Archive for January 17th, 2012

Four Incomparable Days of Industry-Leading Sessions, Networking and Demonstrations at 18th Annual Confab

(Los Angeles, CA) The Hollywood Post Alliance(r) Tech Retreat 2012, the 18th annual gathering of post production industry leaders, is set to take place February 14-17, at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells, CA. Over the course of four days, the industry’s technical, business and creative leaders will gather for exploration and information exchange, sharply focusing on the latest developments and trends. The HPA Tech Retreat has long been recognized as a must-attend event for serious post production professionals, whether at work in acquisition and production, IT, engineering, broadcasting, 3D, digital-cinema and distribution or manufacturing. For nearly two decades, the topics and attendees gathering at the HPA Tech Retreat(r) have helped to define and clarify the trends and technologies driving the industry.

The HPA Tech Retreat is designed for participants to gather in a collegial atmosphere and dive into the most current and relevant topics impacting the industry and their work. During networking events, presentations and technology demonstrations, the Tech Retreat presents major opportunities for attendees to stay competitive and informed of significant industry issues and trends.

The event opens on Monday, February 13 for early registration and a pre-Retreat seminar from Charles Poynton. Tuesday, February 14th events include the HPA Supersession on Snowflake Work Flows, Part II and a seminar on ATSC 2.0: Enhancing Today’s DTV Services. The Tech Retreat Conference begins Wednesday, February 15th and runs through mid-day Friday, February 17th The entire event features back to back programming of presentations and seminars as well as demo rooms showing the newest in technology and provide the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the engineers and product innovators. Rounding out the event are breakfast roundtable discussions and outstanding networking opportunities. A full schedule is available at http://www.hpaonline.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=130712.

Sponsors of HPA Tech Retreat 2012 include: AJA, Dolby, DataDirect Networks, and Testronic Labs, and Media Sponsors Createasphere and Post Magazine.

Complete registration information is available on the HPA website at http://www.hpaonline.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=130712. For information regarding sponsorship, demo space or other opportunities call
(213) 614-0860 or email ekramer@hpaonline.com.

About the Hollywood Post Alliance(r)
Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content.

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Media Contact:
Chris Purse, 818.303.8088
ignite strategic communications
chris@ignite.bz or mimi@ignite.bz

Testronic Labs Hosts RRT Where Content Owners and Manufacturers Go Face to Face in Compatibility Tests

(Burbank, CA) Testronic Labs – the global leader in quality assurance and localization services for film and television, games, mobile applications, websites, hardware, and software – has announced that they will be hosting the content providers and player manufacturer’s round-robin test (RRT) for the Blu-ray industry. The event will be held in North America on January 17th and 18th 2012, at Testronic’s Burbank, California facility. The Testronic RRT will allow content provider representatives from major studios, their vendors, and Blu-ray player manufacturers and developers from all over the world – US, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China – to participate in a face to face, plug-and-play circuit of players and contents.

While Quality Assurance Testing is an integral part of the Blu-ray supply-chain, this event will provide a unique platform to introduce and evaluate a wide range of enhanced content and upcoming Blu-ray products. The Testronic RRT is designed to heighten the existing collaboration between studios and Blu-ray vendors and manufacturers, which have proven to be beneficial for production workflows while strengthening the working relationship amongst the participants. By putting stake holders in direct conversation with each other, this event will provide dynamic support to content providers and manufacturers to continue to meet the changes of the evolving media industry that ultimately benefit the consumer.

Yaz Yaacob, Vice President, Technical Operations of Testronic Labs, stated, “Testronic sees the RRT as incredibly important to the industry. This event goes directly to address emerging formats and further strengthens cross-industry relationships in the Blu-ray ecosystem. The opportunity for face to face collaboration between studios, vendors and manufacturers is a powerful one, and we are more than proud to facilitate it.”

The Blu-ray round-robin test (RRT) takes place on January 17th and 18th 2012, at Testronic Lab’s US Headquarters in Burbank, California, and is slated to the be the first in a series of RRT events.

About Testronic Labs
Testronic Labs’ high standards have been protecting clients and safeguarding the consumer experience since 1998. As the leading global provider of quality assurance, compliance, and localization services for a notable array of industries; including media, entertainment, games, education, e-commerce and consumer electronics, Testronic Labs ensures efficient and secure delivery of the highest quality consumer deliverables. Based in Burbank, CA, Pinewood Studios and central London UK, Diepenbeek, Belgium and Warsaw, Poland, Testronic Labs offers an unparalleled history of next-generation innovation and service excellence across the entire digital media industry.

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Media Contact:
Chris Purse, 818.303.8088
ignite strategic communications
chris@ignite.bz or mimi@ignite.bz

After teaming up with the company for the better part of a year on the vaunted Chevron Digital Experience project, Ryan McGrath has officially joined HUSH’s staff as its new Head of Production. The addition of McGrath marks HUSH’s growth into a true design agency working with traditional agencies and direct to brand – and providing both conceptual and strategic visual development and production.

“At HUSH, we seek talent that can run the full production spectrum – both thinking and making. We’ve spent a lot of late nights with Ryan, cranking out some of our strongest work,” noted HUSH Partner David Schwarz. “Culturally and skills-wise, Ryan is a great fit. He quickly earned the respect of our team by always remaining calm and cool.”

In his new role, McGrath will leverage his diverse experience to mentor other project leads and collaborate with clients at the highest level. He is well prepared for this role, having spent the last decade on the agency and production circuit, creating multiplatform marketing campaigns, brand-sponsored events, installations, TV commercials, music videos and short films. His work includes multi-disciplinary projects for clients such as Chevron, HBO, Warner Bros., Verizon, Harley-Davidson, THQ, CMT and Penguin USA.

“Ryan is a great fit for HUSH because of his multi-disciplinary roots and his experience working as part of both agencies and production companies,” stated HUSH Partner Erik Karasyk. “He has the in-the-trenches production experience from live-action shoots to digital pipelines, as well as the managerial and account-level expertise necessary for a client-facing production lead.”

Visit HUSH

About HUSH
HUSH is a creative studio crafting visual stories for digital, experiential and broadcast media. Whether with the latest technology or the most classic of techniques, we unify stories for agencies and brands alike.

Design. Story. United.

Agency Collaborations:
McCann Worldgroup, Jack Morton Worldwide, Momentum Worldwide, Mindshare Entertainment, George P. Johnson, Grey, BBH, Sapient, space150, Central Planning, 160 Over 90, among others.

Brand Collaborations:
Nike, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Microsoft, Zune, HP, Coca-Cola, Honda, Hyundai, Acura, Kiehl’s, E*TRADE, Random House, Dove, Stylecaster, MTV, Syfy, Discovery, HBO, PBS, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Starz, among others.

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

Tool is pleased to announce the addition of Benjamin Weinstein to its live action directorial roster. With a reel that includes work for Sprint, FedEx and Burger King, having worked at top agencies such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, BBDO, Rethink and Taxi, Weinstein adds his formidable industry presence to an already deep and talented Tool roster.

Weinstein most recently directed Bachman & Turner’s viral stunt that earned homepage appearances on LATimes.com, Buzzfeed.com, and CollegeHumor.com, as well as a national TV appearance on George Lopez and a spot on TSN’s weekly top 10 plays. His We Don’t Want Your Body music video for the band Stars earned a spot on Yahoo’s Top 20 videos of 2011.

Visit Tool

About Tool
Bicoastal Tool is an award-winning production company, representing top live-action directors and interactive directors for advertising projects. From funny… visually engaging… and/or interactive, Tool’s diverse roster of unique talent creates unforgettable commercial and digital content across all platforms.

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

FxFactory 3 brings seven brand new visual effects products plus free updates to existing plug-ins
 
Boston, MA – Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the postproduction and broadcast markets, announced the release of FxFactory® 3. FxFactory is a visual effects platform for Apple® Final Cut Pro®, Motion and Adobe® After Effects®, powering hundreds of hardware accelerated, visual effects plug-ins developed by Noise Industries and partners. The new FxFactory 3 release supports Final Cut Pro 6, 7, and X; Motion 3, 4 and 5; Final Cut Express 4; and Adobe After Effects CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5.
 
“FxFactory 3 is the largest software release in the company’s history,” comments Niclas Bahn, business development manager, Noise Industries. “Aside from offering this major upgrade free for our existing customers, we are rolling out seven brand new products, vastly expanding the visual effects options and capabilities for Final Cut Pro X editors. And this is just the beginning.”
 
A free download, FxFactory 3 is the ultimate toolbox for editors and compositors, and with hundreds of robust plug-in options, the possibilities are endless. The following new plug-in packages are available today through FxFactory 3:
 
Yanobox Moods is the first Color Correction plug-in to offer a heads up display interface. Users can intuitively color grade HD footage in full screen mode. Debuting at 49 USD, users can learn more about Yanobox Moods at http://www.yanobox.com/Moods_Features/
 
Idustrial Revolution XEffects Tech Transitions provides 28 dynamic high-tech transitions that take any project from ordinary to striking with just a few simple clicks. Tech Transitions is the first commercial product exclusively for Final Cut Pro X to feature temporal or retiming of video within the effect. Also debuting at 49 USD, users can learn more at http://idustrialrevolution.com/x1-tech-transitions
 
Nattress Levels and Curves offers the power of curve-based color adjustment applied in film-log space for fine-tuned image results. By placing the image into a specially constructed film-log space, editors have more control over the tones in the image and the benefit of film-like contrast handling. Priced at 29 USD, users can learn more at http://nattress.com/?q=LevelsCurves
 
Luca Visual FX Sprockets Slip creates the effect of a sudden slip of rolling film. Priced at 49 USD, users can learn more at http://lucavisualfx.com/Sprocket_Slip_Transition.htm
 
Luca Visual FX Film Leaders is a title generator for ragged and grungy looking text, allowing users to enhance projects with text that matches the look and feel of their images. Priced at 79 USD, users can learn more at http://lucavisualfx.com/Film_Leaders_Generator.htm
 
Luca Visual FX Grunge Effects provides a variety of animated textures designed to add a dynamic and intriguing feel. Priced at 79 USD, users can learn more at http://lucavisualfx.com/Grunge_FX_Generators.htm
 
Luca Visual FX Light Leaks allows users to overlay light effects over any media. Priced at 59 USD, users can learn more at http://lucavisualfx.com/Light_Leaks_Generator.htm
 
The following products can be upgraded free of charge by existing users and are available today for use with the new FxFactory 3 platform:
 
FxFactory Pro 3.0, Noise Industries’ award-winning flagship set of visual effects, includes the new ‘Playback Ready’ transition as well as improvements to all existing effects. FxFactory Pro 2.0 customers can upgrade to FxFactory Pro 3.0 free of charge. Priced at 399 USD, users can learn more at http://www.noiseindustries.com/support/fxfactory300/
 
EasyLooks 2.6 is a free upgrade to DVShade’s color grading plug-in that gives the user complete control; simply choose a preset or start from scratch – and easily save homemade grading settings as presets for future use. Priced at 49 USD, users can learn more at http://www.dvshade.com/
 
SUGARfx Light Pack 3.0 offers fun and useful filters including Marquee, Paparazzi and Lens Flare for impressive lighting effects and transitions. Editors can purchase the 100 light effects for 99 USD. To learn more, visit http://www.sugarfx.tv/info/lightpack_SUGARfx.html
 
About Noise Industries, LLC
Established in 2004, Boston, Massachusetts-based Noise Industries is an innovative developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast community. Their products are integrated with popular non-linear editing and compositing products from Apple and Adobe. For more information about Noise Industries, please visit: http://www.noiseindustries.com.
 
Press Contacts
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
Janice@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) 617.817.6595
(skype) janicedolan
 
Megan Linebarger
Zazil Media Group
megan@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) 617.817.6595
(skype) megan.zazil
 
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Marina Del Rey, CA (January 17, 2012) — Commercial production company Motion Theory (MTh) has added Swedish team Mårlind & Stein to their directorial roster. Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein have worked together as a team for ten years on commercials, television programming and feature films. Their latest film and biggest project to date, Underworld Awakening starring Kate Beckinsale, is slated to open in theaters January 20, 2012 and has brought much attention to the talented pair stateside.


“We considered several different commercial production companies in America, but felt an instant connection to the people at Motion Theory and their close relationship and access to Mirada as a creative resource,” said Mårlind. “We knew that Motion Theory was the right place for us to be able to do the work we do best, and we’re looking forward to directing more spots for US audiences.”


“Not only do they come from a feature background, but they have made tons of commercials so Mårlind & Stein really know how to craft a compelling, visual cinematic story within a short form frame,” said Executive Producer/Partner, Javier Jimenez of MTh. “They understand the demands of commercial production timeframes and constraints— but also have experience managing feature film budgets and working with high-profile actors.”


Mårlind & Stein specialize in nuanced comedy and high-octane drama, which is quickly apparent from their body of work. They began directing commercials together at Stockholm-based production company Camp David in 2006, helming spots for UNICEF, Reebok, Nike, IKEA and Toyota. Their debut feature, Storm, was critically acclaimed and was followed up by Shelter, starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. Motion Theory is the first company to jointly represent Mårlind & Stein as a directorial duo in the U.S.


Though now professional partners for more than a decade, Mårlind & Stein were first brought together by an interest in cinema as young children and started making their own movies at age 15. Mårlind attended the American Film Institute after completing his Ph.D. in Sweden while Stein began a successful career editing trailers upon his graduation before the two started to work together. After working on parallel paths for over six years, Mårlind and Stein began collaborating on projects, resulting in their award-winning work for television, film and commercial productions in Sweden. Most recently the crime drama series “The Bridge” that the two created for Swedish television has been bought by the BBC under the title, “The Tunnel,” and is now being co-produced in France and the UK.


About MTh
Motion Theory is a creative home for directors with a sharp visual and narrative focus. The company’s talent roster ranges from award-winning veterans to emerging filmmakers, all sharing extraordinary visual style and the storytelling ability to transform creative potential into compelling viewer experiences across advertising and entertainment. www.motiontheory.com


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NASHVILLE, January 17, 2012 — TNDV: Television, offering mobile production services for broadcast, entertainment, worship and other live events, has given its first truck a new lease on life — from an interior HD makeover to a shiny new exterior.

Nic Dugger, president of TNDV, purchased “Old Blue,” the production truck he cut his teeth on from his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The four-time Emmy winner had the body refinished, updated the interior and added it to the truck cab that has been on the road since the company launched seven years ago.

“MTSU was the catalyst for my career,” said Dugger, who worked on the truck as both a student and a faculty member. “It gave me tremendous opportunities, and rather than say goodbye to an old friend it presented a perfect opportunity to upgrade.”

Dugger and his team rechristened the truck as “Inspiration” and installed a new complement of HDTV production gear, including a Blackmagic Design router, a Ross Vision 2 production switcher, Aja KiPro video recorders, Hitachi Z-HD5000 cameras, a Yamaha DM2000 audio mixer, Tascam X-48 audio workstations, an RTS Cronus intercom system, and brand new Clark cabling and wiring. Gerling and Associates renovated the existing truck shell.

Inspiration joins “Aspiration,” the company’s recently-launched 12-camera SD/HD/3D truck, as TNDV’s broadcast and production presence grows. Both trucks now cross the United States, producing at least two live events a week for broadcast and cable networks, venues, worship organizations, corporations and other customers. The Red Carpet Show for “Soul Train Awards 2011” was the first Inspiration project, with a large number of recent and upcoming Nashville-based awards shows following.

TNDV estimates that its current workload is approximately 60-percent broadcast television and 40-percent corporate, worship and live entertainment. The company offers a full complement of mobile flypacks that are customized to fit the needs of the client in addition to mobile production services from its two trucks.

TNDV also provides media production and secondary services including single-camera productions, digital non-linear editing and post-production, DVD authoring, AV-related event services, web video implementation and voiceover production.

ABOUT TNDV: Television
Formed in 2004, TNDV: Television represents the culmination of many years of broadcast and live production for Nic Dugger, owner and president; and his talented crew of freelancers throughout the country. TNDV is capable of producing events from small single-camera productions all the way up to multi-million dollar international TV events, and takes pride in building custom solutions for challenging productions of any size, in any situation. TNDV has recently provided production services for clients including BET, CMT, SPEED, and PBS. Recent and upcoming projects include “Celtic Women:Live”, PassTime on SPEED, and the American Music Awards. Call 615-585-6528 or visit www.tndv.com for more information.

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San Rafael, CA, January 17, 2012 – A group of former employees of ILM and Kerner Optical have announced the launch of a new company, “32TEN Studios,” which will be based at the former site of ILM, at 3210 Kerner Boulevard in San Rafael, CA. The new venture will be employee owned and will be headed by industry veterans Tim Partridge, who will serve as President, and Greg Maloney who will serve as COO. See

http://www.32ten.com/index.html

The new company will rent its historic soundstage to outside projects, and will also provide a new home base for many of the elite model makers and practical effects technicians of Marin County, who were previously employed by ILM, and, later, by Kerner Optical.

Members of the 32TEN Practical FX Team have created movie magic for over 20 years on this historic soundstage, starting with “The Empire Strikes Back,” and continuing on with “The Return of the Jedi,” the “Back to the Future” trilogy, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “War of the Worlds,” “Indiana Jones 4,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Transformers,” “Terminator Salvation,” the 2009 “Star Trek,” “Iron Man II,” and dozens more.

“We are delighted that the facility at this famous site has been reopened, and we will be able to continue creating amazing realistic effects for mainstream and independent filmmakers,” said Geoff Heron, Practical FX Supervisor with ILM and Kerner Optical. Heron’s work included FX contributions to such films as “Mission Impossible III,” “Evan Almighty,” “Terminator Salvation” and “The Last Airbender,” among many others.

“All the model makers in the area are excited about this new venture, and can’t wait to start building once again,” said Nick D’Abo, Model Supervisor with ILM and Kerner Optical, whose work was featured on movies such as “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” “Transformers,” Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith,” and most recently “Priest” and “Cowboys and Aliens”.

To complement the practical FX, 32TEN will also offer a digital VFX facility for finalizing shots and finishing projects.

32TEN Studios will offer its facility for rent to producers of projects from across all media. The approx. 6,000 sq. ft. soundstage boasts a 20-foott high, two wall coved green screen. Adjacent to the soundstage is the 32TEN screening room, which offers 138 seats in one of the most luxurious theaters in the area. Wardrobe, make-up and production offices will also be available for rent within the site.

“This building has an amazing movie history, and we are delighted to be able to offer it to all Bay Area producers,” adds Tim Partridge, CEO, 32TEN Studios. “We also wanted to provide a place where the many gifted artist who live in the area can, once again, create their unique form of film magic. 32TEN is a collaborative venture, one that will hopefully attract other service providers and filmmakers in need of a vibrant location for their projects. ”

“We want to build a creative community around this once legendary site, where many of us got our start in the industry” said Mr. Maloney. “The experience in FX among the people here is incredible and we want to make that expertise, and this facility available to content creators everywhere”

ABOUT TIM PARTRIDGE:

Before his role overseeing the practical effects and 3D Technology units at Kerner, Partridge was a key executive at Dolby Laboratories where, for over 20 years, he stood at the forefront of the entertainment and entertainment-technology industries. He was a key player in the introduction of “Dolby Digital” and led the development of “Dolby 3D.” As a Dolby sound consultant Tim worked on over 100 films, including “Goldeneye,” “Highlander,” “Shadowlands,” and “Willow,” to name a few. He also served the company in a number of other major posts, including that of Dolby’s Senior Vice President/ General Manager of the Film, Cinema and Broadcast Division.

ABOUT GREG MALONEY:

Prior to co-founding 32TEN Studios, Maloney was a Stereographer and Lead Compositor with Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers Digital company. During this time, he was involved with the feature films “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “Mars Needs Moms.”

From 1989-2007, Maloney worked in house with ILM as a Compositing Supervisor, and earlier as a CG Supervisor and a Compositor. Among the many ILM projects on which he worked are “Twister,” “Star Wars: Episode 1,” “Men in Black 2,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Transformers,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Schindler’s List,” “Jurassic Park,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Forrest Gump,” “Planet of the Apes,” and three of the hit “Pirates of the Caribbean” feature films.

ABOUT 32TEN STUDIOS:

Launched in early 2012 by longtime entertainment industry leaders Tim Partridge and Greg Maloney, 32TEN Studios is both a stage rental and practical FX production company located at the historic site of first ILM, and later Kerner Optical. The company provides its services to producers of major motion pictures, independent films, TV programs, commercials, industrials, web content and multi-media projects.

32TEN Studios is located at 3210 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, CA, 94901.
The phone is 800 717 3210, and the website is: www.32ten.com

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Staff Coordinates Coverage of Pope’s Daily Activities and Events in Vatican City Using Clear-Com Intercoms

ROME, ITALY, 17 JANUARY 2012 ? Clear-Com, a global leader in critical voice communication systems, is pleased to announce that Vatican Television Center, known in Italy as Centro Televisivo Vaticano (CTV), the official broadcaster of Vatican City, has selected Eclipse-Median digital matrix and Tempest2400 digital wireless intercoms to help cover the official activities of Pope Benedict XVI as well as the ongoing religious events and services held at the Vatican. The extensive communication capabilities offered by the four connected Eclipse-Median, six I-Series intercom panels, two Tempest BaseStations and four Tempest BeltStations assure that CTV broadcasts have fast access to reliable, high-quality communications.

Since 1983, CTV, headquartered in Via del Pellegrino in Vatican City, has broadcast the Pope’s pastoral ministry and other activities of the Holy See. Each year, they cover about 200 events from inside the Vatican as well as during the Pope’s travels in Italy and abroad. The network’s footage is picked up via satellite by broadcasters, news agencies and editing facilities around the world. CTV has no production studios, as a majority of the broadcaster’s work is ENG. The new OB van, which has full HD capability, has become the central hub for critical operations at the network. Its four operating areas include the audio room, equipment room, primary and secondary production control with VTR and camera control.

“The combination of the Eclipse digital matrix with V-Series panels and Tempest2400 gives CTV a tremendous amount of communications flexibility, making it much less stressful to manage the broadcasting of the Pope’s ministry,” says Karlie Miles, Director of EMEA Sales, Clear-Com. “Our system has certainly proven to function flawlessly during critical situations. The signal transmitted from the Tempest2400 wireless intercom system easily penetrates the thick walls of the church and can travel far distances to the van. We are thrilled that CTV has entrusted Clear-Com to help deliver the Pontiff’s and Vatican’s message to worshippers around the world.”

The 112-port Eclipse-Medians, which interface with the I-Series intercom panels, provide the CTV team with fast audio routing, many communication paths and sophisticated features for ample flexibility and exhaustive functionality. Operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the Tempest2400 utilizes patented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio technology, which withstands frequency interference and maintains high quality audio for reliable communications. The two- or four-channel version Tempest2400 enables the employees in the CTV OB van to effectively coordinate between the OB’s production area and camera operators. Clear-Com improves the broadcasting experience of CTV by driving efficient collaboration with the robust Eclipse-Median and high performing Tempest2400 wireless system.

About Clear-Com
Clear-Com, an HME company, is the global market leader in critical voice communications systems for professional productions. Since 1968, Clear-Com developed and marketed a comprehensive range of analog, digital and IP-based wired and wireless intercom technologies for party-line and point-to-point communications. Recognized for our legacy of intercom innovations, production teams around the world have come to depend on Clear-Com for clear, reliable and scalable communication solutions. More information about Clear-Com can be found at www.clearcom.com.

About HM Electronics, Inc. (HME)
A privately held company founded in 1971, HME has continued to be a leading provider of innovative technology focused on enhancing productivity and customer service for multiple markets including pro audio, sports, and restaurants. HME developed the first wireless intercom system for pro audio and continues to introduce exciting, cutting-edge wireless intercoms that enhance communications, increase productivity and facilitate creativity for virtually any application. HME’s comprehensive line of wireless intercoms – including the award winning PRO850 UHF and DX Series Digital Intercoms – are designed with the user in mind. In addition to pioneering the first wireless intercom for the pro audio industry, HME was the first to develop the wireless headset system for the drive-thru quick service restaurant market. More information can be found at www.hme.com.

Magic Bullet Looks 2 Puts Professional Color Treatment Tools in the Avid Editing Timeline

Portland, OR (January 17, 2012) – Red Giant today announced the immediate availability of Magic Bullet Suite version 11.2. With this new version, Magic Bullet Looks 2 now fully supports Avid® Media Composer® 5.5 and 6 software, offering Media Composer users seamless access to Red Giant’s acclaimed professional color treatment tools directly within their editing timelines. Media Composer users are now able to also take advantage of advanced color grading features of Colorista II and skin smoothing capabilities of Cosmo from within LooksBuilder, which is a feature within Magic Bullet Looks 2.

For added convenience, the new Suite Installer within Magic Bullet Suite version 11.2 also adds a new option that enables customers to choose individual products to install within the suite. This new feature delivers significant time efficiencies for those customers who may only require one application at a time.

Magic Bullet Suite 11.2 is a free upgrade for existing customers.

“Avid customers have long appreciated Red Giant’s tools, and the addition of the Magic Bullet Suite to their toolset is great news,” said Angus Mackay, marketing manager with Avid. “With great creative options for color correction and control, the Magic Bullet suite gives Media Composer users even more options for advanced color looks and treatments to take their work to the next level.”

Magic Bullet Suite 11.2
Red Giant continues to strengthen its industry-popular software suite for professional color correction, enhancement and film output with version 11.2. This new release extends these capabilities to a new audience of Avid editors with support for Avid Media Composer 5.5 and 6. Magic Bullet Suite Version 11.2 includes Magic Bullet Looks 2, which delivers these new features to Avid editors:

- A professionally designed and modernized user interface;
- 64 new and updated presets designed by professional colorists and designers;
- New scopes, including Hue/Lightness, Skin Scope, Hue/Saturation and Memory Colors;
- Six new tools including the Colorista II 3-Way, Ranged HSL and Pop, bringing the power of Colorista II right into Looks. New tools like Cosmo, Haze Flare and Lens Distortion open up users’ creative possibilities;
- Improved speed, size and resolution for better handling of large file formats and more efficient rendering;
- The ability to share looks with other Looks 2 users in After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and Motion.

Magic Bullet Suite version 11.2 is fully compatible with Apple OS X Lion. Additional products supporting Final Cut Pro X will be announced soon.

Pricing and Availability
Magic Bullet Suite 11.2 with Looks 2 for Avid is available immediately and is priced at $799.00 USD for new customers. Magic Bullet Looks 2 is also available as a stand alone application and is priced at $399.00 USD for new customers.

Magic Bullet Suite 11.2 also includes the new automated software updater, Red Giant Link. This new updater is an automated program that detects Magic Bullet Looks 2 installations on a user’s system. Link then notifies customers of important, free compatibility or bug updates, and also alerts them when new feature-rich paid upgrades are available.

For more information, or to purchase Magic Bullet Suite version 11.2, please visit http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/magic-bullet-suite/.

About Avid
?Avid creates the digital audio and video technology used to make the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world – from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, television shows, live concert tours and news broadcasts, to music and movies made at home. Some of Avid’s most influential and pioneering solutions include Media Composer, Pro Tools®, Interplay®, ISIS®, VENUE, Sibelius®, System 5, and Avid Studio. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, del.icio.us, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube; connect with Avid on Facebook; or subscribe to Avid Industry Buzz.

Avid, Avid Studio, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products.

About Red Giant
Founded in 2002, Red Giant (www.redgiant.com) creates an ever-expanding universe of effects tools ranging from plug-in suites, applications and mobile apps to Guru Presets, free products and sharing communities. We provide software for motion design, photography and color correction that is used for everything from major motion pictures to worldwide television programming to web production. Red Giant offers the industry-leading Trapcode tools for broadcast design; Magic Bullet Suite for color correction; and over 60 products that run in After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, Avid, Vegas, Nuke, and Avid Studio. Our effects have enhanced dozens of feature films such as Angels & Demons and The Social Network, and added sparkle to networks like NBC Universal, ESPN, Disney, CNN, Comedy Central, MTV, and TNT. Join us on Facebook (RedGiantSoftware), follow us on Twitter (@RedGiantNews) and get free content at Redgiantpeople.com.

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