IndiePix has announced a production agreement with Lucky Hat Entertainment a Los Angeles-based production company. Lucky Hat will join IndiePix as executive producer on two films P-Star Rising and Entre Nos which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The parties plan to jointly develop and produce two more films per year through 2011. Lucky Hat Entertainment was co-founded by Stephen Bannatyne and Marcia Carver in 2007. The company has been involved with a number of critically acclaimed independent films including The Order of Myths which won the LaCoste Truer Than Fiction Award at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards and Goodbye Solo which was recently hailed as “An almost perfect film” by A.O. Scott of the New York Times. Bannatyne says “Marcia and I are very excited about partnering with IndiePix on this six picture deal. P-Star Rising and Entre Nos our first two films under this agreement are quality offerings and we look forward to working closely with IndiePix Studios to bring many more top notch independent projects to the market. There are now far less funding options available for independent filmmakers – especially in the current climate – so IndiePix Studios is an extremely important offering and one that we are delighted to be partnered with. Bob Alexander president of IndiePix says “With Lucky Hat’s proven track-record and impressive experience in the film and production industry it will play a pivotal role in IndiePix Studios' titles from development through their final stages of production and distribution. We are delighted with the success of our IndiePix Studios division and are excited about how its first film slate will be received. This co-production agreement with Lucky Hat underpins our commitment to continue developing this division as we look towards announcing our second release slate later this year.” IndiePix Studios www.indiepixstudios.com ,959
Éclair Installs Three MaxT Sledgehammer Systems for Film Restoration,2009-05-13, French digital post-production company Eclair Laboratoire has purchased and installed three MaxT Sledgehammer HD!O network attached storage systems at the heart of its film restoration facility.
Installed in early April the three Sledgehammer systems have been dedicated to the restoration of many films from the Gaumont Film Company’s historical film archive including 35mm classics Un Taxi pour Tobrouk Les Yeux Sans Visage and Les Tontons Flingueurs. Founded in 1895 Paris-based Gaumont Film Company has amassed one of the world’s most impressive film archives and Éclair expects to restore over 70 Gaumont motion picture classics this year using the Sledgehammer systems. “For film restoration and remastering in HD and 2K Éclair wanted to build an industrial digital cinema workflow from scanning to mastering ” says Frantz Delbecque technical director for Éclair Laboratoires in Epinay-Sur-Seine France. “After considerable evaluation we determined that the Sledgehammer HD!O was uniquely qualified to meet all of our requirements. To merge video and film workflows onto centralized shared storage we needed an extremely fast reliable NAS that would support our scanners color grading systems and restoration tools without compromising realtime HD 4:4:4 input/output [I/O] - even when network demand peaks.”
At Éclair the three Sledgehammers—each configured with 24-terabytes of storage for a total capacity of 72TBs—support a high-intensity workflow that encompasses an Arriscan and Northlight film scanners; Spirit telecine for transferring film to digital video; da Vinci Revival color grading/restoration system; and Autodesk Flame visual effects compositing systems all linked to Sledgehammer via HD-SDI video or 10-Gigabit Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet data networks. Several film restoration workstations also have direct access to Sledgehammer’s contents to perform automated dirt and scratch removal and image enhancement including the Digital Vision ASC3 MTI system and three of Éclair’s own proprietary in-house Colorus grading systems.
“With the Sledgehammers our workflow is totally tapeless even when images are uncompressed which saves us money by reducing our use of costly HD VTRs ” says Delbecque. “And our productivity is boosted thanks to our ability to work on several projects at one time and the elimination of network transfer bottlenecks.”
“Sledgehammer is unique as an open scalable platform that can multi-task to serve the needs of any production pipeline ” says Stephen Elliott sales manager for the EMEA region for MaxT Systems. “And Éclair is a unique installation in that they are using all of Sledgehammer’s high-performance features to their fullest—with multiple video I/O’s high-speed 2K HSDL between devices and workstations and shared central storage on a 10Gb Ethernet network—as well as MAXmedia software for the preview manipulation and management of media.”
Éclair Laboratoires www.eclair.fr MaxT Systems www.max-t.com ,960
NEHST Studios Acquires Pale Horsemen,2009-05-13, NEHST Studios a film production financing and distribution company helmed by Larry Meistrich has acquired Sandrunner Entertainment’s feature film The Pale Horsemen. The film is based on an upcoming Darkstorm Studios graphic novel of the same name.
Written and created by Underworld creator Kevin Grevioux The Pale Horsemen graphic novel is the story of a gang of mysterious hit men forced together to uncover who killed their assassin mentor. Grevioux will also write the screenplay and make his directorial debut with this supernatural crime thriller. Grevioux and Len Wiseman wrote the original screenplay for the first Underworld film kicking off the lucrative franchise. To date the latest installment Underworld: Rise of the Lycans has grossed more than $87 million worldwide.
Recently two of Grevioux’s other graphic novel properties ZMD: Benderspink and Death Ray Films have optioned Zombies of Mass Destruction and me Frankenstein respectively. Patrick Tatopoulos will helm me Frankenstein.
The Pale Horsemen is co-produced by NEHST Studios Sandrunner Entertainment and Darkstorm Filmworks. Larry Meistrich Ari Friedman and Shane Walker produce and H. Michael Heuser is Executive Producer. Heuser’s company Storm Entertainment will act as Worldwide Sales Agent. Dana Offenbach will over see production on behalf of NEHST.
NEHST and Sandrunner team up next for the college comedy series Skitz. ,961
Offhollywood Installs Clipster Red Systems in New York Baton Rouge Facilities,2009-05-13,New York post house Offhollywood has purchased the DVS Clipster with Red workflow DCI mastering acceleration hardware which allows for a real-time Red 4K workflow. Offhollywood says it is the first facility on the East Coast to have the capability. A second Clipster system will be installed in the Offhollywood South/Digital FX facility in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The Clipster upgrade provides full-quality decoding and debayering of 4K Redcode material in real time. With the system Offhollywood says it will be able to show DPs their work at full 4K quality in real time and to create dailies for Avid editing in a single rapid step. The Clipster also provides Digital Cinema Initiative mastering and conversion of stereoscopic film data to Digital Cinema Packages in one step. The Clipster with Red and DCI hardware acceleration from DVS is an amazing almost unbelievable solution that offers a huge performance increase over past Red workflows although its impressive digital cinema authoring and support for digital 3D packaging alone make it a worthwhile investment says Offhollywood CEO Mark L. Pederson. It's stunning stuff and anyone who understands Red workflows and sees this solution will not want to live without it. Bottom line: No other product compares. We are fully committed to being at the cutting edge of all things Red and the Clipster is hands down the most powerful Red workflow tool available today. As a high-end DI company Offhollywood takes a forward-thinking approach to providing an optimal environment for DI finishing and the Clipster is a perfect fit says Tony Fox East Coast sales and market development manager at DVS Digital Video Inc. Offhollywood really understands the requirements of its customers and the intricacies of end-to-end Red workflows and we're so happy to be working as a supplier to the company as it pursues faster better easier and more efficient means of completing DI work and servicing clients shooting on Red cameras. Digital Video Systems
www.dvs.de Offhollywood www.offhollywooddigital.com ,962
Quantum Digital to Offer Digital Cinema and Satellite Tutorial in the UK in July,2009-05-13,UK satellite company Quantum Digital will broadcast live via satellite a special presentation in July from London featuring key industry professionals designed for cinema owners and distributors to understand how satellite technology is becoming increasingly adopted and how best to utilize it. The broadcast will be available to satellite-equipped UK cinemas free-to-air as an industry awareness initiative. Anyone who is on-screen with a movie during the broadcast can watch via a TV. A special DVD of the presentation will also be made available including an Information Pack. The program will also be made available on YouTube. Despite having the most widely deployed satellite system in the UK with close to 100 cinemas equipped with professional 1.2m dishes the presentation will take an impartial agnostic view and explain what considerations need to be made even if taking a system and transmission from another provider. Quantum’s Marc John says “It won’t be an advert. It doesn’t matter who you buy kit from everything’s interoperable. There are still fundamentals that need to be understood. Broadcasts sometimes run on systems supplied by Quantum without us being involved in the transmission so it’s a general refresher as well as a heads-up for managers about a few things particularly how to get ready for DCP delivery via satellite. I take so many calls. A nationwide link seemed practical especially as live questions can be taken via SMS.” “Managers and projectionists play a big role in the success of this ” says John. “They discover things that not even the best manuals in the world can tell you. And no matter how much anyone knows about satellite we still rely on local know-how when it comes to digital era sound and projection. The exchange of information around the country has been priceless since the satellite network launched in 2006.” The educational Satellite Education Programs will be annual broadcasts with a supplementary YouTube series – the first of its kind – to launch over the summer to include video diaries of satellite site surveys and installations taking place interviews with cinema managers and projectionists along with in-depth projection room coverage showing how live and DCP content delivered via satellite is interfaced within the digital cinema set-up. Twitter will also be utilized to ensure the widest possible networking of information and dialogue. www.quantumdigital.co.uk www.twitter.com/dcpviasatellite ,963
Regal Expands Remodels Charlottesville Theatre,2009-05-13,Regal Entertainment Group has announced expansion and remodeling plans for Regal Seminole Square in Charlottesville Virginia. The new facility will be named Regal Seminole Trail Stadium 9 reflecting the addition of stadium seating in all auditoriums new high-back recliner seats new lobby new entrance new rest rooms and the expansion of five additional screens. Seminole Trail Stadium 9 will offer all of the latest state-of-the-art cinema amenities. Over the course of the past several years Regal Entertainment Group evaluated multiple options for construction in Charlottesville before determining that an expansion and extensive remodel of our existing Seminole Square theatre was the best choice. The location of the existing theatre near the intersection of Seminole Trail and Hydraulic Road makes it a very convenient location for moviegoers. Regal owns the property and has already begun the design process for construction. A diagram of the expanded facility is now on display in the lobby of Seminole Square. “Regal Entertainment Group is very appreciative of our loyal patrons in Charlottesville. Our company has invested in the community with construction of the Downtown Mall 6. The cinema is located at the heart of the city and is host to the prestigious Virginia Film Festival. Regal is confident that now is the right time for an expansion along the heavily traveled Seminole Trail retail corridor ” says Dick Westerling senior vice president of marketing and advertising for Regal Entertainment Group. “A new Regal Cinemas will offer our guests more movies a variety of showtimes and all of the latest theatre amenities.” The new Regal Seminole Trail Stadium 9 will be expanded from the current four-screen Seminole Square in every way covering more than 43 000 square feet when complete. The existing lobby will be transformed into one additional auditorium with a higher ceiling height restrooms and concessions work area. The new square footage will include an enlarged lobby and more screens. ,964
Reliance Globalcom Adlabs Films Delivering Indian Movies to U.S.,2009-05-13,Reliance Globalcom has announced that Adlabs Films is using its global network to deliver Indian movies to U.S. audiences. Adlabs India’s largest entertainment conglomerate is leveraging Reliance Globalcom’s network to transfer digitized movies to screens in the U.S. “Reliance Globalcom’s global network acts as an international digital artery that allows Adlabs to offer content and media services globally ” says Anil Arjun CEO Adlabs Films. “With Reliance Globalcom’s extensive fiber assets multi-metro connectivity and service assurance we have the agility to serve the industry by moving film and media assets quickly and securely anywhere in the world. This means more movies and HD content like broadcasts of national sporting events and ceremonies can reach the big screen faster more efficiently and in more locations around the world.” Adlabs has successfully distributed many films over Reliance Globalcom’s fiber network including the latest Indian hits such as Ghajini Luck by Chance and Delhi 6. The films were all mastered in the DCI-approved 2K format in Mumbai by Adlabs Digital Cinema sent over OFC to New York and screened in Adlabs’ Big Cinemas digital cinemas in New Jersey and California. “Reliance Globalcom’s network infrastructure is ideal for Hollywood studios production houses effects companies and broadcasters that require a high-speed network with the security and availability to move files that are often as large as 2-3 terabytes in full-resolution mode ” says Ted Raffetto president of the Americas region Reliance Globalcom. Reliance Globalcom will be supporting Adlabs’ plans to expand to 166 digital screens in the U.S. in the coming months. Adlabs intends to continue to leverage the Reliance Globalcom network to bring more international content to audiences worldwide. Reliance Globalcom www.relianceglobalcom.com ,965
Vilmos Zsigmond Named Kodak Cinematographer in Residence at UCLA,2009-05-13,Vilmos Zsigmond ASC has been named Kodak Cinematographer in Residence for the spring quarter at the University of California Los Angeles School of Theatre Film and Television. Professor William McDonald inaugurated the mentorship program with the support of Kodak in 2000. Vilmos Zsigmond overcame seemingly impossible odds to become one of the defining film artists of our times McDonald says. Leonard Maltin hit the nail on the head when he wrote 'Recognition for cinematographers in general is long overdue. When it comes to Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond it's clear that the American New Wave of the late 1960s and early '70s wouldn't have flowered as it did without them.' The residency program will begin with a free screening of McCabe & Mrs. Miller at the James Bridges Theatre on the UCLA campus in Westwood May 11. Zsigmond shot that classic 1971 Western in collaboration with director Robert Altman. McDonald will moderate a discussion with Zsigmond after the screening. The public is invited to attend along with faculty and students. Zsigmond joins an all-star cast of cinematographers who have participated in the annual mentorship program including Allen Daviau Conrad Hall Owen Roizman Dean Cundey Roger Deakins Laszlo Kovacs Joan Churchill Steve Burum and Victor Kemper. The generous spirit of cinematographers their passion for their art form and their willingness to share their knowledge and insights has made this program an extraordinarily valuable experience for our students McDonald says. Zsigmond won an Oscar for Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1978 and other nominations for The River in 1985 The Black Dahlia in 2007 and The Deer Hunter in 1979 which also won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for cinematography. Zsigmond received an Emmy Award for the television movie Stalin in 1993 and another nomination for The Mists of Avalon in 2002. The American Society of Cinematographers presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Zsigmond in 1999. Deliverance The Long Goodbye Cinderella Liberty The Rose The Witches of Eastwick and Maverick are among the many other memorable films in his body of work. Vilmos is both a talented artist and a role model for young filmmakers as they prepare to enter this very competitive industry says Peter Boyce general manager of the Americas region for Kodak's Entertainment Imaging Division. It is our privilege to continue our support for this residency program. Our dedication to investing in tomorrow's filmmakers is as steadfast as our commitment to the future of film. Zsigmond was born and raised in Szeged Hungary. He was a self-taught passionate still photographer during his teens. Zsigmond worked in a rope factory where he organized a camera club and taught his co-workers how to take pictures. That earned him an opportunity to study at the Academy of Theater and Film Art in Budapest. During my first year at film school we studied sculpting painting and other arts before we touched a motion picture camera Zsigmond recalls. (Professor) György Illés and my other mentors taught me to appreciate all of the arts. Zsigmond had recently completed his education and was working at the state film studio in Budapest in October 1956 when there was a popular uprising against the communist regime. He and Kovacs who was still a student borrowed a 35mm film camera and documented the brutal suppression of the revolt by the Russian army. They made a perilous trek to freedom carrying their film across the border into Austria. Zsigmond arrived in the United States as a political refugee in February 1957. He worked at still film laboratories in Chicago and New York while he was learning to speak English one word at a time. Zsigmond moved to Los Angeles in 1959 to help Josef Zsuffa a fellow Hungarian immigrant produce a short film. He subsequently worked at various odd jobs shot industrial movies for $2.50 an hour and free 16mm films for UCLA students. By the early 1960s Zsigmond was shooting ultra-low budget features e.g. The Sadist and The Nasty Rabbit which played at drive-in theaters. McCabe & Mrs. Miller was his entry into mainstream filmmaking. Robert (Altman) wanted the film to look like old faded pictures Zsigmond recalls. I had read an article about Freddie Young (BSC) flashing film to get that look. I both pre-exposed and pushed the negative to get the look Robert wanted. Executives at the studio hated the look when they saw dailies. They wanted Robert to fire me but he fooled them by blaming it on the lab. He said 'They don't know how to make dailies.' Zsigmond stayed in touch with Illés his other teachers and classmates in Hungary by mail. In 1970 a Hungarian film titled A pál-utcai fiúk (The Boys from Paul Street) was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. Illés was the cinematographer. Zsigmond was at the airport to greet his mentor when the plane landed in Los Angeles. The first words out of his mouth were 'Why aren't you coming home to visit?' Zsigmond says. When I asked György how I could repay him for all that he had done for me he told me to reach out to and help the next generation of filmmakers. Zsigmond subsequently arranged regular visits to the film school in Hungary. After the Cold War ended he and Kovacs helped to organize a bi-annual two-week master class in cinematography at their alma mater for students from around the world. For more information about the May 11 screening of McCabe & Mrs. Miller visit www.tft.ucla.edu. Kodak www.kodak.com/go/motion ,967
XpanD Offers Special Rate on 3D through July 15th ,2009-05-13,XpanD will offer limited-time special rates to exhibitors who purchase an XpanD 3D theatre system to add a second 3D auditorium regardless of the brand of 3D system initially installed in a multiplex. The offer runs through July 15th. With eighteen upcoming digital 3D feature films The Walt Disney Studios is naturally supportive of XpanD’s initiative to increase 3D capacity. Mark Zoradi president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group says “Exhibitors have used XpanD 3D systems to present our digital 3D releases. Our upcoming 3D presentation of Disney/Pixar’s Up at the Cannes Film Festival will be presented using their system. We are consistently very pleased with the quality of presentation. We also appreciate the eco-friendly re-usable glasses solution XpanD provides. XpanD’s bold stroke to add 3D screen capacity will obviously benefit exhibitors and studios alike.” Maria Costeira CEO of XpanD says “We’re completely committed to the success of 3D. Since we consider ourselves to have the best and most sensible system on the market we feel ideally positioned to offer the cinema industry a solution that would meet both economic viability and an immediate demand. Building our network of theatres is also building relationships and with a solid brand of technology plus the special rates we offer exhibitors enhances opportunity to compete most effectively and efficiently in the 3D marketplace.” Effective only through July 15th XpanD will offer the second 3D system in each participating complex at half-price based on prices in effect preceding its announcement. XpanD www.Xpandcinema.com ,968
Groovy like a Movie,2009-05-14,The San Diego production company Groovy like a Movie offers to provide you the best possible service for your video/movie production needs. Paid promotion. ,970
New Study Looks at Strategic Impact of 3D,2009-05-27,Around the world 3D movie production is intensifying and cinemas are investing in 3D technologies and feedback from audiences has been highly positive with encouraging ticket sales. Yet the ultimate goal is to bring 3D to the home and Futuresource Consulting’s newly-released Strategic Impact of 3’ report reveals studios consumer electronics companies broadcasters video game vendors and network operators are all poised to power 3D through the consumer diffusion curve. “Consumers are starting to experience the new wave of 3D technologies at the cinema and through digital out of home advertising and it won’t be long before there’s a groundswell of demand for 3D within the home ” says Sarah Carroll director of continuous services Futuresource Consulting. “With over 200 million new TVs sold across the globe every year the potential is huge but the industry needs to overcome some serious obstacles in order to kick start and fully realize the revenue streams. “Most notably technical and standards issues still need to be resolved and there is a limited supply of 3D content ” she says adding “with the current economic climate making new investment in production and distribution a challenge particularly for the broadcast industry. That said there is a real feeling of excitement surrounding 3D and here at Futuresource we believe this will translate into commercial success within the next three to five years.” Carroll says all eyes will be on the consumer electronics industry with 3D Ready TVs a prerequisite to consumer adoption in much the same way as HD-Ready sets were used to seed the high definition market five years ago. An early decision on the Blu-ray 3D standard will also be critical as packaged media will be necessary to help drive the market. “Custom chipsets can be embedded into next gen hardware at relatively low cost ” says Carroll. “Combine this with an integrated consumer awareness program and a coherent 3D-Ready branding strategy and the resulting price premium on hardware will more than offset the additional manufacturing costs.” According to Carroll the study includes hundreds of interviews with leading Hollywood studios hardware vendors cinema owners broadcasters content production companies technology groups and service providers have amassed a wealth of expert opinion on the future of 3D enabling Futuresource to piece together its 3D probability curve outlining the most likely market development scenarios. “Our analysis points to the emergence of two distinct phases as we move through the diffusion curve ” says Jim Bottoms managing director of corporate development at Futuresource. “Currently we’re easing into the preparatory phase which will stretch out to 2011. Here we’ll see 3D movies primarily being made for theatrical release and the continued rollout of 3D digital cinema. TV manufacturers will start to roll out multi-format 3D-Ready sets and glasses from 2010 VoD delivery systems will begin to include limited 3D movie concert and sport content and the market for 3D PC games will continue to develop. “Our probability modelling shows the permeation phase will kick in from 2011 where among other initiatives we’ll see new 3D movie releases on Blu-ray remasters of classic blockbusters like Star Wars The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings a wider range of 3D TV content for sports wildlife documentaries and concerts and studios introducing selective production of 3D TV shows and series. By 2012 more than 10 percent of US and Japanese homes will be 3D enabled and Western Europe won’t be too far behind with six percent household penetration. Moving forward a new generation of videogame consoles will begin to emerge fully embracing 3D technologies and in the long term we’ll see the industry shift to auto-stereoscopic [no glasses] displays.” Futuresouce Consulting www.futuresource-consulting.com ,981
Audinate Supports Australian Premiere of Star Trek,2009-05-27,Audinate has announced that its Dante audio networking solution was used during the world premiere of the new Star Trek movie at the Sydney Opera House. The 150 million dollar Paramount Pictures film debuted with the stars in attendance last month at the red carpet event. For the event Audinate collaborated with Dolby and D&B Audiotechnik. The Sydney Opera House was transformed using Dante to transport digital audio from the media servers to more than eighty speakers across the concert hall. More than 1500 people attended the event. Surround sound from the digital cinema projectors was transported via Dante through a complex network of Cisco switches and amps. The audio network reached all areas of the concert hall using fiber and CAT5 cabling audio equipment from D&B Audiotechnik over 30 amplifiers Barco projectors and high-def 2048x1080 CinemaScope screen. All of this was tied together with Audinate's Dante for networking using IP over Ethernet technology and Dolby Lake processors for processing. In addition Dante simplified the installation and network setup by automatically discovering devices on the network and enabling automatic system configuration. It was thrilling to have Audinate's solution used at such a prestigious movie premier. This advanced cinema set-up was a first for the Sydney Opera House and it highlighted Dante's superior performance over traditional analog systems says Lee Ellison CEO Audinate. Audinate www.audinate.com ,982
Cinemark Barco Work to Expand Latin American Digital Cinema Market,2009-05-27, Texas-based Cinemark International has deployed Barco DP-2000 projectors into more than 25 Cinemark multiplexes throughout Mexico Central and South America including major cities in Argentina Chile Peru Guatemala Panama Colombia Ecuador and Brazil.
This ongoing deployment encompasses both small and large exhibitors throughout Latin America. CineColombia the largest Colombia-based exhibitor is rolling out 3D screens throughout the country. With a plan to replace 100 percent of their projectors with digital they have already upgraded screens in Cali Bogota and Medellin.
Miami-based Barco agents Magna-Tech Electronic Company and Cinema Equipment specialize in the Latin American market integrating Barco projectors in multiple Latin American countries. Magna-Tech recently converted four multiplexes to Barco digital cinema projection for E. De Veer Theatres in Aruba and Curacao for a total of 24 digital screens in the Caribbean. Steven Krams president of Magna-Tech says “We service supply and design installations all over the world and the Latin American market in particular is dominated by small and medium size businesses. In some cases second and third generation families own these theatres. With the De Veers cinema circuit we've built a very personal relationship and we've been part of the theatre planning cycle from the inception.” “Creating those relationships is fundamental in bringing a decision to the table and in what products to choose. Your recommendations are taken quite seriously. One more element is also key ” Krams says “in that you are providing a product which is of the highest quality and the end user is satisfied. You put those elements together with the manufacturer supplier and end-user and you have a dynamic relationship.”
“Partnering with these superb organizations throughout the Americas in 2D and 3D applications continues to be a rewarding experience for Barco and our clients ” says Scott Freidberg Barco's vice president of sales for digital cinema “These relationships are based soundly on the principles that our division represents — innovation quality leadership customer service and comprehensive training.”
Todd Hoddick vice president of digital cinema for Barco North America says “One significant driving force in addressing the needs of the Latin American market has been 3D which is where we shine with the right amount of light for your screens simple 2D/3D switchover and beautiful image quality. We're leading the evolution of digital cinema into this new realm of 3D and the success is clearly evident not just in Latin America but on a worldwide basis.” ,983
Beloved Pictures to Produce Paul and Hale Script Nora,2009-05-27,Beloved Pictures has just entered into a six-figure deal with Cinco Paul (Horton Hears a Who College Road Trip Santa Clause 2) and Jon Hale to begin pre-production on their screenplay entitled Nora. The film set in New Haven Connecticut tells the story of a family's loss grief and redemption. By turns poignant and hilarious this masterfully crafted story answers the question of how individuals move on after losing those they love the most. Caleb Applegate president of Beloved Pictures says “Not only did we find this to be one of the most brilliantly executed scripts that we had seen but the way in which Cinco and Jon dealt with the character’s psychology and scope was profoundly believable and fantastically multidimensional.” Robert Abramoff vice president of Beloved Pictures discovered the project. “I have known Cinco for years and have wanted to work with him for a long time. This project is a unique blend of a heart-wrenching story along with often hilarious situations that everyone can relate to.” Applegate Abramoff and Michael Ludlum of Beloved Pictures will produce
the film. Cinco Paul and Jon Hale are also attached as executive producers. Paul is best known for scripting recent box office successes Horton Hears a Who and College Road Trip. He also co-wrote Despicable Me starring Steve Carell and Julie Andrews currently in production at Universal. Beloved Pictures www.belovedpictures.com ,984
Christie Digitally Screens 50 of the 53 Movies Screened at Cannes,2009-05-27,Christie the technical digital cinema partner to the Cannes Film Festival screened 50 films in the digital format out of the 53 movies that were screened. Bt comparison last year 37 movies were screened digitally and in 2007 the number was 20. Christie Digital Systems USA president and COO Jack Kline says “We are pleased to see the progress of digital cinema in the motion picture industry as shown by the digital movies which are part of the Official Selection. And we’re delighted by the continued trust displayed by XDC the Festival’s technical digital cinema partner and CST the representative organization of cinema professionals in France responsible for the technical operation of Cannes. Both have opted for Christie as their technical partner supplying the digital projection solutions for the Festival for the third year running.” Christie provided over 19 projectors for the film festival. Kline says “As the most recognized film festival in the world Cannes has a major cultural influence on the industry globally reflecting the current technical technological and commercial trends. It’s a fact that the digital format and the number of theatres equipped for digital projection is progressing very rapidly.” XDC implemented its Cinestore Solo G3 server in all the auditoria and collaborated with XpanD for the 3D presentations. That included the world preview of Up Pixar/Disney’s new animated comedy adventure which opened this year’s Festival. Up premiered using a Christie CP2000-SB projector with built-in Christie Brilliant3D technology. ,985
Rome’s Cinecittà Digital Factory Upgrades Facility,2009-05-27,Cinecittà Digital Factory of Rome worked with Hanover-based
DVS when it recently reorganized its facility and upgraded its post-production workflow. The new storage infrastructure consists of a 48 TB online DVS-SAN complemented by three SpycerBoxes with 72 TB near-line capacities. As one of the leading European film studios Cinecittà has to rely on a high-availability storage infrastructure offering openness flexibility and security. Several Arri film scanners simultaneously ingest 2K-film material on three SpycerBox systems for further processing. During conforming only selected film sequences are transferred to the DVS-SAN. This central online storage enables five uncompressed 2K data streams for parallel color grading on two da Vinci Resolve workstations in real time as well as data access for restoration finalizing and mastering. To prevent fragmentation as well as time- and resource-consuming transcoding and copying processes DVS-SAN has no need for proprietary container formats for pre-allocation. Cinecittà benefits from the openness of the DVS-SAN by directly connecting SAN clients from a wide variety of manufacturers such as Arri da Vinci Digital Vision Thomson and Quantel. This allows data workflows to be organized according to the customer's needs instead of being determined by a particular vendor's proprietary tools. Fabio Filoni head of digital services at Cinecittà Digital Factory says After thoroughly analyzing the SAN systems on the market we opted for the DVS solution because it delivers excellent performance in a customized vendor-independent workflow. On top of that DVS has been a supportive and competent partner right from the outset. The service capability of DVS was a key factor in our decision-making. As a result we have been able to launch a completely new era of post production at Cinecittà. Ernst-Joerg Oberhoessel sales director at DVS says Cinecittà is a thought leader in the post production industry and requires high availability and performance as well as openness and flexibility. We are delighted to have made a significant contribution to the redesign and optimization of Cinecittà's production processes with our future-proof solution. ,986
Cineped to unveil 360-Degree Camera Support System at Cine Gear Expo,2009-05-27,Cineped will unveil the final version of its panoramic 360-degree camera support system at this year’s Cine Gear Expo June 6 at Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood. More than a dolly or tripod the apparatus features a 42-inch 360-degree rotational sliding camera plate extendable automatic positioning telescopic column digital remote control and a diamond-style mobile base with heavy-duty rubber wheels. Designed to allow for a wealth of camera angles and image capturing that no other single camera support system can provide – including horizontal and vertical movement panoramic/360-degree movement and compound camera moves – the unit maneuvers effortlessly with fine-tuned virtually noise free operation. With a weight capacity of 120 pounds the sliding rotational camera plate can carry multiple cameras simultaneously. The telescopic column with a base height of 58 inches (with camera) extends to a height of 74.5 inches. When the telescopic column is removed a sliding rotational camera plate attaches directly to mobile base for capturing low/ground shots. The mobile base is a mere 27 inches wide for tight shooting spaces. The system includes digital remote control box battery/charger AC/DC converter and low mode adaptor. Including the sliding camera plate (45 pounds) telescopic column (39 pounds) and mobile base (70 pounds) total system weight is only 154 pounds. Cineped www.cineped.com ,987
Honda Launches Insight Campaign in UK Theatres,2009-05-27,Honda has started its campaign for its Insight hybrid model to the UK with cinema advertising alongside films such as Angels & Demons. The campaign is part of a £1.3 million deal with cinema sales company Digital Cinema Media. The campaign for the environmentally friendly Insight began in Continental Europe last month and was created by Wieden & Kennedy. Digital Cinema Media signed Honda to a package that sees the 60-second ad shown across 2 500 screens and also in art house cinemas. The UK version of the ad was set to the song This Little Light of Mine by Berend Dubbe. The ad depicts a huge car park of Insights in the desert and in time with the music the car headlights create various images. DCM is also distributing postcards in 200 sites for four weeks across the UK. ,991
Industrial Color Launches IC Motion,2009-05-27,Industrial Color of Culver City California has launched IC Motion to provide HD RAW video capture and post-production services for professional photographers producers and filmmakers. With recent advances in RAW digital video capture systems from manufacturers like Red Digital Cinema and RAW video and color editing software from Apple the industry is experiencing a transformative opportunity for photographers to produce video content on still sets and beyond. From a workflow and cost perspective it makes sense to shoot video footage on a still photo set. With increasing demand for content driven by the shift to digital advertising photographers are being offered more opportunity to direct video for everything from commercials to B-roll behind the scenes interviews and short films says Steve Kalalian president and founder of Industrial Color. Red Digital is thrilled that Industrial Color has chosen to adopt the Red One for its customer base of high end photographers. Their CinePak system of the Red One camera and Apple on-set gear for review and grading is the kind of logic we are seeing appeal to this new breed of hybrid photography where motion picture images and high resolution still images are being obtained on the same device. As Red moves into our next generation Scarlet and Epic cameras companies like Industrial Color that are adopting the technology now will continue to be in a leadership position as the market evolves says Ted Schilowitz Red Digital Cinema. Industrial Color www.industrialcolor.com/icmotion/ ,992
SMPTE Calls for Papers for its 2009 Tech Conference and Expo,2009-05-27, The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is seeking proposals for technical papers and tutorials for the 2009 SMPTE Technical Conference and Exhibition. Proposed papers must be informational in nature and must address technical theory application or practice associated with technologies relevant to the motion imaging industry. This year student papers are strongly encouraged. “Encouraging student technical papers is in line with SMPTE’s strategy to support the educational and development efforts of students who may be looking towards a career in motion imaging ” says Kimberly Maki SMPTE’s executive director. “We see these students as the leaders and innovators of the industry in coming years. As such we want to provide this unique opportunity for them to demonstrate their knowledge and to network with some of SMPTE’s luminaries.” Interested parties are invited to submit a one-page abstract (no more than 300 words) Including topic heading paper title delivery method (presentation video clip demonstration) a brief description of the proposed paper's content name of author/presenter company mailing address telephone/fax numbers and e-mail address no later than June 12.
Previously published product-specific or promotional papers will not be considered.
The conference is being held October 27-29 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood California. Click here for more information. ,995
Research and Markets Releases U.S. Movie Theatres Report ,2009-05-27,The research company Research and Markets has just released a new study about the U.S. movie theatre industry includes about 2 000 companies with combined annual revenue of $11 billion and around 5 000 indoor theatres and 300 drive-ins. Major companies include Regal Entertainment AMC Entertainment and Cinemark. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest firms own half of the nation's theatres and earn around 85 percent of industry revenue. A typical company is small with average annual revenue under $700 000 one theatre and fewer than 20 employees. Personal income and leisure time drive demand. The profitability of individual companies depends on securing access to popular movies and sales of high-margin food and beverages. Large companies have advantages in negotiating with movie distributors marketing and economies of scale in purchasing. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in movie type or audience or providing better service and amenities. Average annual revenue per worker is $80 000. Major services are sales of tickets food and beverages. Ticket admissions account for almost 70 percent of industry revenue; food and beverage for more than 25 percent; and on-screen advertisements more than one percent. Other services include facility and concession rental during non-peak hours amusement machine use and merchandise sales. Drive-ins have fewer services than indoor theatres and on average earn 80 percent of revenue from admission sales 15 percent from food and beverages and less than 5 percent from facility rental. Click here for more information. ,996
San Francisco’s Sundance Kabuki Cinemas Adds Dolby 3D in Time for Up
,2009-05-27, The Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in San Francisco installed Dolby 3D Digital Cinema in its 160-seat auditorium four in time for Disney/Pixar’s Up which opened on May 29.
“Sundance Kabuki Cinemas is a destination experience with reserved seating and exciting features including balcony bar seating the Sundance Kitchen restaurant and the Bar Bistro ” says Nancy Gribler executive vice president of marketing Sundance Cinemas. “Dolby 3D is the perfect addition to the Sundance Kabuki cinema experience and I know patrons are going to be impressed with the premium quality the solution provides.” In choosing Dolby 3D which utilizes standard white screens the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas avoided the added cost and quality compromise associated with the use of a silver screen for 3D presentations.
In addition Dolby 3D supports both 3D and 2D presentations without the need for a dedicated 3D auditorium. The system switches effortlessly between 2D and 3D in the same projector and auditorium. Sundance Kabuki patrons can see a 2D movie in the afternoon and a 3D movie can be shown that evening using the same auditorium. With Sundance Kabuki’s eye on the environment Dolby 3D was a natural choice as the solution uses environmentally friendly passive reusable 3D glasses.
“Beyond the premium viewing experience Dolby 3D now brings to Sundance Kabuki patrons we are pleased to know that Sundance Cinemas recognizes the environmentally friendly aspects of Dolby’s reusable glasses ” says Page Haun senior Ddirector of cinema marketing Dolby Laboratories. “The Dolby 3D solution fits perfectly into the spirit of Sundance Kabuki which looks to offer patrons a quality moviegoing experience in an enjoyable entertainment environment.”
Dolby www.dolby.com
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Cinemaccanica Barco to Upgrade France’s Cap Cinema Theatres to Digital,2009-06-10,Cinemeccanica and Barco have announced what the companies are calling a milestone contract with French exhibitor Cap Cinéma. Under the terms of the agreement both companies will install eighty 2K DLP digital projectors in Cap Cinéma theaters across France. With more than 100 screens across the country Cap Cinéma is one of the most renowned exhibitors in France. A long-term customer of Barco’s value added partner Cinemeccanica Cap Cinéma selected Barco’s DP series of projectors for its digital conversion using financing from Ymagis. During the first deployment phase running until September theaters in Blois Saint-Quentin Périgeux Agen Carcassonne Montauban Beaune and Fribourg will be digitized. Rollout for other complexes will start in October. “This digitization is the continuation of our long term relationship with Cinemeccanica ” says Philippe Dejust general manager Cap Cinéma. “We deliberately opted for the Cinemeccanica-Barco offering of digital projectors powered by Texas Instruments’ DLP technology. As we want to give our audience a memorable movie experience. The image quality and universal 3D compatibility of Barco’s projectors were key elements in our choice.” Cinemeccanica and Barco are long-term partners and signed a value added partnership in 2007. Under the terms of this agreement Cinemeccanica promotes and supports Barco digital cinema solutions across southern Europe. Patrick Muller general director Cinemeccanica says “With this contract France is cementing its leading role in Europe’s ongoing digital conversion. As a value added partner we are pleased to integrate Barco-powered projectors and continue our fruitful collaboration with Cap Cinéma. Barco’s digital cinema projectors have a low cost of ownership are easy to use and prove extremely reliable exactly what our customers are looking for.“ Tim Sinnaeve sales director EMEA of Barco’s digital cinema business says “We are pleased to take a leading role in the digital conversion of a country with such a rich cinema history and world famous film festivals. This project is the result of our great partnership with Cinemeccanica and will pave the way for more French cinemas to turn digital.” “This is a major financing deal in digital cinema ” says Jean Mizrahi managing director of Ymagis. “We have set up a business model to give cinema owners a smooth transfer to digital. I must admit we are very pleased to join forces with a worldwide digital cinema pioneer like Barco.” Barco's digital cinema projectors are based on the pioneering DLP Cinema® technology from Texas Instruments guaranteeing perfect reproduction of cinema content time and time again ensuring moviegoers enjoy the highest quality film experience with consistent picture brightness contrast and vibrant colors. ,1008
CVMP Convenes in London November 12-13,2009-06-10, CVMP the European conference on visual media production has announced its call for submissions. The conference takes place November 12-13 at the BFI Southbank London. The goal of the two-day conference is to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge between researchers and media industry specialists working at the cutting-edge of visual media production and delivery.
CVMP has traditionally been held at the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) but has a new larger venue for 2009 and a team that intends to develop and expand the event and associated activities. The conference chairman is Dr. Oliver Grau lead technologist at BBC Research and Development with Adrian Hilton from University of Surrey the program chair. The CVMP organizing committee is comprised of Bill Collis CEO at The Foundry Simon Robinson chief scientist at The Foundry Anil Kokaram of Trinity College Ireland Tom Evans of Wavecrest Systems and Dr. Graham Thomas principal research engineer at BBC Research and Development. Conference secretary is Abi Bowman project manager at The Foundry. This year the latest research developments will be presented together with real-world industry applications combining to deliver a melting pot of ideas and experience. The event promises to be fascinating and informative with a line up that already includes Matt Welford head of compositing at Weta Digital (The Day The Earth Stood Still The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian King Kong The Lord of the Rings trilogy) Professor Marc Pollefeys from ETHZ and Dr. Toni Mateos of Barcelona Media. Special sessions this year are Advanced Technology in Post Production and Capturing 3D Worlds.
CVMP will also address the increasing demand for 3D stereoscopic content and delivery for emerging platforms such as e-cinema high-resolution home displays and interactive media which are all fuelling the development of new technology and approaches.
The Call for Papers is now live at www.cvmp-conference.org. ,1011
Winners Announced for 10th Annual Golden Trailer Awards ,2009-06-10, The best movie previews of 2009 were crowned recently at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles when the 10th Annual Golden Trailer Awards were conferred before a live audience. In a show hosted by comedian writer and actor Dean Edwards with presenters culled from the ranks of today's top and up-and-coming comedians statuettes for 16 award categories were handed out. Additionally one of these winners was also named Best in Show. The big winners include the trailer for Star Trek which took both the Summer 2009 Blockbuster Award and the trophy for Best in Show; The Unborn which nabbed Best Horror the upcoming Bruno that earned Best Comedy; and 500 Days of Summer which captured Best Romance. WALL-E took Best Animation/Family; Best Action went to Fast and Furious and Best Drama to Frost/Nixon. Audience favorites the Golden Fleece Award (best trailer for a bad movie) and Trashiest Trailer went to The Spirit and One Eyed Monster respectively. The Best Video Game Trailer for 2009 went to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. This year the long-established category Best Voice Over was renamed the Don LaFontaine Award for Best Voice Over to honor the man whose voice set the industry standard for trailer narration. LaFontaine passed away in 2008. The award went to Tropic Thunder - Hollywood Legend a hilarious spoof of the making of documentary Heart of Darkness narrated by Corey Burton. While 16 of the awards are conferred during the live event there are 61 categories in total which also include sections for a full range for foreign films posters TV spots and film festival materials. Overall Lionsgate triumphed as the studio with the most wins this year taking nine Golden Trailer Awards. The Golden Trailer Awards www.goldentrailers.com ,1013
Intensity3D Unveiled at Euromax Conference,2009-06-10,Intensity3D which its creators call a radical new concept in multi-dimensional video projection was unveiled this week at the Euromax conference at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium in Copenhagen Denmark. Intensity3D combines digital cinema and curved screen technology and was designed to provide new levels of image quality on a curved screen. Developed by creative design house 7thSense in conjunction with Danish-based systems integrator and production services provider Sirius 3D Intensity3D integrates a DCI-compliant playback server 7thSense’s Delta stereoscopic media server and two digital cinema projectors (one image laid over the other) to produce a geometrically correct extremely bright image up to 24 meters wide. This allows content producers to show both 2D and 3D footage. Intensity3D uses a patent-pending real-time image-mixing algorithm that creates an encrypted path for content producers to access meaning that the images created by its unique architecture are not just uniquely bright and clear they are also protected from copying. The creation of such a secure workflow also opens up the possibility of a new business model with venue operators saving costs by sharing secure libraries of 2D and 3D clips across multiple sites. “We are delighted to be showing Intensity3D formally to the industry for the first time at Euromax ” says 7thSense co-founder and director Ian Macpherson. “The conference brings together some of the world’s most influential and creative giant-screen theatre operators 3D film producers distributors and marketers and we will be using the newly upgraded Tycho Brahe Planetarium as a showcase for what our system can do.” To demonstrate the benefits of the system the Intensity3D team will screen a range of 3D films and documentaries as well as new entertainment content such as 3D Entertainment’s Dolphins and Whales and nWave’s Fly Me to the Moon. Steen Iversen founder of Sirius 3D has been working with Tycho Brahe for a number of years having originally been the Planetarium’s technical manager. “Ever since Tycho Brahe became the first theatre in the world capable of projecting digital 3D onto the dome in 2006 we have been working to increase the size resolution and brightness of the dome projection to unprecedented levels while maintaining the robustness and ease of maintenance of the system ” Iversen says. “The installation of Intensity3D is the culmination of this research and it is fitting that in this the International Year of Astronomy people of all ages will be able to benefit from the system’s fabulous imagery at Tycho Brahe as they explore our universe and increase their knowledge of it. Together with our partners at 7thSense we believe that many more Intensity3D installations will soon follow so that this experience can be shared by audiences all over the world.” 7thSense www.7thsense.co.uk ,1014
NEHST Studios Acquires Production Rights to Matt Christopher Book Series,2009-06-11, NEHST Studios has acquired production rights to the popular Matt Christopher sports book series. Meistrich plans to start by developing films based on the books beginning with The Kid Who Only Hit Homers and The Basket Counts.
Nehst signed the rights agreement with Little Brown Books for Young Readers which is home to the hugely popular book series Gossip Girl and Twilight. The Matt Christopher Sports books have been distributed in more than 30 countries and sold more than 36 million copies worldwide. These books feature athletics as a vehicle to tell morality and character-building stories.
Ari Friedman and Larry Meistrich will produce the films. Wayne Chesler has been tapped to direct and pen the screenplays. Chesler has produced and directed both sports and children’s programming for 15 years. “My favorite books as a kid were the Matt Christopher sports books. Thirty years later my fourth grade son came home with a book and a smile telling me how much he loved the series ” says Chesler. “This is a great opportunity to create family entertainment and companion programming for teachers and parents to keep kids reading while teaching them lessons in character through sports.”
Dale and Duane Christopher sons of Matt Christopher expressed their excitement about the production deal “Larry Meistrich Ari Friedman and Wayne Chesler are our creative dream team. We look forward to the Matt Christopher characters coming alive and entertaining families of all ages.” ,1027
National Film Board of Canada Installs Digital Vision Film Master,2009-06-11,The National Film Board of Canada has installed a Digital Vision Film Master color grading and finishing system. The Film Master will become an integral part of the NFB’s tapeless workflow at their Montréal headquarters and an important acquisition in its ongoing transition to digital. Since its founding in 1939 the groundbreaking NFB has created more than 13 000 productions and won more than 5 000 awards including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. The NFB has consistently played a leadership role in the production of documentary animation and dramatic features and the organization has developed a dynamic digital strategy to support its mission and provide innovative content. NFB chose Digital Vision’s Film Master after extensive review and analysis of all the available non-linear grading solutions. The Film Master will be integrated l into their archive management and post-production pipeline. Simon Cuff president and COO Digital Vision says “We are honored that the NFB has chosen our flag ship product to complete their non-linear installation. We are excited to partner with them and help bring their archives into the digital realm so that new generations can watch and enjoy the content that has made such a significant contribution to the history of motion pictures.” Digital Vision www.digitalvision.se ,1028
Oklahoma Film Incentives Program More Than Doubles
,2009-06-11, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has signed into law a measure that increases the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate up to 37 percent cash back on Oklahoma expenditures officials with the Oklahoma Film Music Office announced.
Henry says “The movie and TV industry has changed dramatically over the last few years with many states having seen a tremendous increase in film revenues after the passage of similar film legislation. Oklahoma’s beautiful and varied terrain makes the state a perfect locale for film and television productions. A competitive incentives package means we will increasingly be able to share what Oklahoma has to offer with the rest of the world.”
Lt. Gov. Jari Askins who serves as the chair of the Oklahoma Film Commission says “Oklahoma was one of the first states in the region to offer film rebates but in recent years our neighbors have surpassed our efforts. By enhancing our program we will have the economic tools to compete in attracting companies to Oklahoma.”
The provisions of SB 318 will be effective after the first of July potentially providing motion picture companies up to a 37 percent rebate on Oklahoma expenditures. The rebate includes film television and commercial productions with a minimum budget of $50 000 and minimum in-state spending of $25 000. Total rebate payouts remain capped at $5 million per year.
“The increased percentage for our rebate will provide a major boost for Oklahoma’s film industry ” says Jill Simpson director of the Oklahoma Film Music Office. “In recent years other states have had a competitive advantage when it came to film incentives. This will effectively put us back at the table with neighboring states doing big business like New Mexico and Louisiana that each offer film rebates and tax credits in the 25-35 percent range. We’re confident it will be enough to put us over the top in landing several of the potential productions we’ve been working to recruit. It will also allow us to better support and grow our industry in the state.”
“We are pleased the Legislature took such proactive action ” says Hardy Watkins executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. “It is such a strong statement in support of our goal to develop creative industry jobs in Oklahoma and raises awareness of our state as a destination.”
The Oklahoma Film Music Office www.oklahomafilm.org ,1029
Pomfort SilverStack Now Supports the ArriRaw Format,2009-06-11,Pomfort SilverStack v1.5 has added support for the ArriRaw format from D-21 Arri digital film cameras to their production-proof application suite. SilverStack is one of the first applications to support a digital dailies workflow with QuickTime-support for the hi-end digital movie camera from Arri. In the new version SilverStack also got a polished user interface and the render queue Cinemator now has a command line render option for the individual render environments. The Pomfort SilverStack Suite consists of Pomfort SilverStack a tool for inspecting managing and previewing hi-res image sequences coming from film scanners digital video systems or digital field recorders. Special focus lies on the creation of QuickTime movies for editorial client communication and quality control. The application offers a broad but specific range of options for the creation of QuickTime movies. A separate render queue application is included (Pomfort Cinemator) for batch processing. SilverStack and Cinemator both support a 10 bit color depth video pipeline for capable QuickTime codecs such as Apple's ProRes or Avid's DNxHD the ArriRaw support includes all necessary image manipulation settings such as ASA logC and white-point adaption. The creation of QuickTime movies can be manipulated individually with setups and templates including preview lookup tables and basic color correction burn-ins timecode tracks and much more. The Pomfort Cinemator render queue manages batch processing and balances system performance by simultaneously rendering multiple movies at once. The Pomfort SilverStack Suite application makes great use of Mac OS X Leopard's graphics capabilities and productivity features such as Spotlight and QuickLook and packs all together into an elegant Mac-style professional user interface. SilverStack is available in two editions: SilverStack HCD with high color depth pipeline at $695 USD the SilverStack HCD with ArriRaw support at $1495 USD per single seat license. Separate render licenses are available for distributed render environments. Software requires an Intel Mac Mac OS X 10.5.6 QuickTime 7.6 or higher. Pomfort Software http://pomfort.com ,1031
Rogue Element Films to open Digital Cinematography Facility at Elstree Studios,2009-06-11,Independent rental house Rogue Element Films is to open a new digital cinematography facility at Elstree Studios on the outskirts of central London. Replacing the company’s previous facility at Pinewood the new Elstree operation will be set up to offer a full digital rental shooting and production workflow. Among the services available will be full digital film camera rental with Sony F35 and F23 Viper and SI-2K among others full feature-film camera rental with data recording services fully integrated digital production workflow with editorial a permanent green screen full digital lab services playback and dailies review and a data pipeline direct to Soho for offline and proxy delivery of content. Dan Mulligan managing director at Rogue Element Films says “Having invested in the first Sony F35 cameras supporting full 4:4:4 2K RGB acquisition in the UK we wanted to take things further by offering the TV and Film production community the UK’s first dedicated green-screen studio with completely uncompressed data acquisition and a fully digital workflow and production pipeline. Having a fully installed green screen ready to run from the start will enable productions to literally walk right into the studio start shooting to disk from the F35s and capture the very highest-quality DPXs for pop promos VFX or feature pick-up shots. All workflow and editorial technology will be already installed and running on-site.” Roger Morris managing director from Elstree Studios says “We are delighted to welcome Rogue Element Films to Elstree and believe that their cutting-edge technology will bring a new dimension to the ways in which our studios are used. As the home of such pioneering movies as Star Wars Indiana Jones and Who Framed Roger Rabbit not to mention some of the UK’s most popular TV shows such as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Big Brother we are the perfect home for such a state-of-the-art operation.” Since being released last year Sony’s F35 has proved a winner with TV and movie productions alike with F35s being used by George Lucas in Prague for the filming of Red Tails and eight F35s deployed in a 3D shoot by Disney for Tron 2.0. The new Michael Caine movie Harry Brown will use F35s shot at Elstree while F35s are being used by several new USTV productions for 2009 including Defying Gravity ABC’s new drama Flash Forward and Showtime’s Californication. Rogue’s two F35s have just completed a feature in South Africa for Sony Pictures while also shooting data commercials and more. “As the only digital film camera supplier at Elstree we will be helping the studios to provide packaged studio-camera deals to assist productions both logistically and financially ” says Mulligan. “But we see this as only the start of many new developments at Elstree. A full digital production pipeline from camera rental to content delivery full editorial full colour dailies suites and more and In the very near future we plan to set up full 3D-compatible studios to complement our existing infrastructure and offer film-makers yet more technological tools to add to their creative armory. Watch this space.” Rogue Elements Film www.rogueelementsfilms.com ,1032
Singapore’s MDA International Film Fund Appoints Distribution Workshop Sales Agent,2009-06-11,Following the launch of its new International Film Fund at the start of the Cannes Film Market Singapore's Media Development Authority has announced the appointment of Hong Kong's Distribution Workshop as the worldwide sales agent for the first batch of films produced under the IFF. Since the announcement of our International Film Fund we have received a number of queries from potential partners around the world. We are delighted to partner Distribution Workshop which brings on board the international sales expertise and network to introduce our upcoming IFF projects to audiences worldwide ” says Dr. Christopher Chia MDA's chief executive officer. “Distribution Workshop is extremely pleased to be working with MDA on their initiative in stepping up production in the international arena ” says Nansun Shi chairman of Distribution Workshop. We welcome this move which would incentivize more international involvement in making quality Asian films with mass appeal. Application for IFF is now open. The deadline of the first call of proposals is July 31. Applicants already associated with sales representation are welcome to apply but must be open to negotiating territories with Distribution Workshop. Selected applicants will be required to pitch their projects to a committee comprising representatives from MDA and Distribution Workshop. Upon selection the winning projects will have their own dedicated distribution executives involved from the onset of pre-production. After completion Distribution Workshop will distribute the films worldwide. Media Development Authority of Singapore www.mda.gov.sg
Lucky Hat and IndiePix Announce Production Agreement
