News Stories

Ambuli 3D review: Desi 3D matches Hollywood tech (Tamil 3D movie)

2.19.2012

[Deccan Chronicle]

Ambuli, the first-ever stereoscopic 3D film in Tamil cinema, has garnered a lot of attention for its technical wizardry. A sci-fi thriller, the movie is directed by duo Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan and keeps the audiences hooked with thrills.

The story, taken from folklore, is set in 1978 to give that edgy effect! Amudhan (Ajay) and Vendhan (Srijith) study in a college. Ajay falls in love with Poongavanam (Sanam). He manages to stay in the college hostel even during holidays thanks to special permission from Vendhan’s father (Thambi Ramiah), who is the watchman.

Poongavanam stays in a village …

 

It is a new experience for Tamil cinema! The 3D effects are on a par with Hollywood and give one the necessary effect – be it the scary fields, the high octave stunts, the cobweb covered campus rooms and caves, the gigantic beastly looks and the groovy numbers. The suspense factor is also kept intact till the end! The film has newcomers in the lead and they put in their best, leaving the rest to technology.

….

Each detail of the period sets, including costumes and special make up for Gokul, who plays Ambuli, deserve plaudit. There are a few minor flaws. Nevertheless, it is a movie which is not to be missed for that mammoth ‘desi 3D’ effort!

See the full story here: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/movie-reviews/ambuli-3d-review-desi-3d-matches-hollywood-tech-651

Drafthouse Films goes 3D, forgotten gem Comin at Ya! later this month

2.19.2012

[Austin CultureMap]

Drafthouse Films (distribution arm to Alamo Drafthouse) continues to distinguish itself from other film distributors by bringing truly bad-ass cinema to audiences across the world, from the culturally stimulating to the Academy award nominated and, now, groundbreaking 3D spaghetti westerns from the 80s.

COMIN’ at Ya! 3D is a perfect fit for the Drafthouse, both as a film distribution company and a theater. As a distributor, the film’s selection shows the company is willing to take a risk on a movie that isn’t exactly well-lauded amongst most viewers, but can still be considered entertaining with the right crowd (and, of course, a bucket of beers).

Read the full story, and watch the trailer, here: http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-17-12-13-12-drafthouse-films-goes-3d-forgotten-gem-icomin-at-yai-later-this-month/

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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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