Citizen Kane Gets the Digital Treatment

Warner Home video will bring Citizen Kane to Blu-ray, iTunes, On Demand, Vudu and Amazon Instant Video on Sept. 13. Rosebud has never looked so beautiful.

The Hollywood Reporter makes it clear that this is not the average re-release or even digital restoration; Warner Bros. went back to the source to make the high-definition release look as good as possible.

Janet Wilson, an imaging colorist at Warner Bros. said in a statement, “The source for most of the picture was a 4K scan from a 1941 composite fine grain positive master … The work to re-create the original look of the film and to clean up the effects of aging was a painstaking, frame-by-frame process.”

The film consistently tops historical best-of lists compiled by film historians and the American Film Institute named it the number-one film of all time. Directed by Orson Welles (who also co-wrote and starred in it), the film chronicles the life of Charles Foster Kane, a thinly veiled film a clef for William Randolph Hearst.

It’s telling that Warner Bros. is undertaking such an extensive restoration, while also planning on releasing the film across lower-resolution digital services. This is part of a broader strategy employed by Warner Bros. and the other major home video groups to make catalog and new release titles available on as many platforms as possible, while still reserving Blu-ray for pristine presentation and extra features.

Amazon.com is accepting pre-orders for the collector’s edition of Citizen Kane, which will include HBO’s RKO 281, the documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane, and all the extra features from the 60th anniversary DVD release.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video

June 15, 2011
Categories: Events, Inside Hollywood, Technologies . Tags: , , . Author: MyMotorways . Comments: Leave a comment

Conan Commencement Highlights at Dartmouth

 

June 14, 2011
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Facebook IPO scheduled for first Quarter of 2012

Facebook is preparing itself for an IPO that could easily top $100 billion, according to a new report.

At $100 billion, Facebook’s impending IPO would be one of the largest in history, quadrupling Google’s $23 billion IPO in 2004.

CNBC says the social networking giant is likely to go public during the first quarter of 2012, less than nine months from now. That falls in line with a May 2012 deadline when Facebook will be required to publicly report its financial information, regardless of whether it’s a private or public company.

The $100 billion valuation isn’t a surprise — there were reports last month that Facebook’s IPO could easily top $100 billion, thanks to huge consumer and investor appeal. In fact, if LinkedIn’s stellar IPO is any indication, Facebook’s valuation could hit the stratosphere the day it hits the public markets.

Goldman Sachs is in the driver’s seat to underwrite the IPO, thanks to its $450 million investment in Facebookearlier this year. Facebook and Goldman might want to hurry, though: The social network’s growth is apparently slowing down.

June 13, 2011
Categories: News you can Use, Technologies, Vendor News . Tags: , . Author: MyMotorways . Comments: Leave a comment

New Look

We have updated our “look” to provide a fresh new look.  Please let us know what you think.

June 12, 2011
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Paul Greengrass Offered Somali Pirate Pic

Director Paul Greengrass and Sony Pictures have moved a step closer to the filmmaker coming aboard to steer the Sony Pictures’ Somali pirate drama to star Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips. Greengrass was among a short list of directors for the gig but I’m told Sony Pictures has just offered him the picture and talks are about to begin. Phillips was the skipper of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama who gave himself up as a hostage to Somali pirates to keep his crew from having to leave the ship with them. After three days of being held hostage alone with the armed pirates in a small lifeboat, Phillips was saved by Navy SEALs who staged a dramatic rescue that left the captain unharmed, three captors dead and another in custody. The film is based on Phillips’ memoir A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, which was published last year by Hyperion. Sony Pictures’ The Social Network team of Scott Rudin, Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Kevin Spacey are producing. Hanks signed on in March after sparking to a script written by Billy Ray.

June 10, 2011
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Pam-Am Trailer – Retro

Very “Retro” Promo for new “Pan-Am” series on ABC..

 

Can you say, “Mad Men” ripoff?

June 9, 2011
Categories: Inside Hollywood, News you can Use . Tags: , , , , . Author: MyMotorways . Comments: Leave a comment

Kindle-related Sales Reach almost 10 percent of Amazon’s Revenue

Amazon’s core business of online retail still produces the overwhelming bulk of the company’s revenue, but the Kindle is pulling its weight.

As Amazon pushes forward with its cloud locker, it better not ignore the Kindle. According to a Citi analysis of Amazon’s business released today, Kindle-related purchases are growing at a rapid pace:

Kindle Traction Surging; Kindle Closing In On 10% Contribution – The headline here is that based on recent disclosures by Amazon and our own sensitivity analysis, we now estimate that Kindle-related revenue is likely to reach close to 10% of AMZN’s total revenue by 2012. With Kindle book sales having now surpassed Amazon print book sales, eBooks have clearly reached critical mass for AMZN and its P&L — we now see 18MM Kindle units & 310MM Kindle books sold in ‘11.

Citi analysts have also updated their Kindle device sales predictions from 16.5 million units sold in 2011 to 17.5 million units, and up to 26 million Kindles in 2012. With the addition of two slightly-new Kindle models this year, the Special Offers Wi-Fi and 3G (not to mention the expected Amazon/Samsung tablet this year), those predictions look spot on.

Additionally, Citi mentions that it has this “rule” that “when one segment achieves 10% of the total business, it can impact the growth rate of the total business.” In that case, the Kindle is much more than just something Amazon has produced and sells. It’s becoming what people shop at and recognize Amazon for, and the Kindle’s continued success (or unlikely failure) will ripple throughout the company.

June 8, 2011
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New Sony Vita Portable Game Device

The highlight of Sony’s press conference at the annual E3 gaming conference was the release of details on pricing and software support for its upcoming handheld gaming system. Many details about the new Sony handheld’s specs were released when the system was first announced in January under the code name NGP (Next Generation Platform). The system received its official name at E3, the PlayStation Vita, named either for the Latin word for “life” or my favorite brand of pickled herring.

Two versions of the Vita are planned for release before the end of the year, a Wi-Fi only model priced at $249 and a Wi-Fi plus 3G version priced at $299. The proud announcement that 3G service in the U.S. would be provided exclusively by AT&T provoked some chuckles from the assembled audience of journalists, many of whom were probably struggling to get a cellular signal at that very moment on their iPhones. Pricing for the 3G service wasn’t announced.

The PS Vita boasts a 5-inch OLED display that looked handsome during system demos, but the main attraction based on gameplay is clearly the versatility of system control options. The Vita boasts a touchscreen, two analog thumb controllers, a touch-sensitive rear control surface, standard PSP directional control and PlayStation four-button control pad, plus six-access tilt sensitivity. There are two cameras, front and back, allowing augmented reality gaming and potentially video chat, though details on communication features are still unknown.

June 7, 2011
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New Wii U Nintendo announced at E3

Nintendo has just unveiled the Wii U, the gaming giant’s next-generation console. The much-anticipated console was unveiled at Nintendo’s E3 press conference in Los Angeles.

Iwata talks Wii U at E3

Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata teased the audience before the announcement. He told the audience that Nintendo’s goal with its new console is to make a system that will appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers.

“The goal of innovation is to serve every player — then though each brings to video games an individual appetite, a personal passion and a distinct gaming history,” Iwata said.

The console’s controller utilizes a touchscreen that can play games on its own. Its augmented reality system allows for direct interaction between the touchscreen and the television. It has a 6.2-inch screen with two analog controllers, a gyroscope and a front-facing camera. The controller isn’t a portable gaming device though — it gets its images streamed wirelessly from the console.

Nintendo demonstrated the power of the Wii U controller in a series of videos. One demo showed a user throwing ninja stars from the controller directly onto the TV. Another one showed the controller on the ground and a user using it as a golfing green surface with the Wiimote. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime also announced one of the titles in development for Wii U: Lego City Stories. Batman: Arkham City, Tom Clancey’s Ghost Recon, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden 3 and Metro Last Light are also in development for the Wii U.

The console is backward-compatible with Nintendo Wii games and the Nintendo Wii controllers. In fact, some games can utilize both controllers, creating a new myriad of gameplay possibilities. The console will be available sometime in 2012.

June 7, 2011
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Filming Tax Credits Extended through 2014 in California

California’s film and television tax credits would be extended five more years if the State Assembly has its way, after a bill that would add an extra $500 million to the program was approved today by a 72-1 vote.

The state Senate will vote on the legislation, enacted in 2009 to slow runaway production, later in the summer. “What we’re doing with this bill is retaining and creating jobs by leveling the playing field and making California competitive again,” bill co-sponsor Felipe Fuentes told the LA Times. An additional $100 million is set to be allocated for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the Times said, but of course that’s if a new state budget is passed by then — Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed cuts are massive and could steamroll any proposed credit program; they also have generated serious pushback from both sides of the aisle. Also, a state budget has been signed into law only five times in two decades, according to Reuters, so who knows how long this could take. The California Film Commission, which administers the program, said that since the incentive was signed into law, its projects are responsible for $2.2 billion in direct spending within the state, including $756 million in wages paid to below-the-line crew.

So will this make a difference?  Only time will tell.

June 6, 2011
Categories: Inside Hollywood, News you can Use . Tags: , . Author: MyMotorways . Comments: Leave a comment

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