Continuing the pioneering efforts to expand digital cinema, Lucasfilm will use the latest Sony HD cameras and equipment to capture the images for Episode III when principal photography begins this summer. :

Star wars Episode II broke new cinematic ground as the first major motion picture to be shot entirely on high-definition F900 Cine Alta (HD) digital cameras, without traditional film.

Now, the next generation of HD -- part of Sony's CineAlta family of products -- is ready for use. These include Sony's F900 & HDC-F950 HD camera, the HDCAM SR portable (SRW-1) and studio recorders (SRW5000), and specially formulated BCT-SR series videocassettes. Plus8Digital, the digital motion picture technology rental company, will supply the cameras and equipment to Lucasfilm while Fujinon and Canon will supply all the camera lenses.

"Episode III will break new ground with the help of this new 4:4:4 RGB 24P CineAlta camera and HDCAM SR recording," said Producer . "Sony continues to help us push the frontiers of digital motion picture production." McCallum and the Episode II production crew saw the latest advancements in camera technology by the time was in post-production. These refinements were applied to visual effects miniature photography in Episode II, paving the way for the next generation of cameras for the next installment of the saga. "We judged this to be the new high performance bar for the entire production of our final Episode III," said McCallum.

The new image-gathering equipment offers even more cinematographic versatility. The second generation HDC-F950 captures uncompressed images at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 in 4:4:4 RGB. It also adds a new "under-cranking" feature, allowing picture capture-rates from one to 24 progressive frames-per-second.

"Lucasfilm has championed digital motion picture production, producing compelling work that offers dazzling imagery and sets significant industry benchmarks," said Larry Thorpe, Senior Vice President for Content Creation Systems at Sony."