Archive of the First Person Category

Q&A Session with Jeremy Deaner, CEO of AmberFin

Q: Could you give us some background on the separation and sale of Snell & Wilcox and how this pertains to AmberFin?
A: Of course. The sale of Snell & Wilcox allows the company to enter a new phase of development through its merger with Pro-Bel. Although AmberFin was launched in April 2008 as part of the Snell & Wilcox Group, AmberFin is now completely independent. Moving forward, Advent Venture Partners will remain AmberFin’s main shareholder and will continue to invest in AmberFin as part of its commitment to growing the company’s global presence. It has always been Advent’s intention to operate AmberFin completely separately from Snell & Wilcox, which has been part of the AmberFin’s roadmap since its launch last year. more

By Bruce Devlin, CTO, AmberFin Ltd.

With the NAB Show approaching, and the global economy in a deep recession, 2009 is stacking up to be one of the most challenging years for the broadcasting industry.
So how do broadcasters not only survive, but thrive – in a down economy? One answer: a clear vision, a strong sense of purpose, a comprehensive strategic plan and a clear technology roadmap.

While some global industries will struggle to survive these tougher markets, some argue the film and broadcast industry should take advantage of the fact that consumers still want entertainment. Despite the doom and gloom, there was an encouraging shift last year with the increase of consumers’ use of broadcast and video content; however with any progress comes many challenges. more

Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry, today announced the appointment of new sales and product management staff to help boost global sales of the company’s successful Nuke VFX compositing and image-processing plug-ins products, and maintain the focus on customer-driven product development for which The Foundry has always been renowned. more

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. – Feb. 13, 2009 – INTERDUBS, the customizable client-approval and reel-building solution for production and post-production companies, was used by its client companies to gain client-approvals on 30 of the approximately 50 commercial spots which aired during NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, Feb. 1. According to published reports, nearly 90 million viewers watched this year’s Super Bowl broadcast. more

SANTA MONICA, CA. and NEW YORK-(Nov. 14, 2008)-Bicoastal creative production company Stardust Studios (www.stardust.tv) recently produced a high-definition (HD) 3D animated spot for the creative team from advertising agency RPA and their clients at Honda. The :30 spot directed by Stardust’s Santa Monica-based art director Jonathan Wu debuted across the U.S. last month, and can be seen online here.

“RPA’s creative team approached us with the idea of creating a yearbook-themed cross-promotional spot for the Honda Odyssey as part of Honda’s promotion of Walt Disney Pictures’ ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year,’” Wu explained. “The main points were to make sure it was photo-real and authentic to a high school yearbook. The guys at RPA gave us great input, and we applied their ideas throughout the process, which really made the piece come together well. It was a great collaboration.” more

The Future of Entertainment Marketing

The history of entertainment has been continually in flux when it comes to delivery systems. Think of the early phonograph, radio, movie, television and web. Formats have always been in transition and ever changing the way we obtain our music, shows and information. 



With this in mind we find ourselves at the end of 2008 – where not one delivery system reigns; either at a crossroads or a sea change depending on the way we look at it. Kiosks on subways, taxis, monitors strapped to young actors wandering around the city, TV shows on IPODS, snippets of comedy on YouTube, and surfing the web on our cell phones are all ways we obtain our entertainment. 



What does this mean?

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Studio City, CA (May 8, 2008) – Viewers will answer the question, Who is TV’s All-Time Funniest? this Friday during a two-hour special. If television aficionados were to assemble a list of TV’s favorite comedy characters from the greatest sitcoms in history, who would be the favorites? TV fans across the country were asked to choose their funniest characters in the following eight categories: Funniest Comedy Fathers, Funniest Mothers, Funniest Kids, Funniest Relatives, Funniest Neighbors, Funniest Friends, Funniest Boss and Funniest Co-Workers. Collected by Nielsen Media Research, the results will be revealed in the two-hour TV’s All-Time Funniest, A Paley Center for Media Special, airing FRIDAY, MAY 9 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. more

Studio City, California (May 6, 2008) – William Shatner is currently working diligently at Studio City, California based Media City Sound, recording the “books on tape� audio track for his upcoming autobiography entitled Up Till Now.

One of Hollywood’s most recognizable and honored actors, Mr. Shatner’s hectic acting schedule is further augmented by his equally busy schedule spawned by his stellar reputation as one of the most in-demand voice over talents. With a voice recognized by millions worldwide, his has become the voice of authority indelibly etched on the consciousness of our culture. Mr. Shatner noted, “Media City Sound is the best place in town to record. If I’m not recording, that means I’m not at MCS.” more

RENO, NV, 2nd April 2008 – S.two Corporation has confirmed that it will be exhibiting a completely new product line up at the NAB Convention (Las Vegas 14th-17th April 2008) in a an expanded location in the South Hall Lower Level (Booth #SL9208).

Showcased for the first time anywhere will be the S.two end-to-end tool set responding to the growing requirement for 4K digital film production. The booth will also feature a new HD444, 2K & 3K capable uncompressed portable recorder and the enhanced production-proven S.two workflow, from capture to offline through archive and conform. more

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, March 7, 2008 — Demonstrating the ease of rigging and superior coverage of JBL VERTEC® line arrays, live sound and lighting production company On Cue Systems of Phoenix, AZ recently provided the sound reinforcement system for a Barack Obama presidential campaign rally at Phoenix Veterans Memorial Stadium in Arizona. The “Stand For Change� rally drew more than 13,000 supporters and included appearances by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Caroline Kennedy. more