FOCUSING ON VIDEO PROJECTION AND FILMLOOK

With the predominance of big screen televisions in homes, wide screen displays in conventions and board rooms, along with digital projection systems that will display high definition video-mastered features in theaters, one question that many clients ask about our process is, "how will my FILMLOOKed video project on the big screen?"

There are some devices such as line doublers and digital up converters that will reduce some of the artifacts and enhance NTSC resolution to simulate higher definition. Ultimately, the final FILMLOOK image is dependent on how good the video was first and then to go back even further, how well the video was shot by the camera operator and/or the director of photography. Normally insignificant boom shadows, small imperfections in lighting, focus and exposure may become glaringly obvious on a larger screen.

This is why it is important to shoot video for FILMLOOK with the same care and attention to lighting and filtration as if you were shooting in film. Many clients have expressed interest in shooting video then transferring the video to film (à la Blair Witch Project, Buena Vista Social Club). If the blow up is done well the results can look quite good, but the final transfer to film will not look exactly like film origination. The FILMLOOK process is bypassed when you are going to a film blow-up. We recommend that you use FILMLOOK only for the home video, broadcast or video display version of your project.

Whether the big screen display is CRT, LCD panel, plasma or DLP projection, it is important to remember that the color setup of the display should never be taken for granted. Assume that the last person who handled and calibrated the display did not know what they were doing. If in doubt about proper setup and calibration, consult a video engineer who specializes in the type of display you are using. A few minutes of careful adjustment beforehand will eliminate expensive and embarrassing headaches when your project is playing back on the big screen.

Finally, a FILMLOOK project mastered on NTSC video and then projected will look no better (or no worse) than a film-to-tape or video-only project mastered on NTSC video and then projected. The standardized bandwidth of NTSC cameras and video recorders limits us to a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels, whether it is displayed on a nine inch monitor or a video projector screen. The inherent flaws of NTSC, including scan lines, chroma dot crawl, limited resolution and color palette will become greatly magnified in direct proportion to the display area.

ROCK ON WITH FILMLOOK

HOLLYWOOD--Two concerts, one featuring Stone Temple Pilots and another featuring heavy metal acts Anthrax, Metallica and Mötley Crüe; were produced by House of Blues Productions on video and then processed in FILMLOOK.

STP's concert at the House of Blues in Hollywood was originally recorded on Hi Def equipment then down converted and processed in FILMLOOK for DVD and broadcast. The "Maximum Rock" pay-per-view concert featuring the heavy metal band trio was also recorded on video then edited with behind the scenes footage. "Maximum Rock" was broadcast over the In Demand network in August.

FILMLOOK SHEDS LIGHT ON DARK HISTORY

TULSA, OK--"The Tulsa Lynching of 1921" is a powerful and disturbing video documentary of the mass lynching that decimated a population and burned an entire community to the ground. Produced by Barrister Studios, segments of the documentary were recorded in video and processed in FILMLOOK before airing on both Cinemax's Reel Life and on all HBO channels.

Gripping testimony by eyewitnesses and background accounts given by historians were processed by FILMLOOK for later integration into the documentary that features narration voices Alfrie Woodard, Bill Cosby, Ed Asner and Rae Dawn Chong. "The Tulsa Lynching" can be seen on HBO and Showtime this year (check cable listings).

TREES INVADE FILMLOOK

BRISTOL, CT--"Trees--The Movie," a shot-by-shot parody of the classic film "Jaws," premiered in August at the local Loews theater in Plainville CT and is now set for a future national home video release. The feature was shot on Betacam SP video and producers turned to FILMLOOK for the home video release.

"Trees" follows the misadventures of a group of locals in search of a great white pine tree that has killed several campers in Hazelville. The feature was shot entirely in video then sent to FILMLOOK for final film simulation processing and color correction. Information on the thriller parody can be found at www.treesthemovie.com.

OLD SWEDES IN FILMLOOK

WILMINGTON, DE--Emmy winning production company Teleduction has produced the FILMLOOKed documentary "The Story of Old Swedes Church," a historical portrait of the legendary church in Wilmington, Delaware. Period characters, including "Black Anthony" , "Erik Björk" and "Charles Springer" come to life through historical reenactments recorded in video and processed in FILMLOOK. The oldest church edifice in the United States, Old Swedes Church was erected over 300 years ago by Swedish pioneers who crossed the Atlantic on the ship Kalmar Nyckel.
"The Story of Old Swedes" premiered at the actual church in September, and we congratulate their historic efforts.
We would like to extend a special congratulations to Teleductions' receipt of two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in September, one for Best Documentary Program "Edward L. Loper: Prophet of Color" and one for Outstanding PSA "New Faces/New Film." We are proud of your achievements and we look forward to future excellence from Teleduction.

WELCOME BACK!

FILMLOOK would like to welcome back "Rude Awakening" (Showtime), "It's A Miracle" (PAX TV), "The Amanda Show" (Nickelodeon), "MADtv" (Fox TV), and extend a welcome to new series "Strip Mall" on Comedy Central. We look forward to working with producers of these and future series this fall and we wish them continued success.

WWF - WORLD WRESTLING FILMLOOK

HOLLYWOOD--The controversial wrestling documentary "Beyond the Mat" is a feature that was mostly shot on video and transferred to film for academy and festival consideration, but Universal Studios turned to FILMLOOK to process the feature for home video and broadcast.

Filmmaker Barry Blaustein's documentary is a "fan's eye-view" of the careers of famous and not-so-famous wrestlers and their moments in the ring. The video segments of the documentary, shot on Betacam and DV, were integrated by FILMLOOK to match the 16mm footage, and both rated and unrated versions were processed. "Beyond the Mat" is now available nationwide for rent or purchase on DVD or VHS from Universal Home Video.

TAKING STOCK IN FILMLOOK

Some production companies and projects that have used FILMLOOK...RBC Ministries, "Day of Discovery" Inspirational music episode...North Woods Advertising, "Mall of America" spots...Da Hill Records, Blind Craftsmen "Altered Reality" music video...Warner Bros. Television, "Hype" series "Feminem" music video parody...Full Moon Entertainment, "Killjoy" full-length feature.

FILMLOOK GETS THE "POINT"

HOLLYWOOD--Producers of the hit Nickelodeon series "The Amanda Show" are using FILMLOOK again to enhance a new segment called "Moody's Point," a parody of such series as "Felicity" and "Dawson's Creek."
This is the second year that FILMLOOK has been called on by producers to process segments for the series. "Moody's Point" has been lit and shot specifically for FILMLOOK to optimize the film simulation and emulate the cinematic look of popular teen angst dramas. "The Amanda Show" can be seen weekly on Nickelodeon this fall (check local cable listings).

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