Archive for May, 2012

Speedshape Producer Nicole Stone Brings Her Expertise To New Post
As The CGI/Design/3D Company’s Midwest Account Executive

Detroit: Nicole Stone has been appointed account executive for Speedshape. Stone, formerly a producer at the hybrid CGI, interactive, design, and 3D company, brings an in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in the postproduction arena to her new role. Her focus will be on introducing Midwest agencies and brands to the award-winning company’s diverse services, multi-disciplined team of talent and its seamless approach to advertising, broadcast, film and interactive media content.

“Speedshape is always looking for new ways to take our client services to the next level and provide the most comprehensive and efficient experience possible,” says director of business development Chad Cooper, head of Speedshape’s team of national representatives. “As the face of Speedshape in the Midwest, Nicole will not only be introducing a new crop of agencies and brands to our company,” he adds. “Her four-years of experience producing complex multi-platform projects – through every phase of the creative process – has enabled her to redefine the traditional role of an account executive from that of a sales rep with a general knowledge of the business, to a postproduction savvy member of our creative team. And, from the initial response she’s getting, it’s clear that clients looking for innovative and seamless creative solutions appreciate the value of having a seasoned producer as their point person – from the first phone call.”

Detroit native Nicole Stone, a graduate of Columbia College, joined Speedshape in 2008. Since coming onboard she has produced scores of broadcast, digital, CGI and social media campaigns for the company’s LA, Detroit and London divisions, including projects for brands such as GE, Ford, and Jack Daniels.

“Speedshape provides a unique, full-service collaborative environment, driven by innovative talent and a commitment to raising the creative bar of every job that comes through our doors,” says Stone. “After having worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our creative teams, I’m really enjoying the opportunity to use the skill sets I acquired as a producer to build new relationships and providing the level of services and attention to detail that each client deserves.”

For additional information about Speedshape (www.speedshape.com) and its services, contact director of business development, Chad Cooper or Midwest account executive Nicole Stone at 248.282.0200. To learn more about Speedshape’s 2D-to-3D stereoscopic conversion services, contact Frank Rainone (East Coast) or Julie Currin (West Coast) at 248.282.0200.

It was a case of perfect harmony when WorldStage successfully delivered a complex projection and audio solution for “Song1,” artist Doug Aitken’s ambitious multimedia piece, which premiered on the cylindrical façade of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

WorldStage, the new brand for Scharff Weisberg and Video Applications, devised a system that enabled Aitken’s fluid video images to cascade across the entire surface of the Hirshhorn’s 725-foot wide circumference. “Song1″ has been called the first work of 360º convex-screen cinema on this scale.

Aitken has said he wanted “Song1″ to be an exercise in “liquid architecture,” and the Hirshhorn’s cylindrical façade seemed to disappear when it was transformed into an urban canvas for fluid images of rippling water, floating boats and cars streaming down liquid-metal highways. Accompanying the projections were other-worldly singers performing a loop of arrangements of the 1930′s song, “I Only Have Eyes For You.”

WorldStage became involved with “Song 1″ two-and-a-half-years ago when the company met with Aitken to discuss the feasibility of the project. Following a partial-scale test, WorldStage determined that, despite the size of the images and the obstacles to overcome, they could make the artist’s vision come to larger-than-life.

“We’ve been working with WorldStage on major installation projects for the last 6 years,” said Chris Totushek, Producer, Doug Aitken Workshop. “Not only have they approached each project with experienced consideration and creative problem solving, but they take on each one of our large-scale installations as if it were one of their own. We’ve done enough with them to consider them family.”

The WorldStage solution required splitting Aitken’s images into 11 overlapping sections, one for each of 11 Christie Roadster S+20K DLP projectors. A total of 41,500 feet of fiber-optic cable transmitted the images from four Coolux Pandora media servers in the Hirshhorn’s basement to the projectors mounted on the museum’s perimeter wall.

WorldStage also provided and programmed the Pandora media servers and provided and installed the extensive outdoor audio system for the public art event. The company designed and fabricated custom mounts for the weatherproof equipment enclosures to ensure smooth operation in case of inclement weather.

“The Hirshhorn’s has done a number of innovative exhibitions recently but Song1 is by far the most technically complex,” says WorldStage President Josh Weisberg. “The project faced many challenges but the result places the Hirshhorn among the top tier of media-adept cultural institutions.

According to Weisberg the museum’s cylindrical façade was not that problematic in itself. “The actual façade is rather uniform and we’ve mapped projections to far more complex shapes in the past” he explains. “But the Hirshhorn’s façade is obscured in places by foliage, trees and the two large sculptures Snelson’s Needle Tower and Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke. After many hours working with a virtual 3D model of the site I was able to locate 11 projectors and predict that they could cover the entire façade seamlessly, with minimal shadowing.”

For the demanding application WorldStage selected 11 Christie Roadster S+20K DLP projectors, which boast 20,000 ANSI lumen output, for their brightness and reliability. Christie Twist Pro was used to warp and map images in conjunction with the warping and blending provided by the Pandora media servers.

Weather was another consideration for this outdoor project. To battle the elements WorldStage custom engineered and fabricated structures to adapt the Tempest Lighting Cyclone enclosures to the museum’s perimeter wall. The weatherproof enclosures are equipped with heaters and high-velocity fans to keep the ambient temperature within the projectors working range.

Since sound was a major component of “Song1″ WorldStage was also tasked with designing an audio system that would cover a wide area surrounding the museum, while providing clean sound quality at high levels. “We used 12 large Technomad BERLIN and eight small Vernal loudspeakers that are entirely weatherproof,” says Weisberg. “They were mounted to the wall using custom designed and fabricated mounts and arranged and zoned to preserve left/right orientation. You could hear them well from a quarter of a mile away.” Weatherproof Technomad PowerChiton amps were also employed.

After the successful premiere of “Song1″ Albert Masino, Director of Exhibitions at the Hirshhorn stated, “We were always confident that we were in good hands with WorldStage. They had a firm grip on all the requirements from the beginning. The design was great and the implementation was handled well.”

Totushek concluded, “Due to the nature of projecting flat imagery onto a curved surface that measured 50′ x 700′, we were worried that the image would not blend together in a natural way. But the whole World Stage team worked with extreme diligence, putting in long and late hours, to bring the project together. We were very satisfied with the result.”

At WorldStage TJ Donoghue was the project manager; Dennis Alfonso and Jeff Gottesfeld projection techs; Paul Clements installation supervisor; Barry Grossman systems designer; Michael Kohler media server programmer; Hector Vega installation tech; Richard D’Amato mechanical fabricator; and Brian Davis mechanical designer and engineer.

WorldStage Inc., the company created by the merger of Scharff Weisberg Inc and Video Applications Inc., continues a thirty-year legacy of providing clients the widest variety of entertainment technology coupled with conscientious and imaginative engineering services. WorldStage provides audio, video and lighting equipment and services to the event, theatrical, broadcast and brand experience markets nationally and internationally. The Owners and Employees of WorldStage believe that all clients deserve the WorldStage Experience

Chatsworth, CA, May 30, 2011—Prominent independent music publisher and production music library Black Toast Music and its CEO/owner/founder Bob Mair have announced the addition of over 650 new songs and instrumentals to the company’s website.

Available to search, listen and download, the 650 new Black Toast Music entries comprise a diverse cross-section of musical styles and genres. For Dashbox, CND Netmix and Soundminer users, this new material is also available on those servers as well.

Featured among the 650 new titles are Pop/Hip Hop artist Renald Francoeur, Brooklyn-based, Indie Electronica/Pop band Khromozomes, Orchestral/Indie Rock artist Josh Fix, and Hybrid/Orchestra Rock artist Chris Hodges, as well as newly released material from Paul Otten, a talented Pop Rock artist whose music has recently been placed by Black Toast within a number of TV projects.

Other titles include those from:

** Hip Hop/Pop: Arsonist
** Indie/Pop Rock: Elijah Honey, The Radio Villains, The Chillun, The Flurries, Dean18
** Singer Songwriter: Alyse Black, Mayu Wakisaka, Sian Hanley
** Alternative Country: Kelly Pardekooper
** World: Igor Khramov (Russian), Soulplanet (Latin), Bollywood
** Electronic Rock: Tommy Dill, Geoff Pinckney

These 650 new tracks, as well as the entire Black Toast Music catalogue, can be accessed via www.blacktoastmusic.com

ABOUT BLACK TOAST MUSIC:

Founded in 1990 by noted musician/composer/producer Bob Mair, Black Toast Music is a leading independent music publisher/production music library and record label based in Chatsworth, CA. Since its launch, the company has placed music in many hundreds of television series, including such hits as “True Blood,” “Dexter,” “Treme” and “The Wire,” and recent hits including “Parks & Recreation,” “New Girl,” “Modern Family,” and “Raising Hope,” among others.

Black Toast also supplies music to TV specials and TV movies; dozens of high profile motion pictures, including “American Reunion,” “The Oranges,” “Arthur,” “When In Rome,” “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” “Dead Silence,” “Jiminy Glick,” and others; videogames such as “Dance Dance Revolution” for Konami; Internet and National advertising campaigns such as Domino’s Pizza, and numerous, multi-media presentations. Black Toast Music contributed the main title theme (composed by Bob Mair and David Feldstein) for the hit Nickelodeon animated TV series “Glenn Martin, DDS” (created by Michael Eisner’s company Tornante). The series airs on Nick @ Nite.

“Black Toast Records” was launched as a new label within the company during Fall 2011. The formation of the label was in response to the overwhelming demand from fans that have heard Black Toast music in various films and TV shows. The label allows those fans the means by which to find, listen, and buy the latest releases from dozens of the great indie artists and singer/songwriters whose music Black Toast has placed in hit TV series and movies.

Among the artists whose music is represented by the Black Toast Records Label are Hermanos De Alma, Arias Troubadours, St. John, Sonny Ellis, Paul Otten, G-Stack and Kelly Pardekooper. Black Toast has previously placed music from these indie artists within “True Blood,” “Treme,” “Supernatural,” “Modern Family,” “Weeds,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “30 Rock,” “CSI Miami,” and countless other entertainment properties. For the first time, these tunes are now for sale via Black Toast Records.

For more information about Black Toast Music and Black Toast Records, please see www.blacktoastmusic.com

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Los Angeles, CA, May 30, 2012 – Level 256 Visual Effects, a modern, digital artist collective and visual effects production studio, and its owner Scott Davids, who has been involved in the contribution of VFX to many of the biggest hit comedy films of the past decade, have produced more than 60 VFX shots for “The Dictator,” the latest film from Sacha Baron Cohen.

The new film, released May 16 by Paramount Pictures, marks the third collaboration between Davids and Baron Cohen. Previously, Davids contributed VFX work to the comedian’s films “Borat” and “Bruno,” for which Davids also served as one of the editors.

For “The Dictator,” Level 256 produced a diverse array of visual effects sequences. These included a number of “split screen scenes” in addition to other VFX work, such as 3D sign replacements, wire removals and a number of green screen shots.

Eric J. Robertson, VFX Supervisor for “The Dictator,” said, “One of the great things about Level 256 is that they ask a lot of questions, come up with lots of ideas, and offer a number of artistic options. They have a great ‘comic eye’ and will always find a creative solution to a problem.”

Scott Davids said, “Specializing in the creation of visual effects for comedy films, our goal was to work closely with Eric Robertson, whose eye for color and integration is first rate, and VFX Editor Todd Fulkerson to ensure that the scenes that included visual effects in ‘The Dictator’ allowed the comedic work of the characters to be continuous and seamless, while always moving the story forward.”

ABOUT “THE DICTATOR”:

“The Dictator,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley, is the heroic story of a North African dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. Directed by Larry Charles, written by Sacha Baron Cohen & Alec Berg & David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer and produced by Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Todd Schulman, Anthony Hines and Scott Rudin.

ABOUT LEVEL 256 VISUAL EFFECTS:

Located in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, and founded in 2009 by owner Scott Davids, Level 256 Visual Effects is a modern, digital artist collective and production studio that regularly contributes 2D and 2.5D visual effects to everything from highly successful, major studio motion pictures to independent films to low budget documentaries. Since its formation, Level 256 has produced VFX sequences for such major studio films as “Battleship,” “The Dictator,” “This is 40,” “Tower Heist,” “Bridesmaids,” “”Get Him to the Greek,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “Little Fockers,” “Cedar Rapids,” “The Change Up,” “The Five Year Engagement” and “Wanderlust,” among others. Currently, the company is completing work on “The Bourne Legacy” for Universal Pictures, and is also in production on its own short film project, “The Final Moments of Karl Brandt.”

In conjunction with Seth Kleinberg, Head of Production for Level 256, Davids has designed the state-of-the art boutique as an artist-centric ‘pod,’ with an emphasis on establishing a highly creative and fun working environment. The company, which employs about a dozen digital artists on a regular basis, ensures that these artists have the ability to collaborate closely with their diverse array of accomplished Filmmaker and VFX Supervisor clients. In just a few short years,
Level 256 has gained an industry-wide reputation as a highly proficient, “well-oiled machine,” in its ability to quickly turn around massive, and often complex, VFX sequences.

Prior to launching Level 256, Davids, either under his previous production banner, YARD FX, or as a Freelance Editor, produced visual effects for many of the biggest comedy films of the past decade, due in large part to his personal relationships with superstar filmmakers Judd Apatow and Sacha Baron Cohen. These include “Borat,” “Superbad,” “Knocked Up,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Pineapple Express,” “I Love You, Man,” “Couples Retreat,” and “Bruno,” for which Davids also served as Editor.

Before he joined Level 256 in 2010, Kleinberg served as Head of Post Production and Information Systems, as well as a Producer, for Prologue Films. During his tenure with Prologue, he was involved in producing main titles and visual effects for a number of hit films, including VFX featured within “Iron Man,” “Across the Universe” and “The Tempest,” and title sequences for “Superman Returns,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “Spider-Man 3,” to name some. He also produced motion graphics and special content seen within numerous broadcasts of the Academy Awards.

Level 256 is located at 701 East Third Street, Suite # 200, LA, CA, 90013. The phone is 323/570-0069 and their website is: www.level256vfx.com

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Santa Monica, CA, May 30, 2012 — Award-winning music company Endless Noise and its founder/composer Jeff Elmassian have produced the music featured within a new web commercial promoting Samsung’s Galaxy Note, for agency Cheil USA. The music was produced by Endless Noise through the process the company calls “Rendered Noise.” The spot debuted on the web May 22nd.

Entitled “Olympic Drums” and starring David Beckham, the spot features Beckham as he kicks a series of soccer balls, in rapid succession, against a wall made of drums. Each time a ball hits a drum, a musical note is heard which begins to form the melody of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, commonly called the “Ode to Joy.”

To view “Olympic Drums,” see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn8jkyu88bw&feature=youtu.be

Endless Noise has a specialty in this area of “Rendered Noise” – turning random sounds into musical compositions. To see other examples of “Rendered Noise,” please see: http://www.youtube.com/user/renderednoise

“Cheil USA presented Endless Noise with a unique challenge, and they seamlessly drew out the melody of ‘Ode to Joy’ as though Beckham had kicked it himself,” said Lars Bastholm, chief creative officer of Cheil USA. “We couldn’t be happier with how Jeff and his team realistically brought our idea to life.”

Beckham didn’t actually drum out the song during the production of this spot. That was created in post production by Endless Noise, who mixed in actual studio noises with the song to give the sound some authenticity. Said Jeff Elmassian, composer and Endless Noise founder, “With this type of music, the aim is to make the arrangement and orchestration sound as effortless and organic as possible. It has to feel as if someone would naturally move to the rhythm as though it were a traditionally scored piece of music. Consequently, we were aided by the fact that David Beckham takes choreographic cues quite well. Perhaps a ‘Dancing with the Stars’ turn is in order for him?”

In other company news, Endless Noise’s recent work on behalf of Volkswagen has recently resulted in the win of three 2012 Clio Awards. The company won a Gold Clio in the category “Music (Adapted)” for its work on the VW spot “The Bark Side.” Endless Noise’s work also won a Bronze Clio in “Sound Design” for “The Bark Side,” and a Silver Clio in the category of “Music (Licensed)” for the VW spot entitled “Rocketman.”

CREDITS FOR SAMSUNG “OLYMPIC DRUMS:”

Music and Sound Design: Endless Noise
Agency: Cheil USA
Chief Creative Officer: Lars Bastholm
Group Creative Director: Adam Wohl
Producer: Teresa Wakabayashi
Director: Jason Zada
Production Company: Tool
Executive Producer(s): Brian Latt, Oliver Fuselier, Dustin Callif
Editorial Company: Cut + Run
Editor: Graham Turner

ABOUT ENDLESS NOISE:

Based in Santa Monica, CA, Endless Noise is an award-winning music and sound design company founded by renowned musician/composer Jeff Elmassian. The company specializes in Original Music, Sound Design, Remix/Mash-up, Sound FX Library, Musical Arranging, and Music Licensing. The studio composes and produces innovative music and sound design for commercials, TV programs, the web, feature films, interactive/multimedia projects and video games.

Clients of Endless Noise include Nike, Coca-Cola, Audi, Lexus, Honda, American Express, Motorola, MasterCard, Nissan and Kyocera to name a few. Building on its Grammy, Cannes Gold Lion, Clio, AICP, D&AD, London International Advertising, ANDY and One Show awards, Endless Noise continues to wow the sonic senses with its mastery of composition, versatility, and fearlessness of pushing the boundaries of music.

Recent industry recognition includes a 2007 Clio Award for Best Sound Design for its EA Games “Night Sky” spot, an AICP Award for Best Musical Arrangement for Garmin “Moose,” and Nike Russia “Ballerina” as a finalist for the Cannes Gold Lion in 2008. The company’s address is: 1825 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404, and the phone is 310.694.8251 or 424.268.4102.
For more information, please see: www.endlessnoise.com

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Wayne, N.J. – On a given shoot they may be capturing the grueling tension of a 24-hour car race or the adrenaline excitement of a 400-foot motorcycle jump. But veteran extreme action sports cinematographers Mike “Mack Dawg” McEntire of Mack Dawg Productions and Jay Schweitzer of Powerband Films know one constant: the rock solid performance of lenses from the Optical Devices Division of FUJIFILM North America Corporation.

McEntire and Schweitzer recently put FUJINON’s Premier PL mount zoom lenses, the 75–400mm/T2.8 – T3.8 (HK5.3×75) and the FUJINON 24-180 mm/T2.6 (HK7.5×24) to an extreme test, shooting “Red Bull: New Year. No Limits” jump event for their independent feature documentary on daredevil distance jumps. Both lenses were mounted to Red Epic cameras in this extremely challenging environment. The shoot occurred at night with dense fog. For the event, a snowmobile and a dirt bike jumped in tandem over a section of the San Diego Bay. The snowmobile jumped over 400 feet, and the dirt bike soared just shy of 400 feet. In order to capture the jumps in their entirety, the two cinematographers needed lenses that were sharp, wide open with a long range on the zoom. They found the ideal fit with the Fujinon Premiere PL glass.

McEntire is the owner of Mack Dawg Productions, a company known globally as one of the top action sports film companies. Mack Dawg has been producing extreme sports films since 1988. McEntire and fellow extreme sports cinematographer Jay Schweitzer started Powerband Films to collaborate on the “On the Pipe” series of freestyle motorcycle films 10 years ago. The “On the Pipe” films have been the definitive films on dirt biking since their collaboration began.

McEntire relied on the versatile 75-400mm again on a RED Epic camera to shoot the Rolex 24 GRAND-AM car race in Daytona Beach for Continental Tires. McEntire explained, “Both events required varied focal lengths. I found the 75 to 400mm range to be incredibly useful. It’s the longest range PL mount zoom lens available and with unbelievable 4K performance. Even shooting at a wide open T2.8 aperture for the Red Bull event, staged at night with serious fog to contend with, images were razor sharp edge to edge. It provided great-looking, slow motion footage that we like to use a lot.”

For the Rolex race, Continental wanted artsy footage for a one-hour television feature. “I was able to shoot all night in marginal light and produce amazing results,” McEntire described. “In the daytime, I captured high-speed action employing ND filtration to shoot wide open without any flare problems. My goal was to capture beautiful shallow depth of field material that you don’t normally see in a car race. I would’ve had a very hard time trying to do this with any other lens. Having a long zoom that performs like the FUJINON 75-400 in all types of light was a dream come true. This lens made a real difference in my images – at both events.”

Many of the events that McEntire and Schweitzer shoot are daredevil jumps, stunts and professional sports where the athlete has just one attempt to get it right. They have to nail a perfect shot every time. McEntire said, “The FUJINON 75-400 mm is absolutely the best lens I’ve ever come across for this type of work. The build quality is fantastic, with buttery smooth gearing that makes pulling focus a treat. It delivers a punchy, crisp image with black blacks and colors that pop. After such a great experience on these very demanding shoots, I’m looking forward to trying out the other two zoom lenses in the Premier series with upcoming productions.”

To view footage cinematographer Jay Schweitzer shot for the “Red Bull:New Year. No Limits.” event with the 24-180 mm Premier Series PL Mount lens, please click on the link above.

About MackDawg Productions

MackDawg Productions was formed in 1988 and has been at the forefront producing action sports content since that day. To date, Mack Dawg Productions has released over 40 films encompassing skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, dirtbiking, as well working on motion pictures, national commercial spots and TV programs. Today MDP is alive and well, focused on several documentary projects as well as continued work on high-end commercial, viral marketing and TV programming. http://www.mikemcentire.com/

About Powerband Films
With more than 30 years experience capturing the full-throttle excitement of athletic competition, Powerband Films boasts a crew of some of the top action sports cinematographers in the world. Whether shooting landscape scenics, time-lapses, or high-speed competition. On the water, in the mountains or off the road, Powerband strives to deliver a masterpiece of art and wonder using motion picture images.. Visit http://powerbandfilms.com/

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmusa.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 16 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2010, and in the year ended March 31, 2011, had global revenues of $25.8 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 86 yen to the dollar.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

FUJIFILM Optical Devices Division, 10 High Point Drive, Wayne, New Jersey 07470. Phone: 973-633-5600. Fax: 973-633-5216. Web site:www.FUJINON.com

(LOS ANGELES, CA) Kodak will present a conversation with Janusz Kaminski and Phedon Papamichael, ASC on June 1 at Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles. The panel will be held at 6 p.m. in the Paramount Theatre on the Paramount Lot.

The two world-renowned filmmakers and friends will talk about their work, challenges, inspirations, and the state of cinematography. Kaminski’s and Papamichael’s amazing credits, enviable careers and enduring friendship have left a lasting trail through Hollywood. They will discuss their careers and paths to the top of their field, and share their thoughts about the future of image making.

Kaminski has earned Oscars(r) for Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, and has shot dozens of feature films including War Horse, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Amistad. Papamichael’s extensive list of impressive credits includes the award-winning films The Descendants, The Ides of March, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line and Sideways.

Join these master cinematographers in a rare, candid and personal conversation. The discussion is free with admission to Cine Gear Expo. Advanced registration for the Expo can be done at www.cinegearexpo.com.

Directions and additional information can be found www.cinegearexpo.com.

For more information about Kodak, visit www.kodak.com/go/motion, or follow Kodak on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KodakMotionPictureFilm.

(All participants are subject to availability.)

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Media Contact:
Sally Christgau
sally@ignite.bz
415.238.2254

PORTLAND, OREGON, MAY 29, 2012 – Qualis Audio, a leading developer of professional audio measurement and monitoring instruments, with an emphasis on 5.1 surround sound, is pleased to announce today the appointment of Prism Sound as its exclusive distributor in the United Kingdom, Ireland and portions of continental Europe. The company will support sales of Qualis Audio’s Sentinel Surround Sound Audio Monitor outside of the United States, further bolstering the company’s reach to new and existing customers worldwide.
The Sentinel will be sold alongside Prism Sound’s already impressive lineup of audio equipment for applications that demand high quality and precision from manufacturers, including LOUDSOFT and Prism Sound’s own line of SADiE audio workstation software.
“This relationship with Qualis Audio is an opportunity to extend our business with both existing and new clients, by virtue of the existing Qualis Audio product line and new products in future,” says Graham Boswell, director of sales and marketing, Prism Sound. “Our customers have long been interested in the service quality and loudness monitoring that the Sentinel provides, and we are happy to provide them with this technology. A partnership with Qualis Audio, a company with a fantastic heritage in audio technology, strongly reinforces our brand and positioning. I am confident that we will be able to develop good business by working together to provide the best audio solutions for our clients.”
Doug Ordon, director of U.S. sales, Qualis Audio, says his company is happy to team up with Prism Sound. “Having a strong partner in the United Kingdom with such a stellar reputation will enable Qualis Audio to reach and educate new customers overseas. It also provides both of our companies with a chance to collaborate on future opportunities. Just as there are issues with loudness compliance here in the United States, our friends in Europe are also seeking ways to comply with EBU standards. We are happy to share the Sentinel with them as an innovative, cost-effective solution.”
Prism Sound:
1) Note To Editors
The name “Prism” is widely used in different markets and by many different companies worldwide. The Cambridge-based UK manufacturer of audio interfaces, test and measurement equipment and logging systems, to whom this press release refers, seeks to avoid commercial confusion with these other markets and companies by always using its full trading name, “Prism Sound”, in its commercial communications. To avoid further action by these companies, Prism Sound respectfully ask that this convention be followed in print and on-line media which refer to their company and products. Thank you.
2) About Prism Sound
Founded in 1987, Prism Sound manufactures high-quality professional digital audio equipment for the International broadcast, film, music production, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. In addition to Qualis, the Prism Sound product range includes SADiE digital audio workstations and location recorders. Prism Sound also manufactures audio test and measurement products including the dScope Series III audio analyzer.
For more information please visit www.sadie.com or www.prismsound.com or contact: Graham Boswell, Director of Sales & Marketing, Prism Sound group via email: Graham.boswell@prismsound.com or phone: +44 1353 648888.
About Qualis Audio
Founded in 2008, Qualis Audio is a leading developer of professional audio measurement and monitoring instruments for the broadcast industry. With an emphasis on surround, loudness and QoE, Qualis Audio is the only company in the broadcast market focused on audio measurement with roots in test and measurement.
Its flagship product, the Sentinel, is a network-connected surround sound audio monitor capable of unattended operation. In broadcast applications, it provides comprehensive measurements for CALM Act loudness compliance and QoE analysis. In addition to intelligent monitoring and archival logging, the Sentinel delivers innovative forensic and reporting capabilities. For more information visit www.qualisaudio.com.

David de Leon began his career in post production as a freelance editor in 1997. In 2009, after freelancing for several years, he launched his own post production studio – Leonfilm in Cologne, Germany. The studio specializes in TV and corporate video post production, and has garnered prominent clients like Sony Pictures FFP, Grundy Light Entertainment, UFA Entertainment and Sony Ericsson over the last three years. As de Leon’s client roster grew, so did his need for a more flexible shared storage system.

Last year Leonfilm expanded into a new studio, which David saw as the perfect opportunity to upgrade to a new SAN. He said, “Our former storage systems were closed, unstable and expensive to maintain. When we moved into the new bureau, I thought we could really use a flexible, open shared storage server that could grow alongside our company, and TerraBlock seemed like an excellent fit.”

In April 2011 David purchased the TerraBlock 24D from Systempiloten in Cologne. He shared, “TerraBlock worked perfectly from the start; it was easy to install and use. I’m definitely not a technical specialist, but a creative man, so having a system in place like TerraBlock is key. It removes the complicated IT overhead you’d typically experience with similar systems – freeing up more of our time for creativity.”

Working across three or four different Avid workstations that are all connected to the TerraBlock by Ethernet, de Leon and his team are able to sort and retrieve files to deliver projects faster. “It’s absolutely necessary for us to have a flexible, stable shared file system like TerraBlock. I’m able to sort every project into it’s own volume, which makes it easier to back up files and find projects,” de Leon said. “I can easily grab a project made in Adobe from TerraBlock, open it up in Avid to edit and then save my work to the TerraBlock. The fact that it supports programs I use every day like Pro Tools an After Effects is an added plus.”

The team relies heavily on TerraBlock to manage data flow for a variety of projects and constantly fills TerraBlock to the brim. “No matter how full our TerraBlock is, it continues to perform solidly; there is no drop in performance whatsoever. We’ve had nothing but good experiences so far,” he added.

For each new project de Leon also contracts freelancers who must learn how to use TerraBlock before beginning a project. Impressed with its ease of use he explained, “It’s absolutely crucial that I have a system our freelancers can pick up and run with easily; TerraBlock only takes about two minutes to explain, and is straightforward to operate.”

“As our work advances and industry formats evolve, it’s good to know that we have a solution in place with the option for Fibre and Ethernet connectivity. If we’d like to work on HD films shot in RED, we can. That’s a great feeling,” he concluded.

About TerraBlock
Facilis TerraBlock is a multi-platform, high-capacity, shared storage system for post production and content creation. It fosters collaboration, supporting Fibre channel and Ethernet, volume and file-level control on multiple OS platforms.

About Facilis Technology
Facilis Technology, Inc. was founded in 2003 to bring advanced shared storage to television and film post production at a reasonable price. The company designs and builds high-capacity, turnkey solutions that are open, flexible and scalable; enabling content creators to collaborate and work more efficiently. http://facilis.com/

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