UPDATE: Refocusing MarketSaw - The State Of The 3D Industry - Your Feedback Is Appreciated!

Hi everyone! It's been awhile and I'm looking forward to posting daily and often. I'm going to kick things off by asking your opinion on where you'd like to see MarketSaw go in the future.

It's a sad fact that 3D movies have a couple of black eyes from the lack of native 3D productions being shot and that 3D home entertainment is practically dead. Sure, there are plenty of converted 3D movies out there but that doesn't translate to an optimal movie-going experience in the theater. Has 3D conversion improved over the years? Absolutely. Is it equivalent to a natively shot 3D production? No.

And no major manufacturer is producing 3D televisions anymore. Such a shame - just when LG just about nailed it.

So where are? Well VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) are certainly in play but there must be valid business uses for them. Gaming? Sure. But I'm talking mainstream entertainment - how can VR and AR add to our movie-going experience? I've seen some interesting demos and videos on various company's products that are certainly cool, but I'm not seeing how the industry can make money in a substantial and sustained way.

I'd like to include VR and AR with the 3D pedigree of this site because, well, 3D is a key component of VR. They're intricately related.

What kind of VR/AR/3D news, reviews and interviews would you like to see on MarketSaw? You can send me an email (it's in the contact me area at the bottom of every page), comment on this post, or call me on my cell if you have the number.

THANKS! I appreciate your reading loyalty over the years and I'm really looking forward to launching a new focus!

WARCRAFT Powerleveling In China! $145 Million In 4 Days

Contrary to many critics I enjoyed WARCRAFT. Perhaps it's because I've actually played the game and I can pick up on most of the locations and references - it's still a CGI powerhouse and the 3D is amazing.

The 3D is amazing because most of it's pure digital 3D that's well done. It's a positive byproduct of doing most of the movie with CG characters and backgrounds. Loved the action sequences and how it all looked on a giant IMAX 3D screen. I'll be seeing it again on a Real D screen and I'm sure the level of excellence will be the same for stereo enjoyment.

WARCRAFT is the fastest international movie to $135 million ever in China. The movie only opened to $27 million in North America. I love how the movie has bounced back against the critics in China. Absolutely love it.

The story is somewhat hard to follow at times for someone who has not played the game I would imagine, but even if you haven't the visual effects are jaw dropping. The scale of the movie is off the charts.

WARCRAFT is a definite must-see in 3D. The stereo view enhances the CGI and makes the characters much more realistic and closer to crossing the uncanny valley. Trust me. 3D makes this movie.

Check The Latest Poster And TV Spot For Favreau's THE JUNGLE BOOK

I am so looking forward to seeing director Jon Favreau's THE JUNGLE BOOK! It's natively shot in 3D and with High Dynamic Range HDR imagery. The visuals are looking so darn good. And as I said it's a Favreau movie which I've been salivating for recently. I loved CHEF.

Favreau hits all the right notes with his comments relating to the massive audience for the movie: "You are serving many masters... you are trying to honor the memory, preconceived memory of people who grew up with it, but you are also trying to make a movie that appeals to the full audience -- that is ethically what we set out to do. We are trying to pay tribute, and we can also see that with the visual effects, we are pushing the technology. We are mixing the old story with cutting edge technology".

Here is the movie's storyline:
Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, THE JUNGLE BOOK is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. THE JUNGLE BOOK seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.

Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK opens on April 15. Here's the official website.

3D Shown To Be Very Good For Your Brain - New Study

As I knew all along, 3D supercharges your brain! According to neuroscientist Patrick Fagan and the science group Thrill Laboratory, there are some very beneficial effects to watching 3D movies.

Here are some highlights:
- 23% jump in cognitive processing
- 11% increase in reaction time
- 7% more engaged with what they are watching
- 33% increase in verbal fluency (writing alliteration for 1 minute)

From the Irish Examiner: "...3D films are more immersive, heighten the senses and induce emotional arousal – this, in turn, makes the brain run at quicker speeds."

Check out the full story over at the Examiner, and feel good about seeing as many 3D movies as you can! It's GOOD for you.

Blue Sky Studios PEANUTS by Schulz Trailer #2 Impresses

Tim here, and I have to say that this second trailer for Peanuts coming out in 3D next November is looking better and better with each new trailer. I'll be honest and state that I've been a tad skeptical that these characters, who were drawn in a two-dimensional comic strip, didn't seem like they could translate well to the 3D world. This trailer shows that skeptics are wrong. The animators did a great job with subtle 3D, and what could translate into very pleasing stereoscopic 3D images, and maintaining the classic style and framing of the Peanuts comic strip. The texturing and other modern 3D computer animation techniques are subtle to the eye and invoke the nolstagia we hope to get from this movie. Yet, the trailer hasn't revealed anything about the story yet!

IMDB has this written for the storyline: For the first time ever, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the gang we know and love from Charles Schulz's timeless "Peanuts" comic strip will be making their big-screen debut like they've never been seen before in a CGI-animated feature film in 3D. And if you're yearning for a bit of trivia: This is the first theatrical Peanuts movie in 35 years!

There's also a few still frames below that come with this for you to take a closer look at. It's incredibly impressive what the animators have accomplished. It feels like Charles Schulz drew these.

Peanuts comes to theaters in RealD and Digital 3D November 6, 2015 from Blue Sky Studios and 20^th Century Fox.

Tomorrow the Final HOBBIT Trailer Arrives!

Post by The Hobbit.

Tim here. As you can see from The Hobbit's Facebook post tomorrow the final dragon... I mean trailer... will descend upon Laketown... I mean us. Man, I really want to see this movie. Look out for our post tomorrow as soon as it arrives.

The release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies arrives in theaters December 17^th, 2014 in IMAX 3D, RealD 3D, HFR 3D.

First Teaser Trailer for Pixar's INSIDE OUT

Hey everyone, Tim here with the first Teaser Trailer for the Pixar eMotion Picture Inside Out. This movie looks like it will be very interesting. From Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.," "Up") who has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In this Disney•Pixar original movie he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.
The official synopsis is as follows:

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley's mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Inside Out comes to US theatres in 3D on June 19, 2015.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale Head the Ensemble of Warner Bros. Pictures’ 3D Adventure JUNGLE BOOK: ORIGINS

Young actor Rohan Chand to star as Mowgli in the cast, also including Peter Mullan, Tom Hollander, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, and Andy Serkis

Tim here, and I came upon a press release earlier today for Andy Serkis' Jungle Book adaption being handled by Warner Bros., which is not to be confused with the Disney one being directed by Jon Favreau. The press release (below) announces the cast of the Serkis headed movie, and it's quite the impressive cast. If you remember earlier in the year when I interviewed Andy Serkis at CinemaCon we spoke briefly about Jungle Book: Origins, which he had just been announced to direct.

Press Release:

BURBANK, Calif. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Warner Bros. Pictures has assembled an impressive roster of stars for "Jungle Book: Origins," its new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis. The action adventure, which will blend motion capture and live action, will be released on October 21, 2016. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The actors performing the roles of the story's central animal characters are: Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug") as the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan; Oscar winner Cate Blanchett ("Blue Jasmine") as the sinister snake, Kaa; Oscar winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter," the "Dark Knight" Trilogy) as the cunning panther, Bagheera; Andy Serkis ("Dawn of the Planet of the Apes") as the wise bear, Baloo; Peter Mullan ("Hercules") as the leader of the wolf pack, Akela; Tom Hollander as the scavenging hyena, Tabaqui; Naomie Harris ("Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom") as Nisha, the female wolf, who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs; Eddie Marsan ("Ray Donovan") as Nisha's mate, Vihaan; and Jack Reynor ("Transformers: Age of Extinction") as Mowgli's Brother Wolf. On the human side, young actor Rohan Chand ("The Hundred-Foot Journey," "Bad Words") will play the boy raised by wolves, Mowgli.
The film is being produced by Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the blockbuster "Harry Potter" films. Jonathan Cavendish ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age," performance capture producer "Godzilla") is also serving as a producer. The screenplay is by Kloves' daughter, Callie Kloves, based on the stories by Kipling.
The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli, raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.

Look for production to begin as soon as Andy Serkis wraps up his duties on Star Wars Episode VII. Jungle Book: Origins hits theaters in 3D on October 21, 2016. More details when we get it.

CinemaCon - Andy Serkis Interview

Tim here, and I had the great pleasure to sit down with the one and only Andy Serkis at CinemaCon for a One on One Interview! He was a complete gentleman and answered all my questions magnificently. We spoke about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Jungle Book, Animal Farm, stereoscopic 3D, performance capture, and should the Oscars have a category specifically for actors in performance capture roles. You'll like his response to that last one. Andy was honored that night with CinemaCon's Vanguard Award, which is an award he rightfully deserved.

For those who don't know Andy Serkis has been confirmed by Warner Bros. to make his directorial debut on The Jungle Book, which is a new adaption of the book by Rudyard Kipling that will be much darker than the Disney version from the 1950's. Check out the interview below:

Tim: First, I want to congratulate you on The Jungle Book.

Andy: Oh, yes.

Tim: Got to ask, is it going to be 3D?

Andy: I would think at this point in time it is safe to say that it will be 3D.

Tim: Is it going to be native?

Andy: That is also a good question. It is still early days so I haven't got a definitive answer for that.

Tim: Moving on to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it was shot with 3ality Rigs, which you shot with on The Hobbit. You were the Second Unit Director, and this time you were acting with them. Was there any kind of difference for you working with the 3ality Rigs as an actor versus being behind the scenes?

Andy: I mean 3ality are fantastic rigs. They are incredible to work with. They're fantastic in the field and, of course, one of the things about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was that we were shooting nearly every single scene on location. And they worked seamlessly. So they were great to work with, for sure, and I remember that from working with them on The Hobbit. They are very good to work with on the field. It's tough working with 3D in the field, and you need all the help that you can get. And 3ality, certainly, a great brand.

Tim: Yeah they are great. I've gotten to visit their headquarters and seen the awesome things they're doing, especially with their image processors.

Andy: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, it's terrific. And, Michael Seresin is the D.O.P on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and obviously Matt Reeves directing, and it was all very much shot in natural light. There's a real sense that these apes do exist, and it was not going for overly melodramatic lighting. It was very real. Everything was shot with vérité style, so it needed that support from the 3D, you know, so I think it works. I've seen a cut and it looks extraordinary.

Tim: That's awesome. I didn't get a chance to see it in 3D earlier when they showed us the clips...

Andy: Right... right.

Tim: ...but it looked incredible. And, going off of that, the performance capture: it looks like-- Not only has it improved, but so have the visual effects.

Andy: Absolutely.

Tim: What, for you, on this movie improved in terms of just the performance capture technology.

Andy: Well, this really is the first time that so many apes have been captured... once outside on location-- I think it is the first movie that has captured that amount of people at the same time. So that's incredible because really the great thing about performance capture is that is having everyone play off each other. In the first movie it was pretty much a domestic piece if you remember. I mean, Caesar was once-- You know, the first act was Caesar being brought up by Will (James Franco's character), and of course in the second act he goes into the sanctuary. This is a whole ape community that is brought to life. The cameras are now able to rigged very easily and over wide distances. The marker set-ups that we're using on our suits are, you know, they have a greater fidelity to our performances, and then the facial capture system (the head mounted cameras) they are much higher resolution.

Tim: Are they lighter?

Andy: I wouldn't say they are particularly lighter, but the cameras are much higher resolution. And then the visual effects side of it, what WETA is able to do now with interpolating the performance is unbelievable. I mean, it's another layer again. The skin texturing, all of the hair...

Tim: The hair is incredible. One of the things I noticed today.

Andy: Exactly. But, it's actually the nuance of performance that is absolutely transparent now between what the actor is doing and what you see on the screen with the apes' faces on. That is really WETA. WETA has broken so many territories and boundaries, rather... broken so boundaries with both facial and all the texturing over the course of the movies. What's great is that people are recognizing that and seeing it. It allows you to stay immersed in the story when your eye isn't taken away by something not looking one hundred percent.

Tim: Exactly. Okay, I'm going to transition... I just want to see do you have any TinTin updates?

Andy: Not at the moment. I mean, the desire is there from everybody to make another TinTin film.

Tim: Peter's just encumbered in...

Andy: Yeah, he has to finish the third Hobbit movie. You know, it's a huge last film.

Tim: Okay. I'm going to move on to what your expectations are for future performance capture films, like TinTin?

Andy: Well like The Jungle Book for instance.

Tim: The Jungle Book would be a perfect one.

Andy: The Jungle Book is going to be an entirally performance capture movie. As is another project which we at the at the Imaginarium, which is my company... my and Jonathan Cavendish's performance capture studio... we've been developing Animal Farm for a year and a half. And that is a perfect use of performance capture because not only do you get the actors playing all the scenes together and of course what they are metaphorically-- They are human beings portrayed as animals, but also you see a transition say for instance, with the pigs you see them growing from being four legged to two legged animals. You know, a great use of performance capture. So we've been evolving that over the last year and a half. What we intend to do is fairly hot on the heels of The Jungle Book is to bring that into play.

Tim: That would be a great one. I love Orwell. I remember reading that when I was a kid. That is a great one. I'm going to move on to my last question since I'm near out of time. Do you believe that the Academy Awards should create a category for Best Performance Capture Performance?

Andy: I've always said, actually, that I don't think that there should be because really at the end of the day performance capture is a technology; it's another set of cameras that captures an actor's performances. So it's not a two-dimensional camera, or a 3D rig--

Tim: So your saying you want actors to be treated equally?

Andy: Actors are actors, and they are delivering performances. It's just the method by which their performances are caught that's different. How one has to think of it these days is that instead of putting on a costume and make-up and playing a role, the costume and make-up is being applied after the fact. It's digital costume and make-up. The underlying performance is what is crafted and authored on the stage between the other actors, yourself, and the director in exactly the same way. So there is absolutely no difference. Really I've always believed that one is playing another acting role. And, I've never drawn a distinction between live action and performance capture acting.

Tim: Okay, that's awesome to hear because I wish you had been nominated for first Gollum, and then even now Caesar. Hopefully you can get a nomination.

Andy: Thank you.

Tim: And with that I'm out of time. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to chat with me.

Andy: You're welcome.

Tim: And I hope that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a huge success.

Andy: Thank you.

So awesome to sit down with such a great actor! Thank you Andy and 20^th Century Fox for allowing me the opportunity to sit down and talk with him. Funny thing, I interviewed Caesar from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in Caesars Palace. It was a great interview, and I wish I could have got more time. Hopefully again in the future we'll get to talk. Maybe when The Jungle Book is being released. If you'd like more information about Andy Serkis' company The Imaginarium Studios you can check out the site at: theimaginariumstudios.com. And let's hope that Andy gets the well deserved nomination for his performance as Caesar this coming awards season. And, to make Dawn of the Planet of the Apes a huge success go to your favorite movie theater and see it in 3D and IMAX on July 11^th, 2014.

GODZILLA Teaser Trailer Released! VFX look stunning!

WOW! This will be epic in Stereo 3D! Tim here, and my mind is blown my this teaser trailer. I mean, literally blown. Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters from 2010) the short synopsis is: A giant radioactive monster called Godzilla appears to wreak destruction on mankind. The movie stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston. There is still no word on whether this is a native 3D film or a conversion.

The cinematographer was Seamus McGarvey (Marvels: The Avengers) and it was shot on the ARRI ALEXA. Likely it's a conversion, and I believe this since in the trivia for the movie on IMDB it says "For the 1950s scenes, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey wanted "a peeled look with muted colors and diffused highlights." To achieve this, he shot those scenes with vintage 1960s camera lenses and additionally had the shades of black in those scenes digitally tinted in magenta." For now you can enjoy the trailer below as we work to find this native or conversion information out.



OFFICIAL TRAILER:

The way this trailer opens is absolutely stunning. LOVE IT! The paratroopers going into battle over music (Lux Aeterna (1966) by György Ligeti) that was used at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey is absolutely chilling, and visually breathtaking. Edwards did an excellent job with his Monsters movie, writing, directing and doing the VFX for it, and it looks like we're getting a great film with his Godzilla. Apparently you can also check it out on the big screen in front of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug this weekend.

The expected release of this mega movie is May 16^th, 2014 in 3D with Dolby Atmos.

HOBBIT UPDATE: More AUJ Extended Edition Details + Clip

"Rembember, remember the fifth of November." Tim here with some new details on the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition that's coming out this fall. In all the Extended Edition will contain 13-minutes of additional footage and nine hours of bonus content.

First the Extended Edition will be hitting the Digital Download scene on October 22^nd and will be followed by 3D Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD release on November 5^th. The five-disc Blu-ray 3D set will retail for $54.98, while the three-disc Blu-ray will be priced at $35.99; and a five-disc DVD at $34.99. Bonus features include audio commentary with Peter Jackson and co-producer-screenwriter Philippa Boyens; along with "The Appendices," a multi-part documentary focusing on various aspects of the film and the trilogy. All will have UltraViolet, and Digital Download will most likely see a select number of bonus items as iTunes Extras for the digital iTunes release.

"I'm thrilled that the extended edition will give fans the opportunity to experience certain key scenes in the film as they were originally shot, as well as an abundance of special features," Jackson said in a statement. "It's exciting to present this expanded and enriched version of 'An Unexpected Journey' to allow fans to fully immerse themselves in the movie, before seeing the second part of the trilogy."

They also included a clip in the report. You can check out the clip below:

WRITER'S NOTE: Personally I'm not a big fan of the box art. I loved the LOTR Extended Edition box art and wish this was consistent with those, but understand that due to declining home market sales of physical copies of movies the studio needs to do everything they can to make the art recognizable with the movie. It needs to sell. I'm on the Digital Download side, and only buy movies now in that format. If only they'd release a 3D version in Digital Download. Technically they can do this (I've tested iTunes format SBS 3D through AppleTV on to 3DTV), but it has yet to happen.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition hits shelves Novermber 5^th. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits IMAX 3D and RealD 3D theaters December 13^th, 2013, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again hits IMAX 3D and RealD 3D theaters December 17^th, 2014.

HOBBIT UPDATE: Tauriel Image Released!!

Tim here with a new image from THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG of the newly created elf character Tauriel (an elf warrior played by Evangeline Lilly of Lost fame) has been revealed by EW. "She's slightly reckless and totally ruthless and doesn't hesitate to kill," says Lilly. For a larger view of the image click on the image to the left.

As most of you are aware this is a character not originally in any of the writings of JRR Tolkien, and was invented by director Peter Jackson and his co-writers (Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) in order to expand the world of the elves of Mirkwood Forest… and to bring some more female roles to the predominately male cast of THE HOBBIT. "Tauriel is the head of the Elven Guard," Lilly explains. "She's a Sylvan Elf, which means she's of a much lower order than the elves we all became acquainted with in The Lord of the Rings. She doesn't hold the same kind of status that Arwen or Galadriel or Elrond or Legolas do — she's much more lowly. She sort of goes against the social order of the elves a little bit."

Lilly went on to further explain to EW, "She will definitely have a love story," Lilly says. "I can't give away too much about it. It's not a huge focus but it is there and it is important and it does drive Tauriel and her story and her actions." So what is this romance she speaks of and who is it with? EW pressed about whether the romance would involve Orlando Bloom's Legolas, but Lilly wouldn't give them a definitive answer. She did offer this: "Tauriel's relationship with Legolas is significant. They've known each other since they were children, and Legolas' dad, [Elven king] Thranduil, has a soft spot for Tauriel and sees something very special in her. So if you grow up side by side, and your dad has a very special spot in his heart for this young woman who's a fantastic warrior, I think it's hard not to notice her." She laughs [EW reports]. "That's probably as much as I can say."

Lilly continued to add her expectations for Tolkien purists to hate her and the introduction of the new character: "I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are going to be people who will totally hate Tauriel, think that she shouldn't be in the movie, that it's a betrayal of Tolkien, and no matter what I do it won't be right. There will be everything between that and people who adore her and think it's such a fun thing to have added to the film. I kind of got prepped for that being on Lost, because we had avid fans who were really extreme in their feelings about the show and its characters. But I think if anyone knows how to respect Tolkien, it's Peter, Fran and Phil. And Tauriel fits perfectly in that world."

Come December 13^th we can all make up our minds on the addition of the character of Tauriel.

Spivet Gets Domestic Distribution Deal & International Poster

Tim here, and over the weekend Harvey Weinstein did a great service to the US by picking up distribution rights for THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET (French title: L'Extravagant Voyage du Jeune et Prodigieux T.S. Spivet) according to Deadline. As well a new international poster has emerged for the movie. It's geared towards French audiences, despite the movie being in the English language.
Although there hasn't been an announced domestic release date yet, it will hit French IMAX screens October 10^th. With Weinstein obtaining the domestic distribution we can expect a domestic poster and release date soon.
For those of you who are curious about the note on the poster written in French. It reads:

Chère famille Spivet,

Je pars pour quelque temps travailler loin d'ici. Ne vous inquiétez pas. Je ne vous en ai pas parlé, parce que je ne voulais pas vous déranger. Merci d'avoir pris soin de moi, vous êtes un des meilleures familles du monde.

Je vous aime,
TS

Translated to English it says: (Google Translate)

Dear Family Spivet,

I'm off to work some time away from here. Do not worry. I have not told you because I did not want to disturb you. Thank you for taking care of me, you are one of the best families in the world.

I love you,
TS

THE OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

T.S. Spivet lives on a ranch in Montana with his mother, who is obsessed with beetle morphology, his cowboy father, who was born 100 years too late, and his 14 year old sister, who dreams of being Miss America. T.S. is a 12 year old child prodigy with a passion for cartography and scientific inventions. One day he receives an unexpected call from the Smithsonian announcing he has won the Baird award for the discovery of the perpetual motion machine, and is invited to make a speech. Unbeknownst to all, he decides to head for Washington D.C. crossing the United States on a freight train... but no one at the Smithsonian has any idea that he is only a child...

THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET hits IMAX 3D screens this fall.

MUST WATCH: First STALINGRAD Trailer Released!!

Tim here, and as a fellow World War II history buff we can all rejoice because the first trailer for the insanely awesome looking STALINGRAD movie coming out in 3D this fall is out. Directed by Russian Fedor Bondarchuk with the 3D produced by Steve Schklair (3ality Technica; using their TS-5 rig and SIP (Stereoscopic Image Processor)) and starring Thomas Kretschmann (KING KONG, WANTED, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCOLYPSE) this movie looks like a thrill. Could it possibly be a contender for the Best Foreign Picture category at the Oscars this year?

For those of you not familiar with the Battle of Stalingrad, you can read about it on Wikipedia. The opening paragraph says this:

The Battle of Stalingrad (August 23, 1942–February 2, 1943) was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the southwestern Soviet Union. Marked by constant close-quarters combat and lack of regard for military and civilian casualties, it is among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. The heavy losses inflicted on the German army make it arguably the most strategically decisive battle of the whole war. Afterwards, the German forces never regained the initiative in war in the East.

According to IMDB STALINGRAD is the "first Russian movie made completely in 3D and the first non-American film in the IMAX format." This is a pretty big deal for Russia, and depicting the infamous battle screenwriter Ilya Tilkin studied museum archives as well as the diaries of the Stalingrad Battle participants to write his original script.

MOVIE SYNOPSIS (IMDB written by Ilya Tilkin):

Stalingrad has become hell and paradise for those who were worthy of awards, but the only reward they managed to get was love. How they won, and how they were not defeated, who they were and who was on the other side of the street, what secret they have taken away with them - the movie will tell this story.

Below is the trailer:

It has Russian subtitles, and according to IMDB the movie's language will be Russian and German.

The movie is slated to be released  by Columbia Pictures Fall 2013 on IMAX 3D and RealD 3D screens.

**Editor's note: Jim here, I saw some of this in advance at 3ality Technica's offices and man does it ever look good. We're going to be in for a heckuva story and ride with this one!

First Trailer for Jean Pierre Jeunet's THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET In 3D

Tim here with a trailer from the latest movie by acclaimed director Jean Pierre Jeunet (DELICATESSEN, CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, AMELIE and MICMACS). His next film is a 3D family feature titled The Young and Prodigious Spivet and is based on The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larson.

This is a movie that was shot using Cameron | Pace Group 3D Rigs and the ARRI Alexa. After the success of Baz Lurhmann's THE GREAT GATSBY as a dramatic 3D feature this will be a great treat. If any of you have seen Jeunet's previous films you're aware that you're in a for a real treat with him venturing into 3D. He's a true cinematic mastermind, whose every frame is magic to witness on screen. If you haven't seen his previous films the ones listed above are magnificent films to start with.

Here's what stereographer Demetri Portelli said about the director's use of 3D (quote from filmstage.com, where more images from the set are located):

"This is an important film for the 3D industry, Jean-Pierre is a master filmmaker who is shooting very ambitious material on a modest budget. The film stands to prove that extraordinary 3D images can be created of the highest quality with a director who visualizes the story from its inception to be shot in 'native 3D capture.' Jean-Pierre embraced the medium with on-set 3D systems to tell the story of 'T.S. Spivet.' The director will seize many 3D opportunities 'in the moment' as he blocks the scenes and composes his shots. I am amazed at Jeunet's storyboards and how he conceived the film originally in 3D from the script stage. He is playing with the depth space and the timing for his 3D moments."

SYNOPSIS:
A 12-year-old cartographer secretly leaves his family's ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother and travels across the country on board a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute.

Below is the trailer.  

I apologize for the French subtitles, but since this is a trailer for the French speaking countries since they are the only ones with a release date as of yet it's the only one available.

The film stars newcomer Kyle Catlett as the title character T.S. Spivet, and the cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, and Dominique Pinon. Currently there is no North America release date, but it is set to be released in France in October on the 16^th so hopefully it gets a domestic release date soon.

Three Great BTS Videos of THE HOBBIT Visual Effects!

Hey all, Tim here, and I came upon an article written for the LA Times Hero Complex that has an interview with THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri. I've embedded the videos below, but you can also view them along with reading the full interview here.

The interview may be familiar to MarketSaw readers, but the videos are amazing. They show great behind the scenes processes used by WETA Digital to bring the amazing digital characters in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY to life. It's a task just bringing Gollum to life, but to also have to bring the Goblin King and Azog to life along with all the other digital characters is an amazing feat for one film. A job well done.

It should be noted that besides being nominated for their visual effects work on THE HOBBIT: AUJ, WETA is also nominated for their contributions to Prometheus and The Avengers, however AUJ is the only one that had all the work done in one place... at WETA. WETA's work on THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is my pick for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards for this last year.
 

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is still in theaters in 2D, 3D, IMAX 3D, and HFR 3D. It's on route to make $1 Billion at the worldwide box office. If you haven't had the opportunity to check it out yet, there's no better time than now.

World Wide Web 3D | Geolocation & Stereoscopic Space

Part II: Geolocation & Stereoscopic Space

Tim here, and I want to add to a series I'm going to deem World Wide Web 3D (WWW3D) from now on. This will be a multi-part post. However, please don't regard this posting series to be on a regular basis, but sporadically, as articles will come when they come. This article can be attributed in large part to the efforts of Adobe and their recent Web Updates. Adobe Edge brings web animation closer to After Effects, which does stereoscopic graphics as well as any other 3D software application. Where will the web go with this stereoscopic revolution regarding Google Maps?

Simply put: maps are geometric calculations based on the Earth, as measured via scientifically accurate measures from satellites. Google has a street view on major cities, but also very good 3D imaging. Mobile devices are now receiving those direct navigations more accurately, and thus with stereoscopic imaging on phones the major mapping corporations will be able to use all data to accurately portray certain information to people to make them more informed.

Imagine a situation... You and a friend are out in the world, someplace unfamiliar, and you decide to find food. Based on up to date information businesses can be found, and geolocation coordinates can be discovered. Most street view software used by Google images 360° all around a given point, and merges multiple photographs together to make a composite. Soon those multiple images will have simple stereo calculations providing stereo view through processor conversion. This of course requires algorithms written by a standards comity for various screen sizes...

Most WWW3D sites will require standard screen sizes, but at the same time if one could calculate the biggest screen size imaginable and go off percentages of that, then websites and stereo calculations can be easily derived. This comes to cooperation of web-enabled devices' manufacturers. I promise that's impossible in that competitive market. Thus, it will happen in due time: one year and six months. That's at least the time required for standards to be decided on and current autostereoscopic displays could be implemented on devices already out on market. Then the web's tool sets will have to be slightly refined to include stereo space more frequently, and some language may have to be written for commands and style settings.

Now this works perfectly with the major adoptive use for phones, but finding where you're trying to go, that's the big seller of mobile devices. That's why Google Maps was so important to iPhone users. Imagine when all mobile devices are feeding traffic patterns. I know most mobile phones can get an app now that uses to navigation features to give a speedometer. Major speeding violations could possibly be tracked via satellite, and cell carriers could be fined, forcing all passengers to reinforce slower driving. However, that's another concept for another time. The key is stereo integration. Those 3D maps will be able to help people navigate places better, and the future of 3D mapping will shock many.

Don't forget some thoughts on the future from our past interpretations. Automatically navigated vehicles are a major part of those future interpretations. It will be here because of the 3D mapping, which will accurately display more detailed information to the people at the controls. Even law enforcement will benefit because they could use newly gathered traffic data to designate specific speed limits at certain times to all the mobile users in a given area. That's some decent new regulations that are best for safety and avoiding speed traps easier because you're getting a constant reminder from a phone.

How easily will those stereoscopic devices be able to give back web pages that are in stereo? Especially when the software helps code the values in percentages for various screen sizes. This easily allows web designers to gear the stereo content for the maximum screen and each screen smaller than that to a certain percentage based on the standard display sizes. In its nature Adobe Edge does this for animations and other features to be supported on the various screens. Why can't stereo be as easily controlled?

Something that will become a staple of modern technology will be in New York City cabs, and other modern city taxi services, as eventually it is possible for them to have stereo HD touch-screens that run specific apps; such as globalization map oversight, internet connectivity, and naturally ads on both a local, federal, and international level. The experience will be different, but intelligent. Transactions will be able to controlled through it because all taxis will have little computer drives in them that are offloaded by a taxi company at the end of each shift. It's all going to be connected, and the stereo is for the passenger as much as the control is there for the companies, who will make revenue from the ads. Although there are no open plans for this yet, it's a natural evolutionary step to get giddy about. Sure will make taxi rides more bearable.

As a final thought to this topic: Apple led the way with their tablets. The first tablet company (Google's Android is looking solid to lead since MasterImage uses their software) to develop all this into a device that is stereo ready, and push the web aspects along with the app design structure, will reign huge amongst the others. It's an untapped market that will happen in the next year and six months. Adoption of standards, however? We'll see how standards come into practice, and in the next post I'll cover more specifically how future updates to Edge, based on where After Effects has reached, will allow stereographers to work more elegantly through a web environment.

**UPDATED!! Where To Watch THE HOBBIT In 48 Frames Per Second!! Includes Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex (Canada) And Empire (Canada)!

Click to enlarge

**UPDATED, November 7, 2012 - List now includes Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex (Canada) and Empire (Canada) HFR-3D locations!!

There has been some confusion as to where THE HOBBIT will be made available in 48 frames per second HFR-3D and this post is meant to clear that up.

So far we have the locations that have been set up to accommodate High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D for Regal Theatres and we will have more to present to you when they are made available to us.

I urge you to see THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY the way Peter Jackson intended you to see it, HFR-3D. So have a look and see if there's one near you!


Tickets on sale Wednesday, November 7 online and at these participating locations: 

Hit the jump for more...

American Cinematographer Manual 10th Edition to Include 3D

American Cinematographer Manual 9^th Edition

Tim here, I recently got an e-mail from American Cinematographer with the subject line of 10^th Edition of the American Cinematographer Manual. It was an e-mail meant for advertisers since it started "Dear Advertisers," but what caught my eye and might interest you came later in the body of the e-mail:

"Completely reimagined to reflect the sweeping technological changes that our industry has experienced, this edition of the Manual is vibrant and essential reading, as well as an invaluable field resource, covering subjects such as:

A comprehensive breakdown of digital technology terminology

The explosion of prosumer cameras in professional use

Previsualization

3-D

LED lighting fixtures

How to use the Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES)

An entirely new section on digital camera prep, and more!

The Manual will be available in a limited run of 2,500 hardbound copies and in an estimated run of 25,000 print-on-demand softbound copies and ebook formats for the iPad and Kindle."

Sure enough the inclusion of 3D in the manual was bound to happen. I bought the 9^th Edition while a junior in college back in 2008, and have since been anticipating the inclusion of stereography.

If you're an advertiser looking to advertise your 3D product then the basic rates for the 10th edition are as follows: Full page 4/c: $3,700. Half page 4/c: $2,200. Please download rate card and specs PDF file for more details and contact information.

Make your reservations by November 7, 2012. Artwork deadline is November 21, 2012.

The 10th edition of the AC Manual is a must for advertisers looking to reach the broadest spectrum of the industry, from the established professional to the emerging prosumer. It is the ONE resource the working professional will refer to again and again.

Hobbit Trailer #2 Released!

Hey all, Tim here with the exciting and enthralling new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It's a pleasure to see the world of Middle Earth come to life again. Below is the trailer, and following is a quick, hopefully non-spoilerish, sum up.

IN ADDITION: The Hobbit's official website has four additional ending scenes for you to choose! There is some great marketing being done with these movies.

First thoughts are that there will be plenty of humor and action in this first installment of the trilogy. You get a better sense of the plot in this trailer as well. Martin Freeman seems to nail Bilbo, and the exchange between him and Gollum in the trailer is classic. Hands down this will be a serious contender at the Oscars for visual effects, but could Sir Ian McKellan be up for another Oscar nomination as well? I think the Gandalf ending has enough humor and Gandalf goodness to suggest the chances for another nomination.

More discussion can follow in the comments below. For now enjoy the trailer. You can download in Quicktime from Apple here.