Digital Cinema Report - All Articles

Pandora's Box

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:40:30 -0400

In Greek mythology Pandora's Box contained all the evils of mankind – greed, vanity, slander, envy, to name a few – as well as all the hope.

The Top Products of NAB 2008

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:54:10 -0400

The 2008 National Association of Broadcasters convention was held in Las Vegas last month and hosted more than 100,000 attendees who saw an overwhelming assortment of technology.

Regal Gets Real but What Does it Mean?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:41:44 -0400

Saving 2009

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:23:48 -0400

As exhibitors bask, at least temporarily, in the financial glow of The Dark Knight,
there is now reason to be cautiously optimistic about the box office
outlook for 2009. It was widely announced in recent days that Twentieth
Century Fox has reached an agreement with the Digital Cinema
Implementation Partners.

The Three Absolutes

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:51:03 -0400

A little more than a year ago I wrote a column for Box Office magazine called "The Seven Basic Realities of Digital Cinema." Given the current volatile state of this business much of what I wrote has changed since then and I now believe that things can be summed up in three digital cinema absolutes. These are likely to remain with us for the foreseeable future and they are true for the people who make movies as well as for the people who exhibit them.

What About Harry?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:31:20 -0400

The decision by Warner Bros. not to release Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this November but, rather, release it next July created something of a mini-storm in the mainstream consumer media. But does it mean anything significant to exhibitors?

What Rent Means

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:41:28 -0400

A year and a half ago, when we first published the Digital Release Update in cooperation with Texas Instrument’s DLP Cinema, the initial update included just nine movies. As you can see in the current Update, times have changed and the biggest change is Rent, which Sony is releasing later this month as alternative content.

The DCIP Deal is Done

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:40:24 -0400

The Digital Cinema Implementation Partners have reached an agreement with five Hollywood studios paving the way for an aggressive roll out of technology to meet the expected demand that will be created by the growing number of 3D movies set for release next year. The announcement should greatly brighten the mood of the exhibition industry as it prepares to gather later this month in Orlando for ShowEast.

Ocean Odyssey

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:49:31 -0400

The newest exhibition hall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to the ocean’s history and its importance in contemporary society. In addition to marine-life specimens and models, the new hall uses high-definition video images in a four-walled display to give visitors the sense of literally being at the bottom of the ocean. It’s also a concept that could find a place in motion picture theatres of the future.

What Happens Now?

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:31:01 -0400

I missed this year’s ShowEast. I tore ligaments in my left foot in a volleyball game a few nights before the show began and was in no shape to navigate airports and trade show floors. However, after going through a raft of press releases and talking to many people who were there, I think it’s fair to say that I was not the only one who was feeling a measure of pain that week. There were several product introductions, particularly in 3D, but there was also anxiety about developments with both the Digital Cinema Initiative and Digital Cinema Implementation Partners and, of course, with the overall state of the economy. All of which leads to the simple question: What happens now?

2009: The Year of 3D

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:46:43 -0500

The coming year promises, in many ways, to be a make or break year for digital 3D in movies. Current plans call for Hollywood to release 25 or more 3D titles in 2009. That amounts to a 3D release every other week, although the studios being the studios it might be more appropriate to preview this as the Summer of Too Many 3D Movies All at Once. That discussion is for another day. Can all of these movies possibly succeed? Will 3D prove to be a fad, yet again? In my mind, before we can answer those two questions there are a long list of other questions that must be answered first. Here are ten questions we will explore in depth in our yearlong series of Special Reports – 2009: The Year of 3D.

Pushing the Wrong Button?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:55:01 -0500

Editor’s Note: All of us at Digital Cinema Report wish you all the best for the holiday season and a healthy and successful New Year. Our next Report will launch on January 15th, 2009.

How ironic that one of the first truly high-profile glitches in these still early and often turbulent days of digital cinema would happen during the screening of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie, which was directed by David Fincher and stars Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett tells the story of a man who lives his life backwards from old age through childhood. For film diehards the incident may have raised some deep hope that 35mm film could somehow magically reverse the aging process and have another century of life. Digital supporters surely groaned because Fincher has been one of digital cinema’s most outspoken and noteworthy proponents.

A Watershed Moment

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:57:17 -0500

The single most exciting moment in the development of digital cinema will take place next week when a group of school children gather at their local movie theatre for an experience that is, quite literally, out of this world. On Wednesday morning, January 21st students from several nearby schools will take their seats at Galaxy Theatres in Gig Harbor, Washington and participate in a live twenty-minute question-and-answer session with Expedition 18 astronauts Mike Fincke and Sandra Magnus from the International Space Station.

3D’s Bloody Hit

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:27:03 -0500

In a month during which the United States saw more than its fair share of historic firsts, the digital cinema world saw one of its own: My Bloody Valentine 3D was the first horror movie released in digital 3D and it was also the first to run on more than a thousand 3D screens. Across the country consumers and critics alike have praised the movie. With critical acclaim and a box office take of more than $24 million in its first five days, Lionsgate has a hit on its hands.

Digital Cinematography Arrives

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:43:42 -0500

The two movies widely considered the frontrunners for this year’s Academy Award for Best Picture – Slumdog Millionaire shot by Anthony Dod Mantle and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button shot by Claudio Miranda – have several other things in common. Both could loosely be described as urban fairy tales, in which the hero ultimately wins the lifelong girl of his dreams. Both are also in contention for the Oscar for Best Cinematography. And both were shot, at least in part with digital cameras, which the filmmakers of both movies say were the right creative tool to use each time they did. Clearly, digital cinematography has arrived.

What Consumers Think of 3D

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:20:34 -0500

Two new studies strongly suggest that most consumers are embracing 3D enthusiastically and that the need to wear glasses to enjoy 3D content is not a big obstacle for most people. The studies also show that the more people know about 3D the more they like it, something that holds true for 3D in movie theatres, video games and in home theatre.

A Unique Resilience

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:22:41 -0500

When asked if the exhibition business is as recession proof as some have claimed John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners allows that movie theatres have always shown “a unique resilience” in challenging times. And as the exhibition industry gathers at the end of this month for ShoWest 2009 there are positive signs that, despite the harsh economic conditions worldwide, the movie business remains strong. Box office receipts and admissions were solid last year and box office returns for this past January were the largest ever: an increase of 17 percent over last year and a total take of $1.7 billion. Despite that promising news one question on the minds of all the attendees at the Las Vegas show will no doubt be: What happens now?

3D: A Fad or the Future?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:49:42 -0400

The Digital Cinema Summit has become one of the highlights of the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention held each April in Las Vegas. This year’s Summit takes place April 18-19 and its theme is 3D Cinema & Beyond: Lens to Living Room. The conversation, though, will be an attempt once and for all to answer the question is digital stereoscopic 3D just a fad or is it in fact the future?

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:47:23 -0400

Why is Wall Street so down on Up? Several financial analysts – those wonderful folks who did more than their fair share to create the current economic crisis – recently downgraded Disney’s stock to sell because of Up, this despite the fact that the movie has already been widely acclaimed by critics and early audiences. What is wrong with this picture?

When Push Comes to Shove

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:38:49 -0400

At the NAB convention in April in Las Vegas a few Hollywood studio executives graced the Digital Cinema Summit with their presence to push hard for stereoscopic 3D. And yet, at the ShoWest convention, same city, earlier the same month, there was a different kind of push as executives from Fox announced that they would no longer subsidize the cost of disposable 3D glasses. Confused? Don’t be. The Hollywood studios want what they want and they want it on their own terms. The rationale for all of this is, of course, money. And the ultimate battle could be over Avatar.

Brothers at War

Tue, 12 May 2009 17:58:19 -0400

Documentary filmmakers are generally advised to choose a topic about which they are deeply passionate. Jake Rademacher certainly heeded that advice for his first film. His movie tells the story of his relationship with two of his brothers, both of whom are currently stationed in combat zones. The result is different from any movie I’ve seen, certainly any movie about war. I agree with film critic Roger Ebert who said, “I've been waiting for this film since the early days of the war in Iraq. Brothers at War is an honest, on-the-ground documentary about the lives of Americans fighting there. It has no spin. It's not left or right. I don't recall if it even mentions President Bush. It's not pro or anti-war, although obviously the two brothers fighting there support it. It is simply about men and women.”

Raising the Stakes

Fri, 29 May 2009 15:42:19 -0400

Regal Entertainment Group, the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world, has announced an agreement to install Sony 4K digital projection systems across Regal’s entire circuit over the next three to five years, which – when completed – would create the most extensive 4K deployment in the world. Like it or not, this is one of the biggest developments to date in the short history of digital cinema. This announcement did not happen in a vacuum; there are underlying issues that helped drive this agreement, among them the current state of the global economy. One thing is certain: the competition in this business has heated up and the Regal-Sony announcement has significantly raised the stakes in the ongoing digital cinema roll out.

Hollywood’s Corporate Delusion

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:54:47 -0400

The first big summer of stereoscopic 3D movies is underway and so far the early box office and critical returns are overwhelmingly positive. Audiences have flocked in big numbers to both Monsters vs. Aliens and Up and critics have generally praised both movies. But 3D itself still has its detractors. One of the most prominent and most vocal of these is the venerable film critic Roger Ebert. In a recent lengthy blog entry he called the 2D version of Up “the true film” and he referred to the whole notion of stereoscopic 3D as “Hollywood’s mass corporate delusion." Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would take Hollywood’s side against someone like Ebert, a man I’ve respected for decades. But in this case “Hollywood” isn’t just the guys in suits who – right or wrong – many of us sometimes believe don’t really care about movies as an art form. In this case Hollywood is also the entire creative community, the people who are pouring their hearts and souls into understanding the possibilities of this new, immersive storytelling capability. In this case Ebert isn’t merely wrong, he clearly just doesn’t get it.

The Summer of 4K?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:18:13 -0400

This was supposed to be the summer of 3D but instead it has quickly become the summer of 4K or, at least, the summer of the 4K press releases. The real question is this: What does any of this really mean to exhibitors, the people who are already trying to integrate new technology into their actual day-to-day businesses?

The 1K Question

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:42:57 -0400

When, if ever, will Hollywood agree to expand the digital cinema specifications to allow for DCI-compliant 1K systems? There has been a lot of conversation this summer about the differences between 2K and 4K digital cinema for movie theatres. Invariably, however, many, if not most exhibitors are still faced with prices that are higher than they can legitimately afford. This is true for theatre owners around the world. Given the current state of the industry, as Wendy Grossman illustrated nicely in a recent article in the UK’s Guardian News, some independent theatres and independent filmmakers are testing alternatives.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso?

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:48:29 -0400

In the 1989 Italian classic Nuovo Cinema Paradiso the volatility of film fuels the fire that destroys a local cinema. That is a fitting metaphor for the current state of exhibition in Italy and the rest of Europe. Admittedly it is the worse case scenario, but there are concerns in some government circles overseas that if no workable economic solution can be found, more than half the movie screens in Europe could go dark in the coming years when Hollywood moves exclusively to digital distribution.

Thinking Outside the Box

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:06:26 -0400

Faced with declining profits from DVD sales, ongoing abuse from in-theatre camcorder thieves and too many websites where people can download feature films days – sometimes weeks before they reach movie theatres – the Hollywood studios are reacting differently to the opportunities and perils of the digital world in the 21st Century. Recently, as was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Twentieth Century Fox has declared war on Redbox, the company that is rapidly flooding the U.S. with its distinctive red kiosks where people can rent a DVD for a dollar a night. For its part, Redbox has already filed a lawsuit against Universal for taking similar action as Fox. Meanwhile, Sony, Disney and Lionsgate have signed deals with Redbox and, separately Lionsgate and Paramount have deals with DivX.

In the Eyes of the Beholder

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:11:42 -0400

Thanks to the recent advanced screenings of some fifteen minutes of director James Cameron’s highly anticipated release of Avatar in stereoscopic 3D, the movie world is buzzing in chat rooms all across the Internet about the event and about 3D in general. This makes a new report from the Gerson Lehrman Group all the more timely. Their report outlines the very real physiological challenges caused to the human eye and brain by stereoscopic 3D, challenges that must be understood by manufacturers, moviemakers, exhibitors and movie viewers alike.

Technicolor’s Over-Under Gamble

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:56:09 -0400

The over-under is the name of a popular kind of bet in which people wager whether, for example, a particular team will have more or fewer than (over-under) a set number of wins in a given season. Over-under is also the name of a 3D projection process that splits the film frame in half horizontally and it is the basis of Technicolor’s current gamble as it searches for ways to maximize its film legacy and brand in this increasingly digital world.

Technicolor Revisited

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:09:16 -0400

In the last Report I described what is known to date about Technicolor’s announcement about its new over-under 3D process and lens for film projectors. Following that Report I asked people on several industry-related groups on various social media sites what they thought of the development. Their responses were decidedly mixed. Here’s a sample.

The Man Behind the Curtain

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:36:04 -0400

In the September 1st Report we featured a story about a big event to kick-off the release of a new DVD celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. On September 23rd, National CineMedia’s Fathom division presented the movie in theatres across the country for one night only. It was, the company said, “the opportunity to experience this family classic for the first time in high definition on the big screen.” “See it like never before,” said the ads. Sadly, that event was met with widespread criticism: more on that in a moment. Meanwhile, in this Report we have the story about the fourth sold-out season of NCM Fathom’s award winning and widely acclaimed New York Metropolitan Opera, live in HD in many of those same theatres. The question arises then: how can seemingly similar events in similar theatres by the same company end with such different results?

Why Won’t These Movies Sell?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:14:36 -0400

One of the implicit promises of the digital cinema transition was that the lower cost of production and post-production tools would empower more filmmakers to do more work and, in turn, that the best of those movies could be screened – again at lower cost – in digitally equipped theatres. That this promise has yet to be fulfilled and, in fact, shows signs of never coming to pass, has created a small firestorm in recent days in the independent film community. From the business media to blogs and chat rooms, the topic of conversation is the same: independent filmmaking is in serious trouble.

A Turning Point

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:53:44 -0500

Every significant technology overhaul happens in fits and starts and the transition from film to digital in exhibition has been no exception. As with other global technological developments, there have been highlight moments along the way. It will take a few years to be certain but I believe several announcements that came to light last month at ShowEast 2009 in Orlando will come to be seen as major turning points in the ongoing worldwide adoption of digital cinema. Historically important events typically occur with little or no fanfare and the biggest news, in my mind, to come out of ShowEast 2009 is no exception. While it is still not widely known and there will be no formal announcement, it is not a secret: Christie has manufactured its last 35mm projector.

Of Dollars and Values

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:36:26 -0500

The world’s exhibitors are in the process of spending close to $10 billion to transform their theatres from film to digital. One of the goals of this transformation is to enable exhibitors to offer their patrons the opportunity to see movies in clean, crisp 3D. And while I share the same passion that many of you do for movies of all kinds and I want the movie business to flourish and grow, I also believe strongly that there are more important applications for this technology than just having the ability to show Shrek Forever After in 3D. Someday soon, as was demonstrated at the recent annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, digital cinema technology may be used to save lives.

Digital Cinema’s First Decade

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:09:27 -0500

The case could be made that digital cinema has been around much longer than just the past ten years. For example, I wrote an article for Variety in 1990 about electronic cinema’s potential to transform the movie industry. The consensus at that time was that any serious implementation was a decade away. However, cut to May 1999. That was when Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace opened with a handful of digital screenings in movie theatres in and around New York and Los Angeles. Admittedly major developments were decidedly slow for many years after that, but that movie gave the idea of digital cinema serious momentum and the transformation had begun: digital cinema’s first decade was underway.

The Independent Spirit

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:12:41 -0500

If digital cinema is going to fulfill its promise of truly bringing about a new era of movie making and exhibition, then the independent theatres that are an important part of the cultural lifeblood of small towns around the world can not be left behind. Fortunately the independent spirit that has kept these theatres alive through many difficult times is still evident in many communities and there are signs that a significant number of them are taking part in the digital transition. Cinema Centers in the rural mountains of central Pennsylvania is a good example.

Roadblocks

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:43:18 -0500

There are independent exhibitors who are successfully making the transition to digital cinema. But all over the world there are hundreds, thousands more, who are not taking part. These are the people who own and operate businesses with five screens, two screens, one screen and they currently face significant roadblocks in making the move to digital. With the existing DCI specifications the current VPF models aren’t working and most small exhibitors will not survive.

Shooting The Hurt Locker

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:27:13 -0500

For the second year in a row the two films widely considered the front runners for top Oscar awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography were shot using at least some digital cinematography. That the 3D blockbuster Avatar shot digitally is well known. What is somewhat surprising and has received less coverage is the fact that the gritty war film The Hurt Locker used digital cinematography in some of its most powerful scenes.

Have We Turned That Corner?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:19:05 -0500

For years now people involved in exhibition have been gathering at various industry events expecting to hear that the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners finally have their funding and will finally begin to convert the three largest movie chains in the world to digital cinema. And for years, at every event, the word has been that the funding is just around the corner. Now comes ShoWest 2010, which is being held later this month in Las Vegas and the chances are good that the news from DCIP will again be some variation of just around the corner. Yet despite that, many people are ready to pronounce the digital rollout all but over. What am I missing?

Galaxy Theatres wins the First Catalyst Award

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:03:46 -0500

As the motion picture exhibition industry enters the second decade of adopting digital technology, we at Digital Cinema Report created the Catalyst Award to honor the independent exhibitor who best demonstrates the full capability, flexibility and promise of digital cinema. Our overwhelming choice as the Award’s first winner is Galaxy Theatres.

The Downside of Good Ideas

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:32:47 -0400

As a journalist I thrive on new ideas – good or bad – because ideas are interesting and, of course, because they can make for compelling stories. For that reason the ShoWest convention held in Las Vegas last month was especially enjoyable for me because it seemed as if you couldn’t turn around without coming across another fascinating project, product, business development or new idea. Of course, 3D dominated most conversations and there were screenings of several 3D movies including the eagerly awaited Toy Story 3. But it turns out that one man’s dream can be another man’s nightmare and that if, for example, you have a small or mid-range movie theatre chain to run, too many good ideas may just add to an already growing state of confusion. Call it the downside of good ideas.

How to Train Your Audience

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:50:50 -0400

Pricing, as anyone in business knows well, is always one of the biggest challenges. Make the price too high and you run the risk of driving away business. Make the price too low and you run the risk of devaluing your product or service. When How to Train Your Dragon underperformed at the box office its opening weekend there was widespread speculation that a significant factor was the recent decision by some major exhibitors to raise ticket prices by as much as 26 percent. There is no way to know for sure what caused the movie to do less well than expected, but if you enter the phrase “movie ticket prices” on Twitter you’ll discover a lot of consumer anger. The challenge for exhibitors now is how to train your audience.

Digital Dandelions

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:26:58 -0400

It was no surprise that stereoscopic 3D was the dominant topic of this year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention and, in particular, of the Digital Cinema Summit, which was held as always the weekend before the main convention gets underway. This is the year of Avatar and the Summit’s theme, after all, was 3D: Cinema & Home (as if all the S3D issues in both those markets are the same). What did surprise me was that seemingly every one of the thousands of exhibitors at the show had some 3D technology to offer and, in a troubling development, everywhere you looked you could find yet another person who claimed to be “a 3D expert.” To me those so-called experts are this spring’s production business equivalent of dandelions: often pretty to look at if you don’t know what they really are but in fact, at best, a nuisance and, at worst, something of a menace. And, as with dandelions, each new day seems to bring even more.

Roger Ebert’s 3D Lies

Fri, 14 May 2010 15:52:59 -0400

You can hardly turn around these days without finding someone with an opinion – and usually a loudly expressed opinion – about stereoscopic 3D. The latest and most notable comes from respected film critic Roger Ebert who wrote an opinion piece in Newsweek magazine entitled Why I Hate 3D (and You Should, too). He makes nine key points in the article and calls them heresies; I call them lies because almost all of them are inaccurate or irrelevant at best and, at worst, untrue.

A Sound Idea

Sat, 29 May 2010 16:49:44 -0400

Despite the fact that sync sound has been a mainstay of motion picture production and exhibition for almost a century, audio is still too often an underappreciated stepchild in the entire process. Too many filmmakers focus all their attention on the images in their movies; in the best cases they at least put concerns about the quality of the audio to experienced hands but in worst-case scenarios the soundtrack becomes an afterthought. Then the budget runs out before the audio can be its best. Too many exhibitors concentrate more on the concessions stand than they do on what’s happening inside their theatres. In an effort to change all of this Dolby is offering filmmakers and exhibitors alike a new tool that can make a dramatic difference in the quality of a movie presentation. You can hear it for yourself later this month when Toy Story 3 premieres as the first feature film to be mixed and distributed in Dolby Surround 7.1.

Metropolis

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:39:42 -0400

I was fortunate enough recently to see the digitally restored complete version of Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent masterpiece Metropolis at the Film Forum in New York City. Following its premiere in Berlin the 153-minute film was substantially edited and the complete film was thought to be lost forever. However, in 2008 Argentine film archivist Fernando Peña found the newly discovered footage, roughly 25 minutes in length, in the archives of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires. The film, which will be available on DVD later this year, has clearly stood the test of time and, after 83 years, merits its reputation as one of the great German expressionist works. I encourage everyone to see it while you can on the big screen. It’s playing around the country through the summer. There’s a link at the end of this article to the film’s website where you can find screening times and locations. But although I was caught up in the story throughout the screening, as I sat watching it I couldn’t help think about what Metropolis says about the motion picture industry in the digital cinema era.

Changing the way Exhibitors do Business

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:12:13 -0400

As many people are already aware, Cinedigm Digital Cinema’s co-founder A. Dale “Bud” Mayo has retired as chief executive officer and president of the company effective immediately. He will continue as chairman of the board of directors. A search for a successor has begun. I first met Mayo in person in the spring of 2005 at the midnight premiere of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The event was held at Cinedigm’s own Pavilion Digital Showcase Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, which has five 2K-digital cinema screens and, at the time laid claim to being the largest 2K venue in the United States. Then, and now, that venue for that event seems fitting in so many ways for there is simply no question that Bud Mayo played a key role in changing the way exhibitors do business.

Revitalizing the Vinton Palace Theatre

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:04:57 -0400

Vinton, Iowa is a town of some 5,000 people located on the Cedar River in the northern part of the state. In a story repeated in small towns all across the country, Vinton flourished through much of the 20th century but over the years as the importance of the family farm diminished the town began to fall on hard times. Businesses failed, people moved away and in the early 1970s, in a story also repeated in too many small towns across the country the Vinton Palace Theatre closed its doors. Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of a lot of people in the community, the theatre is a viable business again and this month it successfully premiered its first digital 3D movie.

Designing the 21st Century Multiplex

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:38:19 -0400

In the past the goal of exhibitors was efficient turnover. They wanted to get patrons in the front door, sell them concessions in the lobby, move them into the theatre and when the movie ended funnel them out as quickly as possible to expedite more screenings per day. Today, in part thanks to digital cinema technology, movie theatres are evolving into community centers. As a result, the modern multiplex is undergoing wholesale change and a critical element of that is the size and shape of the buildings themselves. I recently contacted architects and designers from around the world and asked them to participate in an online Q&A discussion about movie theatre design.

Quality Control

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:50:43 -0400

In recent weeks the creative community and the movie-going public have voiced growing concerns about the poor quality of some of the latest 3D movies. This is particularly true of movies that were shot in 2D and converted to 3D. An article in The New York Times, quoting an online joke currently making the rounds, said, “If you can’t make it good, make it 3D.” Meanwhile, considering the studio’s perspective, The London Telegraph said, “Hollywood's faith in the power of 3D movies to deliver a bright future of packed cinemas and spectacle-wearing audiences has been jolted by figures that show the high-tech format may already be floundering.” If we are to see the full creative and economic potential of stereoscopic 3D, it’s time for executives at the Hollywood studios to exert serious quality control.

Are You Ready to Create in 3D?

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:42:29 -0400

Are You Ready to Create in 3D? Not Tomorrow. Today: Is the theme of a 3D panel to be held later this month in New York City at the upcoming Createasphere. There are now some ten thousand movie screens in mainstream theatres worldwide that are capable of showing stereoscopic 3D movies. This is creating a demand that the major Hollywood studios simply can’t satisfy. The result is a tremendous opportunity for independent filmmakers around the world and they are embracing it in growing numbers. The goal of the panel discussion, which I’m pleased to moderate, is to give independent filmmakers some real world answers to questions about shooting, editing and distributing in stereoscopic 3D.

Hollywood’s 3D Miscalculation

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:18:48 -0400

This is not another one of those articles predicting the death of Hollywood and its influence on the worldwide cinema scene. Hollywood, after all, is still capable of releasing movies such as this summer’s well deserved critical and box office successes Toy Story 3 and Inception. But this is an article suggesting that some of the decisions made of late by current studio executives seem certain to backfire sooner rather than later, if they haven’t already. How else to account for the twin facts that, as has been widely reported, summer movie attendance fell to its lowest number since 1997, yet revenues set a new record at $4.35 billion?

The 3D Cinema Ad Opportunity

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:41:26 -0400

The first annual 3D Experience was held in New York last month and, as billed by its promoters, an all-day executive forum offered “the opportunity to learn what’s next in the world of 3D through presentations, networking opportunities and technical demonstrations.” By and large the event delivered and, for exhibitors and filmmakers alike, one thing seems clear: 3D advertising in movie theatres is a tremendous market just waiting to be served.

Alternative to What?

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 08:53:09 -0400

Lately, whenever I hear the term “alternative content” I’m reminded of a line delivered by the actress Ellen Page in Drew Barrymore’s roller derby movie Whip It. Page plays the edgy type of character she does so well and as the movie begins she’s working as a waitress. When she takes the order of some rather un-edgy teenage girls one of them says derisively to her, “So, you’re like supposed to be alternative, right?” To which Page replies in a beautifully deadpan way, “Alternative to what?”

Embracing the Recognition Economy

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 12:37:43 -0400

Independent filmmakers have always faced a series of daunting challenges from raising production and post-production capital to, perhaps the most daunting of all, securing some kind of realistic distribution deal. The widespread adoption of social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook are enabling new models that many filmmakers are beginning to implement. British filmmaker Obhi Chatterjee says he’s simply taking advantage of what he calls “the recognition economy.”

The Hornet’s Nest

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 11:45:44 -0500

The expression “to knock over a hornet’s nest” has been in our vernacular at least since the mid-18th century. Then, as now, it referred to doing something that is certain to create an upheaval. For me, digital cinema has always represented that concept. I thought of all of this recently at my local movie theatre when, thanks to a relatively new program from AMC I was able to see the Swedish film The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. In the past, seeing a foreign film with subtitles required a drive into Manhattan; now all that has changed.

Coming Soon to a Lobby Near You?

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:23:22 -0500

Digital signage is an emerging technology that often seems to be on the verge of widespread acceptance by exhibitors for their lobby displays. There are legitimate reasons for this hesitation despite the fact that the technology, especially in 3D has a lot to offer in terms of the Wow factor of dynamic coming attractions, flexibility in menu boards and potential long term cost savings. The questions remain: could this be changing and, if so, how soon?

This Magical Balancing Act

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:57:24 -0500

Jon Landau has produced the two highest grossing movies of all-time, Avatar and Titanic. Earlier this month he was the guest speaker at TheMuseum in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada where an exhibit about the Titanic is currently on display. I was invited to interview Landau by Christie Digital Systems, a major sponsor of the museum and the Titanic exhibit. In person Landau is friendly and approachable, intelligent and curious and passionate about his family, the movie industry and his work. He has many anecdotes he shares when asked what it is, exactly, that a producer does. Ultimately, he seems to attribute it to an unpredictable combination of hard work and luck. “Every film is a new venture,” he says. He calls the process of bringing a successful movie to the screen “this magical balancing act.”

The Top 10 Reasons 3D TV is 10 Years Away

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:10:47 -0500

The Consumer Electronics Show has come and gone and this year, as in recent years one of the biggest buzzes at the show belonged to 3D televisions. The major studios want it, the consumer electronics manufacturers want it; the only people who don’t seem to really want it – at least in their homes – are their customers. This is good news for filmmakers and even better news for exhibitors. Movie going audiences have embraced 3D movies and still show a willingness to pay a premium to do so. This should continue as long as Hollywood doesn’t flood the market with 3D films that are poorly made or not suited to 3D in the first place, which is no certain bet. But 3D television in homes – in any meaningful numbers – are at best a decade away. Here are the top ten reasons why.

Correspondents on the Scene

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:01:37 -0500

Geography informs perspective. Many aspects of making or exhibiting a movie are the same the world over but experience tells us that in every region around the world the details can be something else entirely. One of the virtues of the Internet and websites like Digital Cinema Report and IndieFilm3D is that, even though we’re based in New York, we have the ability to gather news from all over the world. But there is simply no substitute for actually being on the scene in the key places that are the heart of the movie business. With that in mind, I’m pleased to announce the addition of three new correspondents to our editorial staff. Starting today, Digital Cinema Report and IndieFilm3D will be represented by three talented journalists based in Hollywood, London and Singapore.

Social Content

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:39:17 -0500

This is an interesting moment in the ongoing digital cinema era. The transition to digital technology continues at a steady, even rapid pace around most of the world. But the number of overall movie tickets sold remains essentially flat and patrons are showing an increasing reluctance to pay extra dollars for a movie just because it’s in 3D. Leading exhibition companies are addressing this situation – and adding new revenue streams – with a growing variety of content. And they’re building audiences using the growing power of social media. That suggests to me a new name for the increasingly popular programming that is now available at your local theatre: social content.

Previewing CinemaCon

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:09:50 -0500

The first CinemaCon convenes later this month at Caesar's Palace across the street from Bally's where ShoWest was held for so many years. The exhibition industry is clearly at a crossroads unlike anything quite like it in its entire history. It seems fitting then that North America’s biggest exhibition trade event is starting fresh. I asked John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners for a preview of the show.

Reflections on Taxi Driver

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:15:56 -0400

Taxi Driver, a classic film of the 1970s, involved a long list of people who went on to become household names in the movie industry, including: Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Michael Chapman, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks and Cybill Shepard. Sony Pictures spent the last year supervising the restoration of the film for its 35th anniversary. The result of that effort is a pristine 4K version that will be screened March 19th and 22nd in select AMC Theatres across North America. A Blu-ray version will be released April 5th. Earlier this month the Directors Guild in New York hosted the first public screening of the newly restored 4K-version as a fund-raiser for The Film Foundation. Both director Scorsese and screenwriter Schrader were on hand to offer their reflections on Taxi Driver.

Can Drive-Ins Overcome the Digital Challenge?

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:02:43 -0400

Drive-ins have survived a long list of challenges over the years. For starters, in almost every region they’re seasonal businesses, limited in the number of showings they can offer because they have to wait until dusk to start. In the 1950s crusaders called them morally depraved and labeled them “passion pits,” a term that may or may not have helped business, depending on your perspective. The advent of color television in the 1960s took a small toll but the biggest challenge came in the 1980s when rising real estate prices made their properties more valuable for other uses. Faced with all of this it’s amazing that so many have survived. But they have and in some places the drive-in business is good. The irony is that digital technology, which is bringing so many new opportunities to the overall exhibition industry, may in fact be the one challenge most drive-ins simply can’t overcome.

Digital Cinema’s Past, Present and Future

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:10:57 -0400

The first annual CinemaCon, North America’s largest trade event for movie theatre owners, concluded in Las Vegas earlier this month and by all accounts was a great success. The show does not limit itself just to exhibitors, however, and includes appearances by the studio executives and filmmakers who make the movies that fill the big screen. Case in point: one luncheon during the week featured James Cameron, George Lucas and Jeffrey Katzenberg and the three incredibly successful filmmakers had a wide-ranging conversation about digital production and exhibition’s past, present and future.

AMC Opens a Green Theatre

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:01:42 -0400

AMC opened a new multiplex in suburban Chicago this weekend with all the fanfare that one would expect when a major entertainment center debuts in a major urban area. Among the opening-week festivities there were celebrity appearances, contests and prizes. What should not be overlooked in all the excitement, however, is the fact that what AMC has also done is create a template for the environmentally friendly movie complex of the future.

Bright Lights in the Texas Night

Sat, 14 May 2011 11:59:43 -0400

For all the promise and potential that digital cinema technology offers, the dark reality is that many small independent theatres are all but certain to fail because of it. This is especially true of the American drive-in, a romantic business venture that has always faced long odds. And while the recent good news out of Texas does little to change that for the industry at large, for two drive-in theatres and their patrons the future is bright. Last month the Big Sky Drive-in in Midland and, a day or two later, the Stars & Stripes Drive-in in Lubbock, both went all digital, the first multi-screen drive-ins in the country to do so. From now on there will be some really bright lights in the Texas night. Here then, the tale of two drive-ins.

Scaring up Customers

Tue, 31 May 2011 11:48:59 -0400

No one ever suggested that the wholesale reinvention of the global entertainment industry was going to be pretty or easy. As studios, filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors experiment with new digital cinema technology, business models and content, factions take sides, mistakes are inevitably made but successes are also achieved. That’s the nature of experiments and no one can say with absolute certainty precisely what the international entertainment business will look like when all is said and done. The recent dispute over the video-on-demand release of feature films is one example. And that makes Cinedigm’s announced release of John Carpenter’s The Ward all the more interesting. Welcome to the transition era.

The Balancing Act

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:15:48 -0400

Movie theft is a global problem for filmmakers and exhibitors alike. To take just one country as an example, last year 92 million pirated movies were viewed by Australians, which cost the industry $1.34 billion in losses, according to the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft. Given the inescapable realities of the lethal combination of unique regional challenges (think China), the pervasiveness of digital technology, the ongoing appeal of getting something for nothing and the frailties of human nature, and it seems likely that movie theft will never be completed stopped. While there are signs the problem may be getting worse there are also signs that some countries are taking steps to gain a measure of control over the situation. But lessons learned from the often-misguided attempts by the music industry to police theft show that fixing the online piracy problem will require a balancing act.

If It’s 3D It’s Better, Right?

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:19:09 -0400

This is an interesting, if somewhat disappointing, summer in the still young life of digital stereoscopic 3D. Hardly a week goes by without an announcement proclaiming a 3D first. Unfortunately, very few of these announcements are about how an artist used 3D to enhance or improve a visual story or of, in turn, why a customer should pay an extra price to see a movie in 3D. Most of these announcements are gimmicks designed mainly to try to jumpstart sales of 3D phones and televisions. The feeling seems to be that as long as it’s in 3D it must be better. To me all it shows is the continuing short supply of quality 3D content.

Harry Potter and the Power of Story

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:26:02 -0400

Today is the day – with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2 – that the movie version of the Harry Potter saga officially comes to a close. But it’s safe to say that as long people read books and go to the movies, some form of the magical story of the coming of age of an orphaned wizard will live on. Considered this way all the debates about 2D versus 3D seem trivial because, more than anything else, this is a testament to the overwhelming power of a great story well told.

Surrounded

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:59:51 -0400

Last summer’s released of Toy Story 3 was the debut of Dolby’s Surround Sound 7.1. Since then 25 feature films have been mixed in 7.1, making it one of the most quickly adopted Dolby cinema audio formats ever. Filmmakers, sound mixers, directors, and other post-production professionals have embraced 7.1 because, they say it brings a more exciting experience to 2D movies, and gives them even more control over audio placement for 3D movies. Last month Dolby hosted Surrounded: 7.1 Cinema & Beyond, a day and a half retreat at its San Francisco headquarters that was designed to foster entertainment technology discussion. I was fortunate to be included as one of the guests.

Harry Potter and The 3D Crossroads

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 09:55:42 -0400

As Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 continues its record-breaking run in theatres around the world the audience’s failure to embrace the 3D version is both disappointing and something of a surprise. This disconnect occurred despite the fact that by most accounts the 3D conversion was very well done and the 3D was carefully designed to serve the story. When was the last time you heard that? According to the website Boxofficemojo, 3D accounted for around 45 percent of the gross, which, by my estimate when considering the premium, means only roughly a third of people saw it in 3D. What this means is we’ve come to a critical 3D crossroads and the Hollywood studios in particular and filmmakers and exhibitors to a certain extent, have to rethink everything.

Transforming Technicolor

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:55:26 -0400

For almost a century Technicolor has been one of the most dominant brands in the worldwide motion picture business. Its color motion picture process played a critical role in some of the most important movies ever made. Such classic films as The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all benefited from the Technicolor process and the company continues to support major motion pictures as well as television and other forms of media. As the 35mm era draws to its inevitable end, Technicolor, through a series of partnerships, is trying to transform itself yet again.

Considering Indie Direct

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:16:19 -0400

Cinedigm Digital Cinema announced recently that it has formed Indie Direct, which the company says is a full service distribution and marketing solution for independent film producers and distributors. The first two production entities to sign up are ARC Entertainment and Seven Arts Pictures and on September 30th in one of the first efforts Seven Arts will be using Indie Direct for the US release of The Pool Boys. If successful, Indie Direct could mean new opportunities for filmmakers and exhibitors.

The Cinema Buying Group Turns Five

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:34:35 -0400

By many accounts more than half of the movie screens in the United States have converted to digital cinema. The critical issue now is the fate of the remaining twenty thousand or so screens. Five years ago this month the Cinema Buying Group joined forces with the National Association of Theatre Owners to help small and independent exhibitors make the transition to digital. As of September 88 CBG member companies representing 1650 screens have signed deals with Cinedigm and are in various stages of the installation and operation process. While there is more work to be done, after five years and by any measure, the CBG has been a success. The ongoing concern is that digital cinema is not a viable option for many theatres; predictions on the number of U.S. theatres likely to close range from ten-twenty percent.

Hollywood’s Digital Dilemma

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:17:07 -0400

As the digital cinema era enters a new phase – a phase driven now as much by fear as excitement – Hollywood faces a number of challenges and none of the obvious solutions is particularly ideal. That challenge is even greater outside North America and although there are many complications – in many cases the challenge is country-by-country – this dilemma can be summed up rather simply: digital technology invariably creates a demand for more content, not less, and yet Hollywood continues to make fewer movies each year. These two realities cannot co-exist for too long or Hollywood motion pictures will no longer be a viable, growing business. Put another way, there has to be a finite number of lowest-common-denominator comic book movies that will translate well enough to generate solid revenues in every country.

Uncharted Territory

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:01:18 -0400

Last month AMC Theatres in partnership with Sony hosted an Uncharted 3: Play it First in 3D event, that showcased the as of then yet-to-be-released multiplayer PlayStation videogame Uncharted 3 at five participating theatres across the United States. Participating theatres offered an inside look from the development team at Naughty Dog, a multiplayer tournament shown on the big screen in 3D, and raffles, prizes, and giveaways. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to attend the event that was held at the AMC Theatre in New York City’s Lincoln Center district. What I saw that night was a firsthand look at what was a proof of concept for another kind of alternative content event and although this does represent uncharted territory it is an event that could easily be duplicated in select theatres around the world.

Canon Arrives

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:48:37 -0500

Canon hosted a major event at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles earlier this month. The invitations read “The Story Begins” and as has been widely reported (our own coverage is elsewhere in this Report) the stated purpose was to unveil a new digital cinema camera and a range of new lenses to support it. But Fujio Mitarai, who is chairman and CEO of all Canon and flew from Tokyo for the event made it clear that the true purpose was, as he put it, to demonstrate that Canon hopes to be welcomed by the Hollywood filmmaking community and to work together to “greatly expand the boundaries of digital cinema.” If the initial question is whether Canon can deliver on that, the initial evidence suggests they can and will. In any case, as of now, Canon has arrived.

Easing Workflow Worries

Nick Dager — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:37:06 -0500

When Alin Bijan decided to make a feature film based on the ghost that reportedly haunts his Texas production studio he knew he wanted to shoot it digitally and he wanted to keep his costs in check. He ended up buying one of the first Sony PMW-F3 cameras and, in turn, making what turns out to have been the first feature film – The Ghost Of Goodnight Lane – to be shot with the camera. In Bijan’s mind, the combination of Cinedeck EX with F3 cameras enabled the production to solve budget, performance and space constraints during the shoot, by delivering a fast uncompressed, file-based camera-to-post workflow for the editorial and VFX teams.

The Artist, Hugo and Transition Eras

Nick Dager — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:31:17 -0500

If you love movies and, in particular, if you love the moviemaking process I highly recommend you see two current films: Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. More than one critic has written about the rather obvious differences between the two highly regarded movies. After all, one is a big-budget effects laden 3D adventure with Oscar-winning stars and seemingly half the character actors from the Harry Potter movies and the other is a relatively modest French black and white silent film. And yet I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to think of one of them again without automatically recalling the other, because for me they are inextricably linked. Both are very much about what one of the central characters in one of those movies says is the ability of movies to capture dreams. Both movies also focus on the early days of cinema and offer different views of artists coming to terms with transition eras. Both gave me a lot of bittersweet joy. I’m fascinated by just how many similarities they have; it’s a surprisingly long list. And not the least of those similarities is how the two films show that moviemaking tools in the hands of talented and inspired artists can create magic.

On Stranger Tides

Nick Dager — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:47:09 -0500

Stranger tides, indeed. Of course the movie industry has seen down years domestically and a few successful movies in 2012 could change everything but, as has been widely reported, domestic tickets sales dropped by about three percent in 2010 – despite a rise in ticket prices – and, more troubling, attendance was the lowest it has been in sixteen years. And yet, international sales set records. To take just one example, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides tallied $802.6 million in offshore box office, more than three times its domestic gross. Many factors are contributing to this developing trend, not the least of which are digital cinema technology, the rise of alternative content and Hollywood’s unending dependence on sequels and lowest common denominator films. The transition in the motion picture exhibition business that started a decade ago with the implementation of digital technology is gaining momentum. More wholesale change is inevitable.

Style Points

Nick Dager — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:59:36 -0500

The wholesale rethinking of every detail of a modern movie theatre including its size, shape and the services and content it offers, is a growing trend in exhibition driven largely by digital cinema technology. While this trend is happening around the world some of it is market specific: what will work beautifully in one theatre won’t necessarily succeed elsewhere. Veteran exhibitors have always had an intuitive understanding of the communities they serve and now, as the very idea of exhibition is undergoing a major transition, the look and feel of the venue is an even more important element than ever. Gone forever are the days when the goal was to funnel patrons through a tunnel-like configuration geared to get them in, sell them popcorn and soda, get them seated and get them out. Leading theatres today are created from the ground up as destinations for social events of all kinds. The best examples, such as Hollywood Theaters showplace in metropolitan Denver – which was designed by Russell Architects – are doing it in style.

Cinea Upgrades Its RunningMarks Encryption Technology

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:42:20 -0400

Cinea, a subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories has announced that its Running Marks technology now enables traceable, stream-specific forensic watermarking of encrypted content.

Using a Camera to Create the Illusion of Changing Seasons

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:59:55 -0400

Bottleworld is an ensemble piece that revolves around a liquor store of the same name.

Putting the Vision in OperaVision

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:41:44 -0400

With the debut of a new program offered by the San Francisco Opera called OperaVision, tighter shots of the stage were necessary.

NAB 2008: The Report, Part 2

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:49:37 -0400

De ja Vu in Las Vegas as 3D and 4K Dominate the Conversation

The Colors of Light

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:56:50 -0400

DP Xavier Perez Grobet Brings Director Gil Kenan’s City of Ember Vision to Life

The Spirit

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:05:47 -0400

The Orphanage’s Film Master is put to its First Test

At the Tipping Point

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:54:49 -0400

New Study says Europe is poised for a Mainstream Digital Cinema Deployment

The Empire Strikes Back

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:02:29 -0400

New York Attorney General Introduces Piracy Protection Act

A First for France

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:12:01 -0400

CGR Cinemas, Arts Alliance Media Install Digital 12-Plex at La Rochelle

Hollywood East?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:49:54 -0400

No Digital Deal in the States but Significant Activity in Europe
While the Hollywood studios continue to differ over how to move forward with DCIP in the United States, four of them have combined for a major European deal.

Breaking a Sound Barrier

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:07:21 -0400

Russia’s Cinema Park gets World’s First Complete Digital B-Chain Audio Network

No Subtitles Necessary

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:16:02 -0400

A Conversation with Producer/Director James Chressanthis

A New Vernacular

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:31:29 -0400

Stereoscope Opens to meet Growing Demand for 3D Production, Post-Production
Responding to Hollywood's growing demand for 3D production and post-production, Stereoscope has opened its doors to serve the creative community.

Bullet Films Sees the LITE - TEST

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:18:35 -0400

Making the Grade - TEST

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:50:46 -0400

Business
Making the Grade
Barco Launches Global Digital Cinema Installation Certification Program

Now Showing Down Under

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:40:13 -0400

IMAX and Hoyts Cinemas to Install Theatres in Australia
IMAX Corporation and Australian exhibitor Hoyts Cinemas have announced a joint venture agreement to put four IMAX theatres in the cities of Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. The deal marks IMAX’s first international joint venture featuring the company's new IMAX digital system and doubles IMAX's footprint in Australia. To date, IMAX has signed contracts for more than 180 IMAX digital theatre systems, with approximately 50 scheduled to be installed by the end of 2008.

No Rest for the Weary

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:44:04 -0400

Laid to Rest Director Shot Digitally to Facilitate a Tapeless Workflow
It is a dark and claustrophobic night for the heroine of the upcoming horror movie, Laid to Rest, the terrifying story of a young girl who wakes up in a casket with a traumatic head injury and no memory of her identity. This is the second directorial effort from renowned special effects artist Robert Hall (Superbad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the upcoming Pineapple Express). Anchor Bay Entertainment, a division of Starz Media, has picked up the film for release in February 2009, and premiered the Laid to Rest trailer at Comic Con in San Diego.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:30:05 -0400

New Movies Released Digitally

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:33:58 -0400

TheseMajor Hollywood Feature Films are Scheduled to be Released Digitally
read more

Carrying a Big Stick

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:36:40 -0400

Christie Unveils Lightweight CP2000-M DLP Cinema Projector
Christie introduced the new light and compact CP2000-M DLP Cinema projector at Cine Expo in Amsterdam.The latest addition to the company's CP 2000 series, it weighs in at only 95 pounds, yet delivers up to 12,000 ANSI Lumens of output power.

The Visual Effects Society

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:38:54 -0400

The State of Visual Effects in the Entertainment Industry
The Visual Effects Society, the entertainment industry's only official organization representing the extended community of visual effects professionals, has published its first white paper, entitled The State of Visual Effects in the Entertainment Industry.

Preparing for the Journey

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:54:08 -0400

NEC, RealD, Ballantyne Partner on 3D Release in U.S. Theatres
NEC, RealD 3D, and Ballantyne joined forces to provide digital 3D projection capability to multiple U.S. theatres. This latest wave of upgrades was driven by the release of Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Three-Dimensional Scratch

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:57:04 -0400

Scratch Takes the Amazing Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D
For film studio Walden Media’s latest feature film with New Line Cinema, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Assimilate’s Scratch was the stereoscopic 3D workflow of choice for the film.

In A Place

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:50:18 -0400

A New Post-Production Facility Opens in Hollywood

In A Place Productions, a new post-production boutique serving Hollywood's creative community in feature films, commercials and music videos, is off and running.

The Right Feel

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:52:14 -0400

OConnor Supports Cinematographer Bryan Greenberg on The Perfect Game

Cinematographer Bryan Greenberg is a veteran of more than one hundred music videos and he has long relied on OConnor support gear.

European Growth

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:54:14 -0400

Cinema City International Goes Digital and 3D

Cinema City International is equipping its theatres with 3D digital cinema technology from Dolby and Kinoton. The company has ordered 50 Kinoton DCP 30 digital cinema projectors with integrated Dolby 3D system, several of which have already been installed in Israel, Poland and Hungary.

Rethinking the Pre-Show

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:55:37 -0400

After Three Years Screenvision is poised to Change the Experience

Although many people are just beginning to implement digital cinema technology a handful of companies have been deeply immersed in it for several years. This includes in particular those people involved in the making and exhibition of digital pre-shows. One of the largest of these is Screenvision and, after three years, that company has learned a lot and is about to use that knowledge to re-invent the pre-show experience.

Now at 5,500 and Counting

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:56:52 -0400

Cineplex Entertainment Helps RealD Reach a Critical 3D Milestone

Cineplex Entertainment and RealD have signed a long-term agreement to install a minimum of 175 3D systems into Cineplex Entertainment theatres across the country by December 2009. The deal is pending a Cineplex digital deployment agreement to begin the conversion to digital projection. When finalized this would bring RealD’s committed screen count to well over 5,500.

Seeing Red

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:53:56 -0400

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead Wraps in New York

By Dyan James

The movie has wrapped but it’s definitely not dead. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, an independent film has just finished production in New York City. It was shot with the Red camera which, according to its director Jordan Galland, offered the varied range needed to deliver the particular look he wanted.

The Games People Play

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:29:35 -0400

Tekken Wraps in Lousiana

Crystal Sky Pictures has just completed shooting Tekken, a feature film based on the hugely popular video game series. The film was shot in Shreveport, Louisiana and will be released next year.

Game Changing

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:34:02 -0400

Shooting Tape and Data

To capture the boy’s basketball season leading to a much anticipated final championship game between urban archrivals Boys and Girls High School and Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, producer/director Jon Alpert and his co-director Matt O’Neill captured the event with the newly released Sony XDCam PMW-EX1 cameras. They also shot with tape cameras. The documentary will air this winter as an ESPN signature special.

Think Globally

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:35:35 -0400

Deluxe Installs New Digital Media Distribution System

Deluxe has chosen a Signiant digital media distribution management system to automate, accelerate and secure the distribution of post-production materials for motion pictures from major Hollywood studios and broadcast companies.

Another Real Deal

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:40:00 -0400

Cineplex Entertainment, RealD Sign Agreement for 175 3D Installations

Cineplex Entertainment and RealD have signed a long-term agreement to install a minimum of 175 3D systems into Cineplex Entertainment theatres across the country by December 2009, bringing RealD’s committed screen count to well over 5,500.

Live 3D Interview

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:41:49 -0400

Katzenberg to speak at IBC Via Satellite

On September 14th more than 1000 delegates at this year’s IBC exhibition and conference in Amsterdam, Holland are expected to witness an historic interview conducted in Los Angeles with DreamWorks Animation chief executive officer Jeffrey Katzenberg.

The Many False Starts of the Digital Cinema Revolution

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:18:16 -0400

Inventing the Movies

By Scott Kirsner

Scott Kirsner is the author of the new book “Inventing the Movies,” a technological history of Hollywood that also presents the first chronicle of the digital cinema revolution. This is an exclusive excerpt for Digital Cinema Report.

Cinema Buying Group Embraces 3D

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:32:47 -0400

Cinema Buying Group Moves to Add 3D to as many as 1000 Screens

Inside the World of Wikipedia

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:01:06 -0400

Documentary in Production on the History and Future of Wikipedia

Accepting the challenge “you could look it up” used to lead to a walk to the library shelf and a browse through a weighty reference book. That’s so last century. Contemporary knowledge seekers are much more likely to consult Wikipedia, the online free-content encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone.   Glen Echo Entertainment is currently in production with Truth in Numbers? The World According to Wikipedia, a full-length documentary.

Easier with Practice

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:26:49 -0400

Writer/Director Promotes New Movie with Online Video Blog

Kyle Patrick Alvarez epitomizes the new do-it-yourself independent perspective on filmmaking. The Los Angeles-based writer/director is generating a lot of buzz with his movie, Easier with Practice.

Joyous Frenzy Projected

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:31:54 -0400

Christie Takes Cirque Du Soleil's Delirium from Stage to Screen in Canadian Theatres

Pushing the Limits of Digital Cinema

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:43:13 -0400

Fraunhofer Institute Establishes the “Cinema of the Future”

Putting 3D to the Test

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:02:29 -0400

The Entertainment Technology Center Announces Stereoscopic 3D Content Lab

The Entertainment Technology Center has announced that it will set up a Stereoscopic 3D Content Testing Lab addition to its Anytime/Anywhere Content Lab.

Into the Wild

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:21:19 -0400

Jouberts Shoot Documentary on Wild Lions in Botswana

Among the highest echelon of international wildlife cinematographers, Dereck Joubert and producer wife Beverly Joubert, both Explorers-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, are currently in production shooting a feature film on lions in the wilds of Botswana.

Providing Some Polish

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:24:42 -0400

Post Logic Studios Completes Digital Intermediate for HBO's Taking Chance

Post Logic Studios, a division of Prime Focus Group, has completed the digital intermediate, along with multiple post services, for the forthcoming war drama project from HBO Films, Taking Chance. Starring Kevin Bacon, the movie will air on the HBO network in 2009.

Pan’s Labyrinth

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:28:29 -0400

A Video Interview with Frida Torresblanco, Producer, Pan’s Labyrinth

By Megan Paznik

Word of Mouth

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:37:00 -0400

The Studios’ Use of Internet Marketing is on the Rise

By Dyan James

Once a business novelty, video has increasingly found its way onto the World Wide Web and, over the next two-to-three years, no business will effectively compete without it. Movie studios in particular are reaping benefits by using the Web as a means of marketing their films within movie communities via video clips and trailers, and the positive buzz these clips generate is an invaluable marketing tool.

Fairfax 5 Goes Green

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:48:26 -0400

Marin County Theatre First to Go Solar

One of Fairfax, California's most prominent landmarks will soon be powered by solar energy. Cinema West announced the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its Fairfax 5 Theatres, making it the first major motion multiplex cinema in America to go solar. The historic Marin County theatre, built in 1952, will offset a significant portion of its electricity costs with solar energy, resulting in savings of over $627,000 over the 30-year life of the system. SPG Solar, Inc. is the developer and installer of the 27 kilowatt solar PV system.

3D Redux: Highlights of IBC 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:08:04 -0400

As it has been in recent years, big screen digital 3D was once again a highlight of the annual IBC convention in Amsterdam, which is fair given all the hard work that manufacturers and the creative community have poured into the emerging technology. The top award in the IBC Innovation Awards, the Judges prize, went to Disney’s Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.

Introduction to the Motion Picture Industry

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:31:14 -0400

Read an Exclusive Excerpt from the new Book

By John W. Cones

A Conversation with Jack Green

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:05:26 -0400

Winner of the 2009 American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award

Filming on the Fly

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:18:09 -0400

Iditarod Veteran Shoots Renowned Rivers for Fishing Series

Fly-fishing enthusiasts will recognize Montana’s Smith and Missouri Rivers, and Alaska’s Stikine River, Bradfield Canal and Katmai National Park as premier destinations for their sport. Veteran outdoors filmmaker (and fly-fishing guide) Greg Heister has recently captured the beauty and drama of fishing these waters.

Bidding Adieu to Disks

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:23:21 -0400

Entre Les Murs First to Hit European Digital Cinemas Electronically

Palme D’Or winner Entre Les Murs (The Class), a Laurent Cantet film released in France on September 24th, is the first film in Europe to be exclusively delivered to digital cinemas via an electronic network.

Taking the Prize

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:26:17 -0400

National Geographic Cinema Ventures Top Winner at GSCA Awards

National Geographic Cinema Ventures won four awards at this month’s Giant Screen Cinema Association’s annual international conference, as voted on by the worldwide membership of GSCA. NGCV garnered more than any other company producing and distributing films for giant-screen cinemas.

ShowSource 3D

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:35:26 -0400

New System Debuts at Giant Screen Cinema Association International Conference

Delegates at the 2008 Giant Screen Cinema Association International Conference got a first look at MediaMerge's ShowSource3D during the trade show last month at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The End Of America

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:38:36 -0400

IndiePix Holds World Premiere of its first Release Slate Production, End of America

IndiePix, typically just an Internet-based distributor of independent films, held the world premier of The End of America at last month’s Hamptons International Film Festival in East Hampton, New York. The controversial and shocking documentary addresses issues of freedom, dictatorship, civil liberties and democracy and warns that the United States' claims on constitutional civil liberties are fast eroding. Following the festival the company planned what it calls “a unique and tailored distribution model” to enable film fans to see the film first via free, streaming distribution from SNAG Films.

Period Piece

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:49:48 -0400

Post Logic Creates a De-Saturated Look for Lymelife

Post Logic Studios, a division of Prime Focus Group, completed a digital intermediate and multiple post services for the award-winning independent feature film Lymelife. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and garnered the International Critics Award for best feature film. Directed and co-written by Derick Martini, Lymelife stars Alec Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon and Emma Roberts.

Digital Milestone

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:58:22 -0400

Carmike Cinema Leads the Way

Christie Digital Systems has surpassed the 5,000 digital cinema milestone, posting a record 5,197 completed installations worldwide just three years after launching its digital cinema deployment plan. Nearly half of those screens, 2300, are in Carmike Cinema theatres, which is the first major chain to go all digital.

The Line of Scrimmage

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:10:17 -0400

Short Sponsored Documentaries Feature Top U.S. High School Football Teams

For the third year in a row, during NBC Sunday Night Football telecasts, Toyota is profiling some of the gutsiest high school football teams in America. Over the course of the season, The Line of Scrimmage will travel in a Toyota Tundra truck to visit eight different schools from around the country that exemplify true devotion to the game of football and the gridiron culture.

Worth the Wait

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:16:44 -0400

San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences Opens its Doors to 3D

Following six years of meticulous planning, design, consulting and ‘green’ engineering in collaboration with British system integrator Visual Acuity, the new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco has opened its doors to the public. The new facility at the Academy includes what is believed to be the first fully digital DCI compliant 3D cinema within a science institution.

Making The Watchmen

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:35:33 -0400

Bringing the Comic Book Classic to Life

By Dyan James

When Intelligent Creatures moved to a larger Toronto, Ontario-based facility in October 2007, the growing visual effects house now had the physical capacity to accommodate their increasing need for more data storage. The move, coupled with the undertaking of The Watchmen—their largest project to date—prompted the company to turn to Isilon IQ clustered storage to power its post-production workflow, including 2D compositing and 3D animation, on the film which is currently in production.

Success is Spelled 3D

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:56:05 -0400

Attendance was Low at ShowEast 2008 as 3D Dominated the News Again

As covered elsewhere in this Report, despite a widely noted low turnout ShowEast buzzed with speculation of what will happen regarding new testing procedures from the Digital Cinema Initiatives and word that the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners have reached deals with five studios and with JP Morgan and the Blackstone Group to finance its roll out. But the big technology news at this show, as in recent years was 3D. Two companies – Christie and Sony – unveiled single-projector 3D systems. Here are those announcements and other highlights.

Silence is Golden

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:42:28 -0500

An Independent Feature Gets a Red Carpet Premiere

Revscope Pictures is hosting a Hollywood style movie premiere for the release of Silent, a gothic-comedy about an outlandish girl who is cursed with a 'real' voice in a silent-film world. The screening will take place on November 16 at the renowned Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum.

The Zen of Writing and Filmmaking

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:20:37 -0500

An Ongoing Series of Articles on Screenwriting by an Award-Winning Filmmaker

By Donald Vasicek

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to welcome Don Vasicek as a regular contributor to Digital Cinema Report. Don is an author and is the producer, director and writer of the award-winning documentary The Sand Creek Massacre. His current project, Ghosts of Sand Creek, a two-hour, six-episode documentary film about the descendants and ancestors of the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred on November 29, 1864 in the southeastern Colorado Territory, is in development. A more extensive look at his background appears at the end of this article. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy his insightful thoughts on the creative process of writing for the screen.

Finding Added Value

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:27:56 -0500

Digital Signage Market Growth Continues

The penetration of digital signage applications in business-to-business settings continues to grow as the market consumed 1.1 million displays in 2008, according to MultiMedia Intelligence. This is an increase of display shipments of 34 percent over 2007. By 2012, the market will consume nearly 2.3 million displays, the company estimates.

A Comeback for Drive-Ins?

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:45:09 -0500

A New Generation of Moviegoers Discovers the Value of the Drive-in

By Wendy Carlson

When Thomas Intrier searched the Internet for an outdoor movie theatre, he came across the Pleasant Valley Drive-In. Just a bend-in-the road in the state’s northwest corner it was a two-hour drive from his Greenwich, Connecticut home. But for Intrier, 49, the trek was worth it to share a slice of Americana with his children.

Fighting Fire and Marital Demons

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:03:57 -0500

New Independent Film Finds Success in Non-Traditional Distribution

Fireproof, an action and love story about fighting fires and marital demons from Sherwood Pictures in Albany, Georgia, opened recently with little advance marketing and has gone on to earn $6.8 million and the number four slot at the box office. Already the year's highest-grossing film playing in fewer than 1,000 theaters, the movie is being distributed theatrically by Samuel Goldwyn Films in association with Provident Pictures.  

Exploring New Frontiers

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:26:42 -0500

AVIE in 3D at Shanghai’s eArts Festival

Last month’s eArts Festival in Shanghai, offered a three-week program of events, performances and 3D installations, uniting artists from all over the world and creating a fusion of art and new technology. The activities took place across a range of venues, each with its own theme. At the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, the theme was eLandscapes, where the Advanced Visualization and Interaction Environment was displayed.

When in Rome

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:59:23 -0500

Lowry Digital Restores The Robe

The Oscar-winning, classic motion picture The Robe has been digitally restored by Lowry Digital utilizing the company's proprietary Lowry Process to create pristine, new picture elements that maintain the visual intentions of the original masterpiece produced in 1953. The restored film premiered at the Rome International Film Festival on October 30, as part of the festival's ongoing partnership with The Film Foundation. The restoration was a collaboration between the Academy Film Archive and 20th Century Fox with funding from The Film Foundation.

The Vision Thing

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:20:17 -0500

New v3 MOE Lenses at Clairmont Camera

The v3 MOE (Moving Optical Element) lenses add realism, depth and shape to scenes or products, and provide a vivid improvement over conventional film and telecast imagery. Unique to the industry, they capture different points of view relative to the plane of focus, causing the viewer to interpret depth in such a manner that it enhances the realism of the shot and make it more life-like.

Business as Usual?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:08:22 -0500

The Problems of Defining When a Movie Can’t Play

By Michael Karagosian

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to welcome Michael Karagosian as a regular contributor to Digital Cinema Report. Michael is founder and president of MKPE Consulting LLC, a Los Angeles-based consultancy in the entertainment industry. It’s fair to say that he is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on the subject of digital cinema. In his first column he looks at the challenges of dealing with ever-changing specifications. The opinions Michael expresses here are his own. We hope you find his perspective useful and thought provoking.

A Conversation with Isidore Mankofsky

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:40:46 -0500

Winner of the 2009 American Society of Cinematographers Presidents Award

Isidore Mankofsky will be given the American Society of Cinematographers President Award when the association gathers for its 23rd Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards in Hollywood on February 15, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Mankofsky spoke with us.

The Legend Lives

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:54:41 -0500

The Who: Live at Kilburn:1977 Plays at Theatres Across the U.S.

Last month the legendary rock concert movie The Who: Live At Kilburn: 1977 played in more than 75 select theatres across the U.S. including New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Houston among others. Lead-singer and co-founder, Roger Daltrey of The Who, appeared at the Los Angeles theatrical premiere on November 10th and participated in a question and answer session with Spitfire Pictures’ Nigel Sinclair at the much-anticipated event. The concert was presented by D&E Entertainment.

Promoting 3D

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:03:06 -0500

As I’ve written here many times, I‘m a strong believer in the idea that digital stereoscopic 3D is going to have a profound and positive impact on motion picture production and exhibition. But even I concede that the major reason that some recent 3D movies have flourished has a lot to do with the novelty factor. How else to explain the fact that both Meet the Robinsons and Journey to the Center of the Earth were box office bonanzas? That is why, all the excitement that is building around the 25-plus 3D movies that are scheduled for release next year will likely mean very little when Hollywood decides to dump most of them on the market at the same time. And believe me they will. When that happens and 3D movies must compete head to head two things will determine the success of the winners and the failure of the losers. The first, of course, is if the movie delivers a compelling story told well. The second is promotion. The first is in the hands of the creative community. As for the second – promoting 3D – a company named Alioscopy believes it can provide some help.

The Logline

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:26:40 -0500

An Ongoing Series of Articles on Screenwriting by an Award-Winning Filmmaker

By Donald Vasicek

The logline must show what your movie is about. You have about a minimum of five or six words and a maximum of three, five to six word sentences to show it in the logline. The shorter the better. If you are serious about writing, selling and getting your screenplays produced, then, you must think in terms of writing lean and mean. Lean and mean is the same thing, as the shorter, the better. This attitude will help you write to industry standards and help you hone your craft as a screenwriter.

Not a Bad Start

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:34:07 -0500

Ascent 142’s First DI Project is Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace, the latest James Bond movie, which was released in U.S. theaters last month was the first digital intermediates project for London-based Ascent 142. Stephen Nakamura, vice president of features for Company 3, an Ascent Media business, graded the film at Ascent 142 on a da Vinci Resolve R-350.

Think Small

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:52:48 -0500

QSC Introduces Two New Cinema Loudspeaker Systems

Built expressly to meet the needs of professional motion picture playback in smaller theatres, QSC’s new SC-2150 loudspeaker is one of two new members of the DCS (Digital Cinema Speaker) series.

Shooting Sandhogs

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:09:38 -0500

New Documentary Chronicles the Largest Public Works project in the Western Hemisphere

Manhattan-based filmmaker Eddie Rosenstein, a founder of Eyepop Productions, is the creator, director and co-director of photography of The Greatest Tunnel Ever Built, profiling New York City’s legendary urban tunnel workers known as Sandhogs. Currently, the Sandhogs are building the city’s third water tunnel, scheduled to go online in 2013, to help alleviate New York City’s serious long-term water problem. Initiated 40 years ago, Water Tunnel #3 represents the largest public works project in the Western Hemisphere and will ultimately pump 1.2 billion gallons of water a day into Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. 

A Conversation with Don McAlpine

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:26:30 -0500

Winner of the American Society of Cinematographers International Achievement Award

Donald McAlpine will receive the 2009 American Society of Cinematographers International Achievement Award. The tribute is presented annually to a cinematographer who has made significant and enduring contributions to the global art of filmmaking. He will be feted during the 23rd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards in Los Angeles on February 15, at the Century Plaza Hotel. McAlpine has compiled an eclectic range of some 50 narrative credits during the past 35 years, including such memorable films as Molin Rouge!, which earned an Oscar nomination in 2002, Breaker Morant, Predator, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Patriot Games, Peter Pan, The Time Machine, Clear and Present Danger, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is slated for release by 20th Century-Fox next April. We spoke with McAlpine recently.

Making a Splash

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:14:04 -0500

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure Hits $30 Million at Breakneck Speed

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure has become one of the fastest giant-screen films to hit the $30 million mark since its release on October 5, 2007, and is one of the highest grossing original giant-screen films of 2008. The announcement was made by Mark Katz, president, Giant Screen Film and Distribution for National Geographic Cinema Ventures.

Saving Every Minute

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:40 -0500

Sony Unveils High-Def Camera and Recording System for Professional Video Applications    

In an effort to help filmmakers save money per recording minute, Sony plans to make available in February a new full high-definition compact point-of-view camera and solid-state recorder combination, the HXR-MC1. Its video compression will afford its users longer recording time per GB, as well as a low cost of media per minute.

Is 3D Here to Stay?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:13:52 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

Is 3D here to stay? By now that should be a dated question. There are a lot of reasons why 3D has gained momentum in cinema, and not all of them have to do with motion pictures. Stereoscopic viewing dates back nearly 200 years and has a history with film nearly as old as the motion picture itself. Plenty has been written about the several fashionable periods for 3D movies. And plenty more has been said that either elevates the technology as new art for story-telling, or simply rules it out as nothing more than fuel for fads.

Live Opera from La Scala

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:16:06 -0500

Don Carlo Distributed in US Theatres by Emerging Pictures and Microspace

Emerging Pictures selected Microspace to deliver the 2009 season opening night performance of Don Carlo live in high-definition from the world-renowned La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy. The event marked the first live satellite-delivered opera from La Scala, considered one of the world's most famous opera houses. Microspace delivered the event live in high definition and multi-channel surround sound to selected theaters December 7 to six states including California, Maryland, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Writing an Irresistible Query Letter

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:22:54 -0500

By Donald L. Vasicek

The query letter is a marketing tool that can get your script read and you recognized in the highly competitive world of Hollywood. Condensing your 100-plus page script down to a one-page letter exhibits your ability about how good of a writer you are. To have the skill to write a compelling query letter defines who you are as a writer. It must be written just as creatively and professionally as you write your script.

At the C.O.R.E.

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:28:59 -0500

Da Vinci Systems believes it has the Resolve to Edit 3D

To date, according to Da Vinci Systems, its 2K color corrector has been the most relied-upon tool for 3D projects. But the future promises an exponentially increasing number of stereoscopic projects, and so the Da Vinci team — in collaboration with leading post-production studios — has developed the Resolve R-3D specifically to meet the challenges of nonlinear grading in 3D.

The Games We Play

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:37:54 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

In the last issue I reported on the wave of investment on-going in the 3D space. Fascinating developments will be appearing for some time. So will the inevitable conferences. I attended the recent 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angles, which had such a list of speakers and panelists that it made one wonder who was left to be in the audience.

A Sense of Urgency

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:42:39 -0500

Music Video Shoots with Three HD Cameras to Finish in a Day

Rockstar Media Group, a Los Angeles-based boutique media and content production company, recently shot a complex music video launching new Island Def Jam Music Group rock artists, The Urgency. Three HD cameras were used to shoot the more than three-minute piece, entitled Fingertips.

A Conversation with Robert “Bobby” Liu

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:53:31 -0500

Winner of the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award

Robert F. “Bobby” Liu has been named the recipient of the American Society of Cinematographers Career Achievement in Television Award. Liu was born in Shanghai in 1926. He began his career working with Chinese filmmaking pioneer Chuang Kuo Chuen.

Marcus Opens 70-Foot UltraScreen

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:34:41 -0500

Brings the Chain’s Total of Large Screens to a Dozen

Marcus Theatres opened its new 70-foot-wide UltraScreen at the Orland Park Cinema last month in time for the holiday season. The Orland Park UltraScreen is a completely new 400-seat auditorium designed and built from the ground up as a state-of-the-art showcase for moviegoers in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park and the surrounding areas. This is the company's twelfth UltraScreen.

An Exhibitor Responds

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:36:50 -0500

The Owner of an Independent Theatre Offers his Thoughts on 3D

Jim Kayton is the owner and operator of the Callicoon Theatre in Callicoon, New York, a single screen venue in a small rural town. He offers his perspective on the present and future of 3D movies and the impact it is having on theatres like his.

Format Friendly

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:47:25 -0500

Panasonic Introduces P2 Portable Recorder/Player

Panasonic has introduced the solid-state AG-HPG20 P2 Portable recorder/player with AVC-Intra recording capabilities.

Live Football is 3D Screened in Three U.S. Theatres

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:09:37 -0500

Clearview, Mann and National Amusements

The National Football League, 3ality Digital and RealD joined forces to test a three-dimensional broadcast experience that could create a new viewing standard for televised sports. The first-ever live broadcast of an NFL game in full digital 3D format featured the NFL Network's Thursday Night Football game December 4th between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders was shot and transmitted by 3ality Digital and shown to invited guests at RealD 3D-enabled Clearview Cinemas, Mann Theatres and National Amusements theatres in Boston, Hollywood and New York City.

The Big Game

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:48:33 -0500

Championship Football Game Screened Live in 3D – An Industry First

Sony, Fox Sports, 3ality Digital and Cinedigm Digital Cinema teamed up to bring the FedEx BCS National Championship Game between the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma to theatres in 35 states on its proprietary CineLive satellite network. While private tests and select-theatre showings of live, 3D sporting events have been conducted previously, the BCS game on January 8th was the first time that fans could purchase tickets to see live, 3D sporting events at hundreds of screens in neighborhood multiplexes in 35 states. Florida defeated Oklahoma 24-14 and was named the number one football team in the country.

The Importance of Movement

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:11:06 -0500

By Donald L. Vasicek

In order to write, sell, and get your screenplays produced in Hollywood, you need to write openings that Hollywood utilizes to attract audiences. When you watch movies produced by studios and mainstream production companies and producers, what you usually see in the opening is movement.

War Wolves

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:23:26 -0500

Digital Jungle Completes Horror Film Project

Hollywood’s Digital Jungle recently completed an HD 1080P 23.98 project for War Wolves, a Sci-Fi channel film due out later this year. Acting as the film’s post-production supervisor, Digital Jungle helped manage the offline, executed the online assembly, provided color correction, visual effects for hands to claws, in addition to the growing and morphing of fangs/ mouth, and all other various deliverables.

A Labor of Puppy Love

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:03:07 -0500

Producers Use New Technology to Create a Series of Movies on a Tight Schedule

Offhollywood, a digital cinema company based in New York City, recently completed production on a series of movies called Puppy Love that were sponsored by automaker Lexus and designed in part to raise funds for the American Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals.

Enabling the Disabled to See Movies

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:15:28 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

One of the possible benefits of digital cinema is access for those with visual and auditory disabilities. Film technologies for access are proprietary and expensive. New technologies promise improved and lower cost methods for media access in public places. Digital cinema can provide the means to bring these new methods into the theatre environment, and much effort is being directed towards making this happen.

Tapeless Workflow in 4K

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:29:48 -0500

Codex Digital Unveils Transfer Station

Codex Digital has introduced the Codex Transfer Station, which combines with the Codex Portable to deliver what the company calls “today’s most advanced tapeless workflow for digital cinema.

Prime Time

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:38:29 -0500

The Maiden Heist was completed at Prime Focus Group Facilities

Frantic Films VFX, Post Logic Studios and Prime Focus London, all Prime Focus Group companies, completed visual effects, the main title sequence and the digital intermediate for the forthcoming feature film The Maiden Heist from Yari Film Group Releasing. Together the facilities contributed 125 shots and the main title sequence for the Peter Hewitt-directed film written by Michael LeSieur, which stars Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy and Marcia Gay Harden. The film screened at the American Film Market last November.

No More Cut and Splice

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:51:43 -0500

Denmark's Dansk Reklame Film Adopts Digital Cinema Advertising

Danish cinema advertising company Dansk Reklame Film has adopted Scala to deliver digital movie theater advertising to cinemas throughout Denmark. DRF produces advertising videos and stills in approximate 90 percent of all Danish cinema theatres: 52 cinemas with 235 cinema theatres in total.

Special Report: Comparing 3D Systems

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:55:37 -0500

An Exclusive Conversation with Rob Kurrus, Premiere Theatres

Rob Kurrus is owner of Premiere Theatres Oaks 10 in Melbourne, Florida. He has 20 years experience in the exhibition industry starting as an assistant manager two decades ago at the old Cobb Theatre, which was located in the Oaks Plaza in Melbourne. Regal Cinemas bought out Cobb Theatres in 1997 and Kurrus continued his success with Regal, being promoted to vice president of information technology. In 2002 Kurrus learned that Regal Cinema had plans to close its Melbourne Theater located at the Oaks Plaza and took over the location as an independent theatre owner. He has owned and operated Premiere Theatres for over five years and in 2006 he transitioned the Premiere Theatres Oaks 10 into the first movie theatre in the world with Dolby Digital Cinema systems in every auditorium. In an exclusive conversation with Digital Cinema Report, Kurrus discusses his experiences with digital technology and compares the competing 3D systems.

A Sensory Overload

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:07:47 -0500

Galaxy Theatres and NASA Fulfill Digital Cinema’s Promise and Reach for the Stars

As we previewed in our last Report, on a Wednesday morning last month students from several nearby schools gathered at Galaxy Theatres in Gig Harbor, Washington to participate in a live twenty-five-minute question-and-answer session with Expedition 18 astronauts Mike Fincke and Sandra Magnus from the International Space Station. To say the event was a success would be an enormous understatement. Some 1,200 people attended and, in the words of Galaxy Theatres CEO Frank Rimkus “the whole experience was a sensory overload. We had high hopes and even exceeded them.”

Pirates Beware

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:33:05 -0500

Warner Brothers Campaigns Against Piracy of Upcoming Films

Warner Bros. Worldwide Anti-Piracy Group has announced that it will mount a targeted campaign to protect the worldwide release of the upcoming film Chandni Chowk to China, which opened last month simultaneously in select theatres in more than 35 markets. These countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany and Malaysia. The announcement was made by Lucia Rangel, vice president, Latin America and Asia Pacific, Worldwide Anti-Piracy Operations, Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Russian Rollout

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:17:37 -0500

Imax Theatre to be installed in Moscow Multiplex

Imax and Rising Star Media, a joint venture between National Amusements and Soquel Ventures, have announced an agreement to install an Imax theatre at Rising Star's KinoStar City multiplex at Mega Belyadacha regional mall in Moscow, Russia. Scheduled to be installed in Moscow shortly, the new theatre will utilize Imax 's new digital projection system. National Amusements currently operates seven Imax theatres in the United States, one in Argentina and one in St. Petersburg, Russia. Now Moscow audiences will get to see such big screen presentations as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Is Now the Time to Invest in Digital Cinema?

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:24:18 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

If you were an investor, would you put your money into developing digital cinema products? It’s a question whose answer probably deserves a book. Trusting that readers have better things to do with their time, I’ll keep my thoughts to this article.

From the Heart

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:17:56 -0500

Paper Heart Gets Sundance Premiere

Paper Heart, a playfully imagined journey of one young woman’s quest for love, was one of the 16 narrative features selected to screen in the Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Paper Heart stars Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad), Charlyne Li (Semi-Pro, Knocked Up) and Jake Johnson (Curb Your Enthusiasm). The movie was directed by Nicholas Jasenovec, who shares the screenwriting credit with Yi; Jay Hunter was the director of photography.

The Journal

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:49:16 -0500

LA Filmmakers Sam Wasserman’s Debut Feature Hits the Festival Circuit

Los Angeles-based filmmaker Sam Wasserman’s first feature, The Journal, a semi-autobiographical short that recounts the story of a young man seeking the courage to read the diary of his long-deceased mother has been widely submitted on the festival circuit. Director of Photography Graham Futerfas shot the project. The Journal premiered at the BendFilm Festival in Bend, Oregon and screened at the Hollywood Film Festival last fall.

A Conversation with Christopher Nolan

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:33:17 -0500

Winner of the American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governors Award

Award-winning writer-producer-director Christopher Nolan, whose most recent film was The Dark Knight, will receive the American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governors Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Nolan will be feted during the 23rd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration on February 15, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Special Report: Run and Gun

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:07:31 -0500

Most of Final Destination 4: Death Trip 3D was shot on Practical Locations

In Final Destination 4: Death Trip 3D, a sequel in the popular series directed by David Ellis, death once again sets out to collect those who evaded their end—this time in a deadly racecar crash, thanks to the forewarning of a teen’s premonition. DP Glen MacPherson shot the latest chapter in Warner’s action horror series in 3D. The movie is due out in August. To capture what they believe to be the first run-and-gun-style 3D motion picture shot on location, instead of primarily against a green or blue screen backdrop, MacPherson and digital imaging technician Nick Theodorakis say they looked no further than Sony’s F23 camera for its mobility and robustness to produce the upcoming action horror feature Final Destination 4.

Electrosonic Debuts ES9600

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:23:04 -0500

Dual-Channel JPEG-2000 Video Player

Electrosonic has introduced the ES9600 dual-channel JPEG-2000 video player designed for 2K and HD video installations.

Nine Easy Steps to Writing a Screenplay

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:33:38 -0500

By Don Vasicek

So, you began your screenplay with a visual metaphor. You’ve introduced your main character, the setting, the time, the theme, and you’re introducing other major and periphery characters. You’re getting to like your story pretty well, when all of sudden you hit a block. What is your story about?

Recreating Wartime Oslo

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:08:05 -0500

Max Manus Turns a Modest Budget into a Very Big Movie

Made at a cost of just $8 million (55,000,000 Norwegian Kroner), Max Manus is nevertheless one of the largest productions in Norwegian film history. Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, Max Manus tells the story of a famous saboteur who fought the Nazis during the German occupation of Norway in the Second World War. The project involved transforming modern-day Oslo into a 1940's version of itself and filling the city with hundreds of Nazi soldiers.

Reaching Ad Avoiders

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:13:10 -0500

Study Says Cinema Extends the Reach of a TV Campaign and Delivers Ad Avoiders 

According to a study conducted for the Cinema Advertising Council by Integrated Media Measurement says that a combined television and cinema ad campaign more than doubled the conversion rate as compared to television alone. The combined cinema-television buy also provided double the lift; extended incremental reach; and the ability to target key demographics including ad avoiders.  

The Screenwriter’s Success Formula

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:22:13 -0500

By Don Vasicek

Wouldn’t it be nice to come up with a formula that you could use to write, sell and get your screenplays produced? Well, guess what? There is a formula. A-list screenwriters use it all the time. That’s one reason they are A-list writers. The formula resides in the genre of film they are writing. There are several steps they follow. Some say there are twelve steps. Others say it depends upon the genre to determine how many steps you use. The fine point of it is, if you can figure out the steps and execute them in your screenplay, selling and getting it produced becomes easier.

Fine Tuning the Look

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:25:43 -0500

Lowry Digital Played a Key Role in the making of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Lowry Digital collaborated with award-winning director David Fincher on Paramount Pictures' epic feature film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. “As the creative community continues to accept new media methods for their creative options, early adopters of electronic capture understand its advantages, but sometimes encounter limitations and compromises inherent in this developing technology," says Lowry Digital's Alan Silvers. "That creates a compelling need for Lowry Digital's proprietary image processing, which is custom designed to compute away artifacts, manage grain and noise levels, expand dynamic range, and find and reveal greater picture detail – typical challenges that arise from electronic capture."

Seeing the Future

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:29:18 -0500

XpanD Launches X101 Series of 3D Glasses Technology

XpanD has announced the official roll out of its newest model of 3D glasses – the X101 Series – calling them the most sophisticated technology in today’s marketplace for viewing stereoscopic 3D digital cinema. XpanD supplied the new glasses to patrons of Europalaces Theaters in France attending the new Disney animated movie Bolt 3D. The Europalaces installations have also been equipped with 20 DCP-2000 digital cinema servers from Doremi Cinema.

3D Meets TV Audiences in Super Bowl

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:31:47 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

You have to admire Jeffrey Katzenberg’s dedication. He made a big bet on 3D, and he continues to stand behind his commitment in creative ways. His recent dance with Intel, PepsiCo, and NBC, broadcasting 3D advertisements to televisions around the US during the Super Bowl game (that’s US-style football if you’re outside the US) was history in the making. For those not familiar, the annual Super Bowl game is the most watched television program in the US. Of course, the headliner ad was a 3D trailer of Dreamworks’ Monsters vs Aliens, the long-awaited 3D blockbuster set for release March 27.

Choosing Green 3D

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:35:15 -0500

The California Academy of Sciences Adopts Dolby’s 3D System

The new California Academy of Sciences, a combination aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and scientific research institution located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has installed Dolby’s 3D digital cinema system. Working with media and technology consultants Visual Acuity the Academy installed the system in its new Hearst Forum’s 3D theatre. The theatre is currently screening Bugs!, an educational 3D movie that complements the Academy’s rainforest exhibit.

The Final Frontier

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:42:31 -0500

JVC Unveils Two Professional Cameras that Record Native Final Cut Pro Files

JVC has unveiled two cameras – the GY-HM700 and the GY-HM100 – both of which record directly to inexpensive SDHC memory cards in the QuickTime (.mov) format for Final Cut Pro. The compact shoulder GY-HM700 can also record to SxS media compatible with Sony's XDCam EX format. The GY-HM100 is the industry's first professional hand-held model to record files directly to solid-state media in the native format of Apple's Final Cut Pro editing system.

First, Write the Ending

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:36:05 -0500

By Don Vasicek

If you want to write screenplays that you can sell and get produced, you might want to consider writing your ending first. What? Yeah, well, check movies out that get produced. You know, those you pay $8 to $10 to see in the theatre depending upon where you live and what time of the day and week you go to see them, and then read about the millions of dollars they made at the box office each weekend.

The Mighty Oaks

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:43:06 -0500

Muvico Theatres Opens its Newest Movie Palace the Thousand Oaks 14

Muvico Theatres, banking on the idea that exhibitors have to offer more to patrons than the competition, has opened its latest complex, the new Muvico Thousand Oaks 14 theatre in Thousand Oaks, California. The facility indulges its guests with turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau style as the inspiration for the theatre’s design. The building’s main architectural feature is the lobby rotunda space, which is capped by a copper-like dome that resembles that of the Paris Opera House. Inside the dome is a spatially rich two- story lobby that provides for ticketing and concierge services. An upscale gaming area can also be accessed from this grand space along with two alleys to the auditorium concourses. The auditoriums themselves feature ceiling-to-floor flat screens and the latest in Sony 4K ultra digital projection and JBL sound.

Making the Move to Tapeless Production

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:58:53 -0500

Bandito Films Converts to Solid State Production with the Documentary Series True Life

New York City-based production company Bandito Films is currently shooting an hour-long episode of MTV’s long-running documentary series, True Life, with Panasonic’s AG-HPX500 2/3-inch P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorder. Bandito executive producer Josh Haygood, who previously shot several True Life episodes with Panasonic AG-DVX100 series mini-DV camcorders, says he had upgraded to an HD, solid-state workflow to increase production efficiencies and create an HD master of the show. 

The Journal

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:17:30 -0500

LA Filmmakers Sam Wasserman’s Debut Feature Hits the Festival Circuit

A Conversation with Andrew Robinson

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:22:03 -0500

Managing Director, Harkness Screens

As the exhibition industry makes the move to 3D the demands on the actual, physical screen in a theatre are changing. Digital Cinema Report spoke with Andrew Robinson of Harkness Screens to get his insights on the subject.

A Monster Move

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:11:06 -0500

Odeon and UCI Cinema to Triple Number of 3D Screens

Odeon and UCI Cinemas, Europe’s largest cinema operator, is currently installing dozens of new 3D screens as it further extends its network of DCI-compliant Digital Cinema screens in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Austria. The effort is designed to take advantage of the release of Monsters vs Aliens.

The Letus35 B4

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:21:06 -0500

Zacuto Offers Affordable Depth of Field Adapter for 2/3-Inch Cameras

To date 2/3-inch cameras have been primarily used for news, broadcast, sports and corporate work, but have been too expensive for most independent filmmakers. The Letus35 2/3-inch B4 compact relay lens kit now available from Zacuto promises to give independent filmmakers all of the components for an affordable depth of field shooting system on a 2/3-inch camera.

Friends in High Places

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:14:38 -0500

IDA, Arqiva Join Forces on Pan-European Digital Cinema Satellite Network

International Datacasting Corporation has received an initial order from Arqiva Satellite & Media for infrastructure to support its development of a new pan-European digital cinema satellite network.

The Keys to Successful Screenwriting

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:33:42 -0500

By Don Vasicek

There are several keys to successful writing. Each produced screenwriter uses these keys each time they begin a new writing project. They use them from the beginning of their project, through the middle of their project, to the end of their project, and this includes the marketing of their project, and for years after their project has been produced. Most are consciously unaware of what these keys are. After using them for days, weeks, months and years, they become rote. These keys distinguish the professional, accomplished writer from the mediocre writer and the wannabe writer.

Death of the Dongle

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:43:45 -0500

Avid Introduces Media Composer, Symphony v3.5

Avid Technology says it has addressed customer requests for native support of the Sony XDCam format, a ground breaking 3D Stereoscopic workflow and the “death of the dongle,” with the release of Avid Media Composer and Symphony v3.5.

Simply Brilliant

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:49:04 -0500

Kerasotes Theatres Installs Christie 3D Projectors in time for Jonas Brothers

Kerasotes Theatres converted 35 screens to 3D-enabled Christie digital cinema projection systems ahead of the release of Walt Disney Pictures’ Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. Kerasotes Theatres purchased Christie CP2000-ZX digital cinema projectors with Brilliant3D prior to the February 27 premiere.

Making … Around

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:11:10 -0500

The Story of an Indie Feature in the Filmmaker’s Own Words

By David Spaltro
Writer, Director
… Around

… Around is a film about “finding home” and a real love-letter to the city of New York. Doyle Simms grows up across the Hudson from New York City and flees his toxic family to attend a film program there. After a bumpy first year he returns more determined than ever to become a storyteller and figure out his place. Financial setbacks force Doyle to find creative “rent-controlled living” and begin a dual life living out of Penn Station while going to school.

Growing the Number of 3D Screens

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:58:54 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

With Disney’s Jonas Brothers now in theatres and Dreamworks Animation’s Monsters vs Aliens soon to follow, combined with a full slate of 3D releases throughout this year and next, the drive has been on to install 3D systems in theatres. To play 3D movies, however, digital projectors are required, and with the capital markets frozen, the adoption of digital cinema has not been moving at a snappy pace. With major circuits Regal, AMC, and Cinemark waiting to close on financing for a major rollout of digital cinema, smaller circuits see this as a once-in-lifetime opportunity to jump ahead of their larger brethren and collect the benefits of 3D.

ShoWest 2009: The Preview

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:14:14 -0400

Self-Financing, 3D and Staying Ahead of the Curve

This is certainly no time for the faint of heart in the exhibition business. On the one hand, the overall economy is more problematic than it’s been in most anyone’s memory. On the other hand, box office returns remain solid and the summer of 3D holds out the promise of even greater business. The challenge is to find the right way for your business to balance the two. Attendees at this year’s ShoWest convention, which begins at the end of this month in Las Vegas, will be looking for information on how best to meet that challenge.

Making the Red One Work

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:27:52 -0400

A Veteran Cinematographer Talks about his Experiences

By James Mathers
President and Cofounder
The Digital Cinema Society

The number of digital cinema cameras in the marketplace has grown exponentially in the last year and half. It’s been adopted by such high profile directors as Peter Jackson, Steven Soderbergh, and Alex Proyas, and has been used by such prominent ASC cinematographers as Vilmos Zsigmond, Roberto Schaefer, Don Burgess, and M. David Mullen. The Red has also brought high-end digital cinema acquisition into a realm of affordability for many more Filmmakers. Truth be told, there are probably more cameras around now than there will ever be professional assignments to utilize them. Literally thousands of new camera owners have been able to scrape together the cost of a Red One camera. However, a $17,500 box with a sensor does not make a complete camera system, and it takes a lot more to build a camera package that can integrate into a professional filmmaking environment with the capability of being rented to amortize the owner’s investment.

Passing the Test

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:34:37 -0400

Malco Theatres, a Test Site for Dolby 3D, Installs Two Harkness Perlux 220 Screens

Malco Theatres is one of two test sites for Dolby Laboratories for Dolby 3D and the exhibitor recently installed two Harkness Perlux 220 screens.

Marcus Signs with Screenvision

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:42:53 -0400

Exhibitor Joins UEC, Studio Movie Grill and Rave on Pre-show Network

Marcus Theatres, the nation’s seventh largest exhibitor, has joined Screenvision’s on-screen advertising network. Marcus Theatres, which controls 675 screens, owns or operates 55 locations with a major presence in two of the top DMAs – Chicago and Minneapolis.

My Suicide

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:55:46 -0400

Digital Jungle Enhances Unique Visuals For Berlin Film Festival Winner

My Suicide, a controversial new film, and winner of the 2009 Berlin Film Festival's Crystal Bear Award stands out for its unusual technique of combining many varying film/video formats to provide a chaotic but lifelike feel, as the main character self-documents his morbid journey to suicide. Hollywood post house Digital Jungle took on the demanding project, incorporating film and multiple HD and SD video formats through the digital intermediates process.

NAB 2009: Preview – Part One

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:36:14 -0400

Two Big Topics will be 3D and 4K but a Bigger Topic will be 401Ks

Stated or unstated, the number one topic at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention will be the weakened global economy. No company is completely unaffected and, while 3D and 4K workflow will be hot topics and there will be the usual technology and business announcements, the impact of limited available resources of both money and manpower will color everything.

Anatomy of Page One of Screenplays That Get Produced

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:53:43 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

When you watch a movie, what do you usually see in the first minute? A bunch of people jumping around? Or perhaps running? Or a headstone in a cemetery? A slinky woman’s naked cadaver silhouetted against a light? What about the one that skims you over a body of water with the skyline of a city ahead? Whatever you see has meaning, at least in screenplays that get produced.

Carving out a Niche

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:05:42 -0400

An Independent Filmmaker Prepares to Shoot an Extreme Snowboarding Feature in 3D

By Jason Rejman

Editor’s Note: In preparation to make a feature length movie about the new winter sport Extreme Carving, independent filmmaker Jason Rejman did extensive 3D tests using the Red One camera to learn 3D shooting technologies and techniques. He also made the seven-minute movie Carved in an effort to raise funding for the longer project. He shares his experience here in his own words.

A First in Lithuania

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:52:55 -0400

Kino Teatras Saulė is the Country’s First Theatre with Digital 3D

The Kino Teatras Saulė theatre in Šiauliai has become the first cinema in Lithuania to install a digital 3D system. Its first 3D presentation was Disney’s Bolt, which screened in late February.

The ABCs of 3D

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:35:02 -0400

Dutch Independent Cinemas Team with Christie to Prepare for Summer 3D Releases

To prepare for the summer release of such 3D movies as Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3D, in an exclusive agreement between Christie Digital Systems, the Amsterdam Booking Company, a buying group representing Dutch independent cinemas, and Arts Alliance Media, Christie digital cinema projectors will be deployed in 68 screens within 20 cinemas across The Netherlands. The deal also covers the installation of a professional satellite network for the transmission of live events and encrypted content.

Defining Image Quality In Digital 3D Playback

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:07:04 -0400

A Conversation with Louis Eales

Louis Eales is the senior director of worldwide technical operations for products and services at Dolby Laboratories. He recently spoke via email with Digital Cinema Report about the challenges inherent in successfully bringing 3D movie content from the studio to the screen.

Digital Cinema Quietly Reaches Major Milestone

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:08:27 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

With the March publication of the last in the suite of digital cinema packaging standards by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers a major milestone was quietly reached. This is an effort that has taken more seven years to fulfill. Publication of the full suite of packaging standards paves the way for studios to distribute fully compliant SMPTE distributions, eliminating the need for major equipment upgrades. Full implementation of the standards in digital cinema equipment could take place as early as 2010.

Flight 666

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:37:47 -0400

Iron Maiden takes off this month on 450 Screens in 41 Countries

One of the biggest rocks bands ever gets a special send off this month: D & E Entertainment is distributing and marketing the theatrical premier of Iron Maiden: Flight 666 documenting one of the most adventurous tours in rock history. The feature-length journey will be shown on over 450 HD digital screens, in 41 countries, for one day only on April 21st – Maiden Day.

Expanding the Deal

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:02:56 -0400

Paramount Offers Direct Financing to International Theatres

In an effort to increase revenue for its current 3D hit Monsters vs Aliens and for subsequent 3D releases, Paramount Pictures has announced it will offer digital cinema financial support directly to exhibitors in the international markets. The move is expected to accelerate the rollout of digital and 3D projection systems in theatres outside of North America. Roger Pollock, Paramount’s executive vice president of international theatrical distribution and operations made the announcement at ShoWest.

How To Establish the Dramatic Premise of your Screenplay

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:25:45 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

You began your screenplay with a visual metaphor. You’ve introduced your main character, the setting, the time, the theme, and you’re introducing other major and periphery characters. You’re getting to like your story pretty well, when all of sudden you hit a block. What is your story about?

NAB 2009: Preview – Part Two

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:59:57 -0400

Very Hospitable

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:24:03 -0400

Sweden’s SF Bio Theatre Chain Wins Digital 2009 Apex Award

The 2009 Apex Award for innovations in a digital signage hospitality installation has been awarded to Swedish movie theater chain SF Bio.

Connecting European Theatres

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:37:03 -0400

TDF Plans to Deliver Digital Cinema Services Across the Continent

The TDF Group has unveiled its plans to deploy a pan-European delivery service for digital cinema. TDF will provide electronic delivery of digital copies to theatres in Europe, leveraging on its established presence in 10 territories. TDF has already connected 60 theatres in six countries and plans to double the number of connected theatres in 2009 and 2010. The news was unveiled last month in Paris at TDF's First Digital Cinema Conference.

Nemesis

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:11:14 -0400

Searching for the Superpowers Inside

By Stian Hafstad

We made this short film Nemesis last fall. The film was made by a group of film students at the University of Bergen, Norway, as a part of a scriptwriting course. We are now on our final semester of a three-year degree. It was shot in five days on various locations in Bergen after about six weeks of planning.

Not What You’d Expect

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:33:05 -0400

Tampa Bay History Center Gets an Upgrade

Visitors to Tampa’s Channelside district are discovering the newest attraction in town, the Tampa Bay History Center, where multimedia theatres and interactive exhibits make some of the area’s best-kept secrets come to life.

Nimble and Efficient

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:35:07 -0400

Made in China Named SWSX Grand Jury Award Winner

Judi Krant's debut feature, Made in China won the Grand Jury Award in the narrative feature competition at the South by Southwest Film Festival last month in Austin, Texas. The movie was shot on location in Texas and Shanghai.

The Top Products of NAB 2009

Fri, 01 May 2009 10:49:57 -0400

3D was the Big Buzz on the Show Floor

Stereoscopic 3D dominated the conversation at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention held last month in Las Vegas, so it’s fitting that three of our five Top Products of the show involve 3D. Attendance was down by about 20 percent, largely due to the economy it would seem, but all the exhibitors I spoke with said that just served to make the show a more serious event. “No tire kickers,” was how more than one exhibitor described it. The people there were professionals intent on adding new capabilities to their various businesses. It made for a very compelling week and there were a lot of developments. We’ll have all the details in our next Report but, for now, we’re very pleased to present what we consider to be the Top Products of NAB 2009.

Writing Page One of Your Screenplay

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:37:45 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

You have your movie idea. You’ve played around with ways to begin writing it in screenplay form. About the time you come up with something that feels good, you hit an obstacle, or more, in the next few pages. You bog down by page ten, hit quit on your toolbar, or break your pencil, or throw your pen across the room. You wonder if you will ever be able to write this screenplay, something your heart continually digs at you to do. What to do? What to do?

Entre Nos

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:47:39 -0400

Entre Nos is among the Projects from Emerging Filmmakers at the Tribeca Film Festival

Entre Nos (Between Us), a feature directed and written by Paola Mendoza and Glorio La Morte, was chosen to screen in the Discovery section of the Tribeca Film Festival, held in New York City from April 22nd to May 3rd. Entre Nos is among the 14 projects from emerging filmmakers selected to make their world premieres as a discovery of the festival.  

The Ring of Fire

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:51:16 -0400

BSCM Creates Award-Winning Display for JetBlue Airlines

Passengers arriving at JetBlue Terminal 5 at JFK International Airport are intrigued and entertained by a unique ring of video monitors that was designed, engineered and installed by Big Show Construction Management, which specializes in managing the creation of themed and interactive spaces. The installation recently won the 2009 Apex Award for Public Spaces at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas.

What on Earth Day

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:58:12 -0400

Galaxy Cannery Theatre Joins a Community Effort to Support Green Awareness

Galaxy Theatres celebrated Earth Day and the movie opening of Earth last month by taking part in a unique community-wide event in Las Vegas called What on Earth Day. Continuing to raise awareness and supporting our local community, Galaxy Cannery teamed up with The Springs Preserve by providing Earth movie prize packages to the winners of their Green Dreamers Art and Science Fair.

Catching the Big Waves

Fri, 01 May 2009 13:11:04 -0400

Window Seat Pictures Documents the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

Window Seat Pictures of El Segundo, California recently shot four one-hour programs documenting the celebrated Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is a Hawaiian specialty series of professional surfing events, all staged on the North Shore of Oahu, a coastline world-famous in surfing circles for its clockwork winter swells that reach 50 feet in height.

ShoWest 2009: The Report

kari.fischer — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:50:03 -0400

Harbingers of Things to Come

Attendance was noticeably and understandably down at ShoWest 2009, a direct result of the current economic situation. Universal Studios, as one major example, did not send a single representative. The company was reportedly following an edict from its corporate parent General Electric banning all business travel. Despite the low turnout the show was busy and there were a host of business announcements and several technology developments.

Zen and the Art of Screenwriting

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:29:19 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

What is your definition of Zen? Think it might differ a bit from your neighbor’s? Possibly. How do you define art? The same here? What about your definition of screenwriting? Do you feel any differently about defining this term than the other two? The fine point of defining these words is the same as how each one of us interprets life. Because we are unique, each made up of contrasted bones, muscles, nerves, organs, background and etcetera, we can’t help but have distinct ideas about what these words mean.

Rapid Response

Wed, 13 May 2009 12:17:26 -0400

Christie Opens New Facility to Support Customers Nationwide

Christie has opened its new managed services network operations center in Cypress, California. Addressing the growth of digital cinema and on-screen advertising, the facility’s features have expanded and upgraded capacity to monitor, maintain and service tens of thousands of digital projectors and related devices across the U.S. and Canada on a 24/7, year-round basis.

Expedition Grizzly

Wed, 13 May 2009 12:31:24 -0400

New Documentary Chronicles the Life of Yellowstone’s Bears

In April 2008, Grizzly Creek Films executive producers Leslie M. Gaines, Mailande Becker Holland, and Thomas Winston began recording the activities of the grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park for a one-hour documentary for the National Geographic Channel.

Shape of Things to Come

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:48:15 -0400

The ETC@USC Explores a Range of 3D Consumer Technologies

By Carolyn Giardina

The living room of the future may come complete with 3D consumer electronics technology, including a 3D TV, 3D computer monitor, 3D webcam and assorted 3D glasses. A vision of what this may look like is nestled in downtown Los Angeles at the Entertainment Technology Center at USC.

NAB 2009: The Report

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:33:11 -0400

3D Topic #1

The main topics of any trade show are often the people and things that aren’t there or are just around the corner. This was certainly the case at the 2009 edition of the National Association of Broadcasters convention, which was held last month in Las Vegas. There were fewer people there than in recent years, 84,000, a drop of some twenty percent but most people saw that as a positive because waiting lines everywhere were noticeably shorter and the people who attended were serious about doing business. Red, which didn’t exhibit for economic reasons, still was a main topic and was a presence in numerous booths. As it has for the past two years stereoscopic 3D once again dominated most conversations and many exhibits at the show. The fact that progress has clearly been made in the ongoing development of 4K technology was discussed. And there was also the hologram.

Digital 3D: An Overview

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:09:33 -0400

By Andrew Robinson
Managing Director
Harkness Screens

Digital projection has made single projector 3D solutions much cheaper and of a much higher quality than traditional film projector systems. A single projector can be used. All 3D systems rely on creating separate images for the right eye and left eye. These are projected at very rapid rates, typically at 144 frames per second (called triple flash giving 72 images to each eye per second). Different technologies are used to create the separate right eye and left eye image streams.

Who Specifies Digital Cinema?

Thu, 14 May 2009 17:31:13 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

The film industry has relied on the stability of the 35mm platform for over 110 years. Over this time, frame rates have been altered, picture size and (in some cases) compression varied, a variety of sound formats were introduced, but, for the most part, the dimensional width and perforation pitch of the film remained intact. We take for granted that one can thread an older film in a projector and get image and sound. This stability of technology was achieved without need for voluminous specifications and compliance testing. We will miss those days.

Cutting to the Chase in Hollywood

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:12:50 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

In good flicks you’re always going to get the hook first. Introduction. Main character(s). Bad guy(s), girl(s). Main theme. Main character’s inner conflict. Main character’s outer conflict. Inner conflict meaning emotional. Outer conflict meaning something or someone in the material world is trying to take something away from the main character. The dramatic premise of the story that will take place on the screen. And all of this by about minute ten in the movie. That, my friends, is cutting to the chase in Hollywood.

Tight Spaces

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:20:33 -0400

Graybow Gives Clear Channel Maximum Impact in a Limited Location

A new advertising display from Clear Channel Interspace Airport is capturing the attention of travelers passing through Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. Integrator Graybow Communications Group of Golden Valley, Minnesota, chose Electrosonic’s ImageStar HD multiscreen scalars and processors for their superior performance, small form factor and dependability.

Fear Factor

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:24:42 -0400

I.E. Effects Adds Stereoscopic 3D to its Post Capabilities

I.E. Effects, Culver City, California has announced that the company is now offering a complete post-production solution for stereoscopic projects. "We’ve been waiting for technology to get to the point where we could build a stereoscopic workflow that is manageable for today’s budgets," says David Kenneth, executive producer at I.E. Effects. "We’ve worked very hard to simplify the process to the point where it’s not intimidating for our clients. We can now turn around 3D projects on a similar timeline to that of traditional 2D projects. We are removing the fear of going forward on 3D projects."

All Aboard

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:51:51 -0400

Disney Promotes Christmas Movie with a National Train Tour

Disney is embarking on an immersive and interactive whistle stop train tour across the country to promote its upcoming 3D movie Disney’s A Christmas Carol. The event, which started in Los Angeles over the Memorial Day weekend, is free to the public.

3D Movie Making

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:59:57 -0400

Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen

By Bernard Mendiburu

Digital Cinema Report is pleased to offer an exclusive excerpt from the new book 3D Movie Making: Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen by Bernard Mendiburu. Mendiburu is a stereographer and digital cinema consultant working with feature animation studios in Los Angeles, where his credits include Meet The Robinsons and Monster vs Aliens.

London Calling

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:18:15 -0400

Empire Leicester Square First to Use Dolby’s New 3D System

London’s Empire Leicester Square has become Europe’s first auditorium to utilize the new Dolby 3D Digital Cinema large screen system. The Empire installed the Dolby 3D system in time for the United Kingdom premiere of Walt Disney Pictures’ Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The movie premiered in front of an invited audience of more than 1,300 guests. With its 20-meter screen, the Empire boasts one of the largest screens in the country.

A Brighter Picture

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:15:30 -0400

Ziegfeld Theatre Among First to Take Advantage of NEC Upgrade

New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre has upgraded its 3D capabilities with the installation of the new NEC NC2500S-A digital cinema projector. As Hollywood studios begin requiring a higher level of brightness for 3D movie releases, NEC says it is the only provider to offer all pre-existing customers this new feature in their current models with a simple upgrade. The upgrade was made in time for the opening of Disney’s latest 3D release Up.

4K in NYC

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:22:04 -0400

Katabatic Digital Expands and now Offers 4K Post to Clients in New York

Katabatic Digital, a new post-production facility has opened in New York City’s fashion district. One year ago, founder Emery Wells opened the doors of Katabatic’s original one-room studio, carrying out some of the first color grading in an all-4K digital workflow.

Creative Excellence Awards

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:43:59 -0400

Cinema Advertising Council Names the Top Campaigns of 2008

The Cinema Advertising Council, the trade association of cinema advertising companies that represent 82 percent of U.S. movie screens, has named the winners of its 2008 CAC Creative Excellence Awards. The annual awards recognize high-quality, entertaining advertising that has been showcased in movie theatres during the past year, on a national, regional and local basis.

Turning Your Movie Idea Into Movie Images

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:24:54 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

What do you perceive images to be? I think of an image as something or someone I see. How does that happen? Well, look at yourself. How did you get your idea for your movie? One movie I wrote, Born to Win began as an idea. It was a Disney image that, perhaps surprisingly, came out of Truman Capote’s book, In Cold Blood.

The Narrows

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:41:07 -0400

Cinedigm Hosts Live Q&A with Opening Audience and Cast of Feature Film

Cinedigm Digital Cinema will host what it is calling the first-ever, live virtual Q&A between a film cast and theatre audiences nationwide as a part of the June 19 opening night of the feature film The Narrows.

A New Experience

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:55:40 -0400

The Heineken Brewery Visitor Center in Amsterdam Gets an Upgrade

Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:15:26 -0400

A Conversation with the Cinematographer of Public Enemies

Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC was born in Italy and raised in a rustic environment near Venice. He began taking still photographs and making enlargements in a homemade darkroom when he was about 11 years old. When he was 17, Spinotti went to Kenya where he worked with an uncle who was a documentary and news film director/cinematographer. He shot his first documentary footage with a handheld, spring-loaded Eyemo camera. After about a year, Spinotti returned to Italy, where he worked on commercials, documentaries and dramas for RAI, the state television network. That led to opportunities to shoot his first features during the early 1980s. Dino De Laurentiis discovered Spinotti and brought him to the United States to shoot Manhunter in 1986. He subsequently earned Oscar nominations for L.A. Confidential in 1997 and for The Insider in 1999. His body of work also includes Beaches, True Colors, Bandits, The Mirror has Two Faces, The Last of the Mohicans, Blink, Nell, Heat, Wonder Boys and Red Dragon. His most recent project is Public Enemies, which will be released in July. What follows is an edited text of a conversation that took place in 2003.

Transparent Raincovers

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:46:55 -0400

Petrol Offers Two New Versions of Popular Model

Petrol has introduced two new versions of the popular Petrol Transparent Raincover. The PCR-15 provides weather protection for medium-size video cameras like the Sony PMW-EX3 and JVC GY-HD200, while the extra-large PRC-25 is designed to shelter full-size broadcast cameras like the Sony PDW-700 and Panasonic AJ-HPX2700.  

Customer Care

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:52:30 -0400

Kinoton Opens a New Technology Center for Service and Support

Kinoton has opened a new Technology Center just a few hundred meters from their head office near Munich, Germany. Modern technical equipment, state-of-the-art presentations technology and flexile seating enable versatile use. The new premises serve as training facilities, demo center and showroom. Besides this, they are perfectly suited for testing new projection and display technologies.

If it’s 3D, it’s (Maybe) 2K

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:26:04 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

While most people are aware that the DCI Specification calls for a compatible distribution of images having either 2K or 4K resolution, there are several related issues that are worth explaining. One of these is the natural limit in resolution of 3D images.

A Close Collaboration

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:37:54 -0400

Public Enemies Brings Director Michael Mann and DP Dante Spinotti Together Again

“I started working with Michael Mann on Manhunter,” says cinematographer Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC. “It was a story about a serial killer, which Michael took to a transcendental level. I loved every minute of that experience. Michael’s decisions about the visual dynamics, camera angles—why we put a camera two inches to the right as opposed to inches to the left or two inches higher as opposed to two inches lower—or why the background has to be slightly blue-green. That was the opportunity I was looking for. It was a total immersion in a filmmaking experience right down to the very last drop of blood circulating in my veins. It was an amazing experience. We spoke very little, and just about basic issues. He probably liked what I did because we did a few more movies together after that one, including The Last of the Mohicans and Heat.”

The Anatomy of Theme in the Screenplay and Movie

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:52:14 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

What is theme? What does it mean? How does it apply to the screenplay? The common definition of theme is a subject or topic of discourse or artistic representation. In the screenplay, the theme must be introduced as early as possible. It should be introduced, as a visual, if at all possible, by page three of the screenplay or minute three of the film.

Making the 4K Case

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:01:19 -0400

A Sony White Paper

In a summer that has been dominated by conversations about what 4K digital cinema technology can or can’t deliver, Sony makes its case.

Click here to download their white paper.

Making Postales

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:03:13 -0400

Prizewinning Movie is selected for the 2009 Narrative Independent Filmmaker Lab

Postales (Postcards) is a cross-cultural love story shot in the streets of Cusco, Peru in which Pablo, a postcard-selling street kid, meets a young America tourist and, curious, follows her back to her hotel, setting off a chain of events that culminate with a stolen wallet, young love, and a family losing its home. The movie, written and directed by Josh Hyde, was chosen to participate in the Independent Feature Project’s 2009 Narrative Independent Filmmaker Lab, which was held last month New York City. It was one of only ten narrative rough cuts singled out by the IFP because of its artistic vision and outstanding promise. The director of photography was Dan Fischer.

Brew U

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:58:15 -0400

The Heineken Experience at the historic Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam is enjoying renewed success following a major upgrade that was designed and produced by BRC Imagination Arts. The re-designed visitor experience makes extensive use of specially produced high definition video programs.

Another Opening

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:45:29 -0400

The Last International Playboy Gets a Makeover prior to its Theatrical Release

Director/writer Steve Clark’s independent movie The Last International Playboy sold out at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City as well as the GenArt Film festival in New York City. The producers released the film independently in New York City last month and are opening it in additional theaters and cities around the country. The movie shot for 23 days in New York and one day in Tampa and had a budget under a million dollars. A year later the movie had a new title and a new opening sequence and that’s the story here.

Oceans 3D – Into the Deep

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:17:45 -0400

The Mantello Brothers Talk about the Making of their Latest Movie

Disneynature has acquired the North American and Mexican distribution rights to the underwater film OceanWorld 3D, the first feature-length nature documentary ever filmed and released in 3D, it was announced by Jean-Francois Camilleri, executive vice president and general manager for Disneynature, and Francois Mantello, chairman of 3D Entertainment. The film is presented by Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and was directed and produced respectively by veteran filmmakers Jean-Jacques and Francois Mantello. OceanWorld 3D premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Annual Film Market last month, and will be released theatrically in France and Russia starting this August. The film's North America debut will be announced at a later date. Digital Cinema Report recently spoke with the Mantello Brothers about the production.

Duty Free America

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:44:14 -0400

Airport Retailer Streamlines Operation with New Signage System

Duty Free America is the premier duty-free retailer in America. It operates more than 90 duty-free and news and gift stores in US airports and along the US borders with Canada and Mexico. At the Detroit Metro Airport an Electrosonic signage system has been installed in the opaque-paneled exterior walls of the DFA stores facing the concourse traffic hallways. As a result, duty-free shopping there has never been easier.

BAFTA 3D

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:48:52 -0400

Academy Installs Dolby 3D in its Piccadilly Theatre

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has installed Dolby 3D Digital Cinema in its London headquarters’ showpiece theatre at 195 Piccadilly. The Princess Anne Theatre sits at the heart of the BAFTA headquarters building. The state-of-the-art cinema equipped with premium digital projection facilities seats more than 220 people and plays host to many leading industry events.

Connecticut Science Center Opens 3D Theatre

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:50:58 -0400

Selects Dolby 3D to Illustrate its Commitment to the Environment

The Connecticut Science Center has selected Dolby 3D and Dolby Digital surround sound for its Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation 3D Science Theatre, which opened to the public last month.

Screenplay Wordplay

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:15:17 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

Although you might want to write a screenplay, or you have written a screenplay that is unique, fresh, and original, if you fail to write your screenplay according to what Hollywood seeks in a screenplay, your screenplay will fail. What Hollywood seeks in a screenplay are elements that parallel the genres as established by Hollywood. They also have a preference for certain types of words.

Offhollywood Comes to the Big Apple

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:48:17 -0400

Production Company Opens a New Facility in New York City

Offhollywood has opened a new facility in New York and is currently providing three high-profile films — Rabbit Hole with Nicole Kidman, Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, and Twelve with 50 Cent and Kiefer Sutherland — with production packages bundling 4K Red cameras, on-set DITs, Red workflow technical support with dailies, and digital intermediate post and finishing services.

Move the Media Block?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:42:15 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

Digital cinema’s greatest challenge is its cost. The cinema marketplace isn’t big enough to allow the scale of manufacturing needed to produce equipment inexpensively. To get the benefit of scale, components need to be off-the-shelf. In other words, they need to be useful for things other than digital cinema. Of course, the stumper is that if digital cinema were off-the-shelf, the cinema experience wouldn’t be unique. So it’s a rare and valuable opportunity when a system architecture emerges that begs for off-the-shelf components. This is precisely the direction the industry can move in with the trend to put the media block inside the projector.

The Road to Freedom

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:55:26 -0400

Independent Film Starts Production in the Cambodian Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge

Imagine having to deactivate live land mines to prepare for film production. Despite his muscle and grit both on and off the camera, this was not a challenge that Tom Proctor and his production team ever imagined tackling. But the set is ready and the cast and crew of the war movie The Road to Freedom are off to the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge to tell an account of two photojournalists who brave the deep jungles of war-torn Cambodia to get their story of despairing humanity during the 1972 Khmer Rouge terrorism.

Blast Off

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:01:01 -0400

New NASA Attraction Recreates the Space Shuttle Experience

The $60 million, 44,000-square-foot Shuttle Launch Experience is the most technologically advanced attraction ever created for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and it gives riders a realistic feel of what it’s like to blast off in a space shuttle. After riders are strapped into their seats, the shuttle simulator lifts off, taking its “crew” on a four-minute sensory overload ride into space, culminating with a 63-degree tilt back that abruptly ceases. When passengers arrive in orbit, the shuttle’s cargo bay doors open and passengers are tilted slightly forward to show a spectacular view of planet Earth just as real-life NASA astronauts would see it.

Cinema Expo 2009

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:20:22 -0400

The Impressions of a European Correspondent

By Fiorenza Mella

It was an unusual feeling for me to walk to the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam not to attend IBC but to get my badge for Cinema Expo, a much smaller event. I was at the Expo for the first time.

Executive Briefing

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:25:09 -0400

Basic 3D Perception Concepts

By Phil Lelyveld
ETC@USC

Expanding the Payload

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:29:37 -0400

Sachtler Introduces the DV 10 SB Fluid Head  

Sachtler has introduced the DV 10 SB fluid head, the smallest 100mm bowl-mount head in the Sachtler DV line.

Summer Encores

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:35:52 -0400

Opera Returns to 275 Selected Movie Theatres

The Metropolitan Opera and NCM Fathom are showing two special summer encores pre-recorded from the first season of the Peabody Award-winning The Met: Live in HD series. Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Barber of Seville) played July 29th and will be followed by Mozart’s The Magic Flute on August 5th in 275 select movie theatres nationwide.

The Achievers

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:58:09 -0400

Documentary Follows Interesting Path to Success

It is a business model that independent filmmakers are certain to adopt increasingly as the number of digital cinema theatres expands. The Achievers: the story of the Lebowski fans, a documentary based on the fanatical following of the Coen brothers’ cult-classic film The Big Lebowski has announced the official DVD release on August 18, to be distributed by K-Man Productions.

Story Elements Hollywood and Audiences Demand

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:15:20 -0400

By Donald L. Vasicek

If you look at movies that have been box office successes, you will see that they are movies with specific story elements. The story must have a main character. The main character must have a goal. The main character must have some kind of character trait or traits that inhibits him/her from accomplishing his/her goal. The story, then, is about the main character accomplishing his/her goal. In order to overcome the character trait or traits that is/are preventing him/her from accomplishing the goal, the main character must go through a transformation. If any one of these elements is missing, the story will fall flat.

Cinemark Celebrates 25th

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:25:14 -0400

Last month Cinemark, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, opened a new Cinemark XD auditorium, the company’s new large screen digital format, at the Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing location in West Jordan, Utah. The new venue was ready in time for the opening weekend of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

Cut to the Bones

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:37:52 -0400

Australian post house Cutting Edge used a Digital Film Technology Bones Dailies post-production workflow system to deliver dailies for 20th Century Fox summer hit X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The movie was shot in Australia and New Zealand over 21 weeks on approximately 850,000 feet of film.

Interactive Wonders

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:47:10 -0400

The Sony Wonder Technology Lab, a technology and entertainment museum open free to the public, which is located at Sony’s U.S. headquarters in midtown Manhattan, added 14 new interactive exhibits this summer.

The 27 Club

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:55:56 -0400

Independent Feature Explores the Unique Pain of Death at an Early Age

When you’re dead, you’re gone. You exist only in the minds of those you leave behind. You become a fragment of a story: a beginning, middle or end. Tom is dead. Elliot has been left behind. Tom was the front man of their successful band, Finn. He died on his 27th birthday. Elliot is left to decide if he, too, will join The 27 Club.

Developing a Super Slo-Mo HD Camera

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:12:57 -0400

Background

Tony Dungy’s Red Zone ‘09

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:58:13 -0400

High school football will take center stage in movie theatres across the country where former Super Bowl champion NFL head coach Tony Dungy will be joined by a team of premier NFL players and coaches to engage and motivate high school football players, share personal training tips and unveil the secrets to success during an exclusive, first-of-its kind in-theatre event on August 25th.

I’m No Dummy

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:09:52 -0400

Salient Media will distribute I'm No Dummy, billed as the first feature-length documentary about ventriloquism. The movie debuted this year at the 35th annual Seattle International Film Festival.

Beware the Blobfest!

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:25:41 -0400

By Bill Creed

Sitting in the century-old Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, waiting for my documentary Beware the Blobfest! to screen I realized that a fifty year old film – The Blob – had taken me on a journey across the country and then all the way to the Cannes Film Festival. And here I was, back where it had started, showing the film to the group of people who had fascinated me two years earlier.

Road Tested Sound

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:36:03 -0400

In a unique fixed installation where high performing sound systems are critical, North Shore Cinemas, a Marcus Theatres Cinema in Mequon, Wisconsin has chosen Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to power its UltraScreen theatres. The theatre is the first to deploy I-Tech HD to power its audio systems.

Museums Around the World

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:05:38 -0400

Crawford Post Productions and independent production company Echo Pictures are celebrating another season of Great Museums. The award winning, public television series Great Museums aired across the country this summer and premiered in July on Hulu.com and Snagfilms.com. Crawford Post provides high definition editing, sound design and mix along with HD formatting for this on-going documentary series highlighting museums from around the world.

Dinosaurs in the Labyrinth

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:29:54 -0400

The new opened Labyrinth of Arts and Sciences Museum in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi features a 3D theatre. The museum, which features a 31 x 17 foot Harkness Spectral 240 3D screen and MF Wrap-round frame marked the opening with a movie that is part of its Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia exhibit.

Red One EVF

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:32:48 -0400

Element Technica has expanded their Red One EVF line with a family of precision accessories that work together to support the camera’s electronic viewfinder.

Director’s Intent or Someone Else’s Intent?

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:48:39 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

The desire for tiers of digital cinema equipment has plenty of roots with film systems. Modern day film systems are the beneficiary of decades of improvements, but not all film systems have all improvements. So while high-end film systems may be fairly uniform in quality, there remain a sizable number of screens that evolved differently, having varying degrees of lesser capabilities.

Reflections on the Fate of the Independent Exhibitor

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:59:12 -0400

Reflections on the Fate of the Independent Exhibitor

By G. Kendrick Macdowell
Vice President, General Counsel
Director of Government Affairs
National Association of Theatre Owners

As the industry undergoes the most transformative revolution since the talkies, film perforations give way to binary digits. A relatively simple and competent 100-year-old technology surrenders to expensive computerized projection. There are clear benefits, to be sure, but exhibitors have been conflicted. Nowhere is the conflict more pronounced than among the small-town, few-screen operators who have anchored the movie industry in countless communities across North America. Independent theatre operators have been performing an essential and valuable service for the movie industry for generations, and they’ve been doing fine. The margins may not have been great, but these are people with a passion for showing movies, creating a culture of movie consumption, and becoming cultural bastions in their communities. That has been reward enough.

We’re Off to See the Wizard

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:25:51 -0400

The 1939 Classic Movie Returns to the Big Screen for its 70th Anniversary

You won’t believe your eyes and ears on this brand new magical journey down the yellow brick road with Dorothy, her dog Toto, The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. On September 23rd, NCM Fathom, Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies will give theatergoers the opportunity to experience this family classic for the first time in high definition on the big screen.

Flying Sky High

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:09:25 -0400

A 4D movie, designed to whet the appetites of riders of The London Eye, the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, was written and directed by Julian Napier and stereo 3D produced by Phil Streather, CEO of 3D specialists Principal Large Format. Centre Screen Productions produced the film in association with Principal Large Format and Pablo Post.

Premiere Cinemas Continues Rollout

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:26:13 -0400

Barco has completed the first major rollout in Cinedigm Digital Cinema's Phase 2 with Texas-based Premiere Cinema. Premiere has been working exclusively with Barco since 2007 to provide digital cinema to their theatres, with 138 screens deployed to date.

Vision Statement

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:28:25 -0400

By Julian Napier
Writer/Director of London Eye 4D

The starting point for the story was The Eye itself; so much more than just a soulless titanic assembly of steel and glass and definitely feminine in contrast to the dark, towering, and arguably phallic, perpendiculars that typically define a city skyline.

AndTransfer Uses its Resolve on Dexter

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:38:58 -0400

Dallas-based AndTransfer, a spinoff of 30-year-old Video Post & Transfer, recently upgraded its Da Vinci Resolve and is the first post facility in the Southwest to offer color grading of native Red Raw digital motion picture files. One of the first projects to use the Resolve was promotional segments for the hit Showtime series Dexter.

Malco Theatres Upgrades its Largest Screens to 3D

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:42:47 -0400

To meet the increasing demands for 3D digital cinema Christie has delivered CP2000-SB DLP Cinema projectors to Malco Theatres, a leading exhibitor in the mid-South for over 90 years.

Tap Dreams

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:57:31 -0400

Tap Dreams is a documentary in progress that illustrates the worldwide appeal of tap dance and the fervent devotion of its partisans through the international travels of Samuels Smith and Chloe Arnold to cities – Washington, D.C., London, Tokyo – where they give workshops for children and teens. Over the course of the four-day intensive workshop, the youths’ raw talent is honed and a handful of students are selected to perform in a final performance with Samuels Smith in Washington and Arnold in Tokyo. The filmmakers intend to use these first two episodes to shop the project to broadcast outlets and festivals.

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:43:14 -0400

Through their partnership with Starz and Spectacle Entertainment/Front Line Management, D&E Entertainment distributed and marketed the theatrical premiere of writer/director Rob Zombie's animated classic The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. The film premiered in over 68 cinemas in the US on September 12.

Star East Takes Off

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:16:39 -0400

CEO Yoon Kim and digital artist Kevin Kang of Star East Digital Labs in Seoul, South Korea were looking for another grading system to integrate into their existing post-production workflows. After putting Scratch through its paces, they determined it had the power, real-time performance, features, and stability to deliver high quality results for their clients. One such project was Take Off, this summer’s number one box office hit in Korea, but there have been others.

Making the Highwayman

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:44:42 -0400

Production began this month on The Highwayman based on Alfred Noyes' well-known poem of the same name, The Highwayman is set in 18th century England but is being filmed over 4,000 miles away (and over 5000 feet higher in elevation) in Colorado.

The Field of Dreams

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:12:17 -0400

Thanks to a donation from the international professional services company Ernst & Young, Chicago’s Field Museum recently installed a theatre with Barco projection and Dolby 3D. Jeri Webb, the Field Museum’s stores director, manages the theatre. Webb’s first job in the non-profit world was in 1994 when she began work as the manager of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Store. She came to the Field Museum in 2003, where in addition to her directorial duties, she is also the buyer for cultural gifts, jewelry and Field Museum branded products. Digital Cinema Report recently spoke with Webb via email about the new installation.

Supporting the Antichrist Shoot

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:19:42 -0400

When VFX artist and motion control supervisor Allan O. Lückow and Oscar winning DP Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire) needed to create a handheld look while shooting Antichrist, the new film by maverick director Lars von Trier, they turned to OConnor’s new 120EXe encoding fluid head for visual effects.

Should the DCI Open its Doors?

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:49:20 -0400

By Michael Karagosian

If you know anything about digital cinema, then no doubt you’ve heard of the Digital Cinema Initiatives, the joint venture of six major motion picture studios to establish a shared specification for digital cinema, focusing on distribution and security. DCI has been an important player throughout much of the development of digital cinema. With that importance comes a responsibility to the many entities having a stake in the outcome. It’s time to review the important work accomplished by DCI and the reasons why it's time for DCI to consider opening up its decision-making process.

The Wildest Dream

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:27:15 -0400

National Geographic Entertainment has acquired The Wildest Dream for distribution in both 35mm and Imax in the United States as well as for Imax and giant-screen theatres throughout the world. Eighty-five years after George Mallory’s final attempt to summit Mount Everest, The Wildest Dream explores Mallory’s obsession with becoming the first person to reach the highest place on Earth. Told through the explorer’s poignant and evocative letters to his wife, Ruth, previously unseen photos and film archive from 1924 (restored from the original nitrate especially for the film), dramatization and a modern-day expedition retracing the original route taken in 1924, Mallory’s incredible adventure lives again.

Frames of Reference

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:52:45 -0400

Gemini Film Lab in Chennai, India has installed a projectiondesign cineo32 DLP projector in its new digital intermediate facility and plans to use it as a reference tool for the color grading of top-level feature movie content for the booming southern India market and beyond.

B&B Theatres Upgrades with Christie

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:03:50 -0400

B&B Theatres has selected Christie to supply all the DLP Cinema projectors for the circuit’s two newest 10-screen multiplexes in Wildwood and Ozark, Missouri. The multiplexes, scheduled for completion in the spring of 2010, will be equipped with Christie CP2000-ZX digital cinema projectors with Christie Brilliant 3D.

Making the Gap Born to Fit

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:57:57 -0400

Manhattan-based creative services company Late Night and Weekends has produced a wide-ranging advertising initiative for Gap 1969 premium jeans that features theatrical and web video elements. The Gap Born to Fit campaign, viewable at www.borntofit.com and www.youtube.com/gap and in movie theatres across the country, was directed by Late Night and Weekends’ Andrew Zuckerman, who also photographed the print ads. Late Night’s Alex Vlack was executive producer, with Eddie Marritz as Director of Photography.

Demonstrating 3D Sound

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:47:14 -0400

Auditorium 6 of the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in the Hollywood and Highland complex now has an upgraded sound system to better support 3D movies. The system is currently used exclusively for demonstration purposes, testing and development and is designed to help Hollywood sound designers assess the system’s viability for premium theatres nationwide.

Projecting On-Set Dailies

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:07:15 -0400

Award-winning Norwegian Director of Photography John Christian Rosenlund partly operates dFilm along with Storyline Studios, whose work ranges from TV commercials to feature-length movies. In a novel application of DLP projection technology a projectiondesign cineo32 1080 projector is used in the dFilm digital film lab mobile vehicle for the on-set screening and review of daily rushes. Rosenlund says the move is a response to the move toward digital filmmaking.

Season Four

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:27:05 -0400

The Metropolitan Opera’s Emmy and Peabody award-winning The Met: Live in HD series returned to movie theatres for a fourth season this fall, featuring nine LIVE operas that began October 10th with a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca starring soprano Karita Mattila.

Cotterell Wins Conch

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:22:07 -0400

Paul Cotterell, dubbing mixer at London post facility LipSync has been honored by UK Screen Association’s Sound Awards –The Conch 2009. The annual award ceremony, now entering its fifth year, recognizes the British audio talent from the Film, TV and Commercials industries.

E-Motion Upgrades DI Suite

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:48:50 -0400

E-Motion, a production and post facility in Genoa, Italy, has taken delivery of two cineo32 1080 projectors for 3D color grading and effects production. The new 3D operation is the fruit of a mid-term strategic business plan drawn up by company directors Corrado Silveri, Nello Brancaccio and David Bush to invest in stereoscopic 3D technology for film production and post-production in order to offer these new advanced services to a fast growing 3D market.

A New Release Model?

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:55:50 -0400

Is this the new model for releasing independent films? Cinedigm in association with Ullman Family Film Productions will release the Matthew Modine feature OPA! October 16th in approximately 300 theaters nationwide.

Dollhouse Goes Digital

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:33:48 -0400

While the first season of Twentieth Century Fox Television’s hour-long thriller Dollhouse was shot on 35mm film, Director of Photography Lisa Wiegand is currently shooting season two with the VariCam 3700, Panasonic’s solid-state P2 HD VariCam camcorder.

Dressed To Kill

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:03:52 -0400

Most of us tend to think of England’s King Henry VIII as a rotund monarch with a fondness for food and a habit of doing away with his wives. But in Dressed To Kill, a remarkable new exhibition at The Tower of London the public is introduced to a virile young Henry who’s the action hero of his day.  Part propaganda, part fashion, the exhibition conveys the power, majesty, wealth and psychology of the man, the icon and the king – who always ensured he was Dressed to Kill. Marking the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, Dressed To Kill presents the most extensive gathering of the king’s arms and armor ever held in the UK. Assembled from major collections around the world, some of the artifacts have never been displayed in the UK before.

Stark Raving Black

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:55:55 -0400

The feature film Stark Raving Black, a Lewis Black comedy movie, directed by New York filmmaker Adam Dubin and produced by veteran TV and documentary filmmaker, Jack Gulick and producer Benjamin Brewer, was released last month in 25 selected markets in the USA 14 cities in Canada.

Cinemec XL 3D

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:07:37 -0400

The CineMec complex in Holland – a cineplex, which doubles as a conference center – has opened a new 3D CineMec XL, the largest 3D screen in Holland with 20,000 watts of custom-designed QSC cinema surround sound.

Shooting Bones

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:40:41 -0400

After the hiatus the Fox Network told DP Gordon Lonsdale, ASC, that Bones would have to be shot on HD and that he would need to cut $20,000 out of his lighting budget. “For the first three seasons we’d been using Arri cameras, Zeiss prime lenses and Kodak 35mm film,” says Lonsdale. “I did my research and figured that the Sony F35s we could get from Otto Nemenz International would be the best full-frame digital camera available.”

Prime Time

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:58:05 -0400

Prime Focus has announced that it is using Aspera’s fasp transport technology for fast, secure and reliable digital file sharing across three continents.

Mind Blast

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:02:12 -0400

National Geographic Entertainment has announced the acquisition of worldwide rights to the film Blue Man Group: Mind Blast for distribution to giant-screen, digital and Imax 3D and 2D theaters. The 3D live-action comedy, slated for release in Spring 2011, will feature an original screenplay and score and will star the group’s original cast members.

Improved Workflow

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:06:46 -0400

JVC Professional Products has announced a new feature of the GY-HM700 ProHD camcorder that, the company says brings further benefits to customers in their choice of workflow.

NASCAR on the Big Screen

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:34:10 -0500

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing and Screenvision have announced a partnership to bring NASCAR to moviegoers nationwide, while providing NASCAR official sponsors a unique opportunity to showcase their ties to the sport.  Each month, Screenvision will run original NASCAR content in theatres nationwide. In a new move for both companies, NASCAR Media Group will also create and produce a 90-second NASCAR long-form content piece, which could include racing highlights, top moments, driver profiles, behind-the-scenes vignettes and fan tributes.

Peter and Vandy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:15:28 -0500

New York facility Final Frame Post provided the digital intermediate services for Peter and Vandy, a feature written and directed by Jay DiPeitro and based on his award-winning play. Peter and Vandy is about a young New York couple’s relationship that unfolds in a non-linear fashion and told in non-chronological order. It opened in limited release last month.

Financing 101: Digital Cinema

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:21:46 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

Exhibitors today are faced with several options for acquiring digital cinema equipment. If seeking a financing plan in which studios provide financial assistance through the virtual print fee mechanism, it is worth taking time to understand the hurdles to financing such deals.

Rocky Mountain HD

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:28:42 -0500

Tracker Productions, a video production company in Banff, Alberta, Canada, is using the JVC GY-HM100 ProHD camcorder to shoot 1080p footage of the Canadian Rockies for promotional, corporate, and travel videos. Cascading waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, serene lakes, and animals in their natural habitats are among the majestic scenes being captured by cinematographer and Tracker Productions owner Les McDonald. 

A Giant Heart

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:23:16 -0500

Creative design house 7thSense has supplied four of its Delta media servers to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago for the new Giant Heart within the You: The Experience exhibit, which opened last month.

ShowEast: Money Talks

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:19:00 -0500

There were three main topics of conversation at ShowEast 2009, which was held last month in Orlando, Florida: the first two were 2K versus 4K technology and money, both how to raise it and how to make it. As in recent exhibition shows the money talks centered on financial business models and new ideas in alternative content. But, in truth, most everything really focused on the third topic – 3D – that of course encompasses the other two topics as well. And looming over all of this was the widely anticipated impending release of Twentieth Century Fox’s Avatar from director James Cameron.

Making Better Off Ted

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:32:29 -0500

When cinematographer Brian Reynolds began prep for the Fox/ABC half-hour comedy series Better Off Ted, his challenge was to trim the budget and keep the quality look as well as the 11-hour workday.

Killer Concert

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:16:39 -0500

On July 6th The Killers set out to create a gift for their fans with a spectacular concert experience at the uniquely majestic venue, The Royal Albert Hall in London. The event was filmed in high-definition for their first ever official DVD release and The Killers performed their greatest hits in front of an enthusiastic sold out audience. Last month fans across the country shared in this live show as The Killers Live At The Royal Albert Hall was being presented in more than 135 digital theatres across America. Also last month the Arclight Hollywood was the site of a special Los Angeles premiere that featured behind the scenes footage of the concert.

Clear Blue Tuesday

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:05:56 -0500

Clear Blue Tuesday, a cinematic response to the events of September 11, 2001 blends heightened narrative and original music to follow the lives of a group of New Yorkers over seven Septembers as they relearn their city and themselves. The full-length feature had its world premiere last month at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Director Elizabeth Lucas and an ensemble of 11 actor/singer/songwriters from the indie rock scene, comedy clubs and Broadway theatre used personal material and improvisation to create their fictional Clear Blue Tuesday counterparts and write the eclectic songs they sing.

Cinemark, Imax Sue over XD

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:16:51 -0500

By James Hyder 

Cinemark USA and Imax Corporation have filed lawsuits against each other over Cinemark’s XD digital theaters. Cinemark, the third largest theater chain in the U.S., filed a suit on November 4 seeking to invalidate two patents Imax holds on “Conversion of a Cinema Theater to a Super Cinema Theater.” Imax countered on November 12 with a complaint that alleges fraud, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, and tortious interference, and seeks an injunction to prevent Cinemark from “producing, using, and selling its XD system.”  

Run and Gun

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:38:54 -0500

“We got last minute approval to shoot at Tanglewood,” says Jerry Simpson, veteran director/cinematographer and the principal of production company Simpson Films of Long Island City, New York. “I needed an ENG style, run-and-gun style camcorder—it couldn’t be too heavy and we needed to be able to set-up fast.” Simpson recently shot a pilot for a documentary profiling drummer Steve Gadd.

Flight of the Dragon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:38 -0500

Super 78 Studios has completed their film for Overseas Chinese Town and the 220-acre Happy Valley Theme Park. Located in the Sheshan Resort area it is Shanghai’s largest theme park and is anticipated to attract between three to five million guests annually. Flight of the Dragon is the first ever, digital large format live-action aerial film produced for the China market.

A Conversation with Caleb Deschanel, ASC

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:20:09 -0500

By Bob Fisher

Caleb Deschanel will receive the American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award. When the ASC holds its 24th Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration in Hollywood on February 27. He recently sat down for a conversation with Bob Fisher for Digital Cinema Report.

Creed Live

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:58:24 -0500

Sony Electronics presented Creed Live earlier this month, the third in its series of digital cinema music concerts as part of an ongoing alternative content initiative by its Digital Cinema Solutions and Services group.

Your Choices

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:11:12 -0500

By George Eyles
Head of Sales
Digital Media Networks
Arqiva Satellite & Media

Where we are today? It’s instructive to look at how and why live events are distributed as they are today. Live events screening is still a relatively new activity for most cinemas. However, it’s one with great promise.

A 3D First

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:42:43 -0500

Disney's adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. which was released last month in the UK, became the first 3D movie that is accessible to people with hearing or sight loss.

Shooting Avatar

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:24:03 -0500

For Vince Pace, the CEO of his own eponymous production company, Avatar began with a six-page email from James Cameron describing the kinds of 3D shots the famously precise and demanding director was imagining for the film. Pace, who has worked with Cameron since The Abyss in 1989 was not surprised by such detailed instructions from the director. And he also knew that the technology needed to execute some of those shots simply didn’t exist.

Element Technica Delivering First 3D Rigs

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:30:20 -0500

Element Technica is now delivering the first new Quasar 3D Rigs to owner/operators and camera rental houses. The Quasar is designed to accommodate full-size digital cinema cameras like the Sony F23 and F35, Red One, Panavision Genesis, as well as full-body and box-type digital broadcast cameras like the Sony F950 and 1500, Philips LDK and others. Regardless of the cameras utilized, the company says that the Quasar’s precision and refinement make it an ideal platform for matching zoom or prime lenses to accommodate any shooting style or format.

SMPTE DCP Compliance is On the Way

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:15:52 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

Since the release of the DCI specification in 2005, there has been no shortage of talk about compliance to the spec. While deployment agreements demand it, and manufacturers strive to achieve it, not a single manufacturer, at the end of 2009, has yet to announce one compliant product. The reasons for this are many, not the least of which are the 256 errata released for the DCI spec since first published, with more on the way.

Nowhere Fast

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:01:06 -0500

Guitar virtuoso and composer Vince Lauria recently mixed and mastered the music for the new independent feature film, Nowhere Fast: The Forgotten Story of Approach Control.  

Beacon Cinema Returns

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:13:46 -0500

Opening night of the all-digital Beacon Cinema complex in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts was one of the most highly anticipated events in the community in recent memory. The new $23 million complex, whose six screens are powered exclusively by Christie CP2000-ZX DLP Cinema projectors, is helping to revive the city’s core. Built within a restored century-old historic building, The Beacon Cinema brought the excitement of the movies back to the downtown area after a 15-year absence.

Who Do You Trust?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:30:53 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

Who do you trust is the most fundamental issue of security. Digital cinema was originally devised so that studios could conduct business with exhibitors without concern for theft of content in its pristine, digital form. As the number of digital cinema installations grows, the management of security keys becomes increasingly difficult to perform and the entities that supply security keys struggle to keep up with new installations.

Embrace a Village

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:41:19 -0500

Jeremiah Fry, an independent filmmaker based in New Orleans, is on a mission to shoot video footage in leper colonies throughout India. When complete, his documentaries will detail the charitable efforts of Embrace a Village, a nonprofit Christian organization in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Learning Curve

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:34:55 -0500

When the Prosser family donated $1.5 million dollars for a new theatre in the Western State College Student Center, Slaterpaull Architects contacted Adam Babb, audiovisual and acoustical consultant for Geiler and Associates to help design the new 3D digital cinema.

Taking Long Line Shots

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:42:13 -0500

A week before shooting Clash of the Titans, director Louis Leterrier requested that helicopter pilot Fred North and aerial cinematographer Hans Bjerno capture a series of rather long line shots in Wales, United Kingdom.

Launching Oil City

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:24:49 -0500

Julien Temple’s Oil City Confidential is to be launched with a ground breaking rock & roll cinema event beamed live from London into cinemas across the UK and Ireland on February 2.

Sympathy

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:23:58 -0500

Sympathy for Delicious, the directorial debut from actor Mark Ruffalo completed its digital intermediate work at Prime Focus in Los Angeles.

Going Green

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:26:58 -0500

Independent exhibitor Cinema West has selected Barco DP-2000 digital cinema projectors for every screen in their new Palladio 16 multiplex in Folsom, California. With a total seating capacity of 3000, built around an energy- efficient concept, the all-digital venue includes six 3D-capable theatres. Once final implementation is complete, the Palladio 16 Cinemas will be able to boast the largest solar system on the roof of any movie theatre in the world.

Gorilla Murders

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:51:45 -0500

The award-winning Gorilla Murders episode of Explorer on the National Geographic Channel posed a unique challenge for cinematographers Erin Harvey and Bob Poole.

Screening Cane Toads

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:23:55 -0500

The documentary Cane Toads: The Conquest from Australian writer/director Mark Lewis is the first Australian digital 3D feature film, and was a rare 3D entry at Sundance — following the festival's previous (and highly successful) 3D entry in 2008, Mark Pellington's U2 3D.   The film screened in Park City's Eccles auditorium, a 1,200-seat venue on Barco’s DP-3000 digital cinema projectors. Playback originated from a Dolby digital cinema server.

Under the Sea

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:22:59 -0500

The Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution used a prototype still and HD video camera to capture the first video and still images of a deep sea volcano actively erupting molten lava on the seafloor. 

Documenting a Debt Repaid

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:16:08 -0500

A Small Act, which premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance 2010, tells the inspirational story of an impoverished boy in Kenya, Chris Mburu, whose life was dramatically changed when an anonymous Swedish woman sponsored his primary education. Shot in the town of Västerås, Sweden; in Geneva, Switzerland; and in the lush landscape of Kenya's central highlands, A Small Act tells the story of the adult Chris Mburu, now a Harvard-educated human-rights lawyer, who hopes to replicate the generosity he once received by founding his own scholarship fund to aid a new generation of Kenyans.

Waiting for Superman

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:55:57 -0500

When Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim sought out a facility for the digital intermediate work on his powerful documentary, Waiting for Superman, he took his project to Company 3 and colorist Stephen Nakamura. Nakamura, who has brought his sensitivity and technical savvy to blockbuster features including James Bond action thriller Quantum of Solace and the upcoming Russell Crowe adventure Robin Hood, was thrilled with the opportunity to apply his talents to this decidedly smaller, independent film, made up primarily of video-shot interviews and a very diverse array of archival material.  

Welcome to Cinebistro

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:03:49 -0500

Cobb Theatres of Birmingham, Alabama has selected and installed Barco digital cinema projectors into its first three CineBistro theatres, which are located in the Tampa and Miami, Florida areas. For Cobb Theatres, CineBistro is a new entertainment concept that combines premium-dining services with luxury movie-going and reserved seating.

Finding Reasons for Hope

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:19:38 -0500

The thirty-minute documentary A New Hope takes a journey deep inside the walls of Louisiana’s Angola State Penitentiary, a prison located on an 18,000-acre property that is engulfed by the Mississippi River and named for the birthplace of its former slaves. Angola, a maximum-security facility that is home to more than 5,000 inmates, was once called the “bloodiest prison in the South” and espoused a simple philosophy: lock up the men and throw away the key.

Northbridge Piazza’s Urban Screen

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:24:23 -0500

Perth, Australia’s Northbridge district has long been known for its diversity and its nightlife. Now the area is evolving to become a family-friendly community and cultural nexus, thanks in no small part to the recently completed Northbridge Piazza, home to the city's first Urban Screen.

Understanding What Avatar Means

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:52:44 -0500

By Melissa Keeping

The buzz surrounding 3D was tangible at the International Digital Film Forum held last month in Paris, with exhibitors keen to display the latest cameras and 3D HDTV, and Avatar was being eagerly discussed both as a special effects masterpiece and a pivotal point in the evolution of cinema.

Paradise FX Europe Open for Business

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:08:07 -0500

Paradise FX, Post Republic and Vertigo Films have formed Paradise FX Europe. The new company says it is Europe’s first one-stop shop for 3D production and is working in live action 3D films, television program and advertisements.

Bringing 3D to Grand Central Station

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:17:49 -0500

CBS Outdoor and N4D have teamed up to launch Grand Central Station's first 3D digital signage campaign. The centerpiece of the campaign is a 14-foot screen displaying commercials in 3D throughout February.

Boondock Saints Return

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:03:44 -0500

Ten years after emerging as a cult sensation, The Boondock Saints will be back on the big screen a special one-night performance, The Boondock Saints 10th Anniversary Event later this month.

Year 11 and We’re Still Talking About Rollout

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:48:09 -0500

By Michael Karagosian

Eleven years have passed since the first public introduction of digital cinema at ShoWest. The industry has since come a long way…and it has still a long way to go. With nearly 100 percent worldwide digital screen growth in 2009, and with the three major circuits in the US set to rollout in 2010, one might get the sense that digital cinema is on a roll. While the US is on track to convert approximately 50 percent of its screens, there is still the remaining 50 percent to think about, as well as the rest of the world.

Psychological Thriller on a Budget

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:41:45 -0500

When writer/director Gareth Maxwell Rogers decided to shoot the psychological thriller The Mortician in 3D, cinematographer Michael McDonough didn’t want the tight budget to limit his choices of shots.

Rebuilding the Noble Planetarium

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:20:31 -0500

The challenge for Visual Acuity was to provide architectural guidance and technology planning for the complete redesign of the Noble Planetarium at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History in Forth Worth, Texas. Under the direction of the Mexican architectural partnership Legorreta + Legorreta assisted by the locally based firm Gideon Toal, the museum was demolished and then completely reconstructed into a series of colorful, multi-dimensional buildings which celebrate the design traditions of Latin America and the south-western United States.

Reality Takes the Stage

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:44:20 -0500

MTV’s hit reality series Taking the Stage is a four-camera one-hour show and to do it cinematographer Marco Hoffman shoots between 20 to 30 hours a week of dance.

Motiontorial to Love

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:27:14 -0500

The short high-fashion film The Love Thing, was Love Magazine's first commercial, and was designed and directed by James Lima at the invitation of Love editor-in-chief Katie Grand.

Santikos Theatres to Install Barco Projectors in 62 Screens

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:16:33 -0500

San Antonio, Texas-based Santikos Theatres has selected Barco cinema projectors for their digital projection conversion of five additional multiplexes.

Challenging the Audience

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:36:40 -0500

The Hush challenges its audience to think. In director Vincent Cortez’s vision, it's a surreal journey into both the gritty criminal world and the supernatural. His goal is to see The Hush go from film noir to horror to supernatural to action thriller.

Reimagining Solomon Grundy

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:06:10 -0500

By Mattson Tomlin

I'm a 19 year old film major attending the State University of New York in Purchase. Solomon Grundy is a poem by James Orchard Halliwell from 1840. I've always been rather drawn to it so, working with a few actors, I shot a proof-of-concept film based on the poem’s opening lines: Solomon Grundy/Born on a Monday. That was well received so I began to adapt the rest of the poem’s lines: Solomon Grundy/Born on a Monday/ Christened on a Tuesday/ Married on a Wednesday/ Took ill on a Thursday/ Worse on a Friday/ Died on a Saturday/ Buried on a Sunday/That was the end of Solomon Grundy

Technicolor 3D Installed at Bow Tie

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:18:41 -0500

Bow Tie Cinemas in New York will install Technicolor's film-based 3D system in all Bow Tie locations on 25 of its 150 screens. Technicolor 3D is a new 3D system for 35mm projectors that the company says enables exhibitors to equip theatres for high-quality 3D at a fraction of the cost of installing a digital 3D projection system.

Documenting the Conservation Message

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:25:37 -0500

Wildlife videographer Terry Shiels has recently completed another episode of the ongoing award-winning television series, The Zoo Filez, which is seen by over 400,000 viewers each week and is carried by ten broadcast stations and two cable systems across North Carolina.

Understanding 3D

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:34:53 -0500

By Matthew DeJohn and Michael Karagosian

There is a shifting tide in the film industry and you can only see it if you wear the right glasses: 3D glasses. At the time of this writing, there are nine thousand 3D capable theatre screens worldwide, and scores more being installed. The home entertainment market is set to release dozens of 3D TV and Blu-Ray models. Avatar made 3D history, and more than 25 3D movies are slated for release in 2010. It's clear that 3D is becoming more than just a trend. So, for anyone involved in the movie industry, it's a good time to understand what 3D is all about. How does the illusion work? How is 3D produced? Why is some 3D good, and some not-so-good? How can 3D enhance storytelling? Even if you don’t work in motion picture production, you’ll find this information useful.

Distributing Forces of Nature

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:17:01 -0500

National Geographic Cinema Ventures has selected Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation and Sky-Skan to convert and distribute its film Forces of Nature to digital planetariums and other full dome theatres. This will be Sky-Skan’s first full dome project with National Geographic.

Catalyst Award Presented to Galaxy Theatres

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:50:22 -0400

Galaxy Theatres received the first Catalyst Award during a luncheon at ShoWest in Las Vegas last month. The award was created by Digital Cinema Report to honor the independent exhibitor who best demonstrates the full capability, flexibility and promise of digital cinema. Publisher Nick Dager presented the ten-inch crystal trophy to Galaxy CEO Frank Rimkus.

Trying on a New Hat

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:55:25 -0400

The Los Angeles color correction boutique New Hat has completed the build-out of its million-dollar digital intermediate theatre, opening the door to the full spectrum of feature film work. "We opened our company in the face of a terrible recession, and thankfully we've thrived," says partner and digital colorist Bob Festa of the facility he co-founded with partner/executive producer Darby Walker last year. "Being bold is part of our DNA, I guess, so we're inclined to stick with it."

Consumers are Bullish on Movies

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:07:39 -0400

By Janet Eden-Harris
Chief Marketing Officer and SVP Strategy
Market Force

Even before the blockbuster success of Avatar, consumers were bullish on seeing movies this year, according to a consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information, a worldwide leader in customer intelligence solutions. Last December, when consumers were asked if they planned on going to the movie theatre in the first three months of 2010, nearly 70 percent said yes, and one third of those said they planned on seeing three or more movies by the end of March.

4000 Years of Africa

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:41:34 -0400

The remains of an ancient temple are discovered in Southern Africa, the contents of which are so profound that it calls for a dramatic shakeup in the midst of a secret scientific society.

ShoWest 2010: Turning Many Corners

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:04:25 -0400

There was a genuine sense of the changing of the guard – or guards – at ShoWest 2010. The obvious one was the fact that this was the last ShoWest ever; the National Association of Theatre owners will take over the convention next year. The new show will be called CinemaCon and it will be held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. There was also the fact that Motion Picture Association of America president Dan Glickman announced that he is resigning to become president of the charitable organization Refugees International. But for most attendees the big news was the fact that the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners has finally received its funding, meaning that corner has been turned at last and the digital roll out can proceed in earnest.

Norwegian Film Institute Installs First CRMS

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:43:16 -0400

The Norsk Film Institute (NFI) in Oslo is literally the axle upon which the Norwegian film industry revolves. And with over 2000 screenings a year in its Oslo premises, roughly half of which are previews of major international releases for press and cinema owners, having the best vision and sound facilities are a fundamental requirement. It is with this in mind that the NFI has recently installed the first of Alcons’ new Cinema Ribbon Monitor Systems.

Previewing NAB 2010

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:37:38 -0400

Very few, if any, people working in the motion picture industry today continue to believe that stereoscopic 3D is a fad that will soon run its course. The recent successes of the live-action blockbusters Avatar and Alice in Wonderland have shown that audience understand that 3D offers a more exciting visual experience and they’ve so far been quite willing to pay extra movie for the privilege. The challenge for filmmakers now is to learn the techniques and technology that make stereoscopic 3D possible and a good place to start is the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters convention that is being held April 10-15 in Las Vegas.

Basketball Jones

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:41:39 -0400

College basketball fans got a real treat this month when the NCAA Men’s Final Four semifinal and national championship games were all available live in 3D in movie theatres across the country.

Documenting Crimes Against Nature

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:00:47 -0400

The Oscar-winning documentary The Cove follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers in a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Japan, where they uncover a horrifying microcosm of devastating ecological crimes; a massive slaughter of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises every year and the subsequent sale of their mercury tainted meat. In December 2008, Psihoyos and Fisher arrived at Final Frame Post with their edited documentary, ready to create the digital intermediate for the film, which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. They had an amazing story in the can, along with an extensive amount of underwater, night, and espionage-heavy footage.

Slovakian Kino Centrum

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:10:18 -0400

The state-owned Kino Centrum, in the large Slovakian town of Michalovce, has recently undergone a major refurbishment. The City’s Department of Culture brought in JBL distributor AudioMaster, which represents all Harman Pro brands in the Slovak and Czech Republics.

Nevafilm Research on Digital Cinema in Russia

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:49:48 -0400

By Xenia Leontyeva and Svetlana Mudrova

As of December 31, 2009, Russia has 2,102 modern screens in 792 cinema complexes (with an average of 2.7 screens per complex). There are now 353 digital complexes with 351 (99 percent) equipped to show 3D exhibitions. Digital screens are in operation at 273 cinemas in 103 Russian cities.

Straight Outta L.A.

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:12:13 -0400

The rapper Ice Cube has directed a portrait of the 1980s’ Los Angeles Raiders entitled Straight Outta L.A. The Director of Photography was Alex Van Wagner. Straight Outta L.A. covers the epoch in the Raiders franchise when owner Al Davis beat the NFL in court and moved his team from Oakland to Los Angeles.

Inside Al-Qaeda: The Oath

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:26:42 -0400

Zeitgeist Films has announced the U.S. theatrical premiere of Laura Poitras’ The Oath, a documentary about the divergent paths of Osama bin Laden’s bodyguard, Abu Jandal, and driver, Salim Hamdan – the first prisoner detained at Guantanamo Bay to face trial by military commission.

How to Critique 3D

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:21 -0400

By Matthew DeJohn
Vice President/VFX Producer
In-Three, Inc.

With the flood of 3D content coming, no fewer than 25 films this year, it is important to understand how to critique 3D technically and artistically. What does good and bad 3D look like? What causes 3D to be bad or good? Admittedly, exposing some of the dirty secrets behind creating 3D may seem like a bad idea for someone working in the 3D business like myself. However, my hope is that in the current rush to get as much 3D on the screen as possible that education will help keep quality high. As opposed to broad brush critiques that hurt the 3D industry as a whole, focused and educated critiques will drive the industry to create the high quality work that we all want to see. To critique 3D content it is important to understand the three methods of creating 3D (CG, Stereo capture, and conversion), their technical issues, how to identify these issues, and what 3D should be achieving artistically. Once you’re armed with this knowledge, you should be able to fully critique the massive amounts of 3D content coming at you.

Scratch That

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:07:58 -0400

QLab in Mumbai has acquired five Scratch systems from Assimilate for high-end digital intermediate work and training.

Creating an Upscale Boutique Cinema

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:15:39 -0400

When Guillermo Younger, president of Cinema Equipment and Supplies, was given the task of designing the new luxury Silverspot Cinema in Naples, Florida, he immediately turned to Harkness Screens for the projection surfaces.

Building Big-Screen Momentum With Live 3D Events

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:48:51 -0400

By Richard LaBerge
Executive Vice President and CMO
Sensio Technologies

The boom in 3D movie releases in 2009 is news to no one, but what many don’t realize is that over the same time period, a greater number of live 3D broadcast events were shown in theatres than new 3D movie releases. More than a dozen high-profile sports and entertainment events were broadcast live in 3D at digital cinemas across the United States, Mexico, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The Orange/France Telecom broadcast of the men’s final at the French Open tennis tournament, GlobeCast’s broadcast of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” from the Rennes Opera House in France, the Arqiva broadcast of 6 Nations rugby matches in England, the NBA All-Star Saturday night, and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS Bowl) game are only some of the high-value events shown live in 3D — all having been distributed to theatres in the Sensio 3D format.

Opening Raleigh Studios Budapest

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:56:38 -0400

Last year FotoKem Budapest, Raleigh Studios, and Origo Film Group formed a strategic alliance to establish and operate a state-of-the-art studio servicing the global filmmakers and the European motion picture market. The Origo Film Group complex named Raleigh Studios Budapest is a full service provider including; sound stages, set and location lighting, production services, casting, training and legal services as well as a 15-acre back lot.

Expanding Services at Woods Hole

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:10:40 -0400

The Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – the world's largest private, nonprofit ocean research, engineering and education organization – is expanding its 3D HD production services unit called Woods Hole Imaging Systems.

The Top Ten Products of NAB 2010

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:29:27 -0400

This year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention was held last month in Las Vegas and there were literally thousands of new products on display. We’ll have a complete overview of the show in the next Report. Meanwhile here are the products we believe were the Top Ten Products of NAB 2010.

Expedition Health

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:40:47 -0400

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s newest permanent exhibition, Expedition Health is a 10,000-square foot health-science exhibit about how the human body constantly changes and adapts in ways you can see, measure, and optimize. The experience is framed by the compelling story of an authentic Rocky Mountain expedition organized by the museum as a keystone of its Health Science Initiative. Expedition “buddies,” a diverse group of residents of the region, become virtual learning companions who accompany visitors through the exhibition and relate visitors’ activities to those they experienced during their own training programs and expedition.

TechStartUp’s Top Eight Movies of the Past Decade

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:54:11 -0400

The website TechStartUps.com has put together the list of its eight favorite tech movies of the first decade of the 21st century. According to the website, “Regardless of genre, or dimension, these films used technology to captivate and entertain.” While I don’t disagree with any of their choices, my question is why did they leave out some deserving movies which would have made it a top ten list? To that end I’ve added two tech-oriented favorites of mine from the last decade: Duncan Jones’ independent film Moon (2009), which has echoes of the world of Avatar and, of course, Steven Spielberg’s AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001), which, given its subject matter and main character, may be the past decade’s ultimate tech movie.

Record-Setting Day for Nexo Digital

Thu, 13 May 2010 15:38:14 -0400

Nexo Digital’s first-ever live event in movie theatres – Ligabue Day – held last month across Italy established a number of cinema records: a record number of cinemas, 108, in a single European country with a live event satellite feed; record box office revenue with 25,000 tickets sold grossing 255,000 euro, topping The Ghost Writer; and record box office revenue at all participating cinemas. The concert featured Ligabue, the number one Italian rock singer performing a live sneak preview of his new single from his upcoming album.

Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden Stays Green

Thu, 13 May 2010 15:56:04 -0400

Sightseers at The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland are welcomed to the new John Hope Gateway visitor center where digital signage systems help them get oriented to explore the facility. Designed by Edward Cullinan architects, the center is a prime example of green construction and sustainability.

Something to Rave About

Thu, 13 May 2010 16:11:29 -0400

Dallas, Texas-based Rave Motion Pictures will deploy nearly 300 new digital screens nationwide as part two of its agreement with Cinedigm Digital Cinema. All of the screens will incorporate Barco Series-II projectors and Doremi playback server technology.

Negotiating a Non-Interference Shoot

Thu, 13 May 2010 16:51:02 -0400

When cinematographer James Neihouse shot the Kennedy Space Center footage for the recently released film Hubble 3D Imax it was on a non-interference basis, so Neihouse and his team had to be able to pick up and move quickly. He says his strongest support was the OConnor 2575 head.

Driving Traffic to the Booth

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:27:36 -0400

In need of something special last month for the New York Auto Show exhibit of its client Mercedes-Benz, designer and producer Dimensional Communications tapped Lightspeed Design to executive produce a six-minute 3D Stereoscopic film for the event. The fast-paced driving film was captured in 3D at 4K resolution and presented on both a large rear-projection screen as well as multiple 3D monitors in a massive 88-foot by 158-foot open exhibit area.

Cine-Regio Releases the Digital Revolution

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:41:01 -0400

By Michael Gubbins

To say that the state of movie distribution is in flux is quite clearly an understatement. This is especially true in Europe, which faces many unique challenges including – to name just two – the current economic strife and language differences. The Cine-Regio Focus Report 2010: The Digital Revolution - The Active Audience has now been published on the Cine-Regio website. Cine-Regio is a network of regional film funds in Europe. The network is continuously expanding and today represents 32 regional film funds from 12 EU Member States, in addition to Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. The organization commissioned Michael Gubbins, former editor of Screen International, to write the report. Click here to download a complete copy. http://www.cineregio.org/press_media/digital_revolution/

NAB 2010: 3D’s a Crowd

Fri, 14 May 2010 09:03:44 -0400

Nearly 83,000 people from 156 countries attended last month’s National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas and, if you were there, you could be forgiven for getting the impression that absolutely every single person at the show was involved in stereoscopic 3D. In some ways it was one of the most discouraging events I’ve ever attended because, in my view, this mad rush to get on the 3D bandwagon is almost certain to lead to an alarming number of poorly conceived, poorly executed and poorly received 3D movies and television programs. I’m not alone in this opinion. Privately – and sometimes publicly – those that do understand all that’s involved in making quality 3D expressed similar thoughts.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:01:34 -0400

D&E Entertainment in association with Banger Films, Anthem Entertainment and Zoe Vision are releasing the documentary film Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage in more than 100 US digital cinemas starting June 10.

Focus-Fox Studio Launches Cinemix

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:04:29 -0400

Focus-Fox Studio, Budapest, Hungary has installed a FilmLight Baselight Four color grading system in its newly opened Cinemix digital intermediate grading and sound mixing theatre. The company plans to use its new resource primarily for feature film projects and is targeting both filmmakers based in Eastern Europe and those in London and Hollywood.

Continuing the Family Tradition

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:34:21 -0400

Canadian exhibitor Cinemas Guzzo has purchased 57 Christie Solaria series digital cinema projectors. Cinemas Guzzo, a family owned business founded in 1974, with 148 screens in 11 theatre complexes throughout the Montreal area, has launched several waves of expansion – the most recent being a new generation of avant-garde entertainment centers.

TaylorMade Precision

Sat, 29 May 2010 12:44:02 -0400

Digital production studio Precision handled virtually every aspect of the production of eight spots for a new global ad campaign for TaylorMade and its line of Burner clubs.

Chronicling the Greatest Generation

Sat, 29 May 2010 13:08:14 -0400

Visitors to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans are moved and excited by its unique new immersive film attraction, Beyond All Boundaries, which not only tells the story of the “war that changed the world” but also breaks boundaries of its own in 4D cinema experiences. A large-scale immersive production that harnesses 21st century technology, Beyond All Boundaries plunges viewers into the Greatest Generation’s journey from Pearl Harbor into the heat of battle to the final victory of D-Day. It premiered in the 250-seat Solomon Victory Theatre, part of the museum’s recent $300 million expansion.

Pictorvision Joins the A-Team

Sat, 29 May 2010 13:13:51 -0400

Second unit DP Larry J. Blanford is always excited when he can get to do aerial work himself. This was especially true in the case of 20th Century Fox’s feature version of the 1980s television series The A-Team. During the shoot Blanford says he really got to put Pictorvision’s newest aerial camera stabilizing system, the Eclipse through its paces.

Worldwide Heavy Metal

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:08:28 -0400

On June 22nd the legendary heavy metal bands Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax will perform live at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. At the same time audiences in 800 movie theatres around the world will be able to watch the concert live in high definition. NCM Fathom is presenting the concert in the U.S. in more than 450 theaters in over 140 markets at 7:30 p.m. local time on the same day. The event will be broadcast into theaters in Europe, Canada and Latin America through other international exhibitor partnerships. Delayed screenings are also planned in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Vision On Makes the Grade

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:06:48 -0400

New York post house Vision On’s first color grading of a feature film turned out rather well. Director/writer Alistair Banks Griffin’s Two Gates of Sleep had its premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Directors’ Fortnight.

Resurrecting a Theatre Complex

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:19:09 -0400

Southern Theatres has selected digital cinema projectors from NEC for its newly renovated and redesigned Theatres at Canal Place in New Orleans. The move by Southern Theatres extends its current relationship with NEC and master reseller Ballantyne Strong and positions the exhibitor to capitalize on the growing list of upcoming 3D Hollywood movies.

Filming Horses in Saudi Arabia

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:34:24 -0400

By Jo Franklin
President
SeaCastle Films

Thundering hoofbeats echo, then some of the most beautiful horses on earth emerge from the haze in the deserts of Arabia. Beduoin horsemen charge across the landscape, jockeys today break from the racing gate, cowboys gallop roping cattle, show jumpers leap six-foot hurdles. That is what you will see in the film A Gift From the Desert: The Arabian Horse. If you ever get to see it. The government of Saudi Arabia is trying to block the film's release. The obvious question is "Why in the world would they want to do that?" It is not a simple answer.

Searching for Amelia Earhart

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:44:23 -0400

Peabody Award-winning director of photography Mark Smith is making his third voyage to the remote South Pacific island of Nikumaroro to document the Amelia Earhart Expeditions’ archeological research. Smith is part of a 16-member team that is traveling under the aegis of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery an organization that contends that famed aviator Earhart landed and ultimately died on Gardner Island – now known as Nikumaroro. He previously journeyed with the group in 2001 and 2007.

Transforming Brazil’s Soccer Museum

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:38:46 -0400

As the world turns its attention to the FIFA World Cup Soccer Games in South Africa, it’s fitting to consider Brazil’s newly transformed soccer museum.

Entertainment Technology Center Releases Metadata Whitepaper

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:49:15 -0400

The Entertainment Technology Center at University of Southern California has released a white paper, ETC Marketing Metadata 1.0 that provides a set of best practices for creating descriptive/marketing metadata, based on the combined wisdom of the experts who produce and distribute digital media for the leading Hollywood studios. The ETC@USC is also announcing a new metadata online discussion group open to industry members who are looking to further the discussion around the distribution of metadata.

Standing Ovation for Local Hero

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:42:39 -0400

Santa Monica California’s Local Hero Post completed all the digital intermediate work and color correction on the upcoming summer release Standing Ovation.