Archive of the 3D Category

3D Film Factory Introduces the All-New, Handheld 3D Rig Designed to Capture Incredible, Accurate Stereoscopic Images on the Move

Hollywood, CA – 3D Film Factory, the leader in professional, affordable 3D camera rigs, introduces the world’s lightest, most affordable, hand-held 3D rig – the 3D Bullet Rig. Ready to “Load & Shoot”, this versatile 3D system is literally unshakable for handheld, Steadicam, Easyrig, or tripod filming.

Priced at a fraction of other professional 3D rigs (under $5K), this compact beam-splitter rig is the perfect solution for location, reality, or action 3D filmmaking. It’s features actually surpass that of other more expensive rigs. For more information on the 3D Bullet Rig visit www(dot)3DFilmFactory(dot)com

“The 3D Bullet Rig is going to take 3D production to a whole new level. I love this rig. It’s incredibly light, rock steady and most of all – it’s really easy to shoot with from your shoulder, or tripod. This rig is a 3D filmmakers dream, very versatile“, said the company’s veteran stereographer Keith Driver. “Most 3D rigs are bulky, expensive and worst of all – tripod bound. They require a crew to operate. We’ve shot 3D projects in Africa, the Middle East, Hollywood soundstages, you name it we’ve done it in 3D. And we realized we needed a more mobile 3D rig. A 3D rig you could just pick up and shoot with. This is the 3D Bullet Rig.”

The 3D Bullet Rig makes handheld 3D filming effortless and smooth by transferring the weight to your waist and shoulder. Each 3D rig includes a spring-loaded suspension rod, comfortable weight displacement belt and adjustable, padded shoulder mount. The result is hours of mobile, handheld 3D filming capability. In addition, the rig features detachable rubber hand grips for easy manoeuvring and a standard tripod mounting plate (¼-20 and ?-16 holes).

Weighing approx. 13 lbs. (5.8 kgs.) the Bullet Rig accommodates the Red Epic, Canon DSLR 5D, 7D, XF105
XF305, XH-G1, Sony F3, EX3’s, HDCP1, X5U, Z1U, Panasonic AF100, HPX250 and many other professional HD cameras.

The rig also features custom camera mounts that easily lock and load cameras into place using a standard quick-release plate from Bogen/Manfrotto. The horizontal camera mount offers IO (inter-ocular) adjustability from 0” – 3.5” (0 – 89 mm) and simple convergence movement from 0°-3°. Both functions are easily controlled using smooth, accurate finger knobs, with calibration markings. The vertical camera mount adjusts for perfect stereoscopic picture alignment by elevating and performing full x-y-z rotation (yaw, roll, tilt).

The light-weight, mirror box housing is constructed using space-age foam core plastic that’s durable, corrosion-free and substantially cooler than a metal matte box. This ensures your beam-splitter glass with its expensive coatings will stay cool on hot days. The rig itself is hand-milled employing a nearly indestructible aluminium alloy frame.

Perfect for traveling light, the entire 3D Bullet Rig is ingenuously designed to set-up and break down in a matter of minutes, packing into a small, water-tight pelican case.

As a bonus, the horizontal rail easily detaches, along with the camera mounts, transforming into a side-by-side rig 3D for wide and landscape stereography.

Our opti-prime, 50/50 beam-splitter glass is optimized to meet the demands of 3D filmmaking. See specs. Within the matte box, a simple adjustment tool allows stereographers to fine tune the glass angle from between 43° to 47°.

The outcome is simply the world’s most affordable, professional handheld 3D rig.

It should be noted that using our simple Lanc system camera operators can now synch start/stop, focus, alignment, lens shift and many other vital functions thru both cameras or individually.

The 3D Film Factory offers a complete line of 3D beam-splitter rigs intended for HD camcorders, as well as larger ENG and broadcast style camera. In addition, we offer several inexpensive side-by-side rigs and real-time 3D viewing solutions. To learn more about 3D camera rigs, 3D viewing systems, 3D production services, or 3D training workshops visit – www.3DFilmFactory.com

About the 3D Film Factory
Established in 2008 by award-winning filmmakers and veteran stereographers, the 3D Film Factory has been the worldwide leader in professional, affordable 3D camera rigs and real-time 3D monitoring solutions. In addition we provide a host of 3D production services worldwide including, stereographers ‘for hire’, 3D camera rig rental, 3D viewing systems, and 3D post, as well as intensive 3D training workshops. Former clients include ESPN, NASA, Disney, HD Cinema, Pinewood Studios and Discovery. For more information visit www.3DFilmFactory.com

New 3D BULLET RIG shown with Panasonic HPX250 and Canon XF305 cameras, is the most affordable, modular 3D beam-splitter available today. It features adustable IO (3.5?), convergence (0-2 deg), XYZ axis, camera elevation and mirror angle (44 to 46 deg) for perfect image alignment in every situation. Fits easily on Steadicam, in handheld mode (shoulder mount incl), with EasyRig, on a jib and any tripod. Weighs just 15 lbs. and is 15? wide. Accomodates Red Epic, Scarlet, Sony EX3, F3, Canon XF305, XF105, 5D, Si-2K, & many other professional cameras. For more information visit www.3DFilmFactory.com

New 3D BULLET RIG shown with Panasonic HPX250 and Canon XF305 cameras, is the most affordable, modular 3D beam-splitter available today. It features adustable IO (3.5″), convergence (0-2 deg), XYZ axis, camera elevation and mirror angle (44 to 46 deg) for perfect image alignment in every situation. Fits easily on Steadicam, in handheld mode (shoulder mount incl), with EasyRig, on a jib and any tripod. Weighs just 15 lbs. and is 15″ wide. Accomodates Red Epic, Scarlet, Sony EX3, F3, Canon XF305, XF105, 5D, Si-2K, & many other professional cameras. For more information visit www.3DFilmFactory.com

Newbury Park, CA – January 23, 2012 – MAXON, a leading developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions, congratulates digital artist and motion designer Barton Damer on winning first honors place in the Veer Creative Catalyst: Design for Change Competition, an international contest inviting artists to design a compelling socially-themed piece for a charity or cause of their choice. Damer, best known for connecting large brands to core markets under his moniker Already Been Chewed.tv, relied on MAXON CINEMA 4D to create a sophisticated digital illustration entitled Malaria Kills to raise awareness and funds for the Malaria No More Foundation.

The contest was run by Veer.com, the creative source for exclusive fonts and images, in association with other highly regarded international design industry resources, including Slanted, a web portal and quarterly print magazine dedicated to typography and design; onedotzero, a London-based organization that commissions, showcases and promotes innovation across all aspects of moving image, digital and interactive arts; and Depthcore, an international collective focused on modern digital art, incorporating illustration, photography, animation and audio.

Damer’s winning design entry netted Malaria No More a donation of € 2000 from Veer, was recently projected at public spaces in Berlin and London and will appear as a feature story in the February issue (#197) of Computer Arts Magazine.

“It’s really cool to be part of Veer’s competition and I’m honored to receive recognition from several design industry leaders and know that my work will benefit Malaria No More, an exceptionally worthy organization,” says Damer. “Having access to a tool like CINEMA 4D gave me a competitive edge and overall has allowed me to add a whole new dimension to my work – depth! My ideas are no longer bound by what I can draw or what I find in photographs.”

According to Billy Tennent, Creative Director at Veer and one of the competition judges, more than 175 entries were received – all of fantastic quality. “Barton’s design shone out as being exceptionally well crafted and set an unprecedentedly high bar for all other entries,” outlined Tennent. “We’re pleased to be able to make the prize donation to Malaria No More, Barton’s selected charity, that will help save lives and to also show the top winning designs in public spaces around Europe to bring attention to this and other worthy causes.”

“MAXON congratulates Barton on receiving this exemplary award win from the Catalyst for Change Competition judges,” said Paul Babb, president/CEO, MAXON US. “We continue to marvel at the imaginative way Barton pushes the artistic boundaries of CINEMA 4D and appreciate the small role it played in raising awareness for this important cause.”

In Damer’s Malaria Kills piece, shiny, abstract 3D elements generated in CINEMA 4D were composited with photographs of tree limbs, mosquitoes and rocks to make the continent of Africa appear like a large hair piece of a young African queen, artfully using the silhouette of the eastern coast of the continent as the facial profile. The hair tools in CINEMA 4D was also used to create the “shoulder pads” of the African woman. Damer’s workflow also included Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects, with which CINEMA 4D integrates effortlessly.

For Damer, the devastating impact of Malaria in Africa is represented by blurring images of beauty and decay. “At first I want viewers to notice the continent of Africa and a beautiful woman,” said Damer. “Then, on closer introspection, I want people to notice the troubling things about this portrait of “Africa” – Malaria being a big one. The abstract 3D renders were incorporated because they make people question whether they are really seeing a stunning image within the hair or perhaps the shiny backside of a beetle?”

Based in Dallas, Damer has been using CINEMA 4D for the past four years on numerous artistic and corporate projects for clients such as Scion, CBS Sports and AT&T. His previous award wins include the 2009 Digital Artist of the Year, sponsored by Computer Arts Magazine, 3D World Magazine and Intel. Damer will be a guest presenter with MAXON at the Portland User Group, 3DPDX, monthly event on January 26, 2012, where he will explain his creative process and how he relies on CINEMA 4D for both print and broadcast projects.

About MAXON Computer

Headquartered in Friedrichsdorf, Germany, MAXON Computer is a developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. Its award-winning CINEMA 4D and BodyPaint 3D software products have been used extensively to help create everything from stunning visual effects in top feature films, TV shows and commercials, cutting-edge game cinematics for AAA games, as well for medical illustration, architectural and industrial design applications. MAXON has offices in Germany, USA, United Kingdom, France, Japan and Singapore. MAXON products are available directly from the web site and its worldwide distribution channel. For additional information on MAXON visit, www.maxon.net.

Web Resources

“Malaria Kills” Images:

http://www.maxon3d.com/veer/bdamer1

http://www.maxon3d.com/veer/bdamer2

http://www.maxon3d.com/veer/bdamer3

“Malaria Kills” background video:

http://alreadybeenchewed.tv/blog/2011/12/veer-creative-catalyst/

Already Been Chewed website:

http://www.alreadybeenchewed.tv/

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All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact

Vicky Gray-Clark/Ambient PR
408-318-1980/vicky@ambientpr.com

Visionary Ed Lantz Talks Immersion, Transmedia, Strategy in the Vortex Dome

(Burbank, CA) Createasphere’s Spring Entertainment Technology Expo – the top gathering of entertainment and media professionals, technical innovators, and content experts on the West Coast showcasing emerging media trends in production, post, animation, VFX, advertising, and streaming content – will take place on Thursday, March 1st, 2012, at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles. The industry summit will feature trend-setting keynotes, immersive demonstrations in the Vortex Dome, a full exhibition area, networking opportunities and education.

Ed Lantz, founder of Vortex Immersion Media, will share his vision during a keynote entitled, Dive Into Immersive Entertainment and the Transmedia Hub, which takes place in the Vortex Dome. Lantz’s keynote is unique in content and location. He will explore the role that immersive entertainment will play for attendees at work in studios, networks, venues, and content creation. Lantz will also introduce a number of immersive projects and conversations with content creators and experience-makers that combine live action, VFX, 3D, digital asset management and more.

Another keynote, which is slated to include Oscar-caliber creative team members and cinematographers, will be announced soon and will also take place in the Vortex Dome.

Early registration for both keynotes is required, as space is limited. This one-day event is designed as a technology summit with top-level presenters, offering a unique and engaging opportunity to explore the intersection of future technologies in service to creativity.

Kristin Petrovich, president of Createasphere, notes, “We are all looking forward to hearing what Ed Lantz has to say about the future of entertainment and content creation. His work is inspiring and thought provoking. Needless to say, we are very happy to be able to present these keynotes in the Vortex Dome, one of the most compelling venues in the city! The day is shaping up to be an incredibly valuable one for our attendees, and a rare opportunity to mingle with thought leaders.”

For further information and registration, visit www.createasphere.com/ete or call 818.842.6611.

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

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

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

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

(Istanbul, Turkey) SterGen Hi Tech Ltd. and Saran Media—a premiere sports broadcast and entertainment rights distributor in Istanbul, Turkey—have signed an agreement to use SterGen’s patented real-time stereo 3D conversion platform to make 3D sports programming available to Turkish broadcasters and mobile carriers.

SterGen’s innovative technology enables real-time conversion of camera feeds and footage into true stereoscopic 3D. Its real-time 3D image processing gives producers a high quality, yet cost-effective alternative to expensive and logistically complex native 3D productions. SterGen’s software will be used for both live sports events as well as to add 3D visualization to previously recorded sports programming.

“Stereo 3DTV greatly enhances the viewing experience, especially for live sports telecasts. For this reason, we’re extremely pleased to be able to leverage SterGen’s powerful technology to provide high-profile 3DTV sports to broadcasters and other carriers in Turkey,” said Selim Usta, Saran Media’s Head of Sports. “We’re thrilled to partner with SterGen and bring this pioneering technology to our country in a way that will dramatically enhance our sports programming.”

SterGen’s real-time stereo 3D technology platform will also enable Saran Media to produce stereo 3D content with a dedicated 3D depth effect for optimized display on glasses-free 3D mobile phones and tablets—a rapidly expanding new market segment.

Ofer Wolf, CEO of SterGen said, “SterGen is proud to work with a market leader like Saran Media that has a wealth of experience in the broadcast production and sports marketing arenas. Saran Media is well positioned to use our advanced technology in the Turkish market and to bring an exciting new dimension to televised sports. Our algorithms provide an excellent 3D viewing experience that is based on true geometrical analysis of the sports field and its ingredients. The technology allows SterGen to provide a solution that is similar to – and at times better than native 3D, namely in the high camera shots, which are at the heart of any sports broadcast.”

SterGen LIVE! offers both a complete 2D to 3D conversion as well as a Hybrid Production, which is ideal for those who desire to maximize the high cameras’ advantage of the conversion technology and use native 3D cameras for the lower cameras where the 3D camera is at its fullest potential, and thus provide superior quality for all camera feeds. Overall, SterGen enables producers to create stereo 3DTV sports for a fraction of the cost of conventional and complex 3D productions – helping to solve the 3D industry’s lack of content problem, considered to be one of the main obstacles preventing the faster spread of 3D broadcasting.

About Saran Media:

Founded in 1990, Saran Media is a premier provider of broadcast programs, sports entertainment and rights distribution, and events management in Turkey. Based in Istanbul, Saran Media partners with major entertainment and technology companies worldwide to provide high-profile sports and entertainment to the Turkish broadcast market.

About SterGen:

SterGen Hi Tech Ltd develops 2D to 3D video conversion technologies for the sports broadcasting market. SterGen’s mission is to provide high quality 3D sports content in real time in a cost effective way. SterGen’s patented technology is an easy-to-use software module that resides in a commercial hardware and converts in real time a regular 2D sports feed to stereo 3D. It can be placed anywhere on the video path – in the stadium, studio, cable’s head end or in the cloud.
For more information: www.stergen.tv ; info@stergen.tv

HALF MOON BAY, CA (January 18, 2012) – GoPro, the world’s leading activity image capture company, today announced the release of a new version of its professional family of 2D and 3D production software – GoPro CineForm Studio Premium and GoPro CineForm Studio Professional. The company recently released a new version of its free software, GoPro CineForm Studio, which adds powerful new features appealing to consumers and professionals alike.

“This announcement represents a significant milestone in GoPro’s efforts to provide a complete camera-to-software solution for 2D and 3D productions for its entire customer base,” said David Newman, GoPro’s Senior Director of Software Engineering. “The updated GoPro CineForm Studio software line has huge implications, not only for consumers and enthusiasts, but for professional cinematographers and filmmakers who are increasingly embracing new camera technologies to help them tell their stories in ever more exciting and unique ways. The new software maintains an intuitive user interface for basic tasks but also provides sophisticated Active Metadata-driven capabilities that slipstream into the most advanced production pipelines in the industry.”

What’s New in the GoPro CineForm Studio Product Line

GoPro CineForm Studio
Available for both Mac and Windows platforms, GoPro CineForm Studio enables users of every skill level to adjust aspect ratios and instantly correct distortions or ‘image stretching’ that typically occurs when resizing images. And for high impact, dramatic time lapse sequences, GoPro CineForm Studio now enables users to add keyframes anywhere in the video, and add effects such as pan and zoom to introduce movement and drama to time lapse sequences.

Other new features include:
- Automatic recognition for 3D videos for YouTube uploads
- Auto-update of HD HERO2® camera firmware
- Support for popular .mov and .mp4 video formats to bring in content from other camera systems

GoPro CineForm Premium and GoPro CineForm Professional
For professional cinematographers, filmmakers and videographers, GoPro has also strengthened its family of professional applications; GoPro CineForm Premium and GoPro CineForm Professional. GoPro CineForm Studio Premium captures the most popular features of both CineForm’s Neo HD and Neo 3D into a singular, new solution ideal for 2D and 3D broadcast and feature film production. GoPro CineForm Studio Professional extends even more powerful stereo 3D post-production capabilities to 3D broadcasters and 3D feature filmmakers, and is optimized for multi-camera stereo rigs, such as SI, PHANTOM, RED, and ARRI ALEXA. Additional features at-a-glance include:

GoPro CineForm Studio Premium:
- New and improved user interface
- Non-destructive Color correction
- Non-destructive Reframing/Image manipulation
- Non-destructive 3D correction
- Support for a wide range of consumer and professional 2D and 3D (single body) video cameras
- Support for HD and beyond

GoPro CineForm Studio Professional:
- New and improved user interface
- Non-destructive Color correction
- Non-destructive Reframing/Image manipulation
- Advanced Non-destructive 3D correction
- Support for a wide range of consumer and professional 2D and 3D (all types) video cameras
- Support for HD and beyond
- Independent eye control for professional 3D camera rigs

Pricing and Availability
GoPro CineForm Studio is available immediately as a free download here.

GoPro CineForm Studio Premium is priced at $299, and GoPro CineForm Studio Professional is priced at $999 and are available for download here: http://www.cineform.com.

About GoPro
Based in Half Moon Bay, California, GoPro makes the world’s most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture and share their lives’ most exciting moments in professional quality HD video and photos. GoPro’s HD HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras are used collectively by more consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals than any other camera in the world. GoPro’s products are sold in over 60 countries via specialty sports retailers, Sport Chalet, Best Buy and at GoPro.com.

GoPro Media Contact:

Rick Loughery, GoPro Kevin Bourke, BourkePR
(415) 738-2480 x722 or pr(at)gopro(dot)com (508) 259-6018 or kbourke@bourkepr.com

GOPRO®, HERO®, and CineForm® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Woodman Labs, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company, product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their rightful owners.

Cinedeck LLC (www.cinedeck.com), pioneering developer of mobile capture systems for motion picture and broadcast production, today announced changes and additions to its personnel, as the company enters a new growth and expansion phase, which includes the launch of the new Cinedeck RX rack-mountable, hard-disc recorder, monitor and playback system.

Cinedeck co-founder CTO Charles Dautremont has taken the role of acting CEO, with Robert Stacy, Cinedeck LLC’s longtime collaborator and supporter at Asia Media Products (AMP), promoted to Vice President. Jane Sung, is promoted within the company to Director of Operations. Alan Hoff, Cinedeck’s former CEO, will remain as a company board member.

Robert Stacy is the CEO and co-founder of AMP, a global sales and marketing organization catering to small and medium-sized manufacturers focused on digital media. He has 20 years of successful experience in sales, marketing and product development in the digital media marketplace. Prior to AMP, he was Director of Sales and Marketing at Intergraph Computer Systems, and Director of Product Management at Avid. He has an intimate knowledge of Cinedeck technologies, sales operations and customers, having served as Director of Sales for the company for two years, and will oversee Cinedeck sales and business development operations in his new role. He remains CEO of AMP.

Jane Sung has been with Cinedeck for over two years, overseeing finance and operational coordination. Her knowledge and experience in logistics, manufacturing and operations will be important as Cinedeck’s product lines continue to grow.

“We have an exciting and busy year ahead of us, starting with the official launch of Cinedeck RX, the latest addition to the Cinedeck product family, plus an array of other software and hardware enhancements in the pipeline,” said Dautremont. “Robert has a great track record in adding value, creating sales and marketing channels for post-production and broadcast manufacturers, and his expertise will prove invaluable to Cinedeck as we expand our product lines globally. Jane’s operational expertise will be necessary as we continue to grow and ship more products.”

Dautremont added, “Alan Hoff’s valuable contribution helped Cinedeck to grow, and to maintain its global reputation for innovation and excellence. Although he will be missed, Alan will remain as a board member for Cinedeck, and we look forward to his input as we move forwards.”

Adding to the Cinedeck family, Cinedeck today launched Cinedeck RX, a new, rack-mountable, hard-disc recorder, monitor and playback system, that delivers tapeless workflow to studios, post-production facilities and broadcasters covering the wide range of cinema production, sporting, music, theatrical and entertainment events in both 2D and 3D stereoscopic formats.

Founded by cinematographers, and headquartered in the heart of New York City, USA, Cinedeck manufactures innovative, touchscreen recording systems for use with all popular digital cinematography cameras. Along with on-set monitoring, playback and quality control capabilities, these recorders also unify camera-to-post workflows by offering the industry’s most comprehensive range of edit-ready output formats. Cinedeck EX, the industry’s first camera-mountable device, has proven essential to the workflow on hundreds of TV and cinema productions, and has won TV Technology’s “2010 STAR Award”, the “2010 Vidy Award,” and DV Magazine’s “Award of Excellence”. Continuing this pioneering spirit, Cinedeck LLC is also addressing the challenges of the mobile and outdoor broadcaster with Cinedeck RX, its new, rack-mounted, multi-format recorder, monitor and playback system. Cinedeck RX was awarded the prestigious “2011 Pick Hit Award at IBC 2011” from Broadcast Engineering Magazine. For more information, visit www.cinedeck.com.

New rack-mountable Cinedeck RX delivers multi-camera capture and post-production innovations for cinema and TV entertainment, sports, news and events

Cinedeck LLC (www.cinedeck.com), pioneering developer of mobile capture systems for motion picture and broadcast production, has shipped Cinedeck RX, the latest addition to the Cinedeck product family. Cinedeck RX is a new, rack-mountable, solid-state recording, monitoring and playback system, that delivers tapeless workflow to studios, post-production facilities and broadcasters covering the wide range of cinema production, sporting, music, theatrical and entertainment events in both 2D and 3D stereoscopic formats.

One of the first customers to install Cinedeck RX is outside broadcast service company All Mobile Video (www.allmobilevideo.com), New York, which is integrating multiple Cindeck RX systems into its fleet of OB vehicles and in-house post-production facility.

“We work with a diverse client base – across multi-camera televised sports, music, entertainment events, plus cinema and corporate production – and Cinedeck RX is the best-suited system to handle their different capture and post requirements in one box,” said Eric Duke, President of All Mobile Video. “Most importantly, because Cinedeck RX saves time and money on ingest into post, we can now offer our clients more competitive all-in pricing. Regarding future workflow, we see Cinedeck RX as a major step in removing tape-based acquisition completely from the workflow.”

Cinedeck RX is the next generation of the platform pioneered by Cinedeck EX, the company’s award-winning, portable, multi-format, HD-SDI recording system. In addition to cinema, studio and post-production applications, Cinedeck RX also meets the demands of broadcasters, whether they are in a facility or mobile. It offers unsurpassed native capture and codec choice, flexible connectivity and editorial workflow options, a small physical footprint, plus ground-breaking versatility on 2D/3D stereo and multi-camera shoots. Cinedeck RX uses the same intuitive touchscreen interface as the Cinedeck EX, reducing training time and speeding deployment in the field.

Record: Cinedeck RX captures from all leading production formats, recording on to cost-effective SSD storage media, and can be used for single input, dual-input two camera, or 3D stereo shoots. Cindeck is the first to offer simultaneous native support for Avid and Apple standards – supporting Avid DNxHD (wrapped as MXF OP-Atom or QuickTime), JFIF for proxies, and all Apple ProRes codec formats, including 4444, CineForm and uncompressed 444 (10-bit) or 422 (8- or 10-bit). Its unique “Double Dual-Stream” feature delivers the flexibility to capture two feeds at a time with the same codec, or to capture one feed with two different compression formats – such as Avid DNxHD and Apple ProRes together, or Hi-Res master and Low-Res proxy together – while simultaneously creating back-up copies of each.

Monitor: Cinedeck RX monitors video in realtime via a high-resolution, 7″ touchscreen display. It provides users with a comprehensive array of image analysis tools – including edge enhancement for focus assist, clipping, waveform, vectorscope and histogram. Users can also monitor audio via the headphone jack, and toggle between audio inputs – while simultaneously viewing the on-screen, pro-audio standard, recording level display.

Playback: Cinedeck RX enables users to review shots instantly in realtime, and in any order, via the built-in display, or external HD-SDI or HDMI monitors – allowing them to instantly QC and know they have captured the shots they want.

“Cinedeck RX builds on the magic of our hugely-popular Cinedeck EX, and delivers an array of new advantages to broadcast and post facility workflows, especially those transitioning to tapeless environments,” said Cinedeck CEO Charles Dautremont. “It’s a small, discrete unit, that’s easy to operate and is equally at home near-set, at a post house, or inside an OB truck. Cinedeck RX gives producers far greater choice in terms of production and post-production formats, while simplifying and accelerating production and post-production workflows. Features such as the unique Double Dual-Stream capability that simultaneously provides redundant finish and proxy files, deliver new gateways to post, plus huge time and cost savings for the entire project.”

Key advantages of Cinedeck RX for mobile OB and facility broadcast operations:

Compact Mobility: delivered as a 10lb, compact, 4RU half-rack package, Cinedeck RX is designed for the mobile production environment, where space is at a premium, and cooling, power-draw and weight are of utmost importance. Its rugged aluminum case is built for the rigors of the road, with the “Double Dual-Stream” mode doubling the productivity in the same half-rack footprint.

Massively Compatible and Fast: with Cinedeck RX, footage is immediately ready for editing in Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas and GV Edius. Time-consuming and costly ingest and transcoding have been eliminated, as Cinedeck RX captures files in the native format chosen by the user.

Versatility for any format – SD, HD, Dual Link, 3G and 3D stereo: Cinedeck RX is network-accessible, and supports realtime up/down/cross conversion, enabling the painless transition to new production formats. For 3D stereo it captures via HDMI or HD-SDI, and offers the widest variety of codecs for stereoscopic recording in one device, with footage immediately available for editorial and VFX post production.

Connectivity: Cinedeck RX can be deployed in any production environment, offering a wide choice of video, audio, and IT connections – including dual HD-SDI inputs and outputs, HDMI input and output including stereo 3D support, and multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Security: redundant file creation on separate local or remote discs and redundant hot swappable power supplies protect material during capture.

Pricing and Availability: Cinedeck RX is available now for purchase via resellers worldwide starting at $14,995 USD. To find a reseller, please visit www.cinedeck.com.

Founded by cinematographers, and headquartered in the heart of New York City, USA, Cinedeck manufactures innovative, touchscreen recording systems for use with all popular digital cinematography cameras. Along with on-set monitoring, playback and quality control capabilities, these recorders also unify camera-to-post workflows by offering the industry’s most comprehensive range of edit-ready output formats. Cinedeck EX, the industry’s first camera-mountable device, has proven essential to the workflow on hundreds of TV and cinema productions, and has won TV Technology’s “2010 STAR Award”, the “2010 Vidy Award,” and DV Magazine’s “Award of Excellence”. Continuing this pioneering spirit, Cinedeck LLC is also addressing the challenges of the mobile and outdoor broadcaster with Cinedeck RX, its new, rack-mounted, multi-format recorder, monitor and playback system. Cinedeck RX was awarded the prestigious “2011 Pick Hit Award at IBC 2011” from Broadcast Engineering Magazine. For more information, visit www.cinedeck.com.

Since 1998, TRIXTER has been creating outstanding visual effects and digital character animation for feature films, television and commercials. From the early days, TRIXTER established itself as a major player in the field of emotive character animation, both for fully computer generated animated features as well as live-action productions. Over the past few years, TRIXTER has expanded its expertise by branching out into visual effects and has recently accomplished some outstanding work for German and international projects such as Percy Jackson, Lilly The Witch, Iron Man 2, Narnia 3, X-Men: First Class, Journey 2, Captain America and many more.

Today, TRIXTER is unique in its ability to provide quality digital production for live action and animated features, in mono or 3D stereo. Whether it be key framed computer generated creatures or motion capture driven performances, matte paintings or FX work, TRIXTER has the experience and talent to deliver work of the highest standards. Its community of innovative digital artists and computer technologists collaborate creatively with filmmakers, helping them to bring their vision from the storyboard to the theater and delight audiences around the globe. TRIXTER has offices in Munich, Berlin, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Imagineer Systems’ Ross Shain recently spoke with Michael Habenicht, Compositing TD for TRIXTER, and talked extensively about their innovative and highly acclaimed stereo 3D and visual effects projects from this past year. They also talked about mocha and the role it played in their pipeline.

Imagineer: Can you tell us about recent projects TRIXTER has worked on, the challenges you faced and how you overcame them? We understand that you used mocha fairly extensively on many tough projects; what can you tell us about your experiences?

Michael: mocha has been used extensively on all projects at TRIXTER this year, ranging from stereo conversion for “Green Lantern” to VFX for “X-Men: First Class,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” mocha’s Planar Tracker and roto capabilities were heavily relied on for these films!

Imagineer: Tell me a little about your pipeline and the other software you use. How does mocha integrate into your workflow? 

Michael: We use Nuke for all the compositing here at TRIXTER. mocha integrates really well as it is only a matter of exporting to the clipboard and then pasting directly in Nuke. Also the new features since Nuke 6.2 was released that allows us to export only the keyframes for shapes, instead of having to “bake” every frame, really improves the workflow and speeds things up. So much can be done in mocha that, once we export to Nuke, there’s little back and forth for final adjustments – and that’s another huge time saver!

Imagineer: How many shots were tracked with mocha, and how did mocha assist the process?

Michael: Well, I would say nearly every shot gets tracked with mocha at some point in the process – mocha touches everything, especially if a shot requires some cleanup, replacement or roto. It provides excellent results in no time. Simply load your clip, draw the shape, track it, paste it into Nuke. Our artists, some of whom have never used it before, learned it very fast and were instantly impressed by what can be achieved. The ability to add a grid to the tracking gives us very good, fast feedback and perspective about the quality. Also the magnifier that shows the keyframe before and after is an essential aid to good consistent roto.

Imagineer: Can you talk about any particular challenges or shots on which mocha was a significant help? Would these shots have been more difficult to achieve in another set of tools? 

Michael: On X-Men our task was to replace Mystique’s eyes. Without mocha, it wouldn’t have been possible in the given time while allowing us to keep to our quality standards. The shots provided several challenges. First we had to track the eyes or the face to get the general movement. mocha’s robust algorithm significantly helped with this. It doesn’t get distracted easily by small movements and variations in the pattern that differ from the overall movement. So blinks of the eyes were rarely a problem like they used to be when you tried to track a single feature in another software. The first round of tracking helped to roto the eyes and place the new ones. The second round tackled the movement of the pupil. Reproducing all subtle movements of the original performance was key to a successful shot. This way we could preserve all the character’s emotions even with her new set of eyes!

On Journey 2 (a project in stereo 3D) we had to do a lot of cleanup. An animal that was used on set for filming had to be removed here and there so that a new CG creature could be inserted. mocha was a big help by providing reliable tracks for patches and roto.

mocha is an amazing tool that keeps getting better. We’re looking forward to new developments with mocha – features we know will benefit us even more, like a python api. This new feature will help us integrate pipelines and workflows even more effectively.

mocha has truly changed the way we work here at TRIXTER and enables us to tackle the most complex VFX and stereo 3D conversion projects with the confidence that we can deliver flawless results, every time!