Thursday Sep 25, 2003

DESTINY with HD
- TODAY

Local firm makes brave foray into high definition
By Yong Shu Chiang

After popular demand led to a two-week commercial run for its previous film, homegrown production company Gateway entertainment is preparing another film for local cinemas.

The company's first foray into the high definition (HD) format, Destiny, will premiere at Cathay Cineplex Orchard by November.

It follows the late July run of Twilight kitchen, a drug-rehabilitation story starring Moses Lim that was originally intended for video release only.

Gateway claims its latest film, a $1 million Mandarin drama starring Aileen Tan and Xie Shaoguang, is the first to be produced in the HD format in Asia, outside of Japan.

With the addition of Destiny, and another HD film called After School in the works, Gateway's growing catalogue stands at 14 films, mini series and animation programmes.

Formerly known as Touch Entertainment, the three-year-old company's growing ambition has its gearing up to participate at next month's Mipcom 2003, an important expo for television broadcasters and distributors in Cannes, France.

Its ambition can also be seen by the bold adoption of HD, a digital video format which offers resolution nearly as good as film, yet offers cost savings by precluding the need for film processing and transfers.

Using HD makes additional special effects and transferring the movie onto various formats for overseas sales easier and less expensive, Gerald Lee, who wrote and directed Destiny, says Gateway hopes to sell it to overseas markets.

The downside if HD, however, is the fact that cinemas typically aren't equipped to screen HD movies, unless they'e been transferred to film. There is no facility here which can do such a transfer.

"Everyone wants to see if the technology is stable and has enough support," Lee says, explaining why HD hasn't yet found mass acceptance. "Not many people are willing to risk their budgets on it."

Former MediaCorp artiste Zhu Houren, producer-cum-director at Gateway, says the company deliberated for two weeks before deciding to use HD equipment, worth $1 million and sponsored by Panasonic.

The decision was made with the belief that savings in cost and time would allow greater attention to the movie's story and acting, which has actress Tan playing a psychologist and actor Xie as her husband.

"Often, it's not whether something can be done, but whether you're willing to try," says Zhu.