Alcibiades
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although there has been news about this announcement through translated new bits, Bandai has finally released official info. in English with details about their releases:
http://www.activeanime.com/html/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4349
http://www.activeanime.com/html/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4349
Bandai Visual and Microsoft Collaborates on HD DVD Authoring Technology for the Release of New Anime "Freedom" and Other Titles
Posted on Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 10:49 AM
Bandai Visual, Microsoft and Memory-Tech Agree to Collaborate on the development of HD DVD Authoring Technology for the release of “Freedom” (a New Anime Title), “Royal Space Force—The Wings of Honneamise”, “Patlabor The Movie” and “Patlabor 2 The Movie” as HD DVD Titles
As a result of the project to improve image quality for the latest HD DVD video compression technology with the aim of globally marketing anime software titles, Bandai Visual Co., Ltd., Memory-Tech Corporation and Microsoft Co., Ltd. have agreed to release the following 4(four) HD DVD titles during 2007: “Freedom”, a brand new digital OVA series, and feature-length anime movies “Royal Space Force—The Wings of Honneamise”, “Patlabor The Movie”, and “Patlabor 2 The Movie”.
The participation in recent VC-1 image tuning of Bandai Visual, with its strong track record in high-end animation production and packaged DVD sales, has enabled the creation of high picture quality titles. And the three companies are contributing to the building of services that make use of next-generation formats such as HDi. Memory-Tech will handle the service infrastructure for the development of high definition products, and Microsoft will support HD DVD solutions for partners and users.
The above 4 titles will be used for:
1) Improvement of image quality with VC-1 video compression technology aimed at the creation of HD DVD products
2) Use of HDi authoring to add value to HD DVDs and develop promotion plans
3) Collaboration on new business models based on HDi network functions, Managed Copy and other functions that combine of packaged media with networks
About Freedom
A science fiction anime series whose use in Nissin instant noodle TV ads generated a lot of buzz. The drama unfolds on the Moon’s surface in the city of Eden, the last human settlement, and focuses on a youth whose actions threaten to shake the freedom and peace of Eden. The scale of the story and the dynamic action have earned the series high marks. Bandai Visual is confident that this work, which uses the latest concepts and technology to combine 3D-CGI with the 2D animation that has long been a key strength of Japan’s anime industry, is ideal as a technology development source for the next-generation medium of HD DVD. (Produced in 2006)
About “Royal Space Force—The Wings of Honneamise”
Bandai Visual’s first ever anime movie for theater distribution, and the electrifying movie debut of the GAINAX creators who went on to give the world “Neon Genesis Evangelion”. The kingdom of Honneamise on an imaginary planet serves as the stage for telling the tale of the young men belonging to the Royal Space Force, a non-combat military unit. A feature-length anime movie that boasts an elaborate story and ultra-detailed artwork combined with an other-worldly music score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. (Produced in 1987)
About “Patlabor The Movie”
The memorable first theater edition of “Mobile Police Patlabor”, directed by Mamoru Oshii who made his name with “Ghost in the Shell”. Set in a turn-of-the-century Tokyo (1998-2002) in which human-shaped construction work robots called “Labors” wander the streets and cybercrime has become endemic. The movie, a science fiction anime classic, is peppered with thrilling action as it tells the realistic story of a police squad that uses its own arsenal of Patlabor robots to combat crime. (Produced in 1989)
About “Patlabor 2 The Movie”
The second feature length movie to emerge from the wildly popular “Mobile Police Patlabor” series, and wizard director Mamoru Oshii’s disturbing vision of Tokyo in a state of siege against terrorists. Using ultra-detailed artwork and computer graphics, and a scenario in which one mystery gives rise to another, Oshii creates a picture of war-torn Tokyo with a deeply thematic plot that takes the movie beyond the realm of most anime. (Produced in 1993)
VC-1 is a video codec specification that has been standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and implemented by Microsoft as Windows Media Video (WMV)9. Formal standardization of VC-1 represents the culmination of years of technical scrutiny by over 75 companies, leading to a codec that is well-documented, extremely stable, easily licensable, and accepted by the industry.
HDi is a specification of interactivity adopted by HD DVD. It supports various features for great interactivity including high definition graphics with transparency and animation, picture-in-picture, network, etc to create exciting user experience. HDi is based on the open-standard technologies and being used on most of the existing HD DVD titles in the world.
Managed Copy is a part of the AACS specification which is adopted by HD DVD. It is a function which will allow users to make legal copy of the content through authentication process over network. It will bring new user value and business model with great flexibility of supporting multiple formats of the content and business scheme.
Comments of participating companies
• Bandai Visual
“We are excited to be working with Microsoft and Memory-Tech” said Akio Maeda, senior managing director of Bandai Visual. “Bandai Visual has always prided itself on delivering the highest quality home entertainment packages in the anime field. We hope that this opportunity to explore the possibilities of the HD DVD media will enable us to give the best possible value to our customers in the new format.”
• Microsoft
“In our collaboration with Bandai Visual and Memory-Tech, who are the both industry leaders, we would like to improve the quality of one of the greatest animation works in Japan to the level which meets next-generation’s expectation. As broadband infrastructure expands, we believe our collaboration will result in creation of dynamic and attractive media realized thru integration of network interactivity and managed copy technology driven by HDi advancement, in addition to the high picture quality enabled by VC-1.”
Kazuo Sakai, General Manager, Digital Entertainment Partner Group. Microsoft Co., Ltd
• Memory-Tech
“Memory-Tech will work with Bandai Visual and Microsoft to develop a complete one-stop service (encoding, authoring, disc replication and HDi network infra-structure) for creating new HD-era packages with the kind of high picture quality and HDi navigation that is sure to attract consumers.”
Shinoharu Kawasaki, President & CEO, Memory-Tech Corporation
Freedom
STORY
In the year 2105, by which time civilization on Earth has been wiped out by permanently abnormal weather conditions, people left on the Moon proclaimed the establishment of the republic of Eden, and over the years built up a city of about a million inhabitants as the last remaining human civilization. The people of Eden value freedom and peace above everything, but in time, the actions of a single adolescent, Takeru, come to shake that freedom and peace.
In Eden, children finish their compulsory education when they are 15 years old and become fully fledged members of the society, but they are given a brief period of freedom before taking up their duties as citizens. The year is now 2267, and like other boys before him, Takeru is going to take part in a race with his friends, using machines called “vehicles” designed for moon surface travel. What makes Takeru different from his peers is that he has made his own vehicle, and by doing so, he touches on a truth that Eden had long kept hidden. There are, it turns out, two kinds of freedom hidden within Eden.
CREDITS
Original story: Satoshi Takamatsu / Director: Shuhei Morita / Music: Yoshihiro Ike / Production: Sunrise Emotion Studio
© 2006 Freedom Committee
http://www.bandaivisual.us
Royal Space Force—The Wings of Honneamise
STORY
Shirotsugh Lhadatt is a trooper in the Royal Space Force, a non-combat military unit that has a history of 30 years, but has been virtually abandoned by the government, and can’t even launch a satellite properly, let alone a manned spacecraft. Shirotsugu too has all but given up dreams of space travel, and frequently skips training drills. However, a chance meeting in town with Riquinni, a mysterious girl claiming to preach the word of God, changes his attitude dramatically. Weathering opposition from his fellow troopers, he volunteers to become the first astronaut in human history, and a plan is launched to send a manned craft into space and reestablish the credibility and honor of the Royal Space Force.
CREDITS
Executive producers: Toshio Okada & Shigeru Watanabe / Original story, screenplay, director: Hiroyuki Yamaga / Animation director and character design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto / Animation directors: Hideaki Anno, Fumio Iida, Yuji Moriyama / Assistant directors: Takami Akai, Shinji Higuchi, Shoichi Masuo / Art director: Hiromasa Ogura / Cinematography: Hiroshi Isagawa / Sound director: Atsumi Tashiro / Music director: Ryuichi Sakamoto / Production: Gainax etc.
© Bandai Visual / Gainax
Patlabor The Movie
STORY
It’s summer 1999, and a Japan Self-Defense Force prototype military Labor robot suddenly goes berserk, but this is just the start of a whole series of incidents. Someone has infected construction work Labors with a computer virus which causes them to go on the rampage throughout Tokyo. The oddball members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Special Vehicle Section 2 hunt around the megalopolis Tokyo for a criminal without a form.
CREDITS
Story and Planning by HEADGEAR / Original Concept by YUUKI MASAMI / Screenplay by KAZUNORI ITO
Character Design by AKEMI TAKADA / Mechanical Design by YUTAKA IZUBUCHI
Assistant Director KOJI SAWAI / Art Director HIROMASA OGURA / Music by KENJI KAWAI
Director of Photography MITSUNOBU YOSHIDA / Directed by MAMORU OSHII
Animation Created by STUDIO DEEN / Produced by BANDAI VISUAL, TOHOKUSHINSHA
© 1989 Headgear / Bandai Visual / TFC
Patlabor 2 The Movie
STORY
It’s winter 2002, and a mysterious missile hits Yokohama Bay Bridge. The press reports that a Japan Self-Defense Force jet was responsible, but no such jet exists. The unsettling incidents that follow set the police and the JSDF at each other’s throats. Fearing a further worsening of the situation, the government sends in the military. Chasing the fearsome terrorist that once more brought Tokyo to a state of war, the Special Vehicles Section 2 girds itself for one last assault.
CREDITS
Story and Planning by HEADGEAR / Screenplay by KAZUNORI ITO / Character Design by AKEMI TAKADA, YUUKI MASAMI / Mechanical Design by YUTAKA IZUBUCHI, SHOJI KAWAMORI, KATOKI HAJIME
Assistant Director TOSHIHIKO NISHIKUBO / Director of Animation KAZUCHIKA KISE
Director of Photography AKIHIKO TAKAHASHI / Art Director HIROMASA OGURA
Music by KENJI KAWAI / Directed by MAMORU OSHII / Animation Created by PRODUCTION I.G
Produced by BANDAI VISUAL, TOHOKUSHINSHA, PRODUCTION I.G
© 1993 Headgear / Bandai Visual / TFC / Production I.G
