Lucasfilm - Prime Focus to convert Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace to 3D
By FNN | March 31, 2011, 1:15pm IST
Lucasfilm, one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies, and Prime Focus, the global visual entertainment services company have announced their collaboration on the 3D conversion of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace for theatrical release, heralding a new era in Star Wars entertainment.
Utilizing Prime Focus' proprietary View-D process, the conversion is scheduled to hit 3D theater screens on February 10, 2012. Involving meticulous crafting and attention to detail by Prime Focus' global contingent of artists, the 3D release promises a wonderfully immersive experience for devotees of the original, and a big screen introduction for a whole new generation.
"It was incredibly important to me that we have the technology, the resources and the time to do this right," said Star Wars creator George Lucas. "I'm very happy with the results I've been seeing on Episode I."
Prime Focus founder and CEO Namit Malhotra said, "Wherever you are in the world, the Star Wars films have become part of the very fabric of filmmaking - the epitome of the big screen experience. To be chosen by Lucasfilm as a trusted partner, and to be given the time and the opportunity to re-present this series as a new experience to both old and new audiences alike, is an incredible honor. For a project of this importance and magnitude, Lucasfilm and ILM would only have chosen a company with the best talent in the industry, leading proprietary technology and infrastructure, a production-proven pipeline and unmatched scale. I am hugely proud that Prime Focus is that company."
The extensive conversion process is being completed under the close supervision of John Knoll, Visual Effects Supervisor for ILM.
"Getting really good results from stereo conversion requires a lot of attention to detail and it is imperative that you take the time to get it right - and that's just what we're doing," said Knoll. "We're taking a different approach than you might expect. George's vision has been to add dimension to the film in subtle ways. This isn't a novelty conversion, with things jumping out at the audience; our ambition is been to enhance the Star Wars theatrical experience, utilizing the latest tools and techniques."
Prime Focus has delivered work on films such as Avatar, Shrek, Tron: Legacy, Narnia: Voyage of The Dawn Treader and most recently Sucker Punch. Deploying its global View-D conversion crew on the Star Wars project, led out of the Prime Focus Hollywood office, artists in Los Angeles, London and Mumbai are delivering shots via Prime Focus' 'Global Digital Pipeline.' In collaboration with ILM, the meticulous conversion is being completed with the utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.
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