Entertainment Distribution Releases Sea Rex 3D

Entertainment Distribution’s Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World has opened at select Imax 3D Theatres. The film will roll out at domestic and international Imax Theatres in both 2D and 3D throughout the year. European production houses N3D Land Productions and Mantello Brothers Productions produced sea Rex 3D which was four years in the making and cost five million dollars. The movie will roll out at domestic and international Imax Theatres throughout the year. It will open in Singapore in November and in Europe in 2011. In addition Luxor Group and Sarai Inc. have acquired the films rights respectively for Russia and Japan. The movie sheds light on the extraordinary ancient underwater universe and its larger-than-life creatures which with their daunting size and natural ability for predation were ruling the seas 20 million years before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Sea Rex 3D is truly the ultimate combination of science and entertainment say Pascal Vuong and Ronan Chapalain the film’s co-writers and co-directors. We are thrilled to immerse moviegoers in an absolutely unique 3D film experience which goes beyond the traditional Imax documentary thanks to an original story-driven screenplay state-of-the-art CGI sequences historical re-enactments and top paleontologists who virtually bring science to life!” It’s the perfect addition to our highly successful live-action underwater trilogy which has grossed $75 million to date at the box office says Francois Mantello chairman & CEO of 3D Entertainment Distribution. Marine reptiles are just as remarkable and captivating as their terrestrial counterparts the dinosaurs. We are very excited to share this awe-inspiring adventure with audiences who will get to see some of the most astonishing creatures of all time glide right off the screen. The incredible quality of its visual effects in 3D in ultra-photorealistic scenes makes this film utterly stunning. 3D Entertainment http://www.3DEfilms.com N3D Land Productions http://www.N3DLand.com Sea Rex 3D http://www.SeaRex-theFilm.com ,1753
Company 3 uses ArriScan for File-Based Workflow,2010-06-14,Award-winning post-production facility Company 3 has built an innovative file-based post-production pipeline around its ArriScan film scanner to handle all film negatives for commercials music videos and feature films. Known for finishing high profile commercials (over half the spots that aired during the Super Bowl were colored there) and films Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Oscar winner The Hurt Locker Company 3 prefers to scan film for commercials rather than telecine. Mike Chiado vice president of engineering for Company 3 Santa Monica and New York says “The idea behind our workflow was to have everything working the same way. Anything that comes in as film is scanned with the ArriScan and then treated as data. Of course material that comes in as data remains data throughout.” Company 3 co-founder and colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld says “The overall picture quality of a true scan yields a cleaner less noisy result. With scanners we’re starting with full-resolution red green and blue channels combined. You can't get that kind of information with a telecine device. From my standpoint it was primarily about picture quality.” Company 3 did extensive evaluation on other scanners before deciding on the ArriScan. Says Chiado “The pin registration was another big factor. Producers could send any of our scans to any visual effects house and know that they had the optimal quality to work with. Nobody would have to waste resources on fixes.” All color grading work at Company 3 is file-based allowing certain benefits for customers. “We have an all-data workflow ” says Chiado. “Because it's nonlinear we can just load an EDL into the system and call up material to work on it in the order it's supposed to be seen not in the order it was shot. The workflow also allows for much greater flexibility if changes are required. Often in a tape-based environment changes had to be done in the form of an additional tape-to-tape session which causes a loss in quality.” Arri www.arri.com Company 3 www.company3.com ,1755
Barco Signs Supply Agreement with D-Cinema Korea,2010-06-14, Barco has entered into a supply agreement with D-Cinema Korea and has shipped the first order. With this agreement signed Barco can deliver its new Series II digital cinema projectors to more than 150 screens at nearly 20 sites for the Korean roll out. Following the success of Phase 1 in which they are installing about 500 screens DCK enters Phase 2 of their digital roll out with Barco's supply agreement for more than 150 units. For DCK this agreement is the catalyst for a rapid deployment of digital projection systems in 2010. DCK will deploy a full spectrum of Barco's family of DP2K projectors together with full solution for digital cinema in various locations in South Korea. Dong-ho Lee co-CEO of DCK says on their projector choice that “This decision was prompted not only by the merits for the owner like the superior reliability low cost of owner-ship but also by the benefits for the end-users like ease-of-use performance of Barco projectors at theaters. We tested and evaluated Barco in detail but Barco showed its strong points effectively through the shoot-out test. We put high expectation on Barco's new DP2K series” 

 “DCK has considered how to provide the best 2D and 3D viewing environments available. In these aspects the choice for Barco is no wonder and we are satisfied with this decision ” says Jung-hoon Cho co-CEO of D-Cinema Korea. “We believe Barco's new Series 2 projectors will help us to provide two confidences. One is as Barco has been to deliver the proven performance reliability and user-friendliness of their renowned DP projectors continuously and the other is to support us to open the future with DLP cinema enhanced 4K.” DCK was established in 2008 as collaboration between CJ CGV and Lotte Shopping Cinema Division. The company's main objective is to convert to digital more than 1 000 screens in South Korea. “Barco is very proud to have been selected as a partner in DCK's Phase 2 deployment project ” says Barco vice president digital cinema Wim Buyens. “As soon as these new Series-II projectors of Barco are set into DCK's projector rooms audiences will immediately enjoy the benefits of the DP2K-series' intensely bright projection and ultimate 3D performance while DCK will have full DCI compliance the brightest pictures and the optimal picture quality.” “We are delighted that DCK has chosen to partner with Barco for the next phase of their Digital Cinema deployments” says Lee Dong-kyu who leads Barco Digital Cinema in South Korea “We will ensure DCK and our exhibitor partners get the most benefit from Barco projectors and our mutual collaboration with DCK. We view this as a validation of Barco's outstanding products and services by a world leader in digital cinema and look forward to building a long term relationship with DCK and its exhibitors.” Barco www.barco.com ,1756
Cinema Advertising Shows Continued Strength ,2010-06-14, According to a new report from the Cinema Advertising Council total cinema advertising industry revenues of CAC members – which account for more than 82 percent of U.S. movie screens – grew by nearly two percent to $584 067 000 in 2009 as compared to a total of $571 421 000 in 2008.  The report was independently tabulated by Miller Kaplan Arase & Co. Cinema advertising grew despite a year that saw spending in other traditional media decrease significantly.   For 2009 regional and national cinema advertising sales were up 5.4 percent compared with the previous year accounting for 79.4 percent of the industry (regional and national sales accounted for 76.8 percent of total cinema advertising spending in 2008). Meanwhile local cinema advertising sales were down 9.6 percent year over year accounting for 20.6 percent of the total cinema advertising market (compared with 23.3 percent in 2008) while other independent forecasts showed that the majority of non-cinema media categories were off 20 percent or more last year.
 
 CAC president Michael Chico says “Cinema advertising in what was one of the most challenging years for media sales during the last few decades continued to grow in a meaningful way. That growth is continuing in 2010 as cinema has already experienced double digit increases across the board. Our sector’s vitality remains very strong and major brands that have utilized cinema remain loyal to the category based on the return on investment we provide. New advertisers and new emerging advertiser categories made cinema part of their spend in 2009 even though it would have been very easy for buyers and planners to have stayed the course during such a difficult year.”
 
 The CAC report includes revenue data for both on-screen cinema advertising – including commercials airing in advance of movie previews and the feature presentation – as well as off-screen revenues – including those delivered by digital video and audio programming sampling special events concession-based promotions and lobby-based promotions.  On-screen revenues accounted for over 93 percent of total cinema advertising revenues and were up 2.1 percent year over year while off-screen revenue was flat. 
  Top national cinema advertising categories in 2009 included Apparel Auto Entertainment Retail Consumer Packaged Goods Travel and Wireless.  Additionally growth in 2009 was attributable to increasing activity across a broad spectrum of emerging categories from Cable Television Networks Cosmetics Financial and the Military.
 The Cinema Advertising Council www.cinemaadcouncil.org ,1758
Cadillac Video Uses a Mix of Cameras ,2010-06-14, Hal Long principal of production company Henry Films Los Angeles recently directed a launch video for the 2010 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. The 90-second video produced by Aquila Productions of New York originally screened at the Detroit Auto Show continues to play at auto shows around the country and is used in General Motors’ marketing of its new prestige coupe. The director of photography was Mark Raker with additional cinematography by Jeffrey Dougherty. The video was made over the course of two days at GM’s test-drive facility in Detroit. Camera equipment and accessories were rented from Abel Cine Tech’s Los Angeles office. The video emphasizes the performance and comfort of the CTS-V ride. A Panasonic VariCam 3700 was used to shoot the well-appointed interiors and as the B camera when the coupe was on the road.  A Phantom HD camera was used to shoot high-speed footage up to 400-fps of the car idling on the tarmac and peeling out on the track. A Panasonic AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld camcorder was deployed on car mounts and to shoot some interior details in small spaces. The production team used the AG-HMR10 AVCCam compact field recorder/player and AG-HCK10 POVCam camera on car mounts the AG-HPG20 Portable P2 HD recorder for real-time P2 back up of the Phantom and confidence playback and the P2 Mobile recorder/player for video village review.
 
 “While we needed an ultra high-speed camera for exteriors the VariCam 3700 integrated beautifully into our specialized workflow ” says Long. “The interiors are a major part of the piece and shooting with the HPX3700 at full-raster 1920x1080 resolution in AVC-Intra 100 we achieved images that fully convey the passenger luxury inside the car.” 
  “The HMR10/HKC10 AVCCam products were a great addition to the production ” he says. “The car in the video was the only CTS-V Coupe in existence and had to appear in the auto show only a week after our shoot which meant we couldn't do standard car mounts which can require rigging directly on the body. That's why the POVCam was such a terrific player – it only needed suction mounts.”
  “Considering its minute size and weight—a little more than half a pound—the POVCam is a big performer ” Long says. “We shot in the highest-quality PH mode using a long lens and recorded 1080/30p to the HMR10. The car mounts were all about singling out detail and we got a really nice looking defocused background with the HCK10.”
 
 The video was edited in Final Cut Pro finished in Final Cut Studio and delivered in DVCPRO HD for presentation on a 100-foot theatre screen at the Detroit Auto Show. ,1759
Deluxe First to be Certified for Content Protection and Security,2010-06-14, Deluxe Digital Studios has become the first entertainment services company in the world to achieve the Content Delivery and Storage Association content protection and security standard certification at three of its home entertainment facilities in North America Europe and Asia.  
  Deluxe Digital Studios' headquarters in Burbank CA along with the Bangalore India and London England locations have successfully completed CDSA’s comprehensive content security auditing program. 
 
We believe our successful content protection and security accreditations further differentiate Deluxe from our competitors in the post-production authoring and digital services sectors.  Deluxe strives to set the standard for excellence and innovation in content security says Joel Bigley senior vice president of Deluxe Digital Studios’ worldwide operations and business execution. “CDSA has validated Deluxe’s world-class security practices which provide even greater assurances to our customers that the security of their intellectual property is our highest priority.”
  Deluxe facilities worldwide benefit from our consistency of content security policies and procedures ” Bigley says. “When clients walk into a facility in Bangalore they will encounter exactly the same superior security disciplines as they would experience in London or Burbank. The CDSA program provides us with third-party confirmation of our consistent and stringent security standards regardless of location.
  “Deluxe’s achievement of CDSA Content Protection and Security accreditation in these sites reflects its commitment to protecting the rights of major motion picture studios around the globe ” says Linda Dyson worldwide director of CDSA’s Anti-Piracy and Compliance Programs. “Deluxe has demonstrated excellence in its content security approaches and execution through successful CPS accreditation.  We are delighted that Deluxe Digital Studios Inc. has made this global commitment.” 
 
 CDSA www.cdsaonline.org Deluxe Digital Studios www.bydeluxe.com ,1761
MPC Buys Two Baselight Stereo Grading Systems,2010-06-14,London post house MPC has purchased two FilmLight Baselight stereo grading systems for their Wardour Street facility.  The system will integrate with their existing color grading workflow giving the colorists wider access to 3D stereoscopic technologies.   Director of color grading Jean-Clement Soret says “Thanks to FilmLight’s talented R&D team they have made huge progress in developing their creative toolset and this has improved to give me the best grading features available today. With a nonlinear grading workflow becoming the norm Baselight is fast becoming the industry standard. I work in this way on a mix of both commercials and feature film projects; projects which can be quite challenging and require a lot of processing power as well as complex grading structures Baselight can give me this.” MPC’s senior colorist Paul Harrison also believes the addition of two new Baselight suites will enhance their digital workflow and says “It’s a really positive move for us; it already gives real time stereoscopic grading capability the exact direction the industry is going in.  Being able to grade left and right eye images on the same screen and play them in real time really facilitates both the creative and technical processes.” Harrison is particularly impressed by the open conversation with FilmLight. “They have a great habit of listening to the needs of colorists and of collaborating with us directly to create a fluid and intuitive approach to the color grading process ” he says.  “I know that when I’m looking for something new and radical the extensive Baselight toolkit will have a way to achieve what I am looking for. ” FilmLight
 www.filmlight.ltd.uk MPC www.moving-picture.com ,1764
B&B Theatres to Convert to Digital with GDC and Sonic,2010-06-14,B&B Theatres has selected GDC Technology for its digital cinema conversion program. The exhibitor plans for a complete deployment of 205 screens over the next 
24 months. Sonic Equipment Company will be providing the equipment technical support and installation services. “I am pleased with our decision to use GDC servers as we move forward with the complete digital transformation of our company ” says Bob Bagby president of B&B Theatres. “We have found the servers to be extremely reliable and look forward to installing this great product in all of our new digital installs.” Founded in 1924 B&B Theatres is a family owned and operated company specializing in the operation of cinemas within medium sized cities in the Midwest. B&B Theatres is currently ranked as the 25th largest theatre company in the US and operates 200 screens throughout Florida Kansas Missouri and Oklahoma. “There was no hesitation when recommending that B&B Theatres utilize GDC cinema servers for the digital conversion of the entire B&B circuit ” says Steve Zimmerman Sonic’s director of business management. “The quality of the product and continued support provided by GDC made this an easy choice to make.”   “Sonic’s digital cinema package offers great flexibility that really meets the business needs of independent theatre operators and we are happy to say that our partnership with Sonic has been delivering great results for exhibitors from day one ” says Dr. Man-Nang Chong founder and CEO of GDC Technology. “GDC is pleased to welcome B&B Theatres into our rapidly expanding family of GDC server users in the US. With more 3D releases coming out of Hollywood and customer demand for a high quality viewing experience cinema operators are ready to embrace the digital wave. GDC and Sonic look forward to working with more theatre operators in the US to bring the best digital experience to their audiences.”   B&B Theatres www.bbtheatres.com GDC Technology www.gdc-tech.com Sonic Equipment Company www.sonicequipment.com ,1765
First Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival a Success,2010-06-14,Its founders and participants are calling the recently completed Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo a huge success. The Festival began with ceremonial Chinese pomp and circumstance except the traditional ribbon cutting was replaced with a film cutting. The festival’s creative director Randall Dark says “I thought it was poetic that we cut 35mm film to launch our event.” The keynote speaker was Scott Ross former CEO and founder of Los Angeles post house Digital Domain. Seminars on 3D followed with industry experts such as Pierre De Lespinois and Scott Billups. Its founders and participants are calling the recently completed Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo a huge success. Dark says It was amazing to have Chinese and Americans on the same panel discussing their mutual passion for this hot topic. Sharing ideas and passion is what makes an international festival so important.” The final day ended with more than a hundred children from the city of Macao enjoying a private screening of Disney's Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure.  A special digital cinema was created in the Venetian Hotel for this event that showcased the Cantonese version the film.

After the screening producer Sean Lurie accepted questions from the young audience. It was great fun to watch the children enjoy our movie” says Lurie “but what was amazing was that one of the questions I was asked was whether the next installment would come out in 3D.” Dark says The mandate of our Festival is not just to involve industry professionals but also the local community. Seeing all those children take part in our event was probably the most important moment for me during the festival.” Festival chairman Jeff Greene says Getting support from the Macao Government was key to launching a successful festival at the world class Venetian Hotel. This was their first festival and after only one day they initiated discussions on how to make it bigger next year.” Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo www.macaodigitalcinema.com/ ,1768
Microcinema to Join Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Platform ,2010-06-14, Arqiva has signed a partnership with Italian Digital Cinema distributor Microcinema to use Arqiva’s Digital Cinema platform on the Intelsat IS905 satellite to deliver live alternative content to its network of around 100 cinemas in Italy. 
 
Barrie Woolston Commercial Director at Arqiva Satellite & Media said: “We are delighted that Microcinema has selected Arqiva’s IS905 platform for distribution to this extensive digital cinema network. As alternative content continues to grow in popularity more and more cinemas are looking for a reliable cost effective and easily deployable platform with which to capitalize on this new revenue stream. Arqiva’s IS905 offers excellent capacity and coverage for Europe ensuring optimum access to alternative content as well as permanent services such as electronic delivery of Digital Cinema Packages.” 
 
 Arqiva provides robust satellite and IP networks for the managed delivery of entertainment information and advertising worldwide. It works with leading media distributors to provide electronic delivery services of live events and feature films into digital cinemas across Europe. ,1769
New Video Acquires Rights to The Secret of Kells,2010-06-14, New Video and GKIDS have announced that New Video has acquired U.S. television digital VOD and home video distribution rights to The Secret of Kells the highly acclaimed visual tour-de-force from the producers of The Triplets of Belleville. New Video is set to roll out the film on VOD digital DVD and Blu-ray on October 5th through its new home entertainment label Flatiron Film Company.   The announcement was made by Steve Savage co-president of New Video and Eric Beckman president of GKIDS the U.S. rights holder who undertook the Oscar campaign and is distributing the film theatrically throughout the spring and summer. Hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the most beautiful animated films of all time The Secret of Kells became the surprise nomination for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards.
 
Set in vibrant medieval Ireland The Secret of Kells merges magic fantasy and Celtic mythology in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Directed by Tomm Moore The Secret of Kells features the voices of Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter In Bruges) Evan McGuire and Christen Mooney. 
   “It’s no secret to us that a rare film like this has received such accolades ” says Savage.  “Audiences are mesmerized by Kell’s explosive color captivating story and striking imagery and will soon be able to enjoy the charms and beauty of this extraordinary work of art over and over again.”
 
 Says Beckman “It was extremely important for us to partner with a distributor who shares our passion for exceptional artist-driven filmmaking and who offers a savvy multi-platform approach to ancillary markets.  We look forward to working closely with New Video to bring this breathtaking film to audiences across the country.” Mark Kashden vice president of Acquisitions New Video and Eric Beckman president of GKIDS negotiated the deal.
 
 ,1770
Petrol Bags Introduces 10th Anniversary Line,2010-06-14,To commemorate its tenth anniversary Petrol Bags has introduced the Black Deca line which the company says sets a new standard in professional bags. Black Deca equipment bags feature a sleek practical new design in striking black fabric and are packed with a host of industry leading new advantages. A plastic exchangeable logo frame lets the user easily add their logo for personal branding. An ingenious new internal LED lighting system illuminates the interior of the bag making contents much easier to identify and organize. The lights are replaceable and easily installed or removed via a convenient internal zipper. Power is supplied by standard AA batteries (not included). The floor of many of the new bags is equipped with Petrol’s new shock-resistant molded AbsorbaPad. Attached by hook and loop material it provides delicate equipment with an extra level of protection against accidental damage from the jolts and jostles that can occur during transit. A proprietary pattern of ridges and raised dots on the surface of the Pad provide a steadfast grip to keep contents steady and safe. The new Deca Snaplock is a handy external wheel and tote assembly that comfortably transports many of the new Black Deca bags. When not in use it folds into a compact lightweight package designed for easy storage and transportation. Users simply pull up the telescoping top handle to expand it to its full length. The trolley is designed to fit and comfortably carry six different models of Black Deca camera bags (one at a time). Once a bag is placed on the Snaplock baseplate the system attaches quickly to two connecting brackets on the base of the bag. Thanks to its conveniently located oversized quick release button adding or removing the trolley takes just seconds – and is accomplished with a single click.  With the system in place and ready to roll Snaplock’s top line skate wheels ensure smooth gliding effortless toting. Petrol Bags www.petrolbags.com ,1771
PMI Digital Upgrades Facility,2010-06-14,PMI Digital has installed a Utah Scientific 400 digital routing switcher interfaced with a Barco high-resolution multi-viewer in its new 20 000 square foot facility in Pittsburgh. Besides providing video and audio production editing and post-production PMI distributes multiple syndicated satellite feeds for its clients. In January PMI relocated to a new facility with an all-new technical infrastructure. The company's new 144x144 frame router along with associated control panels and control software replaces a less robust analog/digital hybrid manufactured by another vendor. Just like a broadcaster we operate 24/7 and we can't afford down time with a critical component like the router says Ed Fraticelli PMI's chief engineer. We wanted a self-contained all-SDI switcher and once we filtered out those that weren't built to broadcast standards of reliability we found several with the features we wanted. What set Utah Scientific apart were the outstanding customer service and the 10-year no-cost warranty. We were impressed with those. And it didn't hurt that the president of the company came by to have lunch with us. Another Utah Scientific selling point was the cost-effective compact multi-viewer solution which is easy to set up and easy to modify besides storing 10 setups with push-button recall. Features of the Barco 16-channel SMV-116 multiviewer include as many as 16 auto-sensing composite SD and HD (3G) inputs as well as DVI-I video inputs (up to 1080p) for displaying schedules or important computer status information. When Utah Scientific got its start more than 30 years ago we were all about broadcast says Tom Harmon president and CEO of Utah Scientific. Today the media industry is much different and we find our routing systems are vital and effective components in a much wider variety of settings. No matter what the application though the high quality of our products and our service remain the same. Barco www.barco.com PMI Digital www.pmi.tv ,1772
Reinventing Cinema now Available from Smashwords,2010-06-14, Reinventing Cinema: The First Decade of Digital Cinema by Nick Dager is now available at Smashwords. In May 1999 Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace opened with digital screenings in a handful of movie theatres in and around New York and Los Angeles: digital cinema’s first decade was underway. Those screenings generated widespread visibility and publicity and developments began to occur on a more regular basis. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers began work on standards for digital cinema in 2001. The Digital Cinema Initiatives formed in March 2002 as a joint effort by Disney Fox MGM Paramount Sony Universal and Warner Bros.  The serious technical groundwork was being laid and the digital cinema era began. The challenge? To literally rethink retool and reinvent from the ground up a global industry that had worked successfully for a century. Read that sentence again to get a sense of how overwhelming – and some would and did say unnecessary – that task would be and you may gain a greater appreciation for how much was actually accomplished in a decade. Dager who has been an eyewitness to all the challenges and changes taking place around the world and who is the founder of the website Digital Cinema Report chronicles the people who are using new technology to reinvent motion picture production distribution and exhibition. Download a free sample of the first third of the book by clicking here: Reinventing Cinema: The First Decade of Digital Cinema   ,1773
Screenvision Paragon Theatres Announce New Long-Term Deal,2010-06-14, Screenvision has announced a new long-term exhibitor agreement with Paragon Theatres.  As a result of this deal Screenvision broadens its position in the important Washington D.C. and Miami markets.  Under the deal Screenvision will have the exclusive on-screen advertising rights and exclusive third party selling rights for promotions.   Each theatre will exhibit Screenvision’s digital preshow which will be integrated into Paragon’s Sony 4K projectors.  
 
“Screenvision and Paragon’s partnership shows that exhibitors continue to choose Screenvision for the strength and entertainment value that comes with our digital preshow ” says Darryl Schaffer executive vice president exhibitor relations Screenvision. We look forward to bringing entertainment to Paragon’s premium theatres located in the key Washington D.C. and Miami markets through this new agreement.” 
  “Our partnership with Screenvision allows Paragon to take advantage of Screenvision’s ad sales capabilities and the quality and compelling content within Screenvision’s digital preshow ” says Michael Whalen partner of Paragon Thearers. “We foresee that this new deal will lead to a rewarding entertaining and high-quality experience for our moviegoers.” Screenvision www.screenvision.com