Budweiser and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, didn’t have an HD spot on the Big Game, but they did have a hi-def presence at the Super Bowl, right outside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, where the Rams and Titans battled it out. Anheuser-Busch unveiled its traveling theater just steps from the stadium venue. Housed in two tractor-trailers, the theater will travel to different sites and attractions sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. It seats 40, and has a 12×18-foot screen onto which hi-def video is projected and accompanied by SurroundSound.
Anheuser-Busch’s 10-minute hi-def video, "Bud World," debuted at the theater on Super Sunday. The video is a combination of new and existing footage. The new footage, shot with an HDCam, was helmed by Richard Kouris of Blue Mountain Productions, Los Angeles. Some of the existing footage was upconverted from digital tape due to its multiple layers of compositing (i.e. Budweiser "Lizards" spots). The video is essentially a day in the life of Budweiser, containing a visual explanation of the brewing process and incorporating icons such as the famed Clydesdales and lizards. NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas was the narrator.
The post/effects facility on "Bud World" was Optimus, Chicago. Optimus editor/partner Randy Palmer cut the video together on Avid. Colorist Frank Sparano transferred the film on Optimus’ Philips HD Spirit Datacine, then color corrected all the footage in a daVinci 2K color corrector. Ken Kornacki did the graphics and title work on an InfernoHD. Then online editor Mike Weber took over in Optimus’ FireHD room. He upconverted the existing tape footage, then took all the elements and compiled the complete 10-minute video, all in hi-def.
Contracting Optimus for the job was Anheuser-Busch Creative Services. John Fowler and Rich McEwen were creative director and producer, respectively, on the project. Jim Row executive produced for Blue Mountain Productions. Optimus’ executive producer was Julia Finlayson.
A fixture in Chicago’s post community, Optimus has had its HD operation fully up and running for four months, according to company president Tom Duff.
The Long and Short of The IDA Documentary Awards’ Shortlists
The lineups are set as 20 feature-length and 20 short documentaries have been shortlisted for the 40th IDA Documentary Awards.
This year, the IDA Documentary Awards shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 300 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 40-plus countries. More than 700 total entries were submitted for all categories from 77 countries.
Additional IDA Awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Limited Series, Best TV Feature Documentary, Best Music Documentary, Best Audio Documentary, the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, the ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.
All nominees in the above categories will be announced on November 19.
The 40th IDA Documentary Awards Ceremony will be held on December 5 at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.
Here’s a rundown of the feature and short film IDA Documentary Awards’ shortlists.
FEATURES SHORTLIST
Agent of Happiness
Black Box Diaries
Brisa
Dahomey
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Hollywoodgate
Igualada
Kamay
Mediha
Motherboard
My Sweet Land
No Other Land
Queendom
Seeking Mavis Beacon
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Tell Them You Love Me
The Last Journey
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Water For Life (Agua Es... Read More