Camera

DOWNTOWN — The Burbank Police Department is forging ahead with plans to test an in-car camera system designed to enhance accountability and keep officers safe. The department, which plans to replace more than 30 mobile computer systems by the end of the fiscal year, will begin testing an L-3 Communications system this month, followed closely by a system manufactured by Panasonic, Lt. Armen Dermenjian said. The command staff recently oversaw the installation of a test camera from vendor Coban Technologies, which contracted with the Los Angeles and Glendale police departments.

Rosette Gonzales Virgil Hammond III has been working in the entertainment industry for the past 27 years. Now he's taking his show on the road. A city transit bus from Santa Clara underwent the usual Hollywood transformation and received a face-lift from Cinecoach Production Systems and its parent, the Black Forest Co., to become a fully functional mobile production unit. The 30-foot-long bus is a prototype and first in a series of three that Hammond believes will revolutionize production work.

Ryan Carter It talks and sees, but is not human. It's a camera. For about $2,000 and some 35mm film, police bought a camera they hope will make a dent in everything from vandalism to illegal dumping and trespassing. The item is not the everyday pricey camera. It's equipped with a motion detector and an audio feature, which allows police to record a voice into the machine. "Please leave the area," is one possibility for the camera's warning, Police Sgt. John Dilibert said.

Laura Sturza What do rows of brightly colored tape, audio and video cables, cotton diapers, windshield sealant and sandbags have in common? All are used by cinematographers, camera assistants and grips -- the people who set up camera and lighting equipment. And all are sold by Burbank's Filmtools, which moved to its 5,000 square-foot shop at 3100 Magnolia Blvd. earlier this year, having outgrown its 1,200 square-foot digs on Olive Avenue, where they opened in 2000.

The following incidents were taken from police reports. SOUTH SAN FERNANDO DISTRICT 300 block of West Verdugo Avenue: A 35-year-old-year-old Burbank woman told police Thursday that her 38-year-old husband kicked her in the stomach, called her names and turned off the power to her home. MEDIA CITY CENTER 201 E. Magnolia Blvd.: Someone stole a cash box Thursday from Candles & Creations inside Media City Center, police said. About $125 was stolen from the box and another $200 from a register, police said.

Molly Shore A future Katie Couric or Matt Lauer might be walking through the halls of Luther Burbank Middle School. It could be Kirsten DeRouville, who said she loves to be on camera. Kirsten, 13, gets the chance to do so in Lisa Raluy's broadcast journalism class when she and her classmates produce a six- to eight-minute daily television bulletin. The bulletin is telecast the next day throughout the school. "The most exciting part is getting all your ideas together, acting them out and being yourself on camera," Kirsten said.

Laura Sturza Camera slates that mark the start of a movie or TV shot are being given a fresh take by Burbank resident Kevin Ivey, whose company makes versions of the items using an innovative digital method to transfer logos to plexiglass. The slates, which include a clapper at the top, are typically hit by the second camera assistant after the assistant director calls "roll sound," Ivey said. Because sound and image are taped and filmed separately, the clapping sound signals to editors how to sync the two in post production.

ON THE AGENDA o7Here are a few of the issues the council will consider Tuesday night. f7 CASTAWAY LEASE HEARING The City Council will continue a public hearing on amending a lease with the operator of the Castaway Restaurant and banquet facility. The city owns the buildings and land, and the facility is operated by Specialty Restaurants Corp. The council took the issue up at its Sept. 13 to address residents' concerns about noise and traffic associated with the facility.

Camera tricks add intrigue Carolyn Howard-Johnson of Glendale is the author of the just-released novel, "This is the Place." This is an ode to a new director. John Moore puts his experience with commercials to use in his first movie, "Behind Enemy Lines." He cuts and swoops and angles to track a downed pilot played by Owen Wilson. His camera sees Wilson sitting forlornly on a mountain top in Yugoslavia like a Jeep was once isolated on a plateau in Utah for a TV ad. Wilson's face is like a squashed puffed pastry, but Moore focuses on its expressive beauty.

Laura Sturza If the staff at Doggicam had tails, they would be wagging. The rental camera equipment designed by the company has traversed the world -- and has been affixed to a motorcycle moving at 125 mph and strapped to the body of Mick Jagger -- logging 50 major motion pictures as well as commercials and videos. "These are products that can do things that no one else can," company president Gary Thieltges said. "They allow you to put the camera into the scene and move it in ways that are expressive of that."

An international filmmaking and acting school has opened in Burbank. Its operators plan to create opportunities for students and graduates by developing connections with local production companies and studios. The International Academy of Film and Television opened its doors last month at 635 S. San Fernando Blvd., offering filmmaking workshops, acting classes and a new visual effects program for teens. Kacy Andrews, the school's chief executive, said academy officials chose the Burbank site for several reasons, including its proximity to major film studios and a wide range of production companies.

Instead of watching ?Lord of the Rings,? ?Chicago? or ?Gladiator,? Pasadena Young Musicians Orchestra will re-create the films? music with an 84-member orchestra. The orchestra?s spring concert ?Lights! Camera! Music!? will be Sunday in Sexson Auditorium at Pasadena City College. The performance will feature music from film genres including action, historical adventures, space odysseys, comedies and musicals. The orchestra has a more than 50-year tradition for students in 10th grade through college.

DOWNTOWN — The Burbank Police Department is forging ahead with plans to test an in-car camera system designed to enhance accountability and keep officers safe. The department, which plans to replace more than 30 mobile computer systems by the end of the fiscal year, will begin testing an L-3 Communications system this month, followed closely by a system manufactured by Panasonic, Lt. Armen Dermenjian said. The command staff recently oversaw the installation of a test camera from vendor Coban Technologies, which contracted with the Los Angeles and Glendale police departments.

Those who know Debby Ryan are familiar with her role as Bailey Pickett on Disney Channel’s original series “The Suite Life on Deck,” a spin-off of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” But what most of her fans don’t know is she’s a photographer, collage artist, equestrian and has started a blog that features her interviews with bands, she said. “I’m super close to the equestrian center and go riding with my friends,” she said.

BURBANK — Panavision, a leading supplier of film and digital cameras to the motion picture and television industries, has announced plans to relocate to Burbank, merging its Woodland Hills and Hollywood locations into what executives are calling the largest rental facility serving the entertainment industry. The announcement comes as Burbank, which historically boasts one of the county’s lowest office vacancy rates, shot from 4% in the first quarter to 17.2% in the second, according to real estate market firm Grubb & Ellis.

The latest generation of 3-D technology started out as a gimmicky gamble that others didn?t believe in, but has proven to be the key for some in the entertainment industry as others struggle to battle a dearth of local spending from major motion picture and television studios. Pace Technologies and 3ality Digital, both based in Burbank, have benefited as industry giants look to make their products more attractive to penny-pinching consumers during the recession. The companies develop camera rigs and digital production systems that have been used in almost every recent live-action 3-D film and television production.

BURBANK — Kevin Muldoon, a longtime City Hall critic, is scheduled to appear Thursday in Burbank Municipal Court for filming without permission, the first violation since the city’s film permit policies were amended in January. The misdemeanor charges stem from a May 1 incident at Bob’s Big Boy where he and Steve Schuneman were capturing footage for their website, livecarshows.com , a collection of uploaded and streaming video of unusual automobiles and the stories behind them.

Moms. Dads. Here?s your morning checklist ? kid, camera, costume and tickets. The tickets are for Glendale Centre Theatre?s children?s musical, ?Sleeping Beauty,? which runs every Saturday through June 27. The costume is for the kid to wear to the show. The camera is for the great photos you?ll take with the sweet, funny, kid-friendly cast members after the show. And, you might as well dress up in your own prince or princess outfit. You?ll be treated like royalty no matter what you wear.

MAGNOLIA PARK DISTRICT — When the owner of Fleet Fueling and Burbank Auto Repair tore down his splintered pylon sign with acrylic facing last year and replaced it with a $16,000 electronic sign, he approached the move as an important business investment. The installation made headlines, as camera crews from Reuters and ABC News made their way to 800 N. Hollywood Way to snap photos of the high-tech display, which digitally displays gas prices with the click of a remote control.

BURBANK — The Burbank City Council voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to adopt a new film ordinance, which will amend the city’s film policy by providing an exemption for filmmakers using hand-held devices. Under the new ordinance, filmmakers using hand-held video cameras will not need a permit as long as they are not obstructing public access. The previous film code did not provide this exemption. In the past, a parent wanting to film his or her child playing soccer at a local park with a hand-held camera would have needed a filming permit under the old ordinance, as indicated by the city attorney’s staff report.