Based on a globally recognized and well-loved superhero created in the 1950s, Astro Boy, the film was directed by David Bowers (Flushed Away) produced by Maryann Garger, and features performances from a who’s who cast--including Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Charlize Theron, and Nicolas Cage as Dr. Tenma.
Beautifully executed, the animated feature has been in production for the past two years; during which time the color palette that resonated for the creative team became a bedrock for the look of the film, says a representative. That look had been built in 16-bit Tiff, REC 709 color space--previously unavailable as a standard of the postproduction process. Even though other pieces of the post pipeline (monitors and digital cinema packaging specifically) operate in lower bit rates, the producers wanted to make certain that the look of the film was true to the 16-bit files, with that look maintained through every deliverable.
Kevin Mulligan, CTO of iO Film noted that the Digital Vision Film Master was a mission-critical piece of the pipeline he developed. Since no other facility was working in 16 bit, Mulligan and the product team from Digital Vision dug in and made sure that the project stayed in 16 bit throughout the color-grading process. The custom LUTs and other color management tools were imported into the Film Master.
Mulligan says: “Without the power and the flexibility of the Nucoda platform, I know that this process would have been at risk. But, because of the system and the caliber of support, the process was completely manageable and ultimately completely successful. We could not fail at this, and Film Master made sure of our success.”
Erin Corbett, president of Imagi Studios U.S., states: “We were dedicated to maintaining the vision of the director and the entire artistic team and it was imperative that we attain the look that we were after. The process at iO and the workflow centered on the Film Master were flawless. As a result, we succeeded on every level in creating a great-looking movie.”
Bruno Munger, product manager at Digital Vision, notes: “We have built our reputation on our ability to develop color-management tools that keep our customers, and their customers, completely satisfied. Astro Boy helped us to push the boundaries out a little further, and explore the realm of 16-bit color in DI and DCP delivery. We now know exactly how that those building blocks are completely manageable within the Film Master, and look forward to seeing the movie in all its glorious color.”