James Cameron’s 3D China venture

James Cameron, film director and co-chairman of Cameron Pace Group, in Beijing.

Filmmaker James Cameron and 3D photography specialist Vince Pace have announced that the Cameron Pace Group (CPG), which specializes in providing 3D technology, services and consulting to other producers, will launch a new joint venture in China. The deal, signed Wednesday in Beijing with the state-owned Tianjin North Film Group and Tianjin High-tech Holding Group, will see CPG triple in size in the next 18 months, as Cameron and Pace build up a staff of Chinese workers, overseen by a team that will come in part from the U.S. and be housed at CPG China’s new studio in the city of Tianjin.

Cameron said this is the first step in a global expansion for the company, part of a push to make 3D technology the universal film standard worldwide.

“Our fantasy is that China will set the path and the rest of the world will look and say, ‘They’re going straight into 3D production,'” said Cameron.

China, the fastest-growing world film market, has been quick to embrace 3D cinema. Cameron’s 3D “Avatar” was the biggest-grossing movie of all time in China, with around two-thirds of the total Chinese revenue of  $208 million coming from 3D screenings. The re-release of Cameron’s “Titanic” in 3D made as much money in China as it made in all other international markets (excluding North America) combined.

Five of China’s top-grossing films in 2011 — all of them American made — were in 3D. “Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon,” for which CPG provided the 3D technology, was also a hit in the Middle Kingdom. Out of the movie’s $350 million in box office receipts worldwide, $168 million came from China.

Cameron expressed his frustration with studios in the U.S., which are sometimes reluctant to shoot film in native 3D: “We are used to bashing our heads against the wall with studios,” the director said. “Take a movie like ‘Spider-Man,’ for example. They’ll spend a couple of hundred million dollars on that film but they won’t shoot it in 3D that has real depth to it. Or … they’ll convert it and think they are saving a couple of million dollars but they come out with an inferior product.”

With the China CPG deal, Cameron and Pace hope to set the pace for worldwide 3D expansion.

“We’ve always said 3D is the premium brand for film entertainment,” Cameron said. “China just seems to get that: the idea that you go to see a 3D movie because that’s the best. ”

SOURCE: LA Times

See also: Loyal Studios, RealHD.TV for all your entertainment needs

For more info on Bob Bekian, visit www.bobbekian.com

PRO HD RENTALS LAUNCHES MEDIA RENTAL DIVISION

Sony SR Memory Card

Burbank, CA (June 14^th, 2012) –Building on a 5 year reputation of providing high definition equipment rentals to the entertainment and production industry, Pro HD Rentals has opened a new division which focuses on tapeless media rentals.  Most of the content shot in today’s production world involves recording onto reusable media devices; such as cards, drives, and discs.   In the past, content was recorded onto magnetic tape, and those tapes served as “Masters” which an editor used to work with in the post production process.

The newer technology—particularly from Sony and Panasonic  —involves reusable media cards, which can hold up to 64gb of information on a card about the size of a credit card.  Pro HD Rentals –founded in 2005—has 75 HD camera systems as well as 3 high tech sound stages, and a full array of production equipment for rental to the professional production community.  Recently, the company added a full-service post production facility, and is able to completely provide all production services to clients; including creative development and execution of finished content.

Panasonic 64G P2 card

Sony SxS 64gb Media Card

“We are always looking forward at technology to stay in pace with the rapid changes in our business,” says Bob Bekian, CEO of Pro HD Rentals.  “As tapeless camera systems have gone by the wayside in our production facilities, and the newer systems require reusable media, we have developed a program to provide thousands of terabytes of storage to feature films, television, branded content, and cable clients.”

The newest tapeless technology is known as the Sony SR high definition format, which stores the highest resolution of HD information onto the media.  Sony has launched a memory cartridge to coincide with the new camera systems associated with this format.

“We see a growing market for reusable media rentals, and we have the inventory and business model to meet that growing demand,” Bekian adds.

CF 64gb Card

Another very popular media format is the CF (Compact Flash) card, which are about the size of a Wheat Thin cracker.  These cards can hold up to 64gb of High Definition content, and are widely used with the Canon 5D DSLR systems.  Pro HD Rentals has developed online technical charts which allow anyone to preview the cards recording capabilities and functionality to assist in determining which cards are appropriate for any given project.

Pro HD Rentals also carries an extensive line of these popular DSLR cameras as well as the lenses, monitors and other accessories this new breed of high performance cameras requires.

For more information, please visit ProHDRentals.com

Loyal Studios Co-Produced Pilot for “Loiters Squad” with Odd Future

If you know what “OFWGKTA” stands for, you either know an avid texter, or you live for the thrill of soul-pumping beats.  The lengthy acronym belongs to the eclectic, alternative Hip Hop group called, “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All” from Los Angeles.  Their sound joins the ranks of groups defining the music of a generation.

Lead by Tyler: The Creator, the group took off in 2007, but it’s not just one band.  Odd Future is compiled of different subgroups like “The Jet Age of Tomorrow,” and “MellowHype.”  Odd Future shows off the talents of ten eclectic artists from Los Angeles, including Syd the Kyd, Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis, Left Brain, Jasper Loc, Mike G, and Matt Martian.  The group’s success grew exponentially over the last five years with their internet fan base spilling over into crowded venues like London’s “The Drop,” Southern California’s “The House of Blues,” and the annual master-bands weekend, Coachella.
OFWGKTA lands this year in the cities of London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester for their 2012 tour.

Loyal Studios and their production crews shot the pilot episode of Loiters Squad in the pre-lit HD greenscreen studio in Burbank California, combining SONY HD camera systems with the 1000 watt playback system that is built into the studio. “Odd Future is on the cutting edge of creativity and free expression. Their talents go beyond Hip Hop into a multilevel entertainment brand. We expect their success to continue to grow as they expand their reach into comedy and television on adult swim.” Says producer Bob Bekian who is also the CEO of Loyal Studios and founder of REALHD.TV.

True to feeding the voracious viewers with slightly weird, unique, and unconventional animated or live action entertainment, Adult Swim adds Odd Future to the mix with “Loiter’s Squad.”  The show features sketch comedies, pranks, and skits all calling Shenanigans that fans of Adult Swim have come to love.

Make sure to check out episodes of Loiter Squad on Adult Swim, every Sunday at 11:30pm.

Producer Bob Bekian Launches a High-Tech Ad Agency Targeting Branded Content for the Internet

Producer Bob Bekian shooting a commercial at his Burbank studio

(Santa Monica, CA) – Producer and Media Entrepreneur, Bob Bekian, has always thought outside the box.  The former professional skateboarder from Venice, California, built a group of innovative media companies that leverage technology and creativity together to deliver high quality production services to thousands of clients.

Beginning with distributing blank professional media stock, Bekian partnered with the founder of Computer Discount Warehouse (CDW) and grew that company to the largest Sony and Panasonic professional media distributor in the world.  Bekian then created Pro HD Rentals, Greenscreenla.com, and Loyal Studios in the entertainment community before starting his own web channel known as RealHD.TV.

Bekian has produced over 800 commercials and music videos, reality show sequences, features, and internet projects in his high tech studios, and has worked  with and directed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment business, including Gerard Butler, Billy Crystal, Heidi Klum, and Don Cheadle.
“We were the first to develop a turn-key production solution,” Bekian says.  He was disappointed to see production leaving California because of the high cost and red tape that evolved after 100 years as the production capitol of the world.  In response, Bekian began consolidating the production process into one service rather than a fragmented group of steps producers traditionally deal with.

Snoop Dogg shooting an HD commercial at Loyal Studios in Santa Monica California

“Bob Bekian never accepts the status quo,” noted producer Brian Grazer.  “I think his combination of go-for-it skateboarding roots, and incredible creativity allowed him to see over the trees rather than getting bogged down with what people say can’t be done.”

Bekian’s Loyal Studios has become a self contained “production factory” providing a place where projects can be conceptualized, shot, edited, and then distributed very quickly and at a very reasonable cost.  Clients can view progress via the internet all over the world.

“I found that with many traditional ad agencies, there are a lot of egos and fear of making a decision,” Bekian adds.  “Often I would see the client on the sidelines while 10 people were debating about how to produce a commercial.  That is not the way we run our creative process.”  Loyal Studios uploads clients videos to dozens of web channels simultaneously, creating measurable web traffic and brand awareness for their product.

Loyal Studios Commercial production facilities include the most sophisticated camera systems and pre-lit greenscreen studios

Citing the collaborative approach his teams bring to each project combined with a one stop shop compiling the latest technologies, Bekian and his studios are on the move.  The new commercial division of Loyal Studios specializes in fully produced short form branded content and commercials.  Clients already include Snapple, Freeway Insurance, Jimmy Dean Breakfast Foods, Prius, Chevron and One Hour Energy products.  “We intend to keep production in California by producing quality ads that are affordable and effective,” adds Bekian.

For more information about Bob Bekian, visit www.bobbekian.com

For more information about Loyal Studios, check out www.loyalstudios.tv

To see RealHD.tv, please click www.realhd.tv

Dusty Springfield Drama Set to Premiere at the L.A. Shorts Film Festival

Set in 1970, “The Soul of Blue Eye” tells the story of Dusty Springfield’s decision to record her Platinum selling hit Son of a Preacher Man for Atlantic Records, and the struggles she had as a white gay woman singing black soul music during the tumultuous 1960’s. Besides having a hit show, “It Must Be Dusty” in […]