The 3D Premiere Of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD To Have 3D Gaming Too: RESIDENT EVIL 5

Jim here. It's zombie night at the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on October 3rd. Not only is the world 3D premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (NOTLD) taking place, but NVIDIA will also be there to allow attendees to dispose of zombies in stereoscopic 3D with their 3D Vision technology and Capcom's RESIDENT EVIL 5!

PassmoreLab did the modern conversion of NOTLD and they are really looking forward to showing their 2D to 3D expertise at the festival.

Rose McGowan (GRINDHOUSE) will be on hand to introduce the movie.

The event is open to the public for a $10 per person minimum donation, with proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center. Gates open at 5:30 pm. Picnic dinners, drinks (including alcoholic ones), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees will receive free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering.

Resident Evil 5 is the latest PC game to take advantage of NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, which transforms standard games into eye-popping, jump-out-of-your-seat, 3D experiences. Not only did its creator Capcom design "out-of-screen-effects" to scare the daylights out of gamers, they also rendered all of the game's cinematic cut-scenes with the same immersive 3D effect. The critics have raved about the game running on NVIDIA 3D Vision. Said Jeff Haynes of IGN.com, "Resident Evil 5 was designed to fully take advantage of 3D, [with] certain segments of the game piercing the digital 'fourth wall' with a sense of negative depth that is quite incredible."

"Night of the Living Dead was one of Johnny Ramone's top ten horror film favorites of all time," said John Cafiero, chief of staff of the Johnny Ramone Army, an official entity acting on behalf of the seminal punk rocker and his Estate preserving the icon's memory and legacy. "What better way to celebrate the world premiere of this incredible flick in 3D than to give people a virtual experience to fight the living dead in Resident Evil 5 in 3D on NVIDIA's latest gaming hardware."

For more information: 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, NVIDIA 3D Vision, PassmoreLab.

Biggest ZOMBIE Movie of All Time Sets 3D Premiere - NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

Jim here. Got a special treat for you zombie and 3D fans - we've got a freshly minted 3D conversion of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD by the experts over at PassmoreLab! I have been looking forward to seeing this conversion for some time now and it should be a ton of fun. Greg Passmore and his team seem to have really pulled off a classic here. 3D zombies? Sign me up!

Here is our exclusive first look at the event and press release (emphasis is mine):

The original 1968 version of the mother of all zombie films, George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", has risen from the dead -- literally -- as the film's 3D conversion is complete and its world premiere is now set. San Diego based 3D producer PassmoreLab, in conjunction with the Johnny Ramone Army, has confirmed that the World Premiere of the movie will take place at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2009, as a part of the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute.

Ramones’ guitarist Johnny Ramone created the enduring template for punk rock guitar. With his blazing power chords and brutal licks energizing Ramones' classics like "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Rockaway Beach" and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker", Johnny inspired generations of punk bands until his untimely death from prostate cancer in 2004, at age 55. His annual tribute, now in its fifth year and attended by thousands of fans, takes place at the foot of his 8 ft. memorial bronze statue inside the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

"Johnny was a huge horror movie buff, and "Night of the Living Dead" was one of his top ten horror film favorites of all time. We’ve started a tradition screening some of Johnny’s favorite movies, paired in a double feature with vintage Ramones concerts each year at the annual tribute," said John Cafiero, Chief of Staff of the Johnny Ramone Army. "We are working with PassmoreLab on another project, and it was just great timing and a perfect fit to show "Night of the Living Dead 3D" for the very first time at the tribute. You couldn’t ask for a better setting… It’s going to be spectacular."

"Night of the Living Dead", originally shot in black and white over 40 years ago, was painstakingly restored, colorized and converted, frame by frame into full 3D using Passmorelab's proprietary technology. The process, which took over 12 months to complete at a cost greater than the film's original production budget, was no small feat.

"I am a huge fan of this movie, and so it had to be done with complete precision," said Greg Passmore, president of PassmoreLab. "We love the genre and as cult classics go, this is mother of them all. If you are going to convert a horror classic, this is the one you want to see in 3D."

"Night of the Living Dead" is perhaps one of the greatest low budget cult movies ever made and is certainly one of the most influential. Its brutally harrowing documentary-style shooting can be seen in many latter-day films including “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield”, which earned hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, respectively.

"Night of the Living Dead" was #9 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments and #4 on Johnny Ramone's top ten list of horror movies. In 2001, the American Film Institute (AFI) named the film to a list of 100 important thrillers.

“We think fans of the film, young and old, will really like zombies in 3D," said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab's head of Branding & Distribution. "For the purists out there, this is the original film, converted into 3D for everyone to enjoy again, but now in 3D for the first time. The fact that we are premiering it at the cemetery will just add to the history of the film and its enduring legacy as one of the greatest of all time."

The World Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead 3D" and the Johnny Ramone Tribute event are open to the public for a $10 per person minimum donation entrance fee with net proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone prostate cancer research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus. Gates for the event will open at 5:30pm, and picnic dinners, drinks (including alcohol), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees of the event will get free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering. Celebrity guest speakers will be in attendance and autograph signings will be scheduled with sole surviving founding member, Ramones drummer & producer Tommy Ramone, and youngest member CJ Ramone. Rare memorabilia will be exhibited along with an art show (curated by Barbara Ramone), of original paintings by the legendary Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who will receive special homage at the event, as well. Opening featurettes include animated music videos from the Johnny Ramone Army and Osaka Popstar, presented for the first time anywhere in 3D by PassmoreLab. The evening concludes with a vintage Ramones concert shot in 1977 entitled “Its Alive” and the world premiere of "Night of the Living Dead 3D".

“Johnny felt this movie was shot amazingly and looked genuinely scary,” said Linda Ramone, wife of the legendary guitarist. “He would have been thrilled that the 3D version of the original “Night of the Living Dead” had its world premiere at his tribute. He loved horror movies and he loved the polarized 3D exhibits, so experiencing one of his favorite films that way is something Johnny would have really enjoyed. It’s perfect for the event."

"Night of the Living Dead 3D" can be seen in selected US theatres and in wide release in 3D theaters in Europe, starting in October. "Night of the Living Dead 3D" will be available in anaglyph DVD on Amazon.com by Christmas, and a 3D TV version will be available when 3D BluRay becomes commercially available.

About PassmoreLab
Passmorelab, the “World’s Largest 3D Content Provider”, 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 Johnny Ramone Army
For more information about the Johnny Ramone Army and tribute, visit http://www.johnnyramone.com

About Hollywood Forever Cemetery
For more information regarding directions, parking and screening rules, visit http://www.cinespia.org/howto

PassmoreLab is a sponsor of MarketSaw

Exclusive: "Night Of The Living Dead" Coming Soon In 3D!

Jim here. Just had a great conversation with Greg Passmore of Passmore Lab in San Diego (2D to 3D conversion experts) and was I ever excited to hear about their latest project: Breathing 3D life into the 2D colorized version of George Romero's classic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

I don't know about you guys, but when I first saw this movie, it scared the living cr*p out of me! It is serious piece of work as I am sure most of you guys know. It also created permanent, distinct neural pathways within my brain that to this day still gets under my skin. Zombies. :-)

Here's the interview:

MarketSaw: Hi Greg - wow! NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of my all time favorites! How did you come to the decision to convert NOLD to 3D?
GP: I really love the film Jim. When I started talking about it around the office, much to my surprise, I found lots of other people here who also love the film. It just seemed like a natural. Legend has, by far, the best copy and colorization of the film. I pestered Legend for months to get them to agree to let us do it.

MarketSaw: What sort of distribution have you come up with for the movie?
GP: Originally it was slated for VOD and 3D DVD. We have found some strong interest in European distribution and maybe even limited theatrical in the US. Ultimately however, the film is destined primarily for home entertainment.

MarketSaw: What challenges are you facing in the conversion?
GP: The film was not exactly shot in 70mm film, so the challenges of 3D conversion bring with it the challenges of restoration and bump up. However, I want to preserve some of the raw, grainy look. That's it. The actual conversion is not an issue. Invite over your buddies, make some popcorn and enjoy it on your big 3D TV.

MarketSaw: What part of the movie do you think holds the most promise for a "wow - in your face" 3D zombie effect?
GP: Ha ha. Zombie hordes and the cemetery scenes. I'm not to big on the gross stuff, but I'm sure some of that will give younger viewers a thrill.

MarketSaw: You also created the software for the conversion of NOTLD to color back in the day - any special software you create for this effort?
GP: Yeah. We have been working with Legend for about 10 years. Barry, Legend's resident genius, had some complex ideas for efficient colorization. Our lab wrote all the colorization software for them and one of the many, many films they colorized was NOLD. We started out as a software house and still have a team of big gun software developers on staff. That helps us do these kind of odd applications which require proprietary and highly specific software.

MarketSaw: Passmore Lab has been active for quite some time now in 3D circles - have you noticed any notable evolution in recent years? Hardware, software? I know you use the RED cameras...
GP: It is starting to feel real. For several years, I felt like 3D might be an insane thing to do. It is still the dumbest or smartest business thing anyone could do. Time will tell. However, I am feeling better about the direction of the industry. We have two groups involved in 3D; a live shoot team in San Diego and our conversion team spread over three countries. The live 3D shoot team was originally formed to create reference footage for testing the quality of the 3D conversions. It has since expanded to be more than that, but ultimately we are still a lab. As such, we have installed state of the art 3D microscopy gear (4k, uncompressed), autostereoscopic displays, a huge theater, built a custom 3D Red rig, developed and use underwater 3D rigs, and have installed lots and lots of computing power - all for testing and development of tools and techniques for 3D production. We are finicky about using the scientific method for metrics and validation. We don't want rigs you bump into alignment with an elbow or finger wiggle into place. We want precision instrumentation that is repeatable. For example, our 3D microscope rig has precision bearings, computer control and a 1 micron accuracy. We want to free the artists from the current home brew camera rigs, so they can focus on their art, not the clumsy gear made of bolts and screws from the local machine shop that typically makes replacement mirrors for obsolete cars. We want biotech quality, not automobile shop quality.

MarketSaw: I am impressed with your Lab expansions! Must be like a wonderland in there for 3D fanatics! Which leads me to my next question: Tim Burton is shooting ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 2D and then converting to 3D. James Cameron has attacked that approach - what do you think of that debate?
GP: Shooting 3D is great when you want reality. I don't want to just see realistic films. Conversion allows you to control 3D showing something other than reality; your dreams, your nightmares. I want to see things that do not exist in the real world. Color cameras shoot the sky as blue... I might not want the sky to be blue. For storytelling, conversion is more flexible.

MarketSaw: That is a very interesting point that I had not yet heard. I can see the logic behind that. Any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?
GP: We are converting the beloved Spike and Mike Animation Festival. There is a lot of crazy stuff there and we love converting cell animation to 3D. We are also converting a lot of stuff for the studios that they force me not to discuss. In live action, we are shooting a 3D film on the worlds most incredible caves. Totally, absolutely crazy caves. The world's deepest pits, biggest ice caves, underwater rivers, skeletons, paintings, sacrificial pits, and cave spiders, scorpions and bats galore. Fun project, but physically challenging. We are destroying a lot of gear for that film,. We have converted some crazy footage for Ripley's Believe it or Not. One piece has this guy who can pop his eyes out of his head - something in 3D I promise you will never forget.

MarketSaw: There are many die hard NOTLD fans out there who criticized the colorization of the movie - do you think the same will happen with 2D->3D?
GP: Maybe. However, I think it adds a lot of value and most importantly, it is FUN. This film is not Casablanca. The best way to avoid criticism is to do nothing. Not an option with my personality.

MarketSaw: Will the conversion be 100% faithful, or will you be adding or enhancing anything?
GP: 100% faithful to the film, but we have cut a new trailer that is more contemporary.

MarketSaw: Can't wait to see that trailer! Any other black and white classics you are thinking of converting? Personally, I would love to see more black and white converted to 3D - I think it works VERY well.
GP: We have a list of a couple dozen B&W films in our queue. Some of them are obvious, like famous concerts, but we are also doing some not so obvious educational pieces to help engage students in important historical events. We are also converting some more recent art B&W films. These include live action, cell animation, even pencil drawings. The pencil drawing animations are really cool.

MarketSaw: How long does it take you to complete any given conversion project Greg?
GP: All the usual disclaimers about difficult content and difficult customers, but about 6-8 weeks for a feature.

I want to thank Greg for all the insightful comments and for taking on a dream project of mine - and I didn't even have to ask! ...and just to set the mood - here is the original (and not the best copy) of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in blcak and white - ENJOY: