If you thought Jedi training was tough, you should see the 3D conversion process for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Earlier this month, Lucasfilm announced that the 1999 film would get a 3D re-release on February 10, 2012. Now, it looks like they've started the process, by choosing Prime Focus as a partner.
The postproduction firm announced plans to work on the film. They were picked following what's been called an exhaustive testing process. Apparently, that search is already paying off.
"It was incredibly important to me that we have the technology, the resources and the time to do this right," said Star Wars creator George Lucas. "I'm very happy with the results I've been seeing on Episode I."
To get the job done, the company will use its proprietary View-D conversion process. The company's credits include Avatar, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Tron: Legacy. More recently, they did VFX work on Zack Snyder's stylistic action fantasy, Sucker Punch.
With the Star Wars franchise at stake, Prime Focus is pulling out all of the stops. Aside from pooling artists from Hollywood, Los Angeles, London and Mumbai, the company is also working closely with John Knoll, the visual effects supervisor for Industrial Light and Magic.
"Getting really good results from stereo conversion requires a lot of attention to detail and it is imperative that you take the time to get it right -- and that's just what we're doing," said Knoll. "We're taking a different approach than you might expect. George's vision has been to add dimension to the film in subtle ways. This isn't a novelty conversion, with things jumping out at the audience; our goal has been to enhance the classic Star Wars theatrical experience, utilizing the latest cinematic tools and techniques."
The next 11 months should be a pretty big deal for Star Wars fans. The entire series will be released on Blu-ray this September. Then, the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace will hit theaters on February 10, 2012 with the next five installments expected to follow in 3D theaters, one film per year.
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