"Simone" the digital star

High definition Cinematogropher Derek Grover lenses Al Pacino - Starrer, "SIMONE" in new 24P HiDef format.
With a host of scenes from New Line Cinema's film lensed in 24p High Definition, "Simone" is one of the first major motion pictures employing digital elements via the new Sony / Panavision HDW-F900 HDCAM.

"Simone", which also stars Catherine Keener and a "top secret" actress playing Simone, for writer/director Andrew Niccol, centers around a Hollywood producer (Pacino) who decides to digitally create an actress when a star walks off his picture. The "actress," who everyone thinks is a real person, becomes an overnight sensation.

The Sony HDW-F900 24P HDCAM features a 24 frame progressive rate identical to a 35mm movie camera. George Lucas recently completed principle photography on Star Wars Episode 2. "We have found the picture quality of the 24p high definition system to be indistinguishable from film," Lucas stated in a recent full page Hollywood reporter advertisement.

"The film community refers to this system as video and has yet to embrace it completely, but it's strictly digital photographic imaging, with the look and feel of 35mm film. In basic terms it's a computer with a lens and eye piece on it that allows an artist to create his or her art," explained Grover. It has evolved from video, but it's still basically the same concept. The electronics and image processing have progressed substantially from a standard Betacam producing an image very close to what the eye sees.

"I love this new 24p HiDef Digital Cinematography, because it emulates the film look sought by directors and producers and has afforded me the creativity to exercise my talents in a new genre of storytelling. And the 24p HD post production facilities that I have been working with are putting the icing on the cake," added Grover.

"I have some serious tricks up my sleeve that I have mastered with this gear that will put directors and visual effects people on their ear, while putting a huge smile on the line producers face. The question is, how many people will hate me for saving them time and money, while still delivering a top-notch product? One post production facility told me they would lose somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000 per month from telecine alone."

"Directors can maximize special effects with this new technology while saving time and production costs. I can do live compositing of back plates and foreground images on stage, for either alignment purposes or completed scenes. It will save the production a ton of time and a boat-load of money," stated Grover.

The irony is - this script was cooked up during that infamous SAG strike....
Read more at hidef.com/simone.html