Sony And Panavision About To Deliver First Prototype 24 Frame Progressive High-Definition Camera System To Lucasfilm

Sony Electronics and Panavision Inc. will soon deliver the first prototype 24 frame progressive high definition camera system to Lucasfilm for testing prior to it being used in shooting the next two Star Wars films. This announcement, made during a keynote address by Sony Corporation president and CEO Nobuyuki Idei at COMDEX, signifies the beginning of a new era in high definition digital cinematography.Lucasfilm plans to test the camera system for the next few months in anticipation of its use in the production of Star Wars: Episode II, scheduled to begin production next June.As announced at NAB '99, Sony, in collaboration with Panavision, has developed a digital high-definition camera system tailored for use in moviemaking. The system married the new 24 frame progressive scan 1920 x 1080 digital camera developed by Sony with a special new series of 2/3-inch lenses and accessories specifically developed and manufactured by Panavision to meet the desires of cinematographers in digital motion picture production.Over the past 18 months, a broad series of tests have been conducted by Lucasfilm, Panavision and Sony to confirm key imaging and functional parameters required by Lucasfilm. These include specific definition of lens complements, widescreen aspect ratio management, system operational needs, supporting accessories, and audio requirements. These tests have culminated with the specific camera system soon to be delivered to Lucasfilm.""This working relationship between ourselves, Sony and Panavision, represents a model for an industry seeking to capitalize on fast-developing breakthroughs in digital imaging,"" said Rick McCallum, producer of ""Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.""Evaluation of the overall quality of 2/3-inch 1920 x 1080 HD digital acquisition combined with the HDCAM(R) digital recording format, when transferred to 35mm motion picture film, constituted a core element of the test.""Panavision's mission has always been to provide our clients with the very best in equipment and services,"" said John Farrand, President and CEO of Panavision Inc. ""Our goal is to develop a series of extremely high-performance lenses, specifically for digital cinematography; to produce a complete system of cameras, lenses, and accessories that will satisfy the needs of cinematographers and directors and to present this in a form that is both familiar and unobtrusive to their creative needs.""According to Laurence Thorpe, Vice President of Acquisition Systems for Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company, the project is a continuation of a working collaboration launched 10 years ago when Sony and Panavision began mutual exploration of high definition imaging for both movie-making and the production of high-end television programming.In 1988, Panavision developed a relay optical system that married its 35mm lenses to the one-inch image format of the Sony high definition HDC-300 camera. This relay system encompassed an optical viewfinder that was favored by directors of photography.At the 1997 ITS Forum in Los Angeles, Sony and Panavision announced the next phase in this collaboration. The companies had been approached jointly by Lucasfilm who urged development of a digital HD system that would support the making of the new ""Star Wars: Episodes I, II, and III,"" from the early planning stages. A 24 Frame progressively scanned digital HD system was agreed upon that would include an integrated camcorder and separate studio camera configurations with 24P VTRs, to extend system-shooting flexibilities on both stage and on location.

For more information, contact Sony Electronics Inc., Lisa Young, 408 955 5683, lisa.young@am.sony.com or Panavision, John Galt, 818 316 2208 or Lucasfilm Ltd., Jeanne Cole, 415 662 1962.