Modern VideoFilm announced today that it provided digital intermediate services including HD previews on a number of recent action features for major studios ?‚àö√ë‚àö¬® Warner Bros’s ‘Firewall,’ New Line Cinema ‘Alpha Dog,’ and Buena Vista/Columbia Pictures’s ‘Fearless.’ All three films followed similar processes ?‚àö√ë‚àö¬® film was scanned at 4K on either the Northlight or the Spirit scanner, conforming and optical work was done at 2K with Quantel iQ, color grading was done on the DaVinci 2K system in one of Modern high-end digital theaters, then final 2K files were output on the Arri laser. Creatively, the challenges varied from film to film.

‘Firewall,’ the action/thriller starring Harrison Ford, Virginia Madsen, and Paul Bettany, opened February 10th. Director Richard Loncraine and Cinematographer Marco Pontecorvo worked with DI editor Nick Hasson and colorist Joe Finley to conform and grade the project. Finley and Pontecorvo spent 20 days in Modern Glendale digital grading theater with the goal of preserving the overall mood that Pontecorvo had created — an intense, hyper-aware feeling established in part by half-lighting characters’s faces to emphasize their anxiety.

New Line crime drama ‘Alpha Dog,’ which opened February 26th, tells the story of Jesse James Hollywood and stars Bruce Willis and Justin Timberlake. Undertaking his first DI, Director Nick Cassavetes sought out Modern VideoFilm upon the recommendation of his cousin, cinematographer Phaedon Papamichael, who worked with Modern on the DI for ‘Walk the Line.’ Working with Cassevetes in Modern Burbank digital grading theater, colorist Joe Finley took advantage of the DaVinci Power Windows tools to enhance the look of night scenes established by cinematographer Robert Fraisse. Finley noted, ‘The night-time desert scenes are very dark and mysterious. You really need to pay attention and look closely. It like when someone whispers ?‚àö√ë‚àö¬® you listen carefully to make sure you hear what being said. Nick wanted those scenes to be the visual equivalent.’

The Jet Li martial arts picture, ‘Fearless,’ from Buena Vista International, Columbia Pictures, and Universal International Pictures, opened on January 26th in China, Singapore, and Taiwan, with U.S. release planned for later in the year. DI editor Roger Berger put Modern DI pipeline and the iQ system to work building in the 500+ visual effects shots and elements that came in from all over the world.

‘We did see quite a lot of ?‚àö√ë‚àö‚â§action’s recently in our DI theaters in both Burbank and Glendale,’ joked Pat Repola, Modern VideoFilm VP of Digital Intermediate Services. ‘All of these films had different challenges ?‚àö√ë‚àö¬® whether in preserving or enhancing the look or in managing elements. It exciting to see filmmakers embracing DI and the results that digital processes can bring to the final films.’

About Modern VideoFilm
Modern VideoFilm top priorities are quality and service, and for these, Modern is known to have set the highest standards in the industry. Modern offers a full complement of post production services including datacine and electronic image transfer, editing, visual effects, sound services and tape duplication. Modern is heavily invested in and committed to providing the highest quality digital intermediate services. Their DI technology includes Thompson Spirit 4K and Northlight scanners, Quantel iQ, ArriLaser film recorders, daVinci 2K, MTI CORRECT digital film restoration and finishing, Brite Systems for storage and Nucoda for quality control. By connecting new technologies to premiere talent, Modern VideoFilm continues to offer its clients uncompromising, expedient quality and service in all areas of post production.

For more information visit www.mvfinc.com.