HYWI Hollywood Intermediate Inc (CE)

Hollywood Intermediate, Inc. (Pink Sheets:HYWI) announced today its Matchframe Digital Intermediate (MDI) division has completed work on "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School," that includes an all-star cast including Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, Mary Steenbergen, Sean Astin, Donnie Wahlberg, with Danny DiVito and John Goodman. The film follows a widower who embarks on a journey to find a dying man's lost love, a classmate from charm school in 1962. Ironically the widower (Robert Carlyle) falls in love (Marisa Tomei) in the process. The soon to be released film is being distributed by Samuel Goldwyn. Director Randall Miller engaged Matchframe Digital Intermediate (MDI) of Burbank to achieve three separate film treatments for the creation of the film. "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" is based on a "short" film of the same name that Miller directed sixteen years ago while at the American Film Institute (AFI). Originally shot in 16mm, the story followed a group of kids whose parents made them attend the charm school. The new plot follows the original story line, but the kids are now adults and it chronicles a dying man's wish to attend a long planned charm school reunion. Portions from the original 16mm "short" are used in the new plot for flashbacks to the charm school from when they were the students. The process of combining the three different film treatments to create one motion picture clearly demonstrates the power of Hollywood Intermediate's digital intermediate technology and process. The success of the final product not only edifies the DI process, it opens the door for future films to utilize, enhance and combine different formats utilizing Hollywood Intermediate's Technology. Miller asked MDI to restore much of the 16mm film and convert it to 35mm digital film, which created many challenges for MDI due to its age and physical condition. "The 16mm negative was sixteen years old," said Dave Waters, President of MDI, "and it was so warped in many places that it was impossible for us to scan." MDI combined various software technology along with Filmlight's 2k DI Baselight Color grading system to restore the 16 mm, digitally color grade, and transform the 16mm to 35mm anamorphic output. Another third of the film revolves around an accident scene for which Miller employed a skip bleach process during developing, thus creating a "dream like" effect. This effect was necessary to allow the viewer to visually differentiate time between the present day, the flashback to charm school and the accident. "MDI took extraordinary measures to create three very distinctive treatments for 'Charm School,'" said Miller. "Those treatments were essential for distinguishing the time periods in the film and driving the story line. I was especially happy with what they were able to do with my original 16mm from AFI. Restoring the 16mm and making it work with the 35mm was absolutely critical to the success of the film." About Hollywood Intermediate Hollywood Intermediate provides a proprietary technology of Digital Intermediate services to feature filmmakers for post production for film mastering and restoration. This technology gives the filmmakers total creative control over the look of their productions. Whether shooting on film or acquiring in HD or SD video, Hollywood Intermediate puts a powerful cluster of digital tools at the director's disposal to achieve stunning results on the big screen. Matchframe Digital Intermediate, a division of Hollywood Intermediate, Inc., packages a full array of postproduction services with negative handling expertise and cost-effective 2K digital intermediate and 35mm film out systems. The Digital Intermediate process eliminates current post-production redundancies by creating a single high-resolution master file from which all versions can be made including all theatrical and High Definition formats. By creating a single master file with resolution higher than the current High Definition broadcast standards, the DI master file enables cinema and television distributors to extract and archive all current and future cinema and television formats including Digital Cinema, Television and High Definition. Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions. Actual results could differ materially from the assumptions currently anticipated. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. If the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement or any other forward-looking statements.