Through a Glass Starkly
Avatar news in Vietnam - A film more than a decade in the making will be the first 3D feature shown in Vietnam
By Pham Thu Nga - Trong Kha
Excerpt: thanhniennews.com
November 14, 2009 - Three-dimensional cinema finally reached Vietnam last month when Megastar Media gave reporters and other invited guests a preview of the country’s first 3D theaters in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
While digital 3D clips have been shown in Vietnam since the 90s, Hanoi’s Megastar Vincom City Towers and HCMC’s Megastar Hung Vuong Plaza will screen the first full-length 3D features from December.
Great expectations: The first 3D film to hit Vietnam will be “Avatar,” directed by James Cameron of “Titanic” and “Terminator” fame. The US$250- million production conceived 15 years ago is one of the first full-length non-animated 3D features.
Megastar’s Distribution General Manager Su Lee told Thanh Nien Weekly the film’s screening here would be a milestone in Vietnam’s cinema market.
Tipped by no less than Steven Spielberg to be the biggest action flick of all time, “Avatar” will be released in both 2D and 3D format the same day as in the US, on December 18, Lee said. “Vietnam’s market is small but has great potential. We want to bring the cinematic activities here closer to the world,” he said.
He promised that, after “Avatar” and other 3D movies, “Vietnamese cinephiles’ way of watching films will be changed forever.” According to Time, around 1,000 people worked on the film’s production.
In a Megastar press release, Cameron said he waited more than a decade until the technology necessary to create his project was advanced enough. His patience paid off, as can be seen in the way he has fully exploited the viewing glasses’ special properties to create a visual feast.
The 15-minute trailer and some footage shown at HCMC’s Megastar cinema last month made some viewers jump out of their seats, shout and squeal with fright at the breathtaking sequences, like when the giant bull-like monster leapt from the screen to snap at its spectacle-wearing prey.
The epic fight scenes and jungle-clad landscape mesmerized the whole theater with every looking real tiny detail. Megastar’s Su Lee is confident that “Avatar” will break local box-office records. Speaking to Thanh Nien Weekly, Lee said he thought the film would rake in $1 million in Vietnam.
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GDC Forges Partnership with RealD to Deliver Leading-edge 3D Digital Cinema Experience
October 2008 - GDC is pleased to announce a partnership with RealD, the global leader in 3D cinema technology. Under the partnership, GDC’s best-selling digital cinema server - SA-2100 will be offered as part of RealD’s premier 3D platform for future 3D rollout. GDC is the market leader in Asia with two-thirds of the market share and has the second largest deployment of digital cinema servers worldwide. RealD is the global leader in 3D, having captured 90% of the worldwide digital 3D market.
The partnership will propel GDC servers into the fast expanding 3D market, estimated to reach between 4000 and 5000 screens by 2009. Early success of the partnership includes 20 installations at Lotte Cinema, South Korea.
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Singapore Hosts World’s First Fully 3-D Based Film Festival
May 2008 - Singapore has been named the host city of the world’s first fully 3-D based film and entertainment technology festival taking place from November 19 – 23, 2008. The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will host the festival officially named 3DX: 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival. Jim Chabin of 3D Partners Ltd will serve as 3DX executive producer of the five day event taking place in Asia. It is also supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.
Said Dr. Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer, MDA: “The development of a world class 3-D festival in Singapore highlighting the creative talent and technology in 3-D film underlines Singapore’s commitment to play an active role to expand the boundaries of 3-D. 3DX will provide a world stage and convergence point for filmmakers and technology companies to showcase their works for audiences and consumers. It will also provide industry players the opportunity to generate discussions on the latest trends and developments.”
In highlighting what will be an international selection of films and properties for 3DX, the first two films chosen for the festival are FLY ME TO THE MOON, an animated family film from Belgium’s nWave Pictures, featuring characters voiced by Kelly Ripa, Nicollette Sheridan, Tim Curry and Ed Begley Jr., and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, a live action adventure from New Line Cinema and Walden Media, starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem. The current list of 3DX organizations and media sponsors includes the Motion Picture Association (MPA), NBC Universal TV Asia, Star TV India and Star Movies.
Other Singapore Government agencies backing 3DX are the Singapore Economic Development Board and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. “We are honored that Singapore is the host destination for the first-ever 3DX: 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival. The event will augment our position as a thought leader in the media, design and content development cluster, as we continue to work with partners such as Media Development Authority to establish related business events that can bring synergistic value to this key economic cluster in Singapore and the thriving global media industry.
Hosting shows such as 3DX: 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival will elevate our status as an exchange capital and help cement Singapore’s standing as one of the pioneers in embracing and supporting 3D technology and film production in the world,” said Mr. Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive, Business Travel and MICE Group, Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, a group of the Singapore Tourism Board. Highlights of the 3DX festival will include screenings of 3-D films submitted by participating media organizations and partners, forums featuring guest speakers, directors, 3-D pioneers, visionaries and catalysts, red carpet reception and event gala celebration along with special entertainment based events for the public.
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