Archive for July 23rd, 2009

StudioGPU announced today that MachStudio Proâ„¢, a professional 3D-workflow and rendering package created by artists for artists, now offers free exporters for Google SketchUp Pro and McNeel Rhino 3D modeling and animation software. With these new exporters, 3D assets from SketchUp Pro 7 and Rhino 4 can easily be transferred into MachStudio Pro, where users can create and manipulate lights, materials and HDR cameras in a real-time non-linear environment to achieve cinematic-quality results. more

At SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans, Autodesk will showcase its latest Digital Entertainment Creation solutions and demonstrate how studios can make the creative process a more interactive, collaborative and efficient experience. The company will host a number of live events including Tech Talks and presentations on new and upcoming projects, such as “9� and “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.� Autodesk will also offer Virtual SIGGRAPH — an online event that includes free MasterClasses, live video streaming from the Autodesk booth (#2201) and other exclusive web content.
Autodesk would like to thank its strategic partners, Hewlett Packard and Intel, as well as its technology partners, Nvidia, Fusion I/O and Wacom for their support.

Autodesk in New Orleans
Computer Animation Festival, Urban Planning Talks
When: Tuesday, August 4, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. CDT
Where: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, rooms 271–273
What: Chaired by Autodesk’s more

Post Logic Studios Director of Audio Terrence Dwyer has been nominated for a 2009 Creative Arts Emmy® Award in the category of Outstanding Sound Mixing For Non-fiction Programming for his contributions to reality show “Survivor.� The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) will announce the winner at the 61st Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 12 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. more

Open Architecture, Customizability and Stereo Playback Encourages Facility-Wide Adoption of RV Playback Software

Tweak Software, developers of RV, the image and sequence viewer for animation and visual effects, adds WETA Digital, the New Zealand-based Academy Award-winning visual effects house, to its long list of leading VFX industry clientele. WETA has been championing Tweak’s RV software since its pre-beta release, and recently began to integrate it throughout the entire facility. more

NEW YORK: The New York Production Alliance has announced the 2009 honorees for the Phil Dixson Award. Nominations for this award come from NYPA members and are presented in recognition of exceptional contributions to the success and growth of the New York City and State production community. This year’s recipients were honored at a special reception for NYPA members held in mid-July. more

NEW YORK—Deke Donelian has signed with Rebecca Blake Films, an affiliate of nationally-based STORY, for exclusive representation as a commercial director. The agreement marks the first time that Donelian has pursued work as a director; he brings more than a decade’s worth of experience as a cinematographer on commercial shoots, including for such high end fashion and beauty accounts as Maybelline, Christian Dior and Pantene. As a director, Donelian plans to focus on tabletop work, again with an emphasis on fashion and beauty. In his debut with Rebecca Blake Films, Donelian has directed two spots for Glade and Chicago agency DraftFCB. more

Sony is expanding its line of portable professional audio recorders with the new PCM-M10, a palm-sized compact unit. The recorder joins Sony’s PCM-D1 and PCM-D50 models to form a comprehensive family of flexible and rugged portable field recorders for every professional sound application, including live sound, house of worship, theatrical, music recording and broadcast journalism.

The new recorder is designed to be the perfect portable tool for composing music, or for recording interviews, live performances, presentations, or practice sessions. It can even be used as a personal music player. more

(MIDLOTHIAN, TEX.) July 22, 2009 – The Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA) has announced its preliminary schedule for its 20th Anniversary Training Conference, which will be held in Nov. 18-20 in Forth Worth, Tex., at the Fort Worth Hilton. The exhibit hall will be open Nov. 18-19, and pre-conference workshops run Nov. 15-17. more

New Versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor

CUPERTINO, California—July 23, 2009—Apple® today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio® with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro®, Motion, Soundtrack® Pro, Color and Compressor. Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple’s ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat® Theater support for real-time collaboration. Motion 4 includes enhanced tools such as 3D shadows, reflections and depth of field for stunning motion graphics and visual effects, and Soundtrack Pro 3 features new multitrack audio tools to streamline audio post production. Color 1.5 includes better Final Cut Pro integration and support for full color resolution, and Compressor 3.5 adds new features that make it easy to set up and customize your export options. At $999, the new Final Cut Studio is $300 less than the previous release and is also available as an upgrade for just $299. more

BERGEN, NORWAY, July 23, 2009- Vizrt announces that ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), one of two large public broadcasters in Germany, recently began broadcasting from two virtual studios within its new 30 million Euro broadcast complex in Mainz, Germany. With its extensive, customized complement of Viz Virtual Studio and broadcast graphics solutions from Vizrt, ZDF is now broadcasting from one of Europe’s largest, most advanced virtual studios. more