The Western Australian independent production company White Spark Pictures has launched a new standalone technology business for its virtual reality distribution concept Surround Sync. Led by COO and managing director Benn Ellard, the new company will be responsible for the delivery of the patent-pending technology to cinemas and other venues around the world, as well as distributing third-party VR films and immersive content.
The DTLA Film Festival – a leading showcase for independent films in Los Angeles – will host three free-to-the-public film-TV industry panel discussions on November 3 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm, at the Boyle Heights Technology Youth Source Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Disguise has launched Virtual Production Workflows, a free virtual production course available to anyone online. The course was created by disguise experts after twenty years of experience helping to power virtual stages for Netflix and Amazon Prime shows, ITV and TUDN broadcasts, and more.
Christie Digital Systems is partnering with the film festival SXSW Sydney, which is being held now in Australia for the first time through October 22.
The DTLA Film Festival – a leading showcase for independent film in the historic center of the Film Capital of the World – has announced its lineup of short films that will premiere at its 15th annual edition, November 1-5 at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.
Alamiya has announced the acquisition of Lyra Pictures in its latest expansion into the cinema and media industry by the Saudi entertainment company. The newly formed partnership, which the companies say is transformative, marks a significant step toward the development of film production in the region.
The 15th annual DTLA Film Festival, set to run from November 1-5 at the Regal L.A. Live, has announced its full feature lineup. A total of 15 feature-length films are slated to screen alongside 15 shorts, web series and TV pilots, with each making their World Premiere, US Premiere, West Coast Premiere, or Los Angeles Premiere.
The Other Israel Film Festival has announced its lineup for its 17th annual festival, to take place in person at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and virtually November 2-9 in New York. The festival remains the only American film festival focused on both Israeli and Palestinian cinema. This year, it proudly continues its tradition of providing a platform for important conversations on this tumultuous region.
Golden Screen Cinemas, as part of its GSC International Screens efforts to elevate the local movie landscape, in collaboration with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, has launched its first ever Malaysia Animation Film Festival.
By the time last year when cinematographers Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer were signed to work on the feature film The Creator, director Gareth Edwards had already spent more than a year doing test shoots and location scouting. Edwards said he used that time as the opportunity to envision the look of the film. He went to Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal. He said, “Our whole plan was just to go to the greatest locations in the world, because the cost of a flight is way less than the cost of building a set.” Considering the budget of just over $86 million, the filmmakers utilized guerrilla filmmaking methods by having very few crew members and natural lighting on set for select on-location scenes, and limited sound recording. I recently spoke via email with Soffer to learn more about how The Creator was shot.
