Kodak adds film stock for location shooting

Even while digital image capture is constantly on the become dominant in filmmaking, Eastman Kodak is pushing the limits of film. The organization has added a brand new daylight stock to the Vision 3 Film family. The brand new stock, Vision3 50D Color Negative Film 5203/7203, combines the business's advanced Vision 3 imaging technology right into a fine-grained, daylight-balanced film meant to give filmmakers more options and versatility for shooting on location. "This accessory for the Vision3 Film portfolio is made to give remarkable creative latitude to cinematographers employed in daylight conditions," stated Kim Snyder, prexy of entertainment imaging and Vice president, Eastman Kodak Co. "This new stock - the best-grained negative available on the market - offers a mix of unmatched resolution, reliability, and proven archival abilities."50D is really a low-speed film enhanced for taking images in natural or simulated daylight conditions. The brand new stock includes Vision3 technology developments, like Dye Adding Technology and sub-micron imaging sensors to be able to deliver extended highlight latitude - around two stops of more overexposure - in addition to better signal-to-noise performance, particularly in over- and under-exposure. Additionally, it offers enhanced color consistency within the entire exposure range, per Kodak, which added that all of these features provide cinematographers having the ability to shoot challenging high-contrast outside, and stick to the action into vibrant highlight moments without lack of image discrimination.Cinematographer Blake Evans ("The CenterInch), who examined the film, stated: "I needed to worry-test the contrast abilities of recent 50D stock, therefore we shot a couple of moments inside a high-contrast exterior situation that incorporated vibrant whites and shadows. I uncovered normally, and adopted the actors' faces because they moved in the sun in to the shadows. The negative was processed normally, so when I saw the footage as DVD dailies, I discovered the grain a small bit tight at nighttime foot from the shadows."That states a great deal, thinking about the 50D emulsion had been an excellent fine grain," he added. "This new 5203 stock dug deep in to the shadows and maintained neutral colors, particularly in your skin tones. There is also no biasing from the whites within the vibrant highlights."Vision 3 stocks also have shown obvious good things about the publish-production process, per Kodak, for the reason that remarkable ability to render finer-grain images in underexposed areas produces cleaner film-to-digital transfers. The emulsions also process light more effectively and record greater detail within the highlights, the organization added, which allows cinematographers as well as their colorists to extract more image information throughout digital publish-production without presenting items. Based on Kodak, 50D offers all of the necessary characteristics that permit one negative film to do well in film recorders, including its very fine grain, high definition, excellent latent image keeping and reciprocity qualities, in addition to a low-level of unwarranted crosstalk between your color channels."We realize that digital camera models are enhancing, however the industry holds film because the benchmark through which they are judged," states Snyder. "This new emulsion is yet another illustration of Kodak's dedication to filmmaking technology and continuing innovation." * * * Kodak also underscored its resolve for film by naming Benedict Salazar Olgado as person receiving this year's Kodak Fellowship in Film Upkeep, an award created promote and support generation x of preservationists and archivists in the market. Olgado gets to be a cash scholarship from Kodak that's given by AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists), additionally to some four-week summer time internship the coming year, organized by Professional-TEK, a Kodak company that works world-famous film and video upkeep vaults, and offers inspection and restoration management services. The internship includes an extensive agenda with training at Professional-TEK, Chace Audio by Luxurious, and FotoKem's digital and photochemical lab. Kodak started this program 12 years back, and 11 of history readers are actually employed in the area at such organizations because the Library of Congress, NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) and also the Academy of movement Picture Arts & Sciences. "We designed the Kodak Fellowship program to enhance the training that future preservationists and archivists receive," states Professional-TEK veep Ron Utley. "They gain contact with the, hands-on experience and also the chance to satisfy lots of people inside a thriving and passionate community. It's an effective way for Guys to judge next steps for his or her careers."A local from the Philippines, Olgado will get a masters degree in moving image archiving and upkeep from NYU's Tisch School from the Arts in May 2012. He acquired experience like a senior administrator in the Southeast Asia Off-shore Audiovisual Archive Association and done projects with UNESCO and also the Anthology Film Archives. His lengthy-term goal would be to become an energetic area of the worldwide upkeep community and safeguard audio-visual legacies. "This recognition states and fortifies my dedication like a budding audio-visual archivist," stated Olgado. "I am searching toward developing my abilities this summer time, and am honored to fit in with a roster of people who've gone onto become key gamers within the area." Contact Peter Caranicas at peter.caranicas@variety.com

Warner releases new Dark Dark night Increases images

Warner Siblings have launched a brand new batch of official stills in the Dark Dark night Increases, just just in case you were not already excited enough with this week's grand unveiling from the first full trailer.The brand new images provide a clearer impression of Batman's new weapon (not that we understand precisely what that gun is perfect for), in addition to showing the Dark Dark night back aboard the Batpod.Elsewhere, gleam new picture of Bane, by which Tom Sturdy will get another chance to demonstrate his recently stacked physique.We'd suppose will most likely be all of the the brand new marketing material for some time, although expect to determine the viral campaign click back to gear following the Christmas break.The Dark Dark night Increases is launched within the United kingdom on 20 This summer 2012. Meanwhile, we'll have to give that trailer another watch. Learned them back off by heart yet? We are getting there...

Director Don Sharp 1922-2011

Hammer stalwart dies, aged 89The director Don Sharp, whose extended career incorporated a string of Hammer classics, has died aged 89.Born in Tasmania, Sharp headed for England after the second world war, beginning around the film and television career that spanned 4 decades. He started by helping cover their acting roles like the Cruel Sea as well as the famous BBC radio sci-fi series Journey Into Space, but soon switched to writing and pointing.Following some domestic dramas, crime thrillers and teen rock'n'roll movies inside the fifties, he acquired his first job with Hammer on 1963's Hug In The Vampire, the studio's second work for balance a Dracula follow-up without Congressman Congressman Christopher Lee (or indeed Dracula). He did however get moving with Lee round the subsequent The Demon Ship Pirates and Rasputin The Mad Monk, and from Hammer, the pair also labored with round the initial few films inside the Fu Manchu series, just before the reins wound up to Jesus Franco.For television, he directed cases of Ghost Squad, The Avengers, The Champions and Hammer House Of Horror, which he'd further cinema accomplishments with Psychomania (George Sanders versus. satanic bikers!), Hennessy, Callan as well as the Robert Powell version in the Thirty-Nine Steps, having its infamously thrilling clock-dangling finale.Powell also starred in Sharp's final film, What Waits Below, in 1985, and Sharp's last pointing work for television was round the Barbara Taylor Bradford series An Action Of Will, in 1989.

Kasdan's 'Companion' to open Santa Barbara fest

'Darling Companion'Lawrence Kasdan's "Darling Companion" will open the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Jan. 26 at the Arlington Theater. Sony Pictures Classics release stars Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. "We are privileged to have the world premier of a Lawrence Kasdan film. Marking his return to directing after eight years, Darling Companion is a great choice to kick off the festival," said the fest's exec director Roger Durling. Fest, which runs through Feb. 5, will also feature a Lawrence Kasdan retrospective including "Body Heat" "The Big Chill" and "Grand Canyon" and a Q&A with the filmmaker. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Palestinian filmmakers long for home

Hiam Abbas filmed 'Inheritance' in Israel, with a creative team that spans the Middle East. NAZARETH -- Hany Abu-Assad, the director of "Paradise Now," the only film by a Palestinian filmmaker to receive an Oscar nod, is drinking tea at a cafe in the Israeli Arab town of Nazareth when he taps the table with his finger."This is Palestine," he says. "They can decide whatever they want," he adds, referring to international governments, "but I don't consider the Palestinian territories the only place Palestinians should live."That ever-contentious question of where exactly Palestine is located makes it as difficult to define a Palestinian film as it is to define a Palestinian person. The majority of Palestinian directors live in Europe, which is also where a great deal of their films find financing. The body of Palestinian films is estimated to number close to 800, but there are no cinemas in Gaza and only a handful of movie houses in the West Bank.Abu-Assad is Palestinian, but he was born in Israel and educated in the Netherlands, where he lived and worked until recently. "We are not a state," he says in his confident but imperfect English. "We are a case. We are struggling for equal rights, for equal citizenship, for our rights."One of the most successful Palestinian actresses of all time, Hiam Abbass, also draws a wide net around the boundaries of the term "Palestinian." Abbass, who appeared in "The Visitor" and "Munich," was also born in Israel. She has lived in Paris for the past 25 years."When we say 'Israeli Arab,' for me, it's almost like denying this other person that exists within me that I cannot help. It's there, it's my blood, my culture, my parents, it's my history," she says of her Palestinian heritage. To Abbass, for a movie to be Palestinian, it need only have a Palestinian point of view."Calling a movie Palestinian is just really giving an identity to the directors behind it," she says. "For me, it's almost like more of a cultural, political issue rather than about its production. Production always comes from somewhere else."Abbass recently wrapped her directorial debut, "Inheritance," which was filmed in Israel with a writing and production team that spans the Middle East.Despite the ever-shifting question of what "Palestinian" really means, one thing is clear: The nascent Palestinian film industry is growing, and fast.Until the late 1980s, Palestinian films consisted mostly of documentaries, made and distributed in Lebanon and Iraq. Things started to change in 1987, when Michel Khleifi's "Wedding in Galilee" picked up the Intl. Critics Prize at Cannes. Elia Suleiman's 1996 debut, "Chronicle of a Disappearance," was the first film from a Palestinian director to secure a U.S. distribution deal, and in the years that followed, Palestinian filmmaking picked up significantly.The Palestinian Ministry of Culture earned a major victory in 2002 when it convinced AMPAS to revamp the selection criterion for the foreign language Oscar after Suleiman's "Divine Intervention" was disqualified because no country could claim it.That move paved the way for the Oscar nod of "Paradise Now," which followed two childhood friends recruited to commit a suicide attack on Tel Aviv. Pic, which also nabbed the Golden Globe for foreign film, was released to international acclaim in 2005, just as the second intifada (Palestinian uprising) was coming to an end.That same year, moviegoers in the West Bank saw history made with the inauguration of the Al-Kasaba Film Festival, which screens films by and for Palestinians, unspooling pics in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus and Gaza City. In half of the cities, however, fest directors face the unique challenge of having to haul in their own projection equipment and screens because there are none on the ground.In 2008, Annemarie Jacir's "Salt of This Sea" took best screenplay at the Dubai Film Fest, while an international campaign saw the reopening of a long-defunct cinema in the Jenin refugee camp.There are now more than a dozen Palestinian film festivals around the world, from Chicago to London to Melbourne. However, there are still no Palestinian film schools, so most Palestinians interested in cinema go abroad. There is scant infrastructure to support film distribution. The Palestinian film industry remains as much in exile as its people."We are living in an age of crisscross immigration, and I think that maybe it's necessary to not base the idea of cinema -- national cinema -- on geography," says Suleiman, who now lives in France.Born in Nazareth, Suleiman makes many of his films with funding from Israel and European countries. He is quick to declare that Palestinian art transcends Palestinian politics."I doubt that (Palestinian film) does any good for national aspirations, simply because cinema is such a universal language, and its existence de facto is that it can crisscross borders and cross checkpoints. The fact that it does not stop at any sort of geographical boundary makes it an international language, and therefore is not only good for one people, but is good for all people," Suleiman says.If Abu-Assad, who recently returned to Nazareth after nearly 30 years in Holland, has anything to do with it, though, the Palestinian biz may find a foothold one day in Palestine."I really feel like there is space to push the Palestinian film industry to a better place," he says. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

9 Milestones in the Evolution of Kate Winslet

In this weekend’s Carnage, Kate Winslet plays an uptight investment banker who tries to broker a parental agreement concerning the damage done during a playground dispute between her son and another boy. So how did the British actress transform herself from a teenage murderer in her breakthrough role to a middle-aged NYer determined to settle her son’s stick fight? You can always trace a direct line through a few important roles to illustrate what led to an actor’s current success. As such, let’s look at nine pivotal performances that track the evolution of Kate Winslet. Dark Season (1991) Born into a family of working class actors, it wasn’t long before Winslet herself developed an interest in the arts and began studying drama at the age of 11. Five years later, Winslet won her first major professional acting role in BBC’s sci-fi series The Dark Season. Made up of just six episodes, the show followed a trio of teenagers (including Winslet’s Reet) as they attempted to save their school from a sinister gentleman posing as a computer dealer. Heavenly Creatures (1994) Three years later, Winslet made her film debut in Peter Jackson’s semi-biographical drama Heavenly Creatures. Winslet portrayed Juliet Hulme, a real-life teenager who in 1954, with the help of her best friend (played by Melanie Lynskey), killed her best friend’s mother. The critically-acclaimed drama (which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) chronicled the girls’ intense friendship which bordered on obsession, hysteria and psychosis. The film also marked Winslet’s singing debut via an a cappella version of “Sono Andati” from La Bohme. For her performance, at the age of 19, she was named British Actress of the Year by the London Critics Circle. Sense and Sensibility (1995) Because Ang Lee reportedly did not enjoy Winslet’s work in Heavenly Creatures, the Sense and Sensibility director would only allow the British actress to audition for the minor role of Lucy Steele. However, as Wikipedia legend has it, Winslet pretended that she had been told the audition was for the meatier role of Marianne and proceeded to read for the middle Dashwood sister. Needless to say, Winslet won the part as the willful Dashwood as well as her first BAFTA and her first of six Academy Award nominations. Titanic (1997) Thanks to the exposure brought on by her work in Sense and Sensibility, James Cameron cast Winslet as Rose, the fictional socialite who falls for a drifter (Leonardo DiCaprio), in this epic romance about the ill-fated RMS Titanic. The film launched Winslet into sudden, unexpected Hollywood stardom when the film broke a series of records including highest grossing film at the time and earned a record-equaling eleven Academy Award wins. Titanic remains the highest-grossing film of Winslet’s career. Her work as young Rose also earned her a second Academy Award nomination. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Following the explosive success of Titanic, Winslet recoiled from the spotlight — reportedly passing on lead roles in Shakespeare in Love and Anna and the King to star in the smaller ’60s drama Hideous Kinky, the Jane Campion film Holy Smoke!, the Oscar-nominated period piece Quills and British biographical drama Iris. When Winslet finally returned to the Hollywood forefront, it was for a role unlike any others on her resume in the Michel Gondry-Charlie Kaufman collaboration Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. For playing a brightly-tressed neurotic woman who elects to erase memories of her relationship with her ex (Jim Carrey) in this psychological sci-fi romance, Winslet won more glowing reviews. After an Oscar nomination for Iris, Winslet earned her fourth nod for Sunshine.

USA Network Moves Common Law Debut To Summer time

Just a little on the week after USA Network introduced a The month of january 26 premiere date for brand new series Common Law, the network has modified its plans, choosing to push the series’ debut to summer time. USA associates reported press and research feedback that referred to Common Law, which stars Michael Ealy and Warren Kole as a set of detectives instructed to attend couples counseling, like a true summer time action-comedy. That brought to USA’s decision to produce the show where it's had utmost success presenting new series — within the summer time. Of USA original series, only Whitened Collar (October) and Fairly Legal (The month of january) opened outdoors of USA’s sweet for starting new shows, summer time. USA won’t replace Common Law with another original within the Thursday 10 PM slot this midseason. Royal Pains and Whitened Collar will air their winter months as scheduled. USA will still perform a Common Law presentation in the approaching winter TCA Press Tour because the series is anticipated to produce at the begining of summer time.

Iger to steer Acad museum fund-raising

In the major move toward developing a motion-picture museum in La, Academy leader Tom Sherak introduced Wednesday that Wally Disney Co. leader and Boss Bob Iger assists as fund-raising chairman for your Academy Museum of Movies. Annette Bening and Tom Hanks will join as co-chairs. "The momentum remains building for just about any very very long time," Academy Boss Beginning Hudson noted, "together with the enthusiasm Bob, Annette and Tom all bring -- as well as the respect they are approved with the industry -- we've marked the beginning of a completely new chapter with this particular project." Sherak told Variety he must boost many of the funds needed in the year, though he declined to talk total dollars. Once the initial fundraising event is completed, the Academy will endow the museum with $50 million. He added the Academy had been approached with a couple of industry figures who would like to donate money for the project, lowering to title names. "We coping a constituency that desires to display around the world that which you do," Sherak mentioned. Even though org remains speaking of a museum for several years, prospecting Iger might be the very first real step since the Academy put its intentions of hold in 2008. "The conditions are still hard," Sherak mentioned. "I don't think it's as tough since it was. We don't have to raise anywhere near that which you required to raise in 2007, but can it be a wise choice? No it is not.Inch The Academy introduced a partnership while using La County Museum of Art in October to lease the prior May Co. building in a corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue for everybody since the movie museum's home. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Jason Aldean, Barbara Underwood Reign Supreme at Second Annual American Country Honours

Barbara Underwood Jason Aldean capped the 2nd annual American Country Honours, which broadcast on Fox live from Vegas Monday. He won six honours including artist of the season. "It has been a helluva year," Aldean stated. Barbara Underwood required home three guitar trophies in the show, broadcast live from Vegas."I've got an incredible 2012 planned for everyone," she told everyone else. "We are likely to have an enjoyable experience!Inch Take a look at red-colored carpet arrivals in the 2011 American Country Honours Toby Keith was named the artist from the decade and received a unique video summary of his performance of "Red-colored Solo Cup" from Stephen Colbert who - yes - elevated his red-colored solo cup to Urban. Browse the full listing of those who win: Artist of the season, Jason Aldean Male Artist of the season, Kaira Paisley Female Artist of the season, Barbara Underwood Breakthrough Artist of the season, Chris Youthful New Artist of the season, Scotty McCreery Album of the season, My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean Single of the season, "Voices," Chris Youthful Single of the season: Male, "My Kinda Party," Jason Aldean Single of the season: Female, "Mama's Song," Barbara Underwood Single of the season: Duo or Group, "Are You Currently Gonna Hug Me or otherwise,Inch Thompson Square Single of the season: New Artist, " Are You Currently Gonna Hug Me or otherwise,Inch Thompson Square Single of the season: Vocal Collaboration, "Not Wanna Stay," Jason Aldean Task. Kelly Clarkson Music Video of the season, "Who're You When I am Not Searching," Blake Shelton Music Video: Male, "Who're You When I am Not Searching," Blake Shelton Music Video: Female, "Mama's Song," Barbara Underwood Music Video: Duo or Group,"Not Wanna Stay," Jason Aldean Task. Kelly Clarkson Music Video: New Artist, "Are You Currently Gonna Hug Me or otherwise,Inch Thompson Square Touring Headline Act of the season, Jason Aldean Finest Hits Award, Alabama Artist from the Decade Award, Toby Keith

Robot Chicken Quartet Led By Seth Green Launches New Animation Studio

EXCLUSIVE: Stoopid Monkey Prods’ Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators/executive producers of Emmy-winning animated series Robot Chicken, have partnered with Buddy Systems’ John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner to launch Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, a stop-motion animation production facility for the quartet’s joint and individual animated projects, which will be produced under the new company’s banner. Additionally, the studio will host outside stop-motion animation projects. Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ first productions will be the upcoming Season 6 of Adult Swim’s top-rated series Robot Chicken and the show’s tribute to the characters in the DC Comics universe. As a result, ShadowMachine Films, which had been co-producing Robot Chicken with Stoopid Monkey and handling physical production of the series, will no longer be involved in it. Robot Chicken‘s 100th episode airs January 15. Stoopid Monkey and Buddy Systems first collaborated earlier this year when they launched the YouTube live-action-meets-stop-motion animation show, Stoopid Monkey. Towner and Harvatine, repped by The Gotham Group, were animators on seasons 2 and 3 of Robot Chicken before leaving to found stop-motion production company Buddy System Studios four years ago. The company has had pilots set up at MTV Networks and Disney XD. UTA-repped Green and Senreich also serve as consultants on Lucasfilm’s animated Star Wars comedy series on the heels of their popular Star Wars-themed Robot Chicken specials, produce online reality show www.ControlTV.com and serve as executive producers on Adult Swim’s Titan Maximum.