[Tig] latest news

[Jeff Kreines]

Rob:

I did one long ago, when I had more spare time...  filled with jokes  
only TIGgers would get.  It sure has not aged well as far as  
corporate ownership, but Kodak is still pretty out of touch.

Here it is, just because I stumbled on it recently.

Best,

Jeff


CBS/Westinghouse acquires
Eastman Kodak, proclaims Synergy

New York, December 20, 1997 (AP) In a move that surprised many Wall  
Street analysts, the CBS division of Westinghouse announced today  
that it is acquiring the ailing Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, NY.

Kodak, rumored to be a takeover target of the Fuji Photo Film  
Company, recently announced that it will be laying off 16,000 workers.

CBS Entertainment Division president Les Moonves said that he felt it  
was "more of a strategic alliance than a takeover. We have decided  
that film will be the origination format for all of our High  
Definition programming. And when you think of film, you naturally  
think of Kodak."

CBS plans to film all non-reality-based programming in the IMAX  
format. "We plan to use one camera for most programs, with a 10,000- 
foot film load. This is roughly one-half hour of film, and we can  
shoot an entire sitcom in a single take. The camera will remain in a  
fixed position, requiring no operators, and any decisions about  
framing will be made in post-production. This will cut our production  
costs substantially." said Moonves. "When you think of it, television  
is really like a filmed stage play. As Shakespeare said, 'the play's  
the thing.' We just want to capture that play and present it to the  
viewers in the best possible way."

After extensive tests, CBS decided that smaller film formats, such as  
Super-16, were not suitable for HDTV use. "I am told it has something  
to do with the number of holes in the film," said Moonves. "IMAX has  
lots of holes... 720 holes per second of film." Research conducted by  
CBS and Sony shows that 720 holes per second is probably enough holes  
for a steady HDTV image. "Super-16 has fewer holes. You could say  
that IMAX is, well, 'holier than thou'," he added with a grin.

In a related move, Westinghouse, the inventor of AC current, as well  
as a major manufacturer of nuclear power plants, has announced that  
59.94 Hz will become the new US line-frequency standard on January 1,  
1999. "This will solve all sorts of problems. Shows will always be  
the right length, with no more messy arithmetic. It was time for a  
change, and this was the best way to make sure it was implemented  
nationally, and unilaterally," Moonves added.

To standardize a video-friendly film running speed of 23.976 fps,  
Kodak has announced the new Drop-Perf standard. "It's rather  
ingenious, actually," said departing Kodak CEO George Fisher. "You  
simply remove every 1000th perforation... well actually that's for  
16mm, for 35mm it's every 4000th perf... wait, that's every 2000th  
perf on each side, or is it 8000th? And in IMAX, it's every 15,000th  
perf, or is it every 7500th? Or 30,000th? Well, you get the idea.  
We're doing it in hardware, so to speak. Simple but elegant."

The other key player in CBS's HD strategy is Sony. Sony has announced  
their new IMAX-format BeRealMan telecine, which is designed to make  
creative decisions in post-production a simple matter. The BeRealMan  
consists of an IMAX projector and a Sony HD video camera equipped  
with a zoom lens. A CBS staff cameraman, on a 25-foot tall platform,  
will simply "shoot" the show off of the 50-foot-tall IMAX screen in  
real time. He can pan, zoom, and tilt. Provision can be made for  
dolly shots, if called for, by using a very wide platform. The  
director will call out the shots to the cameraman over an intercom  
system. No expensive decisions need to be made in the IMAX "capture"  
mode, with expensive actors on the set – such decisions can be  
postponed until telecine. While somewhat larger than conventional  
telecines, the BeRealMan has the advantage of being easily  
upgradable. A Sony rep added, "Whenever a new Sony HD camera comes  
out, just replace the older camera, and you have, instantly, a new  
telecine. I bet Cintel or those other guys, BTP or whatever their new  
name is, can't do that!  NTSC and PAL formats can be accomodated by  
simply placing additional cameras on the platform.  It's a platform- 
friendly solution."

Vinten, a leading manufacturer of robotic video camera systems,  
announced it would be marketing the NoMan NoMad system for the  
BeRealMan, which will replace the live cameraman with a simple  
robotic device.

Sony has also licensed from CBS a unique analog color-correction  
system, based on the CBS spinning-filter-wheel color system of the  
1950's. Three spinning color filters (yellow, cyan, and magenta) will  
spin in front of the IMAX projector lens. Each wheel will be part  
filter, part clear glass. As the speed of each filter wheel is  
varied, different degrees of color correction will result. At press  
time, Corporate Communications has not decided whether it will  
consider this system to be an infringement of their patents.

###


For more information, see the CBS Web Site at  
www.really.low.nielsons.com, Kodak's web site at  
www.cluelessinRochester.com, or www.itsjustajoke.getoverit.com

BeRealMan, IMAX, Sony, CBS, Kodak, Eastman, Cintel, Vinten, NoMan,  
NoMad, Corporate Communications, and Wheel are registered trademarks  
of their respective owners.



On Apr 1, 2007, at 9:47 PM, Rob Lingelbach wrote:

> you're the first and the only one so far to understand.
>
>
> On Apr 1, 2007, at 11:40 PM, Jeff Kreines wrote:
>
>>
>> On Apr 1, 2007, at 7:26 PM, Rob Lingelbach wrote:
>>
>>> the very latest news has it that Disney, in a partnership with  
>>> Dreamworks, has tendered a significant offer to acquire
>>> majority ownership in Ascent Media and Technicolor.
>>  Ha!
>>
>> April 1st!  Took me a minute...
>
> --
> Rob Lingelbach
> http://www.colorist.org/robhome.html
> rob at colorist.org      rob at calarts.edu
>
>