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Walt Disney and Robert Zemeckis Form Performance Capture Film Company

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Walt Disney and Robert Zemeckis Form Performance Capture Film Company

Old 02-05-07, 03:17 PM
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Walt Disney and Robert Zemeckis Form Performance Capture Film Company

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070205/lam079.html?.v=83

Press Release Source: The Walt Disney Studios


The Walt Disney Studios and Academy Award(R)-Winner Director Robert Zemeckis and Producing Partners Form New Company That Will Produce 3D Performance Capture Films

Monday February 5, 1:00 pm ET

BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The multi award-winning team of Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey join forces with The Walt Disney Studios to set-up a new performance capture film company, it was jointly announced by Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios and producer/director Robert Zemeckis.

The company will create films using the performance capture technology, a technique of digitally recording actors' movements that are fed into a computer allowing for the development of state-of-the-art 3D motion pictures.

Zemeckis, Rapke and Starkey will produce all of the films with Zemeckis expected to direct a number of the projects. The Walt Disney Studios will distribute and market the motion pictures worldwide.

In making the announcement Cook said, "The creation of this new company is yet another step in our leadership role in cutting edge technology as it relates to the movie industry." Cook continued, "Bob is an amazing director who continues to push the envelope in creating the best in cinematic experiences. Along with his partners, Jack and Steve, they are one of the finest producing teams in the business. They have a real pulse on the future of motion pictures especially as it pertains to the creativity and technology of motion capture and 3D film experiences. They are true leaders in every sense of the word and we are proud to be partners with them in this new endeavor."

Zemeckis added, "Jack, Steve and I are looking forward with great excitement to be working with Dick Cook and his team. In addition to being an enthusiastic champion of 3D movies, The Walt Disney Studios is committed to the advancement of digital cinema in all areas including performance capture."

Zemeckis, along with executive producing partner Rapke and producer Starkey, first used this innovative film technology of performance capture when he directed the highly successful animated feature film "Polar Express."

Following up on the success of "Polar Express," Zemeckis was executive producer on his second performance capture film, the Academy Award-nominated Best Animated Film "Monster House," with Rapke and Starkey producing. Additionally, Zemeckis is directing and producing the performance capture film, "Beowulf," with Rapke and Starkey also producing. The film is due out in theaters in 2007.

Among some of their other credits are: "Castaway" -- Zemeckis director and producer and Rapke and Starkey producers; "What Lies Beneath" -- Zemeckis director and producer and Rapke and Starkey producers; "Contact" -- Zemeckis director and producer and Starkey producer; "Forrest Gump" -- Zemeckis received an Academy Award for Best Director and Starkey was awarded the Best Picture Oscar for his role as producer; "Back to the Future" trilogy -- Zemeckis directed and Starkey served as associate producer on part 2 and 3 and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" -- Zemeckis directed and Starkey was associate producer.

This should be a very interesting and fruitful joint venture!

Chris
Old 02-05-07, 03:45 PM
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I wonder why the big fuck you to Sony Imageworks (which did the performance capture on Polar Express, Monster House and the upcoming Beowolf)?
Old 02-05-07, 03:56 PM
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Originally Posted by devilshalo
I wonder why the big fuck you to Sony Imageworks (which did the performance capture on Polar Express, Monster House and the upcoming Beowolf)?
I think Zemeckis saw what happened with the PS3 and decided to go with Disney!

Chris
Old 02-05-07, 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted by mrpayroll
I think Zemeckis saw what happened with the PS3 and decided to go with Disney!

Chris
I think he saw what Disney did with Bill Nighly's Davey Jones in PotC 2.
Old 02-06-07, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Jon2
I think he saw what Disney did with Bill Nighly's Davey Jones in PotC 2.
That was all ILM. So there must be something rather spectacular and groundbreaking that Disney developed for Meet the Robinsons. I don't think there are any other CG movies that DISNEY have that would come remotely close to needing performance capture technology.
Old 02-07-07, 09:11 AM
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from imdb's blurb on the story:

Director Robert Zemeckis, whose The Polar Express and Monster House were released in the 3-D IMAX format, is teaming up with the Walt Disney Co. to create a new company that will produce additional 3-D features, Disney announced Monday. "The creation of this new company is yet another step in our leadership role in cutting edge technology as it relates to the movie industry." Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said in a statement. Zemeckis is currently working on a 3-D version of the classic Beowulf.On Monday, Daily Variety reported that the number of screens equipped to show 3-D films is expected to double from about 250 to 500 worldwide in the next two months and rise to 1,000 by the end of the year.


I'll believe it when I see it, the cost of these units is still prohibitively expense... still. Theatre chains simply aren't buying into the cost and installation of these systems, and even when they do, they don't even book standard DLP 'films' in between the 3D feature releases (i.e, the Washington DC area 3D DLPtheatres are doing this: thanks, thanks alot).
Old 02-07-07, 04:35 PM
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From everything I've read, things are on track. Installations are occuring regularly and orders continue to come in. Variery just had a big article the other day about how things are moving rapidly forward in the Digital 3-D arena. (JOURNEY 3-D was just bumped to 2008 because they want to be at the 1500 screen level before they release it.) Tons of 3-D projects are in production and/or development, so there will be plenty of fresh product.

Box office figures have shown that the 3-D versions sell more tickets than the 2-D versions in markets where both are playing, so the theater chains are very interested. The Carmike Cinemas chain signed a deal in December to outfit 500 of their 2450 screens for Digital 3-D in 2007. That's huge, and that's just one deal and one theater chain.

Here in Las Vegas, the theatres that have Real D set ups routinely play 2-D DLP presentations in between 3-D releases. Many other locations in town run DLP movies regularly also. There is even one multiplex that is ALL DLP.

MEET THE ROBINSONS is shooting for 500 screens; a huge jump from 2005 when CHICKEN LITTLE played in 3-D on 80 screens. A MAJOR change in just over a year's time.

Give them time. This doesn't happen overnight!

Last edited by Steve Phillips; 02-07-07 at 04:44 PM.
Old 02-07-07, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by devilshalo
That was all ILM. So there must be something rather spectacular and groundbreaking that Disney developed for Meet the Robinsons. I don't think there are any other CG movies that DISNEY have that would come remotely close to needing performance capture technology.
Ooops! I stand corrected. That's what I get for responded to a headline instead of actually reading a post. I reacted to the "motion capture" aspect.

Although, I have to wonder what the people at Pixar are thinking. Wasn't CGI stuff supposed to remain their forte, with Disney returning to their 2D roots? Seems like this might be a violation of the spirit (if not the letter) of Disney's agreement with Pixar.

Calling a computer generated film a work of "3D motion capture" rather than "computer animation" sounds like it could be a technical loophole in a agreement.

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