HBO originals KIMI and The Fallout soon available to stream

Enjoy tales of inner strength and resilience with two brand-new original films The Fallout, from up-and-coming director Megan Park, and KIMI, from seasoned director Steven Soderbergh.

From overcoming tragedy to facing one’s greatest fear, these films bring out the best of the human spirit while exploring the depths of personal relationships and integrity.

The Fallout premieres Thursday, January 27 and KIMI premieres Thursday, February 10, both streaming exclusively on HBO GO.

Megan Park makes her screenwriting and directorial debut in The Fallout, a compelling exploration of the inexplicable resiliency of life and the hope that emerges out of loss.

The film stars Jenna Ortega (Scream, You, Yes Day) as Vada, a high schooler who forms new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances.

At the same time, she is simultaneously forced to re-evaluate her relationships with her family,  friends, and her views of the world. In the process of reinventing herself, she moves away from her comfortable family routine, starts taking chances with a series of quicksilver decisions that test her own boundaries and push her in new directions.

As she spends more time with her friend Mia, played by Maddie Ziegler (2021’s West Side Story, Music), their shared experiences lead her further away from that tragic day and closer to living her life in the now.

The Fallout won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Narrative Feature and bagged the Brightcove Illumination Award that honors a filmmaker on the rise at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival.

Other cast members include Niles Fitch (This Is Us television series, Roman J. Israel, Esq.), Will Ropp (The Way Back), with John Ortiz (Ad Astra, Bumblebee), and Julie Bowen (Modern Family television series, Hubie Halloween) and Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies, the Divergent movies).

The creative team for The Fallout also included director of photography Kristen Correl (Ad Astra, John Carter), production designer Justin Dragonas (Vital Signs television series) editor Jennifer Lee (The Skeleton Twins), and costume designer Tasha Goldthwait (An American Pickle, International Falls), with the original score by Finneas O’ Connell (No Time to Die) and Peymon Maskan (Into the Blue) as music supervisor. The soundtrack features an original song written and performed by Maisy Stella and Lennon Stella.

KIMI, an original thriller by Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh (No Sudden Move, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, Ocean’s Eight), follows a young woman who finds herself in a tight situation when she becomes aware of a violent crime.

Zoë Kravitz (Fantastic Beasts movies, Mad Max: Fury Road) is Angela Childs, a tech analyst who reviews data streams for the Amygdala Corporation, purveyor of the voice-activated companion server KIMI.

Amidst a pandemic, even though restrictions have eased, Angela suffers from agoraphobia and follows a strict routine within the safety of her loft apartment in downtown Seattle.

Between computer breaks, Angela flirts—among other things—with her neighbor across the street, and communicates with her mother, her dentist, and her therapist via video chat, proving she never needs to leave the comforts of home.

But that changes when she hears something horrific in one of the streams she is analyzing.

Reporting it over email is deemed too risky, so a trusted co-worker advises Angela to go to their head office downtown and speak directly to executive Natalie Chowdhury and alert her to what Angela is certain is a serious crime.  But Angela hasn’t ventured outside since before the pandemic.

Just getting to the office is a huge challenge, but she’s determined to do the right thing.  But Angela has no idea what will actually happen when– and if — she’s able to step out of her comfort zone.

Other cast members include Byron Bowers (No Sudden Move), Jaime Camil (Schmigadoon), Erika Christensen (Traffic, Ten Days in the Valley), Derek DelGaudio (Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, The Carbonaro Effect television series), Robin Givens (Riverdale, Batwoman), Charles Halford (Logan Lucky, Constantine television series), Devin Ratray (Side Effects, R.I.P.D.), Jacob Vargas (The 33, Sons of Anarchy television series), with Rita Wilson (executive producer of the Mamma Mia! Films with husband Tom Hanks, The Good Wife television series).

Soderbergh, whose most recent film for the streamer was the star-studded No Sudden Move and who is next returning for Magic Mike’s Last Dance directed KIMI from a script by acclaimed screenwriter David Koepp.

Soderbergh’s frequent collaborator Michael Polaire and Koepp produced.

Behind the scenes, Soderbergh’s team was comprised of his frequent collaborators, which include production designer Philip Messina (Che and The Hunger Games films), costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (Logan Lucky, Behind the Candelabra, The Greatest Showman), and composer Cliff Martinez (Contagion, Traffic, Hotel Artemis).

Filipinos can stream or download The Fallout and KIMI exclusively on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store.

HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV, and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.

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OPPO Reno11 Series 5G: What makes it The Portrait Expert?

In the dynamic world of mobile photography, the OPPO Reno11 Series 5G stands out as the latest star in the Philippines.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Reno10 Series 5G, which impressed us with its snazzy in-sensor zoom, the OPPO Reno11 Series 5G comes even better prepared to take on the title of The Portrait Expert. These latest Reno devices are set to amp up the game of capturing memories. But just how do they do it? Is it all hardware? Software? Let’s find out.

Quick specs check

Both devices carry a similar number of megapixels – a 50-megapixel main, 32-megapixel telephoto portrait camera, and 8-megapixel ultra-wide. The differences lie in their main camera sensors.

On the Pro variant, you’re still getting the high-performing Sony IMX890 with its large 1/1.56-inch sensor.

The base variant, while identical to its predecessor in many ways, does get a significant upgrade to its main camera in the form of a new 1/1.95-inch Sony LYT600 sensor – the little brother of the Sony LYT-900 found on OPPO Find X7 Ultra and part of Sony’s latest batch of mobile camera sensors.

But all you really need to know is that both devices have larger sensors this time around which, by now, we know leads to better captures because of the increased amount of light it can take in.

The OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G boasts a new 32-megapixel Telephoto Portrait camera touting a slightly larger f/2 aperture. The in-camera sensor has also been upgraded to a Sony IMX709, an improvement from last year.

OPPO says that with this new sensor, the Reno11 Series 5G cameras offer a 60% increase in light intake and 35% less noise than traditional sensors.

Behind the scenes

On the software side, we’ve got some interesting things to talk about. This year, OPPO injects a refined version of its HyperTone Image Engine  – the same engine found on the OPPO Find X6 Pro and the Find N3 series.

As the company’s flagship algorithm,  the HyperTone Image Engine is exclusive to the Pro variant and significantly enhances overall photo quality touching on important aspects like clarity of details, dynamic range, and color vibrancy and richness.

After you take a photo, the Reno11 works hard behind the scenes to merge multiple uncompressed or RAW images to create detailed, well-exposed, balanced photos. In addition to that, the algorithm applies AI-powered denoise and demosaic processing for a cleaner, artifact-free photo.

This algorithm also helps in maintaining details and quality when shooting up to 5x zoom.

Additionally, OPPO also has its Portrait Expert Engine which was developed with input and insights from portrait photographers to further refine the shooting experience and solidify the series’ claim of being the Portrait Expert.

OPPO’s Portrait Expert Engine takes care of and enhances quintessential portrait elements with features such as Facial Recognition + Subject/Scene Separation and Skin Color and Facial Feature Protection that work together with the HyperTone Imaging Engine to produce professional-looking portraits.

All of OPPO’s mobile photography technologies are wrapped up in its improved Pro-Grade Portrait Mode.

With its telephoto lenses housing ideal focal lengths for portraits (24mm for the Pro, 26mm for the base) combined with wide adjustable apertures, you can achieve a very natural-looking defocused, and compressed background that can perfectly frame a face.

You’re also getting those familiar OPPO filters, AI Beautification, and more features to help flourish your creativity

Selfies aren’t an afterthought

Despite having a more sophisticated camera setup, OPPO still made sure to put a capable front-facing shooter on the Reno11 Series 5G devices.

In its hole-punch notch lives a 32-megapixel camera on both devices. Again, the difference lies in their sensors. The OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G houses a Sony IMX709 – same as its rear telephoto lens, while the Reno11 5G works with an OmniVision OV32C.

Final thoughts

OPPO’s Reno series has always been about producing beautiful portraits. And with the technology we have today, it’s now more powerful than ever at doing just that.

Combining high-quality hardware with finely- and specifically-tuned software, there’s no denying that Portrait Photography is its bread and butter but the whole camera remains versatile enough that you’re not limited to just portraits. Whether it’s capturing nature and its landscapes, food and its small details, or those delightful pet expressions, the new Reno11 series 5G devices are a photography partner worth considering.

Price and promos

The OPPO Reno11 Series 5G, which includes the base and Pro variants, are both now available in the Philippines for PhP 24,999 and PhP 31,999 respectively. Additionally, the OPPO Reno11 Series 5G is also available through the company’s official e-commerce channels on Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok as well as through its telco partners Globe or Smart.

The OPPO Reno11 Series 5G will also be available in installment plans via Home Credit and Credit Card payment options. Home Credit offers installment plans of 6/9/12/15/18 months at 0% interest in all partnered OPPO stores nationwide. Or you may opt to purchase via credit card, available in 6- or 12-month installments at 0% interest for all credit cards.

Portraits of Love promo:
Get excited to welcome the month of love with Portraits of Love. This Valentine’s Season, OPPO encourages Reno11 users to participate in a heartwarming photo contest, celebrating the spirit of love through captivating portraits of their loved ones. Make sure to get your own OPPO Reno11 Series 5G as soon as possible to get a chance to win amazing travel prizes from OPPO. Stay tuned to its social media pages this week to learn more about the contest, event, and the prizes awaiting its winners!

Exciting collaborations and benefits await as OPPO joins forces with stand-out industry experts: DJI, MAC Cosmetics, and Mabuhay miles to bring OPPO Reno11 users extraordinary technology, beauty, and travel experiences. Stay tuned to OPPO’s social media pages for the grand collaboration between OPPO and these industry experts, and get a chance to win amazing prizes.

This post is sponsored by OPPO Philippines.

 

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