"Club Penton" - Ask questions to Hollywood insider "Penton-Man"

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Shoot, I better make the 4K lovers/3D haters happy now for some balance on the forum.

Let me think. One moment.

This movie …
http://www.karatekid-themovie.com/

With few technical particulars noted here…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155076/

went through a 4K digital intermediate process , so you 4K guys can watch it playing in all its 4K glory at a 4K commercial theater near you.

Cheaper than the newest 3D ticket prices which are being currently market tested.

Happy now 4Kers?

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

1. Not yet.
2. Not yet, I definitely will this evening with family and friends.
Just too many other conflicts this weekend. In fact, in order to attend the bike race,
I had to sacrifice attending this screening on Friday evening…
http://www.oscars.org/press/pressrel.../20100422.html

You gave up on a Quntophonic presentation of Tommy for a bike race that's not in France? You and I are verrrry different people...

I do loves me some Who... And KR is so batshit crazy that seeing him present the film would have been a complete treat (let alone Lerner's learned involvement)

So, uh, Columbia, right? Sony now owns Tommy? Man, that'd make a spectacular BD... (Nudge...nudge...)

Hadn't heard about FL's other threats, but my thing remains the fact that he testified to congress that he didn't dope, wrote a book that he didn't dope, spent $2m in donated funds to fight the allegations, and now, naturally, we're supposed to believe his allegations against Lance because, well, crying wolf has made Floyd hoarse.

I have no doubt that much of cycling is a very, very dirty sport (like many endurance races) with some very clever people getting around doping through crazy/insane means. I also think Lance is a complete genetic freak, that his cancer in many ways =made= his career (I wonder if it also made it more comfortable on the saddle with one less ball?), and that given that he's the most investigated athlete probably in history, it's highly unlikely he bothered with any performance enhancing drugs. He's just a lucky, lucky guy with the body designed to race, and the fact that he came back to the sport where the focus would be even more intense on exposing any cheating is a tribute to either his complete and obvious innocence, or that he's using something that's way beyond anything FL would have had access to. I choose to believe the former.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Landis, Bonds, Rodriguez, Sosa and McGwire all need to be banned from any possible honors they're up for for their careers.

If you listen to the complete interview that Lance gave, I think you may come to the conclusion that F.L., by his actions, is worst than all the rest.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

If you listen to the complete interview that Lance gave, I think you may come to the conclusion that F.L., by his actions, is worst than all the rest.

Landis is complete scum and the complete opposite of everything that personifies/exemplifies sportsmanship.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

You gave up on a Quntophonic presentation of Tommy for a bike race that's not in France?

Honestly, just to see what American Trophy girls look like on the podium. Couldn't care less about those bike guys with the shaved legs.

As a result of my noted absence at the AMPAS screening, I'm pretty sure that Grover won't speak to me for a week now.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

That's really more of an apples to oranges comparison.

Photoshop is oriented toward editing still images and creating still images from scratch. It's more of a mainstream, creative graphics tool. Photoshop works on a wide variety of computing hardware. And none of its rivals are equal to it.

Not to worry. It was just a general analogy to make a perspective point.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

High end "turn key" systems that specialize in effects compositing, color grading, etc. have a very narrow range of focus. They demand very powerful, very expensive computing hardware systems. They are designed foremost about getting the job done well in as short an amount of time as possible -something a mainstream software application on affordable computing hardware will not be able to do.

The funny thing is those high end systems can't serve as complete replacements to mainstream graphics applications, which is why "cheap" programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects are still used on many movie productions.

b.t.w., power and flexibility.
For instance,
http://www.filmlight.ltd.uk/pdf/data...ewFeatures.pdf

Specifically, in regards to “cheaper” professional level video (o.k.?) software applications, a new occurrence (albeit still thankfully rare) I see emerging is the annoying tendency for some editors working on their Macs with Final Cut Pro to do some color correction on the material and then subsequently instruct the digital colorists not to change *the look* because “that’s what the Director wanted”.

The practice often ends up being a nuisance and NOT what the Director and DP truly intended.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

News for Merrick (as I think I scared him away) and the other gamers –
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179445

Links broken, but it must be Killzone 3 in 3D? ()

[JimSD]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

If you listen to the complete interview that Lance gave, I think you may come to the conclusion that F.L., by his actions, is worst than all the rest.

Floyd's timing was terrible and his recent actions don't seem to have much to do with being honorable, but he still may be right. He's made a lot of bad decisions over the years, but it seems his conscience finally got the best of him.

[Jeff Kleist]

Don't care as you asked the favor...and you can consider me The Godfather.

I have a lot ot tomato patches, oranges and small children and I know how to use them

[Bobby Henderson]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Specifically, in regards to “cheaper” professional level video (o.k.?) software applications, a new occurrence (albeit still thankfully rare) I see emerging is the annoying tendency for some editors working on their Macs with Final Cut Pro to do some color correction on the material and then subsequently instruct the digital colorists not to change *the look* because “that’s what the Director wanted”.

The practice often ends up being a nuisance and NOT what the Director and DP truly intended.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. If possible color correction should take place only once. That's especially true for still graphics meant for print publishing. Having two or more color managing adjustments (via embedded profiles) applied to an image is often worse than having no color management at all.

Speaking of color management, one very important factor with getting the right look to video or still imagery is having a computer user who is not color blind or affected with some sort of color vision deficiency.

X-Rite has a pretty amusing FM 100 Hue Test. You'll have to do a web search using "X-rite FM 100 Hue Test" for the search term since the proper link can't show up in here for some odd reason. The test page shows four gradient sweeps with 20 color blocks in between. Drag and drop the color blocks until you think they look like they're in proper order, then hit the submit button. It's best to take this test using a good quality, properly adjusted desktop computer color monitor. I took a few minutes on the test and scored perfect (zero).

Final Cut Pro is a useful application, but it is not the world's best video editing system despite the Apple brand name being tied to it. But the whole mythology surrounding Apple and the religious fervor so many of its customers have will blind many into making counterproductive decisions with their workflow. FCP is very well designed (designed from the point of view of broadcast video editing people) but FCP on a Mac Pro Tower isn't the same thing as a professional level system from a company like Avid.

I'm kind of surprised Autodesk has yet to develop a mainstream pro/semi-pro level video editing suite. The company is the industry leader in CAD and 3D animation software (AutoCAD, Maya, Studio3D Max, AutoStudio, etc.). Autodesk also develops a number of high end film and video color/effects systems that it acquired from Discreet Logic (Flame, Flare, Inferno, Lustre, etc.). It would seem with all that top end capability the company could create an affordable "front end" video editor of sorts to appeal to a wide variety of users and support seamless integration into the really high end systems.

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

This movie …
http://www.karatekid-themovie.com/

With few technical particulars noted here…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155076/

went through a 4K digital intermediate process , so you 4K guys can watch it playing in all its 4K glory at a 4K commercial theater near you.

Cheaper than the newest 3D ticket prices which are being currently market tested.

Happy now 4Kers?

Funny you should mention 3D ticket prices, Penton-Man. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are (positively or negatively) regarding this article from the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...339372876.html

For the first time, a major Hollywood film will hit the $20 threshold at the box office, as movie-theater owners test the public's ability to absorb ever higher ticket prices.

Several theaters will charge $20 per adult ticket to IMAX showings of the animated 3-D family film "Shrek Forever After," the fourth "Shrek" installment from DreamWorks Animation. The theaters include the AMC theater in Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, AMC Loews 34, AMC Loews Lincoln Square and AMC Empire 42nd Street.

[DenonCI]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

Yeah, that's pretty bad. If possible color correction should take place only once. That's especially true for still graphics meant for print publishing. Having two or more color managing adjustments (via embedded profiles) applied to an image is often worse than having no color management at all.

Speaking of color management, one very important factor with getting the right look to video or still imagery is having a computer user who is not color blind or affected with some sort of color vision deficiency.

X-Rite has a pretty amusing FM 100 Hue Test. You'll have to do a web search using "X-rite FM 100 Hue Test" for the search term since the proper link can't show up in here for some odd reason. The test page shows four gradient sweeps with 20 color blocks in between. Drag and drop the color blocks until you think they look like they're in proper order, then hit the submit button. It's best to take this test using a good quality, properly adjusted desktop computer color monitor. I took a few minutes on the test and scored perfect (zero).

Final Cut Pro is a useful application, but it is not the world's best video editing system despite the Apple brand name being tied to it. But the whole mythology surrounding Apple and the religious fervor so many of its customers have will blind many into making counterproductive decisions with their workflow. FCP is very well designed (designed from the point of view of broadcast video editing people) but FCP on a Mac Pro Tower isn't the same thing as a professional level system from a company like Avid.

I'm kind of surprised Autodesk has yet to develop a mainstream pro/semi-pro level video editing suite. The company is the industry leader in CAD and 3D animation software (AutoCAD, Maya, Studio3D Max, AutoStudio, etc.). Autodesk also develops a number of high end film and video color/effects systems that it acquired from Discreet Logic (Flame, Flare, Inferno, Lustre, etc.). It would seem with all that top end capability the company could create an affordable "front end" video editor of sorts to appeal to a wide variety of users and support seamless integration into the really high end systems.

Penton linked that test a couple of years ago, if I recall, and I scored 100%

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Now: 2) Did you watch the BM/I match yet?

Just finished watching it.
The house guests are gone and I’m a little tipsy from the fruit of the vine.

It was a great game. I never cease to be mesmerized by the talent of world class soccer players, just with simple ball control and pinpoint passing. My condolences go out to Oliver K. and Torsten, but don’t worry guys, as it appears that Bayern Munich has one helluva a great future both in league as well as international play.

Final thought – I think that The Netherlands and Argentina may prove to be very, very formidable opponents in the upcoming World Cup.

The downside of watching the match this evening?
I don’t know when the hell I’ll ever get to watching the finale of ‘Lost’.

I just hope the DVR doesn’t die in the interim.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by aygie

Links broken, but it must be Killzone 3 in 3D? ()

It was.

But, then what would be a day gone by without an unbroken 3D link?…
http://weblogs.variety.com/technotai...mes-to-3d.html

[Penton-Man]

^
Surrrrvey says (84%)…
http://www.roxio.com/enu/company/3d/survey.html

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

Yeah, that's pretty bad. If possible color correction should take place only once. That's especially true for still graphics meant for print publishing. Having two or more color managing adjustments (via embedded profiles) applied to an image is often worse than having no color management at all.

Speaking of color management, one very important factor with getting the right look to video or still imagery is having a computer user who is not color blind or affected with some sort of color vision deficiency....

Dude, I’ll take it a step further.

As people age , the lens in their eyes becomes less and less elastic which means that they naturally become less able to focus at different distances and 3D filmmaking is all about properly judging (to a high degree of excellence) vergence-accommodation conflicts.

Expect there to be a natural selection for 3D stereographers which drops off after about the age 50 or so.
B.T.W. Bobby, if you do Maya, we’re looking for good people …
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/sh...379#post302379

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Icemage

Funny you should mention 3D ticket prices, Penton-Man. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are (positively or negatively) regarding this article from the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...339372876.html

The business boys are testing the market to see how much theater-goers will pay.

Eco 101.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DenonCI

Penton linked that test a couple of years ago, if I recall, and I scored 100%

You have a good memory.

Now please tell me that your hockey team won at least one game (today?) in the playoffs, because as a fellow Californian, I’ve been feeling your pain.

[sharkshark]

just watching Kimmel on the PVR, watched Lost live and it had a ridiculous number of commercials, just atrocious.

P, watch the damn Nike ad, it'll make you giddy for the upcoming cup, promise. Drunk might even be a better way to appreciate it