Peter Cioni's blog

I'm still on the fence about this article, but it does irritate me.

I am confident that a non-film archive stored as data is (or will be) better for preservation.  We just need to find the proper container for the data (e.g., LTO, non-spining hard drives, spinning hard drives) in order to convince the film die-hards.

One thing that's interesting is Thelma Schoonmaker's concern over film restoration; specifically, how the movie may purposely look different than how the filmmaker intended, assuming s/he cannot participate in the restoration process.  With the industry moving toward ACES for archival, there is no way to "lock in" the look that was created (or intended) by the filmmakers.  It raises the question whether movies should be altered as restoration technology improves.  With ACES, restorers may be tempted to make the movie look "better" than what was initially created.  But should they be allowed to do so?  It's a slippery slope.  Improving sound or removing scratches seems like a worthwhile exercise.  But is that different than turning a black and white movie into color?
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Beloved 20th Century Movies - and Their Distinct Aesthetic - Could Be in Danger
November 22, 2012
Source: The Atlantic
Written By: Daniel Eagan

Most interesting statistic is that Sony has installed 10,500 4K projectors in the US, representing 35% of all digital installations.  Knowing that there are 40,000 screens in the US, 75% of all screens in the US are digital projection (and, it's likely that most of these 30,000 digital projectors are 4K).
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At Showeast, the Company Says Virtual-Print-Fee Deals Are Still Available
November 8, 2012
Source: Studio Daily
Written By: Bryant Frazer

Interesting little editorial piece from David Cohen at Variety.  I don't alway agree with his findings (particularly when he comments on post production), but I agreed with this one.  I think his opinions of Digital Domain are insightful, and he raises good points about the VFX industry as a whole.

The model seems broken, and I'm not sure whether a large VFX house can sustain itself once it reaches a certain size (like Light Iron, 'little guys' are much more agile / nimble, but can still generate significant output with advanced tools + people).  For a big company like DD, owning / producing content is a good strategy for diversifying revenue streams and monetizing the investment in both human capital + equipment.

Regardless, it's always sad when companies in our industry close and people lose their jobs.
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Deadly Dull VFX Undermining the Biz
September 13, 2012
Source: Variety

The good news keeps coming from Toronto. We provided OUTPOST services in September 2011 and Corinne graded this project around Christmas-time. Light Iron is a producer on the project.
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Toronto Deals: IFC Acquires U.S. Rights to 'Breaking The Girls'
September 10, 2012
Source: The Wrap

My father sent me this article from the Gallup Business Journal. When I read through the article I thought about all the talents / skills that our team brings to this company.  Light Iron is an entrepreneurial business in a tough industry that was founded in a terrible economy.  I believe that, by combining our skills, we cover the articles' "10 demands" quite well.  If you have the time, I encourage you to spend a few moments to read this article.  It takes so much more than a good idea and a good leader to create a great business.

Happy reading.
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What Drives Entrepreneurs to Win
Source: Gallup Business Journal

Very cool monitor. It's 4K HD (3840 x 2160), but definitely an indication of where the industry is headed. This will be an amazing addition to our REDUser NAB 2013 Party.

It weighs 176 pounds and is only 3.625 inches deep. Impressive.
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Sony Officially Unveils 84-Inch 4K TV
August 29, 2012
Source: Tom's Hardware

Kodak announced today that it is selling its camera film business to help it raise more money during bankruptcy. They hope for the sale to be completed during the first half of 2013. As I mentioned before, Kodak is holding an auction for 1,100 various imaging patents, which was expected to raise between $2.2 - 2.6 billion. Unfortunately, the bids are coming in around 70% below that number. Therefore, they need to raise money through the sale of other assets.

Very sad.
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Kodak to Sell Business That Made It a Blue Chip

August 23, 2012
Source: The Wall Street Journal

Interesting development.  We have heard anecdotally that the cost to build the OLED displays in our industry are prohibitively expensive, mainly due to low manufacturing yields on the components.
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Sony and Panasonic Team to Develop OLED Television Displays
June 25, 2012
Source: Deadline

I encourage you all to watch this.

Fascinating interview regarding the challenges associated with funding television content in the future. Ari Emmanuel (of WMEndeavor fame), criticizes Google, AT&T, and Verizon for facilitating piracy of Hollywood's content. Hard to argue that those companies' jobs includes policing their "pipes," but he responds that, if these entities can prevent certain types of illegal content (e.g., pornography), they have the capabilities to prevent other types of content (e.g., pirated movies). He comments that distribution networks are commoditized (which is a stark contrast to the 1990's), and the value lies in owning original content. This is something I have said when expressing my excitement regarding Netflix's decision to generate original content.

While an iTunes type business model for television seems plausible, Emmanuel argues that the economics don't work. A single television episode costs $3mm--ignoring all distribution and marketing costs--and a content creator needs lots of $0.99 payments (i.e., the likely price that the consumer is willing to pay) to recoup that cost. Are consumers willing to pay significant dollars per episode to watch quality content, or will they ignore anything that costs above $0.99?    

Interesting times we live in...
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D10 Video: Ari Emanuel Session Highlights
Source: All Things D
May 31, 2012

From today's Wall Street Journal. Additional consolidation in the hard drive market. You may recall that Hitachi announced the sale of its hard drive division (including G-Tech) to Western Digital last year. That transaction closed in March, 2012. According to Hoover's, Seagate and Western Digital each hold more than 40% market share, and Toshiba is third largest player (albeit way behind).