Archive for February 3rd, 2012

‘Webisodes Continue To Score With Viewers – DVD To Follow

NEW YORK: One of Showtime Sports and CBS Sports’ most highly rated original feature length docu-dramas, A Game Of Honor provided an extraordinary perspective on preparations for the 2011 Army-Navy football game. Digital production teams chronicled U.S. Military Academy/West Point cadets and U.S. Naval Academy/Annapolis midshipmen throughout their intense military, educational and sports training as they readied themselves to serve their country and compete in this sports event.

With shooting beginning in May and the edit gearing up in September, the team had three months to edit and deliver the incredible events leading up to the widely anticipated 2011 Army / Navy game. With this tight schedule, including just 11 days between the Army/Navy game and the show’s airdate, Director/ Producer Peter Radovich, Jr. and Producer Steve Karasik enlisted frequent collaborator and Emmy-winning Sixteen19 creative editor Anthony Cortese for the cut.

“Last April, I had an epiphany about doing a documentary on training for the 2011 Army-Navy game,” Radovich says. “When Steve Karasik and I pitched it to CBS/Showtime execs, we got an immediate green light. When we kicked off production in May I was a little concerned about pulling it together in just six months. However, Anthony and I had collaborated on a number of short-form projects at Sixteen19, and I had great confidence in his skills. I knew we could make this happen.”

“A Game Of Honor, was one of the most complex and demanding assignments of my career,” Cortese says. “On most days, we had two cameras shooting on location morning thru night; on the field, in classrooms, dorms, gyms, all over both academies, but that ratcheted up to eight Canon 5D and Red Epic(r) kits for the main event, The 112th Army Navy Game. They accrued nearly 500 hours of footage, which I cut on a daily basis on Avid Version 5 as it arrived in our edit suite. This project was a full-scale marathon.” Associate editors Quenna Gregorio and Chris Mole worked alongside Cortese to manage multiple story lines.

To keep track of the voluminous material, the Sixteen19 technical team worked with the project’s field producers to develop a dailies workflow that was both fast and efficient. With over 100 shoot days, distinct tape names, scene and serial numbers were critical for each clip. This system helped to transcend the timecode limitations of the 5D at the time, issues with sync sound and the fact that crews were often simply moving too quickly to slate.

“A tapeless workflow project of this scope required an extraordinary support crew,” Cortese says. Sixteen19′s technical team collaborated closely with Cortese and a number of consulting experts to insure accurate conversion of multiple archival formats to 24p. After picture lock, Sixteen19 Senior Colorist Brian Boyd worked around the clock to make the footage come to life. Boyd remarked, “Balancing the multiple formats and shoot settings with such a tight deadline was challenging, but the timely and patriotic subject matter and the incredibly talented crew made for a rewarding experience.”

In addition to editing the two-hour CBS Sports docu-drama, which premiered Dec. 21st on Showtime, Cortese also edited a two-hour CBS TV cut. The network show hewed closely to the original, but excised the unexpurgated language of the cable version along with some particularly rough action scenes. He also edited seven of the ten ‘webisodes’ created to promote the show online. Ranging in length from three to eight minutes, they provided fans with additional details and insights not included in the full-length program.

“The ‘webisodes’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ29wKMekoE were an entirely different mindset,” Cortese points out. “They began airing in mid-October, and they continue to maintain a strong presence online today. We received reports that indicate they not only helped to attract a terrific audience to the Showtime and CBS presentations, but they’ve also attracted a rapt audience in their own right. We’ve heard stories about ardent online viewers who watch them repeatedly,literally studying them over and over. It’s gratifying to learn that your work is getting that level of serious attention.”

“We were cutting new footage up to a couple of weeks before airtime, we’re talking late nights and weekends here,” Rodovich concludes. “New story lines kept us constantly revising to make GOH as exciting and timely as possible. We screened the show for West Point and Annapolis brass shortly before airtime. Their positive reactions confirmed our instinct about having created something very special. We hope to have the DVD out soon, which will stand as a lasting record of this amazing adventure.”

Photo 1: Editor Anthony Cortese (l) and Director/Producer Peter Radovich, Jr.
at work on “A Game Of Honor” in a Sixteen19 Edit suite.

#1, 3, 5: Scenes from Showtime Sports/CBS Sports docu-drama “A Game Of Honor”

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Sixteen19 is a post-production services company with offices at 1619 Broadway, NYC and divisions in New Orleans, Los Angeles. and London. The firm specializes in DI, color correction, editing, finishing and on & near set services. The NYC complex features 15 spacious Avid editing suites, color correct theater/ screening rooms, digital dailies, file transcode/encode and workflow management. Contact: 212-245-1402 http://www.sixteen19.com

Salt Lake City, Utah – Broadcast International, Inc. (OTCBB: BCST.OB - News), a leading provider of video management software and services for next-generation video IP networks, has engaged Liolios Group to lead its investor relations and financial communications initiatives.

“Strong demand for our leading IP video delivery technologies has resulted in three consecutive years of revenue growth and major partnerships with companies like Fujitsu, the third largest IT company in the world,” said Rod Tiede, president and CEO of Broadcast International. “Our disruptive and patented CodecSys technology, the only multi-codec compression technology in the market, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the industry’s rapid transition to IP-based video delivery.

“Given our momentum and the industry dynamics, we believe now is the time to engage a team of experienced IR professionals like Liolios Group to help navigate the capital markets and effectively communicate our story. Liolios Group has expertise in the IP video and digital signage space making them a unique and valuable asset to our company. We will leverage their proven track record of assisting emerging growth companies in building long-term quality relationships with investors, analysts and institutions.”

Liolios Group has begun to collaborate with Broadcast International management to refine and deliver the company’s message to the investment community. Liolios Group plans to schedule a number of conference calls, road shows, and financial conferences for Broadcast International over the next 12 months, targeting key investors and influencers in the financial community.

For additional information about Broadcast International, contact Liolios Group at 949-574-3860 or email BCST@liolios.com.

About Liolios Group
Liolios Group, Inc. is a strategic financial communications firm focused on small-cap companies across a broad range of industry classifications. Liolios Group aims to deliver superior performance in corporate messaging and positioning, investor awareness, analyst and financial press coverage, and capital attraction. Founded in 1999, Liolios Group executives have extensive experience in finance and investments, and have represented more than 125 global companies in a wide range of industries. For more information about Liolios Group, go to http://www.liolios.com.

About Broadcast International
Broadcast International (BI) is a leading provider of video-powered broadcast solutions, including IP, digital satellite, Internet streaming and other types of wired/wireless network distribution. BI’s patented CodecSys software is a breakthrough, multi-codec video compression technology that cuts video bandwidth requirements over satellite, cable, IP and wireless networks. By slashing bandwidth needs, CodecSys enables a new generation of rich-media applications and offers unprecedented price/ performance benefits for existing applications. Broadcast International is a public company (OTCBB: BCST.OB – News) headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.

For more information, visit: www.brin.com and www.codecsys.com

Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this news release that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under the caption “Additional Factors That May Affect Our Business” in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K and 10-Q filings, and amendments thereto. In addition, we operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We disclaim any intention to, and undertake no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statement.

Investor Relations Contacts:
Michael Koehler or Matt Glover
Liolios Group, Inc.
949-574-3860
BCST@liolios.com

As part of its national initiative to usher America’s drive-in theaters into the digital age, Christie is a sponsor of the 12th annual convention for the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association (UDITOA), February 6 – 9, in Kissimmee, Florida, and has partnered with leading dealers across the United States to bring the benefits of digital cinema technology to a sector characterized by traditional 35mm projection.
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“No single institution in American cinema history offers the sense of nostalgia, romance and freedom that drive-in theaters convey,” said Craig Sholder, vice president of Christie’s Entertainment Solutions. “With more than 80 years serving the exhibition community, Christie understands first-hand the challenges of running drive-ins and we are eager to bring them into the modern age, preserving this important legacy of cinema history.”
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Christie offers the world’s best-selling and most powerful digital projection system, the Christie Solaria Series of 2D and 3D projectors, to light up the largest drive-in screens under the most challenging twilight conditions. In the southern and Midwest states specifically, Christie has joined forces with two of the country’s most renowned dealers – Sonic Equipment Company and Entertainment Supply and Technologies (ES&T) – to offer complete, single-source digital cinema solutions. Design, consultation, installation, and ongoing support are available from Christie and its partners. As well, Christie’s Network Operating Center (NOC) can provide 24/7 technical support and ongoing maintenance.
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A Storied Past and Confident Future
At the height of their popularity in the 1950s, more than 4,000 drive-in theaters covered the American landscape. Changing movie viewing habits saw their numbers dwindle, but there are now exciting signs that they’re making a comeback, according to UDITOA. The association notes that drive-in theaters not only remain a time honored American institution, but in a battered economy, they still offer one of the best values for family entertainment.
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With moviegoers seeking to recapture the magical memories of their youth, digital technology represents for drive-ins a distinctive competitive edge against the “hard tops” (indoor theaters) by offering alternative content such as major sporting events, musical and other cultural performances, in a unique outdoor environment, under the stars. The installation of powerful Christie DLP Cinema projectors allows audiences to experience the brightest and sharpest images on these big outdoor screens at the lowest cost of operation, eclipsing traditional 35mm film projection.
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Florida Exhibitor Seizes the Opportunity
For more than 60 years, the Silver Moon Drive-In Theatre has been a landmark in central Florida, where it was the first of its kind to open in Lakeland. Today, the Silver Moon continues to operate successfully, offering a double feature of first-run movies on two screens. “We are the last drive-in theater in Polk County, but we are here to stay,” said owner Harold T. Spears.
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Entertainment Supply and Technologies, LLC (ES&T), a full service cinema industry dealer and certified Christie partner from box office to projection booth “and everything in between,” recently completed the digitization of Silver Moon. ES&T chose the Solaria Series Christie CP2230 digital projectors as the most effective for lighting up the two massive screens of 55’ and 70’.
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“Audiences have remarked how much brighter and sharper the images on the screen are now,” said Bruce Schneiter, vice-president, Technical Services, at ES&T. “Christie was our first choice, because they have always provided top-level products and service, and they stand behind everything they offer. They are unparalleled for their technical expertise and industry experience.”
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Missouri Leads the Charge at B&B Moberly Five and Drive
Recognized by the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) as one of the oldest family-owned circuits in the Midwest, B&B Theatres have seen the coming of sound, color, widescreen, digital, 3D and countless other advances in stereo sound and projection technologies. Currently, B&B Theatres operate in towns of all sizes, opening multiplex theaters in many of the same places that once housed their old-time, single-screen and twin theaters. When B&B Theatres decided to replace its two aging downtown movie houses in Moberly, Missouri with a new, multi-million-dollar multiplex, they built on their drive-in theater lot – vacant since 1985 – and put the drive-in screen back to work as well. The new theater complex, opened in 1997, is called the Moberly Five and Drive.
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Sonic Equipment Company, a Kansas-based digital cinema integrator and certified Christie partner, installed a Christie CP2230 DLP Cinema projector with a 4,500 watt bulb for the drive-in’s large, 64’-wide screen. According to Dan VanOrden, circuit general manager of B&B Theatres, “I was extremely impressed with the results. The audience, too, absolutely loved the bright new look. The drive-in is so bright now that Highway 63 is lit up in front of it!”
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VanOrden noted that the conversion to digital gave Moberly many more options for alternative content, as well. “We’ve been able to run DVD’s of classic movies, for example, and they actually look much better on that huge screen than their old 35mm prints did.”
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Sonic had previously installed Christie digital projectors in six drive-in screens in Texas, including the Stars and Stripes in Lubbock, as well as the Big Sky in Midland.
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“Speaking for The Big Sky, our Christie Solaria projector gives us a gorgeous picture and our customers love it!” said Sam Kirkland, owner of The Big Sky. “When a drive-in goes to digital movies, it’s a big difference from film, and people see that difference immediately. The quality at drive-in theaters using Christie projectors is as good as the indoor theaters now.”
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Steve Zimmerman, director of business development at Sonic, agreed. “Both Sonic and the theater owners at these locations in Texas were extremely impressed with the end result, allowing us to confidently recommend Christie to B&B Theatres.”
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“Christie is committed to ensuring that America’s drive-ins remain competitive for generations to come by providing them with the dazzling images of digital cinema and the expanded revenue streams of alternative content. As we have been for more than 80 years, we are here for the long term to support them with superior customer service,” said Sholder. “Along with exceptional partners such as Sonic and ES&T, we want movie goers everywhere to rediscover the pleasure of watching the big screen under ‘the big sky.’”

SEATAC, WA — Professional video and audio systems integration firm Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS) has hired Arco Groenenberg as vice president of sales and marketing, effective Jan. 30. Based in the company’s main office in SeaTac, Groenenberg will be tasked with developing new markets and growing the organization. ABS also announced a new sales office in Chicago, which will serve ABS customers in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

Groenenberg has spent more than 15 years in sales for the professional video industry. Most recently, he was vice president of sales and services for Broadcast Pix, where he built a worldwide sales team. He previously held several positions with Pinnacle Systems/Avid Technology, consistently contributing to revenue growth as director of sales Americas, general manager of the Business Division, and broadcast sales and key accounts manager. He also worked as a sales executive for Avexco SA, an integrator in Geneva, where he substantially increased sales.

“Throughout his career, Arco has an excellent track record for increasing sales, managing sales teams, and establishing strategic relationships,” said Mark Siegel, president of ABS. “He understands our industry and the needs of our customers. I know Arco will be instrumental in building our business in markets across the country and beyond.”

The new Chicago sales office is managed by Chris Cuitino, who can be reached at chris@advancedbroadcastsolutions.com. Groenenberg can be reached at 206-870-0244 or via e-mail at arco@advancedbroadcastsolutions.com.

About Advanced Broadcast Solutions:

Based in SeaTac, WA, Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS) specializes in personalized broadcast services such as consulting, project budgeting, workflow analysis, feasibility studies, project management, system and architectural design and engineering, equipment specifying, procurement and installation, maintenance support and training. ABS boasts a technical staff with over a century of practical experience in television operations, automation, traffic implementation, multiple program stream management and signal distribution by fiber, microwave and satellite. ABS clients include: Fisher Communications, Cowles California Media, Real Networks, Cisco Systems, and Microsoft Studios.

For more information about ABS, call 206-870-0244 or visit our Web site at www.advancedbroadcastsolutions.com.

Buenos Aires News & Sports Channel
Installs Shotoku Camera Support Systems

Torrance, CA – Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a leading international manufacturer of advanced camera support products, proclaimed a successful integration of the company’s virtual reality (VR) camera support at C5N (Canal 5 Noticias) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Shotoku Inc.’s president, Naoki Ebimoto, made the announcement from the Company’s US headquarters in Torrance, CA.

The news and sports information service, established in 2007, is distributed to a worldwide audience via cable, satellite, streaming internet services and social networks. The facility recently interfaced Shotoku’s SH120 VR-enabled pan / tilt head system with virtual 3D graphics by Vizrt. Driven through an iPad interface, the channel’s operators produce traffic and weather updates, as well as reports on such ever-popular topics as the economy, politics and sports. The Shotoku system was inaugurated on Argentina’s Presidential Election Day in October 2011 with compelling graphics especially designed for the occasion by Vizrt.

“Using the Shotoku system, our production team developed a new way to display the news on the [television] screen. Virtual 3D graphics were easy and reliable; they caught the attention of viewers and helped us remain the most innovative channel, with the latest technology in Argentina,” declared Gastón Serralta, IT manager for C5N.

“We were very pleased at the results of our integration with Vizrt in Buenos Aires,” said Ebimoto. “Virtual reality systems are a key to the future of television production; they enable small facilities to expand the boundaries of creativity and capture the attention of their audience.”

About Shotoku Broadcast Systems
Shotoku Broadcast Systems is an international leader in the manufacture and marketing of a full range of camera support products with emphasis on manual and robotic pedestals and pan/tilt heads for the television broadcast industry. The Company also provides robotic camera systems capable of interfacing with third-party equipment. Established as an engineering design firm specializing in advanced mechanics and electronic control systems, Shotoku maintains headquarters in Japan with offices in Staines, UK and Torrance, CA. The Company’s robotic camera systems are designed, developed and manufactured in Staines, UK. For further information: www.Shotoku.tv

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Shotoku contact: Naoki Ebimoto
1-866-SHOTOKU • info@shotoku.tv

Press contact: Desert Moon Communications Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 / harriet@desertmooncomm.com

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 3, 2012 – When the New York Giants and New England Patriots take the field for Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday, February 5, the eyes of over 100 million people around the world will be upon them. Meeting the challenge of this momentous national and international telecast is production facilities provider NEP Broadcasting, which has again chosen Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, to provide HDTV lenses for coverage of Super Bowl game play. NEP will deploy three mobile production vehicles and more than 100 HDTV cameras, each of which will have a Canon HD lens mounted on it.

“The Super Bowl is the biggest, most widely viewed sporting event in the country,” said George Hoover, senior vice president of engineering at NEP Broadcasting. “Such an event demands total reliability in the equipment we use, which is why we have again chosen Canon HDTV lenses for Super Bowl game coverage. We have used Canon lenses for previous Super Bowls and for this year’s entire football season because of their image quality and reliability, and because of Canon’s excellent service and support.”

“Canon is honored to once again be selected as the choice of HD lenses for coverage of the Super Bowl, the most widely viewed U.S. sporting event,” commented Larry Thorpe, senior fellow, Professional Engineering & Solutions Division, Canon U.S.A. “Canon has been at the forefront of advancing optical technology for HDTV content creation for decades. As a result, Canon can provide broadcasters and other creative program producers with a wide range of highly sophisticated operational advantages in its HDTV lenses.”

Among the many Canon HDTV lenses that NEP Broadcasting will utilize at Super Bowl XLVI are XJ100x9.3B and XJ86x9.3B long-zoom lenses designed for “hard” HDTV field cameras. Both feature Canon’s unique second-generation built-in Shift-IS technology, which ensures steady shots at telephoto distances or wherever the zoom range is set. “When you’re zoomed in really tight with the long-zoom lenses and you’re moving down the sideline in the cart, the capabilities of Canon’s Image Stabilization are of great importance,” Hoover noted.

Hoover has also cited the optical performance of using these lenses during games earlier in the season. “When the sun goes down during a game, you need good sensitivity, good light-handling capability, and low ramping so that when you’re at the end of that 100x or 86x lens’s zoom range, that light level isn’t falling off. These Canon HDTV lenses provide that.”

Canon HDTV lenses mounted on a variety of portable EFP-style cameras, Steadicams, and jib arms will include: the HJ14ex4.3B, the world’s widest-angle lens in the professional realm of 2/3-inch lenses; the HJ22ex7.6B, Canon’s longest-focal-length portable HD production lens; and the HJ40x14B, a highly portable telephoto EFP lens that incorporates Canon’s Shift-IS system for imaging rock-steady HD video under even the most adverse field conditions.

Along with its high-level technical expertise NEP Broadcasting will employ its state-of-the-art ND-3 and ND-4 HDTV mobile production facilities for game coverage, and the NEP Denali – a premiere mobile HDTV truck designed for entertainment events and programming – for halftime. All three vehicles and additional support trucks are outfitted with the mission-critical HDTV broadcast equipment necessary for capturing every second of Super Bowl XLVI action for millions of viewers. With no second chances to capture crucial moments of play, Canon HDTV lenses are engineered for dependability and are backed-up by Canon service and support.

“Canon will be on-site in Indy leading up to the Super Bowl, fine-tuning to make sure every lens at every camera position is operating at 110 percent of every operator’s requirements,” Hoover said. “When you’re doing remote TV, it is a fact of life that a lens can get damaged. Fortunately, on-site support from Canon is backing us up to deal with such things.”

“The reliability of Canon HDTV lenses over time – regardless of weather and environmental conditions – is great,” Hoover added. “When you’re shooting professional football you can be covered with snow and rain one day, and then heat and humidity the next. With Canon, you know that your HDTV lenses will hold up not only today, but tomorrow as well.”

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

About NEP Broadcasting
NEP is a leading provider of services and equipment for remote television production, studio production, video display and live-to-web event production. With more than 700 employees worldwide and three decades experience, NEP leads the industry in engineering expertise and technology innovation. The company is majority-owned by American Securities, a private equity firm headquartered in New York, and NEP management. For more information, please visit our website at www.nepinc.com .
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†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Plans include enhanced end-to-end tapeless workflows and new versatile capabilities for high-performance, collaborative storage solutions
 
Boston, MA — February 3, 2012 — EditShare®, the technology leader in shared media storage and end-to-end tapeless workflow solutions, today announced its plans for the NAB 2012 exhibition held in Las Vegas, NV from April 16 – 19 (stand SL9020). EditShare will showcase its entire product line-up and highlight advancements in storage performance, seamless file migration across storage tiers, enhanced file and metadata management, and new enterprise capabilities, including distributed processing for large-scale file ingest and proxy rendering, and system-wide workflow monitoring from ingest to archive. “Collaboration, high performance, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are at the heart of everything we do, starting with our shared storage platform. The newest features and capabilities in our end-to-end workflow build on that approach. Whether you are ingesting or archiving, searching for media or playing it out, our integrated production tools make it easy to get your job done and to manage any format and any workflow. This gives our customers a tremendous competitive edge,” comments Andy Liebman, Founder and CEO of EditShare. “We are looking forward to sharing our latest innovations at the big show and celebrating alongside our customers, the successes of their projects powered by EditShare.”
 
Highlights of the EditShare Tapeless Workflow
EditShare seamlessly integrates high-performance shared storage solutions – XStream, Energy and Metro – with video capture / asset management – MAM (EditShare Geevs/Flow), editing (Lightworks), archiving (EditShare Ark) and playout (Geevs) – to offer broadcast and post-production professionals a productivity-enhancing, end-to-end tapeless workflow. With powerful capture, logging, searching, sequence creation, project sharing and easy archiving, the workflow becomes streamlined and more efficient. From start to finish, metadata and media are easily searchable and accessible from EditShare’s central storage or archives; background processes are transparent to users, allowing them to focus on their creative efforts.
 
Highlights of the EditShare tapeless workflow
• Geevs records Avid DNxHD or ProRes directly to EditShare’s shared central storage and produces proxy files in real time for the Flow MAM, with user-level security, mirror copy and automatic backup to EditShare Ark. During ingest, users can log shots, create subclips and even create sequences that cut between inputs.
• Integrated with Geevs, the Flow MAM allows users to view proxy file content on their desktops as well as ingest media from file-based sources such as P2 and XDCAM. Simple editing tools and metadata templates let users add details to clips, make rough cuts, and drag and drop clips and sequences into their NLEs – all without requiring access to full-resolution media.
• EditShare’s high-performance, shared-storage media-management workflow offers an advanced Project Sharing feature with patented bin and project-locking capabilities. Lightworks, Avid and Final Cut Pro (v6/7) editors can see, copy and revise the work of colleagues with the assurance that no bins, sequences or projects will be accidentally deleted or overwritten.
• Ark Disk and Tape offer facilities for tiered storage infrastructure with nearline and offline archiving options and automation capabilities to keep media safe. When combined with Flow, users can browse, delete and restore (including partial restore) archived materials from any desktop on the EditShare network.
 
NAB 2012 – EDITSHARE NEW TECHNOLOGY SNEAK PEEK
 
EditShare XStream and Energy Series – Shared Production Storage
EditShare’s best-in-class storage infrastructure delivers high performance and workflow-engineered features, such as Avid and Final Cut Pro project sharing, to optimize collaboration for post-production, Digital Intermediate and broadcast production workflows. Fully integrated with EditShare Flow, Lightworks, Geevs and Ark, EditShare’s shared storage solutions are scaled to petabytes, outperforming comparable solutions at an unbeatable price point.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Advanced project sharing with Adobe Premiere Pro
• Support for Final Cut Pro X
• Enhanced networking configurations to maximize performance and throughput across the EditShare tiered-storage platform
 
EditShare Flow – Production Asset Management
Flow offers comprehensive media management with production tools to log, track, browse, retrieve and edit assets. Advanced features such as Multichannel SDI Ingest, Edit-While-Capture, and Bandwidth-Controlled File-Based Ingest add a level of control over productions that set Flow apart from its peers. Fully integrated with EditShare’s full lineup of products, Flow facilitates a tapeless workflow from ingest to archive.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Ability to drag and drop clips into Adobe Premiere
• Support for creating group (multi-cam) clips during ganged capture
• Ability to delete and restore files by individual users
• Proxy-node worker for distributed rendering of proxy files
• Closed-caption support
 
Lightworks – Non-Linear Editing | Open Source
Academy® and Emmy® award-winning Lightworks was introduced in 1989 as the first and most advanced professional editing system on the market. Its intuitive controls, real-time synchronization and editing features remain unmatched by top industry alternatives. Notable and recent films edited on Lightworks include the Academy-Award® winning The King’s Speech, edited by Tariq Anwar; Hanna, edited by Paul Tothill; Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, edited by Jill Bilcock; and the multi-nominated Hugo, edited by Thelma Schoonmaker.
 
On the NAB stand, EditShare will host a “Lightworks Edit Bar,” with which attendees can hands-on test-drive the latest Lightworks release.
 
EditShare Ark – Archiving and Backup
Developed on the same rock-solid architecture as the shared storage solutions, EditShare Ark Disk and Tape offers advanced backup and archiving capabilities managed from the same intuitive interface. Because Ark is directly integrated with EditShare’s tapeless workflow and collaborative-storage products, archived content can be easily searched using EditShare Flow MAM tools, retrieved, and quickly brought back onto the EditShare shared storage systems – XStream, Energy and Metro.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Partial Restore from Ark Disk
• Extensive system-activity reporting
 
Geevs – Broadcast Ingest and Playout
Geevs Broadcast Servers are crafted to support a wide range of demanding workflows, including simple ingest, complex newsroom integration, live sports with instant replay, multi-camera studio ingest and 24/7 scheduled playout. With over 1,000 channels on-air, Geevs meets the needs of every broadcast production workflow with its unmatched codec support, including DVCPRO HD, Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD, XDCAM HD and AVC-Intra 100.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Support for Live Preview
• 23.98 Support
• Upscale from SD to HD
• Multiviewer support
 
About EditShare
EditShare is the technology leader in networked shared storage and tapeless, end-to-end workflow solutions for the TV and film industry. Our groundbreaking products improve efficiency and workflow collaboration every step of the way. They include video capture and playout servers, high-performance central shared storage, archiving and backup software, media asset management, and the world’s first 3-platform (Windows, OS X and Linux) professional non-linear video editing application.
 
©2012 EditShare LLC. All rights reserved. EditShare® is a registered trademark of EditShare LLC. All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
 
Press Contact
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
Email janice@zazilmediagroup.com
Tel +1 (617) 817-6595
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grandMA2 has proved to be a good bet for Casino Rama, Ontario’s only First Nations commercial casino, which stages 150 shows a year featuring top names in music and comedy. Casino Rama invested in a grandMA2 late last year, and it has quickly become their “console of choice,” reports lighting designer and programmer Derek Noble. A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive distributor of grandMA in North America.

“Casino Rama purchased a grandMA2 because of the size of the shows they attract,” says Andrew Beck, senior account executive with PRG Canada who sold the system. “They have an extensive amount of equipment, including all their own lighting and rigs, and many acts request a grandMA. They’ve had a full-size grandMA for a while but in the interest of keeping their facility as cutting-edge as possible, they decided to purchase a grandMA2 and use their existing system as a back up. Now they have media server control and LED balancing capabilities.”

Among the acts that played the 15-year old Casino Rama last year were ZZ Top, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ricky Martin, and Deep Purple; the casino also hosted HDTV events Bellator (an MMA championship) and a TSN Curling Skins game. Casino Rama capped 2011 with dates for James Blunt, Russell Brand and KISS.

“Before we got the grandMA2 it was already an in demand item,” says Noble. “We had a number of touring shows that had brought the console in with them . We bought our own, not only because it’s the newest but also because it was the most in-demand gear,we need to ensure we offer clients the best so that they walk away happy .”

He notes that the casino’s inhouse lighting rig is used for 85 percent of the shows. “We have over 400 conventional fixtures and 200 moving lights and LEDs plus 112 motors. The grandMA2 gives me easier access to all the parameters. Its effects engine is also better than our old console, and it’s very easy to navigate.

“The grandMA2 gives us some flexibility in data management, too,” he adds. “We utilize it for data management for the NPUs when other consoles are in use. We have 16 active universes and the capability to expand to 64. Although we only bought the console in December, we already love it!”

Another Canadian-based casino also upgraded its lighting control system when Caesars Windsor moved from a full-size grandMA to a new grandMA2 from PRG Canada, Beck reports.

Wilkins’ Extensive Experience in Broadcast and Pro Audio Sales will Bring Continuous Development of RTW’s Presence in the US and International Markets

COLOGNE, GERMANY, 2 February 2012 — RTW, a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional audio metering and control devices for studio recording and radio and TV broadcast applications, , has appointed Anthony Wilkins as the company’s new International Sales Manager. Wilkins is an English native speaker and has lived and worked in Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland. His main role will be to control and coordinate RTW’s international sales from the corporate headquarters at Cologne.

Wilkins has more than 25 years of experience in the Pro Audio industry and is currently completing his MBA. He has previously worked for Sony, Analog Devices, DTS and most recently for Linear Acoustic. He is also a member of the EBU P/Loud group, which is in charge of developing the R128 loudness standard; the AES and the IEEE.

“We are very glad that Anthony Wilkins has joined our team and proud to have gained a sales expert with an in-depth understanding of the international broadcast and pro-audio markets,” says Mahmoud Chatah, RTW director of marketing and sales. “Wilkins will significantly increase our brand visibility in the international key markets. In taking over those critical tasks, he will allow me to focus on strategic alignment of RTW’s marketing.”

“I am determined to strengthen RTW’s global sales with effective measures and extensive travel,” adds Wilkins. “Further development of the important US market is my primary objective.”

About RTW
RTW, based in Cologne (Germany), has more than 40 years of experience in designing, producing, and marketing advanced recording-studio systems. The company focuses its business on peak meters and audio vectorscopes that are in use in the leading recording studios as well as by radio and TV broadcasters worldwide. The current product portfolio includes the TouchMonitor range, a new series of tools for visual signal analysis, loudness metering, and more. TouchMonitors combine highest flexibility and modularity with an intuitive user interface and touchscreen-based multichannel-analysis features, integrating exceptional surround-signal visualization using the unique and groundbreaking Surround Sound Analyzer. In June 2008, RTW was certified for the internationally accepted DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 quality-management standard.

For more information, visit www.rtw.de or www.facebook.com/rtw.de, or call +49 221 709130.

New to FxFactory 3, XEffects Tech Transitions let users easily add impact to any project
 
Boston, MA – February 2, 2012 – Noise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast markets, adds Idustrial Revolution’s XEffects Tech Transitions to its repertoire of products for FxFactory 3. The new visual effects package, made exclusively for Final Cut Pro® X, lets editors add vibrant, high-tech transitions to projects for a fresh feel without layers, key framing, or complex mattes. Offered at 49 USD, users can also download a free trial version of XEffects Tech Transitions.
 
Idustrial Revolution XEffects Tech Transitions feature highlights include:
 
A Wide Selection of Effects – Tech Transitions offers 28 transition effects to choose from, all with adjustable settings. Effects can be slipped, lengthened, shortened and cut and pasted like any other transition.
 
Freeze Frames – Almost all transitions include freeze versions, which holds the last frame of the outgoing media and the first frame of the incoming media, performing the transition between the two stills. No more razor blading or making freeze frames from scratch.
 
GPU Processing – Effects harness the power of GPU processing within FCP X for fast previews and renderings, cutting down wait time while editing.
 
Temporal or Retiming of Video – Tech Transitions is the first commercial product for FCP X to feature temporal or retiming of video within the effect. Editors can use the automatic repeaters to step or duplicate action on the cut.
 
Tech Transitions Promo Video

 
More Information on Tech Transitions
 
Tech Transitions Tutorial
 
XEffects Press Kit
 
About Idustrial Revolution
Founded in 2006, Idustrial Revolution is a small team of designers producing plug-ins and templates for Final Cut Pro® 7 & X, Motion and After Effects®. They create content for broadcasters, corporate users and videographers, and were the first people in the world to have a graphic created in Motion aired on broadcast television. With the launch of Final Cut Pro X and the tight integration with Motion, Idustrial Revolution focuses on creating effects for these platforms. More information about Idustrial Revolution.
 
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. More information about Noise Industries.
 
Press Contacts
 Janice Dolan
 Zazil Media Group
 Janice[at]zazilmediagroup[dot]com
 (p) 617.817.6595
 (skype) janicedolan
 
 Megan Linebarger
 Zazil Media Group
 Megan[at]zazilmediagroup[dot]com
 (p) 617.817.6595
 (skype) megan.zazil
 
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