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    Feature tech meets streaming on “Altered Carbon”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1886 Views
    HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) --

    Altered Carbon (Netflix), produced by Skydance Television, envisions a grim future where technology has enabled humans to transfer their consciousness from one body to another–effectively giving eternal life to a privileged few as they move through a steady stream of cloned host bodies. The high-concept series is also pushing the boundaries of traditional TV technology.

    Altered Carbon becomes one of the first episodic shows to be shot on the ARRI Alexa 65, and finished in Dolby Vision HDR. Deluxe’s global postproduction teams worked closely with Skydance Television’s production team to develop a highly collaborative and forward-thinking workflow to handle the massive file sizes from the Alexa 65–bringing feature-quality visuals to the small screen on an advanced level.

    “We were in a unique position from the beginning because our DPs Martin Ahlgren and Neville Kidd loved the look of the Alexa 65, which at that point had only been used to shoot features,” said Dieter Ismagil, VP of post production at Skydance Television. “I’ve worked with Deluxe on TV projects for over a decade, so right away I went to them to brainstorm on how to handle these intimidating file sizes–how do you manage the dailies? How do you do VFX pulls? How do you get everything done on time and control costs? There was a lot to figure out initially just to make sure we could pull this off.”

    Deluxe teams at Encore in Vancouver and Hollywood, EFILM, and Company 3 tackled these workflow challenges with a number of approaches, including their proprietary service, Synapse Portal. This service simplifies ingest and automates distribution of original camera plates to VFX vendors with the desired specs, dramatically reducing turnaround times and eliminating the potential for human error. 

    Traditionally used for features, Synapse Portal for TV was first deployed by Encore and Company 3 on 2017’s American Gods, to great success. Knowing the speed and flexibility of the Synapse Portal would be crucial for the VFX schedule, Deluxe worked with production to develop a workflow to keep costs down using downrezzed 4K ProRes XQ files for mastering the show rather than the massive ARRI RAW files. 

    Encore Vancouver handled dailies, EFILM handled VFX data management, Company 3’s Jill Bogdanowicz colored the series, and Encore Hollywood managed the finish and final delivery–-all in close collaboration with Altered Carbon post producer Allen Marshall Palmer and the DPs.

    Tags:Altered CarbonCompany 3DeluxeEFilmEncore



    Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.

    This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.

    The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.

    "Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.

    "Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.

    Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More

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