SPI International boosts 4K library with new titles
SPI International / FILMBOX Channels Group has acquired worldwide rights to eight episodes of Royal Jewellers series and The Barber of Seville opera captured in 4K Ultra HD. The new titles will boost 4K programming on SPI’s FUNBOX 4K/UHD channel.
The Royal Jewellers series features interviews with leading practitioners and conceptual artists from the jewellery/goldsmith world. It is the only program on the "Art of Haute Joillerie" which has visited the secret world and workshops of the most important jewellers in the world. Kostas Metaxas, the series producer, is not only a documentary filmmaker, but an artist who has consulted and worked personally with such jewellery titans as Robert Mouawad, Nick Paspaley, Laurence Graff, Maria Gaspari and BHP Billiton Diamonds.
The Barber of Seville, captured by DBW, is the first lyric opera to be shot in High Dynamic Range 4K. The HDR (High Dynamic Range) and WCG systems are the new development of the 4K standard and they are able to guarantee an extraordinary color depth as well as a never before seen strong contrast between the bright parts and the dark parts of the image. The production has been realized at the wonderful historic Teatro Regio in Turin with 8 shooting points. The Sony PMW-F55 cameras – in live setup and all equipped with 4K Prime Lenses optics – were adopted; the same cameras used by the director Jacques Audiard in his film Dheepan, Palme d’Or award winner at last edition of Cannes Film Festival.
The Barber of Seville is the second opera production in 4K which SPI acquired from DBW for FUNBOX 4K/UHD. Last year the company purchased worldwide rights to La Bohème, the famous opera by Giacomo Puccini.
"WE are very happy about this new second deal with SPI international for the FUNBOX 4K channel and we are looking forward for future cooperation with such a pioneering company,” said GIULIANO BERRETTA, President of DBW Communication. “DBW is very engaged in sports, culture and special events production using the most advanced technologies, particularly with UHD (4K) along with the most recent developments in High Frame Rate, High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut," explained Mr. Berretta.
“We are thrilled to present this stunning cinematic opera in the Ultra HD resolution on our FUNBOX 4K UHD channel,” said Berk Uziyel, Executive Director for FilmBox International Ltd. “The Barber of Seville, shot entirely in high dynamic range 4K, as well as The Royal Jewellers series are exactly what will make watching our channel an unforgettable experience for the premium viewer who appreciates quality programs,” Mr. Uziyel added.
FUNBOX 4K/UHD is a premium, general entertainment TV channel which airs a mix of native 4K documentaries, performing arts programming, extreme adventure content as well as movies and TV series. The channel is broadcast from the Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD satellite.
SPI International is a member of the UHD Alliance, the inter-industry group charged with fostering the Ultra HD ecosystem and promoting the benefits of Ultra HD entertainment technology.