Wong Kar Wai Feature Starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn and Norah Jones Opened 2007 Cannes Film Festival
IMAGICA Technologies Corp., the engineering solutions division company of IMAGICA Robot Holdings, Inc., announced today that leading post production facility Oriental Post used the IMAGER XE ADVANCED PLUS film scanner for “My Blueberry Nights.” The film, which opened this year‘s Cannes Film Festival, marks the facility‘s first 4K digital intermediate (DI) project.
“My Blueberry Nights,” director Wong Kar Wai‘s first English-language feature, is a sentimental road movie hinting at the distance between a broken heart and a new departure. The film, inspired by a six-minute short project originally meant to be part of Wong Kar Wai‘s critically acclaimed “In the Mood for Love, ” stars Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn and singer Norah Jones in her feature film debut.
Oriental Post was founded in Bangkok, Thailand in 1998. Today, the facility staffs a talented multi-lingual team of editors, artist and producers who specialize in high-end video post-production and DI services for some of the region‘s biggest film and commercial projects. Ramping up Oriental Post for its first 4K project was made easier by the facility‘s lengthy experience with 2K workflows. Oriental Post developed powerful proprietary tools to integrate separate workflows into a single pipeline, enhancing both speed and flexibility, and was able to deliver the film for its premiere at Cannes in just eight weeks.
“The IMAGER XE ADVANCED PLUS performed extremely well and was able to maintain superb quality 4K data throughout the entire project,” commented Bobbie Wong, President, Oriental Post. “IMAGICA‘s film scanners have two primary advantages--they run off of scripts which can be easily generated, and they sustain the original look of the film that the director intended. Wong Kar Wai is well known for his stylish touch with color, and ‘My Blueberry Nights‘ has a very rich and vivid look. Debora Huen, our senior colorist, was able to extend her talents to the utmost to match his benchmark.”
The IMAGER XE ADVANCED PLUS scans 35mm motion picture film and debuted in 2005 with capabilities that include scan rates of 1.9 seconds per frame for 4K and 1.3 second per frame for 2K. 35mm 3perf, 8perf and 16mm/Super 16mm are also available as options. IMAGICA also rolled out a Wetgate option in 2006 that will reduce the cost of dust and scratch removal for film restoration and remastering.
About Oriental Post Co. Ltd.
Founded in 1998 as a joint venture between two well-known Thai conglomerates, Kantana Animation and Loxley Video Post, Oriental Post Co. Ltd. is a leading post production facility providing high-end video post production and digital intermediate (DI) services to national and international clients. The company has completed post production on countless Asian blockbuster films as well as international award-winning television commercials. In 2007, Oriental Post formed an alliance with Hollywood's EFILM and the Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, enhancing its already robust DI workflow and formalizing the expanding film industry‘s cooperative relationship. For more information, please visit www.orientalpost.co.th.
About IMAGICA Technologies Corp.
IMAGICA Technologies Corp. (ITC) is a division of IMAGICA Robot Holdings, Inc., one of the largest entertainment technology companies in Japan. ITC provides front and back-end digital imaging solutions for feature film with the Imager XE and HSX Film Scanners and the HSR Film Recorder. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, ITC also maintains a sales and support office in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit www.imagica-technologies.com, or call +81-3-3238-2677.
