News Stories

Movie Theaters Ramp Up For The Next Big Thing: Satellite Delivery Of Digital Films

4.30.2012

[Singularity Hub]

CinemaCon…. an announcement was made about the return of the Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (DCDC), a group of film studios (Warner Bros and Universal Pictures) and movie theater chains (AMC, Cinemark, and Regal) committed to reviving an old idea whose time may have finally come: satellite-based delivery of movies. …

It’s clear that this latest push is also about digital protection of movies, both in terms of securing movies before their release and laying the foundation for future technology potentially allowing studios to stream directly to individual projectors, bypassing the server storage step and make it very difficult for films to get into the hands of torrent sites. Considering that 62 percent of the film market is outside of the U.S., satellite delivery could not only protect movies from getting into the wrong hands, but it could eliminate the delay in overseas release, and capitalize on the growing rise of digital theaters:

The possibility that a satellite-based system could help expand what movie theaters traditionally offer is intriguing and just might be what keeps them from phasing out entirely in the long term. The DCDC is already behind the streaming of live performances by the New York’s Metropolitan Opera. The program, The Met: Live in HD, has been delivered via satellite to select movie theaters across the US, Europe and Australia since 2006 to much acclaim, but at a lower quality than the latest digital films demand. Megachurches and corporate events have utilized live streams to theaters too. Film festivals, such as Sundance or the Disposable Film Festival, could involve a much larger audience unable to travel to the locale.  …

Read the full story here: http://singularityhub.com/2012/04/27/movie-theaters-ramp-up-for-the-next-big-thing-satellite-delivery-of-digital-films/

Google Maps Adds More 3D Goodness with Parallax View

4.30.2012

[Mashable]

Google Maps lovers, the object of your affection has just been further improved. Take a look at this video that shows you how Google has applied graphics magic to Google Maps, making landmarks and buildings look a whole lot more 3D.

Google‘s new parallax view, seen in the Google-Maps-rendered map view, brings landmarks to life, giving them a perspective they didn’t have before.

So as you wander around Google Maps on your virtual tourism adventures, take a look at famous landmarks and even buildings in your neighborhood from a variety of heretofore-unseen angles. To experience this coolness, on the Google Maps page click Map view and be sure to enable “Maps GL” on the left to get the full effect.

Watch the video and see the original post here: http://mashable.com/2012/04/28/google-maps-parallax/

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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