News Stories

HydroFlex Introduces Stereoscopic Underwater Housing

2.7.2011

Element Technica, leading designer and manufacturer of 3D rigs designed to mount digital camera and lens pairs stereoscopically, announced that its Technica 3D Neutron rig, mounted with Silicon Imaging SI-2K cameras, can now be enclosed in the purpose-built Neutron BORG 3D underwater housing system fromHydroFlex. The underwater 3D camera system incorporates a Cinedeckrecorder inside the housing.

The Neutron 3D rig’s small form-factor is particularly desirable for underwater use because it makes a compact underwater housing possible. Previously, underwater 3D camera crews had to wrestle behemoth underwater systems enclosing large rigs and cameras. The small Neutron rig and tiny Silicon Imaging SI-2K cameras allowed HydroFlex to design an anodized aluminum cube-shaped housing that measures 15” wide, 17” long, and 16” tall.

Read the full story here: http://www.btlnews.com/news/hydroflex-introduces-stereoscopic-underwater-housing/

Regal theaters to double its number of 3D screens

2.7.2011

40% of Regal screens to be 3D

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If you walk into a theater, chances are the vast majority of its screening rooms do not have the capability to air a 3D movie, but if that theater happens to be owned by Regal Entertainment Group, that may soon change.

The nationwide movie theater chain announced that it plans to double the number of screens in its theaters that can play 3D movies. That means instead of having 1,500 3D screens across the entire chain, there will now be 3,000.

So don’t try to tell them that 3D is just a fad and losing popularity.

Don’t tell RealD either. That’s the company that installs 3D screens for every major movie theater operator in the country, and the one set to gain the most out of Regal’s decision.

This means that 40% of Regal’s screens will now be 3D-enabled.

“We continue to see high demand from moviegoers for RealD’s premium 3D viewing experience,” said Regal Entertainment Group CEO Amy Miles. “Doubling our agreement for RealD 3D-enabled screens will allow us to play multiple 3D films at the same time and assure moviegoers the option of seeing films in a premium 3D format.”

Currently, some theaters are forced to phase out movies faster than they’d like, even if they’re still profitable, to make room for new 3D movies. There just aren’t enough screens for most of them to let three or four 3D movies be playing at the same time.

Also, most theaters offer generally the same amount of viewing times for the 2D and 3D versions of the same movie. We have to wonder if Regal’s plan here includes decreasing 2D showings of a 3D movie, thus ensuring more customers will pay that premium.

See the original post here: http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entertainment-brief/53809-regal-theaters-to-double-its-number-of-3d-screens

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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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