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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

MUST SEE: New Image From THE HOBBIT - Bilbo And The Beards!

I must confess that while I liked how Martin Freeman visually would look like a hobbit, I didn't know his acting mannerisms or even how his voice sounded when I first heard of his casting by Peter Jackson.

But now I have watched him in SHERLOCK, that particularly incredible TV series from the BBC and he IS Bilbo Baggins. Almost a perfect embodiment.

One does not need to be further excited about the pending release of THE HOBBIT - it will be one of the brightest moments of 2012 cinema. But little pieces of magic (like this photo) are always a cause for pause.

Enjoy. THE HOBBIT starts its journey December 14.

Source: Yahoo

Monday, January 30, 2012

MUST SEE: New Poster And Banner For RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION

As most of you know, I am a big fan of this franchise. And If you have been following along, then you know that I am also a proponent of having waves and waves of zombies in the way of our heroes. I'm happy to say that because of the trailer it seems that Paul WS. Anderson is doing it the right way! :-)

Have a look at some new artwork that Sony Screen Gems has released for us:

THE POSTER -
Very cool mash up look at the destruction of cities around the world (London, New York, Moscow) with a fleet of heavily armed helocopters bearing down on us. Clearly global peril is a key element this time around.

Note the currents in the water form up to be the emblem of the Umbrella Corporation.

THE BANNER -
Simply has Milla Jovovich doing her killing thing with the tagline: THINK GLOBAL. KILL LOCAL. Seems to be a clue to what we might anticipate seeing in the movie along the lines of: "To win this thing you have to have the bigger picture - but oh by the way, zombies at your 6."

Here's the movie's storyline:
The wildly successful film franchise adaptation that has grossed nearly $700 million worldwide to the popular video game series, “Resident Evil,” returns in its highly anticipated fifth installment, “Re5ident Evil: Retribution” in state-of-the art 3D.

The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, Alice (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

More when I get it! RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION opens September 14, 2012.


Taylor Lautner Dropped From STRETCH ARMSTRONG; Movie Set For 2014

Well I always did think the casting of Taylor Lautner was a stretch for this one. Hasbro's STRETCH ARMSTRONG feature film no longer has the Twilight star attached. You can add Rob Letterman (director) to that departing list as well.

In fact, you can add Universal too. The studio has also dropped the property which prompted Relativity to pick it up. Relativity has sent a release date of April 11, 2014.

Here's the official press release:
Relativity Media has partnered with global branded play company Hasbro, Inc. [NASDAQ-HAS] to develop and produce a live-action tent-pole film based on Stretch Armstrong, the iconic action hero figure launched in the 1970s, it was announced today by Relativity’s Co-President, Tucker Tooley and Hasbro’s President and CEO, Brian Goldner.

Relativity will be the domestic distributor and will release the film internationally through its network of foreign output partners. The film is targeted for an April 11, 2014 release date.

The film will be produced by Relativity’s CEO, Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Hasbro’s Goldner (Transformers) and Bennett Schneir, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Motion Pictures (Battleship). Tooley (Immortals) will serve as executive producer.

Hasbro has become an entertainment powerhouse by creating hit movies and television shows from its rich portfolio of world class brands. Since 2007, Hasbro’s Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises have grossed nearly $3 billion at the worldwide box office. 2012 is shaping up to be another stellar year for Hasbro with its partners Universal Pictures releasing Battleship in April and Paramount Pictures releasing G.I. Joe: Retaliation in June. In television, Hasbro Studios produces shows like Transformers Prime and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic that can be seen on the HUB television network in the U.S. and in more than 140 countries globally.

“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Hasbro, a company whose global reach and ability to innovate has made them immensely successful in the arena of brand re-imagination– as evidenced by their legacy of creating such franchises as Transformers and G.I. Joe,” said Tooley, “We look forward to bringing Stretch Armstrong to audiences worldwide.”

“Stretch Armstrong is a great example of Hasbro’s rich portfolio of intellectual properties that we are continuing to develop globally,” said Goldner, “We are excited to partner with Relativity on this movie as they are a growing and innovative studio.”

Stretch Armstrong is the classic action hero figure first launched by Hasbro in 1976 and re-launched in the 90’s, sold successfully throughout North America and in markets across the world. The original Stretch’s unique design broke free of traditional action figures, as he could be stretched over and over and always returned back to his original size. The nostalgic toy is considered to be rare and collectible to this day.

Relativity recently released Oscar®-winner Steven Soderbergh’s dynamic action-thriller Haywire in theatres. Looking ahead, Relativity will release the the heart-pounding Navy SEAL action-thriller Act of Valor (in theatres February 24, 2012) and magical adventure comedy Mirror Mirror (in theatres March 16, 2012), starring Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Nathan Lane, and Armie Hammer. The studio just wrapped production on the comedy 21 and Over and is currently in pre-production on Nicholas Sparks’ gripping love story Safe Haven and the international espionage thriller Hunter Killer.

No word on whether the property remains a 3D production or not. One would assume so. I'll let you know more when I get it...

Image Source: Jason Hrycuik

Optional Branded 3D Glasses Set For THE AVENGERS Launch!

Very cool! The IRON MAN glasses actually remind me of the Gas-can type of 3D glasses that Oakley sent me for TINTIN - although obviously the optics and quality in the Oakley are far superior.

Check out the branded options for Thor, Hulk and Captain America as well! These glasses should make their way to theaters worldwide, seeing as though the source of this image is from a great Italian film site, BadTaste.it. Note that the cinema tech branded on the side is RealD which is the leader in US installations, but not worldwide. Wondering if MasterImage3D and/or others will be involved too?

Note that these glasses will incur an additional cost - but to me it would be worth it as you can reuse them over and over, just like the Ingra:Dahl glasses that are on the left side of this site.

Which style do you prefer? I think I would go for the Iron Man version first followed by Thor. Kinda cool that Hulk's glasses has what seems to be a furrowed eyebrows on the top!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Sneak Previews Hit February 6!

Well only in select cities and only in Los Angeles and New York in the US. Sony has decided to reveal some clips from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN on February 6 to whet the appetites of the comic characters rabid fans - myself included. However, I don't live anywhere near these locations so I'm out of luck.

You can see where the previews will be held and hopefully obtain tickets right here: TheUntoldStoryBegins.com.

The only other material from the movie to be publicly shown was at Comic-Con last year.

Here's the official storyline:
One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

So good luck getting tickets if you live in one of those few selected cities! Be sure to pass on your thoughts...

Sources: AICN | Collider

Friday, January 27, 2012

Bradley Cooper: PARADISE LOST To Start Production In June?

Well finally some good news coming out of the PARADISE LOST news stream!

Bradley Cooper, who has been attached to director Alex Proyas' performance capture project for some time now (to play Lucifer himself), was quoted recently about the movie and he said it was delayed and not killed.

Says Cooper: "We’re going to hopefully start in June. Everything’s going great. I mean, nothing’s done until we’re up and shooting."

Here's the movie's storyline:
Lucifer and Michael, God's greatest archangels, share the bond of extraordinary friendship until God produces his greatest creation: Man. Unable to remain subservient to God if it means bowing down to humanity, Lucifer begins his dark descent and is cast out — only to plot his revenge.

If Proyas and Cooper get the greenlight from Warner Bros. to shoot this summer, look for a 2014 release for PARADISE LOST.

I get a sneaking suspicion that Cooper may have flexed his nearly acquired Hollywood influence to get this movie finally made. He has been an avid supporter for some time now and perhaps he made the deal for THE HANGOVER 3 with consideration given to this production. Just a hunch.

Source: The Playlist

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Watch: Interview With Phil "Captain 3D" McNally Of Dreamworks Animation

Hey guys - here's an interesting watch! I've known Phil "Captain 3D" McNally (virtually at least!) since the very early days of MarketSaw and he has been a great asset to have to draw upon when needed. Moreover - he's a great guy!

All things 3D goes through Phil at Dreamworks Animation, so you can imagine how busy he has been the past few years since Jeffrey Katzenberg made the call that all future DWA movies will be stereoscopic 3D.

I still haven't met Phil despite being invited to DWA to see their stuff in action and to premiere's of their awesome 3D animations - but I will make it down one of these days absolutely. As many of you know, I live in Canada so geography / timing is a bit of an issue.

So check out the interview done through Scot Wilkinson of Home Theater Geeks:



I love his perspective on things!!

Image: Lindsay-Marie Stewart
Source: Home Theater

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

MUST WATCH: Behind The Scenes Of GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE!

Wow. My mouth was literally wide open when I saw the first wired action scene in this clip from GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE and I'm pretty sure yours will be too! I have NEVER heard of a director personally going to these lengths before to get the perfect shot, let alone two of them.

You see Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (CRANK, GAMER) are co-directors who like to man the camera, much like James Cameron does in most of his movies. But the way they tackle these extreme shots is pretty amazing.

Even their handheld work looks completely action oriented and very animated. It will be interesting to see how this all converts to 3D as a general rule of thumb is that handheld shots have to be gentle as we don't want a headache inducing experience at the theater. I am hoping they have conquered this hurtle in post because it doesn't look like they are holding back in these clips! I am amazed at some of these shots...

Have a look for yourself!




Here's the storyline:
Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in Columbia Pictures’ and Hyde Park Entertainment’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. In the successor to the worldwide hit Ghost Rider, Johnny – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Screenplay by Scott M. Gimple & Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer. Story by David S. Goyer. Based on the Marvel Comic. Produced by Steven Paul, Ashok Amritraj, Michael De Luca, Avi Arad, and Ari Arad.

Stay tuned! I am actually interviewing Jenny Fulle who is the Visual Effects Producer on SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to this movie and hopefully it sets this franchise back on track after the first go around. It certainly deserves top line treatment!

There will be an embargo on the interview for awhile, but it will be something to look forward to before the movie opens February 17. Hang on! Looks like a heckuva ride comin'!


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The 84th Annual Academy Awards: Which Movies Are Up For O3DARS?

I've stripped away the 2D nominations to highlight which S3D features have been nominated. Clearly there are some huge disappointments in the announcement, not the least of which is the complete snub of THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN save for John William's score.

On the other hand, Martin Scorsese's HUGO is getting the recognition it deserves being nominated in 11 different categories - that, my friends, is tops this year.

If you want to the complete list of all nominees, check out the list at the official website.

Here are the various categories for which 3D movies have been nominated for Oscar:

Best Picture:
HUGO

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, HUGO

Animated Feature Film:
KUNG FU PANDA 2
PUSS IN BOOTS

Cinematography:
HUGO, Robert Richardson

Writing:
HUGO, Screenplay by John Logan

Art Direction:
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2: Stuart Craig - Production Design; Stephenie McMillan - Set Decoration
HUGO: Dante Ferretti - Production Design; Francesca Lo Schiavo - Set Decoration

Costume Design:
HUGO, Sandy Powell

Documentary Feature:
PINA

Film Editing:
HUGO, Thelma Schoonmaker

Makeup:
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2: Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Losa Tomblin

Music:
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, John Williams

Sound Editing:
HUGO: Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON: Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

Sound Mixing:
HUGO: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON: Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin

Visual Effects:
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2: Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
HUGO: Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON: Dan Glass, Brad Friedman, Douglas Trumbull and Michael Fink

The 84th Academy Awards will air February 26 with host Billy Crystal.

Personally, my bet is that HUGO will clean up. Further I'll go out on a limb and call PUSS IN BOOTS (animation), HARRY POTTER (makeup) and TRANSFORMERS (sound editing, mixing and visual effects) victorious.

What's your guess for Oscar awards this year?

Monday, January 23, 2012

3D Geek Alert: AMC To Supply Podracer 3D Glasses, Darth Maul Face Painting And More!

Clearly some deep thought has gone into the marketing of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D by not only Lucasfilm but the AMC Theater chain.

What's a pure STAR WARS fan truly want to remember a special event? Collectibles! During opening weekend, all 3D ticket holders for MENACE will receive a new Hasbro STAR WARS Fighter Pod. While supplies last.

Further, a select 10 AMC Theaters will host activities, giveaways and interactive experiences:
- Exclusive Anakin Skywalker Podracer 3D glasses (these look awesome!)
- A LEGO feature area
- Darth Maul face painting! What does YOUR Sith look like?
- Special character appearances for photos
- Demos of the upcoming STAR WARS game using Kinect technology

Here are those 10 special AMC locations - have a look:
Atlanta: AMC Southlake 24
Boston: AMC Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20
Chicago: AMC South Barrington 30
Denver: AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Los Angeles: AMC Tustin 14 at The District, AMC Ontario Mills 30
New York: AMC Empire 25, AMC Garden State 16
Phoenix: AMC Mesa Grand 24
San Francisco: AMC Emeryville Bay Street 16

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D hyperdrives into theaters on February 10.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING Tops Friday Box Office - Looking At $25M Weekend!

Well it's a good movie so I'm not surprised with the box office so far. UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING took in just under $10m on Friday on track for a very cool $25m for it's opening weekend.

Further U:A garnered a solid "A-" for a CinemaScore according to Sony Screen Gems.

George Lucas' RED TAILS came in second on Friday with $6m on track for a $15m weekend which is excellent for it's genre. Wish it was in 3D. Those soaring dogfights suspended in midair in three dimensions would have been spectacular!

I'll update you on the box office results for the weekend as well - get out and see it! I was snowed in last night, but trying for it tomorrow!

Friday, January 20, 2012

JACK THE GIANT KILLER Moved To 2013

Warner Bros. has decided to move Bryan Singer's JACK THE GIANT KILLER to March 22, 2013 from June 15 of this year. We had the movie pegged as our 6th most anticipated 3D movie of the year so yes, I'm bummed about this move.

The studio must have its reasons. While I loved the trailer, perhaps the effects for the rest of the movie were not moving along fast enough to match the quality of those first clips. It's common to delay a release to ensure that the effects are up to expectations. Added marketing time never hurts too.

Tom Cruise's ROCK OF AGES has taken that open June 15 release slot now.

Source: Deadline

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Exclusive Interview: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING's Måns Mårlind And Björn Stein, Co-Directors

I had the privilege of having lunch with the directors of UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein (SHELTER) and naturally I recorded the whole thing! Please bear with the background noise of us stuffing our faces while conversing.

I must say right up front that not only are these two directors solidly on their game, but they are total class acts and great company.

Allow me to impart to you what it was like to watch both of them at work on the set together. It is amazing to see in action. First of all, they take turns directing for a day, but they are both normally on set at the same time. They frequently discuss their shots together and really operate as one after a quick consensus. I saw no real disagreements or slowness in their process and in fact there were many benefits that I could see to their way of doing business! Clearly they had control of the set and creative freedom that any director insists upon, but they had almost a omnipotent feeling over the production to me. But the set was a relaxed yet thoroughly professional! The speed at which everyone worked to pull together the next shot was amazing. I liked what I saw and certainly the end result is fantastic. You are going to love it, especially if you are a fan of the series or action. Their passion in filmmaking was completely evident to me in person and so is their final result to you I'm sure.



0:15 - On how to pronounce their names! :-) Mads and Bjorn play along with me as they have obviously encountered this issue with other English speaking individuals!
1:00 - On what drew them to the production. Obviously the script attracted them and the fact that they had an idea about how they were going to shoot it put it over the top. They wanted to make something new out of this gothic series.
3:30 - How they are using S3D as another tool to differentiate this movie from the earlier efforts. This is their first stereoscopic 3D project and so they have brought on some expertise in the field to assist - but it still all done in house and without a third party.
4:15 - Being terrified at first about using 3D for the first time. After getting over the fear and that their shooting would change slightly for 3D, they accepted the challenge as a good thing for their careers. They both took the same 3D professional training course that James McQuaide (Visual Effects Supervisor, Executive Producer) took with Sony and the lights went off in their heads: 3D wasn't actually a problem, but a solution for their needs on UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING.
5:30 - On lens changes. The only issue, after getting up to speed with shooting 3D, is lens changes. Once that was addressed though, they are shooting now pretty much like an ordinary movie (given that the handheld shots are more restrictive in the format).
6:30 - On 3D bring much richer experience for audiences.
7:00 - On being one of the first filmmakers to be able to use the 5K Red Epic Cameras. This is their first digital production (other than commercials)! Imagine having your first experience in digital using the best on the market in Red Epics! Kasimir Lehto (Stereographer and 3D Supervisor) was at our table too - you can hear him speak up now and again. They simply love shooting in 120 frames per second (all those tricks that become possible in post - outstanding slo-mo, etc) and the fact that you don't have to keep changing cameras for different shots - the Red on max framerate covers them all.
8:30 - On using the 3ality Technica 3D rigs. They compared the 3ality rigs to the Pace Fusion rigs and thought that the Fusion ones were much larger (at least the older versions that they might have seen) and that the crew says they can work twice as fast as Fusion equipped productions. Their guess is that it has something to do with the rigs, but lets face it - directors don't mess around with the cameras very often at all (unless your James Cameron!).
10:00 - On clearing up misconceptions about 3D. Yes, handheld shots are hampered by using 3D as it is hard on the eyes of the audience if the camera is jostling around. The Red Epics can be used by restricting to 60 or 70% of the frame size to zoom because of the immense resolution of the camera. DPs like using prime lenses (artistically) and directors like zooms (because they're fast) but it doesn't take as long to align the latter.

Thank you so much Sony Screen Gems and Gloria Davies for setting this whole thing up! I loved my time on set and being back in my old neighborhood, beautiful Vancouver. I still have more interviews that I will get up soon and also for when the UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING 3D blu-ray disc hits. Stay tuned!

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING bites into theaters TOMORROW! Check it out!

MUST WATCH: New Trailer For RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION!

WOW. I was surprised to see the Sony commercial at the beginning but it was all worth it. I am VERY impressed with the glimpse we get to see of RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION. In fact I would go so far as to raise my expectation of this movie to at least my top 20 of 2012!

Seriously, it looks good. And it looks as though the RESIDENT EVIL franchise will continue to defy the odds and have ever-increasing box office with more and more sequels. I have been asking for some time now to see many, many more zombie like creatures rather than super-beings, and it looks like Anderson delivers this time! Check out the hordes outside their compound right at the very beginning of the trailer. Awesome!

Milla Jovovich returns with her husband Paul W.S. Anderson directing again - a proven tandem. Also returning are Michelle Rodriguez (We're big fans of hers!), Shawn Roberts, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Colin Salmon, and Boris Kodjoe some new cast members Kevin Durand, Johann Urb and Li Bingbing.

Here's the official movie storyline:
The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, Alice (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.



Are you with me? Even if you aren't a fan of the franchise, the action looks great! RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION spreads to theaters on September 14 in native 3D.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Exclusive Interview: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING's Kasimir Lehto, Stereographer And 3D Supervisor

Ok guys - here's interview #2 for the lead up to release of UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. This time I have the pleasure to speak with one of the busiest stereographers in the world right now, Kasimir Lehto. He was Lead Stereographer on THE DARKEST HOUR and now of course the latest UNDERWORLD iteration. Kasimir also directed 6 projects and was cinematographer on 12.

Kasimir is Finnish and so English is not his first language but the interview goes very well. He is the son of another filmmaker, Pekka Lehto who directed 17 projects - mainly documentaries. Entertainment definitely runs in the family.

Keep in mind that we recorded this interview i
nside a cafe so there is the typical barista background noises!

Enjoy the interview...



0:30 -
Kasimir just came off of shooting THE DARKEST HOUR (which was amazing!)
1:00 - On how he was attached to UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. Kasimir was working with the same Director of Photography on THE DARKEST HOUR and he asked him to come with him to the project.
2:00 - On the Red Epics, workflow and 3ality Technica rigs. He loves the atom rigs as they are much smaller and designed for the smaller form factor of the Epics. Kasimir talks about how 3D equipment is getting more and more compact, fast and light, much less cabling and a lot less hassle in using it.
4:10 - On what exactly a Stereographer does for a production. Every project is a little bit different. The starting point is how adept are all the other crew in 3D (and how willing to learn and utilize 3D) - then the stereographer inserts his/her knowledge. On a daily basis, he starts with the 3D concepts within the script (creates a "depth script") and brings these ideas to the director and cinematographer for discussion. One of the biggest demands of the stereographer is to evangelize 3D within the film's departments - to build the excitement and educate on how to use it for their line of work. Stereographers are responsible for the quality of the film's 3D and must be willing to adapt to fast changes in the direction of the movie.
6:40 - Tips for aspiring filmmakers who want to be stereographers. His background is cinematography and he did films and commercials before getting into 3D. Kasimir's story is similar to mine and MarketSaw as he noted that Cameron was going to do AVATAR and that the digital screen revolution was poised to explode. He studied 3D full time to accomplish this.
8:10 - On co-founding a S3D company called Stereoscape. Back when they started the company there were not many 3D opportunities so they had to make it themselves.
8:35 - On 3D research projects where they measured the psychological and emotional impact of 3D on audiences. Kasimir learned 3D the way everybody should - on how audiences experience it. If they don't like something, they took note. When they did, the researchers jumped all over it and optimized their work for the end viewer. Further, with a differential analysis they determined how the creation of 3D differs from 2D.
10:20 - On moving from Finland to LA to find work in 3D.
11:00 - Potentially supervising the post production 3D for UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING.
11:40 - On using the 3ality Technica 3D rigs.
12:25 - Setting up shots in 3D with 3ality's Stereoscopic Image Processor. The SIP is an intelligent and image pair optimizing tool to assist filmmakers in real time and in all stages of production.
13:35 - On whether UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING will break the screen, rely on depth alone or a mixture of the two. He is mixing the effects - there will be some objects coming out to the audience, but depth will be there as well for full immersion.
17:10 - On the learning curve on using the Red Epics.
17:40 - On setting up 3D continuity. Keeping depth to a minimum for dramatic shots - closeup of the eyes and faces so that the audience is paying attention to that instead of how much a character's nose is coming out at them! Always reinforcing what the directors and DP are trying to achieve with their lens choices and set up.

Thank you very much Kasimir for your time and expertise! Looking forward to talking again very soon and keeping up to speed with your next project. Again, thanks to Sony Screen Gems for this opportunity and in particular Gloria Davies.

Oh and I had some lengthy discussions with actor Michael Ealy (2nd photo) who is a tremendous basketball fan, however his choice in team leaves much to be desired! Sorry Michael. :-)

Stay tuned for more interview surprises coming up! UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING opens January 20.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Exclusive Interview: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING's James McQuaide, Exec Producer & Visual Effects Supervisor

Hey guys - have a special treat for you this week! I want to show you why UNDERWORLD AWAKENING has placed so highly on my most anticipated list of 2012 and we'll do that by giving you several cool technical and behind-the-scenes interviews with the crew behind this project. I hope to underscore just how creative and exciting these guys are.

All of these interviews took place either in the underground garage set, the gorgeous Vancouver waterfront, the University of British Columbia or at one of the catering locations. I want to thank Sony Screen Gems for setting this all up and in particular Gloria Davies who coordinated the whole thing. Thanks Gloria!

We'll be starting with James McQuaide, Executive Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor. We were sitting at a small cafe on Vancouver's busy waterfront so please excuse any wind or background noise!

James is well known for his visual effects. Check out this list of some of his awesome films: UNDERWORLD, CRANK, UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION, CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS, GAMER, THE LINCOLN LAWYER and of course UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. The guy knows what he is doing and it shows. Clearly he is a key ingredient to the UNDERWORLD franchise.

James and I clicked immediately as we have many things in common, not the least of which is the technology behind blockbuster movies! So have a listen to the interview...



0:32 - James introduces us to an exciting technology known as LIDAR!
4:50 - On why they went with shooting native 3D. 28 weeks of post production to deliver 800 effects shots.
5:40 - What shots needed to be done in 2D and converted. For example the Vancouver rush hour street scenes where the lycans are out in the open and running amok. The 2D rain had to be taken out for the shot and reinserted in 3D. How LIDAR helped in these circumstances after taking those scans every 20 feet of the 3 or 4 blocks of streetscape.
9:00 - Placing LIDAR 3D, geometric, RGB scene information on top of the 2D optical scenes and assisting in 3D conversion.
10:50 - Using Microsoft's Kinect technology (similar to LIDAR only it uses infrared) to present Kate's psychic connection
13:55 - On the script was being creatively rewritten on the fly but the pre-vis was almost shot frame by frame and was the driving force.
15:20 - Myth debunked: LIDAR is not expensive and does not need an outside facility.
15:55 - On not bringing in a third party 3D solutions company and shooting native all in house with an experienced stereographer (Kasimir Lehto).
17:30 - Using Red Epic cameras (bought six & renting two) and 3ality Technica 3D rigs (own 3 or 4 Atoms). No issues using the Reds or 3ality Technica rigs. Remarkably easy to use systems. Lakeshore Entertainment owns two Red Ones as well.
21:40 - The production had internal dailies (turnaround time 1 hour from a single card) using the Red Rocket (enables 4K and 5K decoding in realtime). It was done through Outpost stations with a couple of Red Rocket cards in it. All of this was viewable with two on set 65" 3D televisions in a segregated black tent.
25:10 - On the possibility of "hourlies" or a collection of hourlies as opposed to "dailies".
25:45 - On Red Epics 5K resolution and a higher framerate for the finale of the film. The two Red Epics are genlocked at 72 frames per second. Then they got a build from Red that allows 120 frames per second at 5K! Compression then goes from 5:1 to 12:1 or 13:1.
28:00 - Introducing 3D to others in the crew / talent. They used the Sony 3D Professional Workshop that eliminates much of the fear behind the format.
29:10 - Admiration for AVATAR and how good 3D is easily forgotten by the audience while watching it.
31:25 - They may have released at a higher framerate if Peter Jackson or James Cameron had of announced their intended rate by the start date of the UNDERWORLD production.
32:10 - On testing some footage at the Vancouver Science Center IMAX theater and the possibility of a 5K 3D image.

What LIDAR seems to be able to do is dramatically improve post production conversion of 2D to 3D scenes (be it for 1 scene or a whole movie) so that the guesswork is eliminated from spacial and color considerations. This is one of the main reasons why it is important to have the director present for conversions before LIDAR! The director would have to recall why he shot it a certain way and most of the time it included spacial and color considerations. With LIDAR, you get a confident representation of the scene - even better than the director's memory. It adds reality to conversions that can sometimes stretch the truth a great deal.

And of course with the 3D Red Epics at 5K & 120 frames per second (at times) and the stability & versatility of the 3ality Technica 3D rigs, you have one heckuva cool, technically shot film.

Can you see why I am so excited about how this film was shot and how it will look?

I was able to see all of this technology in action and in great detail. I saw what they were shooting pre-vis wise and then the scenes in action. Very cool stuff indeed.

Thanks so much for your time James and I'm looking forward to the next time we talk!

Stay tuned for more interviews coming up - including the film's stereographer Kasimir Lehto!

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING opens January 20. Check. It. OUT.

Must See: Cool Photos / Poster From ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

As you probably know, Seth Grahame-Smith's book ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER is being adapted by Timur Bakmambetov. The studio has released some cool images and a poster.

Click on the images to enlarge.

A behind the scenes featurette has also been released BUT NOT VIEWABLE FROM ANYWHERE BUT THE US. Really smart move there. I won't embed anything I can't watch first. Studios need to smarten up and stop using geographic restriction sites like MTV and Hulu. I digress.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter explores the secret life of our greatest President, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of Wanted) bring a fresh and visceral voice to the blood-thirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history’s greatest hunter of the undead.

This should be a cool adaptation. I haven't read the book and I don't think I will before the movie to preserve some naivety about what is going to happen - though the title is clear enough!

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER opens June 22.

Sources: IMP Awards | EW | Movie-Infos | via Collider

Monday, January 16, 2012

MUST SEE: New Photos From PROMETHEUS, THE HOBBIT, FRANKENWEENIE And MIB III

Try to match up the photos to the correct movie! :-) Shouldn't be too hard...

Click to enlarge.

And yes, those are "Space Jockey Suits" behind Noomi Rapace in the PROMETHEUS shot! It's hard to tell just how big they truly are due to the angle of the photo, but they certainly look menacing.

Should I tell you the solution to the lineup of photos? Haha! I think you all got it.

Sources: The LATimes | Badass Digest | via /Film


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D Proves Conversion Market - 97% Of Viewers Are Seeing It In 3D!!

That is a staggering figure! 97% of all audiences for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST saw it in 3D and that is up from Disney's previous classic THE LION KING which enjoyed 92% 3D viewership. So if there was any doubt that classic movies (animations at least) could be successfully re-released with 3D conversions and enjoy handsome profits, they are long gone now.

My number 2 most anticipated animation movie of 2012 did not disappoint me at all. By all means go and relive this film if you have seen it before! So many things I had simply forgotten. The music is infectious. The French provincial artistry is amazing. Gaston's hilarious!

Disney expects the MLK weekend total score at about $23.5 million for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (a+ CinemaScore), trailing number one and over achieving CONTRABAND ($28.8m and a A- CinemaScore).

I saw both movies over the weekend (CONTRABAND is good too) and clearly 3D conversion is working wonders for the classic Disney animations. 3D injects a modern look and feel to those heart warming stories and introduces those characters to a new generation - a generation that "owns" 3D. The result is amazing. Children with mouths agape, jumping in their seats with joy while adults sitting in the same theater are having warm memories evoked and frequently swiping their eyes to brush away tears. Very interesting phenomenon to witness.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ($18m) is not doing THE LION KING's ($30.2m) opening weekend numbers for a number of reasons:
1. THE LION KING is simply a bigger movie. TLK did $951m worldwide compared to B&TH's $400m.
2. TLK enjoyed being the first release of its kind from the Disney library (other than its acquired Pixar tandem release of TOY STORY / TOY STORY 2 douuble feature).
3. Carnivorous Products. Funny seeing that marketing term with a family movie, but it's true. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is available to purchase on 3D blu-ray RIGHT NOW. Yes, you read that correctly - it is on retail shelves at the same time as theatrical release. TLK had a dedicated window of theatrical viewing before the disc release. In fact, the 3D blu-ray for B&TH has been on sale since October and it has already been discounted from $49.99 to $34.96.

Disney's response to this rather interesting carnivorous situation is the following:
"We’ve talked to all of our partners in exhibition about this and have made no secret about the Beauty And The Beast 3D Blu-Ray DVD being available. In fact there are multiple exhibition partners that are tying promotions into the 3D Blu-ray being available, like AMC and Regal."

Anyway, the performance of BEAUTY AND BEAST is stellar despite not living up to THE LION KING in box office. BEAST has in fact upped the 3D viewership numbers to 97%! This duo of converted movies for Disney has proven the anticipated market for the 3D conversion of classic movies and should lead us nicely into the live action segment as well.

Kudos to Disney for a job well done and continued success with the rest of their library re-release aspirations.

Source: Deadline | Box Office Mojo

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Fox Gearing Up Marvel's DEADPOOL And FANTASTIC FOUR?

Oh man, I hope these rumors are true - at least for DEADPOOL. I am a HUGE fan of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. As far as I'm concerned, that's his role. He did far better with it than he did with GREEN LANTERN and let's face it he IS the merc with the mouth.

So far we know that visual effects guru Tim Miller will be directing an adaption written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (ZOMBIELAND - which I LOVED!).

Bleeding Cool has Rob Liefeld (comic artist) talking about DEADPOOL at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con - check out the video clip!



Liefeld: "They’ve got a great director on the movie, they’ve got a great script. I may or may have not seen some sort of test of footage that would blow your mind if you saw it and go holy crap and that’s Deadpool in costume. Katana swords, guns, shooting people’s faces off and making me laugh. And I may or may not have seen something that looks just like that. And you’ve got what would amount to the first R Rated X-Men movie. Because that script is R Rated. They may or may not have wanted to shoot eight minutes to see how it would play. And all I can tell you, it’s close. It’s closer that it’s ever been to going, or going Naaah, that’s too scary a proposition to make a R Rated Deadpool movie.”

Allow me to repeat for emphasis guys: R-RATED.

If you're wondering why we are talking about Fox for these features and not Marvel themselves is because Fox licensed these characters from Marvel and I'm fairly sure if they don't do something soon with these intellectual properties, they will lose them.

FANTASTIC FOUR could have been much more but it did initiate Chris Evans to superhero fans and thus his eventual acceptance of the Cap role. I want a much better reboot for FANTASTIC FOUR though.

Variety reports that director Josh Trank (CHRONICLE) has had several high level meetings with Fox executives about helming the FANTASTIC FOUR project. Rumor has it the job is his especially if CHRONICLE is well received (and it WILL be).

So, Fox - all the power to ya! Get on DEADPOOL at least! We need a feature film on this character PRONTO and I would love to see more from Josh Trank too...


Friday, January 13, 2012

MUST SEE: New STAR WARS EP I: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Posters!

Check out the new posters! Let's face it, there are some pretty good moments in the film. Some not so good, but I am really looking forward to this!!

Click to enlarge.

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE opens February 10.

THE AVENGERS Will Be Told From Cap's Point Of View!

YES! Joss Whedon IS paying attention. As many of you know Marvel's comic book team The Avengers was led by Captain America. So how do you manage to translate that to a movie where so many character egos are involved? Moreover, when you have superb actors (ex. Robert Downey Jr.) how can you ensure that Cap gets his glory?

Apparently from the movie being told from Captain America's point of view! Here's what Whedon had to say to EW:
“I set out with a very simple problem: There is no reason for these people to be in the same movie. So that’s what my movie has to be about. So much of the movie takes place from Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) perspective, since he’s the guy who just woke up and sees this weird ass world. Everyone else has been living in it.

Perfectly acceptable. I like it. It certainly wasn't hinted at in THE AVENGERS' first trailer was it? Looked like the Iron Man show. But let me be clear here, for purists this is a step in the right direction!

Spielberg: Perf Cap Will Start For TINTIN 2 Later This Year! He Will Produce -Not Direct- JURASSIC PARK 4 AND ROBOPOCALYPSE In 3D?

Holy Spielberg-update Batman! Steven Spielberg just gave us a wicked look ahead for his upcoming projects while promoting WAR HORSE in France.

Here's what he had to say...

Spielberg on TINTIN 2:
“I’m not going to say which stories have been chosen for Peter Jackson’s sequel because Peter and I agreed that we weren’t going to let that information out yet. The script is now being written. It’s more than one book, but it’s not three books, so that means it’s two books. It’s two and a half books that we’re combining with The Secret of the Unicorn. And Peter will start working on the film this year. When he’s done shooting The Hobbit, he’ll begin his performance capture work with the actors later in 2012, which I’m very excited about. And of course, I’m hoping I’ll be able to direct the third one. I’d love to do the third one because I had so much fun on the first one.”

Spielberg on ROBOCOPALYPSE:
“I just finished shooting a movie about Abraham Lincoln staring Daniel Day-Lewis which I am so deeply proud of. But because I am right in the middle of the editing of Lincoln, I’m not really going to speak and talk very much about that until the time is right to talk about it. And I’m making a science fiction movie probably in September called Robopocalypse based on Daniel Wilson’s book. It’s a cautionary tale about war between human beings and robots. It’s a big crowd pleaser, I think, a big action popcorn movie with a message. The message is actually in the popcorn! You have to get the popcorn, dig down deep in the bottom and they’ll be a message about what Robopocalypse is really about! And I have a couple of other plans which I don’t want to go into because they’re too far out of the horizon. But there’s a lot of work ahead, a lot of television my company is producing for some of the networks and some of the cable outlets. So I’m busy!”

He also spoke recently to Time Out London about the movie's direction:
"It’s a movie about a global war between man and machine. I had a great time creating the future on “Minority Report”, and it’s a future that is coming true faster than any of us thought it would. “Robopocalypse” takes place in 15 or 20 years, so it’ll be another future we can relate to. It’s about the consequences of creating technologies which make our lives easier, and what happens when that technology becomes smarter than we are. It’s not the newest theme, it’s been done throughout science fiction, but it’s a theme that becomes more relevant every year."

Spielberg on JURASSIC PARK 4:
“I don’t want to talk about Jurassic Park 4 yet – it’s too early – but I can tell you that I’m not directing it. I’m producing it though.

Of course his number one partner in crime Kathleen Kennedy has already said that Jurassic Park belongs in 3D.

Yes, it's disappointing that Spielberg won't be directing JP4, but at least his DNA will be in it. The man is BUSY. It's not surprising.

I HAD to put something in this post about ROBOPOCALYPSE because it may very well turn out to be 3D knowing Spielberg and Kennedy. With the coming singularity (computers becoming sentient and smarter than we are), this movie is bang on for what we need to think about. Really hoping it will be S3D given the subject matter!

Source: Collider | Time Out London

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Jon Landau: AVATAR 2 Is 4 Years Away

AVATAR 2 is seemingly headed for a Christmas 2015 or 2016 release date according to Jon Landau (producer) who was quoted by Bleeding Cool at a preview screening of some scenes of TITANIC 3D. That would make AVATAR 3 a year later. This is all subjective of course as we just started a new year and Landau may have confused dates a bit, but I doubt that.

The news is sad yet not totally unexpected as my sources have also alluded to: Not a lot of action is happening right now in the project other than the fact that James Cameron and Jon Landau are hard at work trying to create their vision. You can't measure creativity (and that includes the AVATAR novel that Cameron has been penning as well) let alone predict it, but when pre-production actually commences my sources will have something to talk about. Sure you will have Lightstorm Entertainment jockey for stage locations, talk to top talent etc, but this is all common to any major production.

In the meantime, I have contacted Fox about Landau's supposed quote and will let you know the second I know more.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Watch: FINDING NEMO 3D Teaser Trailer

The FINDING NEMO 3D conversion is my second most anticipated Pixar re-release this year following BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - but really they are both classics and must-sees in 3D.

If you have any doubt, watch this teaser trailer to spark memories of the first time you saw it and the gorgeous images Pixar is known for - then add on how well it will look in 3D.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Nemo, a boy clownfish, is stolen from his home in the Great Barrier Reef and winds up in an aquarium in a dentist’s office. His timid father Marlin must embark on a dangerous trek to rescue his son, who has daring plans of own to return safely home.


Running Time: 101 min.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Producer: Graham Walters
Screenplay: Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
Voice Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney, Barry Humphries, Brad Garrett, Austin Pendleton, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft, Alexander Gould, Elizabeth Perkins, Eric Bana

Here's the trailer:


Gorgeous! Bring it on back Pixar!! Look for it on September 14...


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Paramount Acquires James Cameron's CIRQUE DU SOLEIL WORLD'S AWAY 3D Feature

This one should be a treat! If you have ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show then you know what I mean and if you haven't seen one, then be prepared for a spectacle.

Andrew Adamson (SHREK, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE) wrote the movie and is directing and James Cameron is executive producing. In other words, Cameron is lending his name and clout in getting this thing made and shot in native 3D (with Cameron-Pace Group's equipment and expertise).

Here's the official press release:
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 10, 2012) – Paramount Pictures and Cirque du Soleil jointly announced today that the studio has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the Cirque du Soleil 3D feature film entitled “Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away”. Written and directed by Andrew Adamson (“Shrek,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”), and executive produced by Academy Award ® winning filmmaker James Cameron, the 3D film event features artistic and acrobatic performances from some of the most elaborate Cirque du Soleil productions. The film was produced by Adamson, Aron Warner, Cirque’s Martin Bolduc and Ed Jones and Cary Granat. Vince Pace oversaw the 3D stereo production aspect of the film.

A number of production companies collaborated to bring the film to life. In addition to Cirque, Warner and Adamson’s Strange Weather Productions, Reel FX and Cameron Pace Group all contributed to this groundbreaking production.

“The coupling of filmmaker James Cameron’s groundbreaking 3D visual accomplishments and Andrew Adamson’s beautiful direction, combined with a timeless original story written especially for this movie, will make for a truly amazing moviegoeing experience for audiences of all ages ” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures.

Said Jacques Méthé, Executive Producer, General Manager, Images, Events, Lifestyle of Cirque du Soleil, “This 3D event brings the spectator beyond what they could see at a show, it takes them on the stage. This unique point of view allows the audience to discover the artistic details of our productions and reveal the human spirit that our artists bring to the audience in their performances. Jim and Andrew have masterfully captured what a Cirque du Soleil 3D experience could offer and Paramount will present it to the world.

Really looking forward to seeing more Cirque magic. I've seen some of their Las Vegas shows and they never fail to awe!

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