Digital Nation at MCN - by Gary Dretzka

If we've learned one thing about time and technology, it's that they wait for no man ... or woman, I suppose.

Digital cinema keeps moving forward, even without concrete support from exhibitors, distributors, audiences or any high-profile filmmakers who aren't named George Lucas. HDTV has been ready for prime time for years, even if it's yet to be embraced by consumers, broadcasters and production companies.

Satellite radio, personal video recorders, DBS television and broadband downloads of entertainment product -- anything except porn, anyway -- all are ideas whose times have come. None, however, has managed to capture the same lightning in a bottle, as did DVD.

Some folks get it, though.

Last week, I was assigned to cover the gala premiere of Celine Dion's "A New Day" at Caesars Palace. The $30-million show is staged five nights a week in the ever-expanding resort's newly completed Colosseum, which itself cost $95 million.

Critics were all over the block on "A New Day," so you can take from their reviews what you will. I've never been a huge fan of the French-Canadian diva, but my admiration for Cirque du Soleil knows few bounds.

(Personally, I thought Dion connected with her core audience, and those fans are essential to the success of the venture. The production itself effectively merged the pop diva's force-of-nature voice with the visual artistry of Cirque veteran Franco Dragone, and that turned "A New Day" into an only-in-Vegas event. The show needs a more memorable ending, but I liked it. Sue me.)

Before I arrived at the Colosseum for the premiere, I expected to find a mulit-tiered amphitheater filled to the rafters with all manner of video screens and TV monitors, positioned to give customers a view worth the $87.50-$200 price of admission. The sets would help magnify the singer's face, but, I feared, divert attention away from Dragone's fantasies, reducing them to kooky commentaries on the 23 plus songs in the 90-minute program.

Instead of encountering dozens of small screens, however, I found myself staring at one humungous LED (light-emitting diode) video wall. It dominated the rear of the stage and, within a few minutes, I saw just how essential it would be in the composition of the show, which turned out to be equal parts Dion and Dragone.

Reflecting the emotional range of the songs themselves, many of the "O"-like tableaux became works of stunning, surrealistic beauty. Because the stage was so huge - the proscenium arch measures 120 feet -- the reed-thin singer did occasionally get physically lost in the shuffle (never her voice). The total effect, however, was closer to that of a living, breathing virtual-video, than a series of songs being performed in concert.

The monumental Mitsubishi Diamond Vision screen -- roughly 110 feet high, 33 feet tall -- provided kinetic hi-def backdrops for Dion and the artists performing on (and often above) the steeply raked stage. The images simulated cityscapes, forests, riverbanks, cloudbanks and Italian villas, providing the third side in an artistic triangle that couldn't maintain its shape, without remaining in complete harmony with the other two.

"The LED's virtual space is a prolongation of real space," explained set designer Michael Crete. "We use it to create a single, seamless environment with the stage."

Indeed, more often than not, it was impossible to ascertain where the stage ended and the screen began.

In rendering the images shown on the screen, the Belgian firm Cine&FX employed the same CGI tools used by Hollywood and Silicon Valley animation houses. The computer artists based several of the backdrops on photographs taken in Paris, Rome, New York, Brussels, San Francisco and London, but fudged the images to meet the whims of Dragone's team.

During a tour of the facility the following day, technical director Rick Mooney said that the screen's visual resolution equaled that of most standard HDTV sets, 1080i. Even from 150 feet away, in the Colosseum's third tier, the images were crystal clear.

None of this came cheaply to Caesars Palace and its promotional partners, AEG and Concerts West. The screen cost $6 million, not including all the servers and electrical circuitry needed to drive it and keep it looking sharp.

Nonetheless, it's a wonderful piece of technology. It made me wonder why Mitsubishi couldn't build one for consumers like me, only a bit smaller and with a price closer to, say, $800.

The enterprising folks at Caesars already may be thinking of amortizing the cost of the screen by renting the Colosseum to Hollywood studios for movie premieres, ShoWest screenings and other high-profile events. It could also invite 4,100 of its highest-rolling guests to watch HDTV broadcasts of the Masters, Super Bowl, Wimbledon, Final Four, Kentucky Derby and Academy Awards, even if it couldn't charge admission. Plug-and-play options built into the set-up could turn the stage into a giant TV studio, as well.

Two months ago, while the FCC continued to twiddle its thumbs over standards for digital television -- and the MPAA, NAB and NATO argued about who should pay for what -- the cast of "A New Day" was able to watch the Bucs beat the Raiders, between rehearsals, on the giant Diamond Vision screen. If they had wanted to, the artists also could have strolled down to the Race & Sports Book and placed a wager on the game.

Come ShoWest 2005, it wouldn't surprise me if Lucas leased the facility to preview an all-digital Star Wars: Episode III before exhibitors. If that doesn't convince them, nothing will.


Interview: S. James March 23, 2003 March 18, 2003 March 11, 2003 ShoWest Wrapup Interview ShoWest 2003 March 4, 2003 February 25, 2003 February 18, 2003 February 11, 2003 February 4, 2003 January 28, 2003 January 21, 2003 January 14, 2003 January 8, 2003 January 1, 2003 ..News ..Oscar Race Charts ..15 Weeks to Oscar ..The Top 10 Chart ..The Top 20 ..The Critics List ..Gary Dretzka ..Leonard Klady ..David Poland ..Ray Pride ..Patricia Vidal	April 1, 2003 If we've learned one thing about time and technology, it's that they wait for no man ... or woman, I suppose. Digital cinema keeps moving forward, even without concrete support from exhibitors, distributors, audiences or any high-profile filmmakers who aren't named George Lucas. HDTV has been ready for prime time for years, even if it's yet to be embraced by consumers, broadcasters and production companies. Satellite radio, personal video recorders, DBS television and broadband downloads of entertainment product -- anything except porn, anyway -- all are ideas whose times have come. None, however, has managed to capture the same lightning in a bottle, as did DVD. Some folks get it, though. Last week, I was assigned to cover the gala premiere of Celine Dion's "A New Day" at Caesars Palace. The $30-million show is staged five nights a week in the ever-expanding resort's newly completed Colosseum, which itself cost $95 million. Critics were all over the block on "A New Day," so you can take from their reviews what you will. I've never been a huge fan of the French-Canadian diva, but my admiration for Cirque du Soleil knows few bounds. (Personally, I thought Dion connected with her core audience, and those fans are essential to the success of the venture. The production itself effectively merged the pop diva's force-of-nature voice with the visual artistry of Cirque veteran Franco Dragone, and that turned "A New Day" into an only-in-Vegas event. The show needs a more memorable ending, but I liked it. Sue me.) Before I arrived at the Colosseum for the premiere, I expected to find a mulit-tiered amphitheater filled to the rafters with all manner of video screens and TV monitors, positioned to give customers a view worth the $87.50-$200 price of admission. The sets would help magnify the singer's face, but, I feared, divert attention away from Dragone's fantasies, reducing them to kooky commentaries on the 23 plus songs in the 90-minute program. Instead of encountering dozens of small screens, however, I found myself staring at one humungous LED (light-emitting diode) video wall. It dominated the rear of the stage and, within a few minutes, I saw just how essential it would be in the composition of the show, which turned out to be equal parts Dion and Dragone. Reflecting the emotional range of the songs themselves, many of the "O"-like tableaux became works of stunning, surrealistic beauty. Because the stage was so huge - the proscenium arch measures 120 feet -- the reed-thin singer did occasionally get physically lost in the shuffle (never her voice). The total effect, however, was closer to that of a living, breathing virtual-video, than a series of songs being performed in concert. The monumental Mitsubishi Diamond Vision screen -- roughly 110 feet high, 33 feet tall -- provided kinetic hi-def backdrops for Dion and the artists performing on (and often above) the steeply raked stage. The images simulated cityscapes, forests, riverbanks, cloudbanks and Italian villas, providing the third side in an artistic triangle that couldn't maintain its shape, without remaining in complete harmony with the other two. "The LED's virtual space is a prolongation of real space," explained set designer Michael Crete. "We use it to create a single, seamless environment with the stage." Indeed, more often than not, it was impossible to ascertain where the stage ended and the screen began. In rendering the images shown on the screen, the Belgian firm Cine&FX employed the same CGI tools used by Hollywood and Silicon Valley animation houses. The computer artists based several of the backdrops on photographs taken in Paris, Rome, New York, Brussels, San Francisco and London, but fudged the images to meet the whims of Dragone's team. During a tour of the facility the following day, technical director Rick Mooney said that the screen's visual resolution equaled that of most standard HDTV sets, 1080i. Even from 150 feet away, in the Colosseum's third tier, the images were crystal clear. None of this came cheaply to Caesars Palace and its promotional partners, AEG and Concerts West. The screen cost $6 million, not including all the servers and electrical circuitry needed to drive it and keep it looking sharp. Nonetheless, it's a wonderful piece of technology. It made me wonder why Mitsubishi couldn't build one for consumers like me, only a bit smaller and with a price closer to, say, $800. The enterprising folks at Caesars already may be thinking of amortizing the cost of the screen by renting the Colosseum to Hollywood studios for movie premieres, ShoWest screenings and other high-profile events. It could also invite 4,100 of its highest-rolling guests to watch HDTV broadcasts of the Masters, Super Bowl, Wimbledon, Final Four, Kentucky Derby and Academy Awards, even if it couldn't charge admission. Plug-and-play options built into the set-up could turn the stage into a giant TV studio, as well. Two months ago, while the FCC continued to twiddle its thumbs over standards for digital television -- and the MPAA, NAB and NATO argued about who should pay for what -- the cast of "A New Day" was able to watch the Bucs beat the Raiders, between rehearsals, on the giant Diamond Vision screen. If they had wanted to, the artists also could have strolled down to the Race & Sports Book and placed a wager on the game. Come ShoWest 2005, it wouldn't surprise me if Lucas leased the facility to preview an all-digital Star Wars: Episode III before exhibitors. If that doesn't convince them, nothing will. Email Gary Dretzka .
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