Barco Lends Superman a Hand
Over 1,400 special effects previewed on Barco digital cinema projector
Nominated for a 2007 Academy Award® for Best Achievement in Visual Effects (VFX), the movie “Superman Returns” used over 1400 VFX shots requiring a critical and consistent viewing environment, and a Barco D-Cine DP100 projector was central to the entire VFX review process.
Sacramento, CA — February 23, 2007 — Barco, a leading manufacturer in display technology, announces that West Hollywood-based Hollywood-DI used a Barco Premiere DP100 projector for critical preview screenings of all “Superman Returns” VFX clips. At Hollywood-DI’s compact Fairbanks Theater, three daily review sessions were required to screen over 1400 clips, produced by ten different VFX facilities — and all overseen by Mark Stetson, the film’s VFX supervisor. As a tribute to the entire VFX post-production team, the film is up for an Academy Award® for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.
Hollywood–DI’s Fairbanks Theater’s networked HD environment offered the Superman VFX team a secure, centralized location in which to conduct critical reviews of all work in progress. Using an advanced mix of high-resolution formats, including HDCAM®, DPX (Digital Picture Exchange) and QuickTime®, a key factor in the workflow’s remarkable throughput was the DP100’s calibration, color reliability and consistency. “The ability to view the VFX DPX shots on a high resolution Barco DLP projector in a calibrated environment, plus the ability to switch quickly between DPX, QuickTime and HDCAM-SR, saved us an enormous amount of time and effort,” noted Stetson. “By using a single hi-tech, calibrated viewing theater, I was able to quickly communicate the director’s artistic intentions to all the VFX vendors.”
Neil Smith, Managing Director of Hollywood-DI, commented on Barco’s role in the DI process. “For a post-production facility like Hollywood-DI, having a company like Barco that stands behind its products is critical to our long term success and customer satisfaction,” said Smith. “For us, it’s all about a superior level of customized service for the client,” added Smith, “and within a very complex DI workflow, the ability to precisely calibrate the DP100 provided the Superman team with a consistent playback environment, screening after screening.”
The 2007 Academy Awards® ceremony airs Sunday night, February 25th at 5PM (PST), from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. For full details visit www.oscar.com.
About Hollywood-DI
Located on “The Lot” in West Hollywood, California, Hollywood-DI provides screening and digital intermediate services for studios and independent filmmakers worldwide. The facility’s centerpiece is the versatile Fairbanks Theater, a 33-seat screening room that offers a Barco 2k DLP projector and a 35mm Simplex projector in a precision-calibrated environment. Offering a full RGB 4:4:4 workflow plus a complete range of 2K and HD editing and color correction tools, Hollywood-DI provides the ultimate in “creative freedom.” Visit www.hollywooddi.com for more information.
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
Barco (Euronext Brussels: BAR) is headquartered in Belgium and is active in more than 90 countries with about 3800 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of euro 751 million in 2006.
© Copyright 2007 by Barco - May be reproduced by professional press only
