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Coppola’s Twixt Used AJA Converter for 3D Sequences

Thu, 09/29/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

American Zoetrope used the AJA Hi5-3D Mini-Converter for the post-production reviews of stereo 3D sequences for Twixt  the 2011 thriller from director Francis Ford Coppola that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month. 

Twixt staring Val Kilmer and Elle Fanning is a 2D feature that includes six minutes of stereo 3D in various sequences throughout the film. During post-production American Zoetrope had a SIM2 projector for screenings and needed a solution to feed it the proper signal for playback of stereo 3D material.

UltraStar Organizes Effort to Offer Digital Cinema Management Training in China

Thu, 09/29/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

UltraStar Cinemas one of Southern California’s largest privately-owned movie theater groups has formed a public-private partnership with the Xiamen Culture and Art Center and Xiamen University of Technology to create an organization dedicated to education and training in digital cinema management. Together they will establish the XMUT UltraStar Academy of Digital Cinema Management with a multi-disciplinary curriculum developed jointly by all three entities.

Sony Pictures to Stop Subsidizing 3D Glasses in May

Thu, 09/29/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

Sony Pictures has announced that it will stop subsidizing 3D glasses in May beginning with Men in Black III and The Amazing Spider-Man. So far Sony is the only studio to make the move but Variety has reported that other major studios are studying the issue. The National Association of Theatre Owners issued a scathing response. Sony's actions raise serious concerns for our members who believe that provision of 3D glasses to patrons is well established as part of the 3D experience.

Considering Indie Direct

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

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.

Schneider Optics Introduces DiStar+HD Lenses

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

Schneider Optics has introduced two new extreme wide-angle digital cinema lenses with extremely short throw ratios. The new DiStar+HD 28mm and DiStar+HD 30.8mm lenses are designed for Series II 4K Texas Instruments DLP Digital Cinema projectors by Barco Christie and NEC. The DiStar+HD 30.8mm lens has a throw ratio of 1:1 when used in a 4K projector and 1.1:1 when used in a 2K projector. The DiStar+HD 33.6mm lens has a throw ratio of 1.09:1 when used in a 4K projector and 1.2:1 when used in a 2K projector.

Content Film Acquires Rights to The Day

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

Content has acquired the foreign sales rights to the post-apocalyptic war action/thriller feature The Day directed by Doug Aarniokoski written by Luke Passmore and produced by Guy A. Danella (The Fourth Kind). Content is representing international rights and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content is handling North American rights.  The Day had its world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section.
 
In The Day an open war against humanity rages and five survivors are lost and on the run.

Consolidation Summer

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

This has been a summer of consolidations in the digital cinema world. In recent weeks a remarkable number of companies announcing mergers acquisitions new partnerships and the expansion of existing partnerships. Clearly the digital cinema business is entering a phase of consolidation. In the most recent development Screenvision acquired UniqueScreen Media the cinema advertising division of Cinedigm Digital Cinema.

SMPTE 2011 Focuses on 3D

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

Presentations at the SMPTE Annual Technical Conference will cover a number of significant developments related to 3D. The conference convenes at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa October 25-27. Mary-Luc Champel of Technicolor France will speak on the set-top-box as a possible new rendering platform. SMPTE member Mike Finegan of the USA will address 3D point-of-view videography for sporting events and Michael Watford Ciena Canada will talk about 1080p50/60 and beyond as network architectures for wideband video transport.

HPA Names Engineering Excellence Award Winners

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

The Hollywood Post Alliance has announced the recipients of the organization’s Engineering Excellence Award.  The coveted honor sponsored by NAB Show is intended to showcase and reward inventors manufacturers vendors and/or peer post-production companies for their outstanding product or technology application offerings. The Engineering Excellence Award is a central part of the HPA Awards which have become the standard by which creative and technical excellence in the art science and craft of post-production is measured.

Gearing Up for National Geographic’s Expedition Wild

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

When executive producer/director of photography Thomas Winston geared up his company Grizzly Creek Films for a new series of National Geographic Expedition Wild specials he knew he was going to face rugged terrain and he chose his equipment accordingly. He selected a line-up of three Sachtler support systems including the Video 25 Plus the Video 15 SB and the DV 4 II for the seven episodes. Winston is a longtime Sachtler fan. “Filming wildlife is tough – both on the people and on the gear.

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