Archive for February 22nd, 2012

Audio Industry Leaders Gather for the Fifth Annual GRAMMY® Week Celebration at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles, Honoring Music Producer, Executive and Entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 22, 2012) — On Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® kicked off GRAMMY® Week with its fifth annual event, this year honoring music producer, entrepreneur and chair of Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine, who has worked with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, U2, the Pretenders, Dire Straits, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and many more. Iovine was recognized for his commitment to excellence in audio and ongoing support for the art and craft of recorded music. The event was held at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles. GRAMMY Week culminated with the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012..

The event was held with the support of leading companies within the musical instrument and professional audio markets. Presenting sponsors included The Village Studios, West L.A. Music and Westlake Professional Sales. Co-sponsors included Harman International brands AKG Acoustics, JBL, and Lexicon; Iron Mountain; Avid; Musician’s Institute; Music Marketing; Shure Incorporated; Beats Electronics; Ultimate Ears; Focusrite Novation; Prism Media Products; Apogee Electronics Corporation; Full Sail University; Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro); Lurssen Mastering; Sennheiser Electronic Corporation; SoundExchange. Eco-friendly cocktails were provided by VeeV.

Producers & Engineers Wing Senior Executive Director Maureen Droney said, “The evening was a huge success, and once again we must offer a sincere thank you to all of our sponsors. It’s a simple fact that we couldn’t have done it without them. Since this was the P&E Wing GRAMMY Week event’s fifth anniversary, this year’s event was particularly meaningful, and it is especially gratifying that so many leading high quality brands joined together and with us to make the night happen. We all look forward to next year.”

Personnel from several of the sponsors also weighed in on the evening’s festivities:

Michael MacDonald, VP, Sales & Marketing, Harman Professional Division, stated, “Each year the P&E Wing’s GRAMMY Week Event brings the most major figures from the industry into one place. It is an honor to support the P&E Wing and to converse with the talented people behind the scenes of today’s music.”

“Everyone at Music Marketing was extremely proud to support The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing GRAMMY Week event. We had a great suite, which enjoyed a solid succession of industry professionals, including honoree Jimmy Iovine, making the experience one to remember,” stated Ray Williams, President of Music Marketing.

Photo File: PE_IovineEvent_Sponsors.JPG
Photo Caption: Key sponsors and P&E Wing personnel gather for The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing®’s GRAMMY Week event, which this year honored Jimmy Iovine. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy/Wireimage.com. ©2012.

Click 3X’s creative staff is growing with the additions of Senior Designer/Art Director Ryan Duggan and Senior Flame Artist/VFX Supervisor Mario Caserta.

Ryan Duggan joins Click 3X from Charlex, and has hit the ground running. He recently designed and animated a spot for Nickelodeon and executed design work for Syfy. He has earned industry standout status through his work for Motorola Droid, Bayer, Verizon FiOS, and Clairol Nice n’ Easy.

“The scope and depth of projects at Click 3X really appeals to me,” said Duggan. “The variety will allow me to flex my creative muscles on a daily basis. Creatively, I try to go beyond the client expectations and really push into new realms, so it’s exciting to work alongside talent that is hungry to put in the time to make the piece amazing.”

“When I look for a designer, first and foremost I look for an artist, and Ryan is that and more,” stated Click 3X Managing Director Jason Mayo. “As soon as I met Ryan and looked through his illustrations, it was evident that he had special raw talent. That, coupled with his confidence and his collaborative nature, sold me on him instantly. I couldn’t be more excited to have him join the Click 3X family.”

Mario Caserta’s career spans 12 years in visual effects as a designer and Flame artist for broadcast, commercials and film. Caserta held a staff position at Spontaneous, and freelanced at various NYC studios before joining the Click team. His work – done with a mix of Flame, PFTrack, After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator – includes the launch of the Boomerang Network and broadcast design and compositing work for Cartoon Network. Caserta’s Flame work includes the Verizon Test Man campaign; a GEICO campaign; a Nickelodeon Power Rangers promo; and VFX on AT&T spots, including the highly regarded Luke Wilson campaign. He also worked on the American Family Super Bowl spot for the NFL and various beauty spots for Pantene, Garnier, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal.

He freelanced on several projects for Click 3X prior to joining the studio full time. “Click 3X offers tremendous variety, a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and an intimate comfort level between employees and clients,” said Caserta. “That, combined with the caliber of work they produce, was enough to convince me to jump onboard. If I’m not challenging myself, I’m not growing, and I believe that Click 3X is the place where I can challenge myself creatively.” Look for upcoming compositing and color correcting work for Maryland Lottery Monopoly and a new look for the Optimum campaign as Caserta settles in at Click 3X.

“It’s about time Mario joined the team,” noted Mayo. “He’s been our go-to freelance guy for years. He is an elite VFX compositor with an amazing eye for detail and an innate ability for understanding a client’s aesthetic. Our clients are always completely taken care of when working with Mario and frankly that’s good enough for me. He’s a perfect fit for our team.”

Visit Click 3X

About Click 3X
Click 3X, its interactive division ClickFire Media, and the recently launched C3X Live create engaging film, TV, web, and branded content. Positioned at the intersection of entertainment, advertising, and technology, the studios work in tandem or autonomously. Click 3X shoots, edits, designs, animates and creates VFX; ClickFire brings those disciplines into the interactive space; and C3X Live delivers branded content in-house from conception to full-service production to distribution. Click operates a full service, 11,000 square foot state of the art studio in Manhattan outfitted with 60 fulltime staffers.

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

Hollywood, CA and Vancouver, CN, Feb. 22, 2012 – Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary year, full-service character effects company MASTERSFX, and its founder Todd Masters, have announced their collaboration with Twisted Twins Productions to create the character designs and produce the prosthetic and makeup special effects for the original indie horror film “American Mary.” Masters made the announcement along with Jen and Sylvia Soska, partners, Twisted Twins Productions of Vancouver, CN.

The deal comes on the heels of the just-released DVD of “Dead Hooker in a Trunk,” the debut film from Twisted Twins Productions. The DVD release is from IFC Films and MPI Media. Fangoria Magazine has called that film, “One hell of a hoot.”

Said Mr. Masters, “I first met the Soska Sisters online, when they started gauging my possible interest in the follow-up to their debut project ‘Dead Hooker in a Trunk’. After watching THAT film, I realized I’d never seen a film like it before, nor had I ever done special FX like those presented there before. So I quickly decided that I wanted MASTERSFX to play a ‘horrific’ role in their new project ‘American Mary’ – it was something we simply HAD to do!”

Jen and Sylvia Soska add, “We fell in love with horror films by learning about the ‘monster-makers’ behind the scenes—the artists who create the scares. Working with Todd and MASTERSFX on ‘American Mary’ is an experience that takes our love of prosthetic effects to a whole new level. People who love horror films are sure to really dig the creations that Todd and his team will be presenting within this new flick!”

The second original feature film from Twisted Twins Productions, “American Mary” is the story of a medical student, Mary, who becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with medical school, and with the established doctors there she once idolized. The allure of easy money sends a desperate Mary to perform as an unqualified “surgeon,” working her way through a messy world of “underground surgeries” which leave more marks on HER than on her freakish clientele. A link to the teaser trailer appears here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC0LRfptSQc

ABOUT “DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK”:

Produced in 2010, “Dead Hooker In A Trunk” was the debut film from identical twins Jen and Sylvia Soska, who wrote, directed, and produced it, as well as serving as the stars and stuntwomen. Taking a lesson from Rodriguez’s book “Rebel Without A Crew,” the film so followed the spirit of El Mariachi that the twins’ story reached the original El Mariachi, Carlos Gallardo, who not only gave the ladies advice, but also appeared in the film in the appropriate role as “God.”

“Dead Hooker In a Trunk” has been embraced by horror fans, film festivals, reviewers, and film makers on a global scale, becoming an underground sensation in the process. The film, which has been called “a hidden gem in indie film making and a cult classic in waiting,” has won multiple awards, toured the world (shown at numerous film festivals,) and been reviewed by the biggest horror media, including Gorezone, Fangoria, Twitch Film Basterds, Bloody Disgusting, and Ax Wound, just to name a few.

Renowned horror film director Eli Roth (“Hostel,” “Inglorious Bastards”) has praised the Twisted Twins, saying, “You should check out the Soska sisters, who made a film called ‘Dead Hooker In a Trunk.’ They made it low budget and it’s fucking awesome. It’s really violent and the stunts are superb. They are two Canadian twin sisters who made a feature that they wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. And it’s fantastic.”

ABOUT TWISTED TWINS PRODUCTIONS:

Twisted Twins Productions was founded by identical Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska. Their specialty is to bring audiences edgy dialogue, gore~geous effects, beautiful cinematography, and memorable characters, all within the setting of truly “twisted” storytelling. Prior to launching their own company, the Soska Sisters worked in production on numerous feature films, music videos, short films, commercials, and everything in between. To view their site and collective works, please see: http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net

ABOUT MASTERSFX:
Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary year, MASTERSFX, founded in l987 by Emmy Award winner Todd Masters, is a full-service Character Effects company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with an additional studio in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The company has designed, created and produced prosthetics, animatronics, and character effects for many hundreds of motion pictures, television programs, and commercials.

MASTERSFX has recently provided creature and prosthetic FX for such high profile feature films and television series as “Underworld Awakening,” “True Blood,” “Falling Skies,” “Super,” “Slither,” “The Haunting in Georgia,” “Big Love” and “Fringe.” Historically, the company has contributed FX to such other hits as “Stargate SG1,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” both “Addams Family” films, “Six Feet Under,” “Tales from the Crypt,” and many more.

MASTERSFX is the winner of numerous entertainment industry awards, including an Emmy, a Saturn and a Gemini. Todd Masters and MASTERSFX are also the founders of the annual “Aliens to Zombies” Convention, held in Hollywood each October.

MASTERSFX’s Los Angeles office can be contacted by phone at 818/834-3000. The web is www.mastersfx.com and Facebook is:

http://ml-in.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_44541534226

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(London, UK) Image Systems has announced that Studio Hamburg, a major post production and broadcast services provider, has further expanded its Nucoda DI suite within its post production department. Following a rigorous testing period that saw Studio Hamburg review a number of high-end colour grading systems, the facility selected a third Nucoda Film Master with Precision control panel. The Nucoda system was chosen due to Studio Hamburg’s strong confidence in the system, its high recommendation by colourists and its ability to fully meet the workflow requirements of the facility.

The Nucoda Film Master systems at Studio Hamburg are used to restore and grade television, film and archive projects. Christian Schöppl, head of film- and video-department, Studio Hamburg Postproduction explains, “Our suite of Nucoda Film Master systems provides us with the most efficient workflows enabling editing, de-graining and grading for projects that have very tight deadlines. We often have a fast rotation between systems and it’s important for us to maximise the time available to achieve the highest quality work. As an existing Nucoda house we have great confidence in the system and now with the new Precision panel we have further improved flexibility and performance.”

The Nucoda Film Master systems enable Studio Hamburg’s colourists to create complex visual looks and styles for projects including 2k and 3D stereoscopic. Studio Hamburg has already graded a music project for Sony: Lang Lang – the third dimension at Berghain in 3D using the system. Schöppl concludes, “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to expand our Nucoda restoration and grading offering providing our customers with a state-of-the-art suite that meets all of their requirements.”

About Image Systems
Image Systems Media Unit, formerly Digital Vision, is a division of Image Systems AB, which specializes in high-resolution image processing, film scanning and motion analysis solutions. Headquartered in Linköping, Sweden, Image Systems has offices in Hägersten, London and Los Angeles. The company has three business units: Media, Defense and Motion, managed via a global network of qualified distributors. Its Nucoda and Phoenix image grading and restoration software solutions and Golden Eye range of scanners provide innovative tools to create and master media in HD, 2K/4K and stereoscopic 3D. The TEMA software platform provides a range of user friendly, high-speed motion analysis solutions for the automotive industry and other industrial test and design applications. The TrackEye system provides image analysis solutions for the military reconnaissance and testing markets. For additional information, visit www.imagesystems.tv.

All trademarks used herein, whether recognized or not, are the properties of their respective companies.

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Image Systems Marketing Contact:
Alexa Maza | alexa.maza@imagesystems.se | Tel: +1 (818) 769-8111
Ulrika Liiv | ulrika.liiv@imagesystems.se | 46 (0) 8 546 18232

Image Systems USA PR Contact:
Ignite | Christine Purse | chris@ignite.bz | Tel: +1 818 303 8088 | Mobile: +1 323 806 9696

Image Systems EMEA & Asia PR Contact:
Jump PR | Kate Ford | kate@jumppr.tv | Tel: +44 (0) 1932 240001 | Mobile: +44 (0) 7740 948 065

Event to be Held in New York in September

Burbank, CA (February 22, 2012) Createasphere’s 3rd Annual DAMMY Awards will be held this year in New York on September 28, 2012. Deadlines and categories were announced today at Createasphere’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) Conference - the leading industry event exploring the management of digital assets, media assets, marketing resources, content and information lifecycle, and storage, security and preservation – taking place February 22 and 23 at the Beverly Hilton. One of the most respected events in the industry, Createasphere’s DAM Conference presents industry luminaries as well as in-depth seminars and sessions.

Written submissions for the DAMMY Awards will open on April 2, for the following categories:

• DAMMY of the Year
• Best Storage, Archive and/or Preservation Solution
• Best Example of Asset & Media Repurposing
• Best Strategy or Solution for Digital & Media Asset Management During The Acquisition of Content
• Best Strategy Ease of Use for End-User Interface

All submissions are due on August 1, 2012.

The DAMMY Awards debuted in 2010 in New York at a gala luncheon, and are the industry’s only honors recognizing achievement in the area of digital asset management. The Awards return to the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan for the 2012 event.

The DAMMY of the Year, an honor which calls attention to the most important accomplishments in the industry, has been bestowed on Jason Bright of MediaBeacon, and Thomas Schleu of Canto.

For further information about the Createasphere Digital Asset Management Conference or The DAMMYs, visit www.createasphere.com/dammys.

About Createasphere
Createasphere is a global community builder for the entertainment technology industry, advancing technologies and careers through Expos, Conferences, and online offerings.

Createasphere was founded in 2001 as HD EXPO, and over the past decade has grown into a global company that develops and presents influential events for the content creation community, on line and face to face. Founded by Kristin Petrovich Kennedy in Los Angeles, Createasphere became part of Diversified Business Communications in 2009, now driving their entertainment strategies and properties division. Currently, Createasphere is presenting the Entertainment Technology Expos in Los Angeles; the Digital Asset Management Conference in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe; The DAMMY Awards in New York; the online news and content portal CreativeProCoalition.com; 3D Road Shows; and Post Production Master Classes.

Connect with Createasphere on:
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/createasphere/120410987973181)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/createasphere)
LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/createasphere)
Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/createasphere)

# # #

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

ST. LOUIS, Missouri – Production Consultants, a 25-year leader in audio post, with experience in video production, live sound and recording, among other environments, is deploying Fairlight consoles to meet its production needs. Founded by veteran producer/engineer and St. Louis Audio Engineering Society Chairman Bill Schulenburg in 1986, the company relies on Fairlight’s Xynergi and XE6 Side Car Consoles to keep clients on the leading edge of video and audio success.

Production Consultants often collaborates on projects with World Wide Wadio, a group of Hollywood writers, directors and producers who produce radio commercials, campaigns and audio tracks for internet, TV, film and CD’s, ranging anywhere from local radio and television campaigns to international corporate projects.

Schulenburg notes “We use the console daily on projects of all sizes. Xynergi’s complete system integration means we don’t have to worry about any project, file type, set of resources, delivery option, or any other limitation that may come up. With everything built in, I work with great confidence every step of the way. The ability to maintain flexible workflow allows me to say yes to any project we’re presented.”

Recently, the company has worked with legendary St. Louis, Missouri based Anheuser-Busch brewery, to showcase its more than 14 decades of beer making. Produced by Wildstone Media, the project included an in-depth brewery tour providing inside access to the most popular beer brands. Production Consultants utilized Fairlight’s Xynergi console, alongside three XE6 Side Cars, adding tactile mixing controls to the hardware platform for the ultimate audio experience.

Schulenburg adds, “The console is extremely easy to manage. The Fairlight method allows me more creative freedom than other systems, as I can relate to the console very well.” He says the way you interact with your equipment says a lot about you as an individual, and he believes the Fairlight consoles seem expressly designed for the work that he does, remarking, “Fairlight doesn’t just sell consoles, they solve problems and help make my job more effective and efficient.”

For Schulenburg, the Xynergi is far beyond just a console – he compared it to a musical instrument: “The audio quality is superb. It encourages you to use your ears, and rewards you for doing so. Instead of just seeing a waveform, you actually hear all its nuances, which is very rewarding. The seamless transition into working on a Fairlight system from either analog or digital techniques just seems right.”

Many aspects of the console help to overcome technical challenges. “The file handling is extremely flexible and allows us to work on many kinds of projects without worry. The drag-and-drop import capability while editing helps to connect audio and video together to improve workflow speed and ease of use.”

“Fairlight systems are made for people who need to get lots of work done without procedural issues,” stated Schulenburg. “The function you need is always right under your fingers when you need it,” enhancing intuitive operation and ability to keep projects moving forward.

“I still think of a mix as a performance, and Fairlight continues to allow me to do that unlike any computer-only DAW. They have provided the advantages of the visual point-and-click method of working without giving up having your hands on the controls and your ears on the sound. Xynergi provides so many more tools that facilitate critical listening and make creative work on projects easier and more satisfying” Schulenburg added.

The support that Schulenburg and the rest of the Production Consultants team continue to receive from Fairlight is beyond expectations he said, “They support us in ways that you do not get from other companies. They understand my business and the service I need to provide to my clients. I have been very happy with the installation and everything that Fairlight and the Xynergi/XE6 consoles allow me to do.”

For more information on Production Consultants, please visit: http://www.productionconsultants.com/

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About FairlightUS:
FairlightUS is headquartered in New Jersey USA and is the exclusive distributor for Fairlight products in the North American market. Fairlight has been at the forefront of digital audio development since its inception in 1975. Fairlight designs and manufactures media creation tools including digital audio recording, editing and mixing systems for standard and high definition audio post, broadcast and music production applications. www.fairlightus.com

About Fairlight:
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia Fairlight designs and manufactures media production systems powered by the company’s groundbreaking CC-1 FPGA digital processing engine. The Fairlight product range includes EVO, Xynergi and the new PyxisG2, all of which feature in the world’s leading broadcasters, commercial post facilities, music studios and film production studios. Fairlight has a rich tradition of innovation and development and is at the forefront of green computing technology.

Bergen, Norway, Vizrt Ltd. (Oslo Main List: VIZ)

At NAB 2012, Vizrt Ltd, will showcase its latest advances in live graphics, channel branding, video editing, interactive content, multi-platform distribution, live sports and graphics analysis. Vizrt will exhibit in Booth SL5605 during the NAB 2012 convention, being held from April 14-19th at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

What’s next for Vizrt

Get a glimpse of what the future of Vizrt has to offer at the What’s Next stand. Vizrt will show the latest innovations in newsroom content timing, IP streaming video output plus much more. Vizrt will also demonstrate the Viz Media Engine integration with Adobe Premiere allowing users to search and access video content directly in Premiere. Users will also be allowed to edit and overlay Vizrt graphics directly in the Premiere timeline.

The timing of video and graphics in the newsroom just got easier with innovations in Viz Content Pilot. Users can also transcode real-time content with graphics embedded and adjusted for any mobile device type using device adapted graphics.

Vizrt’s real-time 3D rendering platform, Viz Engine can be expanded now to give live video input, multiple channel playout, DVE effects, vision mixer, internal chroma keying, and real-time compositing of videos and graphics making the Viz Engine truly a TV in a box.

Live Graphics Production

The latest version of Viz Trio, the world’s number one character generator (CG) and template graphics system, now has enhanced video content management support with the integration to Viz Media Engine. Retrieve HD video content and add videos as part of your Viz Trio graphics workflow.

Viz Content Pilot, Vizrt’s core graphics and video content solution, is now fully integrated with the Viz Media Engine video production solution. Journalists in the newsroom can search videos assets and edit videos directly from their desktops and build a newsroom playlist containing both graphics and video elements.

The Viz Virtual Studio is always a major part of NAB for Vizrt. This year we will show you how to engage the audience at home by letting them be part of your live newscast, triggering real-time rendered graphics from iPads with a second screen app. The Vizrt public show will run every half hour and will include on-air talent using the latest multi-touch screens, iPads, immersive graphics and real-time rendered content to tell a story with the most compelling tools around.

From Acquisition to Device-Adapted Video

Serving as the core of Vizrt’s multiplatform video distribution architecture is the Viz Media Engine – the central point for complete control over all assets – metadata, playlists, archive and storage. The Viz Media Engine is a digital management solution that includes tools to manage the entire multi-platform distribution process – from ingestion, transcoding and publishing content that’s automatically adapted for playout on TV, web, phones or other handheld devices.

“By covering the entire workflow – from camera ingest to final play-out on TV, web, and mobile devices, our Viz Media Engine covers broadcast, mobile and web in one workflow,” explained Petter Ole Jakobsen, CTO of Vizrt. “A complete video platform approach delivers dramatic benefits in terms of speed, quality and volume of video production. It can also be used with other archive systems without any manual file management required.”

Also in the booth will be the latest version of Viz Reporter for the iPhone, enabling live news gathering from the field. Viz Reporter is a fully integrated solution, from video recording on the mobile phone, live streaming directly from the phone, and playback on the back-end server. Videos can be edited, embedded with metadata and geo-tagged.

3D Sports Analysis

LiberoVision, fully acquired by Vizrt, will demonstrate the latest innovations in 3D sports analysis at Vizrt’s stand at NAB. LiberoVision sports analysis tools are now integrated into Vizrt’s general graphics and video workflow.

The newest version of LiberoVision’s Libero Highlight 4.5, includes the ability to embed virtual advertisements onto the live programming, iPad-enabled control of the LiberoVision annotator, 3D arrows, detection of camera angles used in American football, faster video processing, and a simplified user interface.

Multichannel play-out and channel branding

With Viz Multichannel, broadcasters can insert commercials on multiple channels in a fully automated way. It combines pre-scheduled, timecode-based playlist operations with the possibility of adding real-time 2D and 3D graphic effects and powerful branding capabilities. It centralizes the entire workflow onto one desktop.

The newest version of Viz Multichannel will feature improved integration with Viz Trio, including new features such as multi-playlist support, faster playlist loading, integration with Viz Media Engine, support for timeline editors, and for setting up an external preview channel.

Over the top TV & and content distribution to all platforms

With Vimond Media Solutions’ integration with the Viz Media Engine and Escenic Content Engine, users now get a complete online video platform handling live streaming from mobiles, editors’ ingest, insertion of graphics and advertisements, automatic transcoding, and multiplatform content distribution, in addition to a full range of monetization VoD functionality, DRM adaption for multiple platforms, advanced geoblocking, reporting and business intelligence, and over-the-top (OTT) functionality.

Other highlights at this year’s Vizrt NAB booth:

Viz Weather 2.3

- Multiple radar and satellite sources used together in the same scenes

- Weather Alerts

- Faster playlist initialization

Viz World - New DigitalGlobe Online service allows access to global high-resolution imagery

- First Look option gives access to crisis event imagery from DigitalGlobe from inside Viz World

- Photoshop plugin that allows access to the Viz World server for the production of maps.

2D to 3D Conversion

SterGen, a strategic partner of Vizrt, will show its groundbreaking software for live 2D to stereoscopic 3D conversion. SterGen’s software can produce realtime 2D to 3D conversion on soccer with a result that surpasses regular 3D productions.

System Security

Viz Secure monitors both on-air and content preperation systems, provides continuous visual status updates, reports failures, suggests remedial and preventative actions to make sure your Vizrt envioronment is safe and functioning properly.

About Vizrt:

Vizrt provides real-time 3D graphics and asset management tools for the broadcast industry and media houses – from award-winning animations & maps to online publishing tools. Vizrt’s products are used by the world’s leading broadcasters and publishing houses, including: CNN, CBS, Fox, the BBC, BSkyB, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, Network 18, TV Today, CCTV, NHK, The Globe and Mail, Times Online, The Telegraph, and Welt Online. Vizrt is a public company traded on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154.

Press contacts:

Martin Burkhalter Ofra Brown Håvard Myklebust
President & CEO CFO Executive VP Products and Marketing
+41 22 365 75 01 +47 5351 8040 +47 918 45 602
mbu@vizrt.com ofra@vizrt.com hmyklebust@vizrt.com

New Multi-Format, Camera-Mountable DVR Delivers Pristine Video Quality and Streamlines Production Workflows by Eliminating Time-Consuming Transcoding more

Rejecting Limbo
How a new director saved his frozen script with $3K and DAZ

“Find a way.“

In the world of DIY filmmaking, this is about as close as you can get to a commandment. For Jesse Griffith, it was the only way he could get his movie made. Jesse is what the industry calls a triple threat: he can write, he can direct and he can animate. However, it was his writing that would push him into filmmaking. As a life-long fan of sci-fi movies, Jesse always wanted to create a “Star Wars-level” film with his home computer. His excitement for this concept only grew when he began manipulating 3D scenes and figures with DAZ products.

“I don’t have a big studio paying my bills, so I always have had to look for ways to do more with less,” says Jesse. “DAZ is perfect for that, which has always made me think it would be a great tool for filmmaking.”

Inspired, he decided to write a script. He called it “Cockpit” and by all measures, it was good. His story – which focused on the struggles of a stranded crew of pilots against mind controlling aliens – became a finalist in numerous screenplay competitions and even won four awards. This recognition couldn’t overtake a singular problem though. Namely, the fact that studios don’t trust untenured talent with big budgets. All outside projections of his script suggested a big budget, which meant Jesse’s film looked like it might be stuck in a perpetual state of limbo.

What the studios didn’t count on was Jesse’s tenacity and ability to create new opportunities out of 3D graphics tools. In his day job as a graphics animator for Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jesse had found great results for eye-catching backgrounds and 3D models with DAZ’s software packages. And since he now needed to prove that his story could be both visually striking and affordable, he became convinced that DAZ’s huge catalog of online assets was going to be the way he could satisfy both goals, in spectacular fashion.

Fearlessly, Jesse decided to make a 10-minute teaser to “Cockpit,” which he entitled “Cockpit: The Rule of Engagement.” Today, this short has won 14 awards at many notable sci-fi film festivals, but at the time, it was simply a means to an end. A way to show the studios that his screenplay could and should be made.

DAZ’s software became his go-to tool. Beginning with concept storyboards and extending into green screen visuals, DAZ’s highly adaptable models proved integral to the CG needs of this DIY production.

“How would George Lucas start a film like this?” Jesse mused when asked about how DAZ fits into a moviemaker’s workflow. “He would request that ILM design a bridge. They would sketch up five or ten versions, and he would choose his favorite. In my case, DAZ is my low budget ILM. I type in “bridge” or “sci-fi” in the DAZ search engine, and I see products like Kibaretto’s “The Commander” or Stonemason’s “Dark Star.” I decide which best fits my story, plop down 30 bucks and get to work.”

This easy access to attractive resources, like 3D depictions of bridges, allowed Jesse to construct the very sets that the studios had thought untenable, at a fraction of their projected cost structures. The sets also became malleable environments that he could stage his characters in. Suddenly, this “non-drawer,” had visual storyboards that he could pass along to his crew, which enabled everyone to get on the same page quickly. This was key due to the project’s bare bones, $3,000 budget.

During post, the same footage Jesse’s crew had shot against green screen covered garages was given new life thanks to the 3D backdrops Jesse had picked up in the DAZ store. A simple DAZ store bridge, when tweaked in Poser, and elevated in Lightwave, became something that looked extraordinary, instead of awkward. This was important to Jesse. If the sets didn’t look believable, he would lose his audience.

“The last thing I wanted to do was draw people out of the film,” said Jesse. “I wanted them to feel like they were there with the actors, not snickering at some shoddy graphics. With DAZ, I was able to transport them into this world I had created without diverting their attention away from any of the drama I had built into the scene. DAZ was a big reason for that feeling.”

Now with a host of awards and momentum under his belt, Jesse has shown that independent filmmakers don’t need elaborate, multi-million dollar VFX houses to make stories come to life. With a little creativity and a healthy dose of drive, it is clear that tools like DAZ and Lightwave can help filmmakers realize their visions. Jesse is living proof. And to this day, he still encourages other burgeoning directors to use the same tools he does.

“Don’t let the lack of an FX team keep your movie from being made,” says Jesse. “There are too many routes around this problem for you to get stuck. And if you are doing most of the production yourself, your friends and family will thank you for choosing DAZ. It helps you see them again a whole lot faster.”

Trailer: “Cockpit: The Rule of Engagement” Trailer
Full short: “Cockpit: The Rule of Engagement” Short Film

About Digital Art Zone

Digital Art Zone (DAZ) is a leading provider of 3D software and content. DAZ publishes DAZ Studio, an easy-to-use and robust software tool with a simple user interface. The software allows digital artists to easily add and manipulate models and morphs, adjust the textures applied to 3D models, add and adjust lighting and fine-tune the render process. Regardless of artistic background, DAZ empowers anyone to create better graphics faster through its powerful tools and content. For more information, visit www.daz3d.com.

TNDV’s “Aspiration” multi-camera SD/HD/3D truck will produce audio and video for the PBS production 333 feet below ground

NASHVILLE, February 22, 2012 – Four time Emmy-award winner Nic Dugger and his mobile production company TNDV will produce the second season of the PBS series Bluegrass Underground, bringing the luminaries of bluegrass music heard on the live radio program to televisions around the country. The shoots take place in late February, with 2012 air dates to be announced.

Bluegrass Underground’s concerts are held in the Cumberland Caverns, a series of underground caves more than 300 feet below the earth’s surface in Tennessee. After a successful first season, TNDV and the Bluegrass Underground have again joined forces to bring production and acoustical excellence to the show’s live performances from the Volcano Room.

The Volcano Room is a natural amphitheater, carved from the flow of two underground rivers to create one of the most acoustically pure and breathtaking natural spaces in the world. To get to the concerts, tour guides lead patrons through the cave and down 333 feet. The subterranean descent includes underground waterfalls, water pools, stalagmites and stalactites along the way to the amphitheater, where fans enjoy bluegrass music in a unique and beautiful venue.

Nashville-based TNDV, noted for building television and video productions in unique and remote locations, will provide the HD mobile production systems and technical crew needed to produce the events. TNDV’s Aspiration, the company’s 40 foot expanding-side mobile production truck, will support the remote video and sound production services for broadcast radio and TV.

Aspiration will park near the cave and deploy and an advanced SD/HD/3D production workflow featuring seven cameras, a full audio suite, and extreme cable runs. Every camera will use 1000 feet of fiber-optic cable to record and broadcast each concert. Aspiration’s utilization of fiber-optic cables from camera to truck ensures no loss of signal, color, or sound to maintain quality throughout the process. Amplifiers located near the stage feed directly to the truck over a digital audio line to generate a mixable, superior-quality audio signal for the TV program.

“Producing an international television series from 333 feet underground takes a lot of creativity and a team with a can-do mentality,” said Todd Mayo, producer, Bluegrass Underground. “TNDV and Nic Dugger bring creative solutions to logistical challenges and a positive attitude to bear in all they do. When you combine a track record of excellence with a team of good people that add value to any project, you are way ahead of the curve in producing quality television.”

PBS will broadcast the second season of Bluegrass Underground featuring live performances from bluegrass music stars later in 2012. Bluegrass artists for the 2012 Season include Vince Gill, The Civil Wars, Jerry Douglas, Del McCoury Band and The Time Jumpers.

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 produces 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 specializes in creating productions that are of the highest quality while being ultra-mobile and always professional. Recent productions include The Americana Music Awards, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the Madden Challenge, live from the 2012 Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis. Please call 615-585-6528 or visit www.tndv.com for more information.

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