April 2015 – Below the Line

Rollout of New California Film Incentives Spurs Industry Optimism

April 30, 2015 Jack Egan Comments Off

There was a celebratory buzz in the air at the 10^th annual California Film Commission breakfast held Wednesday morning at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood, in anticipation of the state’s greatly expanded film and television tax-incentive program going into effect at midyear. Presentations at the event centered on burgeoning expectations that by more than tripling previous subsidies to $330 million a year, employment in California’s television and film industry will be bolstered and the tide of runaway production to other states and countries will be stemmed. […]

BBC One Drama Adaptation of Poldark Composited in Fusion Studio

April 30, 2015 Staff Comments Off

London-based visual effects studio Lexhag VFX recently relied on Blackmagic Design’s Fusion Studio 7 to create lavish set extensions and 3D matte paintings for Poldark, a new drama currently airing on BBC One and slated for U.S broadcast later this year. […]

The Colonie’s Bob Ackerman Cuts To “The Chase” For Kay Jeweler’s Mother’s Day Spot

April 30, 2015 Staff Comments Off

Stern Advertising recently tapped The Colonie editor Bob Ackerman to create a memorable Mother’s Day spot for Kay Jewelers. Director Harry Patramanis captured the playfulness and tone of the spot. Ackerman then weaved the footage into an endearing storyline that conveys the emotional connections and family moments that make Mother’s Day special. […]

Lord of the Rings Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie Dies at 59

April 29, 2015 Jack Egan Comments Off

Oscar-winning Australian director of photography Andrew Lesnie, best known for his imaginative and groundbreaking cinematography on his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films, died on Monday of a heart attack at the age of 59. […]

Modern VideoFilm Completes Western Thriller Broken Horses

April 29, 2015 Staff Comments Off

In a project spanning many months and two continents, Burbank-based Modern VideoFilm provided final post production services for Broken Horses, the new Western thriller from Indian producer/director Vidhu Vinod Chopra in his Hollywood debut. The facility provided editorial conforming, color grading, visual effects production and integration, DCP mastering and deliverables for the film, which makes its U.S. theatrical premiere this month from Reliance Entertainment. […]

Video of the Day: How many projectionists does it take to change an IMAX bulb?

April 29, 2015 Staff Comments Off

Freelance filmmaker John Ruddock recently released this video that shows how much work IMAX film projectionists go through to change a bulb in a 2,000 lbs projector. Shot with GoPro, the video goes behind the scenes at the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater inside San Jose’s Tech Museum. It covers the process of a lamp change and brings you facts about the IMAX system. […]

Toon Boom Animation Names Michel Besner as President

April 29, 2015 Staff Comments Off

Montreal-based 2D animation and storyboarding software developer Toon Boom Animation announced the appointment of Michel Besner as president. Besner, who previously worked at Meltwater, has over 20 years of entrepreneurial and executive experience. […]

Ftrack Helps Cloth Cat bring Toot the Tiny Tugboat to Life

April 28, 2015 Staff Comments Off

Cardiffbased Cloth Cat Animation is just finishing up the 52-episode animated children’s television series, Toot the Tiny Tugboat. Throughout production, the studio relied on ftrack, a cloud-based collaboration and production tracking platform, to organize its assets and animatic approvals, keep track of loads of files and versions and make sure it could meet its tight broadcast deadlines. […]

Video of the Day: Stan Lee Cameo School

April 28, 2015 Staff Comments Off

Audi, a product placement sponsor of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, released a clever video that focuses on the hidden talents of comic book legend Stan Lee as he teaches a unique acting class to Kevin Smith, Michael Rooker and Tara Reid on “The Art of Cameo.” Lee is known for small cameo roles in Marvel films, from being a beauty pageant judge in Iron Man 3 to a mental ward patient in Thor: The Dark World. The video directed by Kevin Smith, also features cameos by Lou Ferrigno, Jason Mewes and the Audi S8. […]

AJA Kicks Off #TryCION North America and Asia Pacific Tour

April 28, 2015 Staff Comments Off

AJA Video Systems announced that it is launching the #TryCION tour, offering a hands-on look at the CION production camera in major cities across North America and the Asia Pacific region. The tour kicks off at The Producer’s Loft in San Francisco, on Wednesday, April 29 with sessions scheduled at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. […]