New THE FINAL DESTINATION Poster On The Interwebs

Jim here. There is a new THE FINAL DESTINATION (formally FINAL DESTINATION: DEATH TRIP) poster on the net (UGO). I like the tagline a fair bit: "Rest in pieces" and the imagery itself is definitely eye catching, but still I think something is missing from it.

The feeling I get from this poster is definitely a gimmicky 3D feel and seeing as though this is a 3D horror movie we can expect some of this taking place. Not too much I hope. I thought MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D did a good job of balancing it out despite the constant temptation to use it.

Very interested in seeing another live action horror in 3D - and my feeling is this could be the best one yet due to the proven franchise nature of the series. But if it isn't I will not hesitate to deep six it.

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James Cameron Q & A Podcast from Aliens / The Abyss Event!

Michael here. I had almost given up on getting into Friday night's Aliens / The Abyss (in 70 mm) double feature with James Cameron at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The event had sold out over five weeks ago. When I arrived at the theater, I was among a bunch of people looking for someone to sell them a ticket.

Anyway, I got lucky and had the awesome experience of seeing Aliens and The Abyss projected in startlingly vivid 70 mm. Between movies, Cameron talked with the audience about his past films, Avatar, 3D, The Dark Knight, the Simulcam and more.

Listen below for 43 minutes of Q & A with James Cameron!

A few highlights:

1. Cameron said we would see our first glimpse of Avatar "very soon." His tone of voice seemed to be hinting that we would, in fact, be seeing something very soon.

2. The 2D and 3D versions of Avatar will have different aspect ratios. The 3D version will be the full 16 x 9 ratio in which the movie was shot (Cameron explains how the extra screen height benefits 3D). A 2D cinemascope ratio version will be extracted from this 16 x 9 footage for 2D theatrical exhibition and 3D exhibition on screens which can't handle 16 x 9.

3. On Avatar: "It's great to be back in the saddle making a movie- and making a movie that I know - win, lose, or draw, whether it's a good film or not, I know there's going to be images in this film we're making right now that are going to Blow. People. Away...They'll be like, 'what the f#ck?"...cause we say that when we see the shots coming back from WETA Digital. They sent us a shot last week, and I said, 'this is ridiculous!' So, I don't know if it's gonna add up to be a great film, but I already feel proud that there's some cool stuff in it."

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Watch Ubisoft's E3 Press Conference Live - Will Avatar Game be Revealed?

UPDATE: Michael here.  Reader Adam Loncar pointed me to an Ubisoft press release promising "special guests that are certain to thrill attendees and web viewers."  It would certainly be awesome if Cameron showed up to help show off the Avatar game.  More as I get it!

Michael here.  Ubisoft is holding their E3 press conference on Monday at 5:00 PM, PST, and you can watch it as it happens via Ubisoft's official live stream.

Will the Avatar game be shown? MCV is reporting that it will be unveiled at E3.  The site reportedly spoke to Ubisoft's European Executive Director Alain Corre, who told them that “People will be dreaming about Avatar after seeing it at E3. People will have never witnessed anything like it before. This is an investment in technology we will be able to put into our future products.”

Referring to 3D technology, Corre said “This is a brand new visual approach to gaming and movies.  Hopefully, it will capture everyone’s attention. We know not all the gamers will be able to own that technology. But we’ll be able to get it to many of them. This 3D aspect will one day become must-have."

So far MCV seems to be the only source reporting that Ubisoft will be revealing their 3D technology - and the Avatar game - at E3.  I am unfamiliar with the site, so I cannot personally vouch for their credibility.  However, I do think there is a solid chance that we will see something from the game at the press conference.  

Stay tuned to MarketSaw for more on Ubisoft's E3 plans as we learn more!

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Toy Story 3 Teaser Online!

Jim here. Have a look at this new Toy Story 3 teaser that the folks at Disney/Pixar have made available for us! It is great to see these characters back in action - truly. I forgot how well Woody and Buzz interact together. Should look amazing in 3D!!

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Date Set For Tintin: December 23, 2011

Jim here. TINTIN has a date with you - December 23, 2011 for the first installment from Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg entitled THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN. Paramount is the distributor for US, Canada, Australia, Asia, UK and all other English speaking countries with Sony handling mainland Europe, Latin America and India.

From THR: "Jamie Bell stars as the globetrotting young reporter Tintin, who faces off against the nefarious Red Rackham, played by Daniel Craig. Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook co-star."

Well this one is obviously going to be a worldwide phenomenon! TINTIN is beloved in Europe and with two of the best in the business creating this world for us, we are going to be in for a special treat. There is NO doubt that the sequels will happen.

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Like Surfing? Experience It Without Getting Wet In 3D

San Diego-based multi-media production studio PassmoreLab, in conjunction with on-location entertainment company Lucid Dreams 3D, has begun principal photography on a new educational 3D surfing film called Physics of Surfing, available to science centers and museums later this year.

It’s science meets surfing in this truly exceptional educational project. Shown in the crystal clear beauty of high-definition 3D, audiences everywhere will be thrilled and amazed as they follow two professional female surfers to gorgeous locations around the world - including Hawaii's breathtaking North Shore and renowned surf spots along the California coast - exploring surfing's deep influence on modern culture while experiencing Mother Nature’s magificent power in the creation of our ocean’s waves.

Shot using PassmoreLabʼs proprietary 3D rigs, stereo synthesis conversion, and RED cameras in spectacular digital high definition, Physics of Surfing is an exciting addition to the rich history of surf cinema. Gorgeous scenery and incredible surfing action are the orders of the day as the surfers’ grace and athleticism illustrate principles of physics, culture and history.

“The digital 3D science adventure is something we take seriously and do quite well,” said Greg Passmore, President of PassmoreLab. “On this film, the audience will be transfixed in a completely immersive 3D surfing experience, and learn a thing or two along the way.”

Pro Surfers Julie Cox and Kyla Langen, the two featured surfers in the film, are both longtime surfing competitors and aficionados. Cox, a talented longboarder who also works for the California Surf Museum, has competed in contests around the globe - winning California coalition events and consistently placing in the top 10 of international events held in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. On the other hand, Langen's radical, aggressive style is pure excitement. She's surfed professionally in over twenty countries and works with the Cousteau Foundation's CELP program as a youth instructor. Both women are also surf coaches and share an intense affection for the sea.

“Julie's lyrical, flowing surf style is a joy to behold. Her empathy for the ocean is truly inspiring,” said Executive Producer James Humann of Lucid Dreams 3D. “While Kyla’s style is like listening to rock 'n' roll - daring, brash, reckless – and her love of the ocean is completely infectious.”

Unlike other surfing documentaries, Physics of Surfing is a 35-minute educational film that uncovers the physical science of ocean waves and the art of surfing. In this captivating presentation, the filmmakers explore how energy moves through water, building and combining its force, traveling thousands of miles over the course of weeks until the ocean floor underneath disrupts the wave’s formation and causes it to pitch up and collapse. The film also investigates the science behind various surfing styles and how surfers instinctively address such notions of gravity and buoyancy while using the energy of motion to ride waves.

Further, the film looks at how the modern technology of surfboard design affects a board’s performance on the wave. Audiences will experience the exhilaration of surfing while learning how surfers play with nature's purest form of energy and power.

The musical legacy of surfing is a rich and exciting element of surf culture and Physics of Surfing honors this with a truly inspired soundtrack. Produced by Dusty Watson, it includes tracks from instrumental surf-rock mainstays Slacktone and previously unreleased material by Southern California's legendary skate-punk band Agent Orange (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4). Since the late 70s, Agent Orange has had an enormous influence on the skate-punk/surf-rock scene and Slacktone are widely regarded as the greatest exponents of the genre. Rounding out the musical lineup is punk supergroup Osaka Popstar - the standard bearers of old-school punk in the 21st century - featuring members of the Ramones, the Misfits, and Black Flag.

Physics of Surfing, a beautiful, high definition 3D celebration of surf, science, and music, will be available for distribution to science centers and museums everywhere by December 2009.

About PassmoreLab
PassmoreLab is a San Diego-based multi-media production studio that specializes in 3D production and 2D to 3D content conversion. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions, shooting everything from feature films, television and science documentaries, to underwater diving, extreme sports and cave exploration.

State-of-the-art facilities include a full 3D production studio, video/film post-production, optical development lab, and a software development environment. Production includes 2D, 3D, high dynamic range time lapse, stereoscopic microscopy and cutting-edge simulation technologies for real time SFX. PassmoreLab’s proprietary technology for 2D to 3D video and film conversion is unmatched in the industry, in both turnaround times and conversion costs.

PassmoreLab has additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.passmorelab.com.

About Lucid Dreams3D
LD3D was formed to express 3D technology and art for on-location entertainment, music videos, cinema and marketing/advertising. Founder James Humann, an intellectual property lawyer, formerly served as Senior Director of Business Affairs at Hard Rock International. Because of its combination of art, science and law, LD3D helps clients develop technology, produce content and protect assets. For more information, visit www.luciddreams3d.com.

In Related News: Steve Glum Has Joined PassmoreLab

Steve Glum has joined PassmoreLab as the head of Branding and Distribution. Mr. Glum comes from Ripley Entertainmenet where he served as VP of Marketing & Branding.
“PassmoreLab is an extremely innovative 2D & 3D company, and matches perfectly with my style of brand-building and forward distribution,” says Glum. “The content is amazing and they certainly have plenty of it. The opportunities to distribute our titles to television, wireless, theatres, science centers and the attractions worlds, both in the 2D and 3D environments, are just endless.”

While at Ripley Entertainment Inc., Glum led international brand development, consumer marketing strategy, and creative services. He also led the 3D conversion of the archived Ripley’s vault footage catalog, spearheaded new openings in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, and has produced all television creative for the company since 2005.

Greg Passmore, President of PassmoreLab, stated that Glum's focus will be on helping PassmoreLab with brand awareness and furthering the company's expansion into television, the location-based entertainment market, and building on the company's long history of film production and simulators. "Steve will be a great asset to our team at PassmoreLab," said Passmore. "His experience and abilities are a perfect fit for our company and our goals for the future."

"Steve's branding experience will help carry our message into today's traditional and alternative venues to allow our content and technology to educate, entertain, and amaze," said Passmore. "Whether it is television, a theater, museum, thrill ride, or planetarium, PassmoreLab delivers an experience that merges technology and art."

IAAPA awarded Glum two International Marketing Excellence Awards at its Brass Ring Awards in 2008. Glum's work in the industry has also been recognized by the Ontario Tourism Awards for best online strategy in 2007 and by Advertising Age magazine.

Glum has also held positions with House of Blues and The Walt Disney Company. He earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Stetson University and completed the IAAPA Institute for Executive Education program from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

PassmoreLab is a sponsor of MarketSaw

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Dreamworks Animation: We Are About To Get Totally Immersed In Awesome 3D Projects

Jim here. Got some great news for all you Dreamworks Animation fans out there - they have announced their 3D lineup of movies coming up! Moreover, they have shifted to a schedule of 5 movies every 2 years. The new schedule will make room for 1 or 2 sequels a year plus an original. ALL in 3D of course. The future is here baby!

Let's get into them:

2010:
OOBERMIND (Formally MASTERMIND) - voice casting of Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey. RDJ's character discovers life isn't as it should be once he kills off his nemesis, Metro Man. The pic is from Ben Stiller's shingle Red Hour Films and is slated for a November 5, 2010 release.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER (Formally SHREK GOES FOURTH) - Instant bonanza. Note to self - Gotta get some DWA stock...

An update on HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON tells us that it is "Set in the world of Vikings and dragons, it centers on an awkward teen who befriends an injured dragon."

2011:
KUNG FU PANDA: THE KABOOM OF DOOM - The anticipated sequel to the original blockbuster last year is set for release on June 3, 2011. Jennifer Yuh directs. Melissa Cobb produces.

THE GUARDIANS - From a as yet unpublished book series by author William Joyce (MEET THE ROBINSONS). The story brings together MAJOR children's heros as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman — to defend the world from a Bogeyman-like villain. Jeff Lynch directs. "...The figures have been 'somewhat renamed and massively reimagined' by Joyce, who has supplied each of the figures with a fresh backstory and is collaborating closely on the film." Look for this one on November 4, 2011.

2012:
PUSS IN BOOTS - Is a prequel to SHREK 2 (where PIB is introduced to the franchise) with Chris Miller (SHREK 3) directing. March 30, 2012 is the slated date. Not much need to be said about this one, other than back up the Brinks truck...

MADAGASCAR 3 - The zoo creatures go on a European tour through a traveling circus. Eric Darnell directs.

The third DWA movie is slated for November 12, 2012 and may come from one of three options: THE CROODS (caveman comedy), TRUCKERS (miniature creatures living in a department store) or SUPER SECRET GHOST PROJECT (asks what ghosts think of humans).

Personally, I believe THE CROODS will easily win this one out - although ALL THREE are currently in production. Why? One name - JOHN CLEESE. Genius. Period. He co-writes this as well as lends his voice. The original name for this project was CROOD AWAKENING and tells a story of about a big man in a small village called Crood. His position as Leader of the Hunt is threatened by the arrival of a prehistoric genius who comes up with revolutionary new inventions, such as fire... Oh and the Governator himself is said to be lending his voice too - makes for a great caveman personna don't you think?

What an awesome lineup! Really looking forward to PIB and THE CROODS. As their technology and 3D expertise widens - I expect to be wowed with each and every release. No pressure though guys... :-)

Source: Variety

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Want To See What The Whole Power Suit Might Look Like? New Official AVATAR Concept Art! Aircraft! WARNING: SPOILERS!!

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Have heard from @mordecaidesign (Twitter) and Tom Powell (see comments) that they are sure that the first image is from Dylan Cole. Appears they are both correct. There is conjecture that the second one is by James Clyne Ryan Church. Looking for confirmation.

Jim here. Another breaking AVATAR story from the best place to be for all things James Cameron.

**SPOILER ALERT** - If you want a pristine viewing experience of AVATAR, it is best to stop reading NOW.

One of my readers (Thanks G.L.!) just sent these huge pieces of AVATAR material to my attention and due to the sensitive nature of the content I made sure it was ok with Fox before releasing it - it is THAT good!

This is official, concept art from the forthcoming book The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure (which I have on preorder) which has 100 120 full color concept images in it as well as interviews! Better get your hands on this AVATAR book and others!

Click on these for the higher resolution images!!

Fox says run with it - it got approved through the right channels soooooo... take a good look at the whole darn Power Suit!! Please keep in mind that these photos are concept only and may not make it totally into the final AVATAR movie but you can clearly see how my Power Suit's photo fits into the concept drawing! Right down to the ammunition hanging down on the unit's side.

And a stunning new look at AVATAR's futuristic helicopters! WHOA. What do you make of those? For those of you who have read more about AVATAR, this is probably not a AEROSPATIALE SA-2 SAMSON as they only are armed with a door gun and are mainly used for operational movement on Pandora. However if you look in the background of the Power Suit, it looks like the downed aircraft behind it is a Samson! The second photo clearly shows much more heavy weaponry - missiles for example. So it could very well be an AH-19 SCORPION gunship or a C-21 DRAGON gunship which are over 100 feet long and looks like a "giant predatory insect, with multiple canopies at the front for pilots and gunners." (quote from original scriptment). Further the names may have very well changed from the scriptment, but you get the idea.

And ummm... is that a BANSHEERAY chasing the Gunship? Or a LEONOPTERYX? With someone riding it?? :-) I believe this concept art may be more driven by the mechanical design of the machinery than the creature design that Neville Page (who is also designing the prehistoric piranha's in Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D!) and others has worked on, so it is hard to say if the Leonopteryx (If that is what it is) will wind up looking like this or not. We do know that they can be ridden from the scriptment. But - DAMN - awesome creatures! We also know that originally the Leonopteryx (several times larger than a Bansheeray) does attack Samsons as they think they are enemies. Can't say more as it may have not even made it into the final movie, but let's just say these scenes are going to blow our minds!

This movie is going to kick some serious butt guys. What we have here is typical, knock your socks off James Cameron designs woven into a precise storyline.

So thus begins the ramp up to the release of AVATAR! It has been a long time coming, but let's start right here! I will get confirmation on exactly what that aircraft is shortly from my sources - stay tuned for updates! And as always, keep it on MarketSaw for the latest and greatest breaking 3D news.

What do you think of these designs - and Pandora's exotic landscape?? Is that what Pandora will look like?

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Exclusive First Look: AVATAR Heavy Equipment Spy Shot!!!

Jim here. Ok guys - I know what you are thinking: Is this spy shot real or fake? (Click to enlarge) THIS IS REAL and here is why...

You are looking at the first glimpse of a piece of heavy equipment from AVATAR. I know what it is but I want to test your knowledge of the movie! What is it?? :-) Read below for some incentive to tell me what it is!

So where did I get this from? My best AVATAR source, that's where. This is guaranteed GOLD. I will never give a guarantee unless I am absolutely certain that this is the real deal. It is. And I guarantee it. I have learned a lot from the past week or so about trusting first time sources - you don't, no matter how good they look and how well you can verify them. So you have to be careful. This photo comes from a TRUSTED source that provided me with the first look at the Na'vi from Pandora. So ENJOY!!

We were all getting tired of the fake stuff circulating around lately and to be honest with you - I still am getting this stuff a few times a week. Some of it looks damn good - but as always I check with my trusted sources to verify and well, most of them don't make the cut. Getting photos like this one today from a great source makes it all worthwhile though!!

Just as good as a poster don't you think? :-) Half decent resolution and it looks darn mean!! Let's see who can come up with the name of this piece of equipment in AVATAR first in the comments section below... Then let's talk about it... :-)

So it is payback time for all you loyal MarketSaw readers! Another AVATAR photo to revel in. And it looks awesome! Damn I'm stoked for this movie!! Keep it on MarketSaw for the best coverage guys!

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Fox OFFICIALLY Kills AVATAR Trailer In Front Of TRANSFORMERS 2

Jim here. I have gotten OFFICIAL word from Fox that the AVATAR trailer will absolutely NOT play in front of TRANFORMERS 2. All previous communications had left the door open to the possibility.

I asked for an unconditional "NO" and I got it from a Fox rep. Therefore we are back to the drawing board as far as knowing when a trailer will be out.

Perhaps moreover, we have at least several disgruntled sources who are not impressed with the revelation. When I came back to them with the contents of this new post today, believe me - some were LIVID. Some were expecting this - others not. This much is certain though - there was an internal deadline to meet for trailer development for TF2. Now... not so much.

There is more than meets the eye here, but I am not going to go into details as the bigger picture is we need to get a trailer out and/or ensure AVATAR is a kick-butt product. We all want to see a great trailer come out and everyone is under a lot of pressure at Fox.

The finished product is going to be spectacular and well worth the wait - on this we cannot be more clear. AVATAR is an industry defining project.

I would easily give up ALL trailers, posters and promos of AVATAR to get the best possible product come December. You know what I mean? I think you do... So take that into consideration guys - you know who you are - the work you guys are doing will be more than entertainment - its history in the making. We are all rooting for you.

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Great Move: Broadway Is Going The 3D Way

Jim here. There is a new show in town - direct from Broadway. A new company known as Fugobi is actively working with 10 Broadway shows to shoot their productions in 3D for distribution to movie theaters. The theatrical versions will be shown in limited runs.

Fugobi has not announced which shows are the focus of these runs as of yet. However, the amNewYork article lists the producers name, Marcus Cheong - it doesn't take a genius to figure out his ANGELS THE MUSICAL will be one of them. "ANGELS tells the epic story of the ancient war between the Angels and Lucifer’s fallen minions."

I have been advocating 3D events for quite some time now - glad to see it happening on Broadway. I would go one step further though by showing opening nights in live 3D and charge double or triple for that show. Then keep showing the recording of that event for a 1 or 2 week window at normal rates.

3D Broadway shows should open up a whole new revenue stream for these productions and improve awareness of the timeless industry in New York City.

Source: amNewYork

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Na'vi Hoax Deleted: New AVATAR Material Will Be Thoroughly Vetted

Wow I am disappointed in the new sources that have been sending in material (to say the least)! Well you know what? I don't need any new sources quite frankly. So with all new pending material coming in (and I get the stuff practically weekly) it will be considered garbage until totally cleared by all I know.

The only material I will post from this moment on without hesitation will be from my trusted sources. Sorry - but that is the way that cookie crumbles. We had a good thing going, but - like a really bad virus - there are a few swine out there.

And this is a clean site for the most part. Anyone coming in here and leaving comments using profanity or slinging mud will be banned. Period.

Thank you Debbie for the sane comment and for linking directly to the image (which is gorgeously done I might add).

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Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Update: Cannes Interview - Photos - Concept Art! And More ALICE!

Jim here. Got wind of a great video of Jim Carrey and Robert Zemeckis' stage discussion of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Cannes, through my friend Graham Fortin of Movieset. These guys do a great job. Check out the clip below!

Isn't Jim Carrey a likeable guy? Just watching his discussion here underscores what a treasure he is. Hope the kid never dies inside you man!

Oh and ANOTHER great Zemeckis interview right here. I hate it when embedding is disabled! :-(

Further 3D news: The Russian site Filmz.ru (via /film) has landed what seems to be authentic concept art from ALICE IN WONDERLAND. It appears real due to the uncanny resemblence to an actual film capture of Alice approaching a large outside door. I have a couple of shots embedded here, but click through to see the rest.

I have said all along that A CHRISTMAS CAROL is going to surprise people and be one of the best of 2009. I think they are firing on all cylinders here. I hope the early clip of ACC was just a working reel - as it seemed very out of place. I believe that once we are immersed into the Dickens classic through Zemeckis' eyes, we will all be haunted by lingering thoughts of how great the movie is! :-)

And sure I harbor some concerns over the conversion of ALICE IN WONDERLAND from 2D to 3D, I think the project is going to be wild! I hope I am convinced that 3D conversion is viable for first run movies through this project.

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Avatar Team Hiring + More Trailer Updates

Michael here.  Any VFX industry readers who would like to contribute to the most bleeding-edge film project ever may be interested in this job notice, posted yesterday on the 2-Pop forums.  

It makes sense that they are still hiring.  With a project like Avatar, work will continue on tweaking the incredible world Cameron has created until he gets every character, creature, alien tree, cloud, and blade of grass photoreal and animated like you are standing there underneath Pandora's twin suns.

This is why we haven't yet seen a trailer or still from the film.  Cameron wants every shot that is seen in a potential trailer to be absolutely, 100% representative of the final product.  So when will we see the trailer?

According to a Fox representative I spoke to today, "no trailer placement is confirmed at this time" and "we are nowhere near to having a final one."  The rep also told us that "nothing is 100%" as to when we will get our first look at the film, although she did state that Comic-Con is still the most likely place for our first looks.  Whether she was only referring to our first looks at a trailer or footage, or first looks at a poster or other marketing material wasn't made clear.  I still think there's a good shot that we will see a poster well before the trailer, especially given what Fox Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos told me at ShoWest.

This does not rule out Transformers 2 (and a 3D version in front of Ice Age 3 a week later) being the place we will see the first trailer, or the place where Fox would ideally like to debut it.  Fox itself just doesn't know for sure yet - it all depends on when Cameron gets the shots he wants up to his standards.  Multiple trustworthy sources (not the source of the fake trailer canister, by the way) have said that at one point at least - and maybe currently - the plan was for Transformers 2.  Whether or not Fox makes that date is still up in the air.

Multiple people at Fox (including Gianopulos) and others elsewhere in the production have reiterated the unprecedented effort and time that this type of world building requires.  So they are still in the thick of things as far as finishing the movie goes, and will be right up to December.

Here is the job listing:

Pandora Films (LLC) is seeking an Assistant Production Coordinators for work in the Virtual Lab and VFX Departments on James Cameron’s Avatar

Description:

Our project makes heavy use of motion capture as a means to creating performances and creatures for an immersive, 3D theatrical feature. We are looking for self-motivated, experienced VFX asst. coordinators for our VFX production crew in assisting the production team realize the strong creative vision of our director.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

You will be interfacing directly with the VFX vendors, managing information interchange between them and the VFX production, Editorial and IT departments. Duties include: note-taking during Director reviews, scheduling and coordinating review and meeting times, ensuring timely and complete delivery of needed work elements and assets to various VFX vendors, tracking shot and sequence progress through the vendors’ facilities, and a demonstrated aptitude for professional and accurate reporting.

Minimum Qualifications and Abilities:

Though not required, a four-year degree from an accredited college or university is preferred. Previous experience in the feature film or visual effects industry is required. Candidate will need to have demonstrated ability to interact well with VFX vendors, in-house departments and production staff, be detail-oriented and proactive, organize production information, take direction well and be willing to learn about cutting-edge technologies and pipeline processes.Previous facility-side experience and/or a high degree of familiarity with contemporary digital work process and pipelines are a huge plus.

Please submit resume to:

avatarhiring@lightstormla.com

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AVATAR Grabbing IMAX Screen Time - 3 Months Worth

Jim here. IMAX is staking out a 3 MONTH run for AVATAR on their screens! That is an aggressive stance that certainly means something. I mean, you can't run a company that screens movies without knowing how to program them. There is obviously going to be some HUGE demand for AVATAR in 3D and because there are relatively few IMAX screens, the end result is long periods of sellouts for IMAX.

Personally, I will be seeing AVATAR in at least RealD and IMAX and plan on taking it in many times. Heck I saw THE MATRIX back to back - loved it so much I turned around and bought another ticket. I expect that to happen with AVATAR. Potentially a three screener day? LOL.

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AVATAR Trailer Is In Front Of TRANSFORMERS 2!

Ok - these pics are NOT authentic. I have a number of sources and they all have now contacted me except for one (far off time zone) and they all say NO. I am tempted to remove them, but heck why not leave it up so you can see the lengths at which people will go to create some excitement around AVATAR. I left the last batch up too so why not.

**SAME DAY UPDATE #2: Trusted source number 2 backs up TRANSFORMERS 2 as the AVATAR trailer winner too. The pics? Fake. I am just about ready to pull them.

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Trusted source number 1 backs up the TRANSFORMERS 2 information but can't believe that is the titling for the movie. Another good point made by a reader is that why a 3D trailer version in front of a 2D movie? Unless they are showing this trailer on digital screens that will show both. It is very possible. Audiences would need 3D glasses for only the trailer obviously. Still waiting on further confirmation from other sources.

Jim here. Guys! I think this is it! I just got word from a source of mine in Europe - Can't say how he got it, but here are some photos of the Trailer disks and the trailer titling!!

Man that titling looks awesome! lol - I can't believe I am thrilled with just seeing titling - but there it is lol. We are finally going to see the AVATAR trailer and it is in front of TRANSFORMERS 2. I have heard that from multiple sources and while it seems that TERMINATOR: SALVATION was in the running, TRANSFORMERS 2 won out.

The length for Trailer A appears to be 2 minutes 41 seconds and this copy is a DTS 3D version.

I have been duped in the past by someone with what seemed to be hard drives of AVATAR trailers, but this I believe to be authentic. I am also checking my other sources for verification but in the meantime - take a look! :-)

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STEP UP 3-D UPDATE

Jim here. A movie that I have been getting a LOT of email about from readers is STEP UP 3-D - mainly from dancers who wanted to audition and seek their stardom through it. Well to those that made it - congratulations. To those that haven't, sorry but shooting has begun. We will see some new faces in the movie with Sharni Vinson and Rick Malambri being added as new talent.

I first knew it was shooting when I received a tweet from a guy whose office overlooks SU3D's street level set in New York City. By the time he got my return tweet, the shooting had stopped and apparently it was only a one day shoot (Twitter is only real time if it is read in real time lol). He promises pics if it gets back to that location, but I doubt they will be returning to the same spot.

The movie is about the dancers going to Paris for a big dance competition, but Moose misses his flight - which leads him to enter an underground dance competition in the French city.

STEP UP 3-D is slated for an August 6, 2010 release.

Partial Source: Anthony Jones

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Edgar Allan Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER in 3D!!

Jim here. One of my favorite short stories I read during my childhood years was THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. It is damn morbid. I also remember listening to a LP recording (with an actor of course!) of someone waking up after being buried alive in a box. Not a pleasant recording to say the least and certainly gets your mind racing. I say the odds are good that the screenwriter, Gian Marco Masoni has kept that in!

Green Knight Ventures will produce the 3D project entitled THE USHERS while Stephen Kay directs. The talent includes Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott and Rufus Sewell.

From THR: "Ushers" will look at a grown brother and sister who have lived in the same Martha's Vineyard house for a long time but begin to feel trapped there, and who then bring in a real-estate broker to help them resolve their crisis.

Now if this movie also included running zombies I might just have to close my eyes once in awhile... Thank you Matt for the heads up on this one!

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3D Shorts: FINAL DESTINATION Gets New Name; 50 YEARS Gets Distribution; HUMPTY DUMPTY Gets New Poster

Hey Jim here. Got some quick 3D news for you...

- FINAL DESTINATION: DEATH TRIP 3D is no longer. It has been renamed to THE FINAL DESTINATION - nothing too drastic, but better if you ask me. Almost sounds like a reboot attempt from scratch rather than as part of a franchise. (Source: Box Office Mojo)

Ok. Name change. Not sure about the timing, but I didn't really like the first one anyway...

- AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS has picked up distribution while at the Cannes Film Festival through Universal Music Group. Apparently the deal was consumated after a presentation of the movie which also included about 15 minutes of 3D. Moreover, it is not just for North American theatrical distribution but also DVD, TV, Non-theatrical and global soundtrack rights. (Source: Animation Magazine)

Love it when a plan comes together. Looks like UMG fell in love the project - can't wait to see it.

- Sony and Regal Cinemas have shaken hands on a 4K digital projector rollout to ~5,000 screens over the next 3 to 5 years. Of special note is that they have a grand total of ~6,700 screens right now, so digital will be making up about 75% of all their screens. This comes right on the heels of another massive 4K projector deal with AMC (4,700 screens) - making Sony 4K the industry leader right out of no where. That is if you can ever say that about Sony. 4K is the real deal guys. Congrats on the deals. And bring on 3D! :-)

Well if you had any doubt about Sony's entry in digital and 3D, you can drop them now. That is a rather resounding industry endorsement don't you think? I have seen the tech first hand (albeit a smallish screen) and it does look amazing.

- HUMPTY DUMPTY has revealed his box office teeth early - a new poster has the human/alien creature pulling a Jack Nicholson from behind a hole in a door. The movie is about an alien that wreaks havoc on humans after his mother is "abused by two rednecks in the Deep South". I think it has a great deal of potential... (Source: MySpace via ShockTilYouDrop)

Kinda disturbing character don't you think? And if the Executive Producer (Mark Ordesky) has anything to do with it, the FX are gonna be WILD.

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First Footage and Still from "A Christmas Carol"!

Hi, Michael here with the first official image and footage from Robert Zemeckis' upcoming 3D performance capture A Christmas Carol!

Click on the picture for a high-res version.

Also, our friends at Latino Review have snagged the first ever footage from the movie.  Check it out to see Ebenezer Scrooge visited by one of the ghosts.  This looks great so far- Zemeckis' Beowulf in "true" IMAX 3D (not Liemax, mind you!) is still the most amazing 3D experience I've had.  Click here and scroll to the bottom to check out the clip.

Also be sure to check out the first trailer for A Christmas Carol in front of Disney/Pixar's Up later this month!

A Christmas Carol opens in the US on November 6

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THE DARK COUNTRY Will See Theatrical Light

Jim here. This is awesome news! You all know Thomas Jane who I interviewed last summer and he has been hard at work on multiple projects not the least of which is his directorial debut THE DARK COUNTRY, in 3D no less!

I believe this is the first 3D movie where the same man directed and starred in it. I have high hopes for the movie as it has been shot in Film Noir style and has some pretty exciting shots in the can. To hear more about the movie check out my interview with Thomas.

Also starring in the thriller is Ron Perlman and Lauren German. Variety says that Sony Pictures now holds the domestic distribution rights and will use a 3rd party to do so, while Nu Image holds international rights.

The movie involves a newly married couple coming across a dying victim in the middle of the road in the desert.

More when I get it!

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10 Reasons Why We Will See A Major Studio Go All 3D For Live Action By 2011

Jim here. There you go, I said it - you heard it here first.

Now that the three major animation houses are totally 3D from this year going forward, I expect to see a major live action studio to follow suit before we see 2011.

Certainly, this is going out on a limb. But numerous indicators are pointing me in this direction:
1. The credit markets will open up VERY soon and you will see unbelievable growth in Digital 3D screens before AVATAR is released in December.
2. Animation has proven the 3D tentpole can work and work extremely well. Domestic gross from this spring's MONSTERS VS. ALIENS is already at ~$190 million and ~$330 million worldwide. 3D brings in the most per screen BY FAR. We are talking 2 or 3 times revenue and at times as high as 6 or 7 times revenue. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D had 71% of it's revenue derived from 3D screens.
3. AVATAR. Need I say more. This movie will not only define what is the pinnacle of cinematic achievement for 2009, but for our generation. The next wave of directors will be heavily influenced by it's performance capture and of course 3D superiority.
4. Affordable 3D is here. With more and more equipment manufacturers seeing the future and producing 3D cameras, rigs and industry experts - economies of scale will kick in and you will see fresh new directors coming from nowhere, grabbing affordable - yet striking 3D tools and creating innovative and exciting new projects that the studios will latch on to. Further, the fledgling new industry is developing 3D expertise at all levels: Knowledge will no longer be scarce.
5. The bottom line is MUCH better. Studios see the effect on 3D pragmatically and want to leverage that 3D premium price at the box office. Audiences don't mind paying a little more for a premiere 3D experience. This is a fact. Moreover, studios can open their vaults and bring back their previous movie hits with re-releases of 2D to 3D converted material! Why not leverage their library to their maximum potential? Lucas is doing it with STAR WARS. Peter Jackson WILL do it with LORD OF THE RINGS (right Peter?), Disney is doing it with TOY STORY... It just makes sense.
6. The elimination of piracy, at least temporarily. 3D greatly hinders that shadowy thief with the camcorder in theaters. Again, an increase in bottom line and protection of the quality of their library.
7. That all important innovator tag associated with the studio. That first studio to step forward and commit to 3D with all their resources will inherit an aura of 3D authority around the world. Each and every project announcement going forward will be that much more exciting because all will know it will be in stereoscopic 3D. It's all about building your brand and 3D is a key. When PUSS IN BOOTS was announced, everyone knew it would be in 3D!
8. The studio will be well positioned to capitalize first on the fast growing 3D Home Video market. By committing to 3D, the first studio will have recent 3D hits to market aggressively in the 3DHD home entertainment market. If my estimates hold true, we should be seeing a 3DHD video standard by the end of next year. The SMPTE already has specs for what the master should look like before splitting to various viewing platforms. This reality is driving my timeline more than anything else really. Once we have a pipeline to get 3DHD to the home - it's over. 3D will be the defacto choice.
9. If studios remain 2D, they risk losing their human resources and future contracts to a 3D studio. Directors, Producers, DPs, etc all want to further their careers and if a studio remains stagnant it is inevitable that they will lose vasts amounts of creative talent. It is a true evolution we are seeing here. No one wants to be the next GM or Chrysler of the motion picture industry. Adapt or suffer the consequences.
10. 3D belongs to this generation. There are kids out there that have ONLY seen 3D movies. Whether it be Hannah Montana or MONSTERS VS. ALIENS or CORALINE this fact remains. Their expectations are - you had better wow me and to do that, you need 3D. For lack of a better word, they 'own' 3D.

I am not saying there isn't a market for 2D projects. Of course there is. But I am talking about the first movers and shakers - the true innovators of Hollywood. I am sure there will be 2D movies for awhile yet as it was with the transition from sound to talkies, and black & white to color. But don't fool yourself. This eventuality is coming whether the naysayers like it or not. The Roger Eberts of the world are still living in "the earth is flat" mode, and most likely will not change their tune. Oh it's a gimmick. It's distracting. Yadda, yadda.

Sorry. The audience has spoken. The creative talent have spoken. The financial bottom line has spoken. Those are the big three in 3D - not the few gasps for air from a dying breed of inert 2D abettors.

I, for one, am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this. It is my pleasure to bring you daily news from the 3D front and opine of ways to better present it to you. Quite frankly, we are lucky to be witnessing this transition first hand! And to answer the questions of your kids and grandkids like: "You mean there used to be flat movies?"

Yes, there were. They were great actually. But 3D is better.

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FRIENDS FOR LIFE in 3D Coming Soon to Theaters

Some interesting 2D to 3D Conversion News from my friends at Passmore Lab:

LOVELAND, Colo., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The most honored film in the 35 year history of Grizzly Adams Productions is about to enter a whole new dimension, according to Charles E. Sellier, the company's CEO. San Diego-based PassmoreLab is converting the feature film "Friends for Life" into 3-D entertainment for 3-D theatrical exhibition.

"We created 'Friends for Life' so the whole family can enjoy a redeeming, life-affirming film together," Sellier explains. "This story of wolf pups, grizzly bears and a family coming together is a perfect vehicle for the 3-D process."

Greg Passmore, CEO of the company that bears his name, observes, "3-D has finally overcome the technical hurdles of the past. Gone are the days of colored glasses, headaches and ugly imagery. PassmoreLab employs leading edge technology to insure 'Friends for Life' is not just a 3-D movie, but an engaging experience as if you were actually standing in the woods with the characters."

David Balsiger, senior producer at Grizzly Adams, states: "Oscar-winning directors including Robert Zemeckis, 'The Polar Express,' and James Cameron, 'Avatar,' have already made the connection between family audiences and 3-D."

There is currently a rush by theater owners to add 3-D digital projectors to their locations. Carmike Theaters, which operates 2,300 theater screens, has brought their 3-D screen total to 500. Meanwhile, Regal Theaters, the largest U.S. movie chain, plans to install 3-D technology in 1,500 auditoriums with their current 3-D total hovering around 240.

A story about life, death and the critical importance of friends, "Friends for Life" tells the story of a retired big-city attorney living in a small mountain town who suffers loneliness after the death of his wife. One day in the woods, he discovers four orphaned wolf pups that face certain death. He cares for the pups until they are old enough to go back into the wild. Alone again, he becomes embroiled in helping the town fend off an unscrupulous land developer. Again out in the woods, he is attacked by a grizzly bear, only to be saved by the reappearance of the wolves. His gift of life to the wolves is repaid and he has four loyal friends for life.

In keeping with previous Grizzly Adams films, the show uses animals in the wild to tell a story of human hope, courage and determination. The company's first feature film in more than a decade, Grizzly Adams produced "Friends for Life" in association with Flynn-Daines Productions.

The 3-D version of "Friends for Life" will be completed in the fall of 2009 and will be available for worldwide theatrical release. Grizzly Adams will handle television licensing and domestic DVD retail distribution.

During the past 35 years, Grizzly Adams has produced 1200 family friendly shows for NBC, CBS, PAX, Discovery, SciFi, The Learning Channel and other networks. Eleven of the company's theatrical films are still among the top 100 all-time independent grossing films (non-studio), with six of those releases ranking in the top 25.

Contact: Michelle Miller (970) 690-7302 / michelle@grizzlyadams.tv / http://www.grizzlyadams.tv

This sounds like a great live action conversion for families to see. I can't wait for it personally and I hope the distribution is picked up locally. Oh and I loved Grizzly Adams as a child! Would love to see the series again. Anytime I see great 2D to 3D conversions I will be sure to alert you guys. Stay tuned...

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Anyone For A Quarter CCH Pounder With Cheese?

Jim here. 20th Century Fox and McDonald's have partnered in a sweeping move to bring their biggest hits to glasses and tray-liners, Happy Meals and TV commercials. THR reports that their deal is in place through 2010.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM promos start this month.

One has to assume that AVATAR will be included in this mix and while I am guessing the rebranding of a Quarter CCH Pounder With Cheese isn't going to happen, there will be some cool toys come out of it.

Bring on the marketing blitz folks!! :-)

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Christopher Lloyd Knows Piranhas!

Hey guys - Jim here. Christopher Lloyd has joined the cast of Aja's PIRANHA 3-D shooting now in Arizona! Got the news from Dreadcentral who has a great thing going with a local spy feeding them info.

Christopher was also recently in another 3D movie entitled CALL OF THE WILD, a family adventure film.

Apparently Lloyd will play an expert on Piranhas known as Goodman. I would say that "Doc" bites it in this one as good guys finish last. Wait - does that mean he outlasts everyone? Heck. I don't know.

I DO know is that this movie is going to get messy. I like the talent Aja is piling up here for a body count. Having a Richard Dreyfus cameo is a stroke of genius!

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Where's A Cannes Opener When You Need One?

Jim here. Couldn't resist that one. Yes, Pixar's UP is opening the Cannes Film Festival in ummm, somewhere in France... the city's name escapes me right now, but they speak French very well there. This is the first time EVER that an animation has opened the iconic event and it is no wonder that it is in 3D. This is, after all - the Year Of 3D.

And wouldn't you know it, Disney has opened up their photo vault and given us some more images to stare at as we await the opening of UP at our local theaters. Check them out below.

I can tell you that UP is a VERY impressive effort from Pixar. I have seen the opening 45 minutes or so AND another 5 or 6 minutes of the action packed finale - certain things remain clear: There is only one Pixar. It is evident when you see their work and let me tell you that in 3D - it's mesmerizing. The storyline is top quality as you would expect and quite emotional; it was not the movie I thought it was going to be from the outset. And isn't that what movies are supposed to be all about? Pleasant surprises. It is the animation to beat this year.

Go see UP when it opens on May 29. You'll be glad you did. Pixar's UP brings joy to sorrow and dimension to life!

You Pixar fans UP for this one or what??

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New A CHRISTMAS CAROL Posters From Cannes Film Festival

Jim here. My friend Alex Billington from FirstShowing is over there in Cannes, France right now and he grabbed some poster shots of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

These look damn good! I am loving the vibe I am getting from them. The candle effect is cool too - one of the ghosts I presume?

This movie is going to be a keeper guys. In fact I see it playing every Christmas for all eternity! Seriously, there should be nice returns for Disney and Zemeckis on this one. Can't wait to see this.

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New Behind The Scene Shots: PIRANHA 3-D

Jim here. Got some cool new behind-the-scenes photos (Dreadcentral) from Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D shooting right now in Arizona. Be sure to click on over to the Dreadcentral boys for more shots! That's Elisabeth Shue in the first photo.

These photos are obviously from the downtown area of the town whereas the spy shot I have of the soon to be "bloody action area" is on the outskirts.

I can't get enough of BTS photos. Shows all the action behind what finally gets up on screen. You can clearly see Aja's two stereo 3D monitors for his reviewing pleasure...

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3D Shorts: AVATAR Trailer Update! ...And Totem Poles On Pandora?

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Wow. Apparently the trailer material hit close to home and may be closer to the actual trailer than first thought! The source emailed me and said that the person he/she got it from is worried about career, etc and well MarketSaw will have no part in that. I assumed that MANY people would know what is in any potential trailer and that posting this, especially an older version would not point fingers at anyone. Guess not.

In the interest of the said person who is worried about his/her job and at the request of the source I am taking down the trailer description. If you missed it - sorry. That's Internet time for you. Hope everything is ok with the originator on this one.

Jim here. This first photo is a representation as to how close we have gotten to an AVATAR trailer - suitably you can take a cold shower inside it! What's with all the mystery surrounding the movie? Why no promotional material or trailers or heck even a poster yet? Let's try to answer those questions RIGHT NOW.

AVATAR is going to be a masterpiece. I stake my reputation on it as well as MarketSaw's. We are going to see things in new ways after viewing the movie and by that I mean our expectation of what Hollywood needs to deliver for a cutting edge movie will change. The industry knows it too. Why do you think so many directors have paid set visits to AVATAR and walked away in complete awe? Moveover, these directors in most cases have changed what matters most to them: Their personal artistic vision because of what James Cameron is doing. Spielberg and Jackson finally agreed to do TINTIN. Ridley Scott agreed to do THE FOREVER WAR (and maybe even an ALIEN prequel). 3D and performance capture is opening up the minds of our best directors and we are witnessing it first hand.

So with this kind of revolutionary change in cinema, how do you do justice to a movie that will definitively draw the line of pre and post AVATAR in Hollywood with a trailer? You can't - at least not effectively. It would be akin to trying to promote a full color movie on a nation's black and white television infrastructure. You just can't effectively do it. We do not have the capability to see 3D movie trailers at home yet. An easy parallel isn't it?

Fox will have to show trailers of AVATAR in both 2D and 3D. In fact many of the theaters that will be showing AVATAR in December will still be 2D. I am sure it will look stunning in that format as well but will it be the best way to see it? Hardly. Those 2D trailers will not be the way Cameron has envisioned it - or shot it. Everything in AVATAR is purposely been focused at 3D. But there will be a 2D trailer to be sure - Fox can't risk a 3D trailer being cammed and leaked in 2D - it would look horrible. So expect a trailer to be released in 2D and 3D at the same time or only in 2D (far, far less likely).

So where does that leave us? Aside from drooling for official AVATAR material, we are caught in between. Fox can't show us the best stuff because it will not look as great as it is intended to be (Why show off great scenes in 2D as it will spoil the full 3D experience) - yet it can't leave out enticing material for fear that audiences who have not heard of AVATAR (I know, hard to believe) will not buy into it.

I have been given the MONTH in which the AVATAR trailer is supposed to be delivered by (first time source from New Zealand, but seems VERY trustworthy - he/she is in a position to know) and that month is JUNE. In fact the scenes for the trailer have already been cut. Specifically the trailer is initially destined for a show or event. Not sure which one (guessing Cinema Expo International; June 22-25, 2009; Amsterdam, Netherlands) but that is the word. Fox is unveiling ICE AGE there on June 23 @ 4:30pm in 3D - perfect for showing off the trailer for AVATAR. LATER that day at 6:30pm it is even more interesting: 20th Century Fox International Invites You to Attend an Exclusive Product Presentation - could this be extended AVATAR footage? Fox then hosts a dinner at 8pm. Seems to me to be a perfect venue to show off their AVATAR goods. Of course we already know that something AVATAR related will be happening at Comicon in July as Tom Rothman has suggested.

What does that mean for general audiences? Well you can expect to see it in theaters shortly thereafter perhaps the 2D version in front of TRANSFORMERS (June 24) and the 3D in front of ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (July 3). Potentially both the 2D and 3D versions are premiered in front of ICE AGE (as ICE AGE will be shown in 2D as well). That, my friends is a guess, but it is my best guess at this point in light of this new information. So the content will not be all that adult oriented as it will be in front of a younger ICE AGE audience. With knowledge that it will be ready a month ahead of Comicon I can't see it being held back that long.

I also received this information about an AVATAR trailer that was being put together months ago. It got quashed obviously. Now this source is also unproven and I have no background on him/her. I have had no previous dealings with him/her whatsoever. Read this with a grain of salt! This will most likely NOT be what we will be seeing soon for a trailer, but this is what they were apparently going to do awhile ago:

**REMOVED AT SOURCE'S REQUEST**

To me - this approach makes sense. I want to believe this is real and not some guys imagination gone wild from reading the scriptment. I almost did not post it but because I am not claiming this as absolutely true and even if it was it was, the ideas were from months ago so it has probably changed. But what makes sense to me is the fading in and out of black so often. The trick with the AVATAR trailer is to show LESS and let your mind wonder as it will be filled with wonder during the movie. It makes sense to focus on Jake in the trailer as he will be in every scene in AVATAR according to Cameron himself. Could this have been an overstatement by Cameron?

I did have a source send in some cool photos too of what is supposed to be snaps of an AVATAR trailer. MANY have asked to see them, but I cannot prove they are authentic - I have sent them to other trusted sources who all say that they are dubious at best. You can't make out what is in the photos and they have been photo-shopped without a doubt. So I am not posting them - believe me it is hard to not do so, especially when this post is all about the AVATAR trailer!

And in the interesting FACT department, we have another little interesting tidbit of information (source: Total Film): There are totem poles in AVATAR. This is taken from the magazine article where they are interviewing Cameron:

"When I visited the AVATAR set, for example, there was only one other guy on stage with James Cameron," says Damon O'Beirne of Dreamworks. "He's standing there with a cable, looking unbelieveably bored. Because all he does is move the cable out of Cameron's way. If he f**ks up then Jim is going to yell at him! But everywhere around the stage, it's like NASA," continues O'Beirne. "There are 40 people at computers and monitors making sure everything gets recorded." Then Jim goes, 'Um, that totem pole is a little bit high.' Apparently there is a totem pole in part of the virtual world he's standing in! And you just hear, 'Got it.' Click, click, click... and Jim's like, 'Yeah, that's about right.' It's bizarre, but amazing."

Can you imagine shooting a film like that? It actually reminds me of the scariest parts of some horror films where someone is looking through a viewfinder of a camera and sees another world (can anyone tell me the name of the movie where a girl is looking through her camcorder and sees an evil looking surgery taking place, but when she lowers it all she sees is an empty lab table?).

So what do you make of the AVATAR trailer in light of this new information? Stoked? :-) We are close to something very exciting anyway...

Stay tuned as I have a couple of very interesting AVATAR posts under development! The countdown is on and of course MarketSaw is THE place to be...

Also as an added treat from the Total Film magazine's 3D extravaganza is a bunch of anaglyph shots (red / blue) of our favorite past movies - here are a few I am hoping we see converted to modern 3D REAL soon (click to blow up). Enjoy!

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Fox Announces Next 3D Animated Film "Rio"!

Michael here.  Fox has announced that its next 3D CG animated film from Blue Sky Studios will be called Rio, and will be released on April 8, 2011.

According to Variety, Rio "centers on a nerdy macaw who leaves the comforts of his cage in small-town Minnesota and heads to Rio de Janeiro."

Carlos Saldanha, director of Ice Age: The Meltdown and co-director of the first Ice Age and the upcoming Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, will direct.

I'm very curious to see what else Fox has planned 3D-wise.  At ShoWest, Jim Gianopulos said that there would be three 3D releases from Fox in 2010.

It's kind of weird that we now know a Fox 3D film releasing in 2011, but we are still unaware of their plans for 3D movies in 2010.  My hope is that Fox continues leading the industry in terms of pioneering epic live action 3D films in 2010 and beyond.  As much as I love 3D animated films, we really need to see more big-budget 3D live action movies greenlit.

What do you think the 3D movies from Fox in 2010 will be? Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Fantastic Voyage?  The A-Team?

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Cameron Talks Worthington & "Avatar" at Australians in Film Awards

Michael here.  The LA Times blog caught up with James Cameron Friday night on the red carpet of the Australians in Film awards, where Cameron presented Sam Worthington with the AIF Breakthrough award.

Cameron talks about Avatar, Worthington, and Terminator: Salvation below:

Cameron also spoke after presenting the award - a yellow boomerang - to Worthington.  From the LA Times blog:

Later, he told the audience about the moment he decided to cast Sam.

"We were making a $200 million-plus movie and it's all about the journey of one guy, Jake, and he’s in every scene in the film, from beginning to end. It all hangs on that one piece of casting."

Cameron saw hundreds of actors, established and unknowns, but he needed someone who fit the role.

Then he saw Sam's audition tape with a scene in which he has one line, "Uh huh."

"Sam had me at 'Uh huh,' " Cameron told the laughing audience.

"He's an old-school tough guy, and that's what I needed for this film," Cameron said, adding that while he has seen only the trailer of "Terminator Salvation," he's sure that Sam is gonna "blow Christian Bale off the screen."

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Quick Post: New 3D Poster For ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Jim here. Same poster, but with the 3D treatment! Looks cool. I know of technology that can show much longer motion as you walk by them - Rabbit Hole Media has something similar.

Click here for a link to this poster in action.

It is the obvious way to promote a 3D movie isn't it? 3D posters bring you into the movie just enough to pique interest and almost begs you to read more about it. And at least for now provides a memorable trigger for you to buy a ticket.

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Sam Worthington Talks "Avatar", "Terminator", "Clash" & More!

UPDATE: Michael here. Io9 has a one-on-one interview with Worthington where he talks more about Avatar, including his thoughts on the story.

Michael here.  Today at the Terminator: Salvation press junket Sam Worthington talked about his experiences working on his recent big projects, including Avatar and Clash of the Titans.

IESB has the full transcript of the discussion.  it's a great read, so I urge you to check it out.

A few excerpts:

Q: When you’re working on something like Avatar, is there a lot of physical precision involved?

Sam: Kind of. You’re never dictated by the technology with Jim. Jim is paramount to the actors. Everyone thinks that he’s technology driven, but he’s the best fuckin’ acting director I’ve ever worked with. He picks up on subtleties and details that you wouldn’t believe. So, he’s employed me to come in and do my job, and then we use the technology and I work with him. It’s give and take. Jim isn’t a dictator. He wants it fuckin’ high, but so do I. I’m not there to get pushed around. I’m there to work with the man. And, that’s why I got the job. I don’t get pushed around. I’ve done 10 years [of acting] in Australia. I didn’t do that for nothin’. We worked together. It’s a privilege to work with directors who like pushing the boundaries and taking risks, like McG. He’s taken a hell of a risk on this movie, with his career. That’s what I like to be a part of.

Q: There’s probably never been a movie like Avatar, where nobody has seen a scene of it and there’s no trailer, but people are expecting it to be the second coming. Have you seen any of it?

Sam: Yeah. I watched it recently.

Q: Does it live up to the hype?

Sam: It’s amazing! Jim said, “The hype is gonna kill it.” Jim is not nervous. He doesn’t get nervous. It’s not the be all and end all. Hopefully, what this does is open up a world of the possibilities of what motion capture can do and the possibilities of what this 3-D technology can achieve. Hopefully, it starts that kind of revolution, and I think it will.

Q: So, you’re okay with all of the hype that comes along with projects like those?

Sam: That’s just part of the fun, isn’t it? I guess I’ll find out. My mates are sick of seeing my head. If this happened when I was 22, it could be a bit overwhelming. I’m 32. I know who I am, so I’m just going to enjoy the ride. As long as it doesn’t affect my work, and I keep producing work of a certain quality, that keeps me in the game, then I’m okay. As soon as it starts affecting what I can achieve, or I feel that I’ve got nothing to offer, I’ll go back to brick laying.

Head over to IESB for the full interview.

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Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Rolls Into 40 Cities Via... TRAIN?

Jim here. Kinda cool marketing ploy - certainly brings out the Dickens in everyone I would imagine! Disney is ramping up for A CHRISTMAS CAROL already (I told you it would be big!) and they are using four gorgeously decorated trains to do it.

The Train Tour kicks off Memorial Day Weekend 2009 in Los Angeles, traveling across the country with stops in 40 cities, culminating in New York City in November. Visitors will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the magic and the cutting-edge technology of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” The train cars will be showcasing immersive and interactive experiences: the Landscape Gallery offers a digital slideshow of preproduction concept art, taking visitors into the homes of characters like Ebenezer Scrooge.

All aboard the Marketing Hype Express! Well, I jest. This movie deserves a rousing introduction like this - can't wait to see it.

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MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D Available On DVD & Blu-ray Preorder Now

Hey guys - Jim here. We all know how well MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D performed this year at the box office - taking in $72 million worldwide on a budget of only $15 million.

So how about it? You interested in getting a copy for home? You can now - available for pre-order on Amazon. It will be formally released on May 15. However, and a big however - is that while they provide four 3D glasses with the movie, they are sadly anaglyph.

Once we have a "3D in the home TV standard" then you will see 3D home videos with the cool new modern 3D glasses (and of course $ invested in equipment). You can also watch this movie in 2D though whenever the old technology gets too much for ya.

Fangoria got the scoop on the full disc details:
The film will be in both widescreen 2-D and 3-D (with four pairs of glasses); the DVDs present the movie with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, and the Blu-ray sports DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio. Supplements on the Special Edition DVD and the Blu-ray include: Audio commentary by director Patrick Lussier and co-writer Todd Farmer; Deep Inside MY BLOODY VALENTINE making-of featurette; Sex, Blood and Screams—The Special Make-Up FX of MY BLOODY VALENTINE featurette; Deleted and extended scenes; Gag reel.

There is a cool BTS video clip from the movie here too. Thanks Jason for alerting me to this!

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"James Cameron's Avatar" - How "Avatar" Will Be Marketed

Hi everyone, Michael here with a bit of theorizing about what Fox has planned for the marketing of Avatar.  The www.jamescameronsavatar.com (and .net, .org etc) sites are all registered to Fox.   Right now they redirect to temporary pages filled with ads, but my bet is that these sites will soon serve as the gateway for what will be a crossplatform AVATAR experience.  The Ubisoft game, Mattel toys with their extra online content, film, books, and more will all be accessible from this portal.

It certainly seems as though Avatar is being branded as "James Cameron's Avatar". The titles of 3 of the 5 books announced so far begin with "James Cameron's Avatar."  The Ubisoft game has officially been titled "James Cameron's Avatar", and the IMAX release is referenced on the IMAX web site as "James Cameron's Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience."

Branding Avatar in this manner is a smart decision.  Not only does it let audiences know that James Cameron is the creative mind behind the world of Avatar, but this common brand also gives the impression that Avatar is an engrossing, holistic experience that spans multiple creative mediums.  In other words, Avatar isn't just the movie: it is all of these different experiences.

Keep your eyes on www.jamescameronsavatar.com for updates!  It can't be too far away now.

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3D Shorts: HAPPY FEET 2 In 3D; Weta's Growing; GEARS OF WAR 3D?

Jim here. Here are some rapid fire 3D news to keep you all up to speed!

~HAPPY FEET 2 will be in 3D! I will not refrain from expressing my enthusiasm for this sequel because I LOVED the first one - the soundtrack was superb. Release is pegged for November 18, 2011.

This is a movie franchise that is a pleasure to bring your family to see. I hope they can whip up more of the music magic once again!

~Peter Jackson's Weta is spawning a new working group called Transfx, headed up by Sebastian Sylwan who was previously the Director of Technology at Digital Domain and CTO @ the FX shop Lumiq. They will seek to bring a pragmatic edge to the new tech that Weta has developed by working on AVATAR and TINTIN: Making their FX reuseable/malleable for other projects.

This, of course, is a great idea. Hats off to the Weta team who are definitely in this thing for the long run!

~GEARS OF WAR still in the works! MTV recently spoke to Chris Morgan, screenwriter for GoW: "A draft went in and we’re talking about it now and we’re budgeting it out,” Morgan told MTV. “It’s looking incredibly good." Len Wiseman is still attached to direct. "It’s huge,” Morgan declared of the project’s scope. “One of the things they’re really talking about now is the budget of the film and how big of a spectacle this is going to be. My argument is, look at the underlying material. Look at the game and the scenario — the fact that the world is being taken over by the Locust, it has to be huge." Still no official word on this being shot in 3D - but, sometimes you just KNOW. Wiseman likes the idea. :-)

This movie will indeed be massive. At the box office too! Are you kidding me; GoW in 3D? A no-brainer.

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Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D Movie Set Hi-Res Spy Shot

Jim here. Got a spy shot from Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D and an Arizona outdoor set that is obviously going to be used for the more intense water shots. Call me a betting man, but I would wager that the boat in the background there plays a major role. It will probably be floating in that pool at some point with blood everywhere lol.

Thanks for the shot Baitman! I have seen another shot of this set, but this one is very nice in high resolution. Zoom in! See what you can see... :-)

You can click on the image for the larger version.

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3D Updates: AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS -and- MAGIC JOURNEY TO AFRICA

Jim here. Europe seems to be taking off with recent 3D projects and a couple of new distribution deals for 3D projects I have been following since early last year. Thanks to Variety for the heads up on the recent distribution deals that finally came to fruition:

First up: We had been following this project since early May of last year - Ben Staussen's AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS had its distribution rights sewn up by StudioCanal of France. ATW50Y is an animation about a sea turtle and features the voices of Tim Curry, Anthony Anderson, Ed Begley Jr., Pat Carroll, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, Stacy Keach and Jenny McCarthy. Story revolves around a turtle born in 1959 who travels the globe while it is being affected by global warming.

I think you will agree with me that the image looks very appealing and as with most underwater 3D movies - it should screen extremely well.

Secondly: Seemingly immediately after the StudioCanal announcement, Jordi Llompart's MAGIC JOURNEY TO AFRICA was picked up for distribution by Filmax Entertainment of Spain. This was previously known as THE MAGIC TALE. I had been tracking this project courtesy of Nerea Rubio of Orbita Max (a Barcelona produciton company) who was kind enough to reach out to me back in October of 2008.

The storyline begins with Jana, a 10 year old girl from Barcelona, seeing a bushman boy hospitalized. She then starts a magical journey on her winged-horse searching for him in his land, Africa. While in Africa she will meet Mel, her new best friend, that will travel with her whenever possible. Jana will also interact with other children, animals and magical creatures (encountering a fairy - what little girl would not want to see that!) that will show her the path to imagination and meaning of life. Jana’s magical journey to Africa contains a deep message about friendship, love, passion, nature and imagination. It is a spiritual journey for the adults and a magical travel for the kids, full of mysteries, adventures and discoveries.

Stereographer is William Reeve. The portraits are Eva Gerretsen who plays Jana and Raymond Mvula who is Jana's best friend Mel.

I have a soft spot for this movie. I think it will be a very refreshing change to our normal 3D fare and if it delivers the way I think it will, it should be up for some awards. Mark my words.

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New ALICE IN WONDERLAND & PIXAR'S UP Screencaps In 3D!

Jim here. What is with all the cool 3D movie stories that the British Film magazines are getting lately? First Empire had these great images and now Total Film has what they are calling a 3D Extravaganza. Thanks to my intrepid reader in the UK, we have these images scanned for our viewing pleasure! Total Film has included red and blue glasses with the publication so that you can view these old school, anaglyph 3D images. If you have red and blue 3D glasses at home, you can view these as well, right now.

Click images to blow up.

As much as I hate anaglyph, there is no better way to show 3D on paper and it is cool to see some new images from ALICE IN WONDERLAND and UP. I have also posted the image they have for AVATAR, but it is very disappointing as we know this to be a fake, fan created work. Total Film also includes 3D images from THE DARK KNIGHT, THE MATRIX, STAR WARS, BLADE RUNNER, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING so I highly recommend picking up your own copy of Total Film to see those and the full articles too. I may be able to show you those images soon as well - stay tuned.

What IS interesting about the AVATAR image is the new quote from Ridley Scott that was in the article beside it: (breathlessly) "It's... Amazing"!

I want to again invite you to purchase your own copy of Total Film for the full coverage. I think they probably had someone convert 2D images to these 3D ones for the feature, but its still kinda cool. I doubt that they are official studio photos - which would infer that they are looking at "dimensionalizing" their properties to 3D. But damn, that would be nice!!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND looks like a trip doesn't it?!

"Dimensionalizing" is a term coined and trademarked by In-Three

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How To Play Games In 3D For $2...

Jim here. Got a cool video from someone who claims you can play 3D video games for only $2. And it makes total sense. With a little ground work you too can be playing in three dimensions! :-)



I might just give this a try. Seems very doable and might be worth it!

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RealD Introduces RealD LP, The World’s First Mobile, Single-Projector 3D Solution

Jim here. If you have been to a movie theater to see one of the recent crop of 3D movies like Monsters vs. Aliens, you have probably seen RealD 3D technology. The 3D experience the technology provides is fantastic and makes movies very enjoyable - I have seen other formats in action and I keep coming back to RealD.

The company behind the RealD technology has announced a new portable projector for 3D viewing called the RealD LP to bring the power of its 3D technology to the small screen. The device is claimed to be the world's first mobile single projector passive 3D solution.

The projector is capable of changing between 3D and 2D on the fly and can be set up in minutes as a portable projector or mounted for a permanent projector. The device is suitable for screens up to 17-feet wide and is an externally mounted peripheral for 3D-enabled DLP projectors.

Here is the press release:
After dazzling tens of millions of filmgoers worldwide with attention-grabbing 3D, RealD, the world’s leading 3D technology company, is introducing the RealD LP™(Linear Polarizing Z Screen) to bring the power of 3D to the small screen. The world’s first mobile, single-projector, passive 3D solution, the RealD LP brings the vibrancy of high-quality 3D to smaller venues such as conference rooms, R&D centers, museum exhibits, mobile education centers, virtual rides and other entertainment attractions. Designed to be set up for individual 3D presentations in minutes, or permanently mounted for long term use, the RealD LP allows the flexibility of switching between 2D and 3D on the fly while alleviating maintenance and other issues of dual-projector 3D systems.

“3D content is more engaging, memorable and productive,” said Joshua Greer, president of RealD. “The RealD LP creates stunning 3D images for small or medium size audiences anytime, anywhere, bringing new possibilities to using the power of 3D in presentations, product development and virtual attractions.”

The RealD LP is an externally mounted peripheral for a single 3D-enabled DLP® projector, with electronic controls conveniently integrated inside the device. When 3D content is fed to the projector in full-resolution, frame-sequential format, the RealD LP allows content to be seen in 3D by polarizing right- and left-eye images. Viewers wear comfortable, affordable and reusable RealD eyewear custom built for the LP.

Suitable for screens up to 17 feet wide, the RealD LP works with 3D-enabled projectors such as NEC NC800, Christie Mirage HD, and Lightspeed Design HD DepthQ, along with a silver screen from Harkness, MDI or Stewart.

The RealD LP is available for lease through the company’s Professional division.

About RealD
RealD is the global leader in 3D, bringing the most advanced and realistic digital 3D experience to cinemas worldwide. RealD’s next-generation technology, deployed across the world’s largest 3D platform, provides a stunningly realistic viewing experience. Beyond cinema, RealD is the worldwide inventor and provider of key stereoscopic technologies used in science, manufacturing, marketing, and other industries, with thirty years of scientific development behind its systems. RealD’s mission-critical 3D technologies are used by organizations such as NASA, Pfizer, BMW, Boeing and more. www.RealD.com

I want one for my home theater! :-)

RealD is a sponsor of MarketSaw

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Marvel Watching 3D Closely: Has Budget Available To Go 3D On Upcoming Movies

Jim here. According to Ken West, CFO of Marvel on their first quarter earnings call this morning, they are watching 3D very closely.

They recognize that as far as CG animation is concerned it is just about a requirement to be launching projects in 3D, but that is not the case YET for live action. They are looking at pragmatic reasons currently to go 3D as the market is not mandating 3D as a standard as of today. Of course this bodes well for 3D in Marvel projects because we all know that 3D adds a nice margin to box office.

When asked whether Marvel has the budget to go 3D on future live action projects, the answer was definitely yes as Marvel has financial partners that are very comfortable with the returns earned thus far on IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK (DVD sales have been very strong too).

Also, Marvel cleared up any misconceptions on the casting of THOR in that no formal offers have been extended to talent to the best of their knowledge. So, no actors have turned down roles on THOR.

In my opinion, Marvel would be missing out on those increased 3D margins on their hottest properties and that 3D is inevitable for them. Wolverine in 3D would have pulled down even more impressive numbers this past weekend. I see AVENGERS in 3D as it is their ultimate project. If it does not happen, I would be VERY surprised.

What are your thoughts? What Marvel property would you most like to see in 3D? Spider-man?

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IMAX 3D Film "Hubble 3D" to Chronicle Final Servicing Mission

Michael here.  I'm a huge space / NASA geek, so this immediately caught my attention.  This 3D IMAX film, Hubble 3D, will chronicle this month's planned final servicing mission to the telescope.  I think this film will make a great bookend to the 1994 non-3D IMAX film Destiny in Space, which featured Hubble soon after it was deployed.  I missed the previous NASA / IMAX 3D collaboration, Space Station 3D, but I will be sure to catch this one at least once.

Now all we need is James Cameron on Mars or the lunar surface with IMAX 3D cameras!

Press release:

IMAX Corporation, NASA and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that IMAX(R) 3D cameras will return to space to document one of NASA's most complex space shuttle operations - the final service of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), STS-125. The IMAX 3D cameras are set to launch on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 11th, 2009. The astronauts will operate the IMAX cameras and will film the five intricate and difficult spacewalks required to service Hubble. The IMAX footage will be combined with breathtaking up-close images of distant galaxies from Hubble in the upcoming IMAX/Warner Bros. Pictures co-production Hubble 3D.

This highly anticipated next installment of IMAX's 3D space film series is set to debut in IMAX theatres in Spring 2010. Through the world's most immersive cinematic experience, Hubble 3D will give audiences a front row seat as the gripping story unfolds.

The IMAX team has trained the Atlantis crew at the Johnson Space Center on the operation of the cameras, one of which will be mounted outside the cabin in the shuttle's cargo bay, to capture stunning IMAX 3D images of the historic final servicing mission. The Commander and Pilot will double as filmmakers as two teams of spacewalking astronauts - working in tandem with the shuttle's robot arm - perform some of the most challenging work ever undertaken in space as they replace and refurbish many of the telescope's delicate precision instruments.

"It's been said that The IMAX Experience(R) is the next best thing to being in space, and with IMAX 3D, the audience really IS there," said Producer/Director Toni Myers, who will be at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Press Site on Saturday, May 9th at 3:00pm EDT to answer questions about Hubble 3D. "Fifteen years ago we made a film about space exploration that included Hubble, when it started sending back the first images. Today, we have Hubble's entire phenomenal legacy of data to explore. With IMAX 3D we can transport people to galaxies that are 13 billion light years away-back to the edge of time. Real star travel is here at last."

"We have worked with IMAX on past Hubble missions and were excited about working with them again on the current Hubble mission. The Hubble Space Telescope continues to dazzle us with the splendor of our universe and after the STS-125 mission we look forward to many more years of awe-inspiring imagery," said Bob Jacobs, NASA's acting assistant administrator for Public Affairs at Headquarters in Washington. "One of the challenges in sharing Hubble's story is identifying media that can capture the scope and scale of the cosmos. IMAX has developed innovative 3-D image capture and projection technology that creates a large scale immersive educational experience in which those of us on the ground are no longer passive observers of spaceflight, we're active participants."

"This represents a very special moment in IMAX history in which IMAX 3D technology has been selected to document one of our nation's most anticipated technological events. The Hubble Space Telescope has benefited all of humanity with a close examination of our universe. Now we can transport audiences right there, all through the power of IMAX 3D. With this upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope will continue to provide us with many years of service and this film will continue to tell its story for years to come," said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation.

"Hubble 3D will allow moviegoers to get a front row seat to see these amazing other galaxies thanks to the power of this incredible telescope," said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "Through our partnership with IMAX, we've taken audiences to the depths of the ocean and put them in the driver's seat in NASCAR. Hubble 3D will continue this great legacy of taking audiences to places they would otherwise never get to go and will continue to inspire both young and old alike."

"Hubble 3D will transport audiences to distant stars and beyond. It is one thing to look up at the heavens, but through this amazing project, audiences will be able to witness some of the most astonishing astronomical objects known to humankind, all from the comfort of an IMAX 3D theatre," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. and NASA on this project and look forward to taking moviegoers to the outer edges of our universe through these extraordinary images in IMAX 3D."

About Hubble 3D

Experience the gripping story - full of hope, crushing disappointment, dazzling ingenuity, bravery, and triumph - in Hubble 3D, the seventh awe-inspiring film from the award-winning IMAX Space Team.

Vividly captured in IMAX 3D, Hubble 3D recounts the amazing journey of the most important scientific instrument since Galileo's original telescope and the greatest success in space since the Moon Landing - the Hubble Space Telescope. Audiences will accompany the space walking astronauts as they attempt some of the most difficult tasks ever undertaken in NASA's history, and will experience up close the awesome power of the launches, the heartbreaking setbacks, and the dramatic rescues of this most powerful story.

Hubble 3D will also reveal the cosmos as never before, allowing viewers of all ages to explore the grandeur of the nebulae and galaxies, the birth and death of stars, and some of the greatest mysteries of our celestial surroundings, all in amazing IMAX 3D.

IMAX's longstanding partnership with NASA has enabled millions of people to travel into space through a series of award-winning IMAX films that have cumulatively grossed more than $500 million worldwide. The IMAX 3D camera made its first voyage into space in 2001 for the production of Space Station 3D, narrated by Tom Cruise, which has grossed more than $100 million worldwide. The Hubble 3D film will mark Warner Bros. Pictures' first venture into space.

Hubble 3D reunites the Space Station 3D filmmaking team, led by Producer/Director Toni Myers. James Neihouse, Director of Photography, is also the Astronaut crew trainer. Judy Carroll is Associate Producer, and Graeme Ferguson, Co-founder of IMAX and pioneer Producer of many IMAX space films, is Executive Producer.

Hubble 3D will be released exclusively in IMAX theatres worldwide beginning Spring 2010.

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BAIT 3D: What If You Were In A Store Being Robbed. Then Its Submerged In A Tsunami. Then A Pack Of Sharks Attacks...

How is that for a premise!?! Jim here. It sounds like TONS of fun and potentially the right guy for the job is helming it up: Russell Mulcahy (HIGHLANDER, GIVE 'EM HELL MALONE, RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION).

Here is the official synopsis:
In a sleepy coastal resort community, shoppers at an underground supermarket find themselves terrorized by a crazed bandit when the unimaginable occurs… A monstrous freak tsunami swallows the town. Now trapped inside a flooded supermarket with an armed maniac and rushing water threatening to entomb them all in a watery grave, the imprisoned band of survivors discover they’re not alone. The tsunami has brought some unwanted visitors from the depths. As the waters rise they must overcome not only the threat of drowning, but another threat, just as deadly and far more bloodthirsty… Packs of hungry tiger sharks.

LOL! I can actually picture this happening and not lose all sense of reality! Is it just me or does this sound like outrageous fun in 3D? More on BAIT 3D when I get it!

Source: Twitch

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Quick Post: Giovanni Ribisi Plays Golf Between AVATAR Takes!

**UPDATE May 3: This info is from one of my best AVATAR sources (yes, the Na'vi image source and not the original source of this post), not really spoilerish as it is more character development, but still I have used white text here - to read it simply highlight the area right below this with your mouse.

Selfridge IN FACT plays golf in the movie! "There are scenes in the film where Selfridge 'borrows' a trooper to be his caddy while he practices his chipping on the edge of the base."

And also: "The 'projection' outside the windows, was just very well painted backdrop. Good old fashioned paint and brushes...on curtain rails. When there was visible action outside, the backdrop was slid off the rails, and a green chroma curtain put up there.

So there are the answers we have been waiting for from this particular post and what this source says is GOLDEN.

Jim here. Well some exclusive insider news from one of my AVATAR sources that felt very comfortable about filling me in on the recent AVATAR scans I was able to obtain.

He said that in Pic #4, that the guy wearing the light shirt and tie is Giovanni Ribisi who plays "Selfridge" and that he often practiced golf in between takes while shooting AVATAR.

Don't know how I missed it but yes, that is definitely a golf club and it certainly seems like Ribisi's stature.

So here is what my source had to further say about Pic #4: "The screens were curved and the information shown was individual for each station, i.e. atmosphere, weather, comms, security etc and so pic6 isn't showing any navi. Pic 4 has the background of Pandora 'somehow' projected onto a huge curved green screen outside the windows. Sometimes filming was done with it there and other times just with the green screen."

So why shoot with a projection sometimes and other times with green screen for CG post processing? Perhaps Cameron leaves the projection there when there is no movement outside and it reduces cost this way? Perhaps they introduce the green screen CG effects when something happens outside (like an attack?).

And what about the golfing! What does this tell us? But it is kinda cool - and also that Cameron doesn't restrict gameplay on the set. I mean, imagine what would happen if a stray golf ball punctured a hole through the glass? The air from Pandora would engulf them all!! :-)

And yes, we talk about ANYTHING to do with AVATAR around here - you should know that by now right?

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A Medley of "Avatar" Items

Hi, Michael here with a roundup of three small but cool Avatar-related items from the past week.

1. Zoe Saldana talked with MTV about her experiences on Avatar and Star Trek.  A few tidbits from the article:

On seeing an early cut of Avatar: When asked if Saldana had seen the film, she admitted to glimpsing an early cut. “I have, yes,” she revealed, struggling to find words to describe it.

“I can’t curse so I’ll just say it looks nice,” she laughed. “What I really want to say is going to get bleeped out.”

On her dedication to the role: "‘Avatar’ by far is the most physically strenuous film I’ve ever done,” Saldana, no newbie to the biz, admitted. “A role had never challenged me to the point where it freaked me out and scared me. And ‘Avatar’ definitely did that.” “I really have high hopes for it,” Saldana explained. “Because for two years I gave every bit of me in that part.”

 

2. Is Avatar in 3D Like Doing Drugs?  Josh Quittner, the Time reporter who got to see footage from Avatar, talked to the New York Times about his experience: “It was like doing some kind of drug,” he said, describing a scene in which the movie’s hero, played by Sam Worthington, ran around “with this kind of hot alien chick,” was attacked by jaguarlike creatures and was sprinkled with sprites that floated down, like snowflakes.

Cameron has spoken about his theory that viewing 3D content utilizes more neurons, and now the Times gives us this: Dr. Mario Mendez, a behavioral neurologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, said it is entirely possible that Mr. Cameron’s work could tap brain systems that are undisturbed by conventional 2-D movies. One, he said, is a kind of inner global-positioning system that orients a person to the surrounding world.

“Three-D demonstrably creates a space that triggers this GPS; it’s really very stimulating,” Dr. Mendez said. He added that he had used virtual-reality therapy in working with soldiers at the Veterans Administration hospital in Los Angeles — and found himself jarred by his experience with a “virtual Iraq” simulation.

“It was with me for days and days,” Dr. Mendez said.

3. Steven Soderbergh, who had previously told Total Film that there would be "Before that movie and After," spoke to Comingsoon.net, saying the following: "I've seen some stuff and holy sh*t. It's the craziest sh*t ever. That could negate everything I just said."

Even more exciting than this quote, however, is that Soderbergh believes that Avatar will be a benchmark in cinema, like The Godfather. From Comingsoon.net: We were asking why he thought recent films didn't have quite the impact or longevity as the classics, and he gave us a great response about how the volume of movies being made and seen made it hard for anything to have the cultural impact of a movie like The Godfather or be remembered. He was disappointed there weren't those sorts of benchmarks in the movies being made today, but he surprised us by adding that he thought James Cameron's Avatar would be one of those benchmarks.

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UPDATE: The Camera Technology Behind Joe Dante's THE HOLE 3D

Jim here. Exclusive update guys - I just got an update from Kyle over at Paradise FX who were shooting Joe Dante's THE HOLE in 3D last week and I had to share it with you.

THE HOLE 3D is about a mother who moves to a rural area from the big city with her two boys (18 and 10 years old) for some mysterious reason. The two brothers come across a strange door in their floor with locks on it after they had moved some things around. After managing to get the door open, they uncover a deep, black "hole" that of course they venture into that "leads to the darkest corridors of their fears and nightmares".

Click on the images to blow up. If you want to see higher res copies of these, let me know!

The underwater scenes in the first two photos were shot late last week in Pasadena - you can see Paradise FX's new ParaCam Mini 2K-3D Underwater Housing. Nice tight seal baby!
Hmmmm. Pool = A hole of sorts. Think the hole in the basement is connected to the pool?

The dark outdoor photo was taken on set-up in Vancouver for night exteriors work. We can see the Paradise wide angle ParaCam 4K RED 3D rig on Techno Crane/Scorpio Head with Sterographer/Paradise Founder Max Penner & 3D Tech/1st AC David Mickey Taylor. Vancouver has got some great character buildings to draw upon (I lived there for a few years) and while it gets a bad rap for raining a lot in the winter, I didn't find that to be all that accurate. NORTH Vancouver on the other hand... Now we are talking rain. :-)

THE HOLE 3D is currently in post production and is slated for a 2010 release.

I love how much fun these guys are having - you can see that this isn't work for them, but a passion! That's how great things get done, and I am expecting great things from THE HOLE 3D. That's Joe Dante in the second picture (background) talking on his cell. Hoping to get more exclusives soon - stay tuned!

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PerfCap + Real Time Live Action = Robert Zemeckis' ROGER RABBIT 2... in 3D?

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Check out this new affordable motion capture technology from MIT - Second Skin!

Jim here. Just a quick note to make sure you guys know that Robert Zemeckis hinted at going back to ROGER RABBIT with a second movie using today's tech - which he is undoubtedly referring to 3D perfcap.

Here is his quote to MTV: "I’ll tell you what is buzzing around in my head now that we have the ability—the digital tools, performance capture—I’m starting to think about ROGER RABBIT."

Moreover, the fine investigators over at MTV went further and contacted Michael Lantieri, the special effects supervisor on the original ROGER RABBIT. What Michael told them had my eyes wide open with anticipation: "He talked about how very soon filmmakers will be able to combine performance capture with outdoor, real-time photography."

Hello. I had been hoping for some time now that this eventuality would take place sooner rather than later and here we go! This means numerous things, but for ROGER RABBIT it most likely means being able to introduce real-time, live action backgrounds, actors and objects into a performance capture 'Volume' feed to the director for shooting AND final processing.

Imagine a perfcap Volume scene with say Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant riding a motorcycle with an actor in a perfcap suit playing Roger Rabbit - Zemeckis can see this happening on his monitors WITH a real time, live action bar fight taking place on another set IN HIS BACKGROUND. He can order his real time actors and set design around to suit his perfcap action needs. As he adjusts his virtual camera throughout the Volume, it is coordinated with the live action set cameras in real time!

You can bet that Michael Lantieri would return for any ROGER RABBIT sequel.

I don't know about you, but I personally love seeing this technology being born in our generation. We are witnessing the beginning of a cinematic revolution; nothing short of the introduction of sound and color. Take part in it. Relish in all these movies and don't let the naysayers ruin the experience for you - in 10 years it is they who will say: " I should have stopped and watched." Watched guys like Cameron, Spielberg, Jackson, Burton, Scott and Zemeckis play in a brand new sandbox.

I welcome your comments on how this new technology could be used for upcoming movies. Do you think Cameron has already done something like this with AVATAR?

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