Tag Archives: Disney

Gone and Back Again–Return of The Hobbitses

December 18, 2012 Like Tangents In The Rain Leave a comment

Film is dead and badly done CGI is dead and it is about time that badly done 3D be dead too. In the future, that will mean 24fps shown as 96fps (triple flashing the same picture) is dead and it won’t mean replacing it with 48fps double-flashing.

As we learned at the 2012 SMPTE/NAB DCinema Days event (or whatever they are called now), there are problems with 48fps that are alleviated at somewhere above 52fps. Jackson’s representative (Phil Oatley, the post group head of technology from Park Road Post) said that 48 was chosen because they didn’t know if 60fps was achievable in the exhibition field, so they stuck with what seemed do-able: 2X the frames and the data rate.

Even at that, Warner Bros. wasn’t sure enough of the field changes to trust that audio tracks for the blind or visually impaired wouldn’t negatively affect the movie, so were left out of the HFR mix. (Captions with 3D are still a different Pandora’s Box.)

But 48fps was shown to the SMPTE/NAB attendees to be the wrong choice by Dr. Marty Banks (of the Visual Space Perception Laboratory at the University of California – my tax dollars at work~!) Presumably Jackson is in too deep to change from 48. But there is no news that anyone else is going to follow. The next announced HFR (besides Hobbit II) will be Avatar II’s 60fps, and the script isn’t written for that.

So film is unwatchable and thankfully dead. HFR as announced will be a rare jewel – though wouldn’t it be nice if Disney/Pixar/Lucas were to surprise us. Katzenberg announced at CinemaCon 2011 that we should expect new chips from them that will dramatically change computation time in production and post…maybe that will bring more/better as well.

That leaves exhibition. It was relatively painless to get to 48fps. 60fps is a different story. Will a doubling of the datarate to 500mb/s suffice? Testing remains, but at least there is time to do it. Perhaps now there will be some backing for the www.image.matters.pro road show. Image Matters Powers High Frame Rate Digital Cinema Quality

Technique Bin

Gone and Back Again–Return of The Hobbitses

December 18, 2012 Like Tangents In The Rain Leave a comment

Cameras

3ality Technica Combo

August 25, 2011 Like Tangents In The Rain Leave a comment

Technica, a geek’s wonderlab that was first to market with dual RED 3D systems, will be at IBC next month, as will 3ality.

The new website isn’t online as of now, but the link will be: 3alitytechnica.com

The press release follows:

(Burbank, California–August 24, 2011) 3ality Digital, considered to be the leading innovator of the most sophisticated S3D production technology in the industry, announced today it has acquired Element Technica, a company long-known for its manufacturing expertise, accessories, and mechanical engineering of motorized S3D camera rigs.

3ality Digital has been named in the 2011 Inc. 500 list and is considered one of the fastest growing companies in the nation.

3ality Digital is now 3ality Technica, and with its acquisition of Element Technica, 3ality Technica now provides all of the control, accuracy, breadth, automation, modularity, accessories, and design of both existing product lines.

Element Technica’s product line has become synonymous with ease of use, great design, affordability, and durability. 3ality Digital’s product line has become synonymous with precision components, speed of use, incredible accuracy, and advanced image processing. In acquiring Element Technica, – the Company gains an in house manufacturing and design capability, and the opportunity to further expand its already sizable R&D infrastructure. Physically, the companies will combine in an expansion to the 3ality Digital headquarters in Burbank, CA.

““As our primary competitor, we have always had great respect for Element Technica and their achievements. The complete compatibility and lack of redundancy between the companies has made this an ideal acquisition, strengthening the Company’s position to provide the most advanced and dependable S3D solutions to the market. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this acquisition will be to the motion picture and broadcast producers who will now have an unprecedented amount of tools and technology tailored to meet their specific needs” said Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality Technica.

The combined engineering skills of the two companies will help push 3D production to levels of integration and refinement previously unmatched. Many of Hollywood’s major theatrical releases which have been shot utilizing these two companies systems and technology include “Jack the Giant Killer,” “The Amazing Spider-Man, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Prometheus,” “Underworld 4,” “Oz,” and “The Great Gatsby.” Also, companies like BSkyB, the world’s leading 3D broadcaster, and the HBS feeds from the FIFA World Cup have based their productions of live events on the backbone of 3ality Technica technology.

“With this acquisition, 3ality Technica will be a decade ahead of the rest of the industry. Not only will automation become more common, it will be the standard as the industry begins to enjoy the simplicity and speed it affords,” said Hector Ortega, Senior Vice President of 3ality Technica.

“Integration will fast-forward as the merging systems require fewer and fewer ancillary components. Compatibility with other industry systems will cease to be an issue as 3ality Technica alone already leads the way in seamless connectivity from post production, to VFX, and live broadcast,” said Stephen Pizzo, Senior Vice President of 3ality Technica.

The combined expertise that forms 3ality Technica ranges from Hollywood feature films and television, to live-broadcast sports events and concert performances, to NASA. It also positions the company to offer the world the most comprehensive advanced 3D educational program (3DIQ™) to filmmakers, broadcasters, and craftspeople.

Element Technica is also well known for their line of both 2D and 3D accessories, and it is planned that this product line will continue under the existing Element Technica banner.

“You cannot believe the level of excitement we all share, but it’s not just us that are so elated. Some of our key customers and partners that were recently made aware of this deal have shared in this excitement as they all understand the benefit this will have to their work. We have already integrated some of the best aspects of both companies’ product offerings, so the market will see an immediate improvement in tool sets, component integration, and customer service,” said Schklair.

About 3ality Technica™
3ality Technica is headquartered in Burbank, California, and is the leading provider of advanced stereoscopic 3D (S3D) production products that
enable the highest quality live-action S3D. 3ality Technica systems have been deployed for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Jack the Giant Killer, “Oz,” “Prometheus,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “Underworld 4.” 3ality Technica has enabled most of the world’s first S3D cinematic and broadcast achievements, including U2 3D (the movie), and the first live S3D broadcasts from the NFL, BCS Championship, BSkyB, the Super Bowl, the World Cup and NBC television.

In broadcast, 3ality Technica is the technology and production systems behind the BSkyB launch of their 3D channels, and has been used on a wide range of events including the Isle of Wight Festival, the Ryder Cup, and Champions League Football. To learn more about the advanced products and services available from 3ality Technica, visit http://3alitytechnica.com

Articles and News

Report: 2010 Digital Captioning Symposium

November 23, 2010 Like Tangents In The Rain Leave a comment

2010 Digital Captioning Symposium

Fast forward sixteen years later. This week, I sat in the Washington, D.C. Digital Captioning Symposium presented by Regal Entertainment Group and National Association of Theater Owners. The symposium participants were representatives from deaf and hard of hearing organizations. In this presentation, we learned that movie theaters are quickly adopting digital projectors, which increases opportunities for movie theatre captioning for deaf and hard of hearing patrons. In considering a “personal captioning device” for a theater, there are five decisions that theater owners take into consideration:

Ease of Use: Is the device intuitive for the patron? Is it easy for theater employees to manage set-up post installation?
Maintenance: Can the devices be cleaned with ease? Are different parts easily replaced when they break?
Privacy: Are the captions only seen by the deaf and hard of hearing patron? No distraction to neighbors?
Depth-of-Field: Can captions be viewed without eye-strain? Can user view captions simultaneously with movie, or does the user read the captions up-close first, then view movie?
Cost: Is it affordable for the theater to install and maintain as technology develops?

For the original of this article and links to the keen mobile apps, go to:
Theater Captioning: Back to the Future | Keen Scene

Four Market-Ready Personal Captioning Devices:

With these in mind, we tested four different personal captioning devices for twenty-minutes each as we watched Disney’s “Game Plan,” and I’ll offer a brief summary of how they worked, and a few pros and cons. Note that this is my personal opinion, and not representative of the whole group or the deaf and hard of hearing organization that I represented (Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing).

MoPix: WGBH Boston – Media Access Group

Better known as “Rear-window captioning” Motion Picture Access (MoPix), developed by The Media Access Group, part of WGBH of Boston has been in the market as a first-mover since 1997 and a reliable product.

How it works: An LED-screen is set up in the rear of the theatre and displays three lines of captions in reverse. The user has a transparent reflective plexiglass attached to a “gooseneck” stem that can be positioned in the cup holder. Once a user positions the plexiglass to the optimal angle of the LED screen and screen, captions can be superimposed on the screen.

Pros: The user does not have to worry about any technical difficulties (i.e., battery running out, not having a wireless signal). The depth-of-field is the same as the screen, so there is no eye-strain.

Cons: Getting the right angle and positioning can be challenging. Where you are seated in the theatre makes a difference. The closer you are to the LED screen and to the center, the better.

More Information: http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/

Infrared Closed Captioning System: USL, Inc.

How it works: Attached to a similar “gooseneck” arm as MoPix, a small box with a window displays two-lines of captions that are triggered by the infrared system. The user views the captions inside this “window” (black screen with white text) and then the movie screen.

Pros: The captions are available inside the “window,” so user can easily shift in seat and adjust the gooseneck accordingly.

Cons: Two different depth-of-fields: The user needs to read the captions up close first, then view the screen at the distance. So it creates some eye-strain. I positioned the gooseneck away from me and that helped just a little bit. Second, it is subject to technical difficulty with the wireless transmitter and battery life. (What if the theaterstaff forgets to charge it? or turn on infrared panel?)

More Information: http://www.uslinc.com/products-sound-CCS.html

CaptiView: Doremi Cinema, Inc.

How it works: Attached to a gooseneck, a long, thin OLED panel holds three lines high-contrast captions, outfitted with a privacy screen so that users do not see the captions. (Not unlike the computer film you may put on your phone or laptops.) Captions are received via a wireless transmitter.

Pros: Easy to sit anywhere in the house and adjust positioning of display relative to the movie screen. Letter-boxed captions easy to read.

Cons: Depth of field is not the same as screen, but for some reason, did not bother me as much as USL’s Infrared Captioning System. Maybe it was because I was used to it by that point? Or perhaps the fact that the words were “closer” in the panel, rather than far back in the window.

More Information: http://www.doremicinema.com/PDF/CaptiViewSheet.pdf (PDF)

iGlass: Sony

This was interesting and different than the rest. It didn’t require a gooseneck device attached to a cup holder. So yes, I can bring in my soda and be able to easily reach for it! This product, developed by Sony, is in Beta, so I found a similar concept of goggles as you can see to the right.

How it works: Infrared panels transmit captions and user has a small receiver that are attached to a pair of seemingly futuristic glasses. Inside the glasses are clear “screens” that display captions straight out in front of you. (And yes, that means you may see captions on the wall if you turn your head to the side of the theater.)

Pros: Depth-of-field is the same as the screen. Can easily be superimposed on the theatre screen. Virtually no eye-strain. Glasses are consistently positioned on the face, so no need to re-adjust gooseneck when user moves around in the seat. Also, it’s not as conspicuous!

Cons: Just got a bit tricky with real-estate around my ears due to bilateral cochlear implants. But not a deal-breaker. Similar to USL, Doremi, there are areas for technical difficulty by the user.

What If…

It’d be interesting if there was an “invisible ink-” style captions actually part of the movie that can only be visible from a special pair of glasses? Or a similar projector from the back that displays captions on top, only visible to a specific type of lens? Any other ideas out there?

Progress, for sure!

It was an interesting day to test out all these devices and watch Disney’s ”Game Plan” – Of course, with it being Disney, I almost had to reach for some kleenex when we reached the inevitable, predictable happy ending. It’ll be interesting to see what the theaters roll out in the near future, and I think it’s sooner than we think. It’s definitely an improvement over what I saw at the last Personal Captioning Symposium hosted by Regal in 2006. Keep up the good work!

About the author

Catharine McNally is the founder of Keen Guides, which was formed to create more mainstream and accessible tourism experiences for everyone. McNally spends her efforts on user experience and design, video production and distribution, and staying ahead of the accessibility curve. You can follow Catharine on twitter (@cmcnally)

Consultants

Dager’s Reinventing Cinema: DCinema’s First Decade

July 10, 2010 Like Tangents In The Rain Leave a comment

To be sure there were serious efforts prior to 1999. JVC with their D-ILA technology can make a legitimate claim for the first digital cinema demonstration. On March 19, 1998, they collaborated on a digital presentation at a cinema in London. Another early effort was the movie The Last Broadcast, which may have made cinematic history on October 23, 1998 when it became the first feature to be theatrically released digitally, via satellite download, to theatres across the United States. Wavelength Releasing, Texas Instruments, Digital Projection and Loral Space headed that effort. In 1999, it was repeated across Europe using QuVIS technology and The Last Broadcast became the first feature to be screened digitally at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2000, Disney, Texas Instruments and Technicolor worked with several U.S. and international exhibitors to deploy prototype digital cinema systems in commercial theatres. Technicolor assembled and installed the systems using the TI mark V prototype projector, a special Christie lamp house and QuVIS’s QuBit server with custom designed automation interfaces.

But the Phantom Menace digital screenings generated widespread visibility and publicity and developments began to occur on a more regular basis. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers began work on standards for digital cinema in 2001. The Digital Cinema Initiatives formed in March 2002 as a joint effort by Disney, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. The serious technical groundwork was being laid. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

The challenge? To literally rethink, retool and reinvent, from the ground up, a global industry that had worked successfully for a century. Read that sentence again to get a sense of how overwhelming – and some would, and did, say unnecessary – that task would be and you may gain a greater appreciation for how much was actually accomplished in a decade.