MARINA DEL REY – May 23rd, 2002: For the first time, Rhythm & Hues is offering its scan/record services to out of house filmmakers. The move makes available the same scanner the studio uses for all of its high-end feature film work, as well as access to its ARRILASER recorder for film output.

Developed by in house engineer Will McCown and Ray Feeney of RFX, the scanner won the studio a Scientific and Technical Academy Award® for its contributions to the advancement of filmmaking.

“R&H welcomes all filmmakers, from film school students to established directors and producers,” said Scan/Record Supervisor Erik Akutagawa. “It’s exciting to offer these services to a wide range of artists. We look at it not only as what we can do for them today, but an investment in the future. We’re actively building relationships with the filmmakers of tomorrow.”

Director Richard Liukis, who recently shot his film “Taste it All” on low cost short ends, used the R&H service to give his feature a uniform look. "R&H did it for me quickly and professionally at a great rate. Now I have a film that I can enter in festivals."

Capable of accommodating all 35mm formats, R&H Scanning utilizes proprietary software that produces a highly detailed 2K or 4K scanned image. The same process was used by the studio for its work on the upcoming films “The Sum of All Fears” and “Scooby Doo.”

Similarly, R&H developed a proprietary filming software that works in tandem with the studio’s ARRILASER film recorder. Laser technology offers a wider dynamic range for color saturation, resulting in brighter highlights and deeper darks. Additionally, the studio offers two Management Graphics Cine III film recorders for large format, IMAX projects capable of 5, 8 or 15-perf scanning. Full service color correction rounds out the selection of studio offerings.

“Having worked with studio clients over the past fifteen years, we understand the importance of handling original camera negative with the expert care that only a professional editorial staff can provide,” Akutagawa added.

For more information about Rhythm & Hues’ Scan / Record services click here -- or call Erik Akutagawa or Will McCown at 310-448-7500.

ABOUT RHYTHM & HUES:

The largest privately held facility of its kind in Southern California, with more than 300 full time artists and staff, Rhythm & Hues is a groundbreaking force in the design and production of quality character animation and visual effects for feature films, commercials and theme park attractions. Recent feature productions include "Harry Potter," "Cats & Dogs" and "Dr. Dolittle 2" as well as work for the upcoming films "The Sum of All Fears," "Scooby Doo," “Gigli” and “Daredevil.” The commercial division is renowned for its award winning work on the Coca-Cola "Polar Bears" and Mazda's "Cool World." In 1995, the studio received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for its work on "Babe." In addition, it has received two Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, as well as first place awards from virtually all the international competitions that recognize excellence in computer graphics.