Sony makes 'Dreams' come true in Europe

Following the huge success of last year's US-based Dreams Project, Young & Rubicam Advertising and Sony Electronics are to present 'Dreams 2003:Joy' in Europe.
The project involved leading commercial directors using Sony's digital motion picture equipment to produce shorts that explore the concept of 'Joy.'
Each director, who was responsible for the conception and production of their individual creative vision, used Sony's CineAlta 24P high-definition acquisition and production equipment.
The following commercial directors will be participating in the Dreams 2003:Joy; Nacho Gayan (Traffic) from Spain and Rocky Morton (MJZ) from the UK, Bryan Buckley (Hungry Man Films); David Denneen (Dennneen (Film Graphics/Form Productions); Melodie McDaniel (The Director's Bureau); Noam Murrow (Biscuit); Mike Smith (Vinton); and Jeff Darling, (Radical Media Sydney).
"Last year the Dreams project created fantastic exposure for the Sony CineAlta kit in the US, by proving the technology's true versatility and creativity," commented Mark Harrison, Sony. "Because conversations about last year's project were met with such enthusiasm Young&Rubicam decided to widen the scope to include a more international production community this time. As a result, in addition to the US, we were delighted to work with directors and production companies coming from the UK, Spain and Australia."
Working for free, the directors were given 'carte blanche' on expression and creativity, the only rules being that the film had to be up to four minutes long, and delivered to Sony and Young & Rubicam for collation by January 2003.
In support of the project, rental and post facilities provided the necessary equipment and services without charging. The eight short films are currently being distributed widely in the US with the European premiere of Dreams being showcased at Cannes Lions in June 2003.
Pat Joseph, Managing Director, The Mill, where Morton post-produced, said: "The HD format provides incredible flexibility and versatility to an international commercials director like Rocky Morton, who is rarely in one country for very long. It's also a great medium for us to post on and the cinema projection quality is flawless".
Sony said that picture definition, long run time, colour reproduction and overall flexibility offered by CineAlta are among the factors that have most impressed the directors.
Morton added: "From a directorial point of view working with HD enables me to develop a close working relationship with the actor without the intrusion of endless camera reloads. The 'what you see is what you get' aspect of HD means I can have more control over the photography as the monitor displays precisely the image we are photographing."
The CineAlta family of products that includes cameras, monitors and production switchers, is based on Sony's 24P High Definition format.
For more information visit www.sonybiz.net/cinealta
(SP)