Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall Recipients of VES Lifetime Achievement Award

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Fri, 09/26/2008 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

The Visual Effects Society has named producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall of The Kennedy/Marshall Company as the recipients of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award at the 7th Annual VES Awards which will be held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills California on February 21 2009. The VES Lifetime Achievement Award awarded by the VES board of directors recognizes outstanding contributions to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award given last year to Steven Spielberg honors Marshall's and Kennedy's impressive individual and collective bodies of work as Hollywood's leading producers who have made many iconic films over the past 30 years while also creating extraordinary advances in the field of visual effects in order to make their stories come alive.   Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall have set the gold standard for storytelling by combining true creative artistry along with the latest advances in technology to bring their stories to the screen says Eric Roth executive director of VES. Over the past few decades they've proven to be great collaborators with both above and below the line talent which has shone a bright light on the incredible uses of visual effects to not only tell a story more creatively but also to have a more positive impact on the all-important bottom line.” Marshall and Kennedy each hold leading reputations within the film industry and each has earned multiple nominations for Academy Awards. Marshall is credited with over fifty films as a visionary producer while Kennedy includes in her credits E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Jurassic Park and The Sixth Sense three of the highest-grossing films in motion picture history. It is an honor to accept this award from an organization so well-respected in the visual effects field says Marshall. We have always valued the work of visual effects artists and those whose creativity continually develops new ways to push the boundaries of possibility ” says Kennedy.  “We are grateful to be recognized as contributors to this process. Marshall and Kennedy began their professional collaboration with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.  In 1992 the pair formed their own production company The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Under their company banner they credit successful films such as The Sixth Sense Seabiscuit and the Bourne Trilogy. Their films have garnered dozens of Academy Award nominations including The Sixth Sense's six Academy Award nominations and Seabiscuit's seven.   Whether it was utilizing green screens in Raiders of the Lost Ark or computer-generated scenery and character animation in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Marshall and Kennedy films have consistently employed cutting edge visual effects techniques. On their upcoming film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the pair worked closely with director David Fincher to use visual technology to age star Brad Pitt in order to depict the character's story over the course of a lifetime. As filmmakers Marshall and Kennedy have ensured full viewer immersion through their efforts to transform their creative visions into reality. Visual Effects Society www.visualeffectssociety.com ,342
MP3 Trailblazer Karlheinz Brandenburg to Keynote at SMPTE 2008,2008-09-27, Professor Doctor Karlheinz Brandenburg the multi award-winning scientist often referred to as the father of MP3 will deliver the keynote address at SMPTE 2008: Annual Tech Conference & Expo. The director of the distinguished Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (Fraunhofer IDMT) Dr. Brandenburg will present his vision for the future of digital media including immersive entertainment 3D audio and video and interactivity.

 Produced by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers SMPTE 2008 features educational sessions and a trade show floor focused on content creation management distribution and display technologies. Dr. Brandenburg’s keynote will take place Tuesday morning October 28 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood California the location for the SMPTE event.

“ Dr. Brandenburg is a true visionary whose work has transformed the media and entertainment industries in immeasurable ways ” says Kimberly Maki SMPTE and SMPTE 2008 executive director. “I am honored that he is delivering our keynote and am very much looking forward to hearing his thoughts about what lies ahead.”

Dr. Brandenburg is the driving force behind some of today’s most seminal technologies including the MP3 and AAC MPEG audio standards for which he performed the linchpin research and later headed the team that developed and expanded the solutions. As director of Ilmenau Germany-based Fraunhofer IDMT Dr. Brandenburg sets the course for the world-renowned institute which creates new media technologies for the professional and home entertainment sectors. 

Dr. Brandenburg has received numerous awards for his work in perceptual measurement techniques audio encoding Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) and psycho-acoustics. In 2006 the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) named him one of 120 most important inventors and masterminds in the field of electrical engineering and admitted him to the hall of fame of thinkers through the ages.

SMPTE 2008 offers the professional community a wide-ranging education in new and emerging technologies with practical application to the entertainment industry. International thought leaders will present peer-reviewed white papers case studies and tutorials. Leading entertainment hardware software and service companies will provide hands on demonstrations of their latest solutions. The show will focus on a wide range of topics including:

* 3D theatrical and home entertainment 
* IPTV and Internet video 
* Digital newsgathering 
* New displays 
* High-speed infrastructure for 1080P 

Companies interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at SMPTE 2008 should contact Kimberly Maki 914 761-1100 x4960. Register at: http://smpte2008.org/register.
 Fraunhofer IDMT www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/index_eng SMPTE 2008: Annual Tech Conference & Expo http://smpte2008.org Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers http://smpte.org ,343
Omnimago Chooses DVS Technology for Storage System Reorganization,2008-09-27,Ingelheim Germany-based A/V post-production provider Omnimago has purchased a DVS-SAN from DVS. Sven Lohnke responsible for IT at Omnimago says With the DVS-SAN DVS has offered us precisely the storage solution that we had been looking for for such a long time. We are achieving extremely high data rates and we also benefit from the excellent tools offered by the Spycer software. With its open design DVS-SAN integrates seamlessly into our workflow and enables us to use our time efficiently. The existing third-party SAN system has been replaced with the DVS-SAN. As a central online storage medium the DVS storage solution handles three parallel 2K streams in real time. For an NAS solution Omnimago uses a SpycerBox which is connected to the DVS-SAN and completes the heterogeneous storage network. The integrated Spycer data manager permits users at Omnimago to effortlessly run non-fragmenting high-speed copying processes for single or multiple clip sequences. With the DVS-SAN Omnimago is now able to use workflows that the previous SAN had been unable to handle due to performance issues. Thanks to the open components in the DVS technology the DVS systems easily integrate into existing workflows. The specially designed Spycer for DVS-SAN software offers fast-copying processes renaming of recorded DPX files and modification of header information. Should it become necessary to defragment clips—e.g. due to previous copying processes' usage of different software—the Spycer scheduler is able to run these and other time-consuming applications automatically at night or during weekends. Omnimago GmbH is a professional service provider who processes movies documentaries trailers and historical film material with a resolution of up to 2K. The DVS storage systems significantly speed up and improve the efficiency of Omnimago's workflow. This optimization allows a larger number of projects to be carried out and offers optimum content management across the entire storage network. Michael Bauer DVS sales director for central Europe says Omnimago is a renowned service provider in the post-production industry which has extremely high broadcast-level demands on the technology used. We are happy to provide Omnimago with a fast and efficient workflow using DVS-SAN and SpycerBox. ,344
ASC Dedicates 2009 Heritage Award to Memory of Bud Stone,2008-09-27,The American Society of Cinematographers dedicated the 2009 Heritage Award to the memory of Burton “Bud” Stone who was president of Deluxe Laboratories for 18 years. The organization has simultaneously issued a call for entries in the 23rd annual competition for undergraduate graduate or recently-graduated film school students. The deadline for submissions is November 1 2008. The Bud Stone Heritage Award will be presented to one or more recipients during the 23rd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards on February 15 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. “Bud Stone was an influential leader in the industry who became a legend in his own time ” says ASC president Daryn Okada. “He had an unwavering appreciation for the role that cinematographers play in the collaborative art of visual storytelling. He also made incomparable contributions to supporting cinematographers and raising their public profile.” Inaugurated in 1999 the ASC Heritage Award is dedicated to the memory of a different cinematographer each year. This is the first year that the award will be dedicated to the memory of an extraordinary individual in the film industry. “This tribute was a unanimous decision made by our board of directors ” says Isidore Mankofsky chairman of the ASC Education Committee. “Bud Stone was an honorary member of ASC and served as chairman of the Outstanding Achievement Awards Committee for 17 years.” Stone worked his way up through the ranks at several film labs in New York and New Jersey before being named president of Deluxe Laboratories in 1976. He served in that role until 1994 when he retired. In 1996 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the prestigious John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation to Stone “in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the highest standards of the industry.” Stone died on April 18 2008 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80. Applicants for the 2009 Bud Stone Heritage Award must be in either their final year or a recent graduate of a US school that offers film study curricula. Requirements include a nomination by the dean department head or a faculty member and submission of a student film. Entries will be judged by an ASC jury who will evaluate both the artistry and skill with which the applicants tell stories with moving images that augment the visions of the directors and performances by the actors. The ASC was chartered in January 1919. There are currently some 300 active members of the ASC who have national roots in some 20 countries. There are also 150 associate members from sectors of the industry that support the art and craft of filmmaking. Membership and associate membership is by invitation based on contributions that individuals have made to advance the art of visual storytelling. The American Society of Cinematographers www.theasc.com ,345
HTV illuminate Lights Up Color Pipeline With Film Master,2008-09-27, HTV illuminate has purchased two Digital Vision Film Master color grading systems. The Film Masters will become an integral part of an expanded workflow and service offering at the Hollywood post-production facility well-known for digital cinema packaging digital intermediate mastering restoration and standards conversion for film and television. Ron Sabatino technical director of HTV illuminate says “We meticulously evaluated the solutions that we needed to introduce into our workflow as our offerings expand and the facility was upgraded. After looking at the Film Master and witnessing its ability to act as central creative hub in the digital intermediate process we realized that it is the strongest product available at any price point. HTV has created a process utilizing a number of high quality tools for the DI and mastering pipeline and Film Master was a winner for us because it is so much more than just a grading system.” Simon Cuff president and chief operating officer Digital Vision says “HTV illuminate has expanded the services it can offer the client including full 2K and 4K digital intermediate high definition feature mastering and DCP production. The Film Master’s color grading tools flexibility and conform underscore HTV’s service offerings perfectly as all these deliverables can be created with accurate color rapidly and from a single timeline. The Film Master will support the great work that HTV illuminate does for the creative community and allow them to focus more of their efforts on the creative pass which is what DI is all about.” Digital Vision www.digitalvision.se HTV illuminate www.htvinc.com ,346
AccessIT and Overture Films Enter 10 Year Agreement,2008-09-27, Digital Cinema solutions provider Access Integrated Technologies has announced that film distributor Overture Films will provide all of their movies to digital cinema equipped theatres in AccessIT's Phase 1 digital cinema plan and will pay virtual print fees (VPFs) under a 10 year agreement similar to those signed by all the other major studios. This agreement expands upon the strong relationship the companies have built since Overture's inception last year as Overture is already a customer of both AccessIT's distribution software and satellite delivery services. Since January of 2008 Overture has provided digital versions of their movies including Mad Money Henry Poole Is Here and Traitor to AccessIT's Phase 1 network of exhibitors. This agreement serves to formalize the studio's commitment to supply digital versions of their movies in the future and to pay VPFs according to a set schedule. AccessIT has been a great partner for Overture Films in our inaugural year in the marketplace ” says Kyle Davies executive vice president theatrical distribution at Overture. “From customer support to delivery services we have been impressed with all they have to offer and we look forward to an expanded relationship as our studio continues to grow bringing digital features to theatres nationwide. The signing of this agreement is a significant commitment by Overture to support the future of digital cinema says Chuck Goldwater president of AccessIT's media service division. We are proud of our growing partnership with the entire team at Overture and are looking forward to the outstanding lineup of movies they will be releasing in digital format including Righteous Kill as it will support our exhibitor partners' digital cinema installations and the industry demand for more digital screens. AccessIT  www.accessitx.com Overture Films www.overturefilms.net ,347
Adlabs Films First in India to Show Journey to the Center of the Earth in Digital 3D,2008-09-27,India-based Adlabs Films part of Reliance ADA Group announced that it will premiere the 3D Hollywood movie Journey to the Center of the Earth in digital 3D for the first time at the Adlabs Cinema in Vashi in New Mumbai. In a press statement Patrick von Sychowski chief operating officer of Adlabs Digital Cinema says that the digital 3D technology was a new form of cinema entertainment where the audience can view the movie with enhanced clarity. “Digital cinema is a quantum leap from old analog 3D that involved red-blue eyeglasses or headgear that made viewing a bit cumbersome says Sychowski. “Within a few years most Hollywood blockbusters are expected to be made in digital 3D. We at Adlabs are the first to bring this new technology to India.” Adlabs had also pioneered the use of 6D in the first screen of its type in the Adlabs Cinema in Agra earlier this year in partnership with Israel-based Cinema Park Network. Adlabs is now the first cinema chain in India to have both 6D and 3D formats. “It is a technology which takes viewers virtually into the heart of the adventure on show ” says Tushar Dhingra Adlabs Cinema chief operating officer. Adlabs www.adlabsfilms.com; www.adlabscinemas.com Reliance ADA Group www.relianceadagroup.com ,348
New IndiePix Film Collection Unites Shakespeare Adaptations From Around the World,2008-09-27,Internet-based distributor IndiePix announced its latest collection: a series of adaptations of famous plays and films with a Shakespearian theme. For the first time film lovers and educational bodies can access this new collection which includes such classics as Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare compilation including Henry V (1944) Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955). In addition many of the films provide a cultural twist to the story making it unique to the filmmaker's home country. The 10 films in the collection are some of the most interesting and thought-provoking films within the IndiePix catalog—containing more than 3 000 independent films—and were compiled to make it easy for consumers looking specifically for Shakespeare-themed films. Among the collection are Maqbool and Omkara by Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Bharadwajs. These films depict two of Shakespeare's most famous plays Macbeth and Othello but with a distinct Bollywood flavor. Also included in the collection is Shakespeare-Wallah a film about a struggling English troupe of Shakespearian actors touring India—based on a real-life theatre company Shakespeariana. Shakespeare is on the curriculum in schools and colleges throughout the world and his plays are loved by audiences old and young ” says Shreekant Pol catalog and acquisitions manager at IndiePix. “Our collection of 10 films which includes both drama and documentary offers an interesting insight into how these plays have been interpreted across the globe. In recent years Hollywood has produced some outstanding Shakespearian works but it is often the independent film community that can display cultural and real-life portrayals of the universal themes that Shakespeare tackles. “Some of the films in the collection are unique to the filmmakers' own country so for example in our library we have a highly acclaimed Russian adaptation of King Lear by Grigori Kozintsevs. At the moment Bollywood films are growing in popularity across the globe and we have two Bollywood adaptations within our collection. Making the films apply to the filmmakers' own culture offers IndiePix customers something unique. Modernizing them through styles such as Bollywood brings Shakespeare into the new media. IndiePix www.indiepixfilms.com/collection/shakespeare-collection ,349
Vivitek Marks Entry into Professional AV Display Marketplace,2008-09-27,Vivitek Corporation formally announced its entry into the growing marketplace for high-quality signage visual display and professional presentation products. The company based in Southern California has already begun shipping its first line of DLP projectors and flat screen digital signage offerings. Vivitek has taken a unique industry position of offering only the best-of-breed technology in each category. Its projector line products are all equipped with Texas Instruments' exclusive DLP technology and its digital signage products will all display in LCD technology only. In addition the company is building its products and designing its programs upon a commitment of environmental responsibility and sustainability. Our testing tells us this exclusive use of DLP and LCD technologies for the unique demands of each product line is the smart road for both our product performance standards and our customers' needs says Sam Malik vice president of sales and marketing for Vivitek. We are confident and excited about our initial product roadmap and look forward to impressing and surprising the industry with an aggressive level of innovation from both our engineering and our design teams. While designing products for cost-effective and energy efficient use in the mobile professional business education and worship markets Vivitek also manufactures units specialized for today's expanding home theater customers. Products shipping are already being selected for features that are customized to audiences in each industry sector. The green rainbow-shaped umbrella over the Vivitek name in the company's new logo speaks to its corporate culture representing a responsibility for global resource care in both its manufacturing and business processes and programs. We take our promise to consider the planet in all of our business arenas very seriously says Malik. Our commitment to green behaviors is certainly one of the ways we hope to distinguish our company. Vivitek will make more product and company announcements within the next few weeks. Vivitek Corporation www.vivitekcorp.com ,350
Rogue Element Films Band Pro Munich Demo Sony F35 at Pinewood,2008-09-28,Rogue Element Films and Band Pro Munich are hosting an all-day demo October 9th of the Sony F35 camera and related technologies at Pinewood Studios in London. The event takes place in the Pool Theatre and in addition to the camera will feature Cooke 35mm lenses Cine-tal LCD monitors Iridas Speedgrade OnSet S.two data capture and Tangent grading panels. The technology will be on display for hands-on viewing from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There will also be presentations and an end-of-day question-and-answer session. Admittance is free. Click here for more information and to register. Rogue Element Films www.rogueelementfilms.com ,359
Warner’s Tests Video-on-Demand Movie Release in Korea Prior to DVD Release,2008-09-30, In a move aimed at taking full advantage of Korea's extraordinary digital infrastructure Warner Bros. this week announced plans to become the first Hollywood studio to make movies available through video-on-demand two weeks before the DVD release in Korea. Thomas Gewecke president Warner Bros. Digital Distribution made the announcement. Korea is the ideal market for us to expand our digital distribution strategy ” says Gewecke. “There is already a broad base of consumers who are immersed in technology and very comfortable getting movies through video-on-demand or similar services and I am proud of the team that made it possible for us to be the first U.S. studio to offer this service to fans of Warner Bros. movies in Korea.”   Warner plans to launch a test in Korea in the coming weeks making new release titles available through video-on-demand two weeks before the DVD release. Specific titles will be announced as they become available. More than 94 percent of the households in South Korea have broadband connections ” says Henry Cho director South Korea Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “This new service is just one of the ways Warner Bros. is offering more convenience and choices that fit people’s lifestyles.” The effort is also seen as part of the studio’s efforts to compete with piracy. According to the Korean Film Council more than 47 percent of people surveyed said they had downloaded movies from the Internet at least once says Harrison Lee managing director Warner Home Video Korea. This combined with an advanced digital infrastructure makes Korea the perfect market for us to test this service since many Korean consumers are already in the habit of getting their movies digitally.”