News Stories

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Choose The Right Shark Night Ticket

9.4.2011

[Cinema Blend]

Final Verdict: It’s almost a shame that Shark Night’s such a completely terrible movie, because most of the 3D is actually pretty good. Far better than you’d expect in such a low-rent, throwaway horror flick, particularly one directed by the guy responsible for the awful 3D on The Final Destination. If you must see Shark Night, you might as well see it in 3D.

Read the full story here: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/To-3D-Or-Not-To-3D-Choose-The-Right-Shark-Night-Ticket-26567.html

‘The Lion King’ Roars into 3D (with children's 3D glasses)

8.29.2011

[DMW Media]

When Disney’s The Lion King returns to theaters on Sept. 16, it will be in an additional dimension. And not only will the 1994 blockbuster be in Disney Digital 3D, but RealD will be reinforcing the sense of event by issuing specially designed 3D glasses to all children.

Each North American child’s ticket to a RealD-equipped theater will come with a pair of RealD 3D glasses, colored to match the movie and decorated with a picture of the lovable lion cub Simba, until the limited supply runs out.

Joseph Peixoto, president, worldwide cinema at RealD, pointed out that the theater experience of The Lion King would be new to an entire generation, and the 3D theater experience is new for everyone. He added that the glasses, which are designed to fit those who are 8 years old and younger, would be a fun souvenir to take home. …

Read the full story here: http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/08/29/the-lion-king-roars-into-3d

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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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