News Stories

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Ghost Rider Ticket

2.19.2012

[CinemaBlend]

Audience Health
I have never, ever been the kind of person who gets ill in a 3D movie, with the big exception of Clash of the Titans, which was post-converted into 3D so poorly its a miracle it didn’t kill us all. The post-conversion in Spirit of Vengeance isn’t nearly so big of a problem, but it started to go wrong back on the set, with the cameras whipping around and shaking in the classic Neveldine & Taylor style, in a way that’s completely, totally impossible to deal with when you’re wearing 3D glasses. It does get a little bit better after the first big kinetic action scene– and once you adjust to it you might not be actively reaching for the vomit bag– but the first 5 minutes of this movie was one of the roughest times I’ve had in a 3D film. If you have a history of getting sick in 3D movies, you might want to consider staying away from this one entirely.

SCORES RECAP
3D Fit 4
P&E 2
Before The Window 3
Beyond The Window 2
Brightness 5
The Glasses Off Test 1
Audience Health 1
Total Score 18 (out of a possible 35)

Final Verdict: Even giving Spirit of Vengeance credit for the few things it gets right, that’s still a pretty dismal score. I’m not entirely sure what went wrong with the filming of this thing, but the result is as messy as the movie itself, and far from an accomplishment for the 3D format, which needs all the help it can get. I wouldn’t recommend seeing Spirit of Vengeance under any circumstances, really, but if you must go, hunt down the 2D ticket and save yourself both some cash and a stomachache.

Read the full review here: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/3D-Or-3D-Buy-Right-Ghost-Rider-Ticket-29497.html

'Star Wars' latest in genre to exceed expectations

2.19.2012

[Variety]

More than a decade after bowing in theaters, Fox’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” originally released in 1999, scored a better-than-expected domestic debut of $22.5 million for its 3D retrofit.

The most optimistic bizzers projected “The Phantom Menace” to hit upward of $20 million, while more conservative B.O. observers put the pic in the mid-teen range.

…

Beyond the retrofit realm, Warner Bros.-New Line’s family-targeted “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” sold plenty of 3D ducats, collecting a higher-than-usual 76% from the format (it accounted for 79% of the pic’s total location count).

See the full story here: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050473

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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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