A look at some recent digital cinema news

As one of Lasse Svanberg's great achievements was to be founder, editor and writer for the magazine Teknik & Människa (Technology & Man), I thought that the most fitting tribute would be for me to get on with relaying news in the digital cinema world. Lasse is also remembered on the homepage of the Swedish Film Institute (in Swedish) and I'm sure the EDCF will follow soon.

I read in the Hollywood Reporter that Deluxe's sister company Panavision has just bought digital camera rental company Plus 8 Digital ("Panavision zooms in on Plus 8"). It seems like a smart move, though I don't know what if any impact or synergies it will have with Deluxe. We might have security guards employed by a MacAndrews & Forbes company (Allied Barton Security Services), but we don't get any discount on Revlon cosmetics.

There's been a few interesting developments, not least AccessIT's announcement that Christie/AIX has now installed its 1,000th digital cinema system. Congratulations and hats off to Chuck, Bud, Dave and all our other friends for this historic milestone and hope to see them rolling out in Europe as well soon, now that they are 1/4 of the way to achieving their US goal.

In-Three has been granted three new patents for their Dimensionalization(tm) process. The press release does not seem to have been put up on their website, so here is the first paragraph from it:

In-Three, Inc. is very pleased to announce that it has just been granted 3 additional patents covering its proprietary 2D to 3D conversion technology. In-Three’s unique 2D to 3D conversion process, called Dimensionalization®, can convert any full-length motion picture into high-quality 3D regardless of the age or origination of the image source. Using its Dimensionalization® process In-Three can convert any 2D image content into fully authentic and believable 3D, whether it was derived from live photographic action, cell animation, CGI animation, computer effects, in color or black & white, and is fully resolution independent.

20th Centry Fox, always one of the most new thinking studios, is setting up a distribution operation for Christian-themed films. An article called "20th Century Fox wooing faith crowd" pokes fun at the fact that this is the same studio that brought you "Temptation Island" but ends by noting that Carmike expects to have converted 2,200 of its 2,400 cinema screens by this time next year, so Deluxe might very well be supplying these films as well for Fox in digital before too long.

And finally I would end with a recomended reading from Film Journal International, where the always-readable Andreas Fuchs looks at how the World Cup played out in digital cinemas across the globe, called "The FIFA Code - Fan Celebrate World Cup at the Movies." (The fact that I and Unique Digital are mentioned in it in no way swayed me to recommend and praise this piece.)

If I get time will upload a review of the "Paris Je T'Aim" digital demonstration that I have neglected to complete for over two weeks now.