Archive for November 17th, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Nov. 17, 2011 — Wohler Technologies today announced that Dale Pro Audio has become Wohler’s first North American reseller and distributor for the SoundField product line. SoundField specializes in digital and analog surround and stereo microphone systems for the broadcast and recording industries, and Dale Pro Audio will offer the full SoundField product line from its New York City offices and showroom. more

Something’s not quite right in the big city. The Mercedes C63 AMG helps you Escape the Map.





Venice, CA—November 17, 2011— Director Carl Rinsch, RSA and AMV BBDO teamed with Digital Domain to create a cinematic, off-kilter world for Mercedes as the foundation of an integrated campaign spanning online, TV, mobile, outdoor and point-of-purchase marketing.


Shot in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, “The Escape” has viewers wake up inside a live action world inspired by Google Street View where things aren’t quite right. A guide in a Mercedes C63 AMG helps participants navigate challenges where actions can lead to escape, the possibility of winning a Mercedes – or uncertainty. The campaign launched with TV spots that aired November 12 in the UK during The X Factor and more than 5,000 billboards. It can be seen at 135 Mercedes showrooms across the UK and experienced at escapethemap.co.uk. The 4:30 short film can be seen here.


“We wanted to give people the sense for how it would feel to actually exist inside a street view-like world,” said Rinsch. “Digital Domain created a world with movement and animation that mirrors the familiar interaction but intensifies it in ways we’ve never experienced.”


Digital Domain Visual Effects Supervisor Jay Barton, who is currently working with Rinsch on his upcoming feature for Universal Pictures, “47 Ronin,” led the team. His idea was to use photogrammetry – a technique in which measurements are taken from photographs to create real-world objects – to create the world. All of the live action was shot in Hong Kong, with Barton scouting and shooting iconic locations which were later used in the world-building. Additional green-screen shoots were staged in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.


“We first had to develop the visual language of the world,” Barton said. “We took inspiration from Google Street view and replicated that, but in moving video. As photos are stitched together, they sometimes seam strangely. They might not line up, or two buildings might occupy the same space, or people get cut in half. We played a lot with how images would load or resolve, or react when a whole new set of photos came in to reset the world. Here, when you explore you have more options and more viewpoints. You can decide where to look, walk, or drive and your perspective and resolution update accordingly.”


The effect, and the storyline, creates the discomfort and paranoia of living in a photoreal — but not truly real – world. “The feeling is something like that of primitive cultures who believed that being captured on film steals your soul,” said Barton.


Movie-level visual effects are found at every turn of the experience, from a pixelating prophet to a warping skyscraper to a thundering shower of location markers destroying the landmark Tsingtau bridge.


To escape the map, drivers must first clear their blurred vision by shaking the mouse. They move through the world by choosing views to activate video play, meeting characters, entering an address into a browser, speeding through a tunnel in bullet time, and as a final action, typing in their mobile phone number before leaving the world in a flash of white light. Some lucky winner in the UK will find themselves not only back in the real world, but also, the proud owner of a brand new Mercedes C63 AMG.


“This concept is completely fresh – it’s not derivative of anything,” said Ed Ulbrich, Chief Creative Officer of Digital Domain and President of Mothership. “The world is bizarre, yet it’s totally familiar to people, and it speaks to them in a visual language that is appropriate for that interaction, across a host of connected devices and channels.”


About Digital Domain
Digital production company Digital Domain was founded in 1993. The company has created visuals for more than 80 movies, including Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and TRON: Legacy and hundreds of commercials. Its artists have earned multiple Academy Awards®. Digital Domain recently completed visual effects for Thor, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Real Steel and is in production on Jack the Giant Killer, 47 Ronin and a full slate of commercials. Digital Domain is headquartered in Venice, California with studios in Vancouver, San Francisco and Florida. www.digitaldomain.com

Industry veteran Simon Mowbray has joined international visual effects company Pixomondo as a Creative Director developing and executing concepts for commercial projects. Based out of Los Angeles, one of Pixomondo’s 11 studios around the world, Mowbray brings a wealth of experience as both a creative visionary and production visual effects artist.


Mowbray comes to Pixomondo from Ntropic where he served as Creative Director and VFX Supervisor since 2009. Prior to joining Ntropic, Mowbray spent 13 years as the Vice President and Creative Director of Radium, a boutique design and visual effects company he co-founded with current Pixomondo Executive Creative Director Jonathan Keeton.


At Ntropic, Mowbray worked on projects for clients including Haagen Dazs, Lowes, and Lincoln, as well as on a number of music videos for top artists such as Rihanna. At Radium, he and partner Keeton grew the company from a 10-person San Francisco-based shop to over 80 employees in both LA and SF, eventually selling the company to Reel FX in 2007. Radium worked on hundreds of film and television commercial projects over the years including multiple MTV Award-nominated music videos and high-profile campaigns for Target, Honda, and Lexus, among others.


“Until now, most of the companies I have worked with have been boutiques, and what’s most exciting about joining Pixomondo is linking in to a network of over 650 artists around the world, and an opportunity to tackle much bigger projects,” said Mowbray. “The caliber of talent and projects at Pixomondo was a huge draw. They have an amazing body of work, both in commercials and features. It’s exciting to be involved with a company on the rise, especially one with so many resources at their disposal.”


“Not only is Simon quite possibly one of the best Flame/Inferno artists living and highly skilled with Nuke and Maya, he is also very gifted at conceptualizing original concepts and executing them flawlessly,” said Jonathan Keeton, Pixomondo Executive Creative Director. “He is fantastic with clients, from the beginning stages of a project throughout production, and we are thrilled to have him on board at Pixomondo.”


Before forming Radium, Mowbray worked for several years at the San Francisco-based digital production and design studio Western Images. With a strong background in computer graphics and design, Mowbray moved to Montreal in 1991 from Sydney, Australia where honed his skills in digital visual effects at VFX software companies Softimage and Discreet.


ABOUT PIXOMONDO
Pixomondo is an international visual effects company boasting 24-hour production capabilities, sharing projects across a global network of 11 facilities in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, London, Munich, Burbank, Toronto and Hamburg. Founded by CEO Thilo Kuther in 2001, Pixomondo has created visual effects for more than 30 feature films including Super 8, Fast Five, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, 2012, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ninja Assassin, Zookeeper and Sucker Punch. The company is currently in production on upcoming features including Hugo, Red Tails, Snow White and the Huntsman, and TV series including Terra Nova. In addition to visual effects, Pixomondo delivers the full range of creative, production and post services required to produce design-driven storytelling for commercials. More information on Pixomondo can be found here: http://www.pixomondo.com

Pro16 Personal Mixing System Helps Eliminate Stage Volume in Houses of Worship

TUCKER, GA, NOVEMBER 17, 2011—Aviom personal mixers have become the solution of choice for DW Services Group for helping to reduce stage volume and to ensure spoken messaging is clearly heard during church services and events across the country.

“When working with churches, our primary concern is about the message and the word,” says Fred Jacobson, co-owner/operator and VP of sales and marketing, DW Services Group. “Without that being heard or if it’s cluttered by stage volume from the band, those who have come to listen to the pastor or the minister won’t get the full message. Aviom gives us the ability to have the message come across and not be overshadowed by the band, so we like to place A-16II Personal Mixers in every venue that we can because they truly eliminate stage volume.”

A full-service audio, video, lighting and recording company, DW Services Group provides site consultations, gear rentals, equipment maintenance and repair, complete system design and installations both large and small for churches in the U.S. Having worked with such churches as Mountaintop Faith Ministries, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Light of the World and Changing a Generation in Atlanta, Jacobson understands the importance of balancing stage volume for a congregation and utilizes personal mixers from Aviom to help manage individual monitor levels for the musicians.

In a typical worship setup, signals from the instruments and mics in the pulpit are fed into the front-of-house console, such as the Yamaha M7CL digital live-sound console or PM5D digital mixing console. The Aviom AN-16/i Input Module then takes the signals from the console and outputs a digital audio stream. The digital signal is then sent via Cat-5 to an A-16D Pro A-Net® Distributor near the stage, which sends monitor stems via Cat-5 to the personal mixers, which are used with in-ear monitors or powered wedges.

“The Aviom A-16D Pro fits nicely in my equipment racks and once I set it up, it’s done,” says Jacobson. In addition to being simple for the audio mixer, Jacobson notes the system’s ease of use for the musicians. “What makes Aviom a good fit for our musicians compared to other options is the feel of the knob. So, for example, a musician may not watch the dial to see if it’s on seven or eight, so with the Aviom personal mixers, the click tells them exactly where they are. With the 16-channel mixer, they can simply click eight times, whereas other systems require a sweeping turn.”

Other features Jacobson appreciates are the option to group the mixers and the lack of learning curve that comes along with the system. “Aviom gives me a card that I laminate and put on top of the mixers. The musicians study it and it takes them five minutes and they get it. Between the recall and grouping, I can get somebody doing 50-100 songs and recall them without a problem,” he says.

“In all, Aviom is a great investment and very reliable. I haven’t had a mixer or a Cat-5 breakdown,” says Jacobson. “It’s not overpriced and it’s certainly something that every church needs.”

For more information about DW Services Group, please visit http://dwservicesgroup.com.

Aviom pioneered personal mixing with its Pro16® Monitor Mixing System and continues to break new ground with the revolutionary Pro64® Series of audio networking products. With tens of thousands of products in the field today, Aviom has set the standard for high performance, scalable digital solutions. All Aviom systems harness the power of A-Net®, Aviom’s innovative digital audio technology that simplifies system design while enhancing flexibility and fidelity. All Aviom products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the USA. For more information, visit www.Aviom.com.

OSLO, Norway — Nov. 15, 2011 — Chile’s Telefónica del Sur, part of the Grupo Gtd telecommunications group, has deployed a VideoBRIDGE end-to-end monitoring and analysis system which includes Bridge Technologies’ VB220 probes for advanced digital media monitoring of its IPTV services. more

Dream Sequence Conjures Imagery of Greek Mythology


Montreal, Que: Nov. 17, 2011… Montreal-based visual effects studio Modus FX delivered a surreal dream sequence for Immortals, the stereo 3D feature film released in theaters on Nov. 11. The 16-second scene produced by Modus depicts a surreal combat sequence between Theseus (Henry Cavill) and King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) on a small boat, set on a sea of shields. Other than a live action shot of the actors in the middle of the sequence, the entire scene was created and rendered in CG.


“It’s a very artistic piece which aims to capture the iconic imagery of Greek mythology,” explained Martin Pelletier, CG supervisor at Modus. “Developing the sequence was a collaboration between our artists and director Tarsem Singh. For us it was an in-depth process of visualizing and clarifying the director’s imagination.”


The Sequence


The scene begins when the film’s hero Theseus touches Phaedra – a psychic oracle played by Freida Pinto. In that instant, the camera swoops into Phaedra’s mind for the vision sequence.


Red CG petals fall from the sky and we see King Hyperion and Theseus spinning around in combat on the boat. The scene cuts to a wider shot and various fighting poses are discernable in the whirling mass. The audience sees that the boat is sitting on a mass of warriors’ shields, like a Greek phalanx, with the water in the background.


For a moment, Hyperion and Theseus freeze and the camera pans down to show a mummy lying on the ground with the petals falling onto it: beauty, transience and death in a single image. As they begin to fight and spin again, the view pulls back to a wider shot. In the background the sea, created by Scanline VFX, swells up into a giant tsunami approaching the shore.


Capturing the Imagination as Moving Imagery


The imagery is ambitious. At the start of the project in September 2010, Modus FX had several meetings with director Tarsem Singh to map out the shots and the look of the scene. Singh wanted what he referred to as a “clay effect,” with the figures becoming malleable organic forms, blending together as they spin in combat.


After the initial meetings, the team at Modus spent four months developing the ideas in a process of exploration and refinement, gradually shaping the final look of the scene. Test shots were sent back to the director for review on a weekly basis.


Early on the team had decided the scene would be done in three shots: close up, wide and very wide. Then they began working on the spinning figures – how fast they should rotate and how many poses should appear. Testing was done with Softimage XSI combining textures, including skin, glossy black helmets, a gold mask, blue cloth and brown leather. The textures were tried at different speeds with different motion blurs and shutter speeds.


“It took a lot of experimentation, but as we progressed, we started to develop some really interesting ideas,” said Pelletier. “We liked the clay effect, but it still needed something more to look believable.”


He explained that the team at Modus then developed a “force field” effect to augment the scene, which had to fit in seamlessly with the overall aesthetic and the other surreal effects of the film. “It worked very well,” said Pelletier. “It shows how important it can be to keep the creative process going right to the end. The effort paid off.”


The Sea and the Sky


“We wanted the lighting to look magical or even supernatural,” said Pelletier. “We played around with sky colors until we had the right tones and then redid the lighting on the live plates to match the CG lighting. This was an interesting challenge because usually we do the opposite – match the CG to the lighting in the live shots.”


The sea of shields was realized much more quickly. “We hit bull’s-eye on the first try with that,” recalled Pelletier.


A Company That Solves Problems


“Relativity Media saw us as a company that solves problems,” said Yanick Wilisky, visual effects supervisor and co-founder of Modus FX. “It was a very complex sequence, artistically and technically, but we found the way. We solved it for them.”


Immortals is a 3D fantasy adventure film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto and Mickey Rourke. It was released in 2D and 3D on Nov. 11 by Universal Pictures and Relativity Media.

About Modus FX
Since launching in 2007, Modus FX has become an industry leader in high-end feature film visual effects and animation, boasting an international clientele and a talented team of hand-picked artists from around the globe. Led by co-founders Marc Bourbonnais and Yanick Wilisky, Modus has developed a unique approach to creating digital content, combining a cutting-edge production pipeline with personalized on-going project coordination. The studio collaborates with each director through the artistic process, from editorial script and on-set supervision to final delivery. Based just outside Montreal, Modus offers a full scope of services in its modern 12,000-square-foot studio. For more information, visit www.modusfx.com.

PC-Based Interface Enables Quick Configuration of Channel Naming and Preset Assignments
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New Omneon Spectrum(TM) System Component With SSD Storage Increases Media Reliability and Availability in Multichannel Ingest and Playout Applications

SAN JOSE, Calif. and TOKYO — Nov. 17, 2011 — Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) today introduced Omneon Spectrum(TM) MediaCenter SSD, adding solid-state drive (SSD) technology to the company’s midrange multichannel media server. Featuring integrated storage plus Spectrum MediaPort modularity and scalability, MediaCenter SSD is the first modular server system to offer a choice of SSD or hard-disk drive (HDD) storage. The system provides exceptional performance and reliability for broadcasters and remote playout facilities requiring from four to 12 channels in a single video server configuration.

“MediaCenter SSD extends the Spectrum product line to offer even higher levels of reliability and availability for the most demanding playout applications,” said Mark Cousins, product line manager for media servers at Harmonic Inc. “While maintaining the flexibility and robust design for which the Spectrum line is known, MediaCenter SSD gives media companies access to a larger-scale server system boasting the many benefits of SSD storage.”

The 2-RU MediaCenter SSD chassis offers up to 4 TB of usable storage in several SSD configurations, allowing broadcasters to choose the capacity most appropriate for their needs. The system supports up to 12 channels at 50 Mbps, with 600 Mbps total real-time bandwidth available. SSD storage reduces operational costs, as it requires less power and cooling, and it also operates more quietly than HDD-based systems.

Like its HDD counterpart, MediaCenter SSD is fully compatible with all other members of the Spectrum product line. It also ensures full media exchange and the same extensive support for third-party systems such as automation, media management, playout control, and editing systems. The system operates with all Spectrum-compatible software applications, APIs, and media formats, and it supports up to six externally connected Spectrum MediaPort I/O modules for real-time ingest and playout of video and audio content. Equipped with integrated storage, the system not only simplifies deployment by eliminating external fiber channel storage cabling, but also reduces space and power requirements by collapsing the rack space required for ingest and playout.

The Spectrum MediaCenter SSD will be introduced at the Inter BEE show in Tokyo, Nov. 16-18. Visit Hall 7, booth 7212 for a demonstration of the MediaCenter SSD and other Harmonic solutions. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

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About Harmonic Inc. Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) provides infrastructure that powers the video economy. The company enables content and service providers to efficiently create, prepare, and deliver differentiated video services for television and new media platforms. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements related to the capabilities and expected benefits of our Omneon Spectrum MediaCenter SSD product. Our expectations and beliefs regarding this product may not materialize and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the possibility that this product does not obtain market acceptance or that one or more of the expected capabilities or benefits, such as OPEX savings, modularity, scalability, exceptional performance and reliability, simplified deployment, and extensive available support, are not achieved.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, such as those more fully described in Harmonic’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Harmonic as of the date hereof, and Harmonic disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Newest TouchMonitor Offering is an Affordable Solution for Pro-Level Loudness, True-Peak and PPM Metering for Analog and Digital Stereo and 5.1 Signals

TOKYO, NOVEMBER 17, 2011 — RTW, a leading vendor of visual audio meters for professional broadcast, production, post-production and quality control, is pleased to showcase at InterBee 2011 (Toyo Corporation Stand 4.219) the TM3 TouchMonitor, the latest addition to the company’s successful TouchMonitor range. more

The full flight simulation system at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in the UK, where training facilities for the RN Sea King helicopters are based, has upgraded its visual system technology with the new Christie Matrix StIM™ WUXGA DLP® LED projectors. The upgrade dramatically advances the capabilities of their training and simulation facilities, allowing them to support normal visual operation as well as stimulation of aircrew Night Vision Goggles (NVG) simultaneously. For the Commando Helicopter Force and Airborne Surveillance and Control crews, who are tasked with supporting operations in Afghanistan, it fills a critical gap in the NVG training and offers them realistic, state-of-the-art imagery from the pilot’s cockpit.
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“The Sea King simulator is a world class training facility that provides cost effective, unique and invaluable training for all Royal Navy Sea King aircrew, as well as foreign users,” noted Lieutenant Commander Steve King, who is Officer in Charge. “It offers a realistic 200 degree field of view (FOV), representative of what pilots see from the actual helicopter cockpit. The recent upgrades were designed to enhance training for front line operations and include a full Defensive Aids Suite and a new Afghanistan package with bespoked graphics and hostile environments to provide a more realistic and challenging simulator training.”
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To achieve the world’s most advanced, true-to-life NVG training environment, an array of three dual-input Christie Matrix StIM single-chip LED projectors were installed, driven by upgraded versions of the ThalesView family of powerful Image Generators (IG).
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Christie’s InfraRGB™, which combines RGB and IR LEDs illumination, and Christie InfraScene™ contribute to the projectors’ unique ability to process and display infrared content. With Christie’s IR-compatible MotoBlend™, designed to maximize life-like images of both day and night, and Christie Twist™ processing, all of the projected images blend seamlessly to provide the ultimate, life-like 200 degree FOV from the simulator cockpit.
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Thales UK, which installed the system, recommended the Christie Matrix StIM projectors because of their unique ability to support both normal visual operations and stimulation of NVG. Because they raise the low-level night flying imagery to a higher level of fidelity than was previously supported by CRT projectors, they allow trainee and front-line pilots to realistically experience these challenges from the cockpit before getting airborne.
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“With the addition of new ThalesView IGs, the results were higher brightness and improved graphics. Whether 3D seascapes where the waves rise, as well as recirculation FX – sea, snow, sand and dust simulating the down force of the blades as they come into land – images are exactly what the pilot sees,” said Thales UK’s Brian Mouser, the program manager who supervised the five-week installation phase. “It’s a new level of realism of the different terrains and conditions likely to be encountered by helicopter personnel, including ground warfare, driving, military aircraft, and a wide diversity of physical environments.”
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Mouser added: “Technology has moved on considerably since we last updated the simulator. The Christie Matrix StIM offers capabilities that simply hadn’t been seen before, such as its unique ability to run conventional night and NVG images simultaneously. It also offers a huge weight, power consumption and size advantage. The StIM improves visuals, training and reduces power usage.”
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The new simulation center has proven extremely popular at RNAS Culdrose, with pilots and instructors alike observing the brighter and sharper images. They now relish the fact that air crew can operate in both visible and NVG modes simultaneously — an invaluable training aid especially for night operations to unlit landing sites as well as ships’ flight decks.
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“The simulator prepares our aircrew for every eventuality,” said Pat Douglas, Commander, Sea King Force, “By testing our aircrews in the safety of the simulator, we can take them far beyond anything that they are likely to experience in Afghanistan. This means they will be better prepared if they are faced with difficulties in theater. Just like in a real situation, in the simulator, they must take evasive action against enemy fire; engines will be ‘failed’ at critical moments of flight and the weather will be extreme. Key to this realism is that the new graphics are able to replicate actual areas of Afghanistan.”
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“The Christie Matrix StIM is the first projector to provide independent control over both the visible and infrared spectrum, and enable real-time balancing of both color and brightness levels,” observed Zoran Veselic, vice president, Christie Visual Environment. “It is also designed with solid state illumination, making it virtually maintenance-free. “Intense, 24/7 engagements spanning daytime as well as nighttime operations are the new reality of modern theaters of conflicts, making NVG training a crucial component of today’s state-of-the-art trainers. Christie is pleased to partner with Thales UK and contribute to RNAS Culdrose’s latest upgrades to the visual systems of their renowned Sea King simulators.”