Archive of the Digital Intermediate Category

Cinedeck EX v2.5 features extensive timecode and audio enhancements, plus new deck control application and improved playback engine

Cinedeck LLC (www.cinedeck.com), the pioneering developer of mobile capture systems for motion picture and broadcast production, today announced significant enhancements to its award-winning, portable, multi-format, recording, monitoring and playback system, with the release of Cinedeck EX v2.5.

Available for immediate download, the new Cinedeck v2.5 software delivers a range of customer-requested features that support an even better operational experience for Cinedeck users. These include a new and enhanced playback engine, expanded timecode operations, upgraded audio metering displays, and a new Windows-based, desktop remote controller for multiple Cinedeck EX systems.

Cinedeck EX is already the fastest gateway from production to post. It enables any camera with an HD-SDI or HDMI output to record to a choice of the most preferred finishing standards used in editorial and VFX post production today, including all flavors of Avid DNxHD, Apple ProRes, CineForm, plus uncompressed 444 and uncompressed 422 recording.

Chief among the enhancements of the Cinedeck v2.5 release is a new playback engine, which has been completely rewritten and provides a vastly improved user-experience compared to prior versions. Crucially, the new engine enables users to take advantage of Cinedeck Controller, a free Windows-based desktop application, which provides basic deck control of the Cinedeck EX. Cinedeck Controller, which comes bundled with the new software release, allows users to remotely control up to 24 Cinedeck units, browse a list of clips recorded in the current scene folder, and to control recording and playback on multiple units independently or simultaneously.

Among the many expanded timecode operations, Cinedeck v2.5 adds support for Adrienne Electronic’s LTC devices, including the use of Adrienne’s mini USB timecode reader. Cinedeck EX already supports Ambient Recording timecode systems.

Redesigned audio meters now show audio in dBFS (full scale) from -60dB to 0dB, with levels displayed in an array of colors making them easier to read in the field. Along with a range of general playback fixes, other enhancements include new edge detection displays, with edges in red, rather than black, to increase legibility.

“Users already enjoy the experience of using, and interacting with, Cinedeck EX, and their feedback has resulted in the new Cinedeck EX v2.5 software version containing a host of enhanced features,” said Cinedeck CEO Alan Hoff. “These new features focus on usability and performance improvements to optimize the fundamental operation of Cinedeck EX where it matters most – in production. With the new v2.5 version available now, current and new customers will enjoy the Cinedeck EX experience even more.”

Cinedeck EX v2.5 will be on display at the Createasphere Burbank show November 2-3, 2011 at Sony’s booth #101, and at Keycode Media’s booth #303.

Pricing and Availability:
Cinedeck EX v2.5 is available for immediate download, free-of-charge, to customers on maintenance. Cinedeck EX is available for purchase via resellers worldwide starting at $8495USD–MRSP. Visit www.cinedeck.com to find your nearest reseller.

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.

Brussels-based film FX facility upgrades to Pablo Neo and adds Pablo PA to workflow

ACE, a specialist Belgian film-effects facility, has upgraded its Quantel iQ to full Pablo 2K specification with the Neo panel. It has also purchased Pablo PA, Quantel’s conform, preparation and workflow software.
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“We were so impressed with the performance of V5 software that we decided to take our system one step further and go for the full Pablo suite,” said Stefan Rycken, ACE Managing Director. “There were several reasons for our choice. First, the speed and accuracy of today’s Quantel systems are unequalled for color grading and conforming in different formats. Second, our iQ was working overtime and so, what tipped the scales for us was being able to add Pablo PA into our workflow. This great software enables us to do basic technical work ‘off-line’, such as preparing titles or conforming, freeing up the Pablo to do what it does best: color grading. It’s like having two integrated post systems. Third, the Pablo PA’s soft-mount feature allows us to pre-grade content on a laptop during the shooting stage since the Pablo PA can read RAW formats such as Alexa, Red or Phantom files directly from the recording disk, without even downloading into the PC. The workflow advantages and the comfort for the director are incredible.”

ACE staff, including its in-house color grader Tom Mulder, have just completed training with Quantel support and are now working on a short film to get accustomed to the Pablo and prepare for a full-length feature in November. “We’ll be doing all the FX, color grading and conforming for The Loft, an American remake of a Belgian film directed by Erik van Looy. He did the original movie with us and is now doing the US version. It’s a fantastic first job for us on the Pablo, proving we can work to Hollywood standards,” Rycken concludes.

Martin Mulligan, Quantel Sales and Marketing Director, said, “By moving up to the Pablo, ACE has once again proven that a specialist facility in a relatively small market can leverage its business with our equipment. The fact that they’re now working on a feature for the US market is a fabulous step forward for them. We will be there to support them fully in this endeavour and in all their future developments.”

About ACE
Brussels-based ACE is one of Belgium’s leading film editing and effects facilities. It mainly provides services to independent film production companies. Its multilingual staff often work on European co-productions, providing high-end postproduction services at accessible prices. In recent years, ACE has worked on several feature films, including Rundskop (Bullhead) Belgium’s official entry for the Oscar for best Foreign Language FILM, Swooni, Adem (Oxygen), Loft and Ne te retourne pas, for which they did the morphing of Sophie Marceau as she turns into Monica Bellucci. “Not the worst job we’ve had to do,” comments Stefan Rycken, the facility’s Managing Director. http://www.ace-postproduction.com

Avid-AJA; Matrox MXO2 Mini; and LTO-5 Media Back-up and Archive Solutions Complement Company’s Innovative Constellation™ Archive Management System

FOR RELEASE ON: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011

STUDIO CITY, CA – CET Universe, a leading provider of services, systems, and solutions for professional audio and video production, today announced a new series of product bundles for its production customers at Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo at the Burbank Marriott. CET will demonstrate the product bundles today and tomorrow at the Expo, in Booth #207.

CET’s product bundles complement the company’s innovative Constellation™ VCM asset and storage management software suite, which is used by major facilities and corporations, including Universal Sports and Northwestern Mutual, among others. CET maintains a wide array of partnerships with leading vendors, including Adobe, AJA, Apple, Archion, ATTO, Avid, Blackmagic Design, Hewlett-Packard, Iridas, Panasonic, Promise, and QLogic, among many others.

The new product bundles will carry special prices at the Expo, including:

BUNDLE 1:

Option 1: AJA IO Express and AJA IO Express Portable HD/SD/I/O (Desktop or Laptop) with Avid MC 6.0 or Adobe Production Premium Suite for PC or Mac at $2,889.00

Option 2: AJA IO Express and AJA IO Express Portable HD/SD/I/O (Desktop or Laptop) with Avid Final Cut Cross Grade for $2,149.00

Option 3: AJA IO Express – AJA to Express Portable HD/SD I/O (Desktop or Laptop) for $1,609.99

Customers can upgrade Avid MC Pre 5.x and Xpress to version 5.5 with Kit and 3rd Party Apps.

BUNDLE 2:

Option 1: Matrox MXO2 Mini Max (Desktop or Laptop) with Avid MC 6.0 or Adobe Production Premium Suite (PC or Mac) for $2,815.00

Option 2: Matrox MXO2 Mini Max (Desktop or Laptop) with Avid Final Cut Cross Grade for $2,075.00

Option 3: Matrox MXO2 Mini Max (Desktop or Laptop) for $1,539.00

Customers can upgrade Avid MC Pre 5.x and Xpress to version 5.5 with Kit and 3rd Party Apps.

BUNDLE 3:

Constellation LTO-5 Media Backup/Archive Kit

Connects to Mac, Windows and Linux Workstations

Includes:

* external LTO-5 Drive
* Constellation Software License
* SAS Card for computer
* Cable
* 1-Year Software/Hardware Warranty
* 1-Year Free Phone and On-Line Support

The bundle, with the Expo discount, is priced at $4,441.00.

Customers can add a Boland monitor (HDMI, DVI, Composite, Component, VGA 1080P display) for only $1,889.00.

“Our team has always sought to deliver the ideal solution for customers – whether on-set or in-suite – and our new product bundles exemplify our commitment to true best-of-breed products for their production needs,” said Steve Klein, CEO of CET Universe. “We have created a stellar team of solutions engineers, and as our business becomes increasingly complex, we are creating effective product bundles that complement our proprietary solutions.”

About CET UNIVERSE

CET Universe is a leading developer of next-generation storage and asset management products for video professionals. The company develops, sells, and services an array of innovative file-based workflow systems for media & entertainment, corporate, and government and military accounts. Based in Studio City, California, the company’s web site is at www.CETuniverse.com.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you would like a color photograph of Steve Klein, CEO of CET Universe, or product shots of CET product bundles, the Constellation system, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

Colorist Dado Valentic of MyTherapy Talks about his Work and his Technology


London: Nov 1, 2011 … Soho-based Dado Valentic is a colorist and digital image workflow expert. His facility, MyTherapy, provides clients with on-set supervision, including look development, color grading and finishing, and digital distribution, with a specialization in stereo 3D.


While much of Valentic’s work is on independent feature films, such as Inbred – the latest work by director Alex Chandon – the facility also delivers commercials projects, music videos and television shows.


Traditionally colorists have not been involved in distribution, but Valentic takes a larger view. “I believe that it is our responsibility as colorists and post artists to push digital technologies forward. While camera manufacturers are creating better sensors and more refined tools, our mission is to learn how to process these images to ensure they look their very best once they reach the viewer.”

We spoke recently with Valentic at his facility in London.


Tell us about your most recent project, Inbred.



I think this is, so far, my best work. Things just came together really nicely for this project. I had just got an upgrade for my DaVinci Resolve system. It was shot in 4K, so I had these beautiful images to work with. I had an amazing director, Alex Chandon. This was his comeback project after 10 years away and he was so passionate about the film. We had a great time and everything just came together: my equipment was working great and the film was great, and when I look at it, I am very proud. I think it’s the nicest job I’ve done so far.



Did you do digital cinema mastering for Inbred?


Yes, because that is the way I work. I never just grade something and then hand over the hard drive. My job is make sure that when the film is out there in the cinema, it looks exactly the way we wanted it to look. I never take a project on without delivering it in the format that they require. I make a version for digital cinema, and then I make a one for DVD, and another for BluRay and for the internet as well.


What are some of the differences to watch for with different deliverable formats?


Cinema is different from watching a movie at home. A movie theater is much darker. The images are bigger, so my vignettes are a different size in a cinema than they are in a DVD. I make my blacks different for the cinema than for a DVD. The same thing applies for iPads. The iPad looks too dark if you put a normal cinema grade onto it, so you have to really embrace the medium you are delivering to get the best possible picture.


How much of your work is in production, or near the set?


I am getting more and more involved in set work. Postproduction is starting earlier and earlier now. I am often consulted on jobs when they are in the planning stage. My clients come to me with the script and talk about how they can make it happen best.


How did you get into digital cinema mastering?


When I was working for Sony I saw one of the very first prototypes of a DLP projector and the moment I saw those images, I knew that this is going to be the future – the images were so stunning. So even before digital cinema had become a standard, I had already started looking into ways to do it. I did a lot of research on how to get into digital cinema. That’s when I discovered this company called Qube.


I found that their approach was actually the best of all, in terms of the architecture. In 2006 I bought one of the very first mastering systems in the UK from Qube. And I became just the second or third facility in the UK to provide digital cinema mastering services. I’ve been making DCPs ever since.


What makes Qube’s DCP mastering architecture different?


The early specifications for how DCPs should be made were written by people who worked with films, so they basically took the 35mm processes of filmmaking and transferred those processes into the digital world. But digital is different. I never agreed entirely with the process that was being advocated. I felt that they were complicating things too much and that there were too many conversions. There had to be a better way to approach this process, especially when it comes to what source material to use, and how to manage color and the image size, etc. This is exactly what Qube had already figured out.


What is your approach to making DCPs?


Even today other companies force you to use specific image files as your source material for mastering DCPs, but it is much better if you can take your RAW master image, buffer it in the computer memory and do the conversions on the fly, reading the buffer and encoding into a JPEG 2000. This is what QubeMaster does. They wrote the software to be more flexible, and along with that, they introduced color management right in the beginning, which is actually the key.


You really can’t encode something without having total control over the image and color, especially if we are talking about a larger color space like P3.


You do a lot of work in stereo 3D. How is that different?


I’ve done four feature films and lots of commercials in stereo, but I still think that I have a lot to learn about stereo. We all do. It is so interesting what you can do with depth if you apply different amounts of brightness or saturation. It’s amazing how sensitive we are to even 2D clues about depth.


I’ve done a lot of 3D work in terms of brightness, which, as we all know, can be an issue with stereo projection. There is only so much light you can use in the projector, but what we can do is change the perception of brightness in the image.


How do you change the “perception of brightness?”


I found an incredible theory about light from Helmholtz, who describes the importance of local contrast for the perception of brightness. For example, if I put a black box next to white box, I would have a certain perception of brightness. If I put the same white box next to a gray box, the perception of the white will be different. Perception is subjective, but we can get so focused on the measurable aspects of light and color, we can overlook the importance of the subjective experience.


I’ve been working with a developer to write an algorithm, which we are deploying now, to apply a better perception of brightness in films. There are eight or nine color anomalies that humans have which we always need to consider during grading. We need to stop trying to measure the image and start just looking at it to see how we feel about it.


What are the challenges of mastering stereo 3D for digital cinema?


I did the very first stereo feature film in the UK called Streetdance 3D (released in 2010). Those were the early days and the biggest challenge we had then was the compatibility of servers. There are some servers out there that are so old that their hardware and software struggle with 3D content. Because you have double the frame rate in stereo, you need to reduce the bandwidth of the encoding without maxing out the server, or it starts dropping frames.


You have to be really clever with your compression to make sure you still get a good image without compression artifacts. I have seen some masters out there made by big facilities that suffer from the problem of artifacts, simply because they had to produce the DCPs quickly, or just because of carelessness. 3D mastering is tricky and it takes a lot of testing.


How does QubeMaster Pro help with stereo 3D?


QubeMaster allows you to really dig deep into your files and adjust them exactly. You can go as far as you want to distribute the bandwidth exactly the way you want to. You can actually tell the encoder what detail level you want. You can also tell it to ignore certain parts of the image because they are only noise. All these little things are important.


On the surface, all of the DCP mastering systems may look the same, but when you really need precision, when you really need access to specific parts, it is so important that you can get in there. And that’s what QubeMaster gives you.


What do your clients like best about your work?


I think they like my passion the best. I love what I do, and even if it’s just a short movie, I’m still going to try to get the best out of it. And that’s why people like to work with me, because I am totally engaged in a project.




Dado Valentic’s facility, MyTherapy is based in London. QubeMaster Pro is part of the QubeMaster family of digital cinema applications, which also include QubeMaster Xpress 2.0, (which offers easy DCP mastering on Windows); QubeMaster Xport, (a plugin for mastering DCP with Apple Compressor on Mac OSX), and QubeMaster Packager for creating new versions of DCPs without having to re-encode the entire file.

About Qube Cinema, Inc.
Qube Cinema, based in North Hollywood, CA, is an international manufacturer and provider of end-to-end Digital Cinema technology and mastering solutions. A subsidiary of Real Image Media Technologies, Qube Cinema draws on decades of experience in cinema and a leadership position in the transition from analog to digital technology. The company is committed to creating a seamless Digital Cinema environment for exhibitors, filmmakers and postproduction companies with DCI-compliant products that are flexible, reliable and highly cost-effective. Qube Cinema’s product lines include the Qube XP-D and Qube XP-E servers, QubeMaster software solutions, Qube Keysmith KDM generation, and the new Qube Xi Integrated Media Block. For more information, visit Qube Cinema at www.qubecinema.com.

Fully uncompressed 3D at up to 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and 120 Hz for superior imaging and performance.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Further consolidating the Norwegian manufacturer’s reputation for innovation in display technology, projectiondesign® announces that its F35 AS3D – the world’s highest resolution Active Stereo 3D DLP® projector – is now available for immediate shipping.

With up to 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution at full 120 Hz refresh rates, the F35 AS3D displays fully uncompressed 3D with more detail than any projector in its size, price and performance category, creating the best and most life like 3D experience available anywhere.

“One of the real user benefits lies in the deployment of our newly developed dual bandwidth imaging”, says Anders Løkke, Marketing Director at projectiondesign. “With double the image processing speed of competing products, we are able to display pictures that do not rely on compression technologies, thus outputting full image detail and accuracy without artefacts.”

Particularly useful for scientific visualization, virtual reality, visitor attraction and training and simulation applications, these higher detail levels allow users to make quicker and better-informed decisions, saving them both time and money.

The F35 AS3D is based on the already popular F35 wqxga model – the highest resolution DLP projector available for commercial use. Roger Carver, manager of DLP’s front projection business at Texas Instruments, developers of the DLP imaging platform, comments: “The F35 wqxga was a stunning technological achievement – now the F35 AS3D version takes this innovation to a new level of image detail. We are proud to be associated with such ground-breaking engineering by a manufacturer that is consistently pushing the boundaries of industry imaging standards and excellence.”

The F35 AS3D features a wide range of specifically designed high resolution projection lenses and incorporates projectiondesign’s unique RealColor™ colour management suite for perfect on-site calibration and unmatched colour accuracy. Natural and precise colours add to the high-resolution performance of the F35 AS3D, and image quality can be guaranteed over any number of projection channels.

The projector offers brightness levels up to 7,500 ANSI lumens, a range of configuration options, and seamless switching between 3D and 2D. Additional benefits include user adjustable Smear Reduction Processing that reduces motion artefacts in high-speed imaging – yet another key feature for simulation applications.

As with all projectiondesign professional projectors, the F35 AS3D benefits from up to five years of full 24/7 warranty availability and is incorporated into the company’s ProNet asset management software suite.

www.projectiondesign.com

Friedrichsdorf, Germany, October 31, 2011 – MAXON, the leading developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions, today announced immediate availability of a new plug-in for Adobe® After Effects® CS5 and CS5.5 that allows motion graphics artists to export projects directly into CINEMA 4D R13. This new capability broadens CINEMA 4D’s domination as the industry-leading 3D motion graphics toolkit, known for its seamless connectivity to popular 2D motion graphics and compositing tools. This new plug-in is the perfect companion to the CINEMA 4D composition import already widely used by broadcast designers worldwide. With the combination of these two plugins, motion graphics artists working on Windows and Mac OS X will enjoy easy data exchange to and from both applications.

The CINEMA 4D export appears directly in the After Effects export menu and generates a .c4d file containing 3D layers, cameras, lights, solids, nulls and footage. Even nested compositions are supported. All major layer attributes including animations (rotation, position, parameter, anchor points, POI, etc.), expressions, layer parenting, layer locking and layer visibility are retained. Render and document settings in CINEMA 4D are adapted accordingly to the After Effects’ project settings.

“The After Effects-CINEMA 4D workflow is the proven choice for top motion design studios worldwide seeking to easily integrate their 3D and 2D workflows,” commented Harald Schneider, managing partner and CTO at MAXON. “We are pleased to offer our customers this new After Effects export plugin so they can benefit by the increased speed, efficiency and tight integration between these two powerhouse software packages.”

“CINEMA 4D is a 3D package After Effects users have already come to know and love because of its seamless integration into After Effects,” said Steve Forde, product manager for Adobe After Effects. “The ability to bring assets the other direction as well will certainly enhance productivity and further solidify CINEMA 4D as an ideal 3D solution for motion graphics artists.”

Pricing and Availability
The new CINEMA 4D R13 exchange plug-in compatible with Adobe After Effects CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 is immediately available as a free download from the MAXON website, www.maxon.net/afterfx_e

About CINEMA 4D
MAXON CINEMA 4D is a professional 3D software package offering everything needed to create high-end 3D images and animations for film, broadcast, architecture, games, multimedia, design and engineering. Building upon more than two-decades of excellence, CINEMA 4D offers spectacular image quality and an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that puts professional results within reach of artists at all levels of CGI experience. CINEMA 4D delivers speed and productivity by taking advantage of the latest advances in processor technology, and offers configurations tailored to the distinct needs of specialized 3D markets.

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. Specially priced learning editions of the company’s software solutions are also made available to educational institutions. To commemorate its 25 years impacting professional motion graphics designers, visual effects artists, architects and others in the creative community, MAXON will be hosting celebrations around the world throughout 2011. For additional information on MAXON visit www.maxon.net.

Quantel’s software assist station delivers speed, efficiency and quality for major 2012 movie

20th Century Fox has purchased Quantel’s Pablo PA conform, prep and workflow software and put it into immediate service on the post production of the ARRI Alexa-shot movie ‘Chronicle‘, slated for release on 3rd February 2012. Executive Producer James Dodson reports that Pablo PA has helped him to address three big issues – “speed, efficiency and quality”.

“While FotoKem is our lab and will handle all the coloring for us on its Pablo systems, we wanted to do our VFX pulls in house,” Dodson reports. “So we ran tests on several well-known vendors’ software because we thought we ought to be able to use them for debayering and doing DPXs. We looked at the results at 800% zoom. FotoKem’s results from its Pablo were better and sharper than the others – the difference was clearly visible. Our digital artist Robert Zalkind suggested that we should contact Quantel and see if they had a ‘lite’ version of Pablo we could try. So we got in touch with Quantel and ran the same test through Pablo PA as we had through all the other systems. The results we got were identical to FotoKem’s big Pablo – pixel perfect at 800% zoom.

“As a result, we bought a Pablo PA immediately and put it straight to work on ‘Chronicle’. We’ve been using it for two months now and it’s a total success – and we’ve probably saved some money too!” Dodson continues. “We originally bought the Pablo PA to create DPXs and make our own VFX plates. Along the way we also decided to do the digital conform to locked DPX files and prepare the session for FotoKem so they can just start coloring when our files arrive.”

Alongside his many producing and directing credits, Dodson has also run VFX companies and post facilities, so is not scared to take on new technologies and methods. “Zalkind suggested that we could improve our workflow even more by installing Avid software on the same PC which is running the Pablo PA. This works brilliantly; we can take AAFs from the Avid straight into the Pablo PA, then output QuickTimes and put them into the Avid timeline for a confidence check of the conform. When Walter Volpatto, our colorist at FotoKem heard we were running the Avid on the same box as the Pablo PA, he loved the idea and immediately asked FotoKem to get the same set-up!

“Recently we were able to turn round an urgent request from Russia for some VFX plates and we had them on their way in just three hours thanks to having the Pablo PA in house; in the past this would typically have taken 24-36 hours,” Dodson adds.

The Pablo PA’s pristine image handling and scaling has also played a key role in post on ‘Chronicle’. “One of the reasons we ran the zoom test when selecting the Pablo PA was because we wanted to give the movie a hand-held feel,” Dodson explains. “This means that we need to scale the image up to give us room to ‘jiggle’ around within the frames to get the hand-held look we wanted. Because the Pablo PA scaler is so good, no resolution is lost.

“And that’s not all. The editor has to put in a lot of keyframes to create the repositions to achieve the hand-held look. We export an AAF from Avid using Automatic Duck into Final Cut Pro to translate the DVE metadata for Pablo PA so the Pablo PA session has all the moves built in; it’s really cool! And also the keyframes aren’t baked in so the director can change them in the DI session at FotoKem on their Pablo,” Dodson adds.

“The whole process has been enlightening and rewarding,” Dodson reflects. “FotoKem have been so receptive, supportive and enthusiastic – really excited and very cool about it, and we’ve been taking every update and patch on the Pablo PA as it released and working closely with Quantel, who have been great partners.”

Two-day Gathering of Thought Leaders and Working Experts Probe State of Post Production

(BURBANK, CA) Createasphere – a global community builder for the entertainment technology industry – will present its Post Production Master Class on November 4 and 5 at the Burbank Marriott. Featuring a top lineup of thought leaders from across the spectrum of post production expertise, the Post Production Master Class provides an in-depth, interactive opportunity to spend time looking at the most compelling issues and latest information with experts deeply engaged in the process. As innovation continues to create dramatic workflow evolutions, this event offers professionals an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve, learn more about the latest trends, and plan for the future.

Such companies as FotoKem, ALT Systems, Light Iron, Codex, Tunnel, Technicolor, Testronic, Active Storage, and Gradient Effects, as well as cinematographers, editors, and important industry experts will present information and share their experiences. Sponsors include Assimilate, Melrose Video Professionals, Quantum, Active Storage as well as American Cinema Editors, Hollywood Post Alliance and Post Magazine. The schedule and speakers are expected to include:

John Bailey, ASC and Carol Littleton, ACE
Two renowned and experienced experts from the set and cutting room will engage in a conversation about the critical collaboration between production and the editing room, and how it impacts how artists tell stories, from the cinematographer’s and the editor’s point of view. Littleton’s credits include an Emmy Award for Tuesdays with Morrie, an Oscar nomination for E.T., among such others as The Rum Diary, Margot at the Wedding, and The Manchurian Candidate. Bailey’s work is world-renowned and includes The Anniversary Party, As Good as it Gets, Groundhog Day, The Accidental Tourist and The Big Chill, among many recent credits.

The State of On-Set
From before production starts through archiving, on-set tools and technologies are changing post production. What does this mean to the image, the file, the data, and the state of and security of the elements? Join FotoKem, Light Iron, Codex, Active Storage, 4K Ninjas, Assimilate, HBO and Technicolor-Creative Bridge along with key creatives as they discuss this fast-developing practice.

The State of Color
Meet the leading colorists and experts who are at work in the world of color, including Technicolor-LaserPacific, FotoKem, ALT Systems, Encore, Picture Head and Local Hero Post.

A Keynote Conversation with Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC
Karl is joined by team members in conversation with filmmaker and American Cinematographer writer Stephanie Argy in a discussion about his recent A Dolphin Tale. The true-story feature included extensive visual effects, 2D, 3D, and a complex post production path. Discover how to bring an emotional story to life from photography through final delivery.

The State of Post: Experts & Innovators
An overview session that addresses the state of such topics as previz, file-based workflows, multi-format delivery, and global networks in a world of post that is more intertwined with production than ever before. Experts and innovators will gather from LaserPacific-Technicolor, Company 3, Tunnel Post, Testronic, 5th Kind, HBO, DigitalFilm Tree and Gradient Effects/GLoW.

The two-day sessions are interspersed with opportunities for interaction with the professional attendees and presenters, in depth questions, and thoughtful discourse. Demonstrations of top tier technologies and the opportunity to meet with product experts are also on the schedule.

The Post Production Master Class follows Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo on November 2-3, which brings together specialists, creatives and technicians through seminars, workshops, exhibits and networking opportunities.

For more information, visit: http://www.createasphere.com/En/post-production-master-class-2011-burbank-california.html

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 New York and LA; the Digital Asset Management Conference in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe; The DAMMY Awards in New York; Cinema India Expo in Mumbai; the online news and content portal CreativeProCoalition.com; 3D Road Shows; and Post Production Master Classes.

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

Innovative New Channel for SCRATCH Lab, Third-Party Products and Logo Merchandise Now Available in One Convenient OnLine Store

ASSIMILATE (www.assimilateinc.com), the leading provider of powerful post-production tools for digital workflows, today announced the ASSIMILATE Store (http://store.assimilateinc.com), an online marketplace where artists can discover, trial and purchase the popular new SCRATCH Lab workflow tool for production and VFX dailies, as well as third-party software and selected hardware accessories that support the entire SCRATCH product line.

ASSIMILATE has partnered with leading technology vendors to create this unique portal. Now artists in digital cinema and broadcast can experience the convenience of instantly purchasing and downloading SCRATCH Lab on-line, while extending the capabilities of their full SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab systems across many areas of professional content creation – including DI color grading, 3D stereo, VFX, on-location and post-production workflows, subtitling and image-restoration.

Opening on October 25, 2011 the ASSIMILATE Store is divided into four categories: ASSIMILATE software; third-party software; third-party hardware accessories; and ASSIMILATE logo merchandise.

Customers can trial or purchase SCRATCH Lab, the industry’s most-often used workflow tool in production and VFX dailies pipelines, plus a wide range of software and hardware accessory products developed by the growing community of third-party partners supporting the SCRATCH platform. At launch these include products from 3ality Technica, GenArts, RE:Vision Effects, 4K Co. Ltd, HS-Art, Calibrated Software and Tangent. Several third-party products are exclusive to the ASSIMILATE Store. ASSIMILATE-branded merchandise such as T-shirts and stickers are also available.

SCRATCH Lab and SCRATCH Six, ASSIMILATE’s data-centric DI system for the playback, conform, editing, color grading, compositing and finishing of RED camera and high-end digital workflows, will continue to be sold via the company’s network of resellers worldwide. Customers who need pre or post-sales support, or turnkey systems are encouraged to visit www.assimilateinc.com/partners/resellers to find their nearest reseller.

“The ASSIMILATE Store is a full-on trading post for the extensive array of products that make up the SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab ecosystem,” said Steve Bannerman, VP of marketing, ASSIMILATE. “It’s a unique marketplace where artists can discover, trial and purchase optimized software and hardware products that enhance the creativity of their SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab experience, while offering additional convenience and productivity benefits. We’re thrilled by the range of products available at launch; from SCRATCH Lab itself, to visual effects plug-ins and control surfaces; even ASSIMILATE T-shirts and stickers. Our new Store is the perfect complement to our worldwide network of resellers.”

Highlights of the ASSIMILATE Store include:

ASSIMILATE – SCRATCH Lab: available immediately on Windows/Mac OSX as a download or for purchase. A new free trial version will be available in November 2011. Aggressively priced at $4,995 USD, SCRATCH Lab is the most comprehensive end-to-end digital system for the review, QC, color grading, conform and deliverables of dailies created during production, or during the VFX process. SCRATCH Lab’s flexible design and intuitive and customizable UI enable it to be easily deployed across a broad range of tasks on 2D and 3D stereo projects up to 5K resolution and beyond.

3ality Technica – 3Play Pro S: exclusive to the ASSIMILATE Store, the 3Play Pro S is a professional stereoscopic monitoring system for post facilities, enabling playback/review of full resolution HD stereo material on a range of monitors – all from a single device. It can be used as a preview system for facilities with 3D projection theaters, or as the primary stereo-playback solution when used with SCRATCH.

4K Co. Ltd – UnicodeText Asian Language Subtitle plug-in: exclusive to the ASSIMILATE Store, 4K’s UnicodeText plug-in seamlessly provides Chinese, Japanese, English and Korean language subtitles to any media in SCRATCH or SCRATCH Lab.

Calibrated Software – Calibrated{Q} components: Calibrated{Q} components allow SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab to import XDCAM EX .MP4 files and DVCProHD, XDCAM HD/EX and HDV .MOV files.

GenArts – Sapphire & Monsters GT plug-ins: GenArts, global leader in specialized VFX, has reduced the price of its Sapphire plug-ins for SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab from $2,499 to $1,699 USD. The Sapphire portfolio of effects includes organic glows, edge rays, lightning, film effects and much more. Monsters GT provides over 50 VFX plug-ins, including physics-based particles, fluids, fire, smoke and other natural phenomena, time-based feedback effects, and other artistic effects.

HS-Art – PixelBuster & DustBuster+ plug-ins: exclusive to the ASSIMILATE Store, PixelBuster is a brand new, an easy-to-use solution to quickly fix any kind of single image defects, such as dust spots, scratches and bad splices. Based on the award-winning DustBuster+, PixelBuster includes a more interactive toolset with automatic filters for image restoration and is priced at only $999 USD. The full DustBuster+ restoration product is available for only $8,000 USD at the Store, offering dramatic savings over the company’s Euro pricing.

RE:Vision Effects – Twixtor, DE:Noise & ReelSmart MotionBlur plug-ins: RE:Vision Effects received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2006 for its family of affordable, user-friendly software plug-ins. It provides SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab users with indispensable plug-in sets, including the acclaimed Twixtor shot re-timer, DE:Noise for image-noise reduction, and ReelSmart Motion Blur for the addition of more-natural motion blur.

Tangent – CP200, Wave & Element Control Panels: Tangent’s range of control surfaces have become the panels-of-choice for many software-based color grading systems. SCRATCH and Lab both support the CP200, Wave as well as the upcoming Element panels, which give colorists a wide range of controls to perfect the grading of long and short-form film productions.

ASSIMILATE is the premier provider of digital workflow and post-production tools, that have proven essential to the successful creation of thousands of studio and independent features, television shows, music videos and corporate video productions. The company’s SCRATCH products, running on Windows and Mac OSX, are the heartbeat of today’s most demanding digital post-production and dailies workflows for 2D and stereo 3D productions. They equip Directors, DPs and Artists with the state-of-the-art, intuitive, data-centric solutions they need to meet the continual challenges of increased creativity and productivity amid ever-shrinking budgets. ASSIMILATE’s SCRATCH data-centric DI system, is the most comprehensive, end-to-end cinema and broadcast imaging tool for playback, conform, editing, color grading, compositing and finishing of RED and other digital workflows. SCRATCH Lab delivers a comprehensive toolset for the review, versioning, color correction, conform and output of on-set or VFX dailies. ASSIMILATE, a privately held company, with headquarters in Santa Clara, California, USA, offices in London, UK, Groningen, NL and Beijing City, CN markets its products worldwide via a global reseller network. To learn more please visit www.assimilateinc.com.

2x More Powerful in Every Way, The HD HERO2 Democratizes Professional Image Capture and Broadcast with Support for Remote Control and Live Video Streaming from Virtually Anywhere to the Web

HALF MOON BAY, CA (October 24, 2011) – GoPro today announced the release of its new HD HERO2® camera. Twice as powerful as GoPro’s original HD HERO camera, the HD HERO2 enables consumers and professionals to capture and broadcast their lives most exciting moments in professional quality 1080p HD video and 11 megapixel photos. The new HD HERO2 is now available at GoPro.com, specialty retailers around the world, and at Best Buy for MSRP $299.99.

Arguably the most versatile camera in the world thanks to its innovative mounting system, renowned durability and small form factor, the HD HERO2 surpasses its predecessor with several technology upgrades. The HD HERO2′s new processor delivers twice the processing power, taking full advantage of a new high performance 11 megapixel sensor that delivers more than twice the image detail along with professional low light performance. A totally redesigned wide-angle lens was required to take full advantage of the HD HERO2′s increased image-processing, resulting in a lens that’s twice as sharp as the previous model. And with the arrival of GoPro’s new Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote products slated for release this winter, the HD HERO2 will enable video remote control via the Wi-Fi Remote, smartphones and devices, tablets and computers as well as enabling live GoPro video broadcast from anywhere there is Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot.

Famous for its globally best-selling HD HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras, GoPro spared no expense developing the HD HERO2.

“GoPro created a new category of camera with the HD HERO back in 2009, and it’s gone on to become one of the best selling video cameras in the world,” says Nicholas Woodman, GoPro’s founder and CEO. “With these big shoes to fill, we invested massively in engineering the HD HERO2 to be one of the greatest, most versatile cameras of all time. We think we’ve achieved our goal and we’re very excited to see the content our customers around the world capture and share with their powerful new GoPros.”

2x as Powerful in Every Way:
The HD HERO2 benefits from a complete redesign that results in dramatically enhanced image quality and ease-of-use:

List of HD HERO2 Feature Enhancements:

• Professional 11MP Sensor
• 2x Faster Image Processor
• 2X Sharper Glass Lens
• Professional Low Light Performance
• Full 170º, Medium 127º, Narrow 90º FOV in 1080p and 720p Video
• 120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p Video
• Full 170º and Medium 127º FOV Photos
• 10 11MP Photos Per Second Burst
• 1 11MP Photo Every 0.5 Sec Timelapse Mode
• 3.5mm External Stereo Microphone Input
• Simple Language-based User Interface
• Compatible with Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote™
- Long Range Remote Control of up to 50 GoPro Cameras per Wifi Remote
- Wi-Fi Video/Photo Preview, Playback and Control via GoPro App
- Live Streaming Video and Photos to the Web

Visit http://gopro.com/hd-hero2-cameras/ for more information on the HD HERO2, Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote products.

Upgraded Professional Photo Quality and Features
The HD HERO2’s photo capture performance has also been significantly upgraded. In addition to much improved low light performance, the HD HERO2 can capture up to ten 11 megapixel photos in a one second burst mode as well as automatic time-lapse photos with quick .5 second timing between photos. This dramatically increases the success-rate when attempting to capture magazine cover quality photos during fast action sports and activities.

Simplified User Interface
GoPro also placed a priority on redesigning the HD HERO2’s user interface for dead simple ease-of-use. The HD HERO2 features a totally new, straightforward language-based user interface that eliminates the need for instructions.

“The HD HERO2 is much, much easier to use than the original HD HERO. If you know how to use a traditional camera, you can use the HD HERO2 straight out of the box without instructions. This makes the HD HERO2 very powerful as an every day, easy to use consumer camera while retaining all of the features, modes and performance that has made GoPro the best selling small form factor HD camera to Hollywood,” said GoPro’s Director of Product Definition, Rudy Samuels.

Specialized Right Down to the Packaging
The HD HERO2 sells in three bundled-accessory configurations, each containing the necessary mounts for particular genres of use or activity. The HD HERO2 is backwards compatible with all existing GoPro mounts and accessories.
Click each product name for a complete list of included mounts and accessories:
HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition – $299.99
HD HERO2: Motorsports Edition – $299.99
HD HERO2: Surf Edition – $299.99

The original 1080p HD HERO camera is now available for MSRP $199.99 – $239.99 (USD) (previously $259.99 – $299.99) through GoPro.com and GoPro’s worldwide authorized dealer network. The Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote are also compatible with the original HD HERO camera, but functionality is limited to remote control only. Video and photo streaming is not supported.

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, Best Buy, and at gopro.com.