A major portion of director Todd Robinson’s submarine thriller Phantom starring recent Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ed Harris was filmed in the confines of an actual Russian submarine. Blocking became extremely important for cinematographer Byron Werner and gaffer Steve Lundgren while down in the cramped sub. They had to have a very precise lighting approach. If an actor missed his mark by inches he would be out of his lighting. “While Todd and I spent a considerable amount of time establishing a look and feel that we wanted to accomplish in Phantom I have to credit gaffer Steve with the innovative lighting approach ” says cinematographer Werner. “He built a lot of custom lights but Litepanels bricks were the best and only movie lights we could use in many parts of the sub.” “We had to approach the lighting for the sub from a very minimalistic standpoint ” says Lundgren. “Whatever units we decided to use needed to provide versatility as well as concentrated output. Litepanels became one of the most obvious choices because of the amount of light they put out and their diversity. Since we were in confined spaces that could get uncomfortable for the actors the fact that Litepanels run heat-free was also a plus. Also important was that we needed to be able to put lights in areas where standard-rigging procedures would not prove possible. Litepanels made all this easy.” “In one scenario we had six of our main actors sitting around a table in the mess hall of the submarine ” recalls Lundgren. “The room was actually built on a stage but Todd wanted it to still feel as cramped as it was on the real submarine so we faced some real challenges lighting the actors individually. We ended up rigging ten Litepanels MiniPlus units to the ceiling using 5/8” rods. Each panel had a diffusion and color package we designed for the front of the units. They were then ‘sided’ off from light spilling on the walls or onto the actors in an undesirable way. We would not have been able to reach the result we got with any other units.” “One of the most beautiful Litepanels lit moments was a stirring scene with star Ed Harris as he sits on the bed in his stateroom trying to make sense of the challenge he faces in this nothing-is-what-it-seems-to-be underwater drama ” says Werner. “A mini grid of MiniPlus units was our only lighting. Throughout the whole movie Litepanels fixtures were always the perfect main key lighting for Ed.
“ Steve and I both own Litepanels MiniPlus kits ” Werner adds. “We always have them as our ‘go to’ tools. They are versatile give off great light and produce a tremendous amount of light for such a small footprint.”
Battery-operated Litepanels MiniPlus is a compact dimmable LED softlight available in daylight (flood and spot) and tungsten (flood) models that run cool and provide soft directional output and smooth dimming from 100 percent to 0.
Written and directed by Todd Robinson Phantom is inspired by actual events. The story follows an emotionally haunted captain (Ed Harris) of a Soviet submarine who holds the fate of the world in his hands when he’s challenged by a KGB rogue group bent on seizing the ship’s nuclear missile. It opens in theaters across the U.S. on March 1. ,3912
Finding Affordable Post,2013-02-28,As any good indie filmmaker knows post-production is an extremely important part of the puzzle when it comes to creating a great independent film. The process can often become overwhelming however and leave the indie filmmaker unsure of how to begin post-production or find a facility that caters to the specific needs of independent filmmaking. When director Matthan Harris was ready to finish his film titled The Inflicted he began searching for an indie friendly post house that would deliver the same quality as a big budget film. When he learned that AlphaDogs not only caters to the independent filmmaker but that they have also worked on award-winning movies he knew he had found the perfect fit. “Everyone at AlphaDogs is really professional and down to earth. The team is very passionate about their work and that’s really inspiring for the creative process ” said Harris. Post-production initially began with AlphaDogs editor and colorist Sean Stack working one-on-one with Harris to decide the best approach to meet the desired look for the film. After the final edit was completed Emmy Award nominated cinematographer Cira Felina Bolla joined the team to review master shots and help shape the cool dark feel of the story. Stack created this vibe by adding just the right amount of contrast and shadow consistently throughout the film with secondary color grading applied to balance and even out skin tones of the characters. Scenes shot with different camera angles required careful attention during post to make certain they matched surrounding shots. Stack said. “Sometimes errors happen during a shoot or an effect shot comes back from graphics with a gamma shift. With the use of powerful color correction tools external video scopes and professional monitoring those rare but extreme problems are technically analyzed and repaired so the actors' performance is saved.” In charge of audio for the film was AlphaDogs Emmy Award nominated vice president of audio Marcus Pardo. Harris said “I was pleasantly surprised when Marcus salvaged some less-than-stellar ADR lines by seamlessly combining the necessary parts with the original dialogue. Junior audio mixer Curtis Fritsch supervised the background sound effects adding suspense to the film. Fritsch said “I worked on finding a good balance of realistic and scary sounds to make sure they complimented the film. The biggest challenge was in making sure places like the hospital and the farm didn't interfere with music or dialogue.” The film’s Italian composer Marco Werba (Dario Argento’s Giallo) visited from Rome to assist Marcus and Matthan with the final audio mix. The Inflicted stars genre veterans Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects) Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses) Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (The Omen) as well as Director Matthan Harris. The film takes audiences into the dark world of troubled medical student David O’Hara (Matthan Harris) who kidnaps and murders young women. Attempting to replace the family he lost as a boy he impregnates one of his victims. Once police rescue the victim the troubled student goes on a murderous rampage to get his family back. The team at AlphaDogs worked very hard on the film with everyone going above and beyond the call of duty ” said Harris. “I can confidently say that we made The Inflicted as good as we could within the budgetary limitations.” The film will be released May 21 by Osiris Entertainment on DVD and has already premiered in four countries: USA Italy Germany and South Africa with screenings at Texas Frightmare Weekend Fantafestival South African HorrorFest and Weekend of Horrors. Inflicted http://theinflictedmovie.com ,3917
Reimagining 2D Art,2013-02-28,Award-winning 3D director James Stewart founder of Canada’s Geneva Film Company presented the world premiere of his animated 3D short film Béatrice Coron's Daily Battles at last month’s TED Conference in Long Beach California. Stewart and celebrated New York City artist Coron attended the premiere. Stewart brings a new dimension to Coron's breathtaking 61-panel papercut masterwork of medieval life. An art film about a work of art Béatrice Coron's Daily Battles tells its story in an abstract montage created in stereoscopic 3D. With each medieval scene we enter a tale of struggle battle and trickery representing the challenges of life. The canvas that Coron and director Stewart have expressed in stunning 3D allows the viewer to transcend the traditional film narrative and fall into a world where non-linear abstraction is the only way out. Using animation sound light and shadows and a sprinkling of humor Stewart renders each scene of Coron's 2D cutouts in true 3D splendor depicting a new aspect of the medieval world. Together these vignettes make up the layers of a complex society where good and evil co-exist illustrating the daily battles of life through the ages. There is always a dragon to slay a baby to comfort a kingdom to be won or a meal to be prepared. We are honored to have our world premiere at the TED Conference in such a great environment of artists thinkers educators and activists said Stewart. I first met Béatrice at the 2011 TED Conference and was immediately captivated by the potential for depth in her traditionally flat artwork. Working with Béatrice to re-imagine her work with lighting and immersive 3D has been a joy. Daily Battles is a film we're all very proud of. Through his production company Stewart has produced more than 30 projects in digital 3D including cinema commercials concerts stop-motion and CG animation. He is a director storyteller artist digital innovator and multi-platform visual designer whose work ranges from mobile to giant screen from motion graphics to stereoscopic 3D installations. Recent spots include Samsung Toyota Lexus Sprint JCPenney. Béatrice Coron www.beatricecoron.com/ Geneva Film Co. www.genevafilmco.com/3d ,3926
Cinema Sound Gets a Lift,2013-02-28,Adaptive Technologies Group's overhead mounting system dubbed StarGrid is specifically developed for clustering ceiling-mounted cinema speakers. This new system which supports the latest ceiling speaker formats found in movie theaters is designed to reduce the cost of multi-channel surround sound installations. With digital cinema and 3D exhibition becoming mainstream directors and studios have begun implementing new object-based surround sound technologies such as the Atmos surround format from Dolby Laboratories and the Auro format from Barco to compliment the enhanced visual experience. Recent examples of this include the films Brave Life of Pi and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure to name a few as well as upcoming titles such as Star Trek: Into Darkness. Adaptive’s StarGrid system supports the adoption of such technologies with a safe easy-to-install ceiling grid that reduces total installation costs and optimizes the installation of surround speakers. “The engineering and design behind Adaptive’s StarGrid system has enabled us to complete our overhead installations quickly and confidently in order to meet our client's ever-shrinking installation timelines ” says Adam Peterson director of technical services Universal Cinema Services. “While an auditorium is under renovation it isn’t generating any revenue. The StarGrid allows us to get in and out of an overhead installation fast in order to help the client get back to selling tickets.” Proper placement and aiming of speakers in a cinema setting is vital to achieving the desired audio experience. Not every facility however is designed the same way. To address this Adaptive has developed a complete beam-to-speaker design that allows the StarGrid system to be easily retrofitted into almost any theater’s space. This system comes with a variety of components that accommodate most building materials and structures including trusses beams pipes and channels. Further design considerations take wire management sound isolation and seismic conditions into account. Adaptive also offers a variety of adjustable speaker mounts that accommodate standard cinema speaker models including those produced by Eastern Acoustic Works Electro-Voice JBL Professional Klipsch Meyer Audio and QSC Audio. “With Adaptive’s StarGrid there is finally a structurally engineered ceiling speaker attachment method that’s perfect for cinema ” says Jim Kappus director of sales and logistics ACS Enterprises Inc. “It is a safe and risk-free method for properly installing overhead speakers.” For this customized solution Adaptive can provide the installer with a complete ceiling grid design based on facility drawings that includes dimensioned drawings for installation a bill of materials working load and safety factors as well as auditorium-specific recommendations. Theater owners need only provide Adaptive with the drawings (preferably CAD files) of the facility and the placement of any acoustic wall treatment. Adaptive then creates the installation design for installers to follow detailing the exact location of the ceiling speakers and the grid components that support them. This can also provide support for the submittal of plans for approval. “It is really exciting to once again be a part of another major cinema technology build-out ” says Paul Allen CEO Adaptive Technologies Group. “For decades we have worked with leading theater chains and speaker manufacturers to develop cinema specific surround mounts for walls. With StarGrid we have created an easy way to safely and efficiently install ceiling surrounds in auditoriums making the whole process more predictable and less costly for theater owners. Adaptive has had a long history of supporting sound innovations and we are happy to continue this tradition with this latest offering.” Adaptive Technologies Group http://adapttechgroup.com ,3927
Distribution Dance Partners,2013-03-14,More2Screen has been appointed by the Dutch National Ballet and 3 Minutes West to distribute an all new Cinderella ballet to digital cinemas worldwide (except the US) beginning May 1. Choreographed by the internationally acclaimed Christopher Wheeldon Cinderella was premiered by the Dutch National Ballet last December and received a rapturous reception from both ballet fans and critics alike. A co-production by the Dutch National Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet Cinderella stars Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding the perfect pairing for this original 21st century take on the classic fairy story ballet. Influenced by the Brothers Grimm version of the story Wheeldon has created an enchanting ballet set to Prokofiev's magnificent score with stunning sets and costumes by British designer Julian Crouch. This is the second time More2Screen has worked with the Dutch National Ballet and 3 Minutes West having screened a live broadcast of the DNB’s Nutcracker & the Mouse King to cinemas across Europe in 2011. Cinderella is the latest in a long line of world-class ballets across all formats – 2D 3D and live – distributed by More2Screen. Christine Costello managing director More2Screen says We are thrilled to be working with 3 Minutes West and the Dutch National Ballet again on this stunning new production. It is a privilege to be able to offer a brand-new original ballet production by a choreographer of the international stature of Christopher Wheeldon to our digital cinema partners worldwide. Ted Brandsen director of The Dutch National Ballet says of the collaboration with More2Screen “With their impressive track record in distributing special events to cinemas across the globe and their proven expertise with ballet in particular More2Screen is the ideal partner to work with us on the theatrical release of this critically acclaimed new Cinderella ballet.” ,3931
The State of Independents,2013-03-14,To understand the current state of independent art house cinemas in the United States a good place to start would be downtown Ann Arbor Michigan where within a stone’s throw of each other sit the majestic Michigan Theatre and the smaller State Theatre. The theatres have something of a shared history which only serves to highlight their differences. Despite their close proximity and their significant business ties one theatre represents the potential that digital cinema technology can bring to a thriving cultural center while the other illustrates the many challenges that the transition presents to theatres that have yet to make the move. Russ Collins executive director and CEO of the Michigan Theatre is involved with both ventures and as the chairman of the trade group Art House Convergence has a solid perspective on the past present and future state of the independent art house cinema. The Michigan opened in 1928 and through the 1940s was a showplace for live concerts theatre production music community events and movies the same cultural mix it offers today. In the Fifties the Butterfield Theater Company modernized the theatre in a misguided attempt to compete with television. In 1979 with the advent of the multiplex Butterfield ceased operations and the Michigan’s future was uncertain. Community leaders banded together to save the theatre worked to have its outstanding debt forgiven and in 1982 hired Collins and his team to manage the theatre and to oversee a massive fund-raising and restoration effort. Built in 1942 the State Theater was the last commercial building to be completed in Ann Arbor after the start of World War II. The Art Deco cinema was designed strictly for movies and has a screen but no usable stage. In the early 1980s the George Kerasotes Corporation owners at the time quartered the theatre with two screens downstairs two in the balcony but pulled out in 1987. The first floor was gutted and converted to commercial retail space. In 1997 a private investment group acquired the State Theatre and hired Collins and his team to manage the programming and marketing. After more than thirty years at the Michigan Theatre Collins has overseen dramatic change. When he took over the building was in sad disrepair. With community support programming resumed and the painstaking renovation began. The theatre operated with 16mm 35mm and 70mm film projectors which it still has. Christie digital but not DCI-compliant projectors were added in 2005 to show programs on Blu-ray and other digital formats. Eventually the historic 1 700-seat majestic theatre was returned to its full glory and Collins and his team supervised the addition of a 200-seat dedicated screening room. Recently Sony 4K DCI-compliant projectors were installed in both venues. Collins said the theatre paid cash outright for one projector and secured a loan from a local bank for the other. While he doesn’t minimize the difficulties that many small exhibitors encounter when confronted with the need to convert to digital cinema Collins has a very matter-of-fact attitude about the situation. “It’s a significant change ” he said “but it’s a technology change. With technology changes sometimes you get to choose sometimes you don’t.” He compares this transition era to the earlier move from silent movies to sync sound. “Clearly [the transition to sound] created dislocation and upset ” he said but just as “clearly it didn’t kill the film business. The film industry didn’t change.” Collins said people in the business tend to romanticize earlier eras but the reality is that “showing movies has always been a hard business.” The earliest exhibitors were disparaged as low rent and the successful ones were the people who educated their audiences about the value of cinema. Collins said that the theatres that thrived in the silent era and “had a strong balance sheet” were able to survive the transition to sync sound. That pattern is being repeated in this era of transition from film to digital. Asked about the future of the State Theatre he doesn’t offer too many details. “We do programming and marketing for them ” he said suggesting the decision is not his to make. The venue which still operates with 35mm projection would require significant restoration and does not have a strong balance sheet. Its future seems uncertain. Collins concedes that his theatre benefits greatly from its location near the University of Michigan and there’s validity to the conventional wisdom that art house cinemas thrive in large cities and university towns. Nevertheless a recent survey by the Art House Convergence suggests that small towns may offer the easiest path to success because they don’t face competition from commercial exhibitors. In that regard Collins wishes that commercial cinemas didn’t feel so threatened by art house cinemas. He said art house cinemas differ from the bigger theatre chains in being “community-based mission-driven” cultural centers. Mainstream theatres are “commercial entertainment vehicles designed to make money.” Not that Collins is opposed to making money; he’s vigilant about maintaining a solid balance sheet for his operation but he strongly believes that art house theatres offer a value beyond commercial success. Although he accepts the animosity that many if not most commercial exhibitors have for art house theatres he strongly believes it’s misplaced. Even if in theory a ticket purchased at the Michigan Theatre takes money away from the local multiplex the reality he suggests is more subtle and complicated. Art house theatres especially in university towns teach people about movies as an art form. Once they develop a deeper appreciation for the art of cinema they invariably become better and more loyal fans of all kinds of movies. “Art houses actually create audiences for cinema ” Collins argued. “In the long run art houses are not going to take business away from multiplex theatres.” In many respects the Art House Convergence was born of that “community-based mission-driven” spirit that Collins often recites in conversation. As part of its 25th anniversary celebration in 2006 the Sundance invited 24 people including Collins from 12 independent theatres across the country to its annual January film festival in Park City Utah. The event was dubbed “The Art House Project” and was designed to thank the participants for their longstanding support on independent films. “We shared a meal and discussed our common experiences as theatre owners and managers ” Collins said and after the festival “we stayed in touch.” The group returned to Sundance the following year and by 2008 had grown to 25 people. They formalized their gathering as the Art House Convergence named officers including Collins as chairman and found sponsors. Art House Convergence 2013 held this past January attracted 350 delegates and has become Collins said “The largest gathering of art house theatres in North America.” Asked how many art house theatres there are in the country he said “We’ve tried to figure that out” and based on a recent initial survey he said the number in the United States is “more than 500 and probably close to 2 000.” One of the reasons for the wide range is that the number depends on how you define an art house cinema. It’s smaller if you only include movie houses like the Michigan Theatre but much larger if you include the growing number of museums that program independent films documentaries and alternative content and an also growing number of upscale senior centers that run sophisticated programs of classic films and alternative content. “I think most art houses will survive ” Collins said. “Especially those that are true to being a community-based mission driven cultural center.” ,3937
Collaborating on Sake-Bomb,2013-03-14,Junya Sakino’s comedy Sake-Bomb was one of many films to premiere at South by Southwest in Austin Texas. ,3939
Supernatural Magic,2013-03-14,Oblique FX continues to produce visual effects for the television series Being Human now in its third season. The Montreal facility was recently nominated for a 2013 Canadian Screen Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television for best visual effects in television for its work on the second season of the program. Being Human tells the story of a trio of supernatural beings who live together in Boston. Oblique FX delivered 382 shots for the second season of Being Human including set extensions green screen work digital morphs and enhancements as well as being in charge of on-set VFX supervision. The facility was nominated last year in the same category for season one of Being Human and won a Gemini Award (the precursor to the Canadian Screen Awards) in 2010 for VFX on the television mini-series Ben Hur. This year’s Canadian Screen Award nomination honors the facility’s VFX work for an episode of Being Human called The Ties That Blind. Starting from scratch Oblique FX built the elements that became the supernatural and magical characters in Being Human which include a ghost a werewolf and a vampire living together in a house in Boston. “The Ties That Blind” is replete with paranormal phenomena that required extensive VFX work. A poltergeist splits a staircase in half as Sally the ghost runs frantically backwards to escape the unseen force. Later the ghost of her ex-boyfriend is shredded and sent into limbo by the Reaper a swirling amorphous character. Possibly the most remarkable scenes involve werewolves and culminate in a night fight in the woods between a pair of vampires and four werewolves who have just transformed from their human shape. “The werewolves have always been our most interesting challenge on this project ” said Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput VFX supervisor for Oblique FX. “Each one is a complex character with emotions and individual traits that we need to convey convincingly. They get a lot of screen time and it’s crucial that we integrate them believably into their environments.” The terrifying fight in the woods is the most VFX-heavy sequence of Being Human to date. There are 15 werewolf shots during the night hunt accounting for over one full minute of CG. Every element was hand-built in Softimage lit and rendered with Arnold and composited in Nuke. Extensive rotoscopy was used to place the werewolves seamlessly among the leaves and trees of the forest. CG assets of the werewolves were built from designs that were sketched early in the first season of Being Human. Oblique FX then used these elements to depict the human transformation into the very different anatomy of the werewolves. In the case of a facial morph of werewolf twins the camera was close up with a large part of the transformation happening on screen. This sequence involved a painstaking 3D recreation of the actors’ faces and bodies. The 3D recreations were match-moved and then distorted to depict gradually sharpening teeth and extending bones and subsequently used to add growing CG hair and to animate changes in the color and texture of the skin. Oblique started with shots of the actors wearing prosthetic teeth then animated the plates. Hair was added to the face next. A prosthetic chest mimicked the expansion of the torso. Once the werewolf transformations were complete the creatures were animated to continue the action sequence. “It was easy to fall into in-between shapes that looked weird like a raccoon or a rat ” Lebrun-Chaput explained. “We overcame this by redrawing the details of the face to make it more wolf-like and realistic. Because we were playing with the details of a human face even a small error would have been immediately obvious to the audience.” “We love doing TV work ” said Benoît Brière president of Oblique FX. “With Being Human we’re involved in the creative process from the beginning creating concepts and storyboards. We have latitude to present ideas and design assets to the director. With Being Human all our artists get to pitch in.” Produced by Muse Entertainment Enterprises and shown on Space (Bell Media) in Canada and SyFy in the U.S. Being Human stars Sam Witwer Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington as a trio of supernatural beings who live together in Boston. Oblique FX continues to deliver VFX for the series now in its third season. Oblique FX www.ObliqueFX.com ,3940
Gaining Valuable Space,2013-03-14,The Laemmle Royal Theatre in Santa Monica has worked with Christie to create the first booth-less cinema within Los Angeles. The conversion to digital was part of an upgrade made throughout the Laemmle chain. “Being 100 percent digital made the renovation easier as we were able to carve out multiple auditoriums without having to allocate additional space for a projection booth ” said Greg Laemmle president of the company. “We got back space in the old projection booth which has now been put to other uses ” Laemmle said. “And we also avoided the cost of building new booth space. It’s great to have all the equipment including our Library Management Server as part of the box office. That way staff can input movie files and set playlists while still being available to customers.” In addition to digital projection the newly-restored theatre has stadium seating and three screens instead of one which will allow it to expand its programming and offer more choices to its guests. Prior to the renovation The Royal was one of the last one screen theatres in the city. With eight locations and 41 screens throughout Los Angeles the independent Laemmle chain was started by Laemmle’s grandfather and great-uncle in 1938 and has highlighted the work of independent filmmakers. It also carries mainstream titles such as Hitchcock and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Royal re-opened in late December 2012 with LA’s exclusive engagement of Amour. With the conversion of The Royal a traditional cinema built in the 1920s the chain is now 100 percent digital. “We have a long history of working with Christie. We had our share of hiccups during the conversion process but the Christie team has been very responsive. We truly feel they’ve been our partners in getting the art house scene switched over to digital. They took the time to understand how our world is a little different from the world of major studio exhibitors and were willing to adjust to come up with a better program ” said Laemmle. Craig Sholder vice president entertainment solutions Christie said the firm is proud to be part of the renovation of The Royal and the digital upgrade throughout the chain. “It’s important to Christie to work with each customer to create the solution that works best with their unique needs. Independent cinemas are a vibrant part of the industry and it’s our pleasure to help them make the transition from film to digital.” Christie integration partner Southern California Cinetech managed the conversion to digital throughout the chain. Cinetech installed Christie CP2210 and CP2220 projectors from the Christie Solaria Series digital projectors and orchestrated the Christie Virtual Print Fee financing plan with Christie’s Managed Services team providing monitoring and maintenance services. Christie Digital Systems www.christiedigital.com ,3943
Documenting a Mosaic of Life,2013-03-14, Director/producer Alicia Brauns had a very personal story to tell about her father’s journey from holocaust survivor to well-known surgeon. The documentary-in-progress is entitled Mosaic of Life. To depict that experience and Dr. Jack Brauns’ positive outlook on life she turned to her favorite cinematographer Rodney Charters ASC CSC. The two knew they would be covering an extensive amount of ground from inside the infamous camps to the trip through Germany and beyond—in a short shooting time. They had to build their camera package carefully so they chose Canon C300s supported by a fluid head and legs from Sachtler.
“We chose three Canon C300s to CF cards at 4:2:2 with either Angenieux 15- 40mm or 45-120mm lenses on A and B cameras ” said Charters. “For C-camera we used various EOS Canon lenses 8-15mm 24-105mm and 70- 300mm. We decided not to add anything additional because we wanted to move quickly. Each camera package weighed about eight pounds.”
“When Rodney came to us with this project it sounded exciting ” said Tobias Keuthen marketing manager for Sachtler. “We wanted to do all we could to help him tell this story. It was important to him to have a solid documentary-friendly tripod and head since he knew they would be on their own in remote locations. We decided the Video 18 S1 was the perfect choice allowing him to handle the lightweight camera package with ease and move as quickly as he needed.” “I remembered the Video 18 from my 16SR days coupled with a set of carbon fiber legs and integrated spreader ” said Charters. “It has a handle and when folded is easily carried in one hand allowing the other hand to carry the camera and lens. Or it can be elegantly shouldered with the camera and tripod. It turned out to be the perfect match just enough strength to support the longer lenses. And with its good viscosity it could also easily handle lens heights from the ground up to six feet.” “The Sachtler Video 18 S1s were perfect for shooting The Mosaic of Life on location in Germany because they were compact and easy to transport ” Brauns agreed. “They did not drag or weigh us down. We had to move through locations quickly. The clock was always ticking.”
It was that ability to pick up and move that helped Charters and Brauns get the amount of material they needed in the time allowed. Often they would pull up to a location pull their package out of their transportation grab a few shots and move on quickly. “In Kaufering Germany for example we saw a great opportunity for visual content in the train tracks not far off the road ” Brauns said. “The Sachtler’s ball-head mount made it very fast and easy to level the camera on a steep hillside right next to the tracks. The Sachtler Video 18 S1 made it easy to get out of the way quickly if a train approached.”
The Mosaic of Life is an inspirational documentary depicting the life and positive philosophy of Dr. Brauns who reveals how even the worst circumstances can still allow life’s colors to shine and illuminate even the most hopeless among us. Unlike other holocaust films this documentary is an empowering film encouraging light redemption and restoration. The project will be completed by 2014. ,3946
What Lies Beneath?,2013-03-14,The Trestle At Pope Lick Creek a film based on the play by Naomi Wallace is a coming-of-age story with a wicked twist that reaches into the depths of a nation and asks What lies beneath? For post-production American Film Institute AFI directing graduate and director of the film Vuk Mitrovic went to AlphaDogs upon recommendation of a friend’s client who had used the facility for their project. “Other companies I contacted didn’t seem to care much about the film ” said Mitrovic. “At AlphaDogs they worked on finding the best solution first and then we easily found common ground on everything else including budget. It became my second home and I could go there anytime of the day without an appointment to work on the film.” Sean Williams vice president of design at AlphaDogs worked on a number of visual effects for the film. Plans to shoot interior scenes on a location set involving a window looking outdoors were scrapped for a stage set with the use of a jury-rigged green screen that didn’t have optimal lighting. This presented a unique challenge during post-production as the cinematographer had also used several close medium and wide set ups with dramatic depth of field. Using After effects Williams was able to key and rotoscope background exterior plates into the interior scenes carefully matching focal blur scale and camera movement while preserving details in the scene as well as the characters’ hair and clothing. “Working with director Mitrovic was a breeze. Initial discussions and ongoing communication went very smoothly ” said Williams. Another particularly challenging scene required Williams to match two locked-off shots where a character is stepping off the tracks just as a train roars by. Unintended camera drifts in one of the plates made the compositing quite complicated. Williams comments “Once again I used After Effects and a great deal of rotoscoping and tracking matching the main character of the film into the train plate. I was able to complete about 31 shots and meet the client's high expectations while staying within the budget and time constraints.” The project was lensed with the Red camera and offlined in Avid Media Composer 6.0. Then founder and lead colorist at AlphaDogs Terence Curren worked collaboratively with director Mitrovic and Director of Photography Yong Jin Kim to achieve the desired look for the film. “The director and DP had a very specific vision of the look they wanted and it took some work to really dial in each scene ” said Curren. “One major issue we dealt with was a series of pickup shots that were done months later when all the green vegetation had died off. This took a combination of tricks to hide but in the end it isn't noticeable.” With Avid now offering native support of Avid Raw files Curren chose to complete all the color correction in Avid Symphony. Curren said “We did a lot of work affecting each part of the frame using the Spot Color Effect which allows you to color correct isolated sections of the frame without affecting the rest. This is great for focusing attention to specific areas or fixing uneven exposure in the frame.” AlphaDogs audio mixer Curtis Fritsch was in charge of the audio mix. Inconsistent background noises were a hurdle with some scenes being shot at different times of the year. A good part of the film was also recorded next to a river with airplanes passing over on occasion. To fix the drop out in the audio and keep the scene transitions smooth Fritsch used Pro Tools HD and AlphaDogs extensive sound library. Mitrovic said “The project was always the most important thing. The quality of the product was never compromised which is great and rare these days.” Since the train was essentially a character in the film it had to have it’s own unique voice. Making the train sound loud and menacing without distracting from the characters dialogue and film scoring proved challenging. “In the final 5.1 mix we achieved the desired result giving the film a rich sound that would not have been possible without director Mitrovic’s help and collaboration during the post-production process” Fritsch said. AlphaDogs http://www.alphadogs.tv ,3954
ArcLight Cinema Expands,2013-03-14,ArcLight Cinemas in its first expansion outside the greater Los Angeles market has selected Doremi technology to manage its unique new 14-screen 1 800-seat cinema in San Diego. The complex will feature both 2K and 4K Integrated Media Blocks and Doremi servers. In addition the installation includes a comprehensive accessibility package for the hearing and sight impaired. “To create the ideal movie-going experience the leading state-of-the-art technology is required ” said Joe Miraglia director of design construction and facilities Pacific Theatres. “Our decision to partner with Doremi and their integrated platform is representative of our commitment to an unprecedented combination of technology amenities reliability and customer service.” “Doremi’s superior level of customer service and technical support were among some of the factors that influenced ArcLight’s decision ” said Jose Alvarado president ACS Enterprises. ACS Enterprises managed the installation as well procurement of equipment. “By offering the most advanced and flexible feature set for their product lines partnering with Doremi was the right choice for us ” added Joe Miraglia. ArcLight Cinema’s signature theater amenities will be supplemented with the Doremi CaptiView and Fidelio. “The CaptiView provides a discrete in-seat caption display and the Fidelio wireless audio system delivers descriptive narration for the visually impaired and amplified sound for the hearing impaired ” said Beth Figge senior sales manager Doremi. “These exceptional accessories help ArcLight to champion its commitment to accessibility and provide unique entertainment experiences to a diverse marketplace.” ArcLight Cinemas created by Pacific Theatres represents an evolution in the movie going experience. With locations in Hollywood Sherman Oaks Pasadena El Segundo and La Jolla ArcLight Cinemas offers an unprecedented combination of technology amenities comfort and customer service. Facilities include the historic Cinerama Dome (only at the Hollywood location) and black box auditoriums as well as a café bar and a cinema-focused gift shop. Tickets can be purchased online without a fee and printed at home and at the theaters’ automated ticketing kiosks. ,3957
Storytelling Matters Most,2013-03-14, Academy Award and two-time Golden Globe winning producer Jon Landau will keynote the National Association of Broadcasters Show’s Technology Summit on Cinema on Sunday April 7 in Las Vegas. The Summit is co-produced by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Landau who has produced the two highest grossing movies of all-time Avatar and Titanic is likely to cover several topics – 3D 4K High Frame Rates Motion Capture – but his key message will be that nothing is more important as good storytelling. As he says “Technology has never made a bad movie good.” Landau also produced Steven Soderbergh's Solaris co-produced Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. As executive vice president of feature film production at Twentieth Century Fox in the early 1990s he supervised production on all major motion pictures including Die Hard 2 Mrs. Doubtfire True Lies Power Rangers Aliens 3 and Last of the Mohicans. Landau thoroughly understands the most complex state-of-the-art visual effects technologies and has been instrumental in licensing and marketing his films across various global platforms. In addition to producing Landau pro-actively works with companies and individuals in the entertainment industry to push cinematic technologies to new levels. Kevin Gage NAB chief technology officer and head of NAB Labs said Jon Landau constantly works to improve the filmmaking process even after having achieved enormous success. Attendees at NAB Show’s Technology Summit on Cinema will benefit from his knowledge of how cutting-edge technologies enhance the art of storytelling. As much as Landau understands and appreciates new technology his focus is always on the story and finding the best way to present it to an audience. At the Summit he said “We’re going to have an open conversation about utilizing technology to tell our stories. How do we use it to improve what we do?” He and partner James Cameron are currently working on two sequels to Avatar about which he will say little except that they want to do them more cost-effectively than the first film and to hint that there is a possibility that some of the action will take place underwater. Think Atlantis. There are new worlds to explore. Production on the next Avatar film should begin this year he said.
Here is the rest of the line-up for this year’s Technology Summit on Cinema: When We’re Ready: A History of Cinema Technology Date: Saturday April 6
8:45 am - 9:15 am Location: S222 Speaker: Mark Schubin Description:
Are magnetic-levitation seats with tactile and olfactory feedback the future of cinema? Many of today's common technologies-sound widescreen giant screen high-speed electronic content delivery stereoscopic 3D etc.-were developed long ago but didn't take until the time was right. Technology historian Mark Schubin provides an illustrated trip back in time to when old technologies were new and no one was sure they'd be successful. Advancing Cameras for Cinema Date: Saturday April 6
9:15 am - 10:15 am Location: S222 Speakers: Eric Fossum Peter Centen Siegfried Foessel Takayuki Yamashita Description:
Moves from film to electronic acquisition from small-format to larger-format images sensors and from slow to high frame rates have already been accomplished in commercially available cameras. What's next? Higher resolution greater sensitivity more dynamic range greater color gamut even higher frame rates? How about correction of more lens aberrations the ability to change focus after capture and single-lens depth capture? What might we see in the next five years? Update on the Digital Cinema Worldwide Rollout Date: Saturday April 6
10:45 am - 11:15 am Location: S222 Speakers: Paul Hearty Michael Karagosian Description:
At the end of 2012 70% of the world's cinema screens were converted to digital projection. This session will review on a region-by-region basis the progress made in the digital cinema rollout. Special attention will be given to the enabling factors for the rollout in Latin America where the highest percentage growth of digital screens is taking place. New and Emerging Standards in Digital Cinema Date: Saturday April 6
11:15 am - 11:45 am Location: S222 Speakers: Hans Hoffmann Brian Vessa John Hurst Description:
The session is providing an overview about the standardisation work in SMPTE on new and emerging standards in Digital Cinema. Topics included will be a brief of the 21DC committee such as Higher Frame Rates DCP Subtitle and an overview about the activities being undertaken in the newly established Technology Committee on Digital Sound Systems (25CSS). The Good the Bad and the Ugly of 3D Films: An Essential Guide to the Advantages and Pitfalls of Conversion Date: Saturday April 6
2:15 pm - 2:45 pm Location: S222 Speaker: Barry Sandrew Description:
Whether it's a full feature film conversion or partial conversion in a film shot with stereo camera rigs conversion is becoming an essential tool in the filmmaker's arsenal for creating the highest quality believable 3D. This presentation discusses and demonstrates the advantages and pitfalls of conversion that are essential for the filmmaker to know and understand. Conversion offers the feature film director with unprecedented creative control in the process of storytelling. However this creative control like a driving a high performance car through an obstacle course cannot be accomplished in unskilled hands. This presentation discusses the various processes in conversion what can go wrong and how the filmmaker/director can spot significant errors. It also goes into the art and proper use of techniques such as floating windows in stereo conversion. Sound Advice: Let's Get Immersed Date: Saturday April 6
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm Location: S222 Speakers: Tom Scott Jeff Levison John Kellogg Kimio Hamasaki Stuart Bowling Wilfried Van Baelen Description:
No not climate change or personal hygiene we are talking Cinema Sound here. In the quest for more audience involvement with the essence- the movie- of the Cinema a number of researchers have been looking for ways to enhance our old friend the 5.1 channel soundtrack to immerse the viewer/listener in the aural action and environment.This session will introduce the many players in this area the technical challenges that they must surmount and their successes and failures to date in the quest for the audio holy grail: enough channels to convince the audience that there are an infinite number of channels-- or no channels at all. Improving Workflow for Digital Cinema Distribution Date: Saturday April 6
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Location: S222 Speaker: Michael Karagosian Description:
The workflows associated with motion picture booking fulfillment security key management and film rental reconciliation are unique to the cinema business. One of the promises of digital cinema technology that remains to be realized is the streamlining of these workflows. This session explores the improvements now sought in workflow efficiency for digital cinema from the booking of a movie through to reconciliation of film rental. A Tidal Wave of Pixels: New Workflows for Digital Production Date: Sunday April 7
8:45 am - 9:45 am Location: S222 Speakers: Freddy Goeske Jim Houston Peter Anderson Description:
Many filmmakers would like to make use of a bigger and better digital 'palette': high frame rates stereoscopic 3D wider color gamuts greater dynamic range and higher resolutions such as 4K -- and even 8K. All of these new technologies impose great demands on digital workflows and challenge productions to be pioneers in technology deployment. How do you create effective workflows with digital tools that are rapidly changing or inadequate for the desired volume of work. How can you produce content that is future-proof and yet achievable with current technologies? This session will discuss the issues in designing digital workflows to handle the oncoming tidal wave of pixels using examples from current productions. Distributed Post Production for Cinema: Technologies Issues and Business Opportunities Date: Sunday April 7
9:45 am - 10:45 am Location: S222 Speaker: Gary Thompson Description:
The post-production workflow was once a localized tightly integrated and highly controlled process where the content output was closely scrutinized at every step. The production ecosystem today has become one where production and post may occur via collaborative workflows and with creative individuals scattered around the globe. This session includes expert presenters who will discuss real-world challenges and effective strategies for distributed production post. Topics will include cloud storage security speed and integration with existing media platforms (VFX editorial color grading etc.). Can standard file system protocols be used? What are the options for establishing private secure media clouds? How does an organization work at LAN speeds allowing geographically separated users the ability to automate media sharing allowing the production and post-production teams' immediate access? How do you ensure that all contributors see the same quality image on different display system? Advanced Imaged Capture and Display in Cinema: Science and Technology Update Date: Sunday April 7
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Location: S222 Speakers: Pat Griffis Andrew Watson Bert Dunk Kenichiro Masaoka PhD Scott Daly Description:
4K display is becoming a mainstay in cinemas today but it is only one technical aspect of providing a compelling viewing experience. As new display technologies such as laser projection make possible brighter images with wider color gamut what does science tell us about how humans perceive brightness in a cinema context? In this session we will discuss the science and technology of advanced imaging in the cinema and what we can expect to see in the near future. Higher Cinema Frame Rates: It's Off and Running (at 48fps) Part I - What's the Big Deal Date: Sunday April 7
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm Location: S222 Speakers: Wendy Aylsworth Christopher Pack PhD Howard Lukk Stuart Hameroff MD Description:
With the first release of a High Frame Rate (HFR) movie much has been learned and there is room for improvements. Movie frame rates at 60fps are in development and higher rates are being planned for future generations of equipment. This session will look at the benefits of HFR in storytelling exploring the most recent research on the psychophysical audience response to HFR as well as hearing from creatives about how this tool could be employed to achieve a desired emotional audience response. A Brighter Future: Developments in Laser Projection Co-Produced with Laser Illuminated Projector Association Date: Sunday April 7
4:15 pm - 5:45 pm Location: S222 Speakers: Pete Lude Casey Stack Dr. David Sliney Description:
After sixty years of service in movie theaters around the globe traditional xenon short-arc projector lamps will soon be replaced with solid state laser illumination systems. In addition to brighter images laser projectors promise lower operating costs reduced power consumption longer life and in increased color gamut. The session will provide an overview of laser projector technology including new hybrid projectors incorporating both direct emission and laser-excited phosphor. Further the results of a recent study by LIPA (Laser Illuminated Projector Association) will be presented. In this pioneering study radiometric measurements were conducted to compare optical properties of new laser projectors with xenon lamp digital projectors and traditional 35mm film projectors. These findings will aide in updating safety standards to reflect the new laser technologies. The session will also include a report on the latest progress in this regulatory reform. ,3958
Team Player,2013-03-28,Proludio – which in Latin means “for player” – is the name of a company that says that it and its first product the Series A Playback system provide an inexpensive alternative to Hollywood’s costly DCI digital standard for theatres in effect a low cost replacement for the Digital Cinema Package. The company believes strongly that this can be a great benefit to independent theatres film festivals distributors and filmmakers everywhere. Proludio traces its beginnings to Portland Oregon’s Living Room Theatres one of the earliest all-digital cinemas in the country. Faced with the seemingly endless number of formats that independent films can come in Living Room Theatres decided to develop a method of converting all of them into a single digital format. Tony Trachel says he’s Proludio’s media specialist but he laughs when asked what his specific title is because he says it doesn’t mean that much since everyone of the company’s five employees wears many hats. “We’re a pretty small company ” he said. He says a prototype system that would eventually become the Series A Playback system was first installed in the Living Room Theatre 2010. The product was introduced to the market at large at the Art House Convergence conference in Park City Utah in January 2011. Today Proludio is a separate company but shares an office suite in the same building as the Living Room Theatre. “Depending on the logistics of your theater ” Trachsel says a Series A Playback system can be installed for as little as $250 per month per screen. The systems themselves are free (the exhibitor only pays for the price of shipping) unless that exhibitor requires someone from Proludio to install it in person. Trachsel says that’s rare adding that most of the systems they’ve placed have worked right out of the shipping box. The $250 per month per screen lease fee entitles an exhibitor to screen as many movies trailers and other programs as desired. The Series A Playback system is DCI compatible. One of the biggest potential benefits for independent theatres and art houses in particular is that unless that exhibitor wants or feels they must show first run Hollywood movies they do not have to have a DCI-complaint projector. “The Proludio hardware does not require a DCI-compliant projector ” Trachsel says. “We can plug into a huge spectrum of both consumer and professional projectors including DCI-complaint ones. Unfortunately the Proludio server will not give a theatre the option of playing first run mainstream Hollywood titles as we are not DCI compliant and so far the studios have been unwilling to budge. That said we plan to continue conversations with the studios about the possibilities of a future relationship and hope to gain access to their titles in some capacity.” “There’s a real fear with DCPs ” Trachsel says. Some of this stems from the fact that DCI specifications continue to evolve and change. “We’re trying to eliminate that fear.” The Series A Playback system can and has converted DCPs for use by its customers. Currently Proludio does not currently charge distributors for encodes and deliveries but it is under consideration once they reach a certain footprint of theaters probably around 30 locations or 50 screens. The Series A Playback system is installed in ten locations right now. “Depending on the master format ” says Trachsel “it can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours to author an encode. Tape based masters such as HDCam or HDCam SR have to be captured from the tape into uncompressed digital files and then encoded. The capture happens in real time and the encode takes up to 10 hours and then everything is put through a quality control test. If the master originates as a file for instance an uncompressed or ProRes QT file the capture process is simplified to copying the file off of a drive but the encode time stays pretty consistent. From there the file is encrypted and then distributed to the servers over a secure network connection. Depending on a theater's Internet connection speed this can take as little as a couple of hours or up to 24 hours.”
“Another benefit to the system ” he continues “is that it allows users to ingest their own h.264 Quicktime files up to 20 minutes in duration. This is ideal for theaters that like to run a PreShow and are looking for a seamless transition into trailers and feature content. This process only takes seconds once the file is authored.” There are new products in the Proludio pipeline. The candidate for the product most likely one to be introduced next might be what Trachsel calls “a portable playback system” that would enable customers to screen a movie using their laptop or tablet. Trachsel says the next six-to-ten months are critical for the company’s success. At least one of their customers has nothing but rave reviews about the experience. Larry Ferber is the artistic director of the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival which is held in January each year for ten days in Boynton Beach Florida. Ferber says “Just three years ago we were still running 35mm film exclusively.” Film eventually gave way to a growing mixture of formats – DCDs Blu-Ray discs etc. – and there were an equally growing number of technical problems. Ferber says that it got so bad that during one screening the film stopped completely and no one could get it running again. A year or so ago a college professor friend of Ferber’s told him that he had heard about Proludio’s system and suggested that Ferber contact them. He did and he says this past January the Series A Playback system was used at six locations over ten nights and all of the screenings ran without a problem. Ferber says he will definitely work with Proludio again for the 2014 festival. A big part of the reason for that Ferber says is because the service he received went above simply making certain all the movies screened which was good enough by itself. “But the people at Proludio went above and beyond the call of duty ” he says. “I’ll give you one example. There was a comedy that I wanted to screen but the filmmakers were reluctant to have it shown digitally. ‘Just run the DVD ’ they told me. The Proludio people said to let them take care of it and in the end the movie ran [on the Series A Playback system] without a hitch. The movie was Only Human a Spanish comedy directed by Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri first released in 2004. It tells the story of Leni (Marian Aguilera) a television reporter from a Jewish family in Spain. One weekend Leni drops by her family's home for a visit with her new boyfriend college professor Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) in tow. Rafi is more than a bit nervous about meeting Leni's family but Leni quickly makes matters worse when she announces to her family that Rafi just happens to be Palestinian. “The film had been out ” says Ferber “but nobody here had seen it.” It was special for Ferber because his mind that movie typifies what the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival is all about: “A comedic look at how people do or do not get along.” As for how the costs of working with Proludio compare with the costs of screening at previous festival’s Ferber says “It was pretty much the same. I think it came out to about a thousand dollars more which for a ten-day festival is nothing.” Only Human turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival and Ferber doubts it could have been screened successfully without Proludio’s help. “Proludio made it happen ” he says. ,3967
Cleaning the Sound Mix ,2013-03-28,Director Junya Sakino new film Sake-Bomb premiered last month at South by Southwest in Austin Texas. Sake-Bomb is the comedic story of a sarcastic and self-deprecating Asian American who takes his naive Japanese cousin on a road trip along the California coast to find his ex-girlfriend while meeting colorful groups of characters along the way. Sakino’s decision to use AlphaDogs services to complete the audio mix came after consulting with audio mixer Curtis Fritsch. “When I talked to Curtis about the film ” said Sakino “he was very supportive and confident he could fix the problem areas within the tight deadline we had finish the mix. Though it was my first time in working with AlphaDogs I felt very comfortable in bringing my project to the facility.” Sakino and Fritsch worked collaboratively from the beginning to figure out the most efficient approach in completing the job in a speedy manner without compromising the audio quality. “Sakino pointed out some problem areas as well as details on how the film was shot on days where they had problems with location sound. This really helped speed the process along and helped me determine the workflow ahead of time ” said Fritsch. Using Pro Tools HD Fritsch imported the audio from the picture and identified where the most troublesome areas were. Sakino had specific concerns about a scene that was shot outdoors in windy conditions. Combinations of Izotope RX plugins combined with the Cedar DNS One were used on the best takes to remove wind noise. Sakino said “I originally thought we would need to ADR the entire scene because you could not hear what the characters were saying due to the wind. Curtis was able to remove all wind interference and saved us the cost of having to do ADR.” New music from the composer was also added near the end of the mix. Waves Renaissance Compressor and EQ were used in fixing the timing and audio levels allowing the higher quality music from the composer to really shine with the other elements in the film. “Curtis was very enthusiastic and we worked together well. Before I came in he had done a couple of passes so it was easier for me to get to the part where I wanted to spend time fixing ” said Sakino. Pro Tools HD ability to record multiple audio stems at the same time allowed Fritsch to record the different elements all at once instead of one at a time. Delivery of the film was completed on time and within budget. “Paul DeCham general manager of AlphaDogs really cared about the project and was very accommodating in providing a good pipeline between Curtis and I ” said Sakino. “They did not treat this as just another job everyone at the facility took pride in their work and I was very happy with the final delivery.” ,3970
Cinedom Upgrades Audio ,2013-03-28,The Cinedom in Cologne is Germany’s fifth-largest multiplex cinema featuring a total of 14 auditoriums. During its design phase special attention was paid to giving moviegoers a great experience for their money. Recently Kinoton installed new audio systems based on Dolby Surround 7.1 sound reproduction in two auditoriums. Kinoton supplied all of the components and sound processors and its technicians installed and adjusted and sized all of the equipment to suit conditions in the auditoriums. The new audio capability enhances the Kinoton D-Cinema 4K dual projection systems that were already in place. Highlights of the new audio package are a Dolby CP750 digital sound processor a comprehensive JBL speaker array consisting of five four-way full-range systems 24 effect speakers and a high-wattage subwoofer system (with 6 x 1200 W). In addition there is a network-controlled and -monitored amplification system (from Crown). Kinoton has also outfitted each of the other 12 auditoriums of the Cologne Cinedom with a Dolby CP750 sound processor. ,3974
Editing Dosa Hunt,2013-03-28,While most in the advertising industry know Edit1 as the leading pre-visualization studio they may be unaware of the many creative labors-of-love going on under its roof after hours. Case in point: Dosa Hunt an acclaimed new independent documentary short edited and produced by Edit1’s Zoe Schack and featuring members of Vampire Weekend Das Racist Neon Indian and Yeasayer. Dosa Hunt was screened last month at CAAMFest (formerly known as San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival) at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. Director Amrit Singh was in attendance. Schack and the film’s co-director producer editor Sam Carroll were on-hand as well. In the film an all-star cast of NYC musicians join filmmaker/executive editor of online music website Stereogum Singh to form a multicultural posse on a quest to find New York’s best South Indian crepe the dosa. For Schack it was a meaningful project that spoke to the cultural zeitgeist of the time and an opportunity to reignite her passion for documentary filmmaking. “Amrit and I spent countless hours in my edit suite making sure the film's intersecting themes of culture identity art and the immigration experience were incorporated into the film while maintaining a fun and light pace ” Schack says. “While the one-day/one-camera shoot meant we had a limited universe of footage to use we were lucky to have Carroll and DP Dan Levin. Their work ensured we always had enough to be covered. We used every possible bit of b-roll recorded.” The final result is an immersive energetic and intimately amusing film that maintains a high production value despite its limited resources thanks in part to Schack's editing and to some creative solutions from the Edit1 team. Late in the post-production stage Singh (literally) dreamt up a new animated intro. Schack brought the concept to Edit1's designer Erica Colby Jaffin and together they brought to life the witty animated sequence that strikes a perfect tone for the ensuing film completed just in time for the film's New York premiere. And while the film's premiere and opening run has enjoyed an enthusiastic response from fans and critics alike with positive reviews and profiles running in New York Magazine Interview Magazine BlackBook Billboard Gothamist Elle India and Fader among others for Edit1's owner and president Mike Zimbard the biggest reward is watching Zoe’s creative growth first-hand thanks to her work on the film. “A big part of Edit1’s culture is to support our talent in their artistic pursuits outside of the ad world ” Zimbard says. “We all work hard here and I believe the more we can encourage our designers editors and animators to tackle their own artistic endeavors the more they grow as both an artist and a person. Zoe and Dosa Hunt are a perfect example of that.” ,3977
Film Festivals in the Digital Age,2013-03-28, By Valentina I. Valentini Digital Cinema Report West Coast Correspondent Are film festivals relevant in this digital social media age? If you can sit at home and market your movie via Facebook Twitter LinkedIn even sell it yourself what makes the young filmmaker still travel to festivals all over the globe? With record-breaking attendance every year if SXSW isn’t there already it’s quickly becoming one of the most critical places to screen a new film. Last year the Los Angeles Times called it “a unique space in the festival landscape with a bigger presence than smaller regional fests yet still apart from the industry-driven markets at the film festivals in Cannes Toronto or even Sundance.” This year there were dozens of smaller films with bigger names as seems to be the trend in the independent film world and the distance between what is mainstream and what is indie grows smaller. We have yet to find out if that’s a good thing. For Matt Spicer a first-time SXSW participant and co-writer/director of the short film It’s Not You It’s Me the sheen of authenticity is still present. “At a festival you have a venue to screen it in ” he says during Canon’s Content Creators event in Austin “people to come and see it that might not otherwise see it. And when you tell people that your short got into SXSW suddenly it puts you at a different level. You see people’s eyes widen.” Although personally producer of the feature in competition This is Where We Live Benjamin Fuqua would rather watch a film on Netflix or Hulu somewhere from the comfort of his home he still understands the attraction to festivals and why it’s beneficial to filmmakers. “I haven’t gotten to see a single film ” he says “but I know that other people are of course seeing them. And seeing mine.” His cinematographer Ryan Booth believes that festivals aggregate a lot of people and that makes them still relevant. “No matter how that plays into the business side of things ” adds Booth “you still have to meet people in person and that’s why everyone still shows up and there’s something to be said for that.” Whether your film gets into a festival or many gets sold or doesn’t one of the most important things for up-and-coming filmmakers is to go into the filmmaking process with pure honesty. It will save everyone a lot of time a lot of money and a lot of egos. Knowing that you’re film isn’t going to play a theater and that it might actually be a more viably lucrative option to get your film distributed online especially if it isn’t getting sold otherwise is the first step at having a successful festival experience. “We were a strictly a VOD-type movie ” says Fuqua who made This is Where We Live with that in mind from the outset. “It’s a small story low-budget with phenomenal performances from mostly unknown actors. It’s something you’d choose on Netflix on a Friday night at home.” This is the type of honesty that breeds success. However there seems to be a cutoff age with this theory. It seems that a filmmaker around 32 or 33 years old is going to be a lot more set in their ways regarding a theatrical release versus a VOD release. There is a very small window maybe around 31 and under that will immediately turn to VOD as a real option for releasing a film. “Our director is 37 ” says Fuqua “and I told him from the beginning this is what we had. And true he does maybe think of it as just a bit of a failure if we’re not going to be in a theatre. But there’s so many opportunities to get our film out to many more people potentially than a small release in a couple cities that will cost a fortune.” That stigma of not getting a theatrical release is still omnipresent even for younger filmmakers but going to VOD distribution for your first or first few films could be the path to making the most money back and repaying investors so that you can put it back into your dream film that you want released in a theatre. Whether a filmmaker gets his or her first third or seventh film into theatres the audience for VOD is vast and growing each day offers Nolan Gallagher Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures who has seen success with combined theatrical and VOD releases like 3 2 1...Frankie Go Boom $ellebrity and Hunky Dory (all acquired at SXSW 2012). Increased VOD access means that most films will be viewed and compensated anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of times. Hopefully each film will start a dialogue down the line with movie lovers future investors and fellow filmmakers. That is progress for the artist and the film community as a whole. ,3986
G.I. Joe Gets 3D Laser Premiere,2013-03-28,Paramount Pictures’ G.I. Joe: Retaliation was screened at AMC Theatres Burbank 16’s ETX theatre last month using Christie Digital Systems laser projection technology to project the 3D movie at brightness levels of 14 foot lamberts (ft-L). This was a first in the world of commercial cinema projection – on a 65-foot wide screen. This technology test will last for a two-week period and will be the first time that the general public will be able to enjoy compelling immersive 3D images delivered at 2D light levels. Paramount Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Skydance Productions in association with Hasbro released G.I. Joe: Retaliation in digital 3D theaters across the U.S. and Canada beginning March 28. “As a leader in innovation in the movie exhibition industry AMC Theatres continues to push the envelope looking for new ways to improve the movie going experience for our guests ” said Dan Huerta vice president digital systems AMC. “We are delighted to work with Christie to host this technical demonstration that could equate to a major advancement in movie-illumination levels.” Mark Christiansen executive vice president of worldwide operations for Paramount Pictures said “We fully support the advancement of cutting edge technologies to further enhance the theatrical presentation for moviegoers. Laser projection provides incredible brightness making each film look all the greater but its impact on 3D is startling.” Dr. Don Shaw senior director product management Christie Entertainment Solutions said “Audiences will be impressed with 3D shown at 14 foot-lamberts utilizing this future technology which is much brighter than what current technology produces on most screens. This test of our laser technology will demonstrate how spectacularly a moviemaker’s vision can be realized when shown at light levels normally only possible for 2D movies. Audiences who attend the AMC Burbank 16 during the laser demonstration will see a significant increase in the typical contrast ratio for 3D on a crystal-clear 4K projector and we’re confident that the average moviegoer will relish this new level of immersive experience.” Shaw said “This is not the first time that Christie has employed laser technology to stretch the boundaries of digital cinema projection. Last year Christie also showed select exhibitors in Asia how 72 000 Lumens could be achieved in a demonstration of our prototype laser projector in Beijing. And at IBC 2012 Amsterdam this past September I was pleased to preface the showing of Hugo 3D – the first Cameron Pace Group certified movie – along with noted stereographers Demetri Portelli and Corey Turner (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) which was then projected using Christie’s laser-light projector prototype.” Christie hosted its first laser projector demo for cinema industry luminaries including Douglas Trumbull Gordon E. Sawyer Academy Award winner at its High Frame Rate Summit held in its manufacturing and engineering headquarters in Kitchener Ontario in April 2012. ,3989
Special Effects Oversights and Fairness ,2013-03-29, In a different time and place Abraham Lincoln said “These men ask for just the same thing fairness and fairness only. This so far as in my power they and all others shall have.” You have to wonder if the anger currently boiling over in the global effects community would be so intense if Steve Spielberg’s great film based on Lincoln’s life had won the 2013 Oscar for Best Director and Best Cinematography but it didn’t. Instead Ang Lee’s Life of Pi received those awards and when in their acceptance speeches he and DP Claudio Miranda failed to acknowledge the major contribution of VFX artists to that film – and the fact that effects house Rhythm & Hues was recently forced to file for bankcrupty – an angry fire was lit in the creative community. Since that February evening that anger has been gathering momentum online and the idea of fairness for the creative artists who toil in dark rooms to create major parts of the movies we all love is certain to dominate the conversation at the National Association of Broadcasters convention which begins April 6 in Las Vegas. The anger Oscar night began when a loud version of the Jaws theme music was used to cut off winner Bill Westenhofer of Rhythm & Hues as he was thanking his co-workers. Effects artists seemed not to notice that he was not the only winner to be rudely cut off that way. Never mind that Lee and Miranda’s failures to note the effects team that night may well have been a simple human oversight to the effects community at large it was simply the last straw. Effects artists as a whole are tired of seeing movies that are created largely by them go on to earn the studios millions of dollars while they are constantly asked (forced some would say) to deliver greater and more complex work at ever lower prices. That situation has forced many effects houses to close their doors; Rhythm & Hues was simply the latest. Caught up in all of this as well are the manufacturers of effects hardware and software who continue to push the bar of capabilities and are also trying to make a profit. This will be a key part of the production industry backdrop as some 90 000 people from 155 countries gather April 6-11 in Las Vegas. It is likely to fuel many of the conversations at the various sessions on creative filmmaking but also in the exhibit halls and in bars and restaurants. It’s doubtful that any resolution satisfactory to all sides will be found at this event but there is every reason to hope that bringing so many critical members of the effects world into the same place for a week could start that process. In a show the size and breadth of NAB there are of course a number of other topics likely to be covered related to motion picture production and post-production. There is still a debate going on about the benefits or detriments of shooting in frame rates higher than 24 frames per second. And although the Hollywood studios and major theatre chains continue to reap millions from movies released in 3D there are still many who strongly believe that 3D is nothing more yet again but a passing fad. And that brings us back to the beginning because many of the 3D films released are shot at least in part in 2D and require conversion to 3D at effects houses. As in past years there will undoubtedly be surprises at the show. What is certain is that much time and attention will focus on the hundreds of technology exhibits that line the miles of exhibit hall space in the vast convention center. Here are some of the highlights of what can be expected there. Production The new Codex XR Module provides several recording options in a single package. ArriRaw at up to 120 fps (16:9) can be recorded onto a high-performance Codex Capture Drive. In addition Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD can be recorded to a Capture Drive making longer recording times possible (up to 2.1 hours of ProRes 4444) or with an SxS adapter to an SxS PRO card. Codex co-developed with Arri a new extended recording module for Arri Alexa that allows internal recording of ArriRaw at up to 120 fps. The new XR Module incorporates Codex recording technology directly into the camera is available as an upgrade option for all current Alexa cameras (replacing the current SxS Module) and is standard on the new Arri Alexa XT. The Codex XR Capture Drives are identical in form to current Codex Capture Drives and are compatible with the Codex Vault Codex Capture Drive Transfer Station and Codex Capture Drive Dock (USB-3). The drives are high performance solid-state memory. Fresh from winning a prestigious SciTech Oscar Cooke Optics will have some major announcements at NAB related to lenses and film production. UK based Hocus Products will launch at NAB in Las Vegas a totally new advanced Wireless Remote Follow Focus system for cine lenses the Axis1. Production has already started and the first units will ship towards the end of April.
Company MD and system designer Peter Hoare said “The Axis1 is the most advanced single channel remote focus system out there at any price. Our motor control and drive electronics surpass all the competition.”
“This new product is designed specifically for the top movie production market where good design reliability and ease of use are paramount. The system is built to be simple straightforward robust and easy to use– there are no silly features and nothing that you need to get the manual out for – rental companies have tried it and already love it.” “I have this philosophy which I call OBOF – One Button One Function – no multiple button pushes or complicated menus to call up a function – that’s just not practical in a high pressure shooting situation.”
Although aimed at Hollywood and other higher end movie production markets it crosses also to Steadicam owner ops and Focus Pullers who want to own their own remote focus device.
Hoare added “The new digital drive motor is the cornerstone of the Axis1. It is compatible with many other existing follow focus devices supports auto end stops and auto torque calibration with our receiver so that there is always just sufficient power to rotate the lens without the risk of damage. The motor uses a unique drive train which leaves it with only two moving parts resulting in almost silent and very reliable operation”
The Axis1 has user updatable firmware via USB and is FCC certified for use in the USA. An earlier product – the Hocus Focus was a low cost solution for DSLR SLR and broadcast lenses and continues to sell world-wide. While it handles these types of lenses very effectively it was not intended for large heavy cine lenses used by most professional film makers hence the creation of the new Axis1.
Based in the UK Hocus Products produces wireless remote focus solutions for all types of lenses from DSLR broadcast right up to large 35mm prime and zoom lenses. Sales and service is handled directly or through dealers with service in North America being handled by its partner Hot Rod Cameras based in Hollywood near Paramount Studios. JVC will showcase its GY-HM70 ProHD shoulder-supported camcorder which delivers 60p full HD images and innovative features at a cost effective price point. With a 12-megapixel CMOS imager it records 1920x1080 footage in the AVCHD Progressive format at 28 Mbps to dual solid-state memory cards. The GY-HM70 is equipped with a 29.5mm wide-angle GT lens that offers smooth 16x dynamic zoom performance. Veteran shooters will appreciate the camera's manual focus iris and shutter controls as well as manual and automatic white balance. The camera also provides an optical image stabilizer auto focus and focus assist. At the core of the GY-HM70 is its 1/2.3-inch 12 megapixel CMOS imager. When combined with JVC's advanced Falconbrid high-speed processor it captures processes and records 1080/60p 1080/60i and 480/60i (SD) footage at various bit rates to SDHC/SDXC memory cards. It also allows high-speed video recording for slow motion footage at 300 fps (720x480 resolution) and captures 12 megapixel still images. JVC's unique hot swappable dual battery system allows hours of continuous uninterrupted shooting. For shoulder shooting the GY-HM70 has a .24-inch LCOS color viewfinder but it also includes a three-inch LCD flip-out touch screen display for tripod shots and playback. Audio features include a built-in zoom microphone 3.5mm microphone input and 3.5mm headphone jack. “With the introduction of the GY-HM70 JVC immediately focuses on the entry-level professional video market with a very cost effective shoulder-mount camera ” said Craig Yanagi JVC national marketing and brand manager. “At this price and packed with innovative features the GY-HM70 will appeal to various market segments where budget is limited but a full-sized camcorder is the preferred choice such as schools and universities as well as event and wedding videographers.” The GY-HM70 has an MSRP of $1 995 and will be available in May. Litepanels will show production models of the largest members of its Fresnel fixture family the Inca 12 (tungsten balanced) and Sola 12 (daylight balanced) fixtures. These cool-running powerhouses combine the performance of large Fresnel fixtures with the advantages of LED technology. Both versions supply powerful and controllable illumination comparable to a 2K while using just a small fraction of the energy required by traditional tungsten or daylight Fresnel fixtures. With custom designed lightweight Fresnel lenses they emit even collimated light that is easily controlled manually or via an integrated DMX module to facilitate remote dimming and flood-spot focusing simultaneously.
The new 1x1 LS Bi-Color is the latest in the Litepanels revolutionary family of flat panel 1-foot by 1-foot fixtures. This versatile light provides dependable soft directional output that is adjustable from daylight to tungsten and 100 percent to zero dimming with no color shift. Color and dimming adjustments are provided via convenient on-fixture knobs. LS Series fixtures maintain features such as flicker-free analog dimming and power by AC or DC but without studio-specific components such as DMX control for dimming and color changes. The entry-level priced 1x1 LS Bi-Color is perfect for budget-conscious markets.
Litepanels has three new traveling kits featuring the company’s new cost-effective 1x1 LS fixtures: the LS Traveler Duo Kit with one 1x1 LS Flood and one 1x1 LS Spot; the LS Traveler Trio Kit with two 1x1 LS Floods and one 1x1 LS Spot; and the LS Traveler Trio Plus Kit with two 1x1 LS Bi-Colors and one 1x1 LS Flood. The kits come with light stands for each fixture and a hard sided carrying case. Award-winning director/cinematographer Colin Rich will make special appearances at the Matthews Studio Equipment booth 5437 in the Central Hall at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on both Monday and Tuesday of the show. Rich will be showing footage from his groundbreaking time lapse films shot throughout the city of Los Angeles at night and also some of the ghostly shots from his short Town of Ghosts which was shot in Bodie California. Rich has used Matthews’ support equipment especially the FloatCam DC Slider and Motion Control System support for his last several projects. Matthews Studio Equipment will also debut five new products. The Makalu System is a remote head package designed for live action time lapse visual effects cinematography and videography. What makes this remote head different is the user interface which is a multi-axis jog box with a professional joystick connected via WiFi to an iPad Mini iPad 2 and 3 or iPhone. “We are excited about our new partnership with MotionPeak creator of the Makalu System ” said Robert Kulesh vice president sales and marketing for MSE. “The system gives the user the ability to connect to a Mac running the accompanying eSpinO software allowing for endless programming and tweaking of motion control camera moves.” Designed by gaffer/camera operator Alex Amyot the Matthews Slider is lighter sturdier maintenance free easily field adjustable. “The concept behind the Matthews Slider really came from the need for a really quiet product so we can use location sound and be unobtrusive to actors ” said Amyot. Also by popular demand a wireless motion control system to support FloatCam DC and HD-DC Slider. “The wireless FloatCam Motion Control with cable option allows for the same linear motion control functions for time lapse stop motion and visual effects ” said Kulesh. “It is the same easy to use remote control with the same menus but can control FloatCam’s many functions wirelessly up to 500 feet (150) meters. It also offers a cable connection when a radio is not allowed or there are distortions in the work area.” In addition MSE will introduce LazySuzy a quick and secure way to change camera positioning. This articulated double-swivel camera platform allows the cinematographer/videographer more creative opportunities. The camera can be placed anywhere within a 25-inch diameter circle without having to reposition the dolly tripod or car mount rig. Not too long ago MSE introduced the Intel-A-Jib to the production market. Many smaller-lighter format shooters began to request a lighter weight version and the Intel-A-JibLITE was created. This year MSE introduces UnderslingLITE a very simplistic addition to Intel-A-JibLITE that allows the operator to work freely under the jib arm from absolute ground level up to as high as one can reach without any obstruction form the arm itself. MSE will also be showing the Academy Award winning Matthews Max Menace Arm. Photon Beard will launch a new one-foot square fluorescent lighting panel that produces more light and that the company says is more economic than other 1’x1’ fixtures in the marketplace. The panel includes eight 5/8-inch diameter fluorescent tubes that deliver optimum broadcast-quality illumination using the same Osram daylight or tungsten-balanced phosphors that have become industry standard in television studios around the world. This provides predictable color results with fewer spikes and spectral variations typically associated with similar LED-based fixtures. At only 64W Photon Beard’s new panel delivers similar output at three meters to comparable fixtures pulling 100W. It is dimmable and can be powered from either mains or a V-mount camera battery for around one hour. According to Photon Beard managing director Peter Daffarn “While not aimed at studio lighting applications the consistent high quality light portability and low heat benefits are ideal for both broadcast and film either for on-the-fly pieces to camera or in relatively confined spaces like for example a car.” Sachtler will introduce a new model in its Ace tripod system. Also premiering will be a heavy-duty tripod and a 3-section telescoping tripod and demonstrations of Sachtler’s artemis camera stabilizer products.
The Ace L tripod system expands the Ace family of lightweight fluid head camera support systems that started with the lower capacity Ace M. With a payload range of 0 to 13.2 pounds (0 to 6 kg) the new 75mm Ace L fluid head is not only perfect for video-enabled DSLR and lightweight HDV camcorders but also for heavier set-ups with additional camera accessories. The fluid head with the patented SA drag damping system is available in a choice of two different tripod system configurations one with a mid level spreader and the second with the TT 75/2 legs for the greatest height range. Sachtler’s TT 75/2 CF 75mm tripod utilizes three-section single carbon fiber tubes. It offers an extensive height range from as low as 10.6-inch (27 cm) up to a maximum height of 67.3-inch (171 cm). In addition to working with the Ace L it is also available as a system with Sachtler’s FSB 6 FSB 8 fluid heads. Easy to set up and adjust to different leg angles the tripod comes with footpads and retractable spikes. The Sachtler ENG 75/2 D HD tripod features a wider tube diameter than standard tripods so it provides rock solid stability for high payloads of up to 77 lbs (35 kg). This 75mm system incorporates the tried-and-tested fast-action clamp from the 100mm range. The new tripod is available as a system with Sachtler’s FSB 6 and FSB 8 fluid heads. For every application Sachtler’s artemis provides a trusted professional stabilizer system whether it is the artemis Cine HD Pro EFP HD or DV Pro. NAB visitors can see a live demonstration of the practical and unique artemis features such as HiCap cabling and Hot Swap technology that provides an uninterrupted power supply when changing batteries. Sound Devices is taking its proven field technology into the studio with its PIX 260i Production Video Recorder. Based on Sound Devices’ PIX 240i Recorder the rack-mounted PIX 260i is a file-based audio/video recorder that seamlessly replaces tape-based video decks in production and post-production environments. Currently shipping PIX 260i also offers 32 tracks of audio record/playback as well as control functionality from browser-capable computers and tablets. The PIX 260i brings the features and tools needed by production companies and broadcasters looking to migrate to file-based recording and playback environments. The PIX 260i records QuickTime files in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD video formats. Files recorded in these intra-frame codecs are ready for editing directly from the recorder in common editing environments such as Avid Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere eliminating time-consuming transferring and transcoding. For color-critical applications the PIX 260i supports Apple ProRes 4444 through its 12-bit 4:4:4 3G-SDI I/O. Users can also play out files from the PIX 260i for real-time applications. Up to four SATA drives can be connected to the PIX 260i simultaneously. For RAID-type redundancy and to eliminate the need for post-record copying when multiple copies are required users can record to all four drives simultaneously. Building on the company’s deep heritage in production sound Sound Devices has infused the PIX 260i with 32-track record/playback capabilities. In addition to 16 channels of embedded SDI audio and eight channels of HDMI audio the PIX 260i also accepts eight channels of line-level analog I/O and eight channels of AES digital audio. Using Dante the PIX 260i can accept and transmit up to 32 channels of audio over Ethernet. The Tiffen Compnay will highlight the fact that it is now shipping its new Lowel Prime Power LED 800 studio light. Ideal for studio or EFP-style location productions the Lowel Prime Power LED Light collection includes the 200 400 and now the 800 models each available in dedicated Daylight or Tungsten color versions. With a CRI of 90+ for accurate color the company says that Lowel Prime Power LED lights have both a brighter and wider beam output than the LED competition in their price class. A trademark feature of the Prime 800 LED is its 50-degree beam angle that allows considerable light output to be spread across a wider area reducing the need for additional fixtures to light a set. With 126-foot candles at nine feet the 800 model has almost twice the output of the 400 model. Like all Lowel Prime Power LED Lights the new model 800 is dimmable (via DMX or manually on the back of the unit) with tweakable color for critical balancing against other light sources and offers silent fanless air convection cooling. Components are secured in a rugged all-metal housing. Each Lowel Prime Power LED comes with a hanging C-clamp and female Stand Fitting. Users can also choose from an assortment of light controls. The Lowel Prime Power LED Model 800 retails for 3 895. Vinten has created the Vision bluebridge an accessory that works with any of the pan and tilt heads in the Vision blue range to extend the payloads which can be perfectly balanced. The company says the new accessory offers the ultimate flexibility to camera operators whether using the original Vision blue the recently launched Vision blue3 or the Vision blue5. The Vision bluebridge works by shifting the payload range down and gives users a cost effective option by extending the payload capabilities of their chosen Vision blue system. This means operators effectively need one single tripod system for their shoots. The Vision blue family encompasses the three next generation head and tripod systems providing the perfect balance for payloads as low as 4.6 lbs/2.1kg to suit the lightest of camcorders and DSLRs right up to 26.5 lb/12kg for the larger professional cameras. The Vision bluebridge works by giving an additional offset (45mm) of the payload from the tilt axis. The counterbalance system is required to provide more output per unit weight of payload and therefore the total balance capability of the pan and tilt head is shifted downwards. Andrew Butler strategic planning and project manager Vinten says “We have created this simple accessory so that users can achieve the perfectly balanced and genuine broadcast performance they have come to expect from their Vision blue heads for an extended range of payloads. The hugely versatile Vision bluebridge now enables camera operators to satisfy all of their filming needs using a single Vision blue system.” Adorama video film and photography specialists as well as production experts from the Adorama Rental Center will be onsite providing attendees with information on the latest acquisition technology and digital media accessories available for filmmakers cinematographers and digital media enthusiasts. Adorama will showcase a wide-range of professional and prosumer cameras for attendees to test-drive and compare including the new Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera Canon’s C100 and C300 series and Sony’s F5 and PMW200. In addition to getting hands-on time with these and more popular cameras Adorama will be raffling off broadcast and digital cinema cameras each day at the booth. Cinedeck's file-based record monitor playback and transcode systems are revolutionizing traditional VTR-tape workflows from acquisition into post on high-profile productions. The dual-channel RX3G and quad-MX combine vast I/O connectivity options and support the widest range of codecs/file formats delivering unparalleled workflow flexibility for live on-set post or broadcast productions. Along with productivity gains Cinedeck RX3G and MX also deliver considerable cost/space savings versus tape. Zylight will showcase its new F8 LED Fresnel. Available in tungsten (3200K) or daylight (5600K) versions the compact lighting instrument collapses to less than four inches thick for easy transport and storage. “When we showed our F8 concept at NAB last year we received an overwhelmingly positive response ” said Charlie Collias senior vice president worldwide sales. “We’ve taken the traditionally hot and bulky Fresnel technology and replaced it with compact LED technology. The F8 delivers all the performance of a traditional Fresnel lighting instrument in a much more portable and energy efficient design.” As part of a special promotion Zylight is offering a $200 rebate on all F8 orders for NAB attendees through May 15. Details will be available at the booth. Equipped with an eight-inch Schott glass lens the fully dimmable F8 maintains single shadow traditional Fresnel beam shaping and offers a patented focusing system for spot and flood operations. Its beam spread is adjustable between 16-70 degrees for even coverage for widescreen HD productions. The F8 draws only 90 watts but has close to the light output of a traditional 1000-watt Fresnel. While its silent operation makes it ideal for studio use the F8 is also water resistant (IP54) so it can be used in challenging location conditions. The F8 can be powered by a worldwide AC adapter or standard 14.4V camera battery. “The F8 is a really versatile rugged light ” said Joseph Arnao president. “It’s bright like an HMI but better suited for run-and-gun news ENG applications – you just snap on a battery and go. It’s also a great choice for studios that need to save space and reduce operating costs.” Two speakers will share their shooting experiences with the F8 at Zylight’s NAB booth. Boston-based DP Tom Guilmette recently took the new Fresnel to the top of Mount Washington. On Monday April 8 at noon he will discuss how his Zylight performed in the mountain’s unforgiving weather conditions. On Tuesday April 9 at 1 p.m. Matt Kearney vice president of Fastec Imaging will show how his company’s ultra-portable TS3Cine high-speed handheld camera works with Zylight’s flicker-free LED lights. Like other Zylight models the F8 is equipped with ZyLink wireless technology which makes it easy to link multiple Zylights for simultaneous remote control. As a result several F8s can be grouped together and linked for unique lighting scenarios. The F8 can also be controlled via DMX. Barn doors and yoke mount ship with the F8. Additional options and accessories including DMX motorized focus pole yoke mounting ZyLink controlled multi-head mount handgrip and kit box are available separately. The F8 has an MSRP of $2 400 and will ship in June. Post-Production Assimilate will showcase the latest in advanced dailies/on-set-grading and VFX dailies with Scratch Lab plus the power of creative digital intermediates with Scratch. Expect fresh moves and partnerships from the company that has also delivered pay-as-you-go subscription models. Autodesk will unveil the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite 2014 a versatile workflow that includes the award-winning 3D animation visual effects and creative tools Maya 2014 3ds Max 2014 MotionBuilder 2014 Mudbox 2014 Softimage 2014 and Sketchbook Designer 2014 all which have been updated to offer new workflow enhancements that help artists collaborate manage complexity and move data through their pipeline more efficiently.
Modern production teams must manage multiple complex visually demanding projects at any given time and Autodesk works closely with world renowned entertainment studios to develop the most powerful solutions said Chris Bradshaw senior vice president media and entertainment at Autodesk. The Entertainment Creation Suites provide a unified and flexible workflow offering teams of all sizes the ability to better manage across a globally distributed creative workforce. Each product in the toolset saves valuable production time while giving artists more creative freedom to work with the best tool for the job at hand. With three configurations the Suites scale to meet the demands of any sized team budget or project. The Standard edition includes 3D software and offers a choice of either Maya 2014 or 3ds Max 2014 with MotionBuilder 2014 Mudbox 2014 and Sketchbook Designer 2014. The Premium edition offers all the software of the Standard Suite but with the addition of Softimage 2014 3D animation and visual effects software.
With the Ultimate Suite customers have access to the value of the Premium edition with the added benefit of including both Maya 2014 and 3ds Max 2014.
Our objective is to create videogames that ... push the envelope in matters of emotion said Guillaume de Fondaumière co-CEO Quantic Dreams.
Hundreds of Autodesk customers harness the power of the Suites to create thrilling entertainment projects. Quantic Dream a 180-person Paris-based game studio took advantage of the Suites to create their next video game Beyond: Two Souls. Channeling the power of the Suites the Quantic Dream team created true-to-life characters to breathe life into their upcoming psychological action thriller.
The title stars Academy Award nominee Ellen Page (Inception Juno) as Jodie a young woman whose link to an unseen entity gives her supernatural powers. She is supported by another Oscar nominee in Willem Dafoe (Platoon Spider-Man) who plays Nathan Dawkins a government scientist who works with Jodie to analyze her powers. In Beyond gamers will play through fifteen years of Jodie's story experiencing the most striking moments of her life. Like its predecessor Heavy Rain Beyond will allow players to shape the course of the story through their decisions and actions taken in the game.
With Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites all the characters of Beyond: Two Souls come to life with realistic textures emotions and reactions. Gamers will instantly recognize the critically acclaimed actors as their emotions bridge the virtual world to enter every gamer's living room.
Every tool in the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites offers new ways for artists to efficiently bring more life-like and realistic behaviors to their creations.
Autodesk Maya 2014 helps artists and developers create content to meet the increasing expectations of modern audiences. The 2014 update includes an expanded integrated modeling feature set; intuitive Grease Pencil; and innovative new Paint Effects features that are designed to improve productivity and enhance creativity. The Maya DX11Shader working with enhancements to Viewport 2.0 enables artists to work in a high-quality real-time environment that closely matches final output. New Scene Assembly a File Path Editor and URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) support tools allows for easier building and managing of large and complex worlds.
Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 offers new solutions to answer today's modern 3D challenges. The new Populate feature saves artists time and allows them to quickly and easily generate moving or idle crowds with life-like human reactions and activity. Additional updates include: a significantly enhanced and more efficient Particle Flow toolset; and a performance-enhanced viewport that now supports Microsoft DirectX 11 shaders. Perspective Match and Vector Map tools allow artists to extend their creative capabilities by crossing the 2D/3D divide.
The new Camera Sequencer toolset offers the ability to cut between multiple cameras to edit clips leaving the original animation data unchanged; directorial control over scenes; improved CrowdFX and ICE (Interactive Creative Environment) features enable artists to use the concept of passes and partitions in any combination with any aspect of ICE; and an improved High-Quality Viewport delivers a higher fidelity interactive experience. Autodesk Softimage 2014 now offers easier integration into existing pipelines through improved support for animation data exchange via the Autodesk FBX 2014 format.
With Autodesk MotionBuilder 2014 studios can more efficiently manipulate and refine motion capture and other character animation data for use in onset visualization previsualization virtual cinematography feature film production and game development. Linux operating system support is now available as well as new motion capture workflow options; artist-friendly methods for positioning measuring and selecting objects; the ability to use custom viewport renderers; and an API (Application Programming Interface) for file referencing. The latest update to Autodesk Mudbox offers single-click automatic and manual options to manipulate meshes or to precisely control various aspects of the output mesh with a user-directed solution. Artists can now concentrate purely on aesthetic considerations as they sculpt without altering the underlying structure. Enhanced multi-touch workflows now include support for stencils and additional touch-enabled input devices.
Autodesk SketchBook Designer 2014 is an intuitive hybrid paint and vector toolset that enables exploration and presentation of new ideas for characters props and environments. Additional benefits include: sketching painting and image compositing workflows; easy color manipulation; mixed media workflows and an industry-unique transformation tool. The dynamic scalable user interface is optimized for both pen and mouse interaction and is designed to offer maximum creative freedom.
Cache-A’s LTO-6 archive appliances meet media and entertainment industry need to safeguard ever-increasing volumes of priceless assets at minimal cost while delivering tools and performance for reliable future-proof archiving. They can be used in a wide variety of professional digital media workflows – from on-set carts to SAN/NAS storage systems in post. LTO-6 technology is available across Cache-A’s desktop Prime-Cache6 flagship Pro-Cache6 and Power-Cache and flexible Library 24/48 automation systems. Civolution will be demonstrating its NexGuard suite of forensic watermarking tools including SyncNow its interactive multiscreen range and the latest advancements to its Telextrax media monitoring product line. Visitors will be able to see how digital watermarking and fingerprinting applications are giving content owners broadcasters and operators the opportunity to gain new revenue streams. Deluxe Entertainment Services is launching a cloud-based MediaCloud playout platform. The company says that its significant benefits include low upfront infrastructure technology and staffing costs in playout and distribution that result in considerable savings and a quicker path to profitability. Deluxe MediaCloud facilitates very fast time-to-launch and offers opportunities such as Pop Up channels that enable content owners to fully exploit rights for brands and major events. Deluxe MediaCloud delivers in full HD with network resilience integrated into the architecture and security levels that rival those found in major banks and military operations. Full disaster recovery is implicit within the service offering. “Deluxe has been an innovator for nine decades and that tradition continues with the launch of Deluxe MediaCloud ” said Maurizio Cimelli managing director Deluxe MediaCloud. “A result of substantial R&D and significant investment MediaCloud furnishes a revolutionary and flexible playout and distribution service that provides the quality and assurance customers rightly expect from Deluxe.” In its 25th year in the image processing and enhancement business to celebrate Digital Vision will be unveiling some new hardware to take the company and its clients to 4K and beyond. The company will be demonstrating its new collaborative workflow DVO Stereo 3D Fix tool integration with MTI Cortex Dailies and Nucoda Look as well as its ongoing and improved integration with Avid. Also on display will be Phoenix Film and Video restoration and the Golden Eye film scanner. DV will also have Vintage Cloud experts on hand to discuss archive restoration needs. EditShare is featuring an all-star speaker lineup of talented editors. “You can always see product demonstrations that show every capability and new feature that EditShare offers but this does not compare to hearing from and talking with an industry peer who has put our products to use successfully in the real world ” says Andy Liebman founder and CEO EditShare. “So if you work in feature films live sports production education studio multi-cam productions or reality TV you can hear from an EditShare customer who has similar workflow challenges telling their personal success story on stage. These special presentations promise to be interactive and engaging and will go deep into the trials and triumphs of how prominent EditShare customers are using the latest tapeless technology to move their businesses forward.” The EditShare Theater will feature eight guest speakers including Hollywood film editor Scott Hill whose work includes Here Comes The Boom Zookeeper and Evan Almighty; Dylan Reeve of South Pacific Pictures the producer of New Zealand’s top soap Shortland Street; and award-winning director Emre Sahin of Karga Seven Pictures the LA-based facility behind smash hits airing on History Discovery and the Travel Channels. Kim Smith of Sasani Studios will also be joining the all-star cast to talk about the obstacles and achievements of the 13-year-old reality TV show Big Brother Africa. Mind Over Media’s director of post-production Nathan Wadding will discuss how its media initiative with FedEx may open new revenue streams for post-production professionals. The Foundry will showcase the recently launched Mari 2.0 a new version of its 3D digital paint tool that introduces a brand new artist-focused layer system. The release is focused on enhancing the painting experience for 3D artists. The company says the addition of the new layer system means Mari is easier to use than ever before and will be a familiar working environment for users of Adobe Photoshop and other layer based paint tools. Jack Greasley Mari product manager at The Foundry said “We have spent a long time working on the nuts and bolts of this layer system for Mari and we believe 2.0 surpasses anything else on the market today. We wanted to really push the limits and give artists a working environment that feels both familiar and revolutionary at the same time.” The streamlined Layer View in Mari 2.0 introduces powerful grouping tagging and filtering options making even highly complex stacks easy to navigate and control. Procedural Layers let artists easily create the look they want seamlessly blending procedural and painted detail with the same toolkit. Going beyond the functionality of any existing software on the market every layer has its own Mask Group. Every mask is effectively a full layer stack in its own right allowing artists to use blending groups adjustments and procedurals in all their masks. Shared Layers mean artists can cut down on the bookkeeping that goes hand in hand with reusing layers and masks. Now they can simply share the layer within a stack and any changes they make can be automatically updated across the rest. Justin Holt lead texture artist at Image Engine said “This is the version that we have all been patiently waiting for. I have to say that it has been an absolute joy to use Mari 2.0. With the introduction of the new layer system texture painters will be welcomed with a warm feeling of nostalgia from the days of painting in Photoshop alongside a renewed sense of excitement for the potential of what they will be able to paint entirely non-destructively with this revolutionary version of Mari.” Jens Kafitz senior texture artist at Weta Digital said “The new layer system in Mari 2.0 enhances the way you can work with masks and adjustment layers and is consistent with what you would find with Photoshop. There is also good compatibility between the two applications making the back and forth easier. A new projection mask system and new caching features to help manage the data on complex assets are also great additions to the new version of Mari. Mari 2.0 is available immediately for download. Fraunhofer will highlight developments in 3D production and post-production collaboration with Disney and Arri to deliver hybrid 2D/3D systems and the premier of what it is calling the ultimate 3D stereo recording system: Automatic Stereo Production. FujiFilm will debut two high-performance lenses the Premier PL 85-300 Cabrio lens (model ZK3.5x85) and the XA99x8.4 UltraWide field production lens. While the PL 85-300 is similar in size and weight as the PL 19-90mm Cabrio (Model ZK4.7x19) its longer focal length makes it ideal for shooting documentaries nature and wildlife and commercials. The PL 85-300 offers a focal length of 85-220mm at T2.9 and 300mm at T4.0 with 200-degree focus rotation. Designed using the latest optical simulation technology the PL 85-300 Cabrio not only offers exceptional optical performance in the center of the image but in the corners of the frame as well. Like the highly acclaimed PL 19-90 Cabrio the PL 85-300 is equipped with the same indispensable features including flange focal distance adjustment a MOD of 1.2m a macro function for objects as close as 97mm (3.8-inches) and covers a 31.5mm diagonal sensor size. The digital servo’s 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output—such as the position of the zoom iris and focus—is extremely accurate and the lens supports Lens Data System and /i metadata formats. Like the PL 19-90 the new PL 85-300 Cabrio features an exclusive detachable servo drive unit making it suitable for use as a standard PL lens or as an ENG-style lens. And the PL 85-300 can be controlled using cinema industry standard wireless controllers as well as existing Fujinon wired and wireless units. The entire range of Premier PL 4K+ cine lenses will be in the booth. The 14.5-45mm T2.0 18-85mm T2.0 24-180mm T2.6 and 75-400 mm T2.8-T3.8 will all be on display. Maxon is showcasing the fact that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Adobe to further collaborate on technology that provides creatives in the motion graphics and visual effects industry with new levels of digital media content creation. As part of the alliance both companies are expected to collaborate and engineer a pipeline between Adobe After Effects software and Cinema 4D to give users a seamless 2D/3D foundation. “Cinema 4D is a leading 3D solution and the one After Effects users have come to know and love because of its ease-of-use speed stability and especially tight integration with the 2D compositing application ” said Harald Egel co-founder and CEO Maxon Computer GmbH. “We look forward to continued collaboration between our programming and marketing teams to ensure that the interoperability of our software products makes a positive impact on artists seeking to easily and fully integrate 3D into their production pipelines.” Adobe After Effects has a 20-year history of setting the standard for motion graphics and visual effects software ” said Steve Forde senior product manager for After Effects at Adobe. Collaborating with a market leader in 3D graphics programming like Maxon will further accelerate how After Effects users create rich engaging experiences. MTI Film will show a range of Cortex products. Cortex::Capture is an on-set playback and color correction application that also includes tools for audio/picture synchronization and metadata management. Cortex::Control Dailies is a complete dailies solution that brings efficiency usability and coherence to the process of managing file based workflows from set to screen. Cortex::Convey is a transcoding application designed for speed and simplicity. Powered by a multi-threaded background transcoding engine that utilizes the latest GPU accelerated image processing technology Convey can create all the deliverables needed for review editorial and mastering. Qube Cinema will be demonstrating its system for integrated 4K DCP review and playback. The Qube XP-I server Xi 4K Integrated Media Block (IMB) and the Quad 3G interface for digital cinema projectors allow integrated postproduction and digital cinema mastering workflows. Post-production facilities with 4K DI suites are now able to use one projector setup for both HD-4K uncompressed color grading and 2K-4K digital cinema playback providing comprehensive review and quality control with this one Qube system. The post-production version of the Xi IMB features a Quad 3G interface with four BNC connectors that can be connected to color grading or finishing systems to stream uncompressed 4K content directly to a Series 2 DLP cinema projector. The Xi IMB with Quad 3G inputs offers seamless switching between 4K color grading formats and 4K DCPs from the same projector. Color grading and 4K DCP review can be done using a single projector in the screening room allowing immediate comparisons and precise quality control of deliverables. “Thanks to Qube Cinema we have real-time color grading in our 4K DI theatre ” said Paul Korver executive producer at Cinelicious. “The Xi IMB allows us to view material at true 4K resolution from our 4K DLP cinema projector. The Qube Xi 4K IMB lets us go from color grading to DCP review with the flip of a switch. There are no cables to change no swapping of cards. One minute we’re looking at the uncompressed master image data for color grading and the next we’re reviewing the 4K DCP.” “Qube understands that directors cinematographers and colorists want to know how their 4K images are going to translate to the screen ” said Rajesh Ramachandran CTO Qube Cinema. “The simplicity of the user experience with the XP-I and Xi IMB with Quad 3G inputs ensures this happens.” “Needing only a single server is a huge plus for us ” said Korver. “We chose Qube because of their cutting-edge technology and willingness to push boundaries. They respond quickly to new technologies in the market whether it’s 4K 3D or high bit rate DCP mastering and playback.” ,3990
London Screening,2013-03-29,NBC Universal recently completed the refurbishment of its Central St Giles offices in London. The project included the creation of two state-of-the-art preview theatres for executive and private screenings. Alcons cinema specific C-series loudspeakers were chosen as an integral part of the installation. “For NBC Universal’s new facility at Central St. Giles we wanted to achieve the highest quality environment for sound and image ” says cinema optics consultant Laurence Claydon who engaged acoustic consultancy company White Mark on the project. “We already had experience of Alcons CR1 having achieved excellent results at Universal’s original Oxford Street facility and retained some of these components for the smaller screening room.” The larger room has a CR4 3-way screen system comprising two 15-inch LF four 6.5-inch MF and three 4-inch pro-ribbon HF tri-amplified by two 2kW ALC2 with two 4kW ALC4 amplified loudspeaker controllers with SDP processing. The room features the all-new CRS8 2-way 8-inch vented LF + 4-inch pro-ribbon HF surrounds with identical screen/surround components for perfect voice matching with two CB362 low-tuned double 18-inch woofers providing sub bass. The smaller room meanwhile benefits from a CR1 screen system 3-way passive system comprising one 12-inch LF 1x 6.5-inch MF a 4-inch pro-ribbon HF with only 18cm / 7-in. system depth 2-way CCS8 surrounds and a BF181i as subwoofer. All elements are powered and controlled by an ALC2 amplified loudspeaker controller. “To get the new screening room environment right was a significant engineering challenge and we engaged Acoustic designers White Mark Limited at an early stage ” Claydon continues. “Architect Renzo Piano’s new Central St Giles complex was primarily designed to house offices and didn’t really lend itself to building a heavy acoustically-isolated floating preview theatre of 64 seats. We certainly didn’t have enough floor-to-ceiling height or load-bearing capacity to build on the upper floors.” Eventually a double-height area with a mezzanine was located behind the main reception. With some careful design this was able to accommodate two preview theatres; one with 64 seats and one with 15 seats. Both screening rooms offer an optimum viewing and listening environment with the stadium seating raked sufficiently to ensure there is never a patron in the row in front obscuring the view. “The internal acoustic design was also excellent ” says Claydon. “White Mark has done an amazing job balancing excellent bass absorption with diffusion in both rooms. In combination with the Alcons C-Series we required very minimal EQ to tune the system.” Complementing this is an acoustically transparent woven screen from Screen Research. Claydon adds “These not only provide best audio quality but also have incredibly even reflective properties at any viewing angle and are completely free from any Moiré patterning we would see on perforated screens when projecting digitally.” Projection is provided by a 4K Christie CP4220 in the large theatre and 2K Christie CP2210 in the smaller room. Both rooms are ready for High Frame Rate 3D featuring Dolby and Doremi Integrated Media Blocks. A Dolby CP750 cinema sound processor is provided for professional sources and an Arcam AV888 for domestic sources. Future sound formats such as Dolby Atmos will also be easy to accommodate at a later stage. “Both rooms are now in almost full-time use ” says Claydon. “Universal Pictures are incredibly pleased with the results and we were delighted to have Andrew Lloyd Webber attend the larger theatre a few weeks back.” “These rooms are amongst the best we have ever heard ” adds Robin Sellars engineer – Jesus Christ Superstar. “ “Comments from the wider industry have also been incredibly positive ” Claydon says. “Many have been surprised at the step-change in quality we’ve been able to achieve.” ,3991
DCP Immersion,2013-03-29,Immersion Pictures a newly created post-house in the north of Paris has chosen Mist DCI Mastering from Marquise Technologies for the professional creation of state-of-the-art Digital Cinema Packages. Immersion Picture was already providing complete workflow services including production and image & sound post-production. They were in need for a professional DCP creating solution to reach their goal in terms of quality of deliverables. By using Mist DCI Mastering they have the ability to master and not only encode a compliant package: a real time-line is used to manage the video and audio layers as well as the editable subtitles. Immersion Pictures can also benefit from a unique feature the Color Space Chromatic Adaptation allowing the most precise DCI XYZ transformation available on the market today. As we are involved in cinematography color correction and sound mixing we have always been concerned about how color and sound were translated into a digital cinema package says Jean-Marie Belloteau cinematographer and colorist at Immersion Pictures. That's why we turned ourselves to Marquise Technologies' Mist DCI Mastering to improve our post production pipeline and we are glad to say that it has fulfilled our expectations. Immersion Pictures really understands the complexity of creating a digital cinema package that exactly reflects in projection the DP's intentions says Laurence Stoll CEO of Marquise Technologies We are proud of their choice and we strive to provide them and other customers with the best toolset. ,3993
Claudio Miranda,2013-03-29,Oscar-winning DP Claudio Miranda speaks about shooting Oblivion and about his role in the growing VFX dispute. ,3996
Shooting in Tight Spaces
