Tag Archives: Sony

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Image Pacific Broadcast Rentals to release their High Definition AiAirpack July,

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After months of planning and discussion, Image Pacific Broadcast Rentals (IPBR) and Image Central Broadcast Rentals (ICBR) announced that their much anticipated 4 Camera High Definition Airpack will be ready to fly July, 2007.

Tony Lewis, Manager, Systems Integration Group, Broadcast & Communication Solutions Group, Sony of Canada is overseeing project Engineering. IPBR and ICBR could not think of a better engineer for the task. To have Sony of Canada build this first class HD airpack means clients will have a professionally built system that is tested and certified by Sony of Canada.

National Operations Manager, Dale Rechner is extremely enthusiastic with the new acquisition.

“We looked at a lot of different options but decided on the Sony HDC-1550 Multi-format HD camera with the triax option as the camera of choice for our discerning clients. Fujinon HD glass was also a must. The FOR-A HANABI HVS-1000 switcher was the obvious choice due to its size and power. We will also be running 4 x Sony HDW-1800 VTRs and we can offer the option of a 4 Channel EVS XT HD Broadcast Server.” stated Mr. Rechner.

“We have the Winter Olympics in our corporate hometown of Vancouver, in 2010 and we are gearing up for those events by investing in new High Def technologies now. Our plans are for another 4 Camera High Definition Airpack in 2008 and a full HD Production Mobile in 2009. We want to be able to offer our clients in Toronto, and elsewhere in Canada top notch HD facilities and to our visitors to Canada in 2010, HD facilities that are second to none.” Dale added. 

Roger Williams, owner and president of the Image Pacific Group of Companies, has been dreaming in High Definition long before he bought his first Sony HDWF900 in 2004. “We have the hardware and the service to back our clients. Its one thing to be able to rent equipment from a rental company but it is another thing to have exceptional customer service as part of the package. It is that client dedication, quality equipment and loyalty that we excel at; states Mr. Williams.

Technology News

Sony’s New Front Projectors Bring Movie Theater Experience Home

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SAN DIEGO, Sony Electronics today unveiled two new front home theater projectors that bring the movie-going experience home at prices beginning at about $1,000.

The new BRAVIA 3LCD VPL-AW15 and VPL-AW10 projectors feature 1280 × 720 progressive resolution, which is ideal for large screen home entertainment applications like enjoying HD movies, gaming and sports.

"The popularity of high-definition programming and gaming is driving the adoption of big-screen home theater applications," said Philip Abram, vice president of television marketing for Sony Electronics. "Our new projector line will bring that experience home for a broader range of consumers."

Both new models feature a 165-watt Ultra High Pressure Lamp that produces 1,100 lumens for a life-like, vivid picture. Each one is equipped with a short focal-length lens with 1.6 times zoom and features low fan noise of 20dB (in low lamp mode), providing flexible installation options in many home settings.

The VPL-AW10 model features Sony’s Advance Iris for contrast ratio of up to 6,000:1 when "auto" iris mode is selected. The VPL-AW15 unit features the step-up Advanced Iris 2 technology, which also works with the High Contrast Plate device producing deep, accurate blacks and a dynamic contrast ratio of up to 12,000:1 when "auto" iris mode is selected. The Advanced Iris 2 also features a variable setting allowing for user optimization.

Additionally, the VPL-AW15 model has greater installation flexibility with lens shift, which helps adjust the picture both vertically and horizontally expanding projector placement options. Key to this feature is Sony’s All Range Crisp Focus (ARC-F) lens. The lens allows for flexible throw distances, making installation easier in less than ideal conditions like small rooms.

Users can also optimize the AW15′s model’s color palette with Sony’s Real Color Processing function. Color hues can be adjusted to match specific tastes.

Both projectors feature a HDMI input supporting 1080/24p, which is downscaled to native 720p and displayed at a native multiple of 24 for realistic cinema style motion reproduction. Other inputs include a RS-232C connection for custom control applications and a host of others including component, composite and S-video. The VPL-AW15 projector also includes an HD15 input for analog PC.

The new VPL-AW15 and VPL-AW10 front projectors are expected to ship in June for about $1,300 and $1,000, respectively. They will be available at Sony Style stores, online at www.sonystyle.com and at authorized dealers nationwide.

Front Page, Industry News

Sony Pictures and ‘Stomp the Yard’ Makes Contribution to the Martin Luther King

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CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 15 – Sony Pictures today announced the company will donate 2.5% (approximately $650,000) of the opening weekend box office receipts of STOMP THE YARD to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. STOMP THE YARD will be #1 at the box office for the 4-day weekend, bringing in an estimated $26 million.

A compelling drama about the quest for individuality and the power of fraternity, STOMP THE YARD is set in the world of black Greek letter organizations. Sony Pictures is making the donation in honor of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which Dr. King was a member. In contributing to the Martin Luther King Memorial Project Foundation, the studio would like to honor the spirit of Dr. King, whose life continues to inspire the youth of today.

Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

A memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Memorial will be situated adjacent to the F.D.R. Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a memorial honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, DC. The Ceremonial Groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006 and the Memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2008. Website: www.buildthedream.org.

Front Page, Industry News

Will Smith’s ‘Pursuit’ pays off with $27 million No. 1 debut; ‘Eragon’ is No. 2

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LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Not even a dragon or the world’s most-beloved spider could deny Will Smith another first-place finish at the box office.

Sony’s father-son drama "The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Smith and his own son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, debuted as the No. 1 movie with US$27 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Smith’s latest topped 20th Century Fox’s dragon fantasy "Eragon," which opened in second place with $23.45 million, and Paramount’s children’s tale "Charlotte’s Web," which premiered a distant third with $12 million.

The previous weekend’s No. 1 movie, Mel Gibson’s Mayan saga "Apocalypto," fell to sixth place with $7.7 million, raising its 10-day total to $27.9 million.

The story of a struggling dad who becomes homeless along with his young son, "Pursuit of Happyness" joins a long line of No. 1 openings for Smith, including the action tales "Independence Day" and "I, Robot."

"Audiences around the world love him," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony, whose past hits with Smith include the "Men in Black" flicks and last year’s romantic comedy "Hitch."

"Everyone who sees Will Smith or meets Will Smith feels like he could be their best friend," Bruer said. "He has that type of charisma that resonates throughout whatever room he’s in."

Combining live action and computer animation, "Charlotte’s Web" had a soft opening despite an all-star voice cast including Julia Roberts, Robert Redford and Oprah Winfrey in E.B. White’s classic about a spider that befriends a lonely pig.

Don Harris, executive vice-president of distribution at Paramount, said the studio hopes "Charlotte’s Web" will follow the pattern of other pre-Christmas family releases such as "Stuart Little" and "The Prince of Egypt," which opened in the same range but held on through the holidays to become hits.

"The movie has every chance to get to $100 million off of this opening," Harris said.

Paramount’s musical "Dreamgirls," starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson in an adaptation of the stage hit, opened to big numbers at three theatres in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Premiering with reserved seating and special programs at a premium ticket price of $25, the film took in $360,000, a healthy start to its nationwide release on Christmas.

George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh’s latest collaboration, "The Good German," debuted solidly with $78,572 at five theatres. Clooney stars with Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire in a black-and-white tale of murder and intrigue in Berlin just after Second World War .

Overall business was off, with the top 12 movies taking in $112.3 million, down 8.3 per cent compared to the same weekend last year, when two blockbusters, "King Kong" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," were Nos. 1 and 2.

This weekend’s holdover films retained strong audiences, though, a sign that many current movies may have a long shelf life, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"It’s hard to say this is a positive thing that this is a down weekend. But the strength of this weekend has been the holdovers," Dergarabedian said. "There is a lot of depth to the marketplace. It’s a direct reflection of audience satisfaction. That’s more important I think than beating last year’s competition."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Pursuit of Happyness," $27 million.

2. "Eragon," $23.45 million.

3. "Charlotte’s Web," $12 million.

4. "Happy Feet," $8.5 million.

5. "The Holiday," $8.2 million.

6. "Apocalypto," $7.7 million.

7. "Blood Diamond," $6.3 million.

8. "Casino Royale," $5.7 million.

9. "The Nativity Story," $4.7 million.

10. "Unaccompanied Minors," $3.7 million.

Headline, Industry News

Sony Reaches $3 Billion at Worldwide Box Office

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CULVER CITY, Calif., Dec. 7 – For the first time in its history, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) will exceed more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales tomorrow, December 8th. It was announced by Jeff Blake, chairman, worldwide marketing and distribution for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and vice chairman of SPE. This milestone achievement, reached with three weeks still to go in 2006, marks just the fourth time in motion picture history that any studio has reached the $3 billion mark in a single year.

Internationally, the studio has already realized its best year of all time, with just under $1.5 billion and counting. Domestically, the studio has already passed more than $1.5 billion and is on pace to surpass $1.573 billion, the most any studio has ever generated at the box office in a single year in North America, a record held by Sony since 2002.

2006 marks the third time in the past five years that SPE has been the #1 studio in domestic market share. As Sony finishes the year, the studio controls over 18% of all tickets sold in the United States and Canada. Led by The DaVinci Code the worldwide blockbuster that has grossed over $750 million at the box office, SPE has seen four films exceed more than $100 million in domestic box office – including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, The DaVinci Code and Casino Royale – and five more have surpassed the $100 million worldwide threshold (Pink Panther, Monster House, Open Season, Underworld: Evolution, and Little Man).

Commenting on the announcement, Blake said, "This is the kind of year that is pretty hard to top. Hitting $3 billion in worldwide box office is an incredible accomplishment in every way. The fact that we are reaching this peak by potentially passing the domestic industry box office record while at the same time enjoying our best year ever internationally is just a staggering achievement that makes us all very proud. This isn’t the result of just one film — our entire slate really worked this year, and credit for our success goes first and foremost to the extraordinary filmmakers and actors that brought us The DaVinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, Casino Royale, The Pink Panther, Underworld: Evolution, Monster House, Open Season, and so many others."

Blake also credited "the remarkable talent and hard work exhibited by our production, marketing, and distribution teams. Today, we’re celebrating and thanking everyone who played a part in the success of our 2006 slate worldwide."

The studio reached its landmark achievement in a year that featured a record 12 films opening at #1 and strong performances from all the labels under the Sony Pictures Entertainment banner: Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, Revolution Studios, TriStar Pictures, and co-productions in association with MGM.

SPE’s year began with Screen Gems’ Underworld: Evolution, which topped the box office and went on to gross more than $100 million worldwide. Two weeks later, Screen Gems’ When a Stranger Calls debuted at #1, followed by Columbia’s comedy The Pink Panther, which grossed over $150 million worldwide. In late April, TriStar delivered the horror hit Silent Hill, which opened #1 and went on to take in nearly $100 million worldwide, and the following week, the Robin Williams comedy RV led all releases in its first weekend and proved to have long legs at the box office by continuing to perform solidly throughout the summer, reaching $70 million domestically.

In May, Columbia produced its biggest smash hit of the year: The DaVinci Code. The highly anticipated film delivered on every level, opening to $77 million domestically, reaching $217 million in the U.S. and an additional $538 million internationally — becoming the highest-grossing international blockbuster in Columbia’s history. The studio’s success continued throughout the summer, as the comedies Click and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby both opened #1 and saw strong returns at the nation’s ticket booths. Also, contributing to the studio’s success this summer was the animated hit Monster House, which took in more than $135 million worldwide.

Heading into the fall, the studio added three more #1 openings. First came Columbia’s Gridiron Gang, followed by the animated hit Open Season, the first film from Sony Pictures Animation, which has grossed more than $160 million worldwide, and Columbia’s The Grudge 2. Most recently, Columbia released the 21st James Bond adventure Casino Royale to more than $40 million — and the film has surpassed more than $300 million worldwide after just three weeks in release.

SPE reaches the $3 billion mark with two films yet to debut in 2006: the romantic comedy The Holiday, in theaters tomorrow and The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith, set for December 15.

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