Archive for January 20th, 2009

Bruce Devlin to lead AmberFin technology strategy and innovation in new role

AmberFin today announces the appointment of Bruce Devlin as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this role, Bruce will be responsible for leading strategy and vision at AmberFin, helping its customers to deliver superior-quality TV, film and video content across a rapidly changing file-based media environment.

Prior to his new role, Bruce was VP of Technology at AmberFin, guiding the company on video file, workflow and systems issues. Previously Bruce was at Snell & Wilcox where his career spanned 15 years with the company. Here he led its innovative and award-winning work on compression coding. more

Multimedia Exhibit Inspired By Australian Reconciliation Movement & Involves Hugh and Deborra-Lee Jackman, Baz Lurhmann, Donna Karan, Will.I.Am, Naomi Watts, Fiona Stanley, Miranda Kerr and Brandon Walters

New York, NY – (January 20, 2009) – Company X Editor Bruce Ashley recently lent his talent to a sweeping multimedia collaboration conceived by Australian contemporary art and acclaimed fashion photographer Russell James, and co-created by Indigenous Australian artists, highlighting the work of Clifton Bieundurry. more

Further expanding the artist-friendly workflow, Craft Animations™ today announced the availability of its Craft Director Tools™ for users of MAXON CINEMA 4D. Craft Director Tools utilize high-end artificial intelligence and autonomous control systems to drastically condense traditional animation processes. Combining these unprecedented animation tools with CINEMA 4D’s ease-of-use and image quality, users receive a time-saving and cost-effective animation solution capable of saving hours, days and weeks of laborious animation time. more

Turning water into wine is one thing, but turning fabric into shiraz? Come on! That’s exactly what Fusion CI Studios did in a collaboration with zspace, Australia, for the Rosemount Wines sponsored Sydney Fashion Week commercial, “Expressions�. The spot won ‘Best Campaign of the Year’ from The Foster’s Group, beating out Animal Logic’s Pure Blonde beer ad and was selected on BestAdsOnTV.com. more

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Jan. 20, 2009 — SKAI Television of Athens, Greece, has selected a 96-TB Omneon MediaGridâ„¢ active storage system to archive daily news content and enable news producers at their desktops to bring archived clips into a Sony SONAPS news production system with drag-and-drop simplicity and speed. The MediaGrid system joins an Omneon Spectrumâ„¢ server already in place for commercial playout as a key element of SKAI’s efficient, tapeless workflow. more

Video Capture, Playback, and Conversion Solutions Boost HD Workflow

AJA Video Systems, a leading manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions, announced today that its FS1 converters and KONA 3 video capture and playback cards are an integral part of the HD post production workflow at Goddard Television, the media distribution arm of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The FS1 is a universal HD and SD, audio and video frame synchronizer and converter supporting virtually any input or output format, and KONA 3 is AJA’s top-of-the-line uncompressed capture card for SD, HD, and Dual Link 4:4:4 HD for Apple Mac Pro systems. more

Jan. 20, 2009 – A new NASA Lunar vehicle, the six-wheeled Small Pressurized Rover (SPR), is making its first public appearance during the parade at the inauguration ceremonies for U.S. President Barack Obama. The prototype was visualized in Luxology’s modo® 302 software by NASA designers at the Johnson Space Center, enabling them to create a photoreal image of the SPR prior to physical production. The designer’s precise rendering relied heavily on modo 302 features such as Micropoly Displacement, which allowed them to get the texture of carbon fiber just right. Both parade attendees and TV viewers can view the first public showing of the next-generation SPR, visualized in Luxology’s modo software and produced by NASA for the proposed manned return to the moon in approximately 2020. more

MARINA DEL REY, Calif.-Gradient Effects, the visionary Marina del Rey, California-based VFX boutique, has expanded its post production and visual effects workflows through the addition of a Quantel Pablo color correction and finishing system with Stereoscopic 3D option. The Pablo system has been incorporated into a newly-built digital intermediate theater and will allow the company to perform DI color grading and deliver improved time and budgetary efficiencies to its clients. It will also facilitate Gradient’s entry into the burgeoning business of stereoscopic 3D post production. Gradient Effects just finished the DI and visual effects for “World’s Greatest Dad” to premiere during the Sundance film festival. more

CANNES-Counterpoint Systems, the leading provider of software solutions for rights management, royalty accounting and product licensing, today announces that BMG Rights Management, a newly-formed division of the international media group Bertelsmann, has selected its iMaestro product for use in managing copyright and royalty information. more

The ability to drive big displays now comes in a small package with the release of the NVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 420, the industry’s only low profile professional graphics solution designed for maximum display real estate with a small form factor (SFF) computer. Featuring NVIDIA nView® display software and support for four 30-inch displays at 2560×1600 high resolutions, business professionals can maximize productivity through increased desktop real estate and easy to use display management tools. more