THE FORCE AWAKENS - And Yours Truly - Among Winners At This Weeks Advanced Imagining Society Creative Arts Awards!

Yes, this year's Advanced Imaging Society's Creative Arts Awards was an exciting event for many, many reasons including our own 40 BELOW AND FALLING which I had the pleasure of helping produce along with a truly exceptional team. We won the 3D Feature Jury Prize and are deeply honored with the Lumiere.

Here's the official press release:
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Advanced Imaging Society bestowed 20 honors for “distinguished achievement” at the Creative Arts Awards on Wednesday night, at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Disney/Lucasfilm) was honored with two Lumiere statuettes, for Best 3D Live Action Feature and Best 2D to 3D Conversion (StereoD). “The Martian” (20th Century Fox) was also honored with two awards, for Best Live Action Stereography and Best Use of Native 3D. “The Walk” (Sony/Legend3D) won 3D Scene of the Year for its Act 3 high wire walk by actor Joseph Gordon Levitt. Pixar was honored with 3 Lumieres, including: Best 3D Animated Feature and Best Animated Stereography for “Inside Out” (Disney/Pixar) and Best 3D Short for “Lava” (Disney/Pixar).

“Conquest of the Skies” (Colossus Productions), hosted by Sir David Attenborough, won Best 3D Documentary. The Russian cinema commercial, “Schvabe” (StereoTec) won for Best 3D Advertising. The 3D short “Hard Reset” (Buk Films) won for Best Live Action Short. “Emma” (Pannon Entertainment) was awarded for Best use of High Dynamic Range. “Great Barrier Reef,” (Atlantic Productions) also hosted by Sir David Attenborough, won in the Best Ultra HD content category. The Best Virtual Reality Experience was awarded to “The Walk: Virtual Reality Experience” (Sony/Create Design LA).

Marvel’s Victoria Alonso, who heads the Studio’s Physical Production Unit and serves as Executive Producer on many of the Studio's blockbuster hits, was presented with the Harold Lloyd Award for filmmaking.

BBC and BBC Earth were awarded the annual Sir Charles Wheatstone Award for excellence in natural history documentaries.

“With movies like ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘The Martian,’ and ‘Inside Out’ competing for our top honors, we had an extraordinary awards process this year. 3D has never had a better year at the box office, or a better year in terms of brilliant creative work,” said Society President Jim Chabin. “With the addition of Virtual Reality, High Dynamic Range, and Ultra HD entries, our members are clearly working at the very cutting edge of our industry’s future,” he added.

Several Jury Prizes were presented for special achievement. Director Raman Hui was awarded a Lumiere for 2015’s “Monster Hunt,” (Edko Films Limited) the biggest box office hit in Chinese history. The romantic comedy “40 Below And Falling” (Avatar Media), the 3D Short “Coda” (National Film Board of Canada), and the Japanese animated children’s film “Gamba” (Shirogumi) were also honored with jury prizes.

“Our honorees this year came from all over the globe, from China to the UK, to Europe, Canada, and of course Hollywood, 3D has truly come of age,” said Society Awards Chairman Buzz Hays. “Both the high level of quality and the quantity of 3D, HDR, and VR production is impressive,” he added.

Here are the night's winners in detail:

HAROLD LLOYD AWARD
VICTORIA ALONSO
MARVEL

SIR CHARLES WHEATSTONE
BBC EARTH

3D LIVE ACTION FEATURE
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
DISNEY/LUCASFILM

3D ANIMATED FEATURE
INSIDE OUT
PIXAR

STEREOGRAPHY LIVE ACTION
THE MARTIAN
20TH CENTURY FOX

STEREOGRAPHY ANIMATED
INSIDE OUT
PIXAR

3D SHORT ANIMATED
LAVA
PIXAR

3D SHORT LIVE ACTION
HARD RESET
BUK FILMS

3D DOCUMENTARY
CONQUEST OF THE SKIES
COLOSSUS PRODUCTIONS

UHD
GREAT BARRIER REEF
ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS

BEST USE OF NATIVE 3D
THE MARTIAN
20TH CENTURY FOX

HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE
EMMA
PANNON ENTERTAINMENT

BEST USE OF 2D TO 3D CONVERSION
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
DISNEY/LUCASFILM

3D SCENE OF THE YEAR
THE WALK
(SCENE: TIGHT ROPE WALK BETWEEN WTC TWIN TOWERS)
SONY/LEGEND 3D

VR
THE WALK: VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE
SONY/CREATE DESIGN LA

3D ADVERTISEMENT
SCHVABE
STEREOTEC

3D FEATURE JURY PRIZE
40 BELOW AND FALLING
AVATAR MEDIA
CANADA

3D SHORT ANIMATED JURY PRIZE
CODA
NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
CANADA

3D FEATURE JURY PRIZE
MONSTER HUNT
EDKO FILMS LTD
CHINA

3D ANIMATED FEATURE JURY PRIZE
GAMBA
SHIROGUMI
JAPAN

On behalf of our director Dylan Pearce, producer Andy Scholotiuk and everyone else involved with 40 BELOW AND FALLING, I'd like to thank everyone involved with the Advanced Imaging Society for the honor, and the continuing passion for our industry. It was a tremendous year again for 3D highlighted with STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS dominating the box office and setting records and the top 4 movies of the year being in 3D.

2016 looks to be another amazing year!!

More Trade Coverage: Variety | THR

MUST WATCH: It's Here!! Our Trailers For 40 BELOW AND FALLING In 2D And 3D!

Most of you probably know that I'm producing 40 BELOW AND FALLING, and today is a rather large day for us as we're releasing our 2D and 3D trailers for the movie AND we're premiering the movie in 2D on Super Channel tonight (8pm)!

The 3D is standard side-by-side (SBS) format in YouTube. You'll need a 3D compatible monitor/TV and glasses to view. I use my Samsung TA950 27" monitor which will accept SBS.

A lot of awesome work from the team has gone into the production and I'd like to thank Dylan Pearce who directed the movie, Darren Arsenault who is executive producer and Andrew Scholotiuk who produced. An amazing team that also includes executive producers Brad Ferguson, Pierre-Andre Rochat, Roma Roth and a diverse Canadian cast and crew. Wes Miron was our cinematographer and Dylan Reade our stereographer - an awesome tandem. You can read more about the team on our movie's website. Oh and our grizzly bear - Whopper!

Here's the storyline for our movie:
After teaching in a northern, remote fly-in community, Kate Carter (Jewel Staite - FIREFLY, SERENITY, THE KILLING) is happy to be returning to civilization and her impending wedding. When a storm moves in, cancelling all flights and road travel, Kate is trapped in the middle of nowhere. She is forced to convince Redford (Shawn Roberts - RESIDENT EVIL, X-MEN), a surly stranger, to make the trip with her via snowmobile. Getting along like oil and water, Kate and Redford fight their way across country, facing terrible winter conditions, grizzled mountain men, wild animals and each other. As the journey culminates, Kate learns that there is more to Redford than just his rough exterior and when she finally makes it to her wedding, she’s no longer certain that she’s choosing the right man.

I hope you all really enjoy it and in turn see the movie! I think it's firing on all cylinders and is absolutely entertaining - love the characters! I'll have more news coming up soon.

2D Version:


3D Version:


Facebook: 40 Below and Falling 3D | Twitter/Instagram: 40Below3D | www.40belowandfalling.com

Release Date!! Very Proud To Announce 40 BELOW AND FALLING Is Set To Premiere This Month!

I am so very proud to announce that the movie I'm producing, 40 BELOW AND FALLING, is premiering on Super Channel on August 27 at 8pm ET on SC4! I love working with this talented group of people - simply a huge amount of excitement about this release and I have to say Jewel Staite and Shawn Roberts really nailed their roles. Our director, Dylan Pearce put his heart and soul into this and it SHOWS! It's a ton of fun - I can't wait for you all to see it.

The Super Channel premiere will be in 2D and I'll have more details about further distribution in the coming weeks.

Also - look for more media from the production coming very soon!

Here's the official press release:
12pt Media’s Romantic Adventure/Comedy 40 Below and Falling PREMIERES on Super Channel on August 27th at 8 pm ET on SC4.

Directed by Dylan Pearce (Baby Blues, I Think I Do), the film stars actors Jewel Staite (Firefly, The Killing) and Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil, X-Men) along with a superb Canadian support cast that includes Cindy Busby (Heartland, Cedar Cove), Shaun Johnston (Heartland), Mark Meer (Mass Effect 3) and Hollywood trained grizzly bear Whopper from Innisfail, Alberta.

40 Below and Falling tells the story of Kate Carter (Jewel Staite), a small town school teacher who is moving back to the big city for her wedding. When a blizzard strikes, her flight gets cancelled and the roads are shut down, leaving Kate no choice but to hop on the back of a surly stranger named Redford’s (Shawn Roberts) snowmobile. As they battle the winter elements together and their adventures unfold, Kate slowly starts to question the choice she has made about the man she is set to marry.

The film was made in Edmonton and across Alberta by Producer Andrew Scholotiuk (Baby Blues, I Think I Do), Executive Producers Darren Arsenault (Baby Blues, I Think I Do), Brad Ferguson, Pierre-Andre Rochat, Roma Roth, Associate Producer Jim Dorey and a diverse Canadian cast and crew. Produced in association with EFF Media Investments and with the assistance of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit Program, and DARO Films. 40 Below and Falling is one of the first romantic adventure/comedies to be shot in both 3D and 2D.

About 12pt Media:
12pt Media develops and produces innovative productions for cinema, television, web and VR with an emphasis on new 3D technologies.

Facebook: 40 Below and Falling 3D | Twitter/Instagram: 40Below3D | www.40belowandfalling.com

We Are Wrapped!! 40 BELOW AND FALLING Enters Post Production!

We're wrapped! Into post we go. What a journey so far and I'm thrilled to be a part of such an awesome movie. I'll be sure to keep you all up to speed on happenings in post production as well and we have some surprises in store for you!

Here's our official press release: 

EDMONTON - That’s a wrap! Filming in Edmonton is officially complete on 12pt Media’s 3D Romantic Adventure/Comedy 40 Below and Falling. The film stars actors Jewel Staite (Firefly, The Killing) and Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil) along with a superb Canadian support cast that includes Cindy Busby, Shaun Johnston, Mark Meer and Hollywood trained grizzly bear Whopper from Innisfail, Alberta.

40 Below and Falling tells the story of Kate Carter (Jewel Staite), a small town school teacher who is moving back to the big city for her wedding. When a blizzard strikes, her flight gets cancelled and the roads are shut down, leaving Kate no choice but to hop on the back of a surly stranger named Redford’s (Shawn Roberts) snowmobile. As they battle the winter elements together and their adventures unfold, Kate slowly starts to question the choice she has made about the man she is set to marry.

The movie was filmed in Edmonton and various locations across Alberta with a custom manufactured beam-splitting rig. This cutting-edge technology allowed the team to effectively shoot in freezing Canadian temperatures with reduced setup times for all of the film's remote locations. The feature is now entering into post-production, utilizing Davinci Resolve, AVID, NUKE and After Effects to meet its quick delivery date at the end of May. The complicated workflow involves over 150TB of data and is being managed in house by 12pt Media.

Executive Producers Darren Arsenault, Corinne Ferguson, Pierre-Andre Rochat, Producer Andrew Scholotiuk, Associate Producer Jim Dorey, along with the crew, are hard at work behind the scenes getting the film ready for its expected release in the fall of 2015. 40 Below and Falling is currently scheduled to be broadcast in Canada in 2D on Super Channel, with an international release being handled by distributor DARO Films out of Monaco.

Produced in association with the Edmonton Film Fund and with the assistance of the Government of Alberta Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit Program.

Stay up to date on the film’s adventures and get in on some of the behind the scenes action by following 40 Below and Falling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook: 40 Below and Falling 3D
Twitter/Instagram: 40Below3D
www.40belowandfalling.com 

Stay tuned for more!
 

New Behind The Scenes Shots From 40 BELOW AND FALLING!

Here's a couple more shots from the set of 40 BELOW AND FALLING that I'm producing along with Andrew Scholotiuk, Darren Arsenault, Corinne Ferguson, Pierre-Andre Rochat. The Director is Dylan Pearce who I leave alone now as much as I can as he is obviously focused on delivering his vision in 3D of course and 4K! 

That snowmobile you see in the first shot plays a very key role in the movie and it's cool to see it in the flesh rather than read about it in the script! You can see Shawn Roberts (Redford) behind it with the boom mic extended - a chilly day but rewarding for all.

The second shot is of Jewel Staite (Kate) outfitted in a formal gown. Being shot in Edmonton and it's Northern Alberta region, it's definitely brisk in winter; but as we know and many, many other productions, that country is simply gorgeous. And the story demands it! Can't wait for you to see it.

It's extremely interesting to be a part of the mechanism behind making a movie and this crew is absolutely top notch. And day to day planning is of utmost concern especially with an outdoors winter production. For those of you not in the know, we get daily Call Sheets outlining everything you can imagine from call times to set requirements to locations all methodically laid out and in order. It's wonderful to see it all come together so elegantly.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Starring high in demand Canadian actress Jewel Staite (series regular on Joss Whedon’s hit TV show Firefly and his feature film Serenity, and star of the AMC/Netflix drama series The Killing) and Canadian actor Shawn Roberts (star in the hit movie franchise Resident Evil, co-star in Edge of Darkness, and X-Men) – 40 Below and Falling tells the story of Kate Carter, a teacher from a small, Northern Canadian town, who is moving back to the big city for her wedding. After quitting her job and packing up her life, Kate feels certain that this is the future she has always wanted – that is until her flight gets cancelled by a blizzard and she meets a surly stranger named Redford. With all road travel being suspended, Kate is forced to hop on the back of Redford’s snowmobile and embark on an adventure that will leave her questioning the decision she has made about the man she is set to marry.

For the full boilerplate for the movie, be sure to check it out here. More cool stuff when I can get it for you - stay tuned!

ACTION! Our 40 BELOW AND FALLING 3D Started Lensing Today - In Native 3D 4K!

AND we're underway shooting in Edmonton! Can't wait to bring you up to speed as it happens. I'm so very excited about this special movie and getting you -in close- and behind the scenes with Jewel Staite, Shawn Roberts and our great crew. I'll have more shortly, but for now - we are rolling!

Here's our official press release today:

The cameras are now rolling in Edmonton on the set of 12pt Media’s 3D Romantic Adventure/Comedy 40 Below and Falling. The film will be shot in native 3D using custom built side-by-side and beam-splitting rigs. This new cutting-edge technology has been adapted to effectively shoot in freezing Canadian temperatures and can be easily transported to many different locations – including the Rocky Mountains.

‘We’re able to tap into whole new markets with 4K 3D, and being set in the mountains means we will be able to explore the environment in a way never seen before’, says Producer Andrew Scholotiuk.

The cast and crew will be shooting across Alberta and all around Edmonton under the guidance of Director Dylan Pearce. Joining lead actors Jewel Staite (Firefly) and Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil) are superb Canadian actors Shaun Johnston (Heartland), Cindy Busby (Heartland), Mark Meer, Francis Damberger, Stephanie Wolfe, Janice Ryan, Sevinn Joshee, Mark Labelle, Howie Miller, Mark Kandborg, Belinda Cornish, Reamonn Joshee, Christopher Craddock, Christine Sokaymoh Frederick, Darren Arsenault, Samuel Marty, Ashley Barlow, Tom Edwards, Adrian Young  and Whopper the Bear.

40 Below and Falling tells the story of Kate Carter (Jewel Staite), a small town school teacher who is moving back to the big city for her wedding. When a blizzard strikes, her flight gets cancelled and the roads are shut down, leaving Kate no choice but to hop on the back of a surly stranger named Redford’s (Shawn Roberts) snowmobile. As they battle the winter elements together and their adventures unfold, Kate slowly starts to question the choice she has made about the man she is set to marry.

With an exciting team of producers at the helm - Executive Producers Darren Arsenault, Corinne Ferguson, Pierre-Andre Rochat, Producer Andrew Scholotiuk and Associate Producer Jim Dorey - the film is off to a great start. 40 Below and Falling is currently scheduled to be broadcast in Canada on Super Channel in the fall of 2015, with an international release being handled by distributor DARO Films out of Monaco.

Join us on our filming adventures by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Instagram.

Facebook: 40 Below and Falling 3D
Twitter/Instagram/Vine: 40Below3D
www.40belowandfalling.com

For all media requests and inquiries please contact:

Mika Lirette at info@12ptmedia.com

Much more coming soon!

Romantic Comedy 40 BELOW AND FALLING Shooting In Native 3D 4K - Yours Truly A Producer!

I am so very excited to finally announce that I am a producer on our soon to be shot romantic comedy 40 BELOW AND FALLING 3D starring Jewel Staite (FIREFLY, SERENITY, THE KILLING) and Shawn Roberts (RESIDENT EVIL, X-MEN and EDGE OF DARKNESS). I'm working with an outstanding team of individuals led by Executive Producer Darren Arsenault, Producer Andrew Scholotiuk; and Director Dylan Pearce - this is definitely a movie you'll want to see.

Our stereographer Dylan Reade has done amazing work with IMAX (HUBBLE 3D, UNDER THE SEA 3D, JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC) and I'm looking forward to see the magic that he and Pierce will create in the Canadian west.

Casting Jewel Staite as Kate and Shawn Roberts as Redford is a perfect combination for the story - their personas that you've seen thus far in their careers amplify the characters in 40 BELOW.

40 BELOW AND FALLING is going into principal photography this month in gorgeous native 3D and in 4K on location in stunning Alberta, Canada.

Be sure to check out our website 40belowandfalling.com, Facebook and Twitter.

Here's our official boilerplate:
It’s not the latest Canadian weather forecast, but the title of the newest feature film being brought to you by innovative production company 12pt Media. Directed by Dylan Pearce, the Romantic Adventure/Comedy will be unique to its genre, being one of the first ever to be shot in both 2D and 3D. Whether or not you’re a fan of heavy snowfalls, this feature film will leave you falling in love with winter.

Starring high in demand Canadian actress Jewel Staite (series regular on Joss Whedon’s hit TV show Firefly and his feature film Serenity, and star of the AMC/Netflix drama series The Killing) and Canadian actor Shawn Roberts (star in the hit movie franchise Resident Evil, co-star in Edge of Darkness, and X-Men) – 40 Below and Falling tells the story of Kate Carter, a teacher from a small, Northern Canadian town, who is moving back to the big city for her wedding. After quitting her job and packing up her life, Kate feels certain that this is the future she has always wanted – that is until her flight gets cancelled by a blizzard and she meets a surly stranger named Redford. With all road travel being suspended, Kate is forced to hop on the back of Redford’s snowmobile and embark on an adventure that will leave her questioning the decision she has made about the man she is set to marry.

The movie will capture the beauty of the Canadian Rockies, small town Alberta, and the city of Edmonton, all with groundbreaking 3D 4K technology brought to life by production company 12pt media. 12pt Media is a new company run by – Producer Andrew Scholotiuk, Executive Producer Darren Arsenault, and Director Dylan Pearce. Previous works include the Canadian and international hits I Think I Do and Baby Blues.

40 Below and Falling is also produced in association with the Edmonton Film Fund, The Alberta Media Fund and The Canadian Film or Video Tax Production Credit Program and Associate Producer Jim Dorey - host of the online 3D site MarketSaw.com. The film is currently scheduled to be broadcast in Canada on Super Channel in the fall of 2015, with an international release being handled by distributor DARO Films out of Monaco.

Stay tuned for more exciting news as winter unfolds on our set of 40 Below and Falling! Rest assured I will have some very interesting interviews, behind the scenes videos, clips and more.