By Bob Fisher
DARYN OKADA, ASC USES NEW DIGITAL DAILIES TRAIL FOR HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
Daryn Okada, ASC was in Louisiana scouting locations for shooting Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay when he heard that LaserPacific had developed a calibrated system for viewing digital dailies. He visited the Los Angeles-based postproduction facility for a demonstration.
Glenn Kennel, vice president and general manager of Motion Picture Services at LaserPacific, explains that the accurateIMAGE™ (aIM) system was designed to ensure that everyone involved in a hybrid workflow sees the same nuances in images from dailies through editing, digital intermediate (DI) mastering and preview presentations.
The aIM system incorporates proprietary Kodak color science and technology, and utilizes the color decision list (CDL) developed by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Technology Committee. It calibrates all digital devices used for viewing images, including a self-contained digital projection system with a drive loaded on a Kodak Cinema Server that is used with a projector and 6-1/2-foot wide screen. When Kennel suggested that he shoot a test with a couple of hundred feet of negative film, Okada countered by asking, “How about trying it out on a whole movie?” That was about six weeks before the film went into production.
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is a sequel to the popular 2004 movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. John Cho (Harold) and Kal Penn (Kumar) played roommates in their early 20s who travelled across the United States searching for White Castle hamburger restaurants that satisfied their marijuana-induced cases of the munchies. Cho and Penn return as the same characters.
Both films were scripted by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who took their first turns at the helm co-directing the continuing adventures of two stoners. Okada describes the story as a road film with elements of comedy, drama and suspense. It begins with Harold and Kumar on an airplane flight to Amsterdam. When law enforcement officers discover Harold and Kumar tried to sneak a bong into the country, they jump to the conclusion that they are terrorists. After being brought to the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Harold and Kumar escape, which launches a rambling chase across the United States.
“They are trying to prove their innocence while avoiding being captured,” Okada says. “There are more than a few exciting close calls.”
During their initial discussions with Okada, Hurwitz and Schlossberg said they envisioned a film that looks and feels larger in scope than the original Harold & Kumar movie with threads of comedy, drama, action and
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By Neil Matsumoto
ICG PLAYS ITS HAND IN LAS VEGAS FOR NAB ‘08
Over 100,500 were in attendance at this year’s NAB, which took place from April 11-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The annual extravaganza features content creation, management distribution and delivery solutions for radio, television, cinema, Internet, mobile devices and all other media platforms. The show’s floor is quite a sight to behold with over 1.7 million square feet of exhibition space packed with some of the heavy hitters in media, including Sony, Panasonic, Microsoft, Motorola and over 1500 others. Actor/director/activist Tim Robbins delivered the keynote speech in which he addressed how new distribution and content creation opportunities will impact the entertainment industry as a whole.
Before the exhibitors’ floor opened, NAB hosted numerous conferences and workshops on topics such as D-Cinema, mobile platforms, new media, HD radio, etc. At the Director of Photography Workshop, ICG sponsored a digital cinematography panel in which DP and ICG President Steven Poster, ASC, DP David Stump, ASC, DIT Alan Gitlin, DP/Operator Charles Papert, and first assistant Stephen Wong discussed the various roles and functions of the camera crew working on digital productions, as well as on-set collaboration between crewmembers, the latest production gear and digital workflow. There was also an in-depth discussion on the benefits of being an ICG member.
Although the transition to Digital TV was a hot topic for cinematographers, HD 3-D was on every cinematographer’s agenda. Hollywood’s push for 3-D content left many companies scrambling to deliver digital 3-D equipment and technology to the masses. At the show, 3ality Digital hosted a live 3-D demonstration with Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel. The demo was led by 3ality Digital’s Steve Schklair, John Modell and Howard Postley, and was broadcast out of 3ality’s Burbank facility, where Mandel unveiled a sneak peek of a new game show he is developing with NBC. The event was a live 3-D feed to NAB’s “Content Theater,” a state-of-the-art digital screening room put together by Real D, a company that is dedicated to delivering digital 3-D to cinemas, public spaces and business environments.
Vince Pace’s company PACE is one of the leaders of 3-D technology and has perhaps the largest inventory of 3-D cameras.
The cinematographer was at the show demonstrating his PACE HD Fusion 3D camera system that he developed with director James Cameron. The tireless Pace has been shooting non-stop and had just finished work on Cameron’s Avatar and also executive produced the 3-D Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which was recently number one at the box office. In a makeshift screening room with attendees wearing 3-D glasses, PACE showed a demo reel of live action NBA and NASCAR footage shot with his cameras.
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