Archive for May, 2012

Hollywood, CA, May 24, 2012 — Veteran entertainment executive Alex Lang has joined Play Creative TV as Executive Producer and Creative Director, it was announced today by Play Creative TV’s President and Chief Creative Officer, Michael Victor, to whom Lang will report. In his new role, Lang will be responsible for growing the business and continuing to produce the award-winning television promotion Play is known for. This will include network launch campaigns, sales presentations, and episodic promotion.

Victor said, “We couldn’t be happier to have Alex on the Play team, he is a true leader in the industry. From his unique creative view to his ability to execute arresting, award-winning spots, Alex brings an arsenal of talent.”

Lang added, “I’m thrilled to be working with Michael (Victor) and the wonderful creative team at Play. The work that Play is producing is among the boldest and best in the industry.”

Prior to joining Play, Lang was Vice President of Creative at the male-skewing cable network, G4. In that role, he oversaw all network branding and promotion, interstitial programming, on-air graphics, print and digital marketing.

Previous positions include Creative Director, On-Air Promotion at ABC. There, he oversaw all reality and comedy promotion and sales presentations.

Lang began his marketing and promotion career as a Writer/Producer at The WB Network.

Lang holds an MFA in Poetry from Antioch University and a BA from the University of Southern California.

ABOUT PLAY CREATIVE

Play Creative is a premiere creative agency, specializing in world-class television promotion, launch campaigns and sales presentations. Located in the heart of Hollywood, Play is a full-service marketing company with an emphasis on bold, genre-defining creative and exceptional client service.

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Mura MPX boards to capture and display an array of input sources—including an Avio-powered, remote multi-display desktop—across four (2×2) 55-inch LCD monitors

Montreal, Canada — Matrox Graphics announced today that Mura MPX video wall controller boards and an Avio F120 KVM extender will jointly drive a high-performance 2×2 video wall designed for collaborative visualization environments at InfoComm 2012, booth # N1331. Mura MPX boards, the first PCI Express x16 Gen2 board class to feature both HD resolution inputs and outputs, will capture a wide range of input sources including a digital media receiver, an IP camera, a Blu-ray Disc™ player, and an Avio-powered, remote multi-display desktop—delivering uncompressed dual-DVI video at up to 2000 meters from its host computer—and display them across four of Mitsubishi’s newest 55-inch Super Narrow Bezel LCD monitors. Samuel Recine, Matrox Graphics Director of Sales for America and Asia Pacific, will also be delivering a presentation on the various benefits and compromises of the market’s leading split-computing approaches for display wall visualization and collaboration at the InfoComm Manufacturers’ Training session on Wednesday, June 13 from 8:30-10:00 AM, room N210.

Also at InfoComm 2012, Matrox will showcase the recently launched DualHead2Go Digital SE external multi-display adapter. The DualHead2Go Digital SE allows system integrators to add two monitors to a notebook or desktop PC and leverage the system’s existing GPU to deliver a cost-effective multi-display platform for Pro AV and digital signage installations. Users can further expand their onscreen real estate by connecting a second DualHead2Go Digital SE to support up to four monitors from a single system.

Matrox Video Products Group will also be on hand showcasing cost-effective HD-SDI scan converters, versatile mini-converters, and the new Matrox MicroQuad four-channel SDI to HDMI multiviewer.

For more information about Matrox multi-display graphics technologies, visit booth # N1331 at InfoComm 2012, or contact Matrox Graphics to book an appointment in advance.

Free Show Pass: For a complimentary show pass, visit www.matrox.com/infocomm2012/free_show_pass.

What: InfoComm 2012

When: Wednesday, June 13 – Friday, June 15, 2012

Where:
Booth#: N1331
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada USA

About Matrox Graphics Inc.
Matrox Graphics is a leading manufacturer of graphics solutions for professional markets. In-house design expertise, top-to-bottom manufacturing, and dedicated customer support make our solutions the premier choice in industries that require stable, high-reliability products. Matrox is a privately held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

For more information, visit www.matrox.com/graphics/infocomm2012 or contact graphics@matrox.com.

Matrox and Matrox product names are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Matrox Electronic Systems, Ltd. and/or Matrox Graphics Inc. in Canada and/or other countries.
All other company and product names are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of their respective owners.

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Universal City, California, May 23, 2012—Larry Birstock has been appointed General Manager of Universal Studios Digital Services, the on-lot picture post-production group. In this newly created position, Mr. Birstock will oversee the facility’s operations, administration and sales activities.

“Larry’s depth of experience is a great addition to our skilled team,” said Michael Daruty, Senior Vice-President, Technical Operations. “He has a tremendous track record of success with both the creative and technical aspects of post-production.”

Mr. Birstock said, “I am excited to be a part of this talented group at Universal. Digital Services maintains a high level of technical expertise joined with great customer service.”

Mr. Birstock’s career has spanned senior executive positions at leading post-production companies such as Post Logic, Technicolor and Deluxe. In these leadership roles, he has been responsible for growing established post facilities and launching new companies in the US, UK and India.

Universal Studios Digital Services offers Film Scanning, Color Correction, Digital Intermediates, DCP Creation, Editing, Digital Restoration, Video Duplication & Conversion, Digital Effects, Quality Control and Video Encoding services for independent projects, television, features and trailers. The facility is also responsible for the preservation and restoration of the Universal film library and plays a central role in the Studios’ Centennial project. This project involves the extensive restoration of 100 of the studio’s most beloved titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, All Quiet on The Western Front, Jaws, The Sting, Out of Africa, Frankenstein and Jaws.
For more information, please visit www.filmmakersdestination.com.

Universal Studios Digital Services is a unit of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

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C100 Delivers Audio Excitement for International Horse Racing Broadcast

PARIS – Solid State Logic is pleased to announce that C100 HDS Digital Broadcast Consoles have been installed in three new HD OB vehicles to capture the audio excitement for live horse racing events for G.T.H.P. (Groupement Technique des Hippodromes Parisiens) in France. The company provides technical resources and staff for live-to-air and re-transmission media coverage of horse racing events for the Equidia TV channel locally as well as for international distribution. All three HD OB vehicles feature a single C100 frame fitted with two independent ‘consoles,’ each with completely separate master sections and associated fader bays (one 24+8 and one 16+8). The configuration means that two operators can be co-located, with independent operating environments but with an SSL MORSE Router enabling them to share audio assets. This unique configuration helps the operators handle extremely demanding production challenges and schedules.

SSL C100 HDS in one of the GTHP HD OB Trucks

Cypress, California – FOR-A Company Limited, a leading manufacturer of video and audio systems for the broadcast and professional video industries, will debut the FT-ONE full 4K high resolution variable frame rate camera—the world’s first full 4K super slow motion camera—Booth S320 at Cine Gear Expo, which runs from June 1-2 at The Studios @ Paramount in Hollywood. Now in its 16th year, Cine Gear Expo is the premier film, video, and digital media expo for the entertainment industry.

Harnessing the power of a state-of-the-art, FOR-A originally developed, high-sensitivity CMOS color sensor “FT1-CMOS”, the FT-ONE records and plays back full 4K (4096 x 2160) film look imagery. To achieve its full 4K super slow motion (“super slomo”) capabilities, the FT-ONE will record up to 1,000 frames per second.

Images are captured as uncompressed raw data on the system’s internal (RAM) memory, which has a recording capacity of 8.5 seconds. This data is then stored on one of two hot-swappable SSD cartridges. Each cartridge is capable of storing 75 seconds of full 4K resolution images, enabling up to 150 seconds with a maximum of two SSD cartridges.

The FT-ONE is capable of simultaneously recording and playing back in full 4K resolution. At the user’s preference, one output channel can provide either full 4K output, or four 1080p HD-SDI outputs; while the other output channel provides down-converted HD-SDI for live viewing and the control menu.

“While digital cinematography has been widely adopted within the motion picture production and post production communities, there has been a technology gap—the ability to record super slow motion image at full 4K resolution,” said Hiro Tanoue, President for FOR-A Corporation of America. “The new FT-ONE completes the 4K workflow by introducing this ability, with the high-level performance this application demands. We chose Cine Gear Expo as the venue for our breakthrough announcement since this event draws key decision makers and creatives seeking the latest solutions for high-end entertainment production. With the FT-ONE camera rolling, they can rest assured they won’t miss that critical action shot.”

The FT-ONE camera uses a PL mount lens and the global shutter system makes the FT-ONE free from the picture distortion caused by the rolling shutter system. The FT-ONE is designed as a self-contained unit that is dependable and easy to use. It weights 7kg in a size of 235mm(W)x294mm(H)x384mm(D).

About FOR-A

FOR-A is a major manufacturer and distributor of video and audio systems to the broadcast, postproduction and professional video markets. For more information about FOR-A’s product line, call 714-894-3311 or visit our web site at www.for-a.com.

DC-Area Complex Alleviates Dulles Flight Path Noise

CHANTILLY, VA. One of the largest TV production/post-production facilities in the Washington DC area, TeleProductions, Inc. (TPI) has produced and distributed TV programming for international broadcast, cable, satellite and new media audiences for over thirty years. Now headquartered in a new building directly beneath the Dulles Airport flight path, TPI has completed significant upgrades enabling them to branch out into new production opportunities. These include an expansive new music production live room, shared by two spacious control rooms, and a 1,750 square foot shooting stage with a dedicated audio control room. They also required an acoustic treatment program to alleviate persistent airport-related noise. To address all these issues, TPI called NY-based Walters-Storyk Design Group.

WSDG partner/project manager Joshua Morris reports that the design plan included a central machine room (CMR), several edit rooms for post-production work, a production suite comprised of a studio, control room and an isolation booth and two self-contained edit suites for external clients. WSDG also developed a spacious conference room and a small 30-seat screening room, which included a surround system and speaker wall.

“The most significant issue we faced during the design process was TPI’s proximity to the Dulles Airport flight path,” Morris says. “Acoustic isolation had to be maintained across the entire frequency spectrum, but specifically low frequencies. Fortunately, in addition to our standard isolated ceiling lid, the building’s 24 ft. ceiling height was more than adequate for a second ‘non-isolated’ lid, thereby increasing the isolation and achieving our target quietness level. This second lid also functions as a mechanical mezzanine enabling workers to access ductwork and equipment as needed. The implementation of these design elements enabled us to virtually eliminate air traffic noise interference from TPI’s production/post-production complex,” Morris explains.

Because TPI operators typically work standing up in studio control rooms, WSDG designed an elevated platform system enabling the consoles to be installed at this appropriate height. WSDG also developed a raised access floor system to ensure easy access to the extensive AV cables that run through the facility. This solution not only served to facilitate access, but also helped reroute AV cables from interference inducing power cables. Moreover, it eased construction coordination, as empty conduits were not required to share mechanical or lighting equipment space.

WSDG worked closely with local architect Sal Poulton of Gileau-Poulton Architects in Woodbridge, VA.

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Photos: 1. TPI Shooting Stage with isolated acoustic lid
2. TPI floor plan.

Walters-Storyk Design Group has designed over 3000 media production facilities in the U.S., Europe, the Far East and Latin America. WSDG credits range from the original Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studio in Greenwich Village to NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center performance complex, broadcast facilities for The Food Network, CBS and WNET, over twenty teaching studios for The Art Institutes around the US, and corporate clients such as Hoffman La Roche. Recent credits include Jungle City, NY’s major new destination studio; private studios for Green Day, Jay-Z, Timbaland’s Tim Mosley, film composer Carter Burwell, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys. WSDG principals John Storyk, Beth Walters, and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications. WSDG is a seven-time winner of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design, including 2012 for Jungle City. WSDG maintains offices in NY, SF, Miami, Argentina, Brazil, Beijing, Germany, Mexico City, Spain and Switzerland.

Facilities Across Europe, US and China Create Fire-Breathing Dragons, Set Extensions of Westeros and More for HBO’s Highly Acclaimed Series

Los Angeles, CA (May 22, 2012) — International visual effects company Pixomondo is the primary VFX provider for the second season of HBO’s award-winning fantasy television series “Game of Thrones” created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Season two features ten, one-hour episodes and premiered on April 1, 2012. Under the guidance of show VFX supervisor, Pixomondo’s Rainer Gombos, and Pixomondo visual effects supervisor Juri Stanossek, the ambitious project is led by the company’s Stuttgart facility, one of 12 Pixomondo studios around the world.

After the filming in Belfast, Croatia and Iceland for about 150 shooting days was complete, plates were turned over to Pixomondo. Though episodes were tackled primarily in order, Pixomondo began prepping the more difficult, VFX-heavy shots long before plates were received. On set, Gombos used storyboards and had an on-site previs team as well as a production designer so the shots were fully visualized before the cameras started rolling. Many of these complicated shots involved dragons, which were first revealed in the season one finale.

“The dragons mature this season so their look is more fierce,” Gombos explained. “In the first season, the dragons are freshly hatched so they are more delicate. We changed the proportions up a bit and made the spikes more prominent so the dragons are much more menacing now.”

Pixomondo’s renowned creature specialist, Dan Katcher, who works out of the company’s Burbank office and designed many of the dinosaurs in ‘Terra Nova,’ helped to model the new dragons. The Pixomondo team in Frankfurt tweaked the designs further and provided the animation to realistically bring the dragons to life.

In addition to creating the dragons, Pixomondo also did a substantial amount of set extensions, battle augmentation and some additional creature work. The on-set production designer helped develop the look of the sweeping shots. Then Pixomondo was tasked with capturing the essence of Westeros, the fictional continent in which the series takes place.

For the first season of “Game of Thrones,” dogs were substituted for the direwolves, an unusually large and intelligent species of wolf in Westeros. In the second season, actual wolves were used. Using a variety of filming tricks and techniques, the shots were augmented to make the wolves appear larger and then composited with the background and actor passes for the final shots.

“The entire process of filming the wolves was quite complicated and required a great amount of precision, but the final shots with the supersized wolves really deliver the right impact,” said Gombos.

Nine of Pixomondo’s twelve facilities contributed to the project. Stuttgart served as the lead and did most of the set extension work and matte paintings as well as creature work and some CG gore. Frankfurt created the dragons and Berlin worked on shots featuring fluid simulations. London and Burbank handled compositing and 3D work though Beijing composited the shots with the direwolves and was also responsible for some of the long establishing shots as well as crowd replication and matte paintings. Munich, Hamburg and Shanghai assisted with compositing, with Shanghai also contributing to 3D shots.

Episode turnaround time has varied greatly depending on the complexity of the work. Unlike many shows, principal photography was mostly complete when the plates were turned over to Pixomondo in December 2011. Delivery of episodes has ranged anywhere from six weeks to four months and episodes feature anywhere from 60 to over 140 VFX shots.

In addition to Pixomondo, Gombos enlisted two outside vendors, Baked FX and Entity FX, to work on about 250 shots. The companies handled mostly paint fixes and cleanup, as well as some rain and snow augmentation.

ABOUT PIXOMONDO
Pixomondo is an international visual effects company boasting 24-hour production capabilities, sharing projects across a global network of 12 facilities in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, London, Munich, Burbank, Toronto, Hamburg and Baton Rouge, LA. Founded by CEO Thilo Kuther in 2001, Pixomondo has created visual effects for more than 30 feature films including Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Red Tails, Sucker Punch, Super 8, Fast Five, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, 2012 and HUGO. The company is currently in production on VFX for Snow White and the Huntsman and The Amazing Spider-Man, and on TV series including Game of Thrones, Hawaii 5-O and Grimm. In addition to visual effects, Pixomondo delivers the full range of creative, production and post services required to produce design-driven storytelling for commercials.
http://www.pixomondo.com

NEW YORK, May 23, 2012 – HBO Archives® announces the launch of The Premiere Collection, the newest addition to its clip licensing library. This extensive collection is comprised of exclusive b-roll and outtakes from HBO Series, HBO Films & HBO Mini-Series. This material is available now for licensing to all types of productions, including commercials, documentaries and feature films.
“The quality of our Premiere Collection comes from some of the highest profile HBO projects of the last 25 years,” said Barbara Thomas, Senior Vice President, HBO Archives. “Widely recognized as the world’s most successful premium television network, HBO is making b-roll and outtake clips from its culture-defining, award-winning original series and films available to the production community. The collection contains premium shot, film-backed and HD-native footage of iconic landmarks, establishing shots, stunt sequences, period recreations, nature and lifestyles.
Examples of the unique material available includes recreations of life during the late 1700’s from John Adams, iconic Los Angeles scenic shots from Entourage®, voting imagery from Recount, cattle ranches from Temple Grandin, sweeping aerials of the Midwest Plains from Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and London landmarks from The Special Relationship.
Honored with virtually every major programming award including the Emmy’s®, Oscars®, Golden Globes® and Peabody’s, HBO has long been known for its uncompromising commitment to quality and innovation in live event programming, journalism and storytelling. HBO Archives is a full-service stock footage library for commercial/professional media use. In addition to The Premiere Collection collection, the library also offers sports, contemporary stock, entertainment news, archival and royalty-free wildlife footage. The footage available is wide-ranging, culled from images shot around the globe covering more than three decades. Images from these impressive collections are available for licensing directly through HBO Archives.
The website offers, high-speed dual footage & text searches, as well as the ability to view and download video clips.
Learn more at www.hboarchives.com/contemporary, or call 877-426-1121 toll-free, or email footage@hboarchives.com.

Bury St Edmunds, UK: 23 May 2012 – The Vitec Group plc (“Vitec”), the international provider of products and services for the broadcast, photographic, and MAG (military, aerospace and government) markets, has appointed Matt Danilowicz as CEO of its Vitec Videocom division. He replaces Joop Janssen who has held the role since 2003, and is moving on to become CEO of EVS Broadcast Equipment.

Danilowicz has demonstrated incisive leadership in the broadcast industry, working with a number of major manufacturers. Within Vitec Videocom, Danilowicz was CEO of Clear-Com for five years until 2010, and at the beginning of 2012 he returned to head Bexel, the US-based rental and services company. Alongside his appointment as divisional CEO, Bexel is being merged with Vitec Videocom, and he will align the two organisations, strengthening still further the focus on the broadcast and professional video market, which is a core element of the Vitec Group’s three market strategy.

For the immediate future, Danilowicz will be based at Bexel’s head office in Los Angeles. To support him there is an addition to the Vitec Videocom senior management team. Paul Watson joins the division following a 20 year career in a range of industries, based in Germany and Switzerland as well as the UK. His primary role is as General Manager, Supports, overseeing the work of Vitec’s brands O’Connor, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec, based in the Bury St Edmunds offices in the UK. As a member of the senior management team he will also provide support for Danilowicz in European time zones.

“Over the last nine years Joop Janssen has driven growth and market share for the Vitec Videocom brands,” said Stephen Bird, CEO of the Vitec Group. “We thank him for his many achievements and wish him well as his career progresses. Matt Danilowicz is one of the most accomplished managers in our industry, which is why we worked so hard to bring him back into the Vitec Group to head Bexel. He is the natural choice to take Vitec Videocom on to the next level.”

Matt Danilowicz added, “Under Joop’s guidance, Vitec Videocom has become one of the most exciting companies in our industry, packed with innovative brands that are part of the fabric of the industry. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Joop for the success he has brought to the company. I am relishing the challenge of taking it to the next level maximising the customer proposition of Vitec Videocom by building on those brands to develop complete solutions around the camera.”

Danilowicz formally takes up the role of divisional CEO on 1 August 2012. Until that date he is working closely with Joop Janssen to ensure a smooth transition and a seamless handover. Paul Watson joins the business on 11 June 2012. While continuing to drive the Staging business, fellow Vitec divisional CEO Jerry Gepner will also assist Matt with key advice and counsel during the transition.

About Vitec Videocom

Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol Bags, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business.

Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.

Vitec Videocom – innovative products around the camera.

Prestigious French broadcaster leverages Orad 3DPlay enterprise graphics solution for channel branding
 
May 23, 2012 — Orad is pleased to announce that French broadcaster TF1 has implemented Orad’s 3DPlay channel branding solution across all of its channels. The new Orad graphics installation, which consists of four Orad 3DPlay systems, provides TF1 with a much more flexible on-air graphics production workflow. “With its many advantages in broadcasting as well as in production, the Orad 3DPlay solution will last us for quite some time,” says Olivier Dusautoir, TF1’s Assistant Director of Broadcasting and Networks. “Operators can now play video content with the graphical overlay using the preview mode, before it is aired. On the master control room’s side, the operator can also see and preview the content that is lined up for broadcast.”
 
Orad 3DPlay is a graphic template controller solution that relies on user created actions to trigger graphic templates to air such as: coming up next, promo over credits, squeeze back video, multiple tickers, and any other type of channel branding graphics. 3DPlay features include user management, customizable metadata forms, and logic-based script-free graphics, all in an intuitive user interface.
 
TF1 has implemented 3DPlay as part of its core playout workflow. With 3DPlay, programming/traffic operators scheduling daily shows can assign graphic events and preview them on top of the actual video, allowing them to verify the composited image before publishing it. Once the playlist is loaded into TF1’s automation system, 3DPlay verifies the availability of the graphic events and continuously notifies automation of the event status. 3DPlay is triggered by automation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 
“We are pleased that TF1 has joined the long list of distinguished customers who have chosen 3DPlay as their channel branding solution,” said Avi Sharir, CEO and President of Orad. “Orad has built its product line and reputation by listening to customers. Our graphics systems are designed to manage any situation, from a simple one-channel operation to an enterprise graphics multi-channel workflow like TF1. They simplify complex workflows as well as provide comprehensive packages to facilitate a professional look with minimal resources.”
 
About Orad Hi-Tec Systems
Orad Hi-Tec Systems is a world-leading provider of real-time 3D broadcast graphic, video server, and media asset management solutions including news, channel branding, sports production and enhancement, elections and special events, virtual studios, and virtual advertisement. Orad’s compelling solutions streamline production workflow, enhance viewer experience, and improve production value. Founded in 1993, Orad is a public company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (OHT). More information is available at http://www.orad.tv/.
 
For further information contact:
ORAD Hi-Tec Systems Ltd
Ofir Benovici
Vice President Marketing
ofirb(at)orad(dot)tv
 
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