MUST WATCH: Final Trailer For KONG: SKULL ISLAND

I have a soft spot for this magnificent creature ever since seeing KING KONG as my first theatrical movie experience in 1976 (I did see WESTWORLD at the drive-in at a younger age). I was thoroughly thrilled and I truly hope there are some out there that are making KONG: SKULL ISLAND their first cinema experience too. I was hooked on movies ever since. Kong makes an impression, let me tell you.

And the tradition continues. Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures is going all out with this production and their final trailer for KONG: SKULL ISLAND is no exception. Honestly, I didn't want to visually spoil more of the movie for myself but what it did really, was amplify my need to see this on the biggest 3D screen possible! You've got to see this in all its glory. Prime Focus is the 3D conversion company of record.

Here's the movie's storyline:
When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King.

Interact:
http://kongskullislandmovie.com
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https://twitter.com/KongSkullIsland
http://instagram.com/KongSkullIslandMovie

KONG: SKULL ISLAND opens on March 10. My ticket is already acquired :-)

GRAVITY Continues To Hold Altitude - Scorching Hot $40 Million Projected Second Re-entry!

Ok, that title doesn't really make sense - holding altitude and also going into re-entry. But it SOUNDS cool. :-)

Remember the original estimate for GRAVITY's opening weekend last week? $40 million, that's right. I said more like $50 million and that hit instead. Why did I think that high a number? Because of the IMAX and 3D surcharges that would be underestimated.

Now the projected earning for GRAVITY in its second weekend is pegged at... $40 million and I think that's about right - maybe $45m. Remember IMAX took in about 20% of the box office take from only 10% of the theaters so I'm thinking that the people that put off seeing the movie in the first weekend due to sold out IMAX venues will definitely be hitting it this weekend while its still scorching hot.

GRAVITY has legs. It'll be with us for a long time and it's primed for awards too. The movie has already pulled in $107 million in under a week worldwide.

You don't need to have an apple fall on your head to know if you haven't discovered GRAVITY yet, you need to get out there and do it! More numbers soon...

First Trailer For I, FRANKENSTEIN Drops!

Ready for a new take on Frankenstein? I am. Really looking forward to see what the producers of UNDERWORLD have in store for us. I know producers Richard Wright and James McQuaide and these guys are tuned in to what audiences are looking for in gothic fun. I'm hoping for a great origins story too to help solidify a franchise here.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam, still walks the earth. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity, Adam discovers he holds the key that could destroy humankind. From the co-writer of the hit supernatural saga, UNDERWORLD, comes the action thriller I, FRANKENSTEIN, written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie, screen story by Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beattie, based on the Darkstorm Studios graphic novel “I, Frankenstein” created by Kevin Grevioux. The story is brought to life by a cast that includes Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein.

I, FRANKENSTEIN opens January 24, 2014.

Update On I, FRANKENSTEIN: New Image And Discussion With James McQuaide EP And VFX Supervisor!

Had a discussion with my friend James McQuaide recently about I, FRANKENSTEIN - he's Executive Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor on the movie and let me tell you this guy knows his stuff. Last time I saw him was on the set of UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING where he took me under his wing and even showed me his complex previz material for UA on an iPad. Then I had the distinct pleasure in watching them shoot what I just saw in concept.

3D is very important to James and to that end they are again implementing LIDAR (also used on UA) to accurately capture the sets of the I, FRANKENSTEIN production. I saw how they use LIDAR first hand on UA, sweeping around in a 360 degree fashion and digitally representing everything. They move the machine around to various locations on the set to capture all angles of objects too of course. The point is, Prime Focus (who are the 3D post-production conversion house for IF) will not only have the 2D footage to work with but also the LIDAR data, allowing for them to literally see behind objects on set and accurately apply depth. LIDAR not only provides 3D geometric information, but also RGB which can all be applied on the 2D optical image for post-production.

Says James on LIDAR:  "Loved it so much that we purchased a Faro Focus 3D (which we used daily on IF)."

I firmly believe this is the future of 3D conversion - LIDAR or some derivative. Mark my words.

Continues James: "We shot and posted it all in Australia (including all VFX). Think it's pretty great. Comes out in January. We're in the process of converting it with Prime Focus and it's looking very good. All of the VFX facilities have provided layers, effects, etc. to ensure that the 3D is spot-on - we have quite a few enormous VFX shots that would be a nightmare to convert without elements. We also LIDAR-ed most every set which is, again, aiding the accuracy of the conversion."

"...Prime Focus has the advantage of working on a picture that is not in flux; they've been working for months now and have (1-2 months) still to go; it was an imperative before we committed to the conversion that there was sufficient time; I, FRANKENSTEIN is a terrific picture and deserves the kind of conversion quality that only time can buy."

By the way, they're already talking about an I, FRANKENSTEIN sequel so I'm expecting Lionsgate is very happy with the results thus far. Can't wait to see it! More when I get it.  

Stay tuned for the upcoming I, FRANKENSTEIN trailer dropping on Friday!

I. FRANKENSTEIN opens in 3D on January 24, 2014.

Image Source: Machinima

Possible Bankruptcy Looming For Digital Domain - What Will It Mean To All Of Their Operations? Potential Silver Lining? And A Michael Bay Statement...

Click to enlarge

With a recent filing with the SEC, Digital Domain Media Group states that they are defaulting on a $35 million loan now, bringing their now owing number to $51 million plus another $16 million in interest and penalties. But further than that, it also told the SEC: "An inability to quickly access additional sources of liquidity to fund the company’s current operating cash needs would materially adversely affect its financial condition and would require it to seek relief or protection from its creditors."

The local Florida newspapers are tearing up not only the leadership of Digital Domain, but also of their political leaders who bought into the glitz of having a big piece of Hollywood in their backyard. DDMG had received promises of $135 million in cash, financing, land and tax credits from Florida and the cities of Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach. Apparently DDMG only had $6.6 million in cash back on June 30.

It seems that Digital Domain's film school built in cooperation with Florida State University will be able to continue operation. Says FSU's Andrew Syder (Director of Digital Media Programs): "We’re in bed with Digital Domain. But if Digital Domain went belly-up tomorrow, we’ve designed our curriculum so we can still serve our students. Our students wouldn’t be left high and dry."

The film school is unique in that it allows the $28,000 / year program students to work for Digital Domain while learning. That option may now not exist if a bankruptcy ensues. Hopefully that's not the case.


Many well known celebrities have been associated with Digital Domain over the years. The company's website still lists James Cameron and Stan Winston almost as if they are still involved as founders (remember this t-shirt from 1996 when they were working on AVATAR) - clearly that's not true with Cameron busy with Lightstorm Entertainment, his world breaking dives and other projects, and the sad passing of Winston in 2008. Dan Marino was also a very visible investor in the company.

Here's a statement from Michael Bay on Digital Domain:
"For those people and press asking: I stopped being an officer or director of the company over three years ago, and have not owned stock in the company for some time. I have remained a loyal client and supporter of the company however. It has amazing people and talent, and it still can be a great company! During this difficult time, my thoughts are with the great people I've had the pleasure to work with at DD."

I have also received word from someone who works for Digital Domain and it's not looking like there is much silver lining to any of this:
"Things are up-side-down here. It looks as though the In-Three Re-Vamping-Expansion is going to be a bust. Cuts are coming across the board."

In-Three was a top tier 3D conversion specialist that Digital Domain bought out in 2010.

SAME DAY UPDATE: I just received a great email from Barry Sandrew of Legend3D. In it, he passes on his comments about the state of the industry and DD itself:

"At issue: Here is a company, DD laying people off while another, Legend3D is hiring like crazy. The question is… which is indicative of the current state of the industry? My message is that the industry is alive and well. Florida was a very unfortunate anomaly that is not representative of the Industry. Lots of talented people, many that had jobs and some that were promised jobs, are unemployed today because of DD closing down their Florida operation. I know of at least one family that sold everything and was driving out to Florida for what turned out to be a non-existant job. But fortunately, these people do not have to be unemployed. Legend3D is hiring to meet an increasing demand for both our expanding 3D conversion business as well as our StereoWorks service that offers both 2D and 3D post production and VFX.

It's important that people understand… DD has historically been and continues to be an exceptional, if not iconic VFX studio. Indeed, the industry would be negatively affected if DD were not here. Legend3D has worked closely with DD on several projects, the most memorable of which was Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The cooperation and professionalism from their very talented artists and management was instrumental in making that project a success. I believe it's positive that they are currently in reorg mode. The downsizing will be very difficult for many people but it will likely mean the long term survival and a healthy turn around for DD."

I'm uncertain as to where this leaves Prime Focus and their licensing of Digital Domain's (In-Three) 3D conversion technology. I've reached out to someone I know at Prime Focus and we'll see if everything's good on their end. Hopefully it's full steam ahead for them and that this potential bankruptcy doesn't affect other companies and individuals.

**UPDATE, Sep 12: I've heard from my friend Bobby Jaffe, CSO and Vice Chairman of Prime Focus and here's his comment on the situation: "Our agreement with DD is a perpetual agreement and forever unaffected by any changes to the management or financial situation at DD."

A silver lining? Potentially. Those unemployed artists can perhaps take solace in the fact that there are other companies hiring - and hiring many. Legend3D for example is currently on the hunt for 150 compositing and depth conversion artists, rendering technicians, software programmers and data managers for upcoming projects that they have secured from three major studios. Their timeline for hiring? The next 3 months. Perhaps this is the opportunity that many have been looking for and perhaps some good can come out of this bad situation.

I want to firmly state my opinion on this matter: DDMG's demise has nothing to do with 3D or conversion. 3D Conversion is very much alive and thriving. DDMG's condition is due to over zealous leadership and decisions that were made by many (including politicians that should have known better) that has caused these events to take place. Best of luck to everyone involved - I hope that you will land with your feet on the ground in a timely fashion!

Sources: DigitalDomain | ShootForTheEdit | South Florida Business Journal | Palm Beach Post | TCPalm

3D Conversion Tech Legal Disputes: Digital Domain And Prime Focus Settle; Thomas Randolph Sues StereoD Including Giovanni Ribisi

There have been some interesting legal developments in the 3D conversion space this week, one disagreement being settled amicably and the other just starting to develop.

First off we have a software producer, Thomas Randolph who has made a claim against 3D conversion specialist StereoD for failure to pay him a 5% cut of the company.

Here's a portion of the story taken from Courthouse News Service:
Randolph and his company Interactive Artists LLC sued William Sherak (son of nonparty Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and a former partner of Revolution Studios); movie producer Christopher Mallick; actor Giovanni Ribisi; Kuniaki Izumi, the owner and developer of VDX software; and Hollywood agent David Phillips, who along with Sherak allegedly introduced Randolph to Mallick.

Mallick formed MRSR LLC fka StereoD LLC in 2009 to market and sell Izumi's VDX technology, according to the complaint. Randolph claims that he created the business plan for the 3D conversion company and introduced Mallick to Izumi's software, which converts 2D movies into 3D.

Randolph says he met with Mallick in late 2008, while he was a principal of Kerner Technologies, when the filmmaker expressed an interest in converting 2D movies into 3D.

Randolph says he told Mallick about the VDX technology, and persuaded Izumi to combine VDX technologies with Kerner's CPX technologies and with Kerner's consent entered into a venture with Mallick.

Under the terms of deal, Randolph would be the venture's Chief Technical Officer, own a 5-10 percent stake and license FrameFree and CPF technologies from Kerner, according to the lawsuit.

Randolph is seeking damages for breach of contract, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, intentional interference with contractual relations, fraud and negligent misrepresentation. His representation is Alexander Volchegursky, with Lvovich, Volchegursky & Szucsko, in San Francisco.

---

Secondly we have a settlement between Digital Domain (who recently bought the top tier conversion house In-Three) and Prime Focus. The two companies will be actually working together in the future so it is my understanding that this is an amicable arrangement.

Here's the press release for the settlement:

Digital Domain Media Group and Prime Focus World Settle DDMG Patent Infringement Claim on 3D Technology Through Licensing

Companies Will Collaborate on Visual Effects and 3D Conversion for Feature Films

Port St. Lucie, Fla. And Los Angeles, CA — July 18, 2012 — Digital Domain Media Group (NYSE: DDMG) and Prime Focus World NV have signed an agreement whereby Digital Domain Media Group (DDMG) will license its 3D conversion technology to Prime Focus World. The agreement settles and terminates the patent infringement litigation action filed by DDMG against Prime Focus World in 2011. Under the agreement DDMG and Prime Focus World will collaborate on visual effects and 2D-to-3D conversion services work for feature films.

“Ultimately this was a lawsuit between two companies that enjoy working together, so we’re happy to put it behind us and resume our prior relationship with Prime Focus one of performing high-quality VFX work collaboratively,” said John Textor, CEO and Chairman of DDMG. “We understand that Prime Focus has its own significant 3D technology and we are pleased to report, as this license suggests, that they respect ours as we respect theirs.”

“Prime Focus is dedicated to delivering the highest level of conversion to its clients. The technology that we’ve licensed from Digital Domain Media Group enhances our own robust proprietary processes and increases our efficiency for our customers. We look forward to continuing our work with DDMG on their most important VFX projects,” said Namit Malhotra, CEO and Chairman of Prime Focus World.”

Through the Digital Domain Stereo Group, DDMG owns the six U.S. patents that represent the original commercially feasible computerized process for converting 2-dimensional filmed imagery into 3-dimensional stereoscopic imagery. The DDSG patents provide fundamental coverage of any modern conversion process that involves rotoscoping (i.e., computerized, semi-automatic and semi-automatic conversion with roto), and relate to any conversion process that includes horizontal image displacement / transform. In 2011, DDMG made its patent portfolio available to select companies in the broader industry through a studio-friendly licensing program. Prime Focus joins Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., which licensed DDMG’s technology in 2011 for use in its consumer electronics, components, services and software businesses.

About Digital Domain Media Group
Digital Domain Media Group (DDMG: NYSE) leverages its expertise in digital visual effects (VFX) and computer-generated (CG) animation across a group of interrelated businesses. At its foundation is Digital Domain Productions (DDPI), an award-winning digital production company founded in 1993. This leading provider of visuals has contributed to more than 90 major motion pictures, including Titanic, the Transformers series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and TRON: Legacy, hundreds of commercials, and recently created the virtual likeness of rapper Tupac Shakur for Dr. Dre’s show at the Coachella Valley Music Festival. Mothership, a DDPI subsidiary, focuses on creating advertising, entertainment and branded content from concept to completion, across multiple media platforms. DDMG, its work and its employees have been recognized with numerous awards, including seven from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The company is building on its success in VFX to participate as a co-producer in major productions and is currently co-producing the upcoming live-action sci-fi feature film Ender’s Game, as well as virtual likenesses for Elvis Presley that will be jointly owned by CORE Media Group and DDMG. DDMG also converts two-dimensional (2D) imagery to three-dimensional (3D) imagery and holds key patents in this area. The company is also applying its CG expertise to produce original, family-friendly animated feature films at its subsidiary Tradition Studios. The first movie, The Legend of Tembo, is in pre-production and two more features are in development. The company’s education subsidiary, the Digital Domain Institute, sets a new standard in digital media education through a pioneering public-private partnership with The Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. DDMG is expanding its worldwide footprint of the highest quality visual effects and animation at the lowest possible cost through global partnerships in India and China. The company has studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Florida, Vancouver, Mumbai and London, and is currently establishing studios in Beijing and Abu Dhabi. http://www.ddmg.co

ABOUT PRIME FOCUS WORLD
Prime Focus World is a leading global technology services company providing comprehensive creative and technical services to the film, broadcast and advertising industries. Providing 2D to 3D conversion, visual effects and animation services for major media and entertainment companies, the Company has brought its expertise to many wide release Hollywood films, including Men in Black 3, Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Green Lantern, Immortals, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Avatar. Prime Focus World has global operations with a presence in key centers of creative content production – Los Angeles, New York, London, Vancouver and Mumbai.

This post makes no interpretation of who is right and wrong in these legal matters that are in the hands of the courts.

STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE Finished Conversion? Apparently So!

Apparently Bleeding Cool spoke with Prime Focus' Matt Bristowe about STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE and Bristowe confirmed that they have finished the conversion and the George Lucas himself has signed off on it.

It's rare that a conversion house will talk about a project before it has been officially announced as completed by their client so this is a rare treat. MANY will tell me things in confidence but I am sworn to not reveal the details to anyone, let alone publicly.

Of course I'm looking forward to seeing all these movies in 3D - and when we finally hear about the next trilogy in the STAR WARS universe I'll be even more happy :-)

CinemaCon 2011: Spoke With Cameron, Landau And Lucas At Luncheon - Prime Focus Update

Hey guys! Exciting day as I was present for the luncheon today at CinemaCon focused on stereoscopic 3D.

I had the pleasure of talking briefly with Jim Cameron and Jon Landau before the session started. Jim introduced me to George Lucas as I had never met him before and let me tell you, if you are going to meet Lucas you can't do any better than a nice intro from Mr. Cameron! Did not get a chance to speak with Katzenberg. Michael Lewis from RealD moderated the panel.

It was a very special day in a number of ways but not the least of which was the content of the event which was worth the trip in my mind. I captured the whole thing on video and will get segments of it up ASAP.

The major points were:

George Lucas:
1. Theaters are here forever.
2. ILM worked with Prime Focus on converting EPISODE I.
3. 3D is like color. He compared 3D to color and digital to sound in that sound and digital has changed everything but color and 3D have improved it. We are at the same stage with digital as we were with celluloid in 1900.
4. EPISODE VII will be in 3D and holographic!!! (Tongue in cheek) - however, we all know that it is coming... :-)
5. The reason he is doing another re-release is simply because there is a new generation of kids out there that own the mvoies, play with the toys and recite the dialogue, yet they don't have their own modern release. This one in 3D is for them.

Jeffrey Katzenberg:
1. Thinks #1 new thing coming in 5 to 10 years is being able to eat a meal at the theater (like ALAMO does today).
2. DWA has new chips on their way (really just scalable parallel processing) that will enable his team to work in REALTIME rather than wait and wait for rendering before being able to see their work and edit.
3. After seeing Zemeckis' POLAR EXPRESS in 3D, that was the moment he decided 3D was for DWA and bet the bank on it.

Jim Cameron:
1. Thinks 48 or 60 frames per second will be the next big thing and I happen to agree. More on this tomorrow!
2. Still against conversion for first run movies in that he believes native 3D is superior (I agree on this!), though he is converting TITANIC. Obviously they aren't going to redo the movie in native 3D!
3. True conversions should take 6 to 8 months, not 6 to 8 weeks and only about 20 movies are worthy enough to be converted.
4. AVATAR 2 and 3 are planned to be shot at higher framerates.

To add some further flavor to this post, I spoke with Bobby Jaffe with Prime Focus last night (and met him today along with his team) about their work on STAR WARS: EPISODE I.

Prime Focus was the sole 3rd party converter on this project and contrary to reports on other websites, the conversion is COMPLETELY done. ILM assisted of course. PF was doing 5 other movies concurrently with EPISODE I, yet completed the work in 16 to 18 weeks (not including 2 months of prep time with ILM and Lucasfilm). This is in contrast to the statement Cameron made today about the time it takes for a good conversion NOT being 6 to 8 weeks, but rather 6-8 months. Obviously 16-18 weeks is over double that smaller time period, but still makes you think if there was enough time to do it justice.

Bobby Jaffe assures me that there was enough time. They certainly have the manpower to accomplish it with 3000 total worldwide employees in LA, London and Mumbai, two thirds of which are in 3D conversion (the other third is in CG effects).

George Lucas himself took a very personal role in the conversion process as he reviewed the reels and progress made through ILM once shipped from Prime Focus.

So why should we be a little more confident about 3D conversions from Prime Focus after the CLASH OF THE TITANS debacle? Well for a number of reasons:
1. Prime Focus' expertise has grown over the past 18 months. Katzenberg mentioned this as well as to how production costs have come down from $15m to $10 to make a 3D movie in his house.
2. Much improved conversion technology. Of course no technology company is going to idly sit by and watch their tech go obsolete and so it is with Prime Focus as well.
3. The Lucasfilm vote of confidence. This is what does it for me, just as it did when DWA endorsed Legend 3D for their conversion projects. Any company that George Lucas chooses to do business with has been vetted and vetted again in order to get the keys to their kingdom, STAR WARS.

Lastly I asked Bobby that if he could name just one scene in EPISODE I that looks the best in converted 3D. Of course he said what I was thinking he would say: The pod racing. Makes sense right? Can't wait to see this thing!!

Conversion has come a long way since I started MarketSaw in early 2006. A VERY long way. I am still with Cameron in that native 3D is still superior to conversion for stereoscopic needs, but let me tell you that I am not hesitant in going to and recommending a 3D conversion for audiences. THE GREEN HORNET was amazingly well done. Not perfect, but well done.

Of course I still have Jim Cameron's framerate discussion tomorrow morning as well! And I hope to speak further with him one on one as well. STAY TUNED!!

Legend3D Appoints Former Prime Focus CEO As President

Current President and Founder Barry Sandrew Continues All Conversion Operations and Technology Development as COO and CTO...

SAN DIEGO (Nov. 16, 2010)—Legend3D, Inc., the leading innovator in 2D-to-3D conversion technology, today announced that Rob Hummel has joined the company as president, effective immediately. The former executive of 3D conversion company Prime Focus will play a highly strategic role, closely collaborating with Geoff Goodman, Legend3D’s executive vice president of new business development, in directing top projects and studio relationships. This appointment will allow Barry Sandrew, company founder and current president to better focus his energy on 3D/VFX technology development and creative oversight of feature films and commercial projects.

The expansion of Legend3D’s executive team is a direct response to the influx of feature film, broadcast commercial, and catalog film conversion projects; Legend3D’s much-praised conversion of Alice in Wonderland for Disney; as well as its ongoing 3D work for several major Hollywood studios. Of note, Legend3D’s four-person executive team now collectively holds 12 patents and represents multiple decades of film and entertainment experience. With Hummel’s appointment as president, Legend3D remains well-positioned as the leader in delivering high-quality conversions on time and on budget.

“Rob’s unique strategic knowledge of film and digital entertainment, backed by his comprehensive knowledge and experience in cinematography, post production, animation, film restoration, and all aspects of digital capture, scanning compositing and visual effects will greatly strengthen Legend3D’s ability to continue its mission. He will help produce the seamless, highest-quality 3D storytelling experience that renowned film makers have come to expect from us,” said Barry Sandrew, founder, COO and CTO of Legend3D. “It’s an honor to welcome Rob to our executive team.”

Prior to joining Legend3D, Hummel served as CEO, post production, of Prime Focus North America. Before that, he was the president of Digital Cinema at DALSA Corporation, where he led the charge into the motion picture industry for the company’s 4K camera. He also worked on numerous high-profile projects, including The Dark Knight, for which he helped test the post production pipeline and proof of concept to deliver the film in IMAX format. Hummel has also held senior vice president positions at Warner Bros.—where he advised on motion picture technologies, including digital restoration work for Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz—and at SONY, where he led the development of the company’s Digital Cinema strategy. Additionally, Hummel’s vast portfolio within the filmmaking industry includes leadership positions at Technicolor, DreamWorks Animation and The Walt Disney Company.

As a proponent of motion picture technology throughout his career, Hummel is an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and also serves on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Science and Technology Council. He has hosted numerous Academy events, covering a variety of subjects from film formats to 3D cinematography, and also has taught at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2006, Hummel was honored by ShoWest as a pioneer in the digital cinema field, recognizing his ongoing contributions in advancing the digital cinema.

Hummel will be based out of Legend3D’s Los Angeles office. For more information about Legend3D, please visit www.Legend3D.com. For press inquiries, contact Taryn Unruh at 619-234-0345.

About Legend3D
Legend3D is a dynamic digital media and visual effects company. Legend3D utilizes patented 2D-to-3D image conversion technologies to enhance filmmakers’ storytelling by creating the highest quality dimensional conversions possible. Legend3D’s conversion artists are helping filmmakers connect with audiences worldwide and are rapidly setting the industry standard for 2D-to-3D conversion. Legend3D has completed 3D conversions for Warner Brothers, Sony, Disney, and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Hewlett Packard, M&M Mars, New Balance, the Michael Jackson Tour and MTV. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Barry Sandrew, Legend3D is headquartered in San Diego and operates facilities in San Diego, Los Angeles and Patna, India. For more information, visit www.Legend3D.com.

Legend3D is a top tier 2D to 3D conversion company and is highly recommended by MarketSaw. Best wishes for Rob Hummel in his new role and continued success for Barry Sandrew's expanding company!