When New York City began Phase 4 reopening of its economy, it paved the way for the resumption of film and television production under restrictions designed to forestall the spread of coronavirus. Productions must implement testing, apply rigorous cleaning measures and practice social distancing. But the good news is, the city is back in the business of making films and television shows.
More than $2.6 billion in domestic box office might have been sacrificed in 2019 had a 17-day window been in place. A new report from the research firm Gower Street Analytics shows that 24 percent of total box office across the domestic market last year was taken beyond Day 17 of release. In the most dramatic example of this, Sam Mendes’ 1917 grossed $129 million at the domestic box office beyond Day 17 – an astonishing 81 percent of its lifetime gross.
Production sound mixer Ben Nimkin has worked on a long list of compelling documentaries including Fyre Fraud; Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story; States of Undress; Gaycation and more. With a specialty for investigative documentaries, Nimkin is no stranger to capturing highly emotional conversations and working in extreme environments. Experience has taught him – sometimes the hard way – that in documentary work you usually have just one chance to get the sound right.
VFX Legion, a remote boutique-style global company, has announced the opening of a full-scale division in British Columbia. An early proponent of the virtualization of visual effects, industry veteran James David Hattin launched the company in 2013, introducing a groundbreaking collaborative work-from-home business model almost a decade before COVID-19 made social distancing essential. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company’s new Kelowna-based division takes its road-tested remote visual effect services to the next level.
Screen Media has announced that ahead of its limited theatrical and video-on-demand release of Roger Michell’s Blackbird on September 18, they have partnered with Fathom Events for an exclusive nationwide cinema premiere on September 14 and 15. Each screening will be accompanied by a special introduction from Michell and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.
Theatrical distributor Abramorama will host the world premiere of the documentary Herb Alpert Is…. The global event will take place October 1 via Facebook Live and will feature a Q&A with Herb Alpert and director John Scheinfeld moderated by the Grammy Museum’s artistic director Scott Goldman immediately following. On October 2 the film will be available via a nationwide virtual cinema release and globally on demand through Amazon, iTunes and other video-on-demand providers. The film will also be available on Blu-Ray and DVD via Amazon.
Last August, the Star Cinema Grill in Richmond, Texas, a Houston suburb, was having great success in its premium large format auditorium thanks to having installed the largest Samsung Onyx LED Cinema Screen in North America. It was just the second exhibitor in the country with an Onyx and audiences loved the experience; the theatre was sold out for almost every show. Cut to this August and times have changed dramatically. The United States in general and Texas in particular are still dealing with the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the handful of indoor theatres that are open are working under severe restrictions. In response to that, Star Cinema Grill is in the process of opening a drive-in theatre at its Cypress, Texas location
Recording, editing, mixing and mastering engineer Ayako Yamauchi has found that turnaround speed is crucial to many of her film and television projects. Having won multiple awards for her audio post-production work, Yamauchi’s credits are filled with some of the world’s leading video games. Included among these are Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, God of War and Sekiro: The Shadow Dies Twice.
Sena Cinemas, Reykjavik has signed a multi-year agreement with Movio Cinema to better analyze, understand and connect with its cinema audiences. Sena owns and operates Iceland’s largest cinemas including Smarabio equipped with laser projectors for all screens and a Dolby Atmos sound system in the main hall. Smarabio’s fun center hosts an arcade, laser tag, virtual reality games, karaoke, and facilities to accommodate groups of all sizes.
The Colorist Society International is joining the Independent Colourist Guild as partner and co-organizer of the newly launched Colorist Awards. The first-ever international competition focused exclusively on the craft of color, the event recognizes outstanding work by colorists across feature films, television, documentaries, commercials, music videos and shorts. Entries are being accepted now through December 31 for work first appearing in 2020. Winners will be announced in March.
