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An IMAX Odyssey

An IMAX Odyssey

Codebooks in Resolve, More Tax Incentive Updates

May 16, 2025

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Welcome back, HBO Max. Again.

Kudos to the HBO social team, who heavily leaned into the Uno Reverse of rebranding back to the same exact brand from two years ago, with top-tier levity in making fun of themselves.

In today’s newsletter:

How Nolan got IMAX to improve their camera
Plugin for VFX work in Resolve
Grab bag of updates on the film tax incentive front
A look at an AI powered assistant video editor

Let’s get into it!

Joey

IMAX Reinvents for Nolan's Epic

Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey will make cinematic history as the first commercial feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Following the success of Oppenheimer, which earned over $190 million from IMAX screenings, Nolan challenged IMAX to overcome the longstanding technical limitations of their film cameras.

"Chris called me up and said if you can figure out how to solve the problems, we will make [Odyssey] 100 percent in IMAX. And that's what we're doing," revealed IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond at the company's annual press luncheon in Cannes.

Key developments:

New IMAX cameras are 30% quieter and significantly lighter than previous models
Advanced film scanning and processing techniques enable faster turnaround for dailies
These technical improvements may eliminate the muffled dialogue issues that have been criticized in Nolan's previous films
The cameras are currently exclusive to Nolan but will be available for rental to other filmmakers after The Odyssey wraps

Dunkirk previously held the record for the highest percentage of IMAX footage at approximately 70%. The Odyssey is scheduled for theatrical release on July 17, 2026.

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Vu Studio: Create at the Speed of Thought

Vu Studio transforms virtual production into an accessible, all-in-one platform for filmmakers of all levels. This comprehensive software suite brings together storyboarding, environment building, previsualization, and shooting capabilities in a single intuitive interface – something never before available in one place.

Key features include:

SceneForge Studio with powerful toolset for building sets, designing camera moves, and lighting scenes
AI-powered content generation that transforms ideas into instant visual representations using natural language processing
Extensive asset library pre-loaded with hundreds of free elements, plus marketplace integration
Vu Media Server for seamless content casting to LED walls with adjustable brightness, scale, color and more
Integrated lighting control to manage set lights directly within the application

The platform integrates with industry-standard tools like Frame.io, streamlining collaboration and feedback across your production team. Whether you're creating storyboards, building virtual environments, or controlling multiple display surfaces, Vu Studio puts everything at your fingertips.

Ready to create content at the speed of thought? Start your Vu Studio journey today at vu.network/vu-studio.

Mention "VP Land" when subscribing for an exclusive 10% discount on annual subscriptions.

New Resolve Script Automates Editorial Codebooks with Thumbnails

A DaVinci Resolve script for generating editorial codebooks with thumbnails has been released in open beta, offering post-production professionals a streamlined way to create Excel spreadsheets with embedded visual references and metadata.

The tool, developed by Reddit user DanDBC, is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows.

Key features of the codebook script:

Generates .xlsx files with embedded thumbnails from your timeline clips
Customizable metadata field selection for tailored information capture
Flexible frame capture options (first, middle, or last frame from each clip)
Custom output filename capabilities and automatic subfolder organization
Optional stills gallery cleanup after export completion

The script has already received positive feedback from the post-production community, with users highlighting its potential for VFX tracking and daily production tasks. While still in beta, the developer has tested it across several projects and is actively seeking feedback on edge cases and potential enhancements.

Production Landscape Reshapes: Latest Moves

The global film production map continues to transform in 2025, with aggressive incentive programs reshaping where content is created. As VP Land has tracked over recent months, traditional production hubs like California face mounting challenges while locations offering substantial tax benefits gain momentum.

California's film industry continues its troubling decline, with Los Angeles reporting a 37% year-over-year drop in production days and the state falling to sixth place in preferred production locations globally.
The Texas Senate recently approved a bill allocating $2.5 billion over ten years to its film incentive program, offering tiered rebates up to 31% of in-state spending with additional bonuses for rural filming.
London has emerged as a "New Hollywood," with world-class facilities operating at capacity and government-backed tax credits attracting major franchises and streaming originals.
New York is strategically expanding its film subsidy program to capture both large-scale and independent productions that might otherwise head overseas.

We tested out Eddie AI, an AI-powered video editing assistant, to see how well it streamlines the editing process and enhances our workflow.

Stories, projects, and links that caught our attention from around the web:

💬 Netflix is focusing on improving dialogue clarity by using AI-driven solutions, which help audio engineers make informed decisions about their mixes.

⭐ BTS article on how The Studio recreated the Golden Globes by renting out and filming in the Beverly Hilton’s actual ballroom, duplicating the entire award show from scratch.

📚 Bad Decisions Studio just launched a complete Unreal Engine course for all skill levels.

📺 Samsung’s move gives top YouTube creators their own dedicated FAST channels, expanding their reach from YouTube to the living room TV experience.

💸 According to a global IBM study, CEOs plan to more than double their AI investments in the next two years despite only 25% of AI projects currently meeting ROI expectations.

In the latest Denoised, we explore tips and tricks for better image generation, movie studios from YouTube creators, and a new method for AI synthesis.

Read the show notes or watch the full episode.

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