Six Bidders to Bid for Digital Domain Today

Posted on by September 21, 2012

DD’s Ender’s Game Film Investment to be Auctioned Off

Today, September 21st Digital Domain will be auctioned off to bidders. The attorney for the company, Robert J. Feinstein, said in court yesterday that they will see as many as six bidders in the auction, although none of the bidders were mentioned by name. An opening bid of $15 million will be made by Searchlight Capital.

Digital Domain has made a $17 million investment in the Ender’s Game film. Attorney Josef S. Athanas said in court yesterday that the company’s investment in Ender’s Game may be their most valuable asset. Their investment in the Ender’s Game film will be auctioned off starting tomorrow, as part of Digital Domain as a whole. After the new owner has acquired rights to Digital Domain, the new owner will decide what to do with their Ender’s Game investment. We’ll keep you up to date on today’s proceedings as the information comes in.

The Ender’s Game movie will be released in theaters November 1, 2013.
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Ender’s Game Producers Seek to Protect Ender’s Game Movie

Posted on by September 13, 2012

Oddlot Wants to Keep Ender’s Game on Schedule

In light of Digital Domain bankruptcy and pending auction, Oddlot Entertainment has asked a Delaware judge to protect the Ender’s Game movie. Oddlot (OLE) filed motions in the Delaware bankruptcy asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon to require that all of its contracts for Ender’s Game be considered as a single package and not sold off piecemeal to a buyer in a bankruptcy auction.

It is of paramount importance to OLE that the visual, digital and animation effects for Ender’s Game be completed according to schedule,” said a motion filed by Oddlot. “Given the importance of the assumption of all of the agreements to the success of Ender’s Game, OLE is particularly concerned that a buyer may agree to assume all of the agreements at the auction… only to turn around and assume only certain [of them] after the sale.” Additionally, Oddlot  asked the judge to order that they be allowed to attend the auction, and that Digital Domain be required to consult with Oddlot regarding the sale.

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Digital Domain Up for Speedy Auction

Posted on by September 12, 2012

Speedy Sale Needed to Keep Potential Blockbusters on Target

A judge has not approved of Digital Domain’s sale to Searchlight Capital and has instead set an interim for a fast Chapter 11 bankruptcy sale for September 21. Searchlight Capital will presumably start off the auction with an initial bid of $15 million for the majority of the company. Digital Domain Chief Executive, Ed Ulbrich, testified that he has talked to eight or ten buyers in recent days and the company’s chief restructuring officer, Michael Katzenstein, told the court 20 parties had signed confidentiality agreements.

Digital Domain’s legal team said the speedy schedule was driven by the need to keep potential blockbusters on carefully planned release dates. “The studios are freaking out,” Feinstein, the company’s attorney, told the court.

Digital Domain is the special effects company for Ender’s Game. The Ender’s Game movie still has a planned release date of November 1, 2013.

Source, thank you Darian!

Aramis Knight on Royal Pains & Variety Power of Youth this Saturday

Posted on by September 12, 2012

Aramis Knight in TV Tonight!

Bean-actor, Aramis Knight, will make an appearance on USA Network’s Royal Pains tonight at 6pm and again at 9pm! The episode is called “Something Fishy This Way Comes.” Check your local listings!

In other news, Peter-actor Jimmy Pinchack tells us via his Facebook page that he will  meet up with some of the cast from Ender’s Game at the “Variety Power Of Youth ” event this Saturday. He promises fans that he will post a picture.

Digital Domain Files for Bankruptcy

Posted on by September 12, 2012

Likely to Stay in the Film Industry

Earlier today Digital Domain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $14 million in debt and $50.7 million in losses through June 30. The company stated it will sell most of the company’s assets to Searchlight Capital Partners for $15 million and that Hudson Bay Master Fund would provide $20 million in debtor-in-possession financing. Digital Domain is likely to stay in the film business. The company is responsible for some of the costs of the “$100 million film Harrison Ford futuristic film ‘Ender’s Game'”  As of June 30, it had paid $17.2 million toward the production of Ender’s Game.

It’s interesting to note that this is the first time the Ender’s Game budget has been referenced in full: $100 million. The Ender’s Game movie will be released November 1, 2013.

Source.

UPDATE: Searchlight Capital was not approved to buy Digital Domain’s assets. Digital Domain will go to auction on September 21. Click here for more details.

Kyle Clements Talks Ender’s Game

Posted on by September 10, 2012

Two Navy Pilots Used as Technical Advisors

The actor who played Young Mazer Rackham, Kyle Clements, recently spoke with Hammond Daily Star about his role in the Ender’s Game Movie. He reveals a number of interesting details about his role, one being that Ender’s Game was primarily filmed in a large studio space. “‘Ender’s Game’ was a large scale production. You could have kids flying around on high wires on one stage while Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley were doing a scene on another stage. All the while I’m being spun around in the cockpit of a jet in another stage. It was crazy.”

He also tells the reporter that growing up “Top Gun” was one of his favorite movies and that he playing Mazer the fighter pilot was nostalgic for him. “Having a role similar to that was very cool,” he said. “Two Navy pilots were even there as technical advisors.”

Clements adds, “’Ender’s Game’ has a huge fan base. When someone on the crew of ‘2 Guns’ heard I played Young Mazor Rackham in ‘Ender’s Game,’ he wanted a picture with me. It’s flattering. I encourage everyone to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.”

The older Mazer Rackham is played by Sir Ben Kingsley. The Ender’s Game movie will hit theaters on November 1, 2013.

Digital Domain May Go Bankrupt

Posted on by September 8, 2012

CEO Quits

Last month we reported that the special effects company responsible for the Ender’s Game movie, Digital Domain, dropped $15 million on Ender’s Game. The Wall Street Journal reported on Digital Domain’s losses at the time, “The decrease in the gross margin percentage of revenues in the first quarter of this year, as compared to the same period of the prior year, was primarily impacted by the inclusion of co-production revenues of $2.2 million from our work on Ender’s Game at 100 percent of the direct cost of revenues because we are investing the gross margin on our work as part of our equity in the film.”

Today the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Digital Domain’s CEO, John Textor, resigned and will be replaced by Ed Ulbrich, a longtime executive in wake of company restructuring which may lead to bankruptcy. In an effort to reduce spending, Digital Domain said in a statement that they had eliminated almost all staff in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where it’s based, but  that studios in California and Vancouver will continue to operate.

Digital Domain will continue to work on Ender’s Game. The Ender’s Game movie will hit theaters November 1, 2013.

Edit: Via Bloomberg, 

Post-production work on “Ender’s Game” remains on schedule, Peter Wilkes, a spokesman for Lions Gate, said in an interview. “We’re very excited about ‘Ender’s Game’ and we’re very confident we will release it as planned on Nov. 1, 2013.”

Enter Our Giveaway!

Posted on by September 6, 2012

Hey everyone! We’re going to be giving away 15 Collectible Ender’s Game Pins from San Diego Comic-Con 2012.

The rules are simple:

1. Leave one post on this thread from PhiloticWeb.net telling us your favorite Ender’s Game quote.
2.  Get your post in before September 30th 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time.

The winners will be selected by a random number generator and all duplicates will be removed. After the winners are selected, we will announce the winners on this post and contact everyone via PM on PhiloticWeb shortly after the giveaway closes.

P.S. Have you seen this?

Ender’s Game Technology: Digitizing Battle Room Scenes

Posted on by August 24, 2012

Back in January we shared this post and picture of Ender’s Game actor, Khylin Rhambo. At the time he stated via Facebook, that “the technology in the picture was used to scan his face, take costume measurements, ‘and other stuff.’”

Thanks to Darian‘s investigative work, we’re getting better picture of what this technogolgy actually does.

The technology is called Light Stage X. The spherical network of lights is used to digitalize “people’s faces to turn a real person in to a digital person that would be just as realistic as the real thing,” says one of its creators and lab directors Paul Debevec, Ph.d.

Watch the video below for a better understanding of how the cast will be digitalized for the battle room sequences.

Thanks again to Darian for the tip! Visit his website!

Digital Domain Drops $15 million on ‘Ender’s Game’ Film

Posted on by August 16, 2012

43% of the Company’s Spending in the First 6 Months of 2012

Many Ender’s Game fans may be unaware of the fact that Digital Domain is more than the special effects provider for the film. In fact, the Ender’s Game movie is Digital Domain’s first feature film co-production, in part with Summit Entertainment, K/O Paper Products and Odd Lot Entertainment.

In March, Digital Domain linked to the Ender’s Game Production Blog from their website and in May at the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year, Digital Domain reported investing $2.2 million in Ender’s Game. The Wall Street Journal reported, “The decrease in the gross margin percentage of revenues in the first quarter of this year, as compared to the same period of the prior year, was primarily impacted by the inclusion of co-production revenues of $2.2 million from our work on Ender’s Game at 100 percent of the direct cost of revenues because we are investing the gross margin on our work as part of our equity in the film.”

Now Digital Domain reports that of the $34.3 million the company spent in first six months of 2012, $15 million of that was invested in the Ender’s Game movie. Digital Domain Chief Executive Officer John Textor told investors on a conference call Wednesday, “I’d say even with the ‘Ender’s Game’ drag, the visual effects business will be profitable through the end of the year,” Textor said. Via TCPalm.

[Note: If anyone is wondering, there’s still no official word on the Ender’s Game film budget.] Ender’s Game Film will be released on November 1, 2013.