Industry Category: Digital Rebellion Blog

Rough cuts

Mon, 02 Jun 08 23:41:42 -0600

Shane Ross has a great post about "rough" rough cuts and how frustrating it is when producers cannot see past a lack of audio or sound effects, or a dodgy transition. What is worse is when the producer gets it into his or her head that you are trying to pass that off as the end product, despite your protestations to the contrary. That has happened to me and is a nasty situation for all involved.

I think the key is to make the producer comfortable with you. Normally these kind of problems go away on the second or third project as the producer realizes that you can do the job and are not a cowboy, and they get familiar with the way that you work. I also find that a comfortable producer will give you a lot more creative freedom (I prefer to see scripts as a guide rather than a rulebook for example) and in return you will take advantage of that freedom to return a better product, so it is mutually beneficial.

R.I.P. Sydney Pollack

Mon, 26 May 08 22:55:30 -0600

Didn't expect to read this... Sydney Pollack just died of cancer, aged 73.

Read more...

Autodesk acquires Realviz

Wed, 07 May 08 14:49:01 -0600

This is very interesting. Autodesk (Maya, 3ds Max, AutoCAD, flint, flame, Lustre.... the list goes on) has just acquired the assets of Realviz. Realviz Stitcher (for combining multiple images into panoramas) and ImageModeler (creating 3D models from still images) are very popular in the visual effects industry and have been used on several high-profile features such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

A quick visit to Realviz's site reveals that its products have already been Autodesk-branded. I see this acquisition as a good thing because it is clear that the purchase is not a defensive move and that Autodesk does genuinely want to develop the products further. I would particularly like to see Movimento, ImageModeler and MatchMover incorporated into Maya in one form or another.

Autodesk also announced today that it had completed the acquisition of Kynogon, makers of Kynapse artificial intelligence software.

Update: VFXWorld has an exclusive interview with Marc Petit, Autodesk's SVP about the acquisitions. He confirms that the products will be integrated into existing product offerings such as Maya but will also be available separately.

"We are seeing some fundamental changes in the way movies, television programs and games are produced. Being able to gather 3D data from 2D material can help at many stages of the production process. We see it in pre-visualization, where it's easy to build 3D environments or virtual sets by stitching pictures together or derive 3D models very quickly from set photos using image-based modeling. Games now require a lot of facial animation. Animators can rough out facial animations using a webcam and optical motion capture. Adding assist cameras on location to capture scenes from multiple points of view is a good insurance policy for post-production. Of course, you can extract camera moves to enrich the post-production process but you can also rebuild sets in 3D from these multiple points of view. Multiple cameras enable optical motion capture of actors in non-intrusive ways without the need for suits or dedicated stages. The performance of an actor can then be modified or augmented during the post-production process using regular 3D tools such as Maya or Flame. Moreover, combining all of these technologies with spatial image-based lighting allows for highly realistic integration of CG elements with live action. We believe that weaving these technologies and products more tightly into our existing portfolio should lead to some interesting new capabilities and will provide for a more efficient production environment."

NAB 2008 Summary

Sat, 19 Apr 08 09:59:01 -0600

If, like me, you couldn't possibly keep up with all of the goings-on at NAB and decided to wait it out until the end, here is a short summary of the biggest announcements (or the ones most interesting to me anyway) in bitesize form.

RED
New low-end portable camera Scarlet

3K
Around $3000
Early 2009 release
New Mysterium X Sensor
1-120 fps (180 fps burst)
100MB/sec Redcode RAW and RGB recording via dual Compact Flash
4.8 inch LCD
Fixed 8x T2.8 lens
Auto and manual shooting modes
Wi-Fi control - this one opens up many possibilities

PVC Scarlet write-up

New high-end camera Epic

5K (up from 4K)
I have heard both $30,000 and $40,000 quoted (up from $17,500)
Early 2009 release
New Full-Frame S35 Mysterium X Sensor
1-100 fps (up from 1-60 fps)
100MB/sec (up from 36 MB/sec) Redcode and HDMI recording
6 lb body (down from 10 lbs)
RAW and RGB recording to Red Flash
Wi-Fi control
Fully upgradeable
You can get a full $17,500 credit for your Red One if you upgrade

PVC Epic write-up

New playback device RED Ray

Early 2009
4K in
4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p, SD playback
Can play back content from a regular red laser disc
Plays native R3D files from Compact Flash
4 HD SDI and 4
HDMI connections for 4K
2 HD SDI and 2 HDMI connections for 2K
2 hrs of 4K with 5.1 audio on a regular DVD
FireWire 800 for connecting external hard disks or cameras
Under $1000

PVC RED Ray write-up
Scott Simmons at the Editblog has several photographs of the various RED products.

Sony
PMW-EX3

Around $13,000
Uses SxS cards (similar to P2)
Removable lens
1080i / 720p switchable
Genlock and timecode inputs
Shoulder-mounted
Available late 2008

F35

S35-sized sensor
Extensive depth of field controls
Greater dynamic range than the F23 (800% more)
PL lens mount allows regular 35mm film lenses to be used

Panasonic
P2 Varicams (AJ-HPX3700 and AJ-HPX2700)

Now uses P2 cards exclusively. 5x P2 slots available on each camera
2/3" CCDs
Full-res 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC Intra-100 recording
Variable frame rates in 1-frame increments
Available fall 2008

AG-HPX170 solid-state camcorder

Improves on the successful HVX200
1/3" premium-quality CCDs offering increased sensitivity and lower noise
13x lens with 28mm wide-angle setting (widest in its class)
12-60 fps in 720p-mode
P2-only; no tape deck
Much smaller and lighter than the HVX200
Available fall 2008

Here is a great summary from DVXUser.com.

AJ-HVX200A camcorder

Successor to the hugely popular HVX-200
Incorporates the same lens and CCDs as the new HPX170 but with a tape deck for transitioning from a MiniDV workflow

Here is a great review from DVXUser.com.

64 GB P2 card

More than 4 hours of DVCPRO footage
More than 2 hours of DVCPRO50 or AVC-Intra 50
More than 64 minutes of AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD
Available fall 2008

AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard P2 drive

Allows P2 cards to be used in machines with ExpressCard ports
Can transfer from up to 5 cards at once
Available late 2008

Imagineer Systems
High-end finishing system mogul

Monthly subscription includes hardware, software and maintenance. Annual hardware upgrades
Open platform allows content sharing and management between multiple applications
Editing, compositing and grading integrated to allow you to switch from one to the other without rendering
Software "plugs in" to the architecture to perform certain tasks such as mogul/roto and mogul/comp with similar interfaces
mogul/serve shipping at NAB, other products to be determined

Studio Daily mogul interview

Matrox
MXO 2

Inputs: Component HD/SD, SDI HD/SD, Embedded SDI audio, Y/C, Composite, XLR audio, RCA audio, AES/EBU, HDMI, Embedded HDMI audio
Outputs: Component HD/SD, SDI HD/SD, Embedded SDI audio, Y/C, Composite, RCA audio, XLR audio, AES/EBU, HDMI, Embedded HDMI audio, Direct 5.1 surround monitoring
This does not have a DVI output like the MXO so it cannot output to a Cinema Display
Dynamic RT acceleration and hardware up/downscaling
Designed for HDMI monitoring with calibration and 1:1 pixel mapping
Black burst and tri-sync for HD
$1600
Released July 2008

Differences between the MXO and MXO 2 (PDF)
Shane Ross's write-up

Toshiba to drop HD DVD

Mon, 18 Feb 08 11:12:39 -0700

BBC News is reporting that shares of Toshiba have risen over speculation that it will scrap the HD DVD format. Toshiba was one of the pioneers of the format and has stood by it even after it was eclipsed by Blu-ray.

The article states that Toshiba is "reviewing its business strategies" but no decision has been made about HD DVD's future yet. This reflects a change in Toshiba's attitudes as it used to answer a firm "yes, the format will continue" when asked.

I hope Toshiba kills it sooner rather than later, as not only are they hurting themselves and the industry, but they are prolonging the inevitable. I think the major complaint about Blu-ray - price - will become a non-factor in the future as the industry can now focus its resources on one format to bring down prices, instead of splitting them between two. Also, technological improvements over time and increased demand will lower production costs and bring down prices as well.

Some people are wondering if it will all be in vain, as the download industry is just starting to take off. That remains to be seen but I don't think they are ready to directly compete with discs yet though.

Update 2/19/08: It's official. Toshiba has now suspended production of HD DVD players and recorders but will continue to clear out its inventory until March. This is a lot earlier than I had originally expected, so well done Toshiba for not drawing it out.

Apple pulls out of NAB 2008

Thu, 07 Feb 08 16:54:27 -0700

AppleInsider is stating that Apple has pulled out of NAB 2008.

Last year, Apple's main competitor in the video editing field, Avid, announced that it was not going to attend the conference, amid industry speculation as to its reasons.

In Apple's case, it is not necessarily a bad thing and does not mean that we will not see new video-related products. Setting up a stand at big trade shows is expensive and Apple have reached the stage where their brand is so strong that they do not need anyone else to help them market it. This was illustrated last year by the announcement of the iPhone at Macworld in January overshadowing all of the announcements at the CES show happening at the same time.

I repeat: this is not necessarily bad news. I quote Steve Jobs from this year's Macworld keynote: "All of this in two weeks. And there's still 50 to go."

Sonic drops HD DVD Scenarist support

Thu, 31 Jan 08 02:23:26 -0700

Video Business is announcing that Sonic Solutions has discontinued support for its HD DVD Scenarist authoring software. This is important because Scenarist is a popular product that is used professionally for disc authoring.

Sonic claims it wants to focus on Blu-ray and add extra functionality to the Blu-ray edition of Scenarist, rather than splitting its time and resources between two formats. Customers of the HD DVD version can exchange it for the Blu-ray edition.

As Toshiba seems unwilling to kill off HD DVD, many companies have chosen to pounce on it now that a possible winner has emerged. I think this is good for the industry, and the sooner Toshiba realizes this, the better.

Gartner: HD DVD dead by the end of the year

Mon, 28 Jan 08 10:53:51 -0700

PCWorld is reporting that Gartner Research has predicted the death of HD DVD by the end of the year. It dubs Toshiba's massive HD DVD player price cuts as "useless resistance".

While I have no idea how long it will take before Toshiba gives up, I am in agreement that it is incredibly difficult for HD DVD to make a comeback. It is too costly for the studios to output to three different formats (standard-def DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray). More importantly, HD DVD is already dead in the eyes of several consumers I have spoken to, and I am sure the recent negative publicity cemented this belief in many more people.

Lack of studio support and constant predictions of HD DVD's demise are denting consumer confidence and increasing Blu-ray's lead. If Toshiba is planning a comeback, it needs to be now.

As an update to my previous post, the "Save HD DVD" petition now stands at over 30,000 signatures and the "Let HD DVD Die" petition stands at over 10,000. I cannot see Warner or the others doing a U-turn on this policy, however, no matter how many votes it gets.

Update 1/30/08:
Video Business is reporting that HD DVD player sales rose significantly over the past week. This is likely to be due to the massive (half-price in some cases) price cuts that took place. Last week's player sales put Blu-ray at 63%, HD DVD at 33% and dual-format players at 4%. The week before it was 90% for Blu-ray and 7% for HD DVD.

This shows that consumers are more susceptible to pricing strategies in this war than previously thought. HD DVD is the cheaper format, in terms of both disc and player costs but if Blu-ray does become the dominant format, production costs (and presumably prices) will fall with time.

HD DVD not going down without a fight

Tue, 22 Jan 08 15:57:21 -0700

HighDefDigest has a series of articles on the ongoing HD-DVD vs Blu-ray saga. I have heard some consumer publications say that HD-DVD is dead and Blu-ray has won the war. This is completely misleading. HD-DVD has taken some heavy blows but it has not died yet. Microsoft has shown in the past that it is prepared to make a loss in order to increase the market share of inferior products.

HD-DVD is definitely not giving up the ghost here. Universal has confirmed that it has no plans to abandon the HD-DVD format, despite the escape clause in its contract.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, Warner revealed that it plans to delay even more of its HD-DVD releases. The delays now encompass its catalog titles in addition to its new ones.

Retailers are supporting Warner's move as well. Retailers are becoming cautious about over-stocking HD-DVD titles and are dedicating more shelf space to Blu-ray discs.

Finally, an online petition has been set up, campaigning against the move to abandon HD-DVD. At the time of writing, it has received over 15,000 signatures. Recently, a counter-petition called "Let HD DVD Die" was set up. At the time of writing, it has over 6,000 signatures (including mine). Because the first petition has had a couple of weeks' head start, it's difficult to tell which one is actually "winning" right now, although it probably won't make much difference.

Oscar 2008 nominations revealed

Tue, 22 Jan 08 09:46:59 -0700

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman - Juno
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James...
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Foreign Language Film
Beaufort (Israel)
The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Katyn (Poland)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
12 (Russia)

Best Animated Feature
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

Best Adapted Screenplay
Atonement
Away from Her
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Best Music (Score)
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma

Best Music (Song)
Falling Slowly - Once (performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
Happy Working Song - Enchanted (performed by Amy Adams)
Raise It Up - August Rush (performed by Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theatre)
So Close - Enchanted (performed by Jon McLaughlin)
That's How You Know - Enchanted (performed by Amy Adams)

Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

Best Documentary Short
Freeheld
La Corona (The Crown)
Salim Baba
Sari's Mother

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

Best Cinematography
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Art Direction
American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

Best Animated Short
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)
My Love (Moya Lyubov)
Peter & the Wolf

Best Short Film
At Night
Il Supplente
Le Mozart des Pickpockets
Tanghi Argentini
The Tonto Woman

Best Costume Design
Across the Universe
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Make-Up
La Vie en Rose
Norbit
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Transformers

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

Best Film Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

The ceremony takes place on February 24th. The producer has promised that the "show will go on" whether the actors are there or not, unlike the Golden Globes.

Macworld 2008 Keynote

Tue, 15 Jan 08 12:24:52 -0700

Here's what Santa Steve has in store for us:

* New Airport Extreme with built-in storage, called "Time Capsule". It's designed for Time Machine, so that laptop users don't have to keep plugging in external hard drives. Backup is better automated, as users will always forget or just be lazy. Two options: 500 GB for $299 and 1 TB for $499. It will ship in February.

* New iPhone features - Maps with locations (it triangulates both cell towers and wi-fi points), webclips, customizable home screens (up to 9 separate screens), SMS multiple people at once, chapters, subtitles, and language support in video, and lyrics support in audio. This is all via the 1.1.3 firmware update that was previously leaked, and it is out today for free.

* New iPod touch features - Now features Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes and Weather, that were previously featured exclusively on the iPhone. The update is $20 for existing users but included in the price of new units. The charge is probably partly due to potentially cannibalizing iPhone sales and partly due to accounting (they're not allowed to add major new features later on for free).

* iTunes Movie Rentals - They have Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, New Line, Lionsgate, Fox, Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Sony on board. New rentals come out 30 days after DVD releases, and they will have 1000 in the library by the end of February. You have 30 days to begin watching it and you must finish it within 24 hours once you've started. You can rent in both HD and SD quality. For HD: $3.99 for older titles, $4.99 for new releases. SD titles are $1 less. There will be software updates today to enable this functionality.

* Apple TV has a brand new UI. You can rent directly from your couch, using an on-screen keyboard to type things in. You can also get podcasts and music videos. It also has .Mac and Flickr support, allowing you to view friends' photo albums. All of this software will be enabled via a free software upgrade in the next two weeks. They're also knocking $70 off the price. You also no longer require a computer in order to use it.

* They now have a deal with Fox where all new Fox Blu-ray titles will have an iTunes-compatible version on the disc designed for iPod users.

* MacBook Air - "The world's thinnest notebook". It has a 13.3" widescreen LED display (not LCD) and is 0.16 inches at its thinnest end and 0.76 at its thickest. It weighs 3lbs. Steve even whipped out an envelope on stage and fitted it inside! It's aluminum with a backlit black full-size keyboard and trackpad. The trackpad supports advanced gestures (a la the iPhone), allowing you to perform extra application functions without needing the keyboard. It also comes with an iSight camera. 80 GB hard drive as standard or you can opt for a 64 GB solid-state flash drive (much faster but considerably more expensive). 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, with 1.8 GHz available as an option. It turns out that the processor inside is specifically made for the Air, and has been shrunk by 60% at Apple's request.

It does not come with a CD or DVD drive but there is an external one for $99 that is specifically designed for it. Apple has also created software called Remote Disc that allows you to browse other machines' optical drives via wi-fi and install software using their optical drives. You can do this with both Mac and PC machines.

It also has 5 hours of battery life when you browse the web with Wi-fi switched on. The price is $1799 and it will ship in two weeks. Pre-orders available now. It is also more eco-friendly than its predecessors, using less packaging and no mercury, arsenic, BFR or PVC.

Analysis
Ok, ok, I was wrong with my prediction of no sub-notebook. But it's good to see that Apple has dealt with the potential issues I brought up. This is a great machine for those that need something small and light without compromising power.

My favorite announcement today was iTunes movie rentals and how Apple has integrated these with the Apple TV. Steve acknowledged that the Apple TV had missed the mark somewhat, and that movies are the main driving point. I was expecting movie rentals but I was not expecting HD support as well. I was considering signing up for a Netflix account but this deal is much better. You can rent HD movies that will work on Macs, PCs, the Apple TV, iPods and iPhones for a relatively low fee. No other online rental company offers this. It is also considerably more convenient than sending and receiving discs in the mail.

I am also considering buying an Apple TV now. The device has considerably more use to me now that you can rent and watch HD movies directly from the comfort of your sofa. There is no word on whether purchased movies will be offered in HD as well, or even if they will continue to be offered at all. I will probably hold off purchasing it just yet though, as I am sure that Apple will put a DVD drive in it once a format "wins" the war. I may as well get one unit that does everything instead of 3 or 4, all with different remotes.

Steve mentioned the SDK briefly but did not really go into detail about it, which surprised me. And no 16 GB iPhone or new MacBook Pros either. I was certain they were going to be there. Maybe Apple will just do a minor update to the 'Pros without fanfare later in the year. Steve said that there were a lot of things coming in two weeks but that "there are another 50" afterwards, implying that the announcements are far from over. No new cinema displays and no mention of the Mac Mini either. Some rumor sites have been saying for years that the Mini is about to be killed off but it seems to be the one thing that no-one ever talks about. I think if Steve were to kill it, he would have something better to immediately replace it.

So, in summary, a pretty good keynote. I don't think the stock will jump as high as it did with the iPhone announcement last year but I think this will go down well with investors.

Update: Apple's site has more details on everything announced at the keynote. Also check Software Update because iTunes 7.6 and QuickTime 7.4 are already available for download (at least for me - sometimes they stagger updates across geographic locations). Do not install these on your production machine! Be especially wary of QuickTime 7.4 if you do not have an up-to-date version of Final Cut Pro.

Update 2: View the keynote video online.

Also, Blockbuster and Netflix shares dropped significantly after the keynote. Surprisingly, so did Apple's. It turns out that people were somewhat disappointed with today's keynote. The Macbook Air is a well-designed machine but the price is somewhat prohibitive, which is a shame. If you choose the solid-state drive, it takes the price to over $3000. The price per GB of solid-state memory is falling significantly every year so it would not make sense to spend that much on the solid-state version right now.

Golden Globes 2008

Sun, 13 Jan 08 23:26:05 -0700

Best Picture (Drama)
Atonement
American Gangster
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
Sweeney Todd
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille
Bee Movie
The Simpsons Movie

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Drama)
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy)
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Drama)
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy)
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright - Atonement

Best Screenplay
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Diablo Cody - Juno
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

Best Original Score
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
Clint Eastwood - Grace is Gone
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
Howard Shore - Eastern Promises

Best Original Song
Guaranteed - Into the Wild
Despedida - Love in the Time of Cholera
Grace is Gone - Grace is Gone
That's How You Know - Enchanted
Walk Hard - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France and US)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Kite Runner (US)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Cecil B DeMille Award - lifetime achievement
Steven Spielberg

Best Television Series - Drama
Mad Men
Big Love
Damages
Grey's Anatomy
House
The Tudors

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Extras
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
Pushing Daisies

Best Mini-Series or Television Movie
Longford
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
The Company
Five Days
The State Within

Best Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Michael C Hall - Dexter
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
Bill Paxton - Big Love

Best Actor in a Leading Role (TV Musical or Comedy)
David Duchovny - Californication
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carrell - The Office
Ricky Gervais - Extras
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Jim Broadbent - Longford
Adam Beach - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Ernest Borgnine - A Grandpa for Christmas
Jason Isaacs - The State Within
James Nesbitt - Jekyll

Best Actress in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Glenn Close - Damages
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Minnie Driver - The Riches
Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Edie Falco - The Sopranos

Best Actress in a Leading Role (TV Musical or Comedy)
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Queen Latifah - Life Support
Bryce Dallas Howard - As You Like It
Debra Messing - The Starter Wife
Sissy Spacek - Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson - Jane Eyre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Ted Danson - Damages
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Andy Serkis - Longford
William Shatner - Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland - Dirty Sexy Money

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Samantha Morton - Longford
Rose Byrne - Damages
Rachel Griffiths - Brothers and Sisters
Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy
Anna Paquin - Bury My Heart On Wounded Knee
Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl

More companies drop HD DVD

Thu, 10 Jan 08 13:29:47 -0700

HBO announced yesterday that it will follow its parent company, Warner, in embracing Blu-ray exclusively. Warner has one more subsidiary, BBC Home Video, that has not yet announced its intentions but it is expected to follow suit.

Variety is now reporting that the two remaining studios in the HD DVD camp, Universal and Paramount, could switch sides soon as well.

They say that they can confirm that "Universal's commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended" and that Paramount has an escape clause in its contract that will allow it to release films on Blu-ray after Warner embraced it exclusively. The two companies are not dropping support for the format but it is less attractive for them to remain exclusive to it.

I am certain that HD DVD will not go down without a fight, as Microsoft and Toshiba have invested a considerable amount of money into the format. Toshiba says it will remain faithful to the format but as a consumer, I would not be rushing out to buy an HD DVD player right now. If the remaining HD DVD-supporting studios choose to release their titles on both HD DVD and Blu-ray, the battle is already over. Why would you buy an HD DVD player that can play two studios' titles when you can buy a Blu-ray player that will play every company's discs? It's a no-brainer.

Update: Universal has issued a statement: "Contrary to unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed sources, Universal's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format". Note that they did not use the word "exclusively" or say anything about not releasing titles on Blu-ray.

High Def DVD News

Wed, 09 Jan 08 04:05:27 -0700

I've been a bit busy over the past few days and haven't had much time to post unfortunately, but there have been some very interesting developments in the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray.

Late last week, Warner Brothers announced that it would be dropping support for the HD DVD format in May and supporting Blu-ray exclusively.

This had a knock-on effect, causing the HD DVD Promo Group to cancel their press conference at CES, citing the "timing of Warner Brothers' announcement" as the reason. This in turn prompted Paramount to clarify its position that "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format", but they have canceled any HD DVD title announcements at CES. This doesn't sound to me like Paramount is 100% confident in the success of the HD DVD format.

There was some initial confusion as to whether Warner's subsidiaries would follow suit. New Line clarified its position but said that unlike its parent which was waiting until May 2008 to shelve HD DVD, its switch to Blu-ray would take place immediately. This would make Pan's Labyrinth the only New Line movie to have been released on HD DVD.

It would appear that the studios are getting tired of the confusion caused by the format war and the fact that most people are waiting for it to end before making a purchasing decision. In my opinion, Blu-ray is a superior format so I am glad it is achieving market penetration. HD DVDs have the advantage of being cheaper to produce but if Blu-ray becomes a standard, this issue will diminish with time.

Death of the TV studios?

Wed, 26 Dec 07 08:25:58 -0700

Over on dembot, Andrew Baron has an article on why he thinks the TV studios will die. He makes a lot of good points and compares the writer's strike of the '80s with today's strike. He says that consumers are less affected by the strike today due to the presence and growing popularity of online content.

There is one thing that he doesn't mention though. I don't like to bring it up but everything eventually comes back to money. The internet makes it easy to attract an audience but how do you make money from it? The lonelygirl15 producers couldn't work it out. They had more viewers than a lot of TV shows but they didn't know how to harvest that audience for profit.

People seem to think that selling advertising space is the cookie-cutter solution to every single problem. It can work but it is not effective in all situations. The reason Google has been so successful is that they target people who are looking for a solution to a problem. If you are looking for gardening services in Los Angeles, they can provide you with that information and charge a fee to the advertiser. But what if you are not looking for a product or service? What if you are just trying to watch a TV show? How effective is advertising then? In the Google example above, advertising was helping you achieve your goal but in the TV show example, it was a hindrance towards your objective as it interrupted your viewing.

It is clear that the current TV model will not be successful in the long run. But there will still be life in it until producers can work out a way to match or increase their current TV revenues through other means. At the end of the day, consumers will go to wherever the content they desire exists. So whilst the studios are not adapting well to changing technology, they still have a lot of power. How could someone without studio backing make a show like '24' for example?

I think the final solution will be an on-demand subscription system where people get exactly what they want when they want it (uninterrupted by ads), advertisers promote their products discretely through product placement, and producers are paid for each viewing of their show. This would be a mutually beneficial system. Unfortunately, life isn't quite as perfect as that, so we will see what happens.

Update: TechCrunch has some statistics on internet viewing figures. Interestingly, viewers are 47% more "engaged" by internet ads than TV ads. I suppose this is due to greater audience targeting, which is not possible with TV. The question no-one seems to be asking, and I don't have the answer because I don't have access to the research report, is how engaged are consumers overall by TV or internet TV-based advertising? If I was an advertiser, that would be one of my first questions.

Update #2: Reuters has a conflicting report (via CamcorderInfo) that says that 85% of the 2,081 Americans surveyed said that TV ads have more of an impact on their buying habits than online ads.

Peter Jackson to create TinTin movie using performance capture

Mon, 17 Dec 07 13:51:39 -0700

DreamWorks has acquired the rights to the classic comic series TinTin, about the faithful Belgian reporter and his dog Snowy. It will be a trilogy - Peter Jackson will be directing one of the movies, Steven Spielberg will be directing another, and the third director is currently unknown (unconfirmed reports suggest that if they can't find anyone, Spielberg and Jackson might co-direct it).

Andy Serkis will be playing Captain Haddock in the film. I would imagine he would be good for this role considering he played a similar role as the gruff ship's cook in King Kong.

The films will be visually faithful to the original cartoons, as they will be employing the latest performance capture technology to create a cartoon version of the film using real actors. This technique was most recently seen in the movie Beowulf, which is currently in the running for a Visual Effects Academy Award.

Serkis is no stranger to motion capture of course, having played Gollum in Lord of the Rings and Kong in King Kong, but this will be his first performance capture movie.

[via BBC News]

Blogwad 12/13/07

Thu, 13 Dec 07 02:54:07 -0700

Here are some of the headlines that caught my eye recently:

Oscars go long with songs - 59 songs are in the running for an Oscar nomination this year.

ProTools LE controlled with an iPhone - Someone has managed to create a hack that allows you to control ProTools LE in real-time from an iPhone. Looks pretty cool. Complete with video.

YouTube a conduit for "D-Boys" auditions - A Japanese talent agency is using YouTube as a means of auditioning actors.

Sony sets sights on new camera - Sony is to release the F35 next year as part of its high-end CineAlta line. It's got a Super 35mm sensor and will record a 10 megapixel image. It is planned to retail for $250k for the camera body (no lens or accessories). Sony also says it has a 4K camera in the works but it will take a while. "We don't want to do a low-end 4K camera system" - which is clearly a dig at the Red camera. It will be interesting to see what Sony brings to the table.

New trailers for Youth Without Youth - Two new trailers up for Francis Ford Coppola's new movie. I can't wait to see it.

Sahara budget revealed

Mon, 10 Dec 07 05:03:36 -0700

The LA Times has managed to obtain details of the budget for the movie Sahara. If you don't remember, Sahara was an action-adventure movie that came out in 2005, starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz. It lost $105 million at the box office and is regarded as one of the biggest flops in Hollywood's history.

The production costs came to $160 million but the producers managed to save a lot of money by shooting abroad. Some of their Moroccan crew were paid the same amount for a week's work as their US counterparts would be paid for a day. They were also given tax breaks and financial incentives by foreign governments.

But some of the other costs were shocking. They spent $105,556 on bottled water in Morocco alone. How many bottles does it take to spend that amount of money? I did a Google product search and found a site offering 24 bottles for $7.13, equaling about $0.30 per bottle. So, at that price you would need at least 355,307 bottles of water! The actual amount would probably be much higher because they would most likely buy wholesale in bulk, which would cost even less per bottle. Remember that this is only in Morocco and doesn't include any water costs in any of the other locations. Crazy.

Even this was a small cost compared to some of the other things in the budget. The strangest thing is that the "usual suspects" - special effects, post production, actors' wages - were the smallest items on the balance sheet. The main problem was that they would shoot complex sequences costing millions of dollars that ended up being cut from the final movie. The film also suffered because the high production costs meant that creative control became a secondary consideration in scenes with product placement.

A very interesting read. I'd recommend checking it out sooner rather than later, as Paramount are very angry that the budget was leaked and it may end up being taken down.

NBC departure worse for Apple than previously thought?

Fri, 07 Dec 07 02:49:46 -0700

I posted earlier this week about NBC Universal withdrawing its video content from the iTunes store. This was seen as a foolish move by NBC.

Well, it turns out that it may not have been foolish at all. Christina Warren at TUAW hits the nail on the head when she says that whilst "iTunes dominates the world of digital music sales, the same cannot be said for iTunes video downloads." Assuming that you meet the system requirements for NBC Direct (most people in the world have at least Windows XP so most people would) and assuming you don't want to play it on a Mac or iPod, what advantage does iTunes have? The only way you can compete with free products is to make sure yours offers infinitely more advantages to justify the price, and iTunes downloads don't.

My suggestions for Apple:
* HD content. Yes, it will take a long time to download but they can incorporate a method whereby we can start watching before it has finished. I think the download times are not as big of a deal as Apple makes out, because you only download it once. Once that's done, it's on your hard drive forever in full HD glory.

* Put more resources into Apple TV development. They've shown that wireless, stripped-down music stores work on the iPod Touch and iPhone, so why not a wireless, stripped-down music and video store on the Apple TV?

* According to Apple's own site, H.264 1080p QuickTime files run at 7-8Mbps. 802.11g (a popular wireless networking standard) runs at 60Mbps. Even if there were range-based issues with this (data rates lower as the devices get further and further away), its successor - 802.11n - offers 108Mbps, which the Apple TV has full support for. There is no reason why 1080p isn't supported on the Apple TV.

* 5.1 surround sound options within the iTunes video store. There's no point in offering high quality video if you don't have high quality audio as well.

The reason why the iTunes music store is so successful is because it offers something you can't get with a CD. You can mix and match tracks and preview them before you buy. You can't do that in a store. Apple also got a major head start in the industry with the music store that they don't have with their other stores.

The iTunes movie and TV stores need to offer something that DVDs, television and Tivos can't. The fact is that we now live in a high definition age and Apple's store content can't even compete with standard definition DVDs. A lot of people are wary of buying high definition players because they don't know whether HD-DVD or Blu-ray will win the format war. Apple could become the third option - a high definition version that you know will still be around next year that can easily be burnt onto whatever format ends up winning the war. I'd buy that for sure.

Apple, despite its recent growth in revenue, seems to be neglecting certain key areas of its business - areas that were largely responsible for its success in the first place.

Update: Director Michael Bay suggests that Microsoft has the same idea. In a posting on his official forum, he says:

Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads.

Of course, it's just speculation, but Microsoft has been found guilty of such tactics many times before (often with very little consequence by the authorities).

NBC Universal withdraws content from iTunes Store

Mon, 03 Dec 07 02:31:22 -0700

I just read that, as previously promised, NBC Universal has not renewed their contract and all of their content has been removed from the iTunes Store. NBC now has hulu (currently in invite-only beta) and NBC Direct (requires Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, doesn't work on Vista and is buggy as hell on XP). It is also a lot more complicated to set up. So a worthwhile transition then.

The internet is a game-changer when it comes to content distribution. The companies that will survive are the ones prepared to adapt to the new business models and the ones that die are the ones that stubbornly stick with outdated practices. NBC is not winning over any consumer support with its attitude. Such recent acts include asking for "flexible pricing" aka. bundling shows with extra ones you don't want for a higher price; and Universal Music accusing all iPod users of being pirates and tacking on a $1 "piracy fee" onto the sales of Zunes (so far they've made about $3 but it's the principle). I have heard a lot of people say that they were prepared to pay for NBC shows on iTunes but now they will resort to piracy because they have no other option (this especially applies to Mac users). Also, it is rather curious that NBC would remove content from a system they make money from and incorporate it into a free system for seemingly no other reason than to spite Apple.

I hope NBC will see sense otherwise continued acts like this could well be the nail in their coffin.

Note: This withdrawal only applies to content broadcast on NBC. Shows produced by NBC and broadcast on other networks are still there.

[via TUAW]

Academy offers matte painting exhibition and panel discussion

Thu, 29 Nov 07 03:43:07 -0700

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is opening a matte painting exhibition in the foyer of the Linwood Dunn Theater, celebrating the works of such artists as Peter Ellenshaw, Albert Whitlock, and Matthew Yuricich.

For the uninitiated, matte painting is the process of painting a background to be inserted into a shot via the matte process. This allows filmmakers to create vast, expansive backdrops without having to physically build a massive set. Originally performed with oil paints on glass, nowadays it is generally performed inside a computer but some artists prefer to paint on canvas and then scan it into a computer. I have used it myself on several occasions for replacing blown-out skies and can boost production values considerably.

There is also a panel discussion with prestigious matte painters and camera operators, hosted by Academy governor Craig Barron.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. The exhibition is free and the panel is $5 for the public and $3 for Academy members and students. Both events open on Monday December 10th 2007.

Read more about the exhibition
Read more about the panel

Sundance reveals 2008 competition films

Thu, 29 Nov 07 00:51:28 -0700

The Sundance Institute has released a list of the 121 feature films that are competing at the Sundance Film Festival 2008. Tomorrow it will release a list of non-competing films being shown at the festival.

Documentary
An American Soldier
American Teen
Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Fields of Fuel
Flow: For Love of Water
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
I.O.U.S.A.
Nerakhoon (The Betrayal)
The Order of Myths
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Secrecy
Slingshot Hip Hop
Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North
Trouble the Water

Dramatic
American Son
Anywhere, U.S.A.
Ballast
Choke
Downloading Nancy
Frozen River
Good Dick
The Last Word
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
North Starr
Phoebe in Wonderland
Pretty Bird
Sleep Dealer
Sugar
Sunshine Cleaning
The Wackness

World Cinema Documentary
Alone in Four Walls
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins
Be Like Others
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
Derek
Dinner With the President
Durakovo: The Village of Fools (Durakovo: Le Village Des Fous)
In Prison My Whole Life
Man On Wire
puujee
Recycle
Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma
Up the Yangtze
The Women of Brukman (Les Femmes de la Brukman)
Yasukuni

World Cinema Dramatic
Absurdistan
Blue Eyelids (Parpados Azules)
Captain Abu Raed
The Drummer (Jin. Gwu)
I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster (J'ai Toujours Reve d'etre un Gangster)
Just Another Love Story (Kaerlighed Pa Film)
King of Ping Pong (Ping Pongkingen)
Mancora
Megane (Glasses)
Mermaid (Rusalka)
Perro Come Perro (Dog Eat Dog)
Riprendimi (Good Morning Heartache)
Strangers
Under the Bombs (Sous les Bombes)
The Wave (Die Welle)
The Wind and the Water (Burwa dii Ebo)

Sundance '08 will run from January 17-27 2008 in Utah.

Harry Potter HD DVD contains "Community Screening" feature

Mon, 26 Nov 07 07:45:33 -0700

High-Def Digest has an article about a new feature on the Order of the Phoenix HD DVD (not the Blu-ray version).

Live Community Screening allows you to play the movie at the same time as other people with the disc and talk to them about it via the text-based chat room.

One user starts the session and invites the other viewers to it. This user can control playback (play, pause, etc); no-one else can. It is unclear at this stage how you invite other people - presumably they must register with a central database.

I think this is an experiment more than anything else, which is why Warner released it without much fanfare. Voice-based interaction might make it more viable but it's simply more enjoyable to watch a movie with other people in the room.

However, with that said, it might be useful for people who are separated by long distances.

Looking to monetize your online videos?

Fri, 23 Nov 07 21:40:54 -0700

If you're looking to gain money from online videos, you should definitely check out this report at TubeMogul.

The PDF file lists 11 video sharing sites that they monitor and shows statistics such as whether or not they offer a revenue scheme, how much of a share content providers receive and, uniquely (and most importantly in my opinion), gives user opinions on the site.

Very valuable if you're looking to make money from your content online.

Movies missed by the Oscars

Tue, 20 Nov 07 01:23:19 -0700

Variety has an article on solid acting performances that will probably be missed by the Academy because they reside in a genre that normally doesn't receive attention.

I definitely agree with Matt Damon for The Bourne Ultimatum and Elijah Kelley for Hairspray. I was actually there at the London premiere of Ultimatum. I wasn't invited or anything; I normally stop by Leicester Square whenever I'm in the area because they have 5 or 6 cinemas there and you can literally see ANYTHING, old or new, with maybe three other people in the cinema at the same time. I didn't get to see my movie in the end but I DID get to see Matt Damon and realize that this guy cared an incredible amount about the movie. His number one priority was creating a believable character that audiences can understand and relate to. It's very rare to see that kind of attitude in the action film genre. And he pulled it off without it being cheesy, which is even rarer.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to talk about Grindhouse. Grindhouse deserves an award for something because it remains, to this date, the most fun I have ever had at the cinema. I was so sure it would be a success. People just didn't get it. I heard that people walked out after the first movie, complained about the visual and aural quality and were incredibly confused by the missing scenes and trailers. But the fan base is so strong (#153 on the IMDb Top 250) that it should have long-term success, which is more than can be said for some of the recent blockbusters.

15 movies to compete for Visual Effects Oscar

Fri, 16 Nov 07 03:53:10 -0700

In an increasingly-digital age of filmmaking, the Visual Effects Academy Award is gaining in prominence. Not so long ago, only three or four titles would be considered but 15 are being considered for the 2008 Academy Awards.

The full list is:

300
Beowulf
The Bourne Ultimatum
Enchanted
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Ghost Rider
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend
Live Free or Die Hard
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Spider Man 3
Sunshine
Transformers
The Water Horse

My money is on Spider Man 3, purely because of the Sandman sequences. Those are incredibly difficult to recreate in a computer. Another contender could be The Water Horse, although I think water interactions would be easier than sand interactions.

[via Variety]

WGA strike continues

Mon, 12 Nov 07 12:14:51 -0700

Still no progress, and the studios don't seem to be in a hurry to return to the bargaining table.

Variety has an article explaining why this could be.

"Some fear that the strike will allow studios and networks to employ a scorched-earth approach to cut expenses and punish those who have fallen out of favor. Force majeure terms provide opt-out provisions in the event of an occurrence beyond the control of the parties. While top producers often have clauses in their deals that preclude them from being discharged under these terms, smaller producers and writers are vulnerable."

A "force majeure" is a contract clause that frees both parties from liability if an extraordinary external event occurs that they have no control over. Basically, what the article is saying is that it is not necessarily in the studios' interests for the strike to be ended as quickly as possible. I thought it was strange that the studios were making such a fuss, as the actual amount the writers are asking for is a tiny amount that is less than the price of the case the DVD comes in. The strike gives the studios the opportunity to cancel underperforming shows that are bound by contracts.

The strike is not necessarily a bad thing, as in theory, this should lead to better content once the strike ends. It's also great if you have a film in the can, as the studios are looking to buy existing content now more than ever.

(image from AP)

Moby offers royalty free film music to non-commercial films

Thu, 08 Nov 07 21:00:36 -0700

Moby is offering royalty-free film music to "independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short."

If you are using it for commercial use, you can apply for an "easy" license with all proceeds being given to the Humane Society.

This represents the third example this year (that I can think of, let me know if I missed anything) of a major artist bypassing a record label. The first was Prince, who released his album Planet Earth for free in a UK newspaper, then Radiohead released their album In Rainbows on the internet for whatever price downloaders were willing to pay.

Life is getting harder for the record labels because the viral nature of the internet means that some established artists are questioning the need for a middleman.

[via HDForIndies]

The results of Radiohead's experiment

Wed, 07 Nov 07 19:39:17 -0700

iTWire is reporting that Radiohead's experimental approach of allowing listeners to choose the price they would be willing to pay for their album was, largely, successful.

Predictably, the majority (62%) of people chose to pay absolutely nothing. However, 10% of people chose to pay a price comparable to what they would pay in a store, whilst the majority of the remaining customers paid between $4 and $8.

Radiohead earned, on average, $2.26 per album sold. Not very much when albums sell on iTunes for $10. But if they were to sell the album on iTunes, they would only make $1 per album with the rest being split between Apple and the record label. It's also interesting to note that not only did they make more money (even with hosting costs), they lost none of it to piracy.

The article raises the question of how successful this approach would have been if it had been an unknown band adopting this approach. My personal belief is that although there will always be freeloaders in life, if the content is good enough there will always be people who want to see more good content in the future. The internet is the perfect place for viral marketing, if you know how to exploit it.

The album, In Rainbows, is available here for whatever price you'd like.

Various high def DVD items

Sat, 06 Oct 07 09:35:42 -0600

Best Buy has been named the top retailer of Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs "by a large margin", with Amazon at second place. Both companies attribute their leads to their informational approach to marketing, which aids consumer understanding of the technologies and the format war.

It is unsurprising that consumers are confused when the DVD Forum is close to approving a 51 GB HD-DVD disc. This would eliminate the main advantage of storage space that Blu-ray has over current HD-DVD discs. I prefer this to the HD-DVD group's previous competitive strategy of paying companies to use their product, as the consumer benefits greatly from this latest development.

Meanwhile, in the Blu-ray camp, they are giving away free Blu-ray discs with the purchase of a qualifying player. Once you buy the player you're pretty much locked to the format, and the studios know this. Universal has incorporated web-enabled HD-DVD features which extends HD-DVD's interactivity lead over Blu-ray and with higher capacity HD-DVD discs on the horizon, Blu-ray needs to fight with either marketing or technological advances. I'm hoping it will be the latter.

However, Sony is reporting that it has achieved high manufacturing yields nearing those of DVD. What that means is that there are fewer defects in the discs and so fewer discs have to be thrown away, resulting in lower manufacturing costs. The technological advances to HD-DVD could prove too confusing and expensive for the consumer so they may go with something cheaper and more reliable.

This war ain't over yet.