France's SFR Says It's Investigating Mobile Network Outage
Phone carrier SFR said it's investigating a widespread mobile network outage across France, and the cause is unknown.
The company is aware of outages across different parts of the country, a spokesperson said in response to Bloomberg's queries. Downdetector users reported a sharp increase in problems with their wireless service starting at about 12pm local time.
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36 minutes ago
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How Clear Angle Studios Is Harnessing the Power of Hollywood's Most Sought-After VFX Tech
There's a lot of talk in Hollywood about the U.K.'s production boom. Studios, it seems, are scrambling to find ways to shoot in California, keep talent stateside and claw back some semblance of industry glory that once belonged to L.A. (all while fighting off a president hellbent on terrorizing the rest of the world with his tariffs). This isn't news: It's no secret that London is benefiting from Hollywood's demise. Its 2024 production revenue topped around £5.6 billion ($7.4 billion) and streaming giants such as Prime Video, Netflix and Disney are currently expanding their U.K. offices. You've no doubt heard about the likes of Pinewood — home to 12 MCU blockbusters — or Sky Studios Elstree (Wicked, Jurassic World: Rebirth), which remain booked out and full to the brim with the most in-demand stars in the world. More from The Hollywood Reporter Israeli Missile Strike Hits Iranian State Broadcaster on Live TV Japan's Yuya Danzuka Mines Family Drama and Urban Design for Breakout Directorial Debut 'Brand New Landscape' OUTtv: They're Here, They're Queer, They're Canadian! It's a lot of numbers — X amount of sound stages or X amount of dollars invested — but what, exactly, is going on behind closed doors at these enormous movie lots? What kind of work is keeping Britain's film and TV biz thriving? The Hollywood Reporter was recently a guest of Pinewood Studios with a company that is emblematic of the industry's impressive run of form. Spoiler: they've got a monopoly on some futuristic technology. Clear Angle Studios is a leading 3D capture and processing company with offices all over the world. Headquartered at Pinewood and led by co-founders Dominic Ridley and Christopher Friend, the digital visual effects business operates in cyber scanning and photogrammetry capture. It was born out of a conversation between Ridley and Friend at a Halloween party years ago. In 2013, they kicked off with just 70 cameras and a dream. Since then, Clear Angle has come to dominate a vital field in the world of film and television, specializing in full body, face, prop and environment scanning that has undoubtedly improved some of your favorite movies and TV shows of the last 10 years. Have you wondered how Tom Cruise was capable of all his epic stunts in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning? Or maybe why Robert Pattinson was so convincingly a set of twins in Bong Joon Ho's recent sci-fi feature Mickey 17? Ridley's the man to ask. 'We have a very good relationship with Marvel, Lucasfilm, Warners, Netflix, Apple, Amazon, MGM, Universal, Paramount, 20th Century — and we try to do as much as we can without spreading ourselves too thin,' the Clear Angle director tells THR while showcasing the scale of the company's tech. Ridley, whose career-spanning work behind the camera started in the visual effects department, is attempting to put into laymen's words how Clear Angle's ultra-high resolution facial capture system works, a rig made up of 90 individual cameras and fondly named Dorothy. 'Your big superheroes, any big face replacements or face changes, prosthetics — any weird stuff that happens close up on frame,' Ridley beams with pride about Dorothy, 'if you have an actor fighting himself or herself or you need a close up of the same people in the shot, this rig would be useful.' It's hard to describe the system's spaceship-esque structure, but with 54 Canon SLRs, 22 Sony A7R3s, 13 machine vision cameras and 497 programmable LED light nodes, you can imagine the detail it's able to capture. With the ability to reproduce an actor's exact facial performance with little to no input from an animator, Dorothy can shoot 48 frames a second. Only three of these exact rigs exist in the entire world. The other two are stationed at Clear Angle's offices in Atlanta and Culver City. But with such frantic activity in London, the Atlanta Dorothy has been shipped over to the U.K. 'There's quite a lot of shooting here, whereas there's not very much going on in Atlanta or L.A., at all, currently.' It's a 180, Ridley adds, after Europe's production plunge post-COVID and Hollywood strikes. 'Europe is getting busy,' he continues. 'The U.K. is picking up. Australia has got some great tax incentives [as well as] Toronto, but Italy, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, they're all starting to pick up. It shows that studios are actually starting to get serious again about rolling out content. There was definitely a reset,' he says, 'and that process took time. But I feel like we're at the end of the tunnel and the light is fast approaching.' Clear Angle's other international offices cover Vancouver, Athens, Cape Town and Budapest. Worldwide, they have 18 full-body, custom-built photogrammetry rigs, each equipped with 204 cameras and 32 lights. Some of the talent to have stepped into this set-up include the cast of Lucasfilm's Andor, the recent live-action adaptations of Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, and even the star-studded lineup from Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine. 'If somebody's falling off a bridge or jumping out of a high-rise building, these things are just far too dangerous,' Ridley says about where the 3D full body scanning comes in handy. 'There's often a computer-generated takeover [in film and TV] where a stuntman or talent would run and just before they jump through the window, CG takes over. So, arguably, we're saving lives, right?' Clear Angle can also retrieve a digital likeness of an actor, prop, landscape or animal (Ridley says they've scanned lions, donkeys, zebras, flamingos, seals and a whole lot of horses) through a full body scan, facial capture and even voice capture. This data is then handed over to the VFX vendors to use however they like. Anyone who comes in for a scan is given 24 hours notice of exactly what the systems do and what shots they'll be used for. The talent have to give their explicit permission that they're happy to be captured. So is using this kind of technology getting increasingly difficult to navigate at a time when artificial intelligence grows more powerful by the day? Scarlett Johansson is among one of the more recent stars to speak out after OpenAI launched a chatbot with an 'eerily similar' voice to her own. She had previously turned down an approach by the company to voice the digital bot. 'When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief,' she said. OpenAI maintain it was not meant to be an imitation of the actress. 'Since the strikes, actors have certainly become far more aware of scanning and digitizing themselves and the rights and legalities behind that,' says Ridley. 'And I think that's a really good thing. Education is a good thing. I don't think studios were capturing data and using it in a negative way [before], or using it in the way that is often broadcast in the media.' 'When we've captured data for the big studios, that data has always been used only in that production, only on that film. We've been doing this for 10 years,' he continues. 'And I personally don't know where this idea — that we'd scan an extra on one show and that data would be used on other shows — has come from. That doesn't happen. That's not a thing.' Ridley's team is 'particularly studious' when it comes to data security. 'We follow security protocols for the big studios that will have very stringent protocols. And all the data is offline. There's no way you can get to it. [That's] a huge focus and emphasis within Clear Angle and other vendors within film — we really take care of the data. It's paramount for us. It's our lifeline.' Clear Angle, at the company's Pinewood base, have scanned a record 300 people in one day. It's an intricate system with a lot of moving parts in a location — a quick cab ride from London — that allows an enormous wealth of talent to come in and out, undetected and in a flash. The business scans for games, too, helping to create accurate, photo-realistic avatars of, for example, your favorite athletes. They also use drone and helicopter technology to capture entire landscapes. The gaming world is one that Ridley would like to explore further. Of course, there have been finance-related speed bumps along the way. Cameras, PCs and servers aren't cheap — Ridley says he and Friend invested a lot of their own money when Clear Angle was in its infancy, even putting a house on the line as collateral before the business took off. The instability of the industry has also proved tricky, he adds, but since 2016, with an ever-expanding employee directory including finance boss Michael Pedersen, the company has generally gone from strength to strength. And the demand in London, especially, won't let up. 'The biggest sadness that I tend to have [now] is when somebody calls me up and they say, 'Hey, great working with you — we're shooting XYZ in a couple of months,' and I have to say, 'Oh, really sorry, we're fully booked,'' Ridley says. 'I just hate letting people down like that. But it's still better to let them down that way than it is to do a poor job because you're stretched too far.' A tour of the set-up at Clear Angle's Pinewood hub feels like stepping into the future, or some top-secret lab where highly-skilled crew are toiling away in the underbelly of the film industry beast. What sets Clear Angle apart is the people, Ridley adds. 'When we work on a Marvel show, they're hiring us because the data is good, but also because they actually want to work with these people for a six-month, five-month period.' He adds: 'That's what motivates me. I'm not interested in a whole host of things — I am more interested in the tech, the facilitation and the logistics, and the people that get to be a part of the process. Those are my memories.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
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36 minutes ago
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Gaumont TV President Talks End of Peak TV, Warns: 'If We Don't Own the IP, We Lose Our Identity'
'Everything is very challenging right now. We have had 10 years which were wonderful in France and all over Europe.' That is how Gaumont Television president and producer Isabelle Degeorges described the state of the TV sector after the end of Peak TV during a keynote appearance at the Conecta Fiction & Entertainment industry gathering in Cuenca, Spain. 'There was a period when anything was possible. All streamers wanted to come to France and wanted to commission in France,' she highlighted. But COVID and the end of peak TV mean that everyone must now operate under a new normal. More from The Hollywood Reporter Eurovision Drama and 'The Nameless': Movistar Plus+ Exec Touts Focus on Event Programming Lewis Hamilton Signed Off on Brad Pitt and Damson Idris' Driving in 'F1: The Movie' In Spain, Warner Exec Explains the HBO Max Rebrand But Degeorges says it's all about the right attitude to tackle challenges. 'We just have to find that it's normal,' she argued. 'I mean, it is normal. We know that all over the world, it's normal to fight, it's normal to adapt, it's normal to create new shows.' With Netflix hit series Lupin recently getting renewed for season 4, Degeorges shared the state of production. 'We are shooting right now, and it will arrive on screen next year,' she told the Conecta audience without sharing any insights into the storylines or other creative details. Owning strong intellectual property has been a key focus for producers, and Gaumont isn't any different in that regard in the age of global streamers. France's rules requiring U.S. and global streamers to invest a minimum of 20 percent of their net French revenue in European works is key here, Degeorges emphasized. 'If we don't own the IP, we lose our identity,' she said. 'If we don't own the IP, my feeling is that everything belongs to the U.S., and at the end, it is their identity.' Speaking of IP, the executive on Tuesday also touted such upcoming projects as In the Shadow of the Forest, a thriller series for Apple TV+ starring Benoît Magimel and Mélanie Laurent for Apple TV+, and the ninth season of hit procedural The Art of Crime for France Télévisions that Gaumont has sold to more than 60 countries. Degeorges also used her Conecta keynote to argue in favor of the regulation of artificial intelligence, calling for rules that ensure that AI companies properly pay creators rather than use their works for free to train their models. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
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38 minutes ago
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Omdia Highlights Firmware Security Market Growth Amid Regulatory and Supply Chain Pressures
LONDON, June 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Firmware security has emerged as a critical component of software supply chain security (SSCS), driven by increasing regulatory requirements and rising supply chain vulnerabilities, according to a new comprehensive market analysis from Omdia. The market is experiencing significant transformation as organizations across industries adopt firmware and SSCS solutions to manage these escalating pressures. "The growing awareness of software security and increasingly stringent legislation requires device manufacturers to fully understand the firmware embedded within their products, ensuring robust security from design, throughout the entire lifecycle," notes Hollie Hennessy, Principal Analyst, Omdia. "Alongside this, asset owners face heightened concerns about supply chain security, which remains challenging to manage effectively. Firmware security and SSCS tooling offer essential visibility, insight and context, particularly to organizations managing critical infrastructure." Hennessy added: "Enhanced visibility into firmware and software, especially within highly regulated industries or critical infrastructure environments, provides tremendous value in managing both asset and supply chain risk." Key Market Insights The firmware security sector is witnessing a convergence between traditional firmware security and the broader SSCS market. Vendors are expanding their capabilities to deliver broader solutions to both device manufacturers and enterprise customers. A notable differentiator among providers is their approach to firmware analysis: while binary analysis remains fundamental, vendors are progressively incorporating source code analysis to provide more thorough security insights. Beyond analysis alone, the next critical step for vendors is providing actionable guidance. Insight into vulnerabilities is valuable but practical guidance through effective prioritization and triage is crucial. More vendors leverage AI to provide recommendations, context and automation. These customized solutions are designed for specific user personas, such as product security teams within device manufacturers, as well as asset owners managing security risks across IT, OT and IoT. "As the internet of things landscape continues to mushroom and regulatory scrutiny intensifies around device safety and security, both manufacturers and their customers, i.e., asset owners, require a thorough and transparent view of firmware embedded in their devices," said Rik Turner, Omdia's Chief Analyst for Cybersecurity. "As such, firmware security is moving beyond its niche market status into a central role within the broader world of SSCS. We anticipate larger SSCS companies will soon integrate firmware security capability into their portfolios, either through internal innovation or strategic acquisitions." Emerging trends identified by Omdia include the advancement of basic Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) generation into sophisticated management capabilities, enhanced by AI-powered analytics. New standards are also emerging notably the Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM) and AI Bill of Materials (AIBOM). Looking ahead, Omdia predicts ongoing growth in the firmware and software supply chain security market, driven by factors such as tightening regulatory requirements, increased of supply chain vulnerabilities, rising adoption rates of IoT and connected devices, and deeper integration of AI capabilities. Overall, Omdia's comprehensive analysis underscores a dynamic market adapting to evolving security challenges and regulatory demands, with vendors positioning themselves strategically to address the growing needs of diverse customers. ABOUT OMDIA Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations to make smart growth decisions. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Fasiha Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
