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

World Box Office: THE FORCE AWAKENS vs. AVATAR? Forget it... Look At All That Cheddar.

As I've been postulating for weeks now (other than the fact I knew there was no way AVATAR 2 would hit its latest release date), there is no way STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS challenges James Cameron's AVATAR in worldwide box office. Let's face it, worldwide box office is the number that matters most and while the domestic record is an awesome achievement, it's only a third of what really matters or in SWTFA's case, half. Yes, TITANIC may sink, but AVATAR is quite safe.

Was there really any doubt about this? Not to me. There's the old description of a four quadrant movie that sort of fits both movies: Males under 25, Males over 25, Females under 25 and Females over 25. I think SWTFA delivers admirably on this, but not in the league of AVATAR. But of course there is much more to the story than just four quadrants.

Many will argue that shiny new 3D technology helped push AVATAR to dizzying heights and while that is true to some degree, SWTFA has nostalgia and an extremely well established fanbase and, count 'em, SIX previous feature releases. SWTFA also has 3D revenue in MORE theaters. AVATAR was an original work. That more than balances the scales.

Here's why AVATAR will remain king of the world in my opinion:
1. James Cameron. The world loves him. They love his movies and love his environmental stance. That's a huge reason why AVATAR commanded the box office it did. SWTFA must measure up to this standard of relevance or fail in my opinion. Cameron is AVATAR's scientist to SWTFA's fantasy magic. It's a very interesting comparison to contrast AVATAR's environmental message to THE FORCE AWAKENS' well... force, and while I'm sure I'll hear from more Star Wars fans on this (I am one!), AVATAR much better aligns with true Science Fiction. Star Wars embraces the supernatural, albeit in a passionate, space opera setting. Don't underestimate the power of "James Cameron Presents". Just his name alone will bring in masses of people. Abrams is good and is getting better, but he doesn't command Cameron's respect yet in the theater - and very probably never will. Cameron IS Captain SciFi. I feel the pure SciFi play is a better option for box office when we're dealing with four quadrant movies.

2. Everyone can relate to AVATAR's story. Indigenous people's oppression. The environment. Corporate greed. Romance. The world responded to it. It had legs. With SWTFA however, the story continually evolves around the soap opera of grandparents, parents, siblings and children with unexpected gasps from audiences as lineages are revealed. There needs to be more at stake and more that relates to our world directly to connect as AVATAR has. THE FORCE AWAKENS needs more meat to move to the next level. Perhaps EP. VIII or the spin offs will.

3. The AVATAR sequels will punch up cinematic technology once again and potentially set the bar even higher in the coming years. You didn't think he was done with just 3D did you? You can bet Cameron will be marketing some new technology very, very hard for the sequels. AVATAR broke amazing ground with 3D, crossing the uncanny valley with photo realism, performance capture and virtual real-time cameras. You can expect more of the same for the sequels only with technology 10 years better. Imagine what he could and will do.

So if not SWTFA, then what will overtake AVATAR? AVATAR 2? Maybe. I suspect the movies will be BETTER than the original (as Cameron always shines in sequels) and will do massive box office, but AVATAR was a must see event for the world. It will be hard to replicate that again and re-energize that urgency. That being said, if there is one person in the world that can beat James Cameron, it's James Cameron. He's already proven that. And there's plenty of causes that are of urgent priority on this planet. Mine that cheddar.

Movie Review - STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - 9.4 Stars! Spoiler Free!!

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OK it's time! I've only seen STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (SWTFA) once, but it was in IMAX 3D so it was a premium theater and the brightness of the projection was ample and the sound was magnificent.

First off, if you haven't seen the original three movies (Ep. IV, V and VI) I think you should do so before seeing VII. Secondly if you haven't already seen those movies - what are you thinking? :-) SWTFA can certainly stand on it's own, but much of the past 'soap opera' fill in the blanks are missing.

So let me tell you right from the get-go, JJ Abrams knocked this thing out of the park. I was truly worried he wouldn't capture the spirit of the original movies - the 'je ne c'est quoi' - that makes the original trilogy what it is to millions of fans. But he did it. There are elements in the movie that are certainly "Abrams'esque", and you'll know when you see them, but nothing pulled me out of the movie to think about it.

In many ways, it's the best Star Wars film to date. I don't take those words lightly. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but given what Abrams was able to deliver within the scope of this universe - BRAVO!

I won't talk about specifics because the movie just opened and many haven't been able to see it yet obviously, but I will say this: 

1. The 3D was great. Not perfect (it's a conversion) but I could tell effort was made to produce this movie for 3D from the beginning and that was refreshing. There was only one shot that was jarring and I'll bet it was a Disney executive's call to do it. I don't think a creative would have. Anyway, it was a brief shot and we can discuss in the comments (where spoilers can and do exist!).

2. The score and sound effects were absolutely stellar. Go see it for the audio alone!! Just breathtaking.

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3. JJ Abrams directing has seemingly jumped to the next level here. Truly, an awesome display of blockbuster showmanship and I didn't know he could rise to this level. He certainly has. We're talking close to the caliber of Spielberg, Cameron, Lucas here for SciFi. Yes, he's that good now. And I've had plenty of reservations about him before (STAR TREK in particular).

By the way, there was NO STAR TREK TRAILER pre-rolling last night. I was very disappointed. (Cineplex IMAX in Canada)

4. GO NOW. Go while the truest Star Wars fans are there watching. Nothing, NOTHING beats being the middle of fans like this. The impromptu clapping, laughter, gasps and pointing. It's experiences like this that will keep movie theaters alive in this era.

I'll talk about more in the comments. Again - THE COMMENTS WILL HAVE SPOILERS!! Don't read them unless you want to be clued in on aspects of the movie. You've been warned! Let me know your thoughts on the movie guys!!

What Can You Expect Before And After STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS At The Theater?

Well you should arrive early as word has it the first trailer for STAR TREK BEYOND is attached to pre-roll in front of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS :-) I'm very happy to hear that and hopefully it includes some shots of the movie too and not just an I'm coming soon text laden visual.

As far as after SWTFA, I'm a firm believer in watching all the end credits of a movie I truly enjoy and I fully expect to do so with this movie - but there won't be any mid or end credit scenes to wait for according to director JJ Abrams himself.

But... do stay to honor all those that worked on the movie if you enjoyed it. You can be sometimes very surprised who you see up there to begin with and it's the ethical thing to do :-) Credit where credit is due.

So join me opening weekend for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS in 3D! Can't wait. I'll be seeing it in multiple formats and the first will be IMAX followed closely by REALD (UltraAVX). Stay tuned for my review!

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS opens on December 18. STAR TREK BEYOND is slated for release on July 22, 2016.
 

Amazing New 3D Covers For STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS From Empire

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Anticipation is still seeming to mount despite a near frenzied feeling already about the upcoming release of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Helping to drive home this point is six new covers from Empire Magazine featuring characters from the movie. They apparently have 3D lenticulars - so definitely collectible.

The first set of three show off Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and Hans Solo (Harrison Ford) of course followed by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). I'm loving the rich colors but clearly Ford was photoshopped as a younger Solo - intentional for the movie? Or cosmetic for the cover? You decide.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers.

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In the next set of three we have Rey and BB-8 (Daisy Ridley), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Finn (John Boyega). Christie seems to be perfect casting for this role. She's 6'3" and I'm sure will take on all challengers! Great hero poses from the cast.

Have you pre-purchased your large screen format, 3D tickets yet? You can bet I have. Can't wait. This thing is going to be massive. AVATAR massive? No way. SWTFA might break 2 billion, but it won't catch AVATAR. If you think differently - let me know!

MUST WATCH: New International Trailer For STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

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Well hello. This new Japanese trailer for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS looks stunning! Many new scenes and not too much given away regarding spoilers - although more than what we're used to from Abrams. Certainly there are visual spoilers and characters have their closeups but don't be worried about learning too much of the storyline. That being said, this trailer goes into more depth than the domestic materials so as usual you are being warned.

And... the poster is new as well! Adam Driver's Kylo Ren dominates the new Korean poster and it looks sensational.

SWTFA is going to look amazing in 3D. I've got that feeling. I think everything about this movie is going to be perfect. The story, the imagery, the soundtrack, the characters, the soul. The pressure on JJ Abrams to deliver this thing must be off the scales, but he seems to be taking everything in stride. I've seen the domestic trailer in IMAX and it brings chills. Can't wait for its 3D.

I've already have my ticket bought for opening night and I urge you to buy ahead of time as well. You'll want to see this thing early to 1. enjoy it and 2. avoid the spoilers that will undoubtedly be flying EVERYWHERE on social media the day after opening.

Enjoy the trailer!

STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS opens on December 17.

World Exclusive: Han Solo And Chewbacca Final Concept Artwork For STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS !!

This is the real deal folks! I received these concept art images directly from my top STAR WARS source and so you know these are absolutely legit. This is the same source that gave us the exclusive information years ago that STAR WARS VII, VIII & IX are coming and that the original cast would be involved. I have complete and absolute trust in this source, so have a look and enjoy!

These are absolutely final iterations of concept art for Episode VII.

I am loving the artwork here. Looks like a gorgeous watercolor (by hand?) with Solo's name in grey at the bottom right and Chewbacca may be a pastel or digitally done. I'll leave you guys to zoom in and do further analysis which I'm sure you will be doing, but Han Solo in particular definitely looks the hero role! And that's an awesome full length coat he's got on! Definitely has a western brown leather feel to it as opposed to his black and white fashions of the original series.

He definitely still has it! There are few actors that can carry a role like Harrison Ford and I can't wait for him to revisit this iconic character. Back behind the wheel of the Millennium Falcon!

Speaking of iconic roles, how about Solo's good ol' buddy Chewbacca? Check him out! I don't see too much in the way of difference with Chewy except for perhaps some aging going on. Maybe some of you eagle eyed Star Wars fans can spot some differences that I'm not.

Chewy does look quite pensive in the artwork. What's on his mind? Looks a little worried about something.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the early look at these pieces of final concept art while you can. I suspect Lucasfilm will want to have these removed soon. Just a guess.

I will have more STAR WARS and AVATAR exclusives coming up soon. You KNOW I will :-) Have a happy holidays everyone! Nothing beats an early gift right?

STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS will open on December 18, 2015.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Teaser Trailer Here!

Tim here with the first exclusive teaser trailer for star wars: The Force Awakens finally upon us! Let me say that it's pretty awesome! Below is the YouTube video:

You can also head over to Apple Trailers to watch it, and if you have a an AppleTV it's able to be played on your HDTV through that by going to the Trailers app. First thoughts are that the opening shot is very JJ Abrams, and gets the trailer moving with some quick glimpses of his vision of the Galaxy Far, Far Away… It's John Beyega in Stormtrooper uniform without his helmit seemingly stranded on Tatooine. We get a brief look at a new droid, followed by an intense three (possibly four) shot sequence with Stormtroopers in a drop ship. Next we get Daisy Ridley on top of a speeder, and I must comment that she looks like a descendent of Padme Amidala based on her facial structure, and as a result the daughter of Leia and Han Solo. That seems to fit with the running theories. We then get an interior shot of an X-Wing pilot followed immediately by an exterior shot of that X-Wing being joined by two others. And we finally get the forshadowing shot: a tracking shot of a Sith, in a snowy and wooded environment, walking amongst the trees until something/someone causes him to pull out his red lightsaber. Note the cool design where the hilt of it shoots out short perpendicular blades. And the trailer concludes with the money shot: the Millennium Falcon soaring over the sky while the camera tracks it back down to the surface of Tatooine and two TIE Fighers shooting at it… and missing.

 star wars: The Force Awakens is set to hit theaters Dec. 18, 2015. JJ Abrams is directing, and it stars John Boyega, Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley with Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher also reprising their roles. It's shot in 35mm Film, with some sequences shot in 70mm IMAX film, and will be a 3D conversion.