Doug TenNapel’s graphic novel; Big Brave Brian starring Dwayne Johnson; Taking Gotham with Olivier Megaton (Colombiana) attached to direct and Kodachrome written by Jonathan Tropper and set up at Fox.
Dreamworks’ The Croods Released in Barco Auro 11.1
