LipSync will provide equity investment and post-production services for Desert Dance which is being produced by Crossday Productions. Desert Dancer tells the inspirational true story of Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian who risked his life for his dream to become a dancer despite a nationwide dancing ban. The film stars Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Reece Ritchie (Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time). LipSync previously worked with producer Pippa Cross on Knife Edge. Cross says “My previous experience working with LipSync's talented team demonstrated that I could wholly trustthem to deliver highly creative work on time and within budget. It's also a great help to have their input at the production stage to make our post budget go further and to have all the post elements in one place. LipSync’s has recently provided both equity investment and post services to projects including Great Expectations Broken which recently won two BIFAs including the coveted Best British Independent Film prize and Shame which won the European Cinematographer and European Editor awards at the European Film Awards. ,3836
International Trade Commission Upholds Litepanels Patent Defense ,2013-01-31, The International Trade Commission has upheld the General Exclusion Order recommended by Judge Essex regarding LED lighting product patents held by Litepanels Inc. Litepanels was represented in the case by the law firm Pepper Hamilton. Judge Essex made his decision based upon tens of thousands of pages of Exhibits numerous Expert Opinions and voluminous testimony from the various Parties. “Litepanels is pleased with the result ” said Rudy Pohlert president of Litepanels. “This decision is also a victory for the rights of all those who invest their efforts ingenuity and resources to create innovative products and technologies.”
Contrary to the substantial amount of misinformation surrounding this case the General Exclusion Order will not affect the importation of emergency lighting cellular phones automobile taillights or LED bulbs themselves. It also does not affect other forms of LED lighting used for film video or photography such as RGB and Remote Phosphor technologies. It simply prohibits the importation into the United States of LED lighting products for film video or photography that infringe certain claims of the Litepanels patents without the patent holder’s consent.
Of the fourteen companies named in the complaint all of the major manufacturers have taken the professional route and chosen to license its intellectual property to continue manufacturing LED lighting products for sale in the United States. The overwhelming adoption of licensing will ensure that the marketplace for LED lighting products remains as diverse robust and competitive as ever. In fact the licensing agreements now allow these companies to build on top of Litepanels’ technology to create even more innovative products going forward. ,3837
Local Hero Post Begins Production on First Feature Film,2013-01-31,Santa Monica digital intermediates facility Local Hero Post is in production of its first feature film I Remember You. Principal photography begins February 19 in Los Angeles. Local Hero has more 60 feature post-production credits which include director Jason Moore’s Pitch Perfect director Travis Fine’s Any Day Now director Tom Elkins’ Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia and has done the full post-production and DI for features from Universal Pictures and Lionsgate Films among many others. I Remember You is being executive produced by Leandro Marini founder head of imaging and supervising colorist at Local Hero Post and James Cotten owner of Dark Highway Films and one of the owners of Local Hero Post. Cotten who most recently produced Hansel And Gretel Get Baked distributed through Tribeca Films was also director of The Line starring Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta; director/screenwriter/producer of Sugar Creek; screenwriter/producer of Resurrection County; and executive producer of The Devil's Carnival and Madison County. Claudia Sparrow is the director and writer of the original screenplay for I Remember You. Sparrow is an AFI graduate winner of a student Emmy award and winner of the Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award for her direction of the short film El Americano. “One of our dreams for Local Hero was always to eventually produce our own content ” said Leandro Marini Local Hero. “Since we now have a large set of resources that we can bring to our own productions we felt that it was time to pull the trigger. We developed I Remember You specifically to take advantage of our considerable digital cinema VFX and delivery experience.” ,3838
Making the Moves for SmartSide Shoot,2013-01-31,The FloatCam HD DC-Slider from Matthews Studio Equipment recently helped make Ohio-based cinematographer Jeff Barklage’s commercial shoot for SmartSide housing siding far more exciting thanks to its reach and versatility. “When you are shooting in stadiums you aren’t permitted to take dollies out onto the grass ” Barklage explains. “For our Nashville part of the shoot the location was Hale Stadium at Tennessee State University. The script required camera movement that was beyond simple lateral slider moves; boom downs diagonal motions sweeping past talent and more.” “These are shots that can not be accomplished with a dolly or crane yet we had a list of some 30 shots to do before lunch!” he says. “There was no way of cheating all of our shots to the sidelines to bring the action closer to the dolly (which was only allowed on the sidelines). Nor did we have the reach with any conventional cranes to do these shots. The majority of the needed shots took place on the 50-yard line smack-dab in the middle of the field.” Enter FloatCam’s HD DC-Slider from Matthews. It was a support tool that Barklage had been waiting eagerly for months to add to his arsenal. “As soon as I got one of the first HD DC-Sliders to be delivered I knew I would be able to open up many of my shoots because of the Slider’s versatility ” he says. For this shoot he used the FloatCam on sticks. “We could quickly re-configure it to low mode on apples then back up to big sticks etc. Being only six feet in length two grips could carry it all over the field for additional shots. This allowed us to give virtually every shot some sort of interesting movement. Not just a series of lock offs ” he says. “And when we did stunt work with A and B cameras we mounted the Phantom (cranking at 2500fps) on a hi-hat or sticks then using the HD DC-Slider we could bring the camera right into the shooting area allowing for a much smaller footprint.” Barklage brought the HD DC-Slider to the stage as well. Here he was able do quickly do moves off of foreground objects travel over tabletops sweep through doorways and more. “Things that usually called for massive camera support rebuilds ” he explains. “Bob Egle our director turned to me at one point and said” ‘How did we work in the past without this?’ “He was right. I really don’t know how we did it before ” Barklage says. “Often times we need to do a compound move but cannot fit the dolly into our shooting area. Or there simply isn’t time for track set up. Now for the first time ever you can take your ‘slider’ and use it standard as a lateral slider but with a few quick turns of a lever it becomes a ‘dolly’ with the ability to do a boom diagonal move! A few quick readjustments and it is a jib-arm! These features are really great to have all rolled into one unit. Now I can use the FloatCam on a dolly or I can use it on sticks or on apples etc. It’s a very versatile piece of production machinery.” Matthews Studio Equipment http://www.msegrip.com/blog-content/?p=1762 ,3840
MPSE Announces 60th Annual Golden Reel Nominees,2013-01-31,The Motion Picture Sound Editors has announced nominees for the 60th MPSE Golden Reel Awards. Nominees represent the work of today’s most talented sound professionals and their contributions to feature film television animation and computer entertainment media from around the world. “2012 was a spectacular year for sound ” said MPSE president Bobbi Banks. “We offer our sincere congratulations to this year’s Golden Reel nominees who once again have astounded us with their creativity and artistic excellence. We are very pleased to have this opportunity to recognize their dedication and tireless work in advancing the craft of entertainment sound.” The MPSE Golden Reel Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sound editing in 22 categories encompassing feature films television animation computer entertainment and student work. Additionally at this year’s event the MPSE will present its Filmmaker Award to director Ang Lee and its Career Achievement Award to Foley artist John Roesch. The 60th MPSE Golden Reel Awards will be held February 17th at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles. The complete list of the nominees and information about the Golden Reel Awards ceremony is on The Motion Picture Sound Editors website http://www.mpse.org/index.html ,3841
Kia Returns to Big Screens February 1 Via the NCM Media Network,2013-01-31,In a Super Bowl advertising sequel Kia Motors America will be back on the big screen for the premiere of its 2013 big game commercial. The fast-growing automaker’s complete 60-second Space Babies ad for the redesigned 2014 Sorento CUV will premiere on February 1 on more than 19 000 movie screens nationwide in NCM Media Networks’ FirstLook pre-show program before airing on TV during the game. To build anticipation for its Super Bowl spot’s cinema debut Kia kicked things off with 15-second teaser ads in movie theaters on January 25. The teaser and full spot will run in NCM’s new Big Game Ad Showcase a premium placement pod designed to give audiences a preview of the best in Super Bowl advertising. Set to air in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVII and directed by Jake Scott Space Babies reveals the existence of a faraway planet known as Babylandia and follows infant boys girls dogs pandas and more on their journey to Earth to join their new families. After taking it all in the curious child begins to offer an alternative theory passed on by a friend but his quick-thinking father calls upon UVO’s voice-activated jukebox feature to hurriedly change the subject and survive another day in the adventures of parenthood. Kia’s cinema-launch strategy builds on the tremendous success Kia enjoyed last year when it became the first spot advertiser to ever premiere its spot on the silver screen before the big game. The NCM Media Networks and Nielsen NRG conducted a custom research study of consumers who had seen the Kia Optima commercial last year both in theaters as well as in the Super Bowl and the positive effect of the combination of TV and cinema on the audience was significant: While 46-percent of people who saw the Kia ad in the Super Bowl were able to recall it unaided that number jumped to 70 percent Unaided Recall for people who saw it both in NCM’s FirstLook at the movies and in the Super Bowl. Cinema plus TV resulted in a 52 percent Unaided Recall increase vs. TV alone. When it came to Total Recall (Aided + Unaided) the combination of cinema plus TV resulted in 95 percent Total Recall of the ad by people who saw it both in NCM’s FirstLook at the movies and in the Super Bowl. People who saw the ad both in NCM’s FirstLook and in the Super Bowl were 39 percent more likely to consider purchasing a Kia than people who only saw the ad in the Super Bowl alone. The combination of cinema plus TV also resulted in significant increases in ad likability and positive opinion of the Kia brand in general. “Kia’s blockbuster success as the first Super Bowl advertiser to ever premiere in cinema was the perfect set-up for a sequel this year ” said Cliff Marks president of sales and marketing with NCM Media Networks. “The NCM Cinema Network is the number one network in the country on weekends so the audiences flocking to our theaters on the Friday and Saturday before the big game will get to be the first to experience this fun commercial. Our 40-foot big screens certainly help to build brand buzz and when smart advertisers like Kia use them in combination with TV it can have a major impact on campaign ROI.” “Launching Kia’s Super Bowl commercial in NCM’s FirstLook for the second consecutive year builds on last year’s tremendous success where we saw a noteworthy lift in purchase consideration and equally important it created early buzz before more than 100 million people saw it during the big game ” said Michael Sprague executive vice president marketing & communications KMA. ,3842
James Reid is Up to the Task,2013-01-31, The FX Network series Sons of Anarchy is according to camera operator James Reid a “fast paced unforgiving show that dictates a full A-game to your camera work and your attitude.” American Horror Story also for the FX Network is even more demanding because of the work style and pace. “Keeping up with both conventional and un-conventional camera situations has become far easier thanks to OConnor’s O-Grips ” says Reid. “Shooting an episode in seven days with a large cast and plenty of extra coverage involving stunts and pyro can always be problematic. You have to be on your toes and centered to the mission of the moment. You are leaning heavily on your crew and gear to make the day.”
“Because Sons of Anarchy is 70 percent handheld using Arri Alexa cameras and often includes long lenses I needed a solution to make the camera less of a burden on the shoulder. The O-Grips allow me more flexibility and creative freedom in making the shot and less hesitation in pushing for long lens moments ” he says. “In almost every set up on Sons the hope is to grab and tag the details avoiding any special insert shots ” he adds. “On one episode for example the shot was inside a vehicle from the front seat. I needed to hinge in the talent from the passenger door and there was no room to shoulder mount the camera so I used a rocker plate and employed the O-Grips to give me the leverage and control I desired to achieve the shot. It worked flawlessly.
American Horror Story which is shot on 35mm Panavision XL2 and the Arri 435 is even more of a challenge ” he adds. “The O-Grips are used in conventional applications as well as unique and counter-intuitive builds. The camera has to be held in flexible and awkward positions without fatiguing the operator. The O-Grips enable me to reach those looks and make the day.
“AHS is like no other show. The sets are full of texture smoke and dust. The scripts are dense with details and as cameramen we need to dig it out each day. The O-Grips give me the balance and accuracy to handhold the camera. Using just one O-Grip gives me the freedom to play the lens and achieve great looks ” Reid says.
“We recently used the O-Grips on a shot where the talent jumped over the camera and then we whipped down to see the foot landing ” he explains. “There are almost limitless applications for the O-Grips. My assistant and other operators have commented on the versatility and multiple applications for the O-Grips. Simply put the OConnor O-Grips offer the best value not to mention a design and functionality that offers more options like comfort and ease in adjusting the grips per the need of the shot as well as multiple applications for mounting. They can be used beyond handheld applications as well such as on rocker plates Gore-Link setups and when space is very limited. And what is really cool is that you can make adjustments without putting the camera down.” ,3843
RCR Licenses Cinedigm’s Theatrical Distribution System,2013-01-31,RCR has licensed Cinedigm's Theatrical Distribution System to serve as its technical platform to manage key aspects of theatrical distribution. RCR Media Group is a full-scale production and distribution company based in Beverly Hills California that develops produces and distributes feature films for worldwide audiences. Over the past few years RCR has financed and produced more than 20 feature films with six films currently in production. “As worldwide audiences demand more content to take advantage of the digital conversion the opportunities for indie film distributors has exponentially increased ” said Dan Sherlock president of Cinedigm Software. “Our TDS software allows these distributors to quickly and seamlessly book theatres for every type of release from a few screens to thousands. We look forward to a long and productive working relationship to enable RCR to take advantage of this evolving market dynamic.” RCR will release Phantom on 3 000 screens on March 1. ,3845
Schneider Optics introduces Compact ND Kit for 114mm/CP.2 Lenses,2013-01-31, Schneider Optics introduces the Schneider Compact ND Kit for 114mm diameter lenses. The neutral density filter kit provides a low profile clamp-on locking ring adapter that is designed to mount 4-1/2 inch filters included in the kit on camera lenses such as the Zeiss CP.2 and Canon Cinema EOS Primes.
The Compact ND Kit answers the specific need of cinematographers working with 114mm diameter lenses with no front threads and for situations where using a regular mattebox to mount filters would cause too much weight time to mount or wind drag. Neutral Density filters are used to reduce the amount of light transmitted into the lens. Such filters are commonly used to allow the use of larger lens apertures reducing depth of field to allow selective focus and rack focus.
Schneider’s Low Profile Clamp-on 114mm Sunshade (not included in the kit) can be mounted on the Compact ND Kit assembly to minimize stray light from causing unwanted image issues such as lens flare.
The kit available now includes three genuine Schneider Neutral Density filters in strengths of 0.6 (2 stops) 0.9 (3 stops) and 1.2 (4 stops). List price is $925. ,3846
Changing the World One Minute at a Time,2013-01-31, Sisters Jessica (creator/producer/writer) and Alicia (executive producer/director/editor) Arinella have set out to prove that you can change the world – in one minute – with their highly successful series What You Can Do. To date through their company On the Leesh Productions they have created more than 300 episodes of compelling stories of people and organizations making a difference. Each episode is supported with unique Shutterstock footage. “When we began the series we knew stock footage would be crucial to support our range of stories ” says Alicia Arinella. “When I discovered Shutterstock I immediately wished I’d known about it for other projects. They simply have the best selection. The cost customer service and terms of use are the best available – hands down.
The range of images are key to our use ” she adds. “In the beginning I would tag team with my sister. We would have an idea that we wanted to tackle wildlife so we would go [the Shutterstock website] and look for say gorilla footage or find great ocean footage of turtles and sharks. We would then gear our writing to these images.”
Eventually the team became confident that Shutterstock would have everything they needed and putting together each story was easy. “There are so many examples of how Shutterstock has really come through for us ” Alicia says. “One day we needed a clip of a lion and a cub ” she recalls. “For us it was important that the shot not be in a zoo. We found footage of a lion on a hill where a cub nudges him with his head. It was not only a great protect-the-wildlife shot but it has also become a sort of ‘money shot’ for us. It does a variety of things including introducing our promos.”
When searching for elements to support their segment on energy the team easily found a low-angle of moving clouds with energy generating windmills. “Now anytime we talk about green power something that is ‘coming soon’ or to highlight alternative modes Shutterstock images are prominent.”
When in need of images of people in a busy city Shutterstock’s footage from London fits their needs. “The time-lapse selection we used denotes a crowd and is often used to show people coming together to solve a problem.” The Arinella’s mission is to present their material in a positive and non-threatening manner even when talking about delicate issues. “Sometimes we run into problems with certain topics or content ” Alicia says. “It becomes a problem when someone is in the shot. When we talk about breast cancer for example we don’t want the person to appear to have breast cancer. In situations like this we’ll often use something like people gathered around a microscope working to find a cure.
Sometimes we do go for the dramatic she adds. When we want to make a statement we find that Shutterstock has some pretty dramatic editorial-based and intense footage from urban poverty to the slums of Brazil and everything else. The images are always impactful. On the Leesh Productions even uses Shutterstock footage of a spinning globe to introduce every video in What You Can Do. “It is our opening our closing and in our promos ” Alicia Arinella says. “We’re so glad that we found Shutterstock when we started doing this series. From now on their footage will appear whenever we need stock to enhance any project we do.
What You Can Do produced through On The Leesh Productions airs on the company website YouTube and is featured on several New York-based PBS affiliate WNET including WLIW NJTV and Thirteen. The series received Outstanding Achievement honors for documentary/reality series and musical composition at the 2012 LA Web Series Festival. It was also nominated for Best Educational Web Series at the inaugural IAWTV awards and received two Accolade Awards for use of film/video for social change as well as a Indie Fest Award of Excellence. ,3847
Sony 4K Projection System Achieves DCI Compliance ,2013-01-31, Sony Corporation has announced that its new fourth-generation digital cinema 4K-projection system successfully completed the full range of compliance tests for specifications required by Digital Cinema Initiatives. Sony’s SRX-R515P projection system including projector and integrated media block has passed all DCI compliance tests. In March 2011 Sony became the industry’s first manufacturer to successfully complete the full range of compliance tests for specifications required by DCI when both the SRX-R220/LMT-200 and SRX-320/LMT-300 integrated systems including projector and media block were certified.
The DCI compliance tests for Sony systems were conducted by Research Institute for Digital Media and Content Keio University Japan which is qualified by DCI for compliance testing. The compliance test consists of two parts a procedural test to confirm if the devices work exactly as prescribed by the DCI Specification and a design evaluation to examine if their security design meets the requirements of the DCI Specification.
The DCI is a joint venture of six Hollywood studios including Walt Disney Company Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. 20th Century Fox Paramount Pictures Corporation Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Studios Inc. ,3848
IDIFF 2013 Featured Exclusive Sony 4K Screening of Samsara ,2013-01-31, Attendees at this year’s International Digital Film Forum trade show which was held last month in Paris were treated to an exclusive 4K preview screening of the critically acclaimed Samsara courtesy of Sony Digital Cinema. The documentary took five years to make across almost 100 locations around the globe.
Oliver Pasch director of Sony Digital Cinema Sony Europe said “IDIFF represents an unique opportunity for key players across the industry to come together and share industry advances. The 4K message is an important one and Sony Digital Cinema is privileged to showcase its capabilities through such a triumph in cinematography. Samsara is a prime of example of when superior picture quality vibrancy and detail are at the core of the viewer’s experience.”
Samsara was presented by Sony Digital Cinema in association with independent French distributor ARP Sélection and digital cinema sales/installation specialist R2D1.
Maxime Rigauld sales manager R2D1 said “Since partnering with Sony last year we’ve been delighted to be involved in events such as the Marrakesh Film Festival and the upcoming IDIFF 2013 representing a shift in the market which sees wider adoption of 4K and an increased understanding of the greatly improved viewer experience. We look forward to continuing to support Sony in pioneering this movement.” ,3849
Gary Martin Retires as Columbia/Sony Pictures President,2013-01-31,After 51 years in the entertainment industry and 32 years at Columbia Pictures Gary Martin is retiring from his joint role as president production administration Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and president Sony Pictures Studios Operations. To honor Martin’s 32-year tenure Amy Pascal co-chairman Sony Pictures Entertainment and Michael Lynton CEO Sony Entertainment have announced that Sony Pictures Studios will dedicate Stage 15 “The Gary Martin Soundstage” in his honor. Martin began his career in 1961 at 20th Century Fox and joined Columbia Pictures in 1981 as a production manager. In 1988 he was named Columbia Pictures’ president of production administration overseeing all aspects of physical and post-production on Columbia’s slate of films. Martin was additionally named president of Sony Pictures Studios Operations in 2003 assuming responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the entire studio lot and post-production facilities employing over 260 people. Pascal said “Gary is Sony Pictures and our studio operations. His leadership grace and skill are unparalleled in our business. There is no one who comes close. We are fortunate that Gary spent the better part of his 51 years here with us. He’s not just our colleague he is our great friend and we’re going to miss seeing him every day. In his honor we are dedicating our most storied sound stage – Stage 15.” Lynton added “We are so grateful for Gary’s years of service here at the Studio. From the day I arrived through every day since he has been a force of great leadership that is full of compassion humility and humor. As Gary looks towards time to enjoy more of his life away from this lot later this year we are confident that the phenomenal team he has in place will continue to maintain the high standards in our productions and our facilities that Gary set during his remarkable tenure.” In his career at Columbia Pictures Martin has overseen the production of more than 600 films including the blockbuster Spider-Man Men In Black and Ghostbusters franchises as well as many of the studio’s most celebrated modern classics like The Smurfs The Social Network Superbad Casino Royale Bram Stoker’s Dracula The Prince of Tides and Tootsie. Among his many achievements Martin was responsible for opening the lot’s Barbara Streisand Scoring Stage and developing Sony Pictures Studios’ Sound Department into a world-leading facility boasting a stable of Oscar-winning sound mixers and sound supervisors. Martin also implemented Sony Pictures Studios’ sustainability effort turning the 30-acre facility into the first zero-waste studio lot in 2011. Martin will remain in the role working with SPE’s senior leadership team to determine plans for a successor in the coming months. ,3850
Cinedigm Enterprise to Manage Southern Theatres,2013-01-31,Southern Theatres has selected Cinedigm Enterprise to centrally manage the operation of its movie theatre locations in Alabama Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina and Texas. “Upgrading our theatres to state-of-the-art digital cinemas continued Southern’s tradition of delivering our customers the best movie-going experience possible ” said Ronald Krueger II COO of Southern Theatres. “Now with Enterprise we will greatly improve the back-office efficiency of our business allowing our staff that much more time to deliver the best highest quality experience to our audiences.” “We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Southern ” said Dan Sherlock president of Cinedigm Software. “Cinedigm will continue to be an excellent partner to Ronald George and their team to improve operational efficiencies via the combination of digital cinema and Enterprise solutions.” ,3851
Cine Colombia Installs AAM Screenwriter TMS System,2013-02-14, Cine Colombia Colombia's leading exhibitor with 37 multiplex sites 248 screens and 48 000 seats has agreed to a deal with Arts Alliance Media and Cinevise to equip its circuit with AAM's Theatre Management System Screenwriter. All screens will also receive Cinevise’s central rack equipment and will be monitored and serviced from Cinevise's Global Network Operations Centre to maintain the quality and standards that Cine Colombia has had for 85 years in the Colombian market. The deal is AAM's first in Colombia and follows recent deals across other countries in the region. This deal has been enabled through the AAM/Cinevise partnership established in 2011 to bring AAM software to the Latin American market. CEO of Cine Colombia Munir Falah said Signing this deal with AAM and Cinevise is a great step for our digital cinema rollout. Seeing AAM's and Cinevise’s experience in digital cinema gave us the confidence to sign with them as trusted partners and we look forward to bringing AAM's Screenwriter software and Cinevise´s monitoring to all our screens in order to streamline all our digital cinema operations. Alex Younger president of Cinevise said “Cine Colombia has always been at the forefront of new technology in the cinema industry. We are glad that they have chosen our solution for their NOC monitoring services and central rack deployment. Eric Stevens commercial director at arts Alliance Media said We're delighted to arrive in Colombia in style with Cine Colombia. Adding one of Latin America’s preeminent exhibitors is an honor and further demonstrates our commitment to the region. Our experience over the years has enabled us to humbly build some of the best cinema software in the world.
LipSync to Support Crossday’s Desert Dance Production
