GDC Technology has secured a contract for the sale of 200 digital cinema servers from Orange Sky Golden Harvest Cinemas. OSGH Cinemas is a subsidiary of Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment Group. In 1977 the Group opened its first cinema in Hong Kong. Since then the Group has committed to bringing the best cinematic experience to its audiences. Eager to expand into the China market the Group has built premium flagship cinemas in Shenzhen in 2005 touting a box office that has ranked top three among cinemas nationwide since 2006. Since 2010 the Group has successively built and has been operating numerous premium cinemas in Beijing Guangzhou Chengdu Chongqing Wuxi Hefei Wuhu and other cities. Today the Group operates 31 multiplexes with 225 screens. GDC Tech and OSGH synergistic relationship commenced in 2007 when we started using GDC servers says Dr. Qiu-Sheng Xie CTO of OSGH. “GDC’s powerful and feature-rich servers are easy to use and are supported by excellent after-sales service so making GDC our first choice was an easy decision and results have enabled us to forge ahead in developing the OSGH brand. OSGH has a solid reputation in the industry for its relentless pursuit for excellence and commitment to bringing the best theatrical experience to moviegoers. Dr. Man-Nang Chong founder and CEO of GDC Tech says Chosen again by such a renowned exhibitor as OSGH Cinemas proves that GDC Tech is a trustworthy partner. This is a massive deal for us from a strategic perspective in the China market and we appreciate OSGH’s confidence and patronage. GDC Technology www.gdc-tech.com Orange Sky Golden Harvest Cinemas www.osgh.com.hk/zh/ ,3118
OSU Students Join AFI Film Archiving Effort,2012-02-29,A group of students at Oregon State University is contributing to a project that has been heralded by filmmaker Martin Scorsese as “the most complete and accurate” online archive of American films. Twelve University Honors College students are cataloging more than 40 movies from the 1980s this term as part of a special project in the class of OSU film professor Jon Lewis. Their work is part of a larger effort on behalf of the American Film Institute to document every American feature-length film produced from 1893 through 2011. The AFI Catalog Academic Network uses what it believes to be the best and brightest scholars from around the country to provide plot summary and production note information to help flesh out the records of American movies. OSU is one of the only universities participating in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films project that does not have an established film studies program or major. Lewis teaches in the proposed School of Writing Literature and Film at OSU formerly known as the Department of English. “This is really a cool honor ” Lewis says. “And if we do it right it could be something that honors students at OSU might continue to do in future classes.” Lewis was contacted last year by the AFI catalog’s editor Bob Birchard about the project which already has completed listings for films made through 1975. Birchard was aware of Lewis’ work as a nationally known American film scholar and offered OSU students the chance to help document American film history. “Most of the really obvious films from the ’80s like E.T. had already been taken ” Lewis says. “I thought this could be an interesting learning experience for the students a way to introduce them to movies in that era that are overlooked.” Each student was assigned up to four films to catalog. A typical entry includes an exhaustive list of details such as the complete cast and crew a detailed plot description and an examination of the history of the making of the film. The American Film Institute provides a packet including a DVD of the film for the student. Films as diverse as Brian De Palma’s 1981 thriller Blow Out starring John Travolta and Ross McElwee’s 1986 documentary Sherman’s March were assigned to the OSU students some of whom have never taken a film studies class before. “It is one of the reasons I wanted this to be an honors class ” Lewis says. “They are dedicated students who know how to do diligent scholarship and work.” ,3119
Pixomondo Collapses Caves Shocks Giant Eel in Journey 2,2012-02-29,The 3D family tale Journey 2: The Mysterious Island from New Line Cinema Contrafilm Production and Warner Bros. Pictures features an array of fantastical visual effects shots 81 of which were completed by international visual effects company Pixomondo. A follow-up to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D much of the action-packed adventure takes place on strange island in the middle of nowhere packed with extraordinary life forms mountains of gold deadly volcanoes and more. Pixomondo was one of seven vendors who contributed to the 430 total VFX shots in the film with five of Pixomondo’s eleven global facilities working on the project. “Most of the VFX sequences in Journey 2 were pretty unique so I parceled work out to different companies based on their strengths ” says film VFX supervisor Boyd Shermis. “Pixomondo did some previs for the film and I was so impressed by their work I had to have them do the VFX on those shots as well. The sequences they delivered were some of the most challenging and render-intensive in the whole film – almost all virtual CG environments with hundreds of layers.” Using concept art underwater photography and real-life sea creatures as reference Pixomondo set to work in January 2011 creating the sequences in which the mysterious island collapses into the ocean as the characters race to find the submerged Captain Nemo's Nautilus submarine. In the underwater caves the crew encounters a massive eel whose electricity they must harness to jump-start the sub and flee to safety by navigating collapsing land masses in a pulse-pounding race against time. “Production had a stand-in for the eel which gave us an idea of what they wanted proportionally ” says Pixomondo VFX supervisor Bryan Hirota. “From there we designed this sort of semi-bioluminescent giant moray eel crossed with a dinosaur. In nature you don’t actually see electricity crawling on eels but that visual cue was an important part of the story. We ended up concocting a tesla coil meets Jacob’s Ladder effect that conveys what is needed but isn’t completely outrageous. It was a bit of a challenge but I think the end result accomplished everything we set out to convey.” “You can really feel the peril in the final climax by the way the eel moves in those shots ” Shermis says. “The weight and fluidity of the predatory creature make it really feel like it is on the prowl and the characters are in imminent danger. Pixomondo did a phenomenal job.” In addition to developing complicated full CG environments and the electric dino-eel Pixomondo created a late-addition Easter egg shot for the end credits in which the miniature elephants – thought to have drowned with the sinking of the mysterious island – are shown sporting gills and swimming towards the sunken island. Once the camera movement had been established Pixomondo modified the elephant assets created and animated by Trickster and Atlantis assets created by Method to look like they belonged in the underwater environment created by Pixomondo. Pixomondo then built out the underwater environment resulting in a wide sweeping shot teeming with activity. “With the underwater environments we had pretty broad creative license under the directive of ‘make it look interesting’ along with some specific actions that served the story ” Hirota says. “Our shots were so large in scale we wanted to fill them with lots of little areas of interest. A huge open space can feel very empty very quickly if you don’t add enough activity so we referenced a lot of nature photography adding diverse realistic fish and jellyfish to help sell the massiveness of what was going on. For the most part we designed our shots and then would present them back to Boyd who would decide what was working for him or not.” “One of the things Pixomondo came up with to fill the underwater space were these amazing jellyfish – a school of which scatters to reveal the Nautilus ” says Shermis. “The way they captured the fluid motion and transparency of hundreds of jellyfish – all shown in 3D – is remarkable. It’s one of the most beautiful underwater creatures I’ve ever seen.” As with many of their projects VFX for Journey 2 was a global effort for Pixomondo. The company’s Los Angeles office served as the lead facility on the project and helped create much of the giant eel. Many of their artists had just wrapped work on Green Lantern so they already had a solid team of character animators in place. Especially talented at volumetric rendering and dynamic simulation the Berlin office was well equipped to tackle the FX-heavy shots that involved underwater cliffs cleaving clouds of silt dispersing in the water and lava oozing out of cracks. Pixomondo Burbank also contributed animation while Shanghai and Beijing contributed roto and paintwork. Communicating via cineSync and Skype Hirota was able to remotely supervise and guide the various international teams as well as convey client feedback as needed. Directed by Brad Peyton Journey 2: The Mysterious Island follows teen Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) as he partners with his new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather (Michael Caine) who is thought to be missing on a mythical island. The filmed opened February 10th and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman. Pixomondo http://www.pixomondo.com ,3120
Raging Artists Establishes New Division for Independent Films,2012-02-29, As part of its expansion into the entertainment arena Raging Artists has announced the establishment of a division dedicated to the development production and promotion of independent films. These three components are not mutually exclusive according to founder Hershel Rephun. “Returning from Sundance it was clear to us that the opportunity exists to nurture unique ideas and content with the potential to reach a broad audience ” he says “whether we are involved at the promotion stage or as early as development.”
Known for marketing broadcast and Web content from a wide range of companies in commercial production post and fashion Raging Artists has an unusual perspective on the relationship between brands and artists.
“We’re starting with a few properties that are fully produced but can benefit from bold strategic promotion ” says partner/CEO Juicy Diaz. “Whether it’s a documentary dealing with special needs like Gork which had no brand involvement or a couple of films sponsored by brands but which retain an independent spirit we can help them reach their audiences.” Diaz says that courage and freedom are two traits that hit home for Raging Artists. “The unifying element is fearlessness ” he says. “We aren’t traditional not in our culture not in our content. So we’re seeking out people who mirror that dynamic in the work they do.”
Produced by Bottoms Up Productions and directed by Devon Terrill Gork won the Audience Choice award and Interrobang Film Festival and screened at the Landlocked Film Festival the documentary turns a spotlight on Terrill’s outrageous charismatic and perplexing younger brother Adam his challenges and disabilities and his impact on the dynamic of his 7-member family. It is a film that has garnered accolades from critics and audiences alike for its frankness and its willingness to challenge the status quo. Gork and Raging Artists are gearing up for a May 2012 DVD release and accompanying campaign. “There is a sense of urgency at our company and I think that’s worked to our advantage with PR marketing even standup comedy ” says partner/CFO Ernie Noh. “We like to do not talk. This quote is already too long.” ,3121
Campanelli and Mitchell Win Top SOC Honors,2012-02-29,Stephen Campanelli and Andrew Mitchell claimed top honors in the two competitive categories at the 2012 Society of Camera Operators annual Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration in the Leonard H. Goldenson Theater at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Campanelli won Feature Film Camera Operator of the Year for J. Edgar and Mitchell won Television Camera Operator of the Year for his work on Glee. Campanelli was previously nominated for Hereafter in 2011 and The Changeling in 2009. The other nominees in the feature film category were Will Arnot (The Help) Mitch Dubin (Warhorse) Peter Rosenfeld (Cowboys and Aliens) and P. Scott Sakamoto (The Defendants). Mitchell’s win for Glee marked his first nomination in the category. The other nominees in the Television category were Grayson Austin (Memphis Beat) Greg Collier (Bones) Simon Jayes (True Blood) and Chris Tufty (The Close). Earlier in the night Campanelli presented the SOC Board of Governors Award to four-time Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood in recognition of his contribution to the art and craft of filmmaking his vast body of work and his respect for the many contributions that a camera operator brings to every production. Eastwood and Campanelli have worked together on every Eastwood film from Bridges of Madison County to J. Edgar a collaboration lasting more than 18 years. The SOC Lifetime Achievement Award for Camera Operating was given to Paul Babin. Known for working with top directors such as Steven Spielberg Francis Ford Coppola Barry Levinson and James Cameron Babin added his technical and artistic contributions to an array of films including The Abyss Always Fearless True Lies The Rainmaker and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Pictured left to right: Andrew Mitchell Mike Frediani president of SOC and Stephen Campanelli. ,3123
Sonic Microspace to Bring Satellite Delivery Options to Independent Exhibitors,2012-02-29,Sonic Equipment Company and Microspace Communications Corporation have announced a new partnership to bring satellite delivery options to the independent theatre owner. “Microspace and Sonic have shown we share the same philosophy of maximizing the potential of digital cinema for exhibitors. We are excited to be working with Sonic to extend the reach of our satellite delivery services further into the exhibition community ” says Joe Amor vice president and general manager at Microspace Communications. “The relationship between Sonic and Microspace has created an opportunity for us to expand our footprint ” commented Michael Covey Production Director at Sonic Equipment Company. “It also keeps us on the leading edge of our ever-evolving industry.” ,3124
Russian Film Stalingrad to be Re-Mastered in Imax 3D,2012-02-29,Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky today announced that the World War II 3D epic Stalingrad will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive Imax 3D format and released in Imax theatres in Russia and the CIS in October 2013. This marks the first Russian-language film to be released in the Imax format. Stalingrad is a drama set in 1942 during one of the most important battles of World War II which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn't escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them the heroes of Stalingrad experience love loss joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack. Directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk and starring Pyotr Fedorov and Thomas Kretschmann the movie recounts the Battle of Stalingrad a turning point in the Second World War in which Soviet troops fought and eventually won control over the South Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) occupied by Nazi troops in February 1943. Non-Stop Production a subsidiary of A.R. Films and Art Pictures Studio produced Stalingrad. As one of Imax's fastest-growing international markets with 22 theatres currently open and 23 more in backlog Russia and the CIS is home to some of Imax's highest-grossing theatres in the world. In 2011 four of the top 20 highest-grossing international Imax sites were located in Russia and the CIS with these sites producing a combined weighted per screen average of $2.7 million. We are proud that Imax has chosen our film to be the first Russian production presented in the Imax 3D format says Rodnyansky producer and chairman of the board of directors of A.R. Films. We believe that by combining the incredible directional style of Fyodor Bondarchuk with IMAX's amazing technology we will be able to make the powerful story of Stalingrad the ultimate movie-going experience for Russian audiences. We are pleased to join forces with AR Films one of the country's most prominent and successful filmed entertainment companies to bring this historic film to movie-goers across Russia says Imax CEO Richard L. Gelfond. Russia is one of our key markets with a tremendous Imax fan base and we hope that Stalingrad will be the first of many Russian local-language films presented in the Imax format. Producer Alexander Rodnyansky and director Fyodor Bondarchuk are responsible for some of Russia's most successful films and we are honored to be partnering with them on this epic motion picture says Greg Foster chairman and president Imax Filmed Entertainment. Stalingrad brings together these talented filmmakers with a powerful story that when presented in Imax will offer Russian audiences the 'you-were-there' experience that Imax is known for. Imax Corporation www.imax.com ,3125
Essence of Tasmania Film Contest Announced,2012-02-29,Filmmakers are being challenged to capture the Essence of Tasmania to win a share of $20 000 in prizes in a short film competition sponsored by Tourism Tasmania. Tasmania Australia's only island state is holding the competition to bolster travel to the country. The contest calls for movies that are three minutes long. Entries close April 13. The competition invites filmmakers across the globe to impart their impressions of Australia's Natural State in a creative way via this visual medium. Submissions will be scored on creativity and the ability of the film maker to tell the Tasmanian story in their own unique way.
Tourism Tasmania will use the four winning films to promote the destination around the world through a variety of marketing channels predominantly through available social media platforms. Submissions should be less than three minutes long
and be shot in high definition in English or another language with subtitles. Entries can be themed within the following genres: comedy documentary drama romance adventure and science fiction. For more information on how to submit an entry to the Tourism Tasmania Essence of Tasmania Short Film Competition visit: www.bofa.com.au. ,3127
UFO Moviez India Dolby Collaborate on Audio Upgrade ,2012-02-29,UFO Moviez India and Dolby Laboratories are collaborating to bring a major transition in the audio experience across UFO’s digital cinema screens in India. Dolby will assist UFO in setting up the digital encoding and mastering workflow for UFO Moviez and provide UFO-Dolby co-branded CP750 cinema processors delivering an end-to-end digital sound process and helping to provide an authentic audio experience in the theatres. Currently sound in many digital cinemas in India goes through multiple conversions from digital to analog and back resulting in loss in sound quality at each conversion. Additionally audio alignment and calibration of theaters will be conducted to ensure a premium entertainment experience for moviegoers in UFO Cinemas. Sanjay Gaikwad founder and managing director UFO Moviez India says “We have invested in bringing surround sound from Dolby to our digital cinema chain in India because we are committed to delivering innovative technology that adds value to the entertainment experiences for our viewers. While we have already enhanced the viewer’s experience by providing digital quality picture to cinemas across India the audio experience is still in the analog format. This partnership will complete the digital cinema experience by providing digital surround sound on par with the best facilities in the world. The UFO-Dolby co-branded audio processors will also be future-proofed beyond standard 5.1 surround sound as filmmakers migrate to 7.1 Surround Sound which is simultaneously happening around the world.” “At Dolby it has been our constant endeavor to make the entertainment experience richer more realistic and immersive. Dolby has constantly helped filmmakers and sound designers to realise and preserve their creative intent so that cinema going audiences can experience their favourite movies as intended by the content creator ” says Mahesh Sundaram vice president Asia Pacific Dolby Laboratories. “We are excited to be working with UFO Moviez to bring Dolby Surround Sound to UFO’s Digital Cinema network in India. The collaboration intends to expand the footprint and reach of premium cinema entertainment in India by delivering significant improvements that enhance the experience in theatres across the country.” ,3128
XDC to Release At The Very Last Moment 3D,2012-02-29,XDC is releasing At The Very Last Moment in 3D the new feature film from French free ride production company Perfect Moment Entertainment whose well-known concept Nuit de la Glisse focuses on the triumphs and achievements of extreme sportsmen and women as they take on Mother Nature at her most challenging. French film maker Thierry Donard has been filming free riding athletes for 30 years and formed Perfect Moment Entertainment a production company dedicated to the filming of extreme sports from all four corners of the globe. XDC Entertainment will start to distribute this spectacular 3D content in 15 European territories on March 20. Release in Americas Asia and Pacific is also expected later in the year. Donard took his first ski run at the age of five. At twelve he received his first camera and not long after started organizing paid screenings of his films. He has spent the last three decades traveling the world and has captured the awe-inspiring acts of the greatest riders of all time from almost every imaginable extreme sport. Thirty years 15 passports and 875km of film later he can claim to have filmed in all conditions and elements on every continent and with the most spectacular scenery known to man. Beautifully shot and edited this film is a snapshot of the best of what he and his camera have seen. Previously his films have been screened at events and festivals aimed at a very devoted fan base but now XDC Entertainment is enabling Nuit de la Glisse to offer wider audiences the thrill of free riding on cinema screens in 3D. Fabrice Testa vice president distribution services at XDC says I have known Thierry for many years ever since he started using XDC Digital Lab services. We are now moving ahead with this association which is a very rewarding one and we are delighted to be bringing the best in free riding to European cinemas. XDC's alternative content distribution services are the perfect vehicle for raising the profile of these extraordinary sports. Frank Smith sales manager at XDC says Until now this kind of content has been limited to those already in the know about free riding and the culture of 'glisse'; but XDC Entertainment's alliance with Nuit de la Glisse will give mainstream audiences the opportunity of seeing the world's best extreme sport in digital 3D for the first time. Donard founder and director of Nuit de la Glisse says Nuit de la Glisse has not only adapted the latest 3D techniques to film extreme movies but has also returned to the heart of human adventure. With 3D the spectator is plunged into real action and it's this reality that I want to reproduce and share with audiences. 3D allows producers' craziest dreams to become a cinematic reality bringing an extra sensory dimension to cinema entertainment. XDC Entertainment www.xdcentertainment.com ,3129
Ymagis Claims Deployment First in Europe,2012-02-29,Ymagis says it has deployed more than 1 050 digital projection systems in France becoming the first deploying entity to pass the 1 000 systems figure in any one European country. Ymagis says it expects to sign and deploy more screens in the coming months. Ymagis estimates that the company has been able to reach a market share in excess of 30 percent of the French virtual print fee market. Ymagis says it has signed contracts with prominent local exhibition circuits such as UGC Mk2 Cinéville Megarama and Cap Cinema as well as with many independent exhibitors from single screen operators to multiplexes. Ymagis was instrumental in making France become one of the most digital countries among the five largest European countries with a digital conversion rate in excess of 70 percent nationwide. Overall Ymagis has now signed VPF deals with more than 180 Exhibitors representing more than 2 200 screens of which more than 1 600 are already deployed throughout Europe. ,3130
32Ten Studios Signs New Tenants,2012-03-14, Three initial subtenant companies have signed lease agreements and will soon relocate into the recently launched 32Ten Studios in San Rafael California. Tim Partridge president/CEO and Greg Maloney COO of 32Ten Studios made the announcement. The new tenants include RipplFX Jessen Productions and commercial production company GB-Films. RipplFX is a mobile app developer and trans-media production company currently building a library of content for distribution across multiple platforms for books games and films. When I was introduced to 32Ten I knew it would be the perfect environment to grow our operations. We are proud and excited to be part of this creative community and the legacy that has come before and continues today. Being here for just a short time has already had a wonderful impact on our clients and partners says Nicole Lundeen RipplFX CEO. RipplFX is currently producing a series of mobile apps and trans-media strategies for the publishing education and entertainment industries. Charles Jessen is a 28-year advertising veteran having worked for ad agencies DDB BBDO and Young & Rubicam on such accounts as Chevron Clorox Microsoft and Apple. Jessen Productions’ commercials have been featured on World's Funniest TV programs around the globe. 32Ten is the ideal place for me writer/director Jessen says. “They have the facilities I need and are creating a community of like minded people that will certainly help keep our creative juices flowing. We love the creative atmosphere that is forming here at 32Ten and of course the history in the building itself is inspiring says Andy Hill CEO and creative director GB-Films. I'm looking forward to bringing my clients to this legendary soundstage and creating engaging content for them.” Partridge says “Within only a month after we announced the launch of our new 32Ten Studio venture here in San Rafael we are delighted to have so quickly signed three dynamic companies as subtenants in our facility. Our goal for 32Ten Studios is to add a sense of revitalization to the long-standing film production community located here in Marin California. Our soundstage is already fully booked up throughout the month of February with commercial projects while our practical effects team is already engaged in bidding for shots on three upcoming indie and studio feature films.”
32Ten Studios www.32ten.com ,3135
AAM Barco Partner on European Leasing Program for Exhibitors,2012-03-14, Arts Alliance Media and Barco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to offer a financial leasing program to exhibitors across Europe to convert to digital cinema. The fund named the Barco Leasing Program has a provision for up to €100 million and will offer financing packages to cinemas looking to convert from 35mm to digital. The offer is supported by ING Lease Belgium. It will be available to interested exhibitors of any size and will utilize AAM's existing VPF agreements with all six Hollywood majors and nearly 100 local European distributors. AAM will begin offering the program over the coming weeks to exhibitors across Europe with the funding available for the next 18 months targeting 2 000 screens for conversion. Barco will supply equipment and maintenance and support will be provided by Arts Alliance Media.
Howard Kiedaisch CEO of Arts Alliance Media says “One of the critical elements to getting any exhibitor converted to digital is procuring the necessary capital investment and we're delighted to partner with our friends at Barco to offer a solution to exhibitors throughout Europe. With Europe already over fifty percent converted the remaining cinemas who have not yet converted need to move quickly or risk being left behind and we're encouraging all operators large and small to engage in dialogue with us.”
Wim Buyens senior vice president of entertainment at Barco says “We expect this leasing program is going to offer the digital cinema opportunity to more cinemas than ever before. Cinemas working with Barco and AAM under this scheme can trust that they're partnering with digital experts who will offer the best quality equipment and reliable service to allow them to offer the best experience to their audiences.”
Exhibitors interested in the program should contact Giovanni Dolci at Arts Alliance Media at [email protected]. ,3136
After Earth Is First Motion Picture to Be Shot with Sony’s F65 Camera ,2012-03-14, The latest film from the production company Overbrook Entertainment and acclaimed director M. Night Shyamalan After Earth scheduled for release next year by Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia Pictures is the first major motion picture to be shot using Sony’s F65 CineAlta digital production camera.
Shyamalan says “I couldn’t be any happier with the F65 which is amazing since I’m a film guy and I thought I’d die a film guy. It’s a digital media that’s warm and has humanity in it which is obviously the most important thing to me.”
“The F65 is like a great leap forward ” says director of photography Peter Suschitzky. “As soon as I did testing of the F65 I was immensely impressed by the amount of detail it captures by its incredible flexibility from low lights to high lights and its great contrast range. It really is a camera for the future and I’m going to use it again on a number of films.”
In January Sony began worldwide deliveries of the F65 camera to meet the incredibly high demand from production professionals. Approximately 400 units were pre-ordered and several other high-profile productions are also planned using the F65.
“This movie is the perfect first project for the F65 ” says Alec Shapiro senior vice president at Sony Electronics. “The combination of an innovative moviemaker and a script with incredibly high production values will test the limits of this camera and its powerful feature set. The result is sure to be a unique and visually immersive entertainment experience for the movie-going consumer.”
In response to the strong interest in Sony’s new F65 CineAlta camera from the filmmaking community Sony Pictures Studios plans to host workshops on digital workflows supporting the F65. The workshops beginning in March are designed to educate qualified directors cinematographers and other film industry professionals. ,3137
USC Plays Host to Innovation Summit,2012-03-14, On March 30th the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab will hold its first Innovation Summit. Building upon a conference held last year this newly-created Innovation Summit will provide international leaders from the private sector academia and the non-profit world an inside look at the Innovation Lab’s most exciting projects. Projects this year will include new social media analysis tools mobile applications and online platforms as well as the unveiling of projects from the winners of the Crunch Design Challenge. Confirmed corporate and non-profit attendees include Verizon IBM Intel Warner Brothers Digital Distribution Cisco EPB Levi Strauss France Telecom/Orange LACMA and DirecTV along with Microsoft and Apple.
As part of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism the Innovation Lab utilizes art science design and engineering to foster innovation in media culture and society in order to develop projects with practical application and social impact. The Lab was founded to address the creative technological and cultural revolution that is taking place in media and communication fostering an open cross-disciplinary culture actively engaging collaborators from across several USC schools and the community at large.
“The mission of the Innovation Lab is to be an advisor and active participant in innovation by bringing together minds from several disciplines and sectors ” says USC Annenberg professor Jonathan Taplin director of the Innovation Lab. “The Innovation Summit will be an opportunity for our project leaders to present their works-in-progress and for guests and visitors to have the opportunity to contribute some creative thinking.”
This first Innovation Lab Summit will consist of project demos providing an in-depth look into the newest results from the Lab’s intense project work; ideation sessions for real-time brainstorm and contribution to current work; discussions and networking opportunities. The first annual Summit will focus on the following themes:
Rethinking Urban Settings - How can we use communication technologies to connect neighbors like never before share community information in new ways and provide valuable public interactive experiences in big cities?
Experiments in Participatory Cultures - How can we extract meaningful information from the digital traces left by participants in online social networks and create new opportunities for audiences to participate in shaping the way they experience news learning and entertainment?
Also during the Summit the Innovation Lab will announce the winners of the Crunch Design Challenge. Crunch is the Innovation Lab’s design competition for USC students and alumni that challenges interdisciplinary student-led teams to design innovative devices mobile apps web platforms and business ideas. Artists filmmakers musicians designers writers policy makers educators curators researchers and marketers will all work towards rethinking and redesigning the world in which they live for the chance to win $30 000 in prizes and an opportunity to further develop their concept/prototype at the Innovation Lab. ,3139
Arri CSC Offers One Stop Shop,2012-03-14, Arri CSC has become the only one stop shop in the North Eastern sector. With locations in New Jersey and Florida Arri CSC provides camera lighting grip and now on-set services to the motion picture industry. The newly created on-set service department will be headed by Chris MacKarell who will be responsible for the creation and support of effective on-set digital workflow products and services for the Arri CSC digital imaging departments in New Jersey and Florida and as Illumination Dynamics in Charlotte North Carolina. As a consequence Arri CSC has enhanced its range of digital equipment. Besides Digital Transfer Stations the rental group has added the Alexa Studio to its inventory and upgraded the majority of the Alexa camera systems to shoot high-speed. Arri CSC’s extensive inventory includes a vast selection of optics film digital and digital high-speed cameras the latest lighting grip and crane equipment as well as a widespread fleet of trucks and generators.
Arri www.arri.com ,3140
The Oscars and Autodesk,2012-03-14, Digital artists devoted days and years behind the scenes to help create the movie magic seen in many of this year's Academy Award-nominated films. In the categories for Best Visual Effects and Best Animated Film (Feature and Short) in particular many artists relied on the same set of tools digital entertainment creation software from Autodesk. Great films depend on great storytelling and our technology is designed to enable artistic vision says Marc Petit senior vice president Autodesk Media & Entertainment. We congratulate the multitalented teams of artists from North America New Zealand Europe and Asia and we are proud of Autodesk software's role in helping them create these extraordinary movies. Here are the nominated and winning movies that used Autodesk tools on their production: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 UK-based visual effects (VFX) studios Double Negative MPC and Framestore each used Autodesk Maya 3D animation and rendering software to help create the visually extravagant effects for this final installment in the Harry Potter franchise. Double Negative VFX supervisor David Vickery says Maya has been the lynchpin of our pipeline since Goblet of Fire. For this film Maya helped us build a fully computer-generated Hogwarts in a massive 3D environment including a spectacular mountain range and an animated fire-breathing dragon digitally modeled with Autodesk Mudbox software.” MPC VFX supervisor Greg Butler adds From the first film in the Potter series through to this film's final shot MPC has relied on Maya for modeling rigging and lighting. Andy Kind Framestore VFX supervisor says Autodesk's Maya once again was our go-to tool enabling us to bring to life the magic of the Chamber of Secrets for Ron and Hermione's first kiss as well as Harry's vision of Heaven. We couldn't have done any of the eight films without it. Hugo VFX studio Pixomondo managed a global production team across 10 of its 11 facilities in North America Europe and Asia for this richly detailed reimagining of 1930s Paris. The worldwide team worked for over a year using a production pipeline comprised of Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max for animation rendering character rigging and modeling; as well as Autodesk MotionBuilder for motion capture and animation. VFX supervisor Ben Grossmann says The interoperability of Autodesk tools helped us meet tight deadlines and bring Martin Scorsese's magical vision to the big screen. Real Steel Visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain motion-capture specialists Giant Studios and virtual production innovators Technoprops delivered Real Steel within an impressively efficient 71-day production schedule. The close collaboration between the three companies and an Autodesk toolset helped create this realistic and thrilling action movie with a believable and captivating robot and human relationship. VFX supervisor Erik Nash says The on-set real-time interoperability of Maya and MotionBuilder enabled tremendous creative freedom for the entire production team. Rise of the Planet of the Apes Caesar the CG chimpanzee performed by Andy Serkis is a creative milestone for Weta Digital in New Zealand. Weta used Maya and MotionBuilder as the core of its creative production pipelines for its groundbreaking visual effects and performance capture. Sebastian Sylwan chief technology officer at Weta says Creating a believable and realistic CG character like Caesar required providing our artists with the right tools and innovative technology that allowed them to iterate and express their creativity. We developed our own software to perfect performance capture hair eyes and muscles amongst others using Maya and MotionBuilder as a backbone. Canada-based Image Engine contributed pre-visualization for the film and also took advantage of a Maya-based pipeline. Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon The extraordinarily detailed Transformer robots contain up to 50 000 million polygons rendered in stereoscopic 3D by lead visual effects houses Industrial Light & Magic with studios in San Francisco and Singapore and Digital Domain. ILM used the following Autodesk DEC software tools in its pipeline: 3ds Max for digital environment work; Autodesk Flame as part of its proprietary Sabre high-speed compositing system; and Maya as the core tool for animation rigging and layout. Scott Farrar visual effects supervisor on Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon says As effects work continues to grow in complexity it is more important than ever that our artists have access to best of breed tools and by using Autodesk's Digital Entertainment Creation software ILM is able to continue to create groundbreaking visual effects. Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots Both movies earned not only Academy Award nominations for Animated Feature Film for Dreamworks Animation but also were two of the top three grossing animated films of 2011. DWA continues to creatively push technology to imbue animated characters with huge personalities and both films used Maya. Phil McNally stereoscopic supervisor on both movies says Either on our own or in concert with Autodesk we can develop tools in Maya to specifically address the challenges of stereoscopic 3D. Maya gives us that intuitive flexibility or the ability to see what we're doing – while we're doing it – in 3D. Rango Rango the story of a weird lizard's quest for identity was ILM's first animated feature. The film presented some daunting creative and technical challenges: Rango's face alone required over 300 controllers to achieve the range of performance needed for the 1 100 shots he appears in. On top of which Rango was just one of well over 100 characters that populated the film. All of these characters had some combination of scales feathers or fur and all had clothing. We strove to create a very tactile world for Rango says ILM's Hal Hickel animator director on the film. We wanted to create the illusion that if you could reach out and touch objects in the frame you'd know exactly what they would feel like so it was very important that our software enable us to show as much detail as possible at each phase of the process. This allowed us to make certain the performances would translate to the big screen. Maya was great at letting us do that. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Moonbot Studios in Louisiana used Maya to help create this poignant and humorous allegorical film. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Digital Domain created digital doubles matte paintings animation and set extensions using both Maya and 3ds Max. Method Studios contributed to 101 VFX shots including a fully CG train sequence through a snow-covered landscape using Maya Flame and Autodesk Flare software. Blur Studios created the amazing title sequence using a combination of 3ds Max for animation and Autodesk Softimage for key framing. La Luna Pixar used Maya and Pixar's own Renderman to create this mystical coming-of-age story. The Muppets Look Effects used a combination of Flame Flare and Maya to help bring these beloved characters to life in this box-office hit. The Tree of Life Method Studios used Maya to help create the fully CG 4K (4096 x 3112 pixels per frame) sequence for the film's Microbial section which plays effectively alongside practical and mixed-technique approaches. Method's executive vice president Dan Glass was also the film's overall senior visual effects supervisor. Prime Focus used Maya 3ds Max and Mudbox to create the wonderfully realistic dinosaur sequences dedicating a team of 50 artists to achieving Terrence Malick's vision for these scenes. War Horse UK-based Framestore used Maya to help create the equine digital double barbwire VFX integration digital environments and clean-up on 200 shots for Steven Spielberg's epic drama. Hollywood and London-based The Third Floor also pre-visualized key sequences using a toolset that includes Maya. Autodesk www.autodesk.com
Orange Sky Golden Harvest Cinemas Orders 200 GDC Servers
