Archive for August 21st, 2012

XL Events, working with Premier PR, supplied LED for the London premiere of ‘Total Recall’ starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel.

Premier PR designed a “red carpet” experience which complemented the futuristic look of the movie. To achieve the right look, Premier called on the expertise of XL Project Manager, Mark Rooney, to specify and supply the LED.

Pixled’s versatile FX-11 LED was chosen due to its high brightness, and suitability for outdoor use – a must given the unpredictable British weather.

In total 150 tiles of FX-11 LED were used. 128 tiles formed the Total Recall stage backdrop where the movie’s stars appeared for the fans and paparazzi in Leicester Square, and were interviewed by Alex Zane.

A further 22 tiles of FX-11 were used to front the booth for the DJ who played as the stars arrived.

XL Events’ Mark Rooney comments: “It was a pleasure working with Premier PR on this event. We had a great team of highly-experienced LED engineers, led by XL’s Steve Grinceri, who ensured that the quick rig and even quicker de-rig ran smoothly, which was essential for a premiere in a central London location.”

Company releases enhanced Dolby E suite with broad platform support


MINNETONKA, MN — Minnetonka Audio Software, Inc., a leader in production software for motion picture, broadcast surround sound and consumer electronics applications, announced today a new 2.1 release of their SurCode for Dolby E family of software encoders and decoders. They also announced a new 2.0 release of their SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player purpose-built for Apple’s Final Cut Pro.

Dolby E is the industry standard method of transporting multichannel digital audio across an asset’s entire post-production life cycle, and SurCode for Dolby E is the industry’s benchmark for file-based processing of Dolby E. The new version 2.1 of SurCode for Dolby E encoder and decoder now embraces all of Avid’s professional applications with enhanced Dolby E capabilities, while retaining complete interoperability with legacy Dolby E hardware. Both 32 and 64 bit versions of Mac OS & Windows are supported, and SurCode for Dolby E is the only product line that addresses Dolby E workflows across virtually all of Avid’s professional platforms and products.

The SurCode for Dolby E suite supports Avid’s Pro Tools, Media Composer, NewsCutter and Symphony product lines, with an AudioSuite encoder/decoder and an RTAS decoder. VST 2.4 is also supported on 32 and 64 bit, surround-capable hosts including Nuendo, Fairlight and Sequoia. One license will run all versions on any platform. A new time saving Mixdown feature for Media Composer, Symphony and NewsCutter allows you to apply the RTAS decoder, in a faster-than-real time capacity, to a multichannel bus. This not only decodes the audio but automatically creates a multichannel track and prints the decoded PCM audio to that track.

SurCode for Dolby E 2.1 also acknowledges Apple’s Final Cut Pro, with an Export Plug-in for FCP 6 and 7. In addition to the SurCode for Dolby E 2.1 encoder and decoder, an all new 2.0 AU version of the SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player adds support for Final Cut Pro. SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player is available separately or bundled with the full SurCode for Dolby E Encoder and Decoder. SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player, for Avid, VST and Final Cut, is the lowest cost Dolby E solution for decoding, monitoring and quality control. With easy plug and play operation, no audio output reconfiguration is required. SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player also works with Media Composer, NewsCutter and Pro Tools, as well as qualified VST hosts. This makes Dolby E decoding available to a wide range of stereo post environments.

Increased efficiency and broader platform support sums up the design goals for the 2.1 release. John Schur, President of Minnetonka Audio, was encouraged by the response from dealers and end user to the new update. “With a wealth of usability enhancements, the addition of Media Composer and NewsCutter support, and the special Stream Player version for Final Cut, I think we’ve delivered the strongest and most comprehensive Dolby E solution available,” he said. “IBC is just around the corner and we’ll be featuring SurCode for Dolby E with demos on all partner platforms.”

Version 2.1 of SurCode for Dolby E Encoder and Decoder and version 2.0 of SurCode for Dolby E Stream Player are no-charge upgrades for existing license holders, and how-to videos are available for the Apple and Avid use cases. The latest releases will be available, as individual products and value–focused bundles, through Minnetonka Audio’s international network of resellers and system integrators. For in-depth information on the SurCode for Dolby E family of products and all of Minnetonka Audio’s offerings, visit minnetonkaaudio dot com on the web or call Minnetonka Audio at 1-952-449-6481 or 49-2162-1062622.

About Minnetonka Audio Software
An award winning solutions provider for motion picture, video, broadcast, game, and optical disc production, Minnetonka Audio Software creates essential technology for top media professionals around the world. Their SurCode, discWelder and revolutionary AudioTools Server product lines broadly support the CD, DVD, BD and DTV standards. The company is a leading provider of OEM audio codec licensing, as well as file-based QC and loudness control. Spanning over two decades of operation and based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka Audio Software, Inc. has a subsidiary in Germany in addition to an international network of distributors and channel partners who share their commitment to quality and service.

SurCode, SurCode for Dolby E and the Minnetonka Audio Software logo are trademarks of Minnetonka Audio Software, Incorporated. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Minnetonka Audio Software, Inc.
17113 Minnetonka Blvd STE 300
Minnetonka MN 55345
www.minnetonkaaudio.com

xaitment’s new educational pricing and a partnership with Studica makes it easier for students to learn advanced game AI

Quierschied, Germany – August 6, 2012 – xaitment, the creators of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) software for video game and simulation developers, today announced that it has launched new Educational Pricing for it’s Unity plug-ins and will be partnering with Studica to help with distribution. Starting today, universities, other educational institutions and individual students around the world can get both packages, xaitMap and xaitControl for Unity, at greatly discounted prices.

”Students are the foundation of our game development future, and AI is a growing area of interest for game development,” said Mike Walsh, CEO of xaitment. “We looked at several different options for making our products available to the educational market and Studica was the obvious choice. Studica has a worldwide reach and they are already partnering with some of our closest partners.”

“Studica is excited to add xaitment to our offering for the education market. We are always looking for the most progressive software and xaitment fits in perfectly with our initiative to bring game design to students in the classroom and at home.” Frank Nanfara, Studica President and CEO.

The intuitive interface of xaitment’s products, and the visual editors for NavMesh generation, pathfinding, movement, character behavioral model and game logic, were designed to get new and established developers up and running quickly with game AI development. Those same product principles, coupled with more attractive educational pricing, will help game development students learn advanced AI techniques before they enter the job market.

xaitment’s AI software sprang from the labs of the renowned German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, and the company has continued to work closely with universities around the world. Some of its educational partners include SMU Guildhall, the Institute of Technology in Carlow, The University of Advancing Technology, and the University of Saarland.

To take advantage of the new Educational Pricing, educational institutions can either contact xaitment or visit the Studica website (www.studica.com).

For xaitment:
Mike Walsh
mike.walsh@xaitment.com

About xaitment GmbH / Inc.
Founded in Germany in 2004 as an offshoot of the renowned German Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (DHKI), xaitment creates and sells artificial intelligence (AI) software to video game and simulation developers. Its full products are optimized for Windows®, Linux®, Xbox360®, and PLAYSTATION®3. xaitment also offers plug-ins for Unity 3D that are available via its webstore. All of xaitment’s AI software enables developers, through runtime libraries and easy-to-use graphical user editors, to create automatic navigation mesh builds, intelligent movement behaviors, crowd simulations, and hierarchical probabilistic finite state machines for realistic game logic and character behavioral modeling. More information on xaitment can be found on www.xaitment.com, Twitter (@xaitTicker), Facebook and YouTube (xaitChannel).

About Studica

Studica is the education source for software and technology products. Studica offers academic software at significant discounts to Students, Faculty and Schools. Utilizing a focused approach, Studica has outside and inside sales personnel, and an intuitive e-commerce site, an informative blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter feeds that work effectively together to serve the education community. Serving local and world education markets Studica has offices in the US, Canada, UK, Brazil, Greece, Denmark, Hungary, Australia, Mexico, and India with more planned in the near future.

© 2012. xaitment GmbH. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owner(s).

Korn shook up the rock world at the end of 2011 when the L.A.-based band released its tenth studio album, “Path of Totality,” featuring collaborations with a host of dubstep producers including multiple Grammy Award-winner Skrillex. Now, Korn frontman Jonathan Davis is doubling down on his recent statement that “North American dubstep is the new electronic heavy metal” through a side project, Killbot, and a solo project under his DJ name, J Devil, recording into a laptop on the road and in the studio, using Antelope Audio’s new Eclipse 384 converter, master clock and monitor controller.

Davis recently added the Eclipse 384 AD/DA converter in order to streamline his mobile production rig after spotting it on the Antelope Audio web site. The 384 kHz A-to-D/D-to-A converter is clocked using the same Oven Controlled Clock and 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking technology that is implemented in Antelope Audio’s renowned Trinity Master Clock. The Eclipse 384 offers additional features conducive to mobile production applications, including two dedicated headphone amplifiers and a custom USB interface, as well as two large peak meters on the front panel. In order to simplify operation, users can create up to five custom presets of favorite setups via the system’s OS X- and Windows-compatible software control panel that may then be recalled from the Eclipse 384’s front panel.

“This is all I’ve got now; I used to have racks of stuff,” says Davis, who records vocals, guitar and bass into an Apple MacBook Pro through a signal chain comprising little more than the Antelope Eclipse 384, an API Channel Strip and a Shure microphone. “It’s basically my studio all in one box. It’s the best interface I’ve used. I love that everything is right there,” he says of the Eclipse.

Davis, who has been performing DJ sets using the moniker J Devil, is a longtime aficionado of electronic dance music (EDM), and has been producing dubstep-influenced remixes for rock and electronic artists for several years. Having started creating EDM on his laptop “for fun,” Davis has now teamed up with dubstep producers and fellow metal-heads Sluggo and Tyler Blue to form Killbot, a “metalstep” collaboration that has signed to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak dance record label and has announced plans to release a four-track EP. There is also a J Devil solo EP in the works.

Davis has jumped into EDM production with both feet, making use of every waking minute to create new music for all of his projects. “Making electronic music and learning to produce and learning my new instrument—laptop, I call it—has been an amazing thing,” he told Billboard.com recently. “After every Korn show I come offstage, take a shower and I start writing.”

By utilizing high-grade audio production equipment such as the Antelope Eclipse 384, Davis is able to produce release-ready masters right there on the tour bus or the hotel room. “The Eclipse is essential, because it gives me everything I need to work on the road and not just make a demo. The stuff I actually do on the road I keep and it sounds great—it’s not just a demo that I have to rework or re-record later,” he says.

August 21, 2012 – RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, a member of RTL group, has expanded its use of Orad solutions for its broadcast graphics production. The Orad-driven workflow now includes the Orad HDVG video graphics rendering platform, Maestro on-air graphics suite, 3DPlay controller, 3DWeather weather prediction system and ProSet virtual studio to power the distinct on-air look for all of RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg’s programs including news, sports, finance, magazines, election productions, and more.
 
“With one general hardware platform for all graphics tasks – Orad’s HDVG – we are able to achieve maximum efficiency. The power of this workstation is unmatched. We produce daily on-air, weather, and interactive graphics with the iPad and, soon, also virtual shows. The modularity of the system helped us face all upcoming tasks by going step by step. We are very satisfied and are looking forward to the new challenge of virtual studio production,” said Jacques van Luijk, Head of Productions at RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg.
 
RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, Luxembourg’s largest private TV channel, originally chose Orad’s solutions after observing how other RTL stations utilize Orad solutions to achieve their sophisticated graphics look efficiently.
 
RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg adopted Orad’s Maestro on-air graphics suite for its main news program, “De Journal,” and for its daily news programs, transmitted 24 hours a day via DVB-T, cable and satellite. Orad’s 3DPlay graphics controller was successfully added shortly afterwards for RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg’s election productions. With the ambition to make the election productions unique, Orad’s Interact with iPad support was added to give on-air personalities the ability to interact with graphics directly from their iPads. Today, 3DPlay and Interact with iPad support are used in many productions, such as news, to display important information on show charts.
 
RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg also relies daily on Orad’s 3DWeather weather prediction system, integrated with Meteomedia, one of Europe’s leading weather providers, for the main evening weather programs as well as the shorter magazine weather format shows.
 
In August 2012, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg will extend its use of Orad solutions by implementing ProSet, Orad’s virtual studio solution, for its weather production.
 
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 on Orad’s website.
 
For further information contact:
Orad Hi-Tec Systems Ltd
Ofir Benovici
Vice President Marketing
ofirb@orad.tv
 
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The Story of California’s State Parks Premieres Nationally in Fall 2012

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) Award-winning production company Backcountry Pictures‘ latest project, California Forever, will air nationally on PBS stations throughout fall 2012, beginning in California in September (click here for air dates). California Forever is a two-part television special that eloquently tells the moving story of California’s magnificent state parks from 1864 until present day. The program has won a number of regional and environmental film festival honors in the run up to its broadcast premiere.

Known for telling compelling stories with stunning imagery, California Forever further solidifies Backcountry Pictures’ reputation for producing programs with high-end production values. Oscar(r)-nominated director-writer David Vassar, Backcountry Pictures co-founder and producer Sally Kaplan, and cinematographer Christopher Tufty capture the arresting visuals of California’s state park in two, one-hour documentaries.

Episode one of California Forever highlights the discovery and creation of California’s state parks system, taking viewers on a scenic, cultural and historical tour of California’s state parks. The second episode presents the very real challenges that the state parks are currently facing, including habitat destruction by overuse; protection of native species at the expense of recreation; reclaiming industrial brown fields to create new parks in dense urban areas; and park closures.

California Forever was produced over two years, and comprised 70-plus days of shooting at over 45 state parks, including complex indoor settings such as Hearst Castle and the California Railroad Museum, as well as vast outdoor spaces like Yosemite and the California Coast. From the majesty of Lake Tahoe to the arid inspiration of the Anza Borrego Desert, the filmmakers bring the vibrant California State Parks to life.

“I am inspired by the natural world and our creative challenge is to infuse passive scenery with character as well as a story that builds through each episode,” says Vassar, whose credits include Discover Hetch Hetchy, the award-winning film hosted/narrated by Harrison Ford, which served as the centerpiece for the Environmental Defense Fund campaign to restore the lost valley in Yosemite National Park. “To have the ability to take this historical and in-depth look at the incomparable California parks system was an amazing opportunity. With California Forever, we hope to encourage viewers to explore the state parks, not just in California but across the country. There are so many right in your own neighborhood.”

The Backcountry Pictures’ filmmaking team has a history of using the latest, most innovative production tools and pathways. Their film Spirit of Yosemite (2001) broke ground in its use of digital technology together with 35mm film, garnering “best special venue program” at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, as well as screening for two consecutive years at the Cannes International Film Festival for its “outstanding achievement in digital cinema.” In Grand Teton National Park, Backcountry created three “Video Rivers.” The short HD programs are projected up from the basement onto glass panels set in the floor of the visitor center – the audience walks on the screens.

Continuing with this high-end imagery tradition, Backcountry captured California Forever with RED cameras in 4K giving the filmmakers stunning images and a future-proof master. “I believe that we are in an era of a quickly evolving toolset that will continue to support stories – be they narrative or documentary,” notes Vassar. “With each new project, we push the technology a bit closer to the edge. No matter what the resolution or the technology, the star of our programs remains story, story, story.”

Backcountry Pictures shares a light moment while shooting California Forever at Point Lobos State Natural Preserve. From left to right, Camera Assistant-Josh Heller, Sound Recordist-Fred Runner, Director-David Vassar, Director of Photography-Christopher Tufty. CREDIT: Photo by Joeann Edmonds-Matthew – (c)2011

# # #

To view the trailer for California Forever, click here.

About Backcountry Pictures
Founded in 2001, Backcountry Pictures produces films, television programs and visual content for special venues that celebrate the beauty of nature and captures the history and culture of surrounding communities. The company excels in producing programs that impart a sense of wonder about the natural world inspiring viewers to establish their own personal bond with nature. To learn more about Backcountry Pictures, please visit www.backcountrypictures.com or www.facebook.com/BackcountryPictures.

Funding
Major funding for the PBS broadcast of California Forever is provided by Destination Cinema. Additional support is provided by the Hoeffer Family Foundation and Active Network. Fiscal sponsorship is provided by the International Documentary Association.

Media contact:
ignite strategic communications
Sally Christgau (sally@ignite.bz / 415.238.2254)
Chris Purse (chris@ignite.bz / 818.303.8088)

The Tiffen Company’s Domke PhoTOGS Vest chosen as the “Photographers’ Vest” for Official Press Photographers covering the London Olympics
 
Hauppauge, New York – August 21, 2012 – The Tiffen Company, a leading manufacturer and distributor of award-winning accessories for the still imaging, video, motion picture and broadcast markets, is pleased to announce that the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) chose to supply the 4,000 Official Press Photographers covering the London 2012 Olympic Games with Tiffen’s highly popular Domke PhoTOGS Vests. When LOCOG was looking for a supplier of photographers’ vests, they naturally turned to The Tiffen Company and chose the Domke PhoTOGS Vest, the vest of choice for so many press photographers throughout the world. Put to the test during the world’s most-watched sporting event, the Domke PhoTOGS Vest earned a gold medal of its own, proving through its versatility and durability that it was more than capable of helping photographers catch every action-packed moment of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
 
“The London 2012 Olympic Games were filled with so many memorable moments, from winning Olympic Gold to setting new world records, and capturing these moments is paramount for a photojournalist,” said Steve Tiffen, president and CEO, The Tiffen Company. “We’re thrilled that the Domke PhoTOGS vest was selected as the photographers’ vest supplied by LOCOG for the Games. The flexibility of the vest lends itself to quick, fluid movements, and an array of pockets means camera accessories are readily accessible, making the task of capturing moments that happen in the blink-of-an-eye easier than ever.”
 
The number one choice of the White House News Photographers Association, Domke has carved its path as the go-to source of photo gear and accessories for photojournalists worldwide, officially securing its gold-medal status in the realm of sporting photography. The Domke PhoTOGS Vest is made of 100% machine-washable cotton, with cotton mesh panels at yoke and back to provide cooling ventilation. The vest is full-cut for comfort and practicality, and has 18 pockets in all, consisting of cargo pockets, pockets with weather-tight zipper closures, huge back pockets and pen/pencil pockets. The removable press pass holder ensures photojournalists will never be caught without proper and necessary identification.
 
Domke PhoTOGS Vest Specifications
• 100% machine-washable cotton, pigment-dyed for the popular “stonewashed” look
• Cotton mesh panels at yoke and back provide cooling ventilation
• Shoulders are padded and quilted
• Full-cut for comfort and practicality
• Raised and padded collar for extra comfort
• Size adjustment tabs
• Heavy-duty double-pull zipper provides an adjustable closure for greater comfort
• Removable press pass/ID holder
• 18 Pockets
• Cargo pockets are lined with waterproof nylon
• Pockets with weather-tight zipper closures
• Huge back pockets
• Pen/pencil pockets
• Roomy hand warmer pockets
 
Available in sizes: Small – XXL
 
About Domke
Domke bags have been the premier choice for photographers and videographers since 1975, when Jim Domke created the original Domke bag, designed specifically for the needs of a photojournalist on the go. Now, more than 30 years later, the Domke line of products includes Domke Classic Bags, backpacks, camera satchels, J-Series Camera Bags, accessory bags, padded inserts, add-on pouches, accessories, vests, jackets and the RuggedWear line of products. Domke produces the official bag of the White House News Photographers Association. The majority of Domke bags and products are made in America of the highest-quality materials.
 
About Tiffen
Tiffen has been a leading manufacturer of photographic filters, lens accessories, software, and camera accessories for the consumer/professional imaging and the motion picture and broadcast television industries for over 70 years. The company has a rich history of innovative product design, superior optical consistency, and unparalleled quality. Tiffen has been recognized for its product and engineering excellence, earning two Technical Achievement Awards and a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, as well as an Emmy® Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Today, the company offers a wide range of products, which include: Tiffen® filters, Steadicam® camera stabilizing systems, Lowel® light, Listec™ teleprompters, Tiffen Dfx® digital imaging software, Domke® bags, Davis & Sanford® tripods, Zing® camera covers, Stroboframe® flash brackets, Saunders® professional trimmers, and Kodak Wratten® filters. Tiffen continues to enhance its reputation as a leading imaging accessory manufacturer through aggressive growth in the image-making accessory industry.
 
For more information on Tiffen, please visit: http://www.tiffen.com.
 
Tiffen is a registered trademark of The Tiffen Company. All other trademarks and products mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
 
Press Contacts
Tiffen North America
Anya Oskolkova
Zazil Media Group
anya@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) 617.817.6559
(skype) anya.oskolkova
 
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
janice@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) 617.817.6595
(skype) janicedolan
 
Tiffen International
Peter Samwell
psamwell@tiffen.com
(p) +44 (0) 1404 42497
(o) +44 (0) 870 100 1220
 
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POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom — In a move that strengthens the company’s sales presence in the live sound for broadcast and theatre communities, HARMAN’s Studer has appointed Rob Hughes to the position of Market Sales Manager. In this position, Hughes will be responsible for sales of Studer products throughout the EMEA sales region.

Hughes began his career in pro audio as a freelance touring engineer, spending 15 years touring the world as a sound engineer and system tech. He also spent many of those years in charge of the audio of major UK festivals including the Reading Festival, V Festival, T in the Park and Download.

After retiring from touring, Hughes joined SSE Audio Group as Project Manager, where his responsibilities also included managing the company’s stock of digital mixing consoles. In this position, Hughes kept the console inventory’s software and firmware up to date across all platforms and played a large role in training freelance engineers on the operation of the consoles. As part of this training responsibility, Hughes also worked with Andy Brown of Soundcraft, assisting with Vi6 training courses.

After his time with SSE, Hughes moved on to working for Midas, looking after the UK market, and was responsible for selling Midas consoles and Klark Teknik products into the UK.

“Now that I have joined Studer, I am very much looking forward to working with such a well respected brand, within a very strong group of companies that HARMAN comprises,” Hughes said. “In addition to serving the live sound for theatre, I am looking forward to the challenges of working within the broadcast world and learning the customer base and needs of that market.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

New Dedicated Sales Director, Spare Parts Center to Expand Company Operations Locally

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, AUGUST 21, 2012 – Integrated Microwave Technologies, LLC (IMT), a Business Unit within the Vitec Group’s Videocom Division, and a leader in advanced digital microwave systems serving the Broadcast, Sports & Entertainment markets, continues its commitment to the Latin American market with the appointment of Elizeu (Eli) Moraes as regional sales director. Based in the Vitec Group’s local divisional office in São Paulo, Brazil, Moraes will support regional broadcast customers and work with authorized dealers and channel partners in Latin America to drive the sale of Nucomm and RF Central products, solutions and engineering services. He will also set up the company’s new spare parts and post-sales engineering support center to better service the company’s large and growing installed base.

With more than 30 years of experience, Eli Moraes brings tremendous knowledge and expertise to the role and an impressive background in broadcast industry and business management. Prior to joining the Vitec Group and IMT, Moraes held senior engineering positions with TV Globo de São Paulo, Cultura Television and Globo Comunicação e Participações.

“We understand that after-sales support is part of the investment our customers make in IMT solutions,” says Integrated Microwave Technologies Divisional Chief Executive Stephen Shpock. “Having Eli take the reins in Latin America allows IMT to better support its dealer network in the region and stock product so that it is readily available on short notice. This expanded support is especially important for our Brazilian customers who are faced with the challenge to provide seamless coverage of such high-profile events as FIFA Cups and the summer games in 2016.”

The Vitec Videocom Brazil office, which opened last summer, aims to offer local sales, service and support staff to clients in the growing Latin American region. Moraes, along with his team of local engineers, will help provide broadcasters and regional resellers with quicker, more cost-effective solutions from IMT. In addition, the company recently opened a spare parts center and post-sales engineering support inside the Brazil office in order to help service equipment and train the regional customers more efficiently.

Customers and resellers will have the opportunity to meet with Moraes and get personal demos of award-winning Nucomm and RF Central equipment at the SET Congress and the 21st edition of the Broadcast and Cable Show on the Vitec Group Booth B11A.

About Integrated Microwave Technologies, LLC
Integrated Microwave Technologies, LLC (IMT) is a Business Unit within the Vitec Group’s Videocom Division. The company comprises the leading microwave brands Nucomm, RF Central and Microwave Service Company (MSC), offering broadcasters worldwide complete broadcast solutions. Nucomm is a premium brand of digital microwave video systems (including COFDM and VSB) for portable and fixed link applications. RF Central is an innovative brand of compact microwave video equipment for licensed and license free broadcast applications. MSC is a premier provider of engineering, integration, technical support, installation and commissioning services. IMT is an ISO 9001:2008 certified QMS organization and recipient of multiple industry awards for design and innovations.

More information can be found at www.imt-broadcast.com.

A Snapshot of The Vitec Group
Vitec is an international Group principally serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military, aerospace and government (MAG) markets. Listed on the London Stock Exchange with 2011 revenue of £351 million, Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers worldwide rely. Vitec is organised in three divisions: Imaging & Staging, Videocom and Services.

Imaging & Staging designs, manufactures and distributes equipment and accessories for photography, video and events.

Videocom designs and distributes systems and products used in broadcasting and live entertainment, film and video production and MAG.

Services provides equipment rental, workflow design and technical support for camera, video, audio, fibre optic and wireless technology used by TV production teams and film crews.

More information can be found at www.vitecgroup.com.

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 16, 2012 – Five camera teams and crews of animators, puppeteers, and staff from LAIKA animation studios, along with an garrison of sixty EOS 5D Mark II SLR cameras from Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, have come together to help bring the new 3D feature film, “ParaNorman” to screens this Summer. The EOS 5D Mark II DSLR cameras captured frame-by-frame stop-motion animation of puppet “actors” in this new horror comedy about a small-town boy who speaks to ghosts and must battle an assortment of otherworldly creatures to save his town from doom.

“The Canon EOS 5D Mark II has features that helped us to expedite the stop-motion animation process,” noted John Ashlee Prat regarding the animation of “ParaNorman.” Prat, one of five lighting cameramen on the film, explained that in order to capture the more than 400,000 separate stop-frames needed to create “ParaNorman,” the film was divided among five camera teams and 50 separate units at LAIKA’s 151,000 square ft. studio. Each unit had its own shooting stage, sets, puppet “actors,” equipment (including Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras), and a crew working on different portions of the film simultaneously. Director of Photography Tristan Oliver supervised the daunting task of five simultaneous film units throughout the entire production.

Compact, lightweight, and compatible with Canon’s wide selection of EF Series lenses, the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera is equipped with a 21.1 megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS image sensor and DIGIC 4 image processor for exceptional still-image capture in a number of RAW or JPEG modes and sRAW options.

“Stop-motion animators need a live-view reference to see and record their progress,” Prat said. “We tested every off-the-shelf digital SLR camera that can provide live view and the high-resolution RAW image files we needed, and we found that the Canon EOS 5D Mark II live view is far superior to any of the others. The 5D Mark II also provides the RAW image output we needed, and a USB connector to feed files to our in-house network.”

Photography of a stereoscopic 3D film requires the capture of not one, but two frames – a left and a right image – 24 times for every second of screen time (in stop-motion animation that number is doubled to 48). The compact size of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera (as opposed to traditional film cameras) greatly facilitated the capture of the corresponding left- and right images needed for 3D, especially given the miniature sets and puppets being photographed. Each 5D Mark II camera was mounted on a computer-controlled motorized horizontal slider, which moved the camera first right and then left for sequential capture of all the necessary 3D frame-pairs.

“The slider is necessary because we can’t put two cameras side-by-side to successfully photograph little 8- to 12-inch puppets in a miniature world,” Prat explained. “We have to use the inter-ocular distances appropriate to that world in order for it not to look miniature.”

“The self-cleaning sensor feature of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II saved us a lot of time because we didn’t need to take the lens off to clean the sensor,” Prat added. “We are rolling our current fleet of 5D Mark II cameras on to our next production, although not for principal photography. Instead they will be used to support all the other departments for their photographic needs. Principal photography will be done with EOS 5D Mark III cameras, which feature a live view that’s two stops better than the original Mark II’s, and that’s even better for us.”

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2011† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Availability and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice.

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