Scanner chosen for production design, overall quality, operational simplicity
FilmLight, pioneers of digital film technology, announced today that the world’s leading visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., has purchased its Northlight high-quality film scanner as a key component of their digital effects workflow for feature films. The Northlight scanner was brought in to provide ILM with high productivity scanning capabilities built on the very latest technology.
ILM chose Northlight after an extensive testing process, where image quality, integration, and ease-of-use factors of various scanner and telecine systems were compared. Neil Robinson, ILM senior software engineer noted, “Northlight is designed for production, by a company with a production mentality. Unlike telecines, which have been adapted to scan, Northlight is a scanner designed for our industry.”
Cliff Plumer, ILM’s Chief Technology Officer, added, “The Northlight scanner increases our throughput, which results in our ability to deliver a better product and service to our clients. Furthermore, working with the FilmLight team has been a great experience. They are dedicated to finding solutions for their customer’s needs with speed and efficiency.”
FilmLight director Peter Stothart said, “ILM is known worldwide for innovation and quality, so we’re obviously pleased that the Northlight scanner meets their incredibly high standards. Our philosophy is that quality in film digitisation goes beyond resolution power alone. Image stability, speed, low noise, an intelligent illumination and easy operation are just as critical. We’ve designed Northlight to fit into facilities’ workflow, physical environment, and budget, while providing superior scanning capability, and we’re looking forward to seeing its results in ILM’s work.”
ILM has put the Northlight scanner to its first use for effects work in the upcoming feature, Peter Pan, from Universal, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios, slated to open in December 2003.
About the Northlight Scanner
Northlight is a high quality, pin-registered digital film mastering scanner. Supporting 35mm, 65mm and now 16mm formats, Northlight has been designed for the digital mastering of entire feature films, for current release and back catalogue preservation. Unlike telecine based machines, it provides image quality surpassing that of traditional pin registered film scanners used in special effects post production.
Contact – Deepa Parbhoo ([email protected]) +44 20 7292 0400
