Top StoriesJ.J. Abrams on Embracing New Technology
Written by Margie and Frank Barron
The NBC sci-fi series “Revolution” films in Wilmington, North Carolina. The show takes place in the not-too-distant future when a family struggles to reunite after the world experiences a mysterious technological apocalypse. The popular doomsday drama was created by Eric Kripke (“Supernatural”), who is executive producer along with J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, and they’re all known for embracing technology and infusing their productions with lots of CGI and special effects. So how does technology help in their creative process? “The technology I use in my process almost starts and ends with the Internet, because of the unbelievable amount of information that is at your fingertips,” reports Kripke. “I’m definitely dating myself, but I still remember having to bury myself in the library to research a project, and then photocopy all the research that I needed. Now, at any given moment, at any given point of writing a script, I say, ‘You know what? I need to know what this process is. I need to know how this person works.’ And I can immediately search, find it, get the information, and put it right into a script. I think that’s pretty invaluable. I don’t know if I would be as good a writer without that.”
J.J. Abrams has done very high‑concept tech TV shows and movies, such as “Fringe,” “Lost” and the Star Trek film franchise. But could he be just as creative without today’s ground-breaking technology? “Everything that Eric said is so true in terms of research,” says Abrams. “And obviously I love what technology allows in terms of visual effects and in terms of just efficiency, whether it’s getting something quickly, reading something, looking at artwork, composition or anything. [When] I’m doing visual effects for Star Trek, it doesn’t matter where I am. I can look at the latest version of a visual-effects shot and give notes. [And] while that’s all true, what it all comes down to and what matters most of all is the idea, and the writing and the execution of that idea. And for that, I usually write it out in longhand first. There’s something about it, the tactile, tangible nature of writing that just feels like I’m feeling the stuff more than I am…. When there’s a deadline and it’s crazy, of course, the Mac Book Pro is the key. But it’s something that I think ultimately just comes down to ‘what is that idea you’re scribbling with that pencil?’”
Adobe recently hosted its MAX Creativity Conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early May. With so much of Adobe’s product line geared towards a wide variety of media professionals, the MAX Conference provided attendees with four days of ideas, inspiration, and a meeting of the best creative minds in the world. Approximately 5,000 professionals paid as much as $1,695 to attend the event which also promoted Adobe’s newest offering Creative Cloud (CC), the cloud-based successor to the company’s Creative Software Suite (CSS).
Since the early 1990s, the offering of production incentive has been the most logical way to attract film and television productions to a community — and the lack of financial perks could lessen the chance of boosting these local economies. These incentives mainly consist of tax benefits from local governments to encourage production in their region. They first surfaced in response to the flight of U.S. film productions to other countries, including Canada which adopted its own production incentive program. U.S. states have since offered increasingly competitive incentives to lure productions away from other locals, with the type, size and structure of these incentives varying from place to place. Many incentive packages include tax credits and exemptions, while some offer other perks like cash grants and fee-free locations.
With the next big thing always around the corner, camera professionals can rely on having a plethora of gear offerings. The products that stand out can vary from shoot to shoot, but the remaining constant is that equipment needs to be small, fast and cheap enough to compete in today’s competitive market. One “faster” piece of equipment is the Midas Mount SnapFocus. Created by Brandon David Cole, the SnapFocus is a simple, cable-driven follow focus system that combats smaller-budget production restraints. It works on the principle of resistance between two retracting hand grips, which on the prototype are levers from bicycle brakes — and since your hand never needs to leave the handle bars, you’ll maintain a rock-steady center of gravity.
It’s safe to say that Fox TV’s “American Idol” is one of the most successful shows in the history of American television. Created by 
As technology continues to rapidly evolve, the 2013 NAB Show allowed entertainment industry professionals to stay ahead of the curve with the latest updates and new ideas. “Our goal is to try to always reflect and anticipate the latest technology and business trends, and to help attendees see around the corner so they can learn, adapt and compete,” said NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith at the NAB Show Daily News Q&A. Held in early April, NAB 2013 commanded more than 840,000 square feet of exhibit space at Nevada’s Las Vegas Convention Center, which was loaded with the latest tools and toys to give content creators new ways to tell visual stories. For this story, P3 Update took a close look at some of the top technology aimed to benefit professional storytellers.
After working in the business for 35 years, with 15 of those years on TV truck crews, I’ve learned a few things about production. With enough time and crewmembers, almost anyone can make a normal video production if they’ll keep shooting till they get it right. But the same can’t be said for live production, which usually calls for you to get it right in one take. For live production, your crew must be up to the task and ready to work as a team. Video, audio and the means for broadcasting your show have to be solid and workable from beginning to end or you will have no show. You’ll need to get it right, or go home.
On the first day of the 2013 Digital Hollywood spring conference, attendees were offered opportunities to look into the future of digital content distribution and the new platforms for showcasing their work. The event’s New Hollywood Equation session was held at a poolside tent at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey, Calif., where Hollywood’s elite executives discussed the entertainment industry’s migration to digital content. “The lines have officially blurred,” said Doug Deluca, the co- executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “It’s like what cable was when Ted Turner took over back in the day.”
The Warner Bros. sequel The Hangover Part III marks the last film in a trilogy that broke ground with its unique mix of adventure and comedy. Directed by Todd Phillips, the first two Hangover films are now seen as one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. The third film centers on the four leads, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha), who find themselves on yet another outrageous adventure as they try to untangle their way out of some unthinkable circumstances. P3 recently chatted with the film’s 
Winner of the 2013 Academy Award for Best Cinematography on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, Cinematographer Claudio Miranda, ASC recently attended the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev. to discuss the breakthrough technology he used on the upcoming sci-fi epic Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman. The DP appeared at a Sony press conference and did a panel discussion moderated by Cinematographer and Film and Digital Times Publisher/Editor Jon Fauer, ASC.