Twenty-three leading directors and producers called into question plans to shorten the current model of theatrical release windows in an open letter to be published Thursday April 21 in an industry trade publication.
Cineplex Entertainment and Empire Theatres Limited have formed the Canadian Digital Cinema Partnership to plan and implement the deployment of digital projection equipment in the two partner's theatres. The plan will include procuring equipment arranging financing and securing digital deployment agreements with studios and other content providers. Cineplex Entertainment and Empire Theatres Limited have appointed Blackstone Advisory Partners as their financial and structuring advisor for CDCP.
The critically acclaimed cinematic concert rockumentary The Grateful Dead Movie Event will take audiences back to the ‘70s for a one-night in-theater event on Wednesday April 20 at 7:30 p.m. local time. Under the direction of the band’s lead guitarist Jerry Garcia and co-directed by Leon Gast these legendary 1974 concerts capture the Grateful Dead at the pinnacle of their psychedelic worldwide fame while documenting the Dead Head experience.
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.
As more and more still photographers make the transition to motion pictures Spring Studios one of Europe’s top photographic studios has purchased a Baselight color grading system from FilmLight as part of its own ongoing diversification into motion imagery. Located in Kentish Town Spring Studios is the setting for fashion shoots providing stages casting facilities and related photographic services for such brands as Giorgio Armani Benetton Chanel and Vogue.
The city of Palm Springs California has a rich history as a winter hideaway for some of show business’ most legendary entertainers. Frank Sinatra Bob Hope Bing Crosby Liberace and many other stars of the Golden Era were fixtures on the Palm Springs scene. These luminaries often stopped at the Chi Chi a Las Vegas-style watering hole for a drink with friends and to try out new material before taking the big stage in one of Nevada’s top casinos. Opened in 1936 for the world premiere of the motion picture Camille the Plaza Theatre was an integral part of the action in Palm Springs.
By Valentina I. Valentini Anywhere from a decade ago to two weeks ago the giant strides taken in the filmmaking process have become bigger better and faster. Think Cameron’s Simulcam or the fourth installment of Pirates where the editor worked on set side-by-side with the 3D stereographer during production. Now think of those blurry lines between production and post-production and imagine someone coming in and streamlining it all to a point where pre-viz teams are working next to VFX artists are working next to DPs are working next to motion capture actors.
Cinematographer Danna Kinsky has chosen the artemis Handheld stabilizer system to support The Aerial Girl. Kinsky and director Anna Simone Scott decided to capture this short narrative adventure using the Canon 7D and prime lenses. “Pairing the lightweight Canon camera with the artemis Handheld allowed us to move quickly and keep the audience in the moment ” says Kinsky. Kinsky discovered the range of artemis camera stabilzer systems while attending Sachtler’s artemis workshop in Los Angeles last November.
Timing is everything in life. The last several years of the exhibition event ShoWest will always be remembered to a certain degree with the phrase “just around the corner ” a reference to the frustrations of getting the digital cinema transition in full gear. In contrast the inaugural CinemaCon is likely to be remembered with phrases such as “gold rush” as an astonishing number of business deals were announced during the show’s four days. This is often the case at trade shows when there are few major new technology introductions.
Titan Worldwide Entertainment will begin shooting the El Chico Blanco in June it was announced by chairman and CEO Brad Feinstein. El Chico Blanco tells the story of Ben Harper a white outcast raised in the barrio rises to a position of power against all odds. During a stint in prison he overcomes racial tension and biases to become the head of a notorious crime family entering into a world of drugs wealth and power. The film will be shot on location in New Mexico.
