3-D film revolution lets audiences feel they're in the action

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5289583.ece

 

December 5, 2008

 

Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent

 

For more than 50 years the film studios have sweated over how to bring the silver screen to the viewing public in three dimensions.

But today a slice of cinematic history will be made when two South London auditoriums raise the curtain on a new generation of digital 3-D screens not yet seen outside the United States.

The Odeon cinemas in Greenwich and Wimbledon are to begin screenings using revolutionary digital Imax technology, which promises to bring viewers the highest video quality yet seen, and the crispest audio available.

Gone are the paper glasses with red and green lenses; they are replaced by far less stylish tinted black plastic models, with tentacle-like head clips.

Although the first fully 3-D movie will not hit the screens until February, with Under the Sea, a feature-length documentary voiced by Jim Carrey, cinema bosses are pinning their hopes on a blockbuster slate of films incorporating 3-D scenes, including the next Harry Potter, drawing in the crowds.

Odeon has spent about £1.5 million kitting out one screen at each of the two cinemas with the digital technology, which means that movies can be played from a computer file instead of needing bulky, and costly, reels of film.

Rupert Gavin, chief executive of Odeon, said that viewers would be met with a cinematic experience that they had never experienced before. “It really has the capacity in these desperate times to catapult people into a different world,” he said. “It does that in spades. Particularly the fantasy films like Batman - it’s a world that audiences can get immersed in.”

Imax, the company behind the innovation believes that its curved screens and high-tech speaker systems will revolutionise the cinema experience.

Larry O’Reilly, executive vice-president of Imax, said: “We’re using two projectors instead of just one, so that means we’re putting much more light on the screen, which allows us to crank up the contrast and gives you better colour separation and makes it more lifelike and satisfying to the eye.

“We’re also ensuring that you get the best possible sound. Each individual speaker cone is checked to make sure it’s operating properly. If it’s not, the other cones can compensate. Our sound system has 12,000 watts of power. When you’re in a battle scene and the ground starts to shake, you start to shake too.”

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, set for release in July, will have key scenes remastered into three dimensions, with a flashing indicator on the screen telling viewers when to put their glasses on.

“When people come to see Harry Potter the most obvious difference is that in the Imax alone there will be 2-D action that has been converted to 3-D,” Mr O’Reilly said. “When Harry Potter flies, you get to fly with him.”

The added action comes at a price, however. Tickets to see films at the new screens will cost £11.50 for adults and £8.50 for children, £3 more than a typical ticket.

Odeon also hopes that it can take the technology beyond films. It is planning to use the digital Imax screens to show Formula One racing as well as football matches.

Although there are about 50 cinemas in Britain capable of showing 3-D films, the screens in Greenwich and Wimbledon will be the only cinemas outside the US to use giant-screen digital Imax projection.

Historical dimensions

—3-D films have been around since the 1890s, when William Friese-Greene, a British pioneer, filed a patent for a version

—The earliest known commercial release in 3-D was The Power of Love, in 1922, which relied on a dual-strip projection that ushered in red and green glasses – as well as splitting headaches

—After the invention of television, film studios threw resources into 3-D. Arguably the most famous feature film using the technique was The Creature from the Black Lagoon, a 1954 production

—3-D fell out of favour with the advent of widescreen cinema, but returned in the 1970s, with the sex comedy The Stewardesses

—In the 1990s the popularity of the giant Imax screen led to studios revisiting 3-D. Polar Express made 25 times more there than at conventional cinemas

 

Moving images into the future - Digital-cinema projectors that use lasers rather than xenon lamps could lead to richer colours on the silver screen

http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12673415

Dec 4th 2008
From The Economist print edition

Illustration by Belle Mellor

ONE reason people prefer watching films in cinemas to sitting at home with a DVD is that 35mm-film projectors render a richer range of colours, closer to the range of hues that the human eye can perceive. Even today, a conventional plasma-screen television set produces only 50% of the range of colour (known technically as the gamut) that the eye can perceive. Film, by contrast, manages around 60%. But film has a fundamental problem. A pristine print of a movie has rich, vibrant colour, but every time that print is projected it is degraded, and eventually it has to be replaced.

Digital cinema-projectors get around this problem, but purists complain that the gamut is not as rich as with film. That may soon change, though, thanks to a new digital cinema-projector that uses lasers. It has been designed by a group of researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, led by Bi Yong, in collaboration with a firm called Phoebus Vision OptoElectronics Technology. It can produce an eye-popping 80% of the range of colours that the human eye can see.

In both a 35mm projector and a digital projector, a bright source of white light provides the illumination. This is commonly a xenon lamp, in which electricity is arced through a tube filled with the gas. In a standard 35mm projector, the image is projected through the film and on to the screen using a series of lenses.

In the case of a digital projector, the white light is first separated into blue, green and red components and then fed into an optical-processing device that makes use of microelectromechanical technology to generate the image. Hundreds of thousands of microscopic mirrors are employed, each of which can be tilted into one of two positions. Each mirror corresponds to a single picture element (pixel) in the projected image and acts as a beam-steering device, controlling whether that pixel is light or dark. Intermediate shades are created by tilting the mirror backwards and forwards thousands of times a second to vary the brightness of the pixel. This approach is called “digital light processing” (DLP).

The idea of using lasers as light sources for projectors dates to the 1960s, but two things held it back. First, in those days, lasers were bulky, expensive devices, whose only role in the cinema was to threaten to cut James Bond in half. That problem has gone away as compact and inexpensive semiconductor lasers have become commercially available. The second problem, though, is that laser light can “speckle”, which is to say that when it scatters off a rough surface, a random shimmering and sparkling pattern is produced. Speckle, a consequence of the narrow range of light that a laser produces, degrades the sharpness of the projected image. It is this problem that Dr Bi and his colleagues have overcome.

They use several red, green and blue lasers and feed the light from these into an optical fibre to produce white light. Because the operation of each laser is independent of the others, their speckles cancel each other out. That done, the white laser light is filtered back into red, green and blue light and projected using the DLP system.

Dr Bi has, however, gone further than just eliminating speckle. He notes that if the red laser light used is made redder and the blue laser light made bluer, the gamut of the projected image increases. Indeed, the theoretical maximum gamut of a laser-based system is almost 90% of what the human eye can perceive.

The disadvantage of this increased redness and blueness is that higher-power lasers are required. But that may not matter too much. Lasers are more efficient than xenon lamps, which waste a lot of energy as heat. Dr Bi and his colleagues calculate that even with the boosted lasers their projector needs only 35% of the power required to run a normal digital projector. On top of that, lasers last for a long time, whereas xenon lamps burn out and need to be replaced periodically. Running costs should therefore be lower.

The initial cost will still be higher, though, at least to start with. When launched, Phoebus’s projector is expected to be ten to 20 times more expensive than those that use a xenon lamp. But that, no doubt, will change as the cost of lasers drops. Just as they have improved things in countless other areas, from telecommunications to compact-disc players, lasers could thus make going to the cinema even better than it is now.

 

In Focus: 3D cinema faces big international challenges

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42256

 

Jack Warner

05 Dec 2008 00:00

 

At the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles this week, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg again made the case for the enormous potential that 3D cinema offers the industry.

 

Already 2009 is shaping up to be the key year for the technology; a total of 15 3D presentations are scheduled, including James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar and Disney's A Christmas Carol (the latter is the first film slated as part of a five-picture deal with Imax).

 

 

Both films are scheduled for a December 2009 release, at which time the "US market will have reached relative maturity", according to Screen Digest's senior analyst Charlotte Jones, who spoke at the summit.

 

But can the present number of little more than 2,000 3D screens worldwide support this move towards unlocking the potential of the format, and build the momentum needed to deliver 10,000 3D screens by 2012, as Jones expects to see?

 

 

Demand led

 

There is evidently a demand for films on digital screens and specifically in 3D. Where these films are shown, the screen average can be double or even triple that of a standard screen. But with an ever-increasing slate of 3D films, the market runs the risk of becoming saturated. "We will soon reach the point where there are two 3D film releases a month," says David Hancock, head of film and cinema at Screen Digest.

 

He suggests a wide 3D release in North America would require 2,000 screens, whereas the UK would need 300-400. The current number of screens - 1,525 in the US and approximately 70-90 in the UK - has some way to go to reach this point. "We haven't got enough screens for one wide (3D) release, let alone two or more competing for screens," he says.

 

The 3D cinema rollout, particularly outside North America, has been sluggish, and may slow further in the current economic climate. In spite of the apparent enthusiasm for 3D, the issues raised, such as digital standards and the additional costs of the 3D systems, are worth consideration.

 

Phil Clapp, CEO of the UK's Cinema Exhibitors Association, highlights the central issue: "The bottom line is that the number of 3D screens is nowhere near what the studios and the distributors would like, yet the cost of digital screen projectors is still the main obstacle for exhibitors wanting to switch"

 

While the new generation of 3D productions adds further incentive to upgrade, the impact of 3D cinema may not yet be "sufficient to alter the balance in favour of switching", Clapp says.

 

He also notes some of the major exhibitors will switch a number of their screens to 3D ahead of the release of titles such as DreamWorks Animation's Monsters Vs Aliens (due for release in March), with digital screens in their own right taking a back seat as exhibitors push for 3D screens and the higher revenues associated with them.

 

The issue appears to rest on having enough 3D releases on the schedules, which in turn will encourage exhibitors and distributors to convert enough screens to support the schedule. The balance could be difficult but, as Screen Digest's Hancock points out, there is too much riding on 3D for it to "fall apart".

 

He indicates the key turning point for the balance will be Twentieth Century Fox's release of Avatar in December: "Avatar will be the BC/AD of the 3D cinema world. It will mark the change from the old models to the new."

 

So 2009 will be the year 3D cinema has to establish itself as the growing force in the industry, and with a relatively hefty slate of product on offer it will need the support of distributors and exhibitors and their commitment towards 3D screens.

 

Logo for Take 12 scheme - Making business out of digital innovation

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42214

 

Sarah Cooper in London

02 Dec 2008 22:18

 

In an effort to help UK film companies navigate their way through the brave new world of digital, the UK Film Council (UKFC) has teamed up with the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta) to create Take 12 - a digital innovation programme designed to encourage independent UK film companies to embrace digital technology and make money.

 

The programme works by pairing 12 film businesses, with digital consultancy experts - innovation partners - who will allocate approximately $75,000 (£40,000) worth of their time to each participant.

 

Over the next year Screen will be profiling and charting the progress of the 12 film businesses taking part in the programme.

 

This month we start with London based contemporary digital arts organisation onedotzero, who have paired up with innovation partner Huge Entertainment.

 

Set up in 1996 by Shane Walter and Matt Hanson at the start of the desktop digital revolution, onedotzero's remit is to 'promote innovation across all forms of moving image and motion arts'.

 

Funded by the Arts Council, its activities include public events, artist and content development, publishing, education, production, creative direction and consultancy services, as well as a DVD label.

 

onedotzero produces an international network of events, including its touring audio-visual festival – onedotzero adventures in motion –which showcases new ideas and up-and-coming talents around the world.

 

This year's edition has just commenced its international tour, following festivals in Buenos Aires in September and at the BFI Southbank in November.

 

'onedotzero was selected as one of the 12 participant film businesses in the NESTA/UK Film Council Digital Innovation in Film programme on account of their huge appetite for exploring digital technology and its potential to affect both the creation and consumption of ideas in growing their business', says Haidee Bell from NESTA.

 

'Through discussions to date with their chosen project Innovation Partner, it is apparent that there is considerable potential for onedotzero to develop its position in the face of these changes and remain at the forefront of innovation in this field', she adds.

 

For interview with Shane Walter and Karl Aussia of onedotzero click here

 

For interview with Morgan Holt, Huge Entertainment click here

'Thursday Night Football' gets 3-D treatment - 3ality production to gauge TV sports possibilities for home

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/technology/news/e3i9e3769e9fdecdb468986237ddf05a46c

 

By Carolyn Giardina

Nov 24, 2008, 06:21 PM ET

Reflecting a growing interest in live 3-D events, particularly sports, 3ality Digital will produce a live 3-D broadcast of NFL Network's "Thursday Night Football" game between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders on Dec. 4.

It will be presented as a test to invited guests at three theaters: the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood, a theater in Boston and one in New York.

3ality Digital, the company behind the "U2 3D" concert film, is overseeing production and transmission. Technicolor Digital Cinema is providing the satellite transponder time and digital-downlink services.

The test will serve as a proof of concept for the possiblities of 3-D televised sports in the home because several consumer 3-D ready displays will be used.

"This broadcast will be an exciting test of how 3-D could affect fans' experience in the future," said Howard Katz, the NFL's senior vp broadcasting and media operations.

The production underscores interest in live 3-D broadcasting, both in theaters and the home. There has been particular interest in sports: The NBA has experimented with the format with 3-D basketball broadcasts for test audiences, and the BBC tested the waters with a broadcast of rugby's Six Nations Championship.

 

NFL, 3ality Digital and RealD Team for First-of-Its-Kind Live 3D Broadcast

http://www.uemedia.net/CPC/digitalcinemamag/articles/article_17367.shtml By Staff Dec 2, 2008, 14:30

Burbank, CA -- Nov 25, 2008 -- The National Football League, 3ality Digital and RealD announced they will join
forces to test a three-dimensional broadcast experience that could create a new home viewing standard for televised sports. The first-ever live broadcast of an NFL game in full digital 3D format, being made available Dec. 4 to select audiences in three U.S. cities, is designed to immerse viewers in the game as never before.

The groundbreaking broadcast -- featuring NFL Network's Thursday Night Football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders -- will be shot and transmitted by 3ality Digital and shown to invited guests at RealD 3D-enabled theaters in Boston, Hollywood and New York City. The 3-D nature of the broadcast, which incorporates near
pixel-perfect quality, is able to convey the sense among viewers that they are actually on the field with the players.

Just as high-definition broadcasts have enhanced the home viewing experience in recent years, digital 3D broadcasts will set a new broadcast standard in the months and years to come. The upcoming NFL game will demonstrate the unprecedented picture quality viewers will soon be able to enjoy in their homes.

"The NFL has played an important role in the evolution of media and consumer acceptance of emerging technologies and we're pleased to work with 3ality Digital and RealD to glimpse into the future," said Howard Katz, the NFL's senior vice president of broadcasting and media operations. "This broadcast will be an exciting test of how 3D could affect fans' experience in the future."

Burbank-based 3ality Digital is overseeing production and transmission of the 3D broadcast. The company has established itself as the leading provider of digital 3D offerings by bringing to market the first live action film shot entirely in digital 3D (U2 3D), the first transatlantic 3D broadcast (Jeffrey Katzenberg interview at IBC) and the first scripted television show shot entirely in live digital 3D (NBC's Chuck).

"Digital 3D broadcasting provides a compelling and visceral experience for viewers, one that is shaping the evolution of a new content delivery standard," said 3ality Digital CEO Sandy Climan. "We already have demonstrated the tremendous value digital 3D brings to mainstream movies and scripted television programs, and we are looking forward to astounding the audiences who will be enjoying this unprecedented event on December fourth."

RealD, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., specializes in bringing the most advanced digital 3D projection capabilities to cinemas worldwide. RealD's next-generation 3D experience has garnered more than 90% of the global market for 3D cinema. Currently, with over 100 exhibition partners, more than 5,500 worldwide screens are committed to install RealD's platform. The company will be providing access to RealD 3D-enabled theatres for the NFL event, as well as contributing 3D-capable television monitors to provide an advance look at the television viewing experience of the future.

"As boxing fans once gathered at local theatres to see heavyweight title matches in the era before pay-per-view and plasma televisions, RealD's new technology will give audiences another reason to head to the theatre," explained Michael Lewis, chairman and CEO of RealD. "The continued box office success and the strong audience response to films released on RealD's platform have shown that consumers crave a premium 3D cinematic experience. We look forward to giving fans of live events the opportunity to feel like they're in the front row without even being there."

Next month's broadcast is the latest in the NFL's ongoing efforts to use technology to enhance fans' enjoyment of the sport. Decades ago, the NFL was the first sports league to establish weekly sports programming on primetime television in 1970 with Monday Night Football. In the years since, the league has been at the forefront of emerging media, including cable and satellite television, satellite radio, online and mobile phones.

The Dec. 4 broadcast, which is being produced by 3ality Digital and presented in RealD, will be transmitted live to invited audiences in the three theaters. Supporting this first-of-its-kind event are Clearview Cinemas, Mann Theatres and National Amusements, all industry leaders who have long embraced 3D and RealD. Collectively, all three circuits have over 160 RealD theatre locations, with major expansions planned for 2009. The event will leverage Technicolor Digital Cinema's market leading satellite infrastructure and live in-theatre broadcast solution for exhibition.

 

Thread comes out of 'Button' - Digital-cinema concerns surface as screening goes awry

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i550533f2636cdbd1e7dde765827f079e

 

By Carolyn Giardina

Nov 24, 2008, 12:42 AM ET

An aborted screening of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" last week has raised concerns within the film community over digital projection.

On Thursday night at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles, Paramount held the first major industry showing of "Button," David Fincher's widely anticipated drama that is expected to be one of the season's big awards contenders.

But about 25 minutes into the film, the image froze, the film stopped and the house lights went up.

Claudio Miranda, the film's director of photography, announced that there was a problem and rushed to the projection booth, where a 2K digital-cinema system was being used to screen the film. Forty-five minutes later, after a few false starts, Miranda returned to say that the show would not be going on that night.

There was a problem with the digital server -- which had been rented for the screening -- that resulted in the absence of the color red from the projected image, giving the film a washed-out look.

The screening was rescheduled for Saturday on the Paramount lot, where, with Fincher and Miranda in attendance, the projection went off without a hitch.

The Thursday screening, though, was not an isolated incident. There have been other snafus at recent digital screenings of "Che" and "Quantum of Solace."

If digital systems can break down in settings like the "Button" screening, where the industry is putting its best foot forward, a number of those present asked what might go wrong as digital cinema rolls out to local multiplexes.

Will the projectionist know that something is wrong? Will he or she know what to do about it? And if a system is unable to play a film, what will be the response of audiences who paid to see the latest blockbuster on its opening weekend?

"We are currently in a phase in d-cinema equipment development where there is a lot of fine tuning going on with the hardware and software," said d-cinema consultant Walt Ordway, who served as chief technology officer for studio consortium Digital Cinema Initiatives.

Jerry Pierce, chair of the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum, pointed to Projection Configuration Files, which are loaded into the projectors to interpret the data in order to put the right contrast/color on the screen for a given movie.

"There have been many conversations involving theater owners that are having trouble teaching projectionists and operators how to set up and maintain digital cinema systems, including PCF set up," Pierce said, adding that the ISDCF is exploring better training and the elimination of PCFs as a variable in the system.

"Film is not without the possibility of technical failure, but the digital cinema side has more opportunity for absolute failure," added Loren Nielsen, principal at Entertainment Technology Consultants.

Said Pierce: "It's hard to make anything foolproof. We have a complicated system in terms of security, color and configurations. It works really well most of the time, but on the occasions that it doesn't, it can be a disaster."

 

Cinedigm Signs on Initial Financing for Phase 2 Digital Cinema Conversions

http://investor.cinedigm.com/releaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=351951

Phase 2 Entity Signs on an 8-Year, $8.9 Million Credit Facility

MORRISTOWN, NJ, Dec 03, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. ("Cinedigm") (NASDAQ: CIDM) today announced its Phase 2 Entity signed today on an $8.9 million credit facility. The facility will fund the launch of Cinedigm's first 137 Phase 2 conversions of Premiere Cinemas' theatres to the Company's digital cinema platform, in what is expected to ultimately be a 10,000-screen digital cinema deployment plan. The first 35 systems are expected to be operational in December, bringing the total for Phase 2 to 55 by year end. To date, Cinedigm has signed almost 500 screens to its Phase 2 plan and anticipates thousands more in the months ahead.

Cinedigm's Digital Cinema division has already installed more than 3,700 digital cinema systems in theaters across the United States during its two-year Phase 1 rollout, making it by far the market leader in making digital cinema a reality for millions of moviegoers. Cinedigm created the industry-standard, studio-backed deployment program that provides the funding, installation, support, and administration for fully Digital Cinema. The Company's Phase 2 plan will provide networked, turnkey, Digital Cinema systems in conformance with DCI specifications, including Cinedigm's unique Library Management Server(R) and Theatre Command Center(R) software. The system will also include digital projectors and JPEG 2000 media servers from a variety of vendors whose equipment is designed to meet the DCI specifications as well as a demanding set of performance and reliability requirements Cinedigm developed through its success with the Phase 1 plan.

"We are extremely pleased but not surprised to have closed on this initial financing," said Bud Mayo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cinedigm. "While the credit markets overall remain largely closed, Cinedigm is a proven business with a strong track record thanks to its Phase 1 plan and was able to secure credit to initiate our next-stage plans. As industry leader and the only company actually to have converted thousands of screens so far, we are committed to delivering on our promise to begin Phase 2 installations for Premiere Cinemas in this quarter in a significant way. Our goal is to continue to sign thousands of additional screens in the months ahead in anticipation of additional financing from a variety of sources."

About Cinedigm (Formerly AccessIT)

Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. is the global leader in fulfilling the promise of digital cinema. Its ground-breaking technology platform helps exhibitors, distributors, studios and content providers transform the consumer movie experience -- by expanding theatrical features to include not only movies but also live 2-D and 3-D performances such as sporting events, concerts and gaming. The Company also enables theatres to create exhibitions and advertising opportunities targeted to specific audience groups and locations thereby offering new revenue opportunities for these venues. Cinedigm's leading digital cinema platform and one-of-a-kind satellite delivery operations support more than 3,700 theatres across the United States with over nine million digital showings of Hollywood features to date. Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. (AccessIT) (NASDAQ: AIXD) is now doing business as Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. and trading under the ticker NASDAQ: CIDM. www.Cinedigm.com [CIDM-G]

 

Pioneering Download Site CinemaNow: Worth Just $3 Million

http://cinematech.blogspot.com/2008/12/pioneering-download-site-cinemanow.html

(Of course I didn't abandon my beloved CinemaTech... just took a long Thanksgiving vacation.)

Feels important to note that earlier this month, the pioneering digital download site CinemaNow was sold for a piddling $3 million to Sonic Solutions, a company that makes DVD-burning software. Founded in 1999 (before Movielink, and way before iTunes), CinemaNow had raised more than $30 million. Lionsgate Entertainment had been the main investor in the company, which offered rentals, downloads, and also the ability to burn some movies to a DVD.

Earlier this year, Curt Marvis, the long-time head of CinemaNow, shifted over to a digital media gig at Lionsgate.

Here's the official press release.

http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Sonic+to+Acquire+CinemaNow/4179349.html

 

Sonic to Acquire CinemaNow

 

November 19, 2008 4:00 PM EST

 

NOVATO, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonic Solutions(R) (Nasdaq: SNIC), the leader in digital media software, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CinemaNow, a privately held online entertainment provider based in Marina Del Rey, California. CinemaNow is at the forefront of digital video distribution, offering over 6,000 high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. The company has relationships with more than 250 content providers, including all major Hollywood studios, and supplies premium entertainment services to a host of PC and consumer electronics device manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Samsung, TiVo, DivX, and ARCHOS.

 

Sonic(R) and CinemaNow recently announced a collaboration to enable the download and burn of DVD movies by integrating CinemaNow's content delivery system into new Qflix(TM) DVD drives. Qflix drives have recently become available from a number of companies including Dell, Pioneer and Plextor. CinemaNow will combine with Sonic's Qflix team to form a new Premium Content Group under the direction of Mark Ely, Sonic's EVP of Strategy. The group will focus on increasing the placement of CinemaNow's storefront on PCs and consumer electronics devices, and expanding the adoption of the Qflix technology platform.

 

"With broadband-connected consumer electronics hitting the market in ever greater numbers, there is a growing need for a service that gives consumers one-click access to premium entertainment on any device in the digital home," said David Cook, president and COO, CinemaNow. "The combination of CinemaNow's content and embedded device strategy with Sonic's technical prowess and broad PC and CE distribution promises to fulfill CinemaNow's original mission -- giving consumers easy access to the best of Hollywood from their PCs, TVs, mobile phones, or anywhere in their digital ecosystems."

 

"The digital delivery of premium content is at a tipping point," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "By providing consumers and OEMs user-friendly content services and software that works across multiple platforms, we will make it possible for any device or PC manufacturer to add an online movie store of Hollywood hits to its products. With CinemaNow, we look forward to expanding and deepening our relationship with OEM and retail partners as well as with the millions of consumers that we touch today through our Roxio(R)-branded digital media applications and online services."

 

As the leading provider of professional software systems used in the creation of Hollywood titles on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, Sonic has deep ties to the entertainment industry. Sonic's technology solutions and Roxio applications power the management and playback of Hollywood content on PCs and CE devices ranging from set-top DVD players and game consoles, to in-car entertainment systems and portable media players. CinemaNow's vast content libraries and innovative delivery systems will enable Sonic's product portfolio and technology expertise to span the entire premium entertainment supply chain -- from creation through distribution and consumption.

 

The acquisition is expected to close shortly.

 

Conference Call Details

 

Sonic will conduct an investor conference call at 1:30 p.m. PST, or 4:30 p.m. EST, today to discuss details of the transaction. Investors are invited to listen to Sonic's conference call on the 'investor relations - webcast' section of Sonic's website at www.sonic.com or by dialing 877-591-4959 (for domestic callers) or 719-325-4885 (for international callers). A replay of the web cast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call. An audio replay of the conference call will also be made available shortly after the conclusion of the call. The audio replay will remain available until midnight PST November 22, 2008, and can be accessed by dialing 888-203-1112 (for domestic callers) or 719-457-0820 (for international callers) and entering the passcode 9174829.

 

About CinemaNow

 

CinemaNow, Inc. (http://www.cinemanow.com) is an innovator in digital entertainment technology, delivering high-quality Hollywood movies, TV shows and music videos to users across multiple platforms. Founded in 1999, CinemaNow has partnered with some of the biggest brands in consumer electronics and digital entertainment including ARCHOS, EchoStar Communications, Hewlett-Packard, Macrovision, Microsoft, Samsung, and Technicolor to deliver thousands of video titles directly to consumers. CinemaNow works with more than 250 licensors including 20th Century Fox, Disney, EMI, HDNet, IFC, Lionsgate, MGM, Miramax, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Sundance Channel, Vivendi Entertainment and Warner Bros.

 

About Sonic Solutions

 

Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com) enables the creation, management, and enjoyment of digital media content through its Hollywood to Home(TM) products, services, and technologies. Sonic's products range from the advanced authoring systems used to produce Hollywood DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles to the award-winning Roxio-branded photo, video, music, and digital-media management applications and services. Sonic's patented technologies and AuthorScript(R) media engine are relied upon by leading technology firms to define rich media experiences on a wide array of consumer electronics, mobile devices, set-top players, retail kiosks, and PCs. Always an innovator, Sonic has taken a leading role in helping professional and consumer markets make the successful transition to the new high-definition media formats and, through the Qflix(TM) platform, Sonic is defining new models for the digital distribution of Hollywood entertainment. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.

 

3-D transforming tentpoles - Studios prepare future franchise installments

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996536.html

By DAVID S. COHEN

Within five to seven years, I expect all movies out of Hollywood to be in 3-D," Jeffrey Katzenberg predicted at the recent 3DX conference in Singapore.

"In sound, we've gone from vinyl to 8-track to cassette to CD to digital," the DreamWorks maven said. "The flat-screen movies of today are the equivalent of vinyl records."

If so, when it comes to live-action tentpoles, it seems as if most of Hollywood is still clinging to their turntables and LPs.

Stereo 3-D is the rage in animation, but there have been no announcements of a Batman, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean or other existing or potential franchise in 3-D, other than James Cameron's epic "Avatar" for Fox.

Few studios and production companies have publicly embraced 3-D. But many are quietly investigating the format as they plan future tentpoles, wondering whether Cameron's film will do for 3-D what "Toy Story" did for computer animation.

The most obvious concern about 3-D is the unexpectedly slow transition of theaters to the d-cinema projectors it requires.

Disney, though, is committed to 3-D, has several stereo titles on its slate and isn't waiting for more theaters.

For the Mouse House, says Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group prexy Mark Zoradi, the first question is, "Would this picture take advantage of 3-D?"

"I think you have to have the visual need for it," he says. "I wouldn't expect to see a big, epic drama in 3-D or a straight comedy in 3-D." He is in sync with many in the industry who see 3-D as an event-film format, as Technicolor was in the 1930s.

Tentpoles are, however, event films, so the fit seems natural. Yet Walden Media's exec VP of physical production, Doug Jones, who oversaw 3-D pic "Journey to the Center of the Earth" for the shingle, warns: "In production, you have to have one (picture) as a learning curve."

So far, only Cameron and his "Avatar" cohorts are on that learning curve at the tentpole level.

"3-D has to be demystified," says "Avatar's" producer, Jon Landau. "You have to make sure the filmmaker is comfortable with it. I think there are now enough opportunities where people can go out and test the equipment."

That kind of testing is accelerating at technology vendors such as Pace Technologies, 3ality Digital and RealD.

It isn't just the filmmakers who need a comfort level, though. Many are asking about the added cost, especially for pics with lots of visual effects.

"It's the backend where everybody's having a hard time, and there's no standard way to do things," Walden's Jones says. Stereo means making the movie twice -- once for each eye -- so, in visual effects, labor-intensive tasks such as rotoscoping and compositing must be duplicated.

Stereo pioneer Vince Pace routinely tells potential customers for his 3-D technology that going stereo adds roughly 20% to the negative cost of a movie. Jones, for his part, estimates that on a film with a lot of digital visual effects, the format brings a 20%-30% overall budget jump.

With tentpole budgets already in the $250 million range, that's a lot of extra cost, with no proof yet that a blockbuster like "Iron Man" would earn any additional money in 3-D.

Many point to "Avatar" as the moment of truth for live-action 3-D. If it is a smash, others will follow.

Then competitive pressures may make Katzenberg a prophet, because if Warner goes stereo with Batman, for example, how long can Sony keep Spider-Man flat?

 

3-D runs risk of overhype - 'Avatar' producer stresses story over format

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996534.html?categoryid=3431&cs=1

Posted: Wed., Nov. 26, 2008, 2:11pm PT

By DAVID S. COHEN

Amid the buzz about 3-D as the future of cinema, there's already some backlash, notably from critic Roger Ebert and L.A. Times blogger Patrick Goldstein, who've been skeptical about its creative potential.

Some in the 3-D community have worried that when an expensive 3-D release flops, as some inevitably will, the industry will sour on stereo.

"Avatar" producer Jon Landau says the key is not to count on 3-D to sell an otherwise weak picture.

"Technology does not have to live up to the hype; storytelling does," he says. "If you do not make a good movie, you could be in black-and-white, you could be in mono, it does not matter. People are not going to go."

Disney's Mark Zoradi says there is a risk of overhype, but echoes Landau: "If a movie fails in 3-D, then it probably would have failed in 2-D as well. You would go back to the script and the overall story. If a movie fails in CGI, you wouldn't say it should be done in 2-D."

The bottom line, Landau says, is: "I think we are beyond the blame game as it relates to 3-D. History has proven to us at the recent box office that 3-D works and people are seeking out that experience."

 

3-D industry needs quality control

Posted: Wed., Nov. 26, 2008, 1:58pm PT

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996531.html

Right-eye/left-eye images need balance

By DAVID S. COHEN

3-D, unique among movie formats, holds the seeds of its own destruction.

Technically poor 3-D, or even 3-D that's too aggressive and separates the right- and left-eye images too widely, can be painful enough to induce a long-term aversion to 3-D.

"This is what happened in the '50s and '80s," says helmer Eric Brevig. "It was the uncomfortable 3-D that killed it."

So the entire industry has a stake in maintaining quality control.

Brevig says, "You need standards like the broadcast standards, (with) the right-eye and left-eye image having a certain amount of parity, unless it is for a creative effect."Brevig adds that something like the current THX certification would be a good idea.

3-D pioneer Vince Pace goes further: "I feel the best resolution will be some sort of rating system that measures the separation of the images and says, 'This can be harmful to the eyes.' If it's an R-rated movie, people know there's language and nudity. It would be nice to see someday that we had something like that for 3-D so someone's not subjected to extreme disparity."

3-D can have adverse health effects

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996532.html

Posted: Wed., Nov. 26, 2008, 2:06pm PT

Chances of a repeat of 1997 event are remote

By ROBYN WEISMAN

Back in 1997, several hundred Japanese schoolchildren suffered seizures watching an episode of "Pokemon" that had brief intervals of flashing lights. The strobing was only a fraction of the 60 Hz refresh rate used in today's 3-D shutter glasses. Still, Japan's NHK won't broadcast in 3-D until it completes a minimum five-year study on whether it could trigger latent adverse health effects.

Tom Randolph, CEO of Kerner Technologies, worries hardcore 3-D gamers might fall prey to seizures and recommends shutter-glasses makers increase their refresh rates to a minimum 120 Hz. But Randolph says if your eyes aren't feeling distress, chances are your brain isn't either. "I think watching 3-D for two hours is safe, even on a red-blue anaglyph. And people who don't feel good are smart enough to walk out."

China is Getting Serious about 3D

http://displaydaily.com/2008/11/26/china-is-getting-serious-about-3d/

 

November 26th, 2008

I am writing this from Korea, where I just had the pleasure of attending the 3DIT conference held at Kwangwoon University in Seoul. It was a one-day event with a variety of speakers and a small 3D exhibition area.

Chris Chinnock
Senior Analyst and Editor
for Insight Media

There were three high level takeaways for me. 1) China is getting very interested in 3D and has formed a new association to start to coordinate development activities. 2) I became aware of an even broader scope of 3D activities worldwide, and 3) the maturity of advanced integral imaging, electronic holography and other advanced 3D imaging/display techniques is richer than I had imagined.

One of the speakers at the event, Flight Lee, is the Vice-Secretary General of the newly formed China 3D Industry Association (C3DIA), which will be under the supervision of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In his talk, he outlined a rather ambitious plan to bolster all aspects of the 3D infrastructure. Key aspects included:

• Control of the industrial standard of 3D displays
• Control of mobile phone operator licenses and 3D services
• Control of the broadcast bandwidth for 3D services
• Control of the TV channel licensing for 3D broadcasting
• Control of the Internet and contents for 3D gaming and video delivery
• Setting 3D technology direction and policy
• Control of government funding for 3D R&D

In addition, R&D activities have already begun, which will focus on cooperation between industry, academic, research and government organizations. This is government planning in all its glory, and depending upon the amount of capital committed and the aggressiveness of the organizers, it could have a big influence on the market.

Other talks at the event described 3D activities at universities, consortiums, associations and institutes from around the world. I was aware on many of these activities, but certainly not all. In all of these areas, except for the U.S., broad government funding supports many of these activities. These projects are far too numerous to delineate, but one project stood out the 4-year 3DTV program, which concluded recently in Europe. This program involved dozens of companies and Universities and spawned more than 350 published papers. More than a dozen follow-on projects have since been initiated with real commercial products and technologies expected. Add to this, similar efforts in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, plus now China, and it is clear that investment and momentum is building for 3D.

The third major takeaway was a greater appreciation and understanding of some of the more advanced forms of 3D display and image capture. Yes, many of the displays and image capture methods described remain rather crude by stereoscopic display standards - and it will still be many years before we see commercial electro-holography systems, but the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. As interest in 3D accelerates and more attention is paid to these next-generation systems, we will begin to see some pretty amazing systems in the not so distant future, I think.

The conference was composed of academic 3D display and capture experts who did a great job of providing an overview of global activities and status. I was the only real business or commercially-oriented speaker in the crowd, but I am glad I was invited to attend. There are rich and fertile innovations occurring in these labs, universities and institutes, and others in the commercial world would benefit from more awareness of this activity. European and Asian countries get this for the most part, but I am not so sure U.S. companies do. Maybe we should take a page from this playbook.

 

Industry tries to avoid another format war

Posted: Wed., Nov. 26, 2008, 1:49pm PT

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996529.html

Tech titans give peace a chance

By ROBYN WEISMAN

3-D homevideo is set to make a splash next year, with manufacturers coming out with rigs that use two competing styles of glasses and even some that don't need glasses at all.

Samsung has sold as many as a million "3-D-ready" flat-panel sets that need active shutter glasses.

Hyundai is selling LCD sets that use polarizer glasses in Japan, and JVC is expected to unveil a similar set for the American market at next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Steve Koenig, senior manager of industry analysis at the Consumer Electronics Assn., says he expects 3-D technologies to be a significant portion of the CES.

These competing proprietary systems, which use different types of glasses, seem to augur the onset of another format war, but several industry experts view 3-D homevideo formats as following the more peaceful transition to digital TV.

Koenig says CEA is partnering with the industry to develop standards for

3-D content. "We're starting to investigate a codec (software coder-decoder) for encoding and transmitting that would be agreeable to all types of physical 3-D display methodologies," Koenig says. "It will be similar to DTV standards, so it won't matter if it's LCD, plasma, rear-projection and so on."

Meanwhile, studios want 3-D homevideo to help them recoup the costs of making stereo pics, 40 of which are already slated for release through 2011.

The situation "will ultimately force (a combined distribution method) that allows somebody to go pull a Blu-ray disc off the shelf or download a 3-D HD version, buy a pair of glasses, have a 3-D-ready TV, and see 3-D versions of movies in the living room," says Doug Darrow, brand and marketing manager at Texas Instruments, which makes the DLP chip used in Samsung's and Mitsubishi's rear-projection 3-D systems.

But this consolidation on the distribution side doesn't force consumers to choose one 3-D system or the other. RealD CEO Michael Lewis, whose company makes both types of glasses, points out that Blu-ray discs have enough room to run both an active-glasses and a polarized-glasses version from a given disc.

Also, Darrow points out that consumers may favor a different format for 3-D homevideo than for theatrical viewing. "In the home, you can probably afford a pair of $50 shutter glasses. It's something you keep like the controller on a game system," Darrow says. "In the movie theater, it's probably better to have disposable eyewear, and you can put something in front of the lens of the projector and then have the cheaper glasses."

 

3-D vision doesn't waver - DreamWorks Animation chief predicts 2,500 screens by April

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/technology/news/e3i262fde538e88806817d0d34ea6ae2535

 

By Carolyn Giardina

Dec 1, 2008, 06:10 PM ET

 

Jeffrey Katzenberg boldly predicted Monday that there will be nearly 2,500 screens ready for 3-D in time for the March 27 release of DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens."

At the 3-D Entertainment Summit here, DWA's CEO also forecast that there will be 7,500 3-D screens for the summer 2010 release of his company's "Shrek Goes Fourth."

Estimates suggest that the number of 3-D-ready digital-cinema screens now in the domestic market is in the 1,500 range.

But Katzenberg, the ultimate 3-D cheerleader, expressed optimism, once again calling the format an "economic game-changer for movie theaters."

"I expect a $5 premium will be paid for the 3-D experience," he said. "Fifty% of the admissions of 'Bolt' -- which was 3-D on only 1,300 of its 4,000 screens -- is 3-D. The customers have spoken time and time again. If you offer them a premium-quality experience, they will for the most part trade up."

Commenting on "Monsters," Katzenberg suggested that there will be "more than enough screens to give us our investment back of $15 million. We spent $150 million making a movie like this, with a $15 million incremental cost for 3-D."

Digital-cinema installations are required to offer digital 3-D, so challenges like raising d-cinema deployment financing in today's tough economic climate remain.

"Just at the moment when exhibition and distribution got together, negotiated and finally closed deals for virtual print fees, there's no money," Katzenberg said. "I think in the first quarter of next year, certainly by the second quarter, financing will come together for Digital Cinema Integration Partners."

DCIP, the joint venture owned by AMC, Cinemark and Regal, represents about 14,000 screens in North America.

3-D vision doesn't waver

DreamWorks Animation chief predicts 2,500 screens by April

By Carolyn Giardina

Dec 1, 2008, 06:10 PM ET

Jeffrey Katzenberg boldly predicted Monday that there will be nearly 2,500 screens ready for 3-D in time for the March 27 release of DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens."

At the 3-D Entertainment Summit here, DWA's CEO also forecast that there will be 7,500 3-D screens for the summer 2010 release of his company's "Shrek Goes Fourth."

Estimates suggest that the number of 3-D-ready digital-cinema screens now in the domestic market is in the 1,500 range.

But Katzenberg, the ultimate 3-D cheerleader, expressed optimism, once again calling the format an "economic game-changer for movie theaters."

"I expect a $5 premium will be paid for the 3-D experience," he said. "Fifty% of the admissions of 'Bolt' -- which was 3-D on only 1,300 of its 4,000 screens -- is 3-D. The customers have spoken time and time again. If you offer them a premium-quality experience, they will for the most part trade up."

Commenting on "Monsters," Katzenberg suggested that there will be "more than enough screens to give us our investment back of $15 million. We spent $150 million making a movie like this, with a $15 million incremental cost for 3-D."

Digital-cinema installations are required to offer digital 3-D, so challenges like raising d-cinema deployment financing in today's tough economic climate remain.

"Just at the moment when exhibition and distribution got together, negotiated and finally closed deals for virtual print fees, there's no money," Katzenberg said. "I think in the first quarter of next year, certainly by the second quarter, financing will come together for Digital Cinema Integration Partners."

DCIP, the joint venture owned by AMC, Cinemark and Regal, represents about 14,000 screens in North America.

 

Studios ogle future of 3-D

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117996652&categoryid=13

 

Posted: Mon., Dec. 1, 2008, 4:24pm PT

Panel has all eyes on format

By DAVID S. COHEN

The 3-D format is a boon to both studios and exhibitors, and it's here to stay -- or it will be, as soon as the credit markets thaw.

That was the message from Monday's speakers at the 3-D Entertainment Summit in Century City.

In a panel discussion on 3-D distribution, National Assn. of Theater Owners prexy John Fithian said that 3-D is "the value add" that theater owners have been looking for to spur their transition to digital projection. "This is the technology of the future, and it's going to be here for a long time," Fithian said.

Theater owners are demanding more 3-D product, he said, and credited the studios with holding up their end with a generous slate of 3-D titles in 2009.

But the economic downturn is putting a crimp in plans for the format.

"We have several significant digital cinema models and plans that are very close to completion, about 25,000 screens all in all, but the credit crunch has put a temporary block on those deals rolling out," Fithian said after the panel.

Imax chairman and prexy of filmed entertainment Greg Foster said it's clear the majors have made their bet on stereo, but "it's like a game of 'Chutes and Ladders.' The credit crunch is a chute. But we'll get back up again."

DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg, a consistent evangelist for 3-D, kicked off the event with a morning keynote and conversation with event organizer Bob Dowling. Katzenberg said no innovation in decades has had greater possibilities for enhancing movies.

The format "offers a premium experience and has the consumer paying a premium price," said Katzenberg, adding that he expects DreamWorks Animation to charge a $5 premium for 3-D on its releases, beginning with "Monsters vs. Aliens" in 2009.

He acknowledged that "just at the moment exhibition and distribution got together" on 3-D, "there's no money."

But he said the incremental cost of going stereoscopic on a $150 million DWA feature is about $15 million, and the 2,500 3-D screens he expects to be available when the movie comes out are "more than enough to recover our cost."

Though all panelists expressed their enthusiasm for stereo, the hardest evidence for the format came in a presentation by Screen Digest analyst Charlotte Jones, who presented the business case for 3-D.

"Premium pricing is the heart of a new incremental revenue stream for movie theaters," Jones said.

She noted that 3-D screens are generating twice the attendance of 2-D screens and three times the revenue, and that ratio has been holding steady despite the growing number of 3-D screens.

"Journey to the Center of the Earth," the highest-grossing 3-D film to date, generated more than half its grosses from the 30% of screens that showed the movie in 3-D, said Jones.

Films in the 3-D format also play longer, she said, so overall that means theater owners can recoup their investment in 3-D systems with just three to four releases. But she warned that the shift to 3-D would exacerbate the trend toward fewer studio pics with higher budgets.

Looking at export markets, Jones noted that 3-D films are immune from strict quota regulations, including those in China, making 3-D "a direct route to the Chinese consumer."

Fithian sounded a somewhat cautionary note on the overperformance of 3-D screens but basically concurred that the format is attracting more moviegoers who are paying higher ticket prices and emerging more satisfied with their experience.

"You've got to discount those (per-screen) numbers on account of scarcity," he said, "but when we get fully integrated, when we have all the screens changed over to 3-D, I still think it's going to do better (than 2-D)."

Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group prexy Mark Zoradi, in previewing Disney's extensive 3-D slate, said 40% of the gross on "Bolt" to date came from 3-D screens and that on "Bolt," "Meet The Robinsons" and "Chicken Little" combined, 3-D screens outperformed 2-D 2 1/2 to 1.

 

Katzenberg continues rallying cry for 3D cinema growth

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42201

 

Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles

02 Dec 2008 05:35

 

3D represents the biggest economic opportunity to the film industry in three decades, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told delegates at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles on Monday [December 1].

 

In a typically passionate sermon Katzenberg, Hollywood's "high priest" of 3D who announced last year that starting in 2009 all DreamWorks Animation titles would be released in 3D, noted the slow roll-out of digital cinema but said 3D would be the "game changer."

 

Katzenberg said he expected a $5 premium to be levied on ticket prices for 3D releases to recoup incremental production costs, starting with Monsters Vs Aliens on March 27.

 

He said a $150m production would typically see costs rise by $15m from the expense of making a 3D film and predicted that the current number of 1,525 3D screens in the US would rise to 2,500 by March and climb to 7,500 by the time Shrek 4 opens in summer 2010.

 

To recoup the $15m incremental cost on a $150m production, Screen Digest's senior analyst of film and cinema Charlotte Jones told attendees said there needed to be a $5 mark-up on tickets where there were 3,500 3D screens in the market and a $2.50 premium where the screen count had reached 5,000.

 

Jones said that there were 2,029 digital 3D screens installed around the world and global revenue from 3D ticket sales in 2008 amounted to $240m, approximately 70% or $166m of which came from North America.

 

That figure of $166m accounted for roughly 1.8% of total projected North American box office for 2008 and Jones expected the share to climb to approximately 15% in 2009. Per-screen revenue from 3D screens currently delivered about twice as much as averages from 2D screens in the opening weekend, with IMAX being a notable beneficiary.

 

By the end of 2012 she expected to see more than 10,000 3D screens worldwide and around 6,500 in North America, a far more conservative projection than that offered by Katzenberg. Throughout the day panellists agreed that, once the credit crunch thawed, 3D roll-out would accelerate.

 

"By 2010 2D studio productions will be marginalised," Jones told attendees at the Hyatt Century Plaza in Century City, noting that each of the big six Hollywood studios will release at least one 3D title in 2009 and more than 15 are scheduled to open in total.

 

Twentieth Century Fox's December 2009 release of James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar will be a crucial juncture. "That will be a big test because by then the US market will have reached relative maturity," Jones said.

 

By contrast the roll-out of 3D outside North America has been particularly limited, with China, France and the UK the biggest adopters. Jones said that a rise in the number of international 3D productions would spur growth, as evidenced by the positive response to the animated feature Fly Me To The Moon from Belgium's nWave Pictures.

 

Later in the day panelists remarked that videogame fans were likely to be the early adopters of 3D TV, which looks likely to roll out within the next few years, and discussed the value of alternative programming like opera and rock concerts.

 

Many echoed a common theme that live sports presentations would be the "killer app" and indeed 3D companies Real D and 3ality Digital will stage the world's first live 3D broadcast of an American football game at the Mann Chinese Six theatre in Hollywood on December 4 when the Oakland Raiders take on the San Diego Chargers.

 

ALIOSCOPY TO SHOWCASE ITS ADVANCED AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC 3D SOLUTIONS

ALIOSCOPY ESTABLISHES SHOWROOM PRESENCE IN NEW YORK CITY TO SHOWCASE ITS ADVANCED AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC 3D TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

 

http://www.alioscopyusa.com/news/74

 

Trendsetting Creative Studio, Worlds Away Productions, to Feature Custom Content and Industry-specific Content Demonstrations for Film, Entertainment, Digital Display and More

 

SAN DIEGO, CA – October 23, 2008, Alioscopy® USA, a leading developer of 3D technology solutions, today announced that Worlds Away Productions, a full service digital, production and live event design facility based in Greenwich Village in New York City, is the site of the company’s first showroom on the East Coast. Worlds Away will showcase Alioscopy’s award-winning, state-of-the-art, 3DHD autostereoscopic (no glasses required) 3D LCD display technology and allow visitors the opportunity to view content that is well suited for applications in a variety of industries, including media and entertainment (film, video, casino gaming and advertising/digital signage), scientific, medical, architectural, and design for applications; all highlighting Alioscopy’s unparalleled clarity, depth, brilliance and real-time capabilities.

 

“Worlds Away is energized to enter into a relationship with Alioscopy to showcase its autostereoscopic 3D LCD display technology,” said Kim Lee, director and co-founder, Worlds Away Productions. “Alioscopy’s pioneering solution will afford us limitless possibilities to fully explore the trend in 3D—rapidly gaining momentum throughout the film, video, broadcast and digital media industries. We are eager to adopt the 3DHD technology into our production pipeline and experiment with all artistic possibilities for not only creating compelling, immersive visual content without the need for glasses but for integrating and displaying content in new ways in theatre sets, live events and at point of purchase, malls, trade shows, movie theaters, museum displays, and more.”

 

Philippe Roche, CEO of Alioscopy USA comments: “We are delighted that Worlds Away, a facility known for pushing content creation boundaries in all areas of entertainment and design visualization, will be the first in New York City to host our 3D technology solutions. As interest in leveraging 3D imagery as a valid communication medium continues to skyrocket, especially in 3D film and digital media creation, our conveniently located showroom will enable a wide audience of creative professionals to see first-hand the benefits of communicating, displaying and exploring information in 3D.” 

 

Alioscopy: Advancing Autostereoscopic 3D Display

Alioscopy’s groundbreaking display product, the 3DHD, developed and manufactured by Alioscopy, features a highly specialized lenticular lens that boasts unmatched quality, clarity and depth resulting in a truly immersive and memorable experience for the viewer.

 

Alioscopy Establishes New York City Showroom Presence

Alioscopy’s underlying open architecture provides an end-to-end solution that allows standard video to be shown and 3D content to be developed and rendered with leading 3D software applications such as Autodesk® 3ds® Max, Autodesk® Maya®, SOFTIMAGE|XSI®, MAXON CINEMA 4D and NewTek Lightwave 3D®.  Real-time capabilities enhance the experience even further by allowing the viewer to interact with 3D content as it’s displayed. Please visit the Alioscopy website, www.alioscopyusa.com for additional information.

 

Exclusive Press Opportunity – New York City Showroom Demonstrations

Pia Maffei, Alioscopy’s director of operations, will be available at the Worlds Away showroom location, November 12th through 14th, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., for one-on-one briefings to demonstrate the company’s 3D autostereoscopic product line. [Editors’ Note: This opportunity is available exclusively to members of the press by appointment only. To schedule a briefing please contact Vicky Gray-Clark, Ambient Public Relations, (408) 243-8880, vicky@ambientpr.com, or Laurie Guarino, (408) 876-7064, lguarinopr@yahoo.com.]

 

More About the Alioscopy New York City Showroom

The Alioscopy New York showroom is located at Worlds Away Productions, 799 Washington Street, Suite 208, New York, NY 10014. For showroom hours and to schedule an appointment, contact Kim Lee, kim@worldsaway.tv, (212) 897-3944.

 

About Alioscopy

Alioscopy® USA, based in San Diego, is a leading developer of a wide range of 3D technology solutions that represent one of the most significant leaps forward in autostereoscopic 3D display technology currently available.

 

The company holds world-wide patents on a unique technology that delivers a one-of-a-kind immersive experience—without the aid of glasses or other devices—which helps to solidify messaging, boost brand recognition and garner immediate and memorable attention. The open access technology can be applied to an LCD display and adapted to many industries and applications, including but not restricted to: media and entertainment, mobile communications, games, laptops, kiosks, digital signage, automotive, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), medical, government and military.

 

Alioscopy is actively seeking specialized partner relationships and business licensing agreements with manufacturers and OEM's and is also focused on building a strong network of 3D software specialists to aid in training customers and developing the very best 3D content. The company also provides custom 3D content development and consultation services. Alioscopy is headquartered in Paris, France with offices in San Diego and Singapore. The company's U.S. showrooms are located in San Diego, Los Angeles and New York City. For further information about Alioscopy, please visit: www.alioscopyusa.com. 

 

Is 3D Here to Stay?

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/node/568

 

Submitted by Nick Dager on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 12:13

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.

 

In fact, modern 3D technology has been slowly creeping in the back door, planting itself in industries other than motion pictures.  Without any acknowledgement to its roots in entertainment, the cheap computational power in desktop computers allowed stereoscopic technology to advance in a much broader fashion than at any other time in history.  3D stereoscopic visualization is now applied in computer simulations for medicine, architecture, and industrial modeling.  And then out of nowhere we were handed stereoscopic glasses so we could watch movies in digital 3D.

 

At least that’s how it appeared to me.  I wasn’t exactly a 3D fan, having never seen a stereoscopic image I liked.  In-Three at the time was just starting up, and my friends there will attest to my attitude.  Around 2003, they were pulling my arm to see the unique 3D power tucked away in digital projectors.  I eventually broke and paid a visit, and instantly was transformed.  Not only did stereoscopic digital projection truly work in a manner far better than with 35mm film, it was a true value-add for digital projection.

 

But cinema is not about technology.  It’s about storytelling on big screens.  For digital 3D to really penetrate the market, it would need support from filmmakers.  In late 2004, director Peter Jackson began to push In-Three to stage a public demonstration at ShoWest 2005.  Here was the headline: “Oscar-winning director supports 3D.”  And Peter was certainly not alone.  By the time the actual demonstration took place at ShoWest, James Cameron, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, Robert Rodriguez, and Randal Kleiser put their clips and their names out front.  

 

I tell this story because it underscores the staying power of 3D today.  Stereoscopic technology may have its roots in film, but today it flourishes in industries well outside of entertainment.  This gives the technology a strength it has not had before, and further encourages the creative community to use it.  With the support of major movie directors, 3D projection has entered the mainstream.  (Photo: Boyd MacNaughton)

 

This is evident in the legendary number of 3D productions now in progress, with enough of a pipeline to keep 3D screens continuously lit for a few years.  Behind the scenes, the investment in core production technology is also impressive, from stereoscopic production consoles to camera rigs.  This phenomenon is not limited to the US.  As I write this, the 3DX Film and Entertainment Festival is in progress in Singapore, a testimony to the worldwide recognition that this medium now enjoys.

 

3D investment reaches out to the theatre, as well.  3D exhibition not only requires digital projection, which itself is a substantial and recurring investment, it requires the additional purchase of 3D add-on equipment. 

 

The primary factor that will determine if 3D really sticks this time around is economics.  Is there an ROI with 3D?  Given the scale of production witnessed, production and post-production companies have an opportunity to recoup their investment in new 3D cameras, consoles, and conversion technologies.  Less obvious is whether exhibitors will recoup their investment in digital projectors and 3D add-on gear.  And core to the ROI issue, of course, is whether studios will recoup their investment in 3D movies.

This last point is what is driving the “3D-to-the-home” market.  There’s lots of buzz about 3D entertainment systems entering the home market.   Market studies are taking place to gauge whether consumers will wear glasses in the home.  Standards committees have formed to study the technical issues associated with bringing 3D capability into the living room.  High-quality 3D requires bandwidth, which in turn impacts distribution formats and even the cable between players and monitors.  Researchers have finally found a potential high-scale market for auto-stereoscopic monitors.  (Auto-stereoscopic means “no glasses.”)  You will hear of auto-stereoscopic display technologies that provide many angles of view to a living room audience without glasses.  Technologies such as volumetric projection and computer-generated holography are receiving much interest. 

 

Fortunately, for the cinema market, the barriers to 3D-in-the-home are high.  There is no agreement on the target display technology for the home.  And generating high-visual-quality content for auto-stereoscopic displays is not a simple matter.  Even Jeffrey Katzenberg commented on the long horizon needed for consumer 3D to take root at this week’s 3DX Film and Entertainment Festival.

 

The 3D topic is very much alive today, and the investment level in 3D is strong.  Is 3D here to stay?  Given that our world is 3D, the question might be better framed as how long will 2D be around?

 

Michael Karagosian is founder and president of MKPE Consulting LLC, a Los Angeles-based consultancy in the entertainment industry.

 

Promoting 3D

December 1, 2008

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/

 

By Nick Dager

 

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.