Archive of the Pro AV Category

(London, UK) Renowned Nucoda Colourist Aidan Farrell was presented with BAFTA’s Special Award at the British Academy Television Craft Awards. The award recognises his outstanding creative contribution to the industry and his extensive work and accomplishments in his field.

Farrell, who has a Nucoda suite at The Farm in Soho, has worked on many high-profile television documentaries and dramas in recent years including: The Devil’s Whore, Wallander, Boy A, The Shadow Line and the mutli-award winning Downton Abbey. He says, “I’m extremely honoured to have received this award. The fact that BAFTA has considered my whole portfolio of work to date is incredible and I’m delighted.”

A perfectionist, Farrell likes to push the creative boundaries for his craft giving an edge that moves away from the traditional. When talking about grading Downton Abbey’s first series on Nucoda Film Master he says, “A lot of period features and programmes have a very de-saturated look with soft blacks and highlights. It’s almost as if we have to immediately tell the viewer it’s a period piece from the outset.

“In real life, or in any movie you’re drawn to visually, you don’t see all the detail all the time in every shot. No matter what period the piece that you’re grading is set in, the colour of the trees the sky and the natural habitat was the same colour as it is today. There seems to be a trend to brown and dull down the picture creating colour contamination where there’s no separation of primary or secondary colours and everything blends into each other. With Downton the main objective was to come up with a very modern and fresh approach.”

He’s recently begun test shots on the Nucoda for the third series of Downton Abbey, which is back on UK screens in the autumn.

About Digital Vision
Digital Vision was founded in 1988 in Stockholm, Sweden. With offices in Stockholm, London and Los Angeles, and Linkoping in Sweden, Digital Vision has developed Emmy award winning technology for the Broadcast and Post Production marketplace. In 2005, Digital Vision acquired Nucoda Ltd and integrated its technology into the Nucoda product line. This has resulted in the leading colour grading, finishing and mastering solutions that are used to create much of the world’s high profile television, film and commercials media broadcast today. The Phoenix restoration software solutions and Golden Eye range of scanners – in addition to the Nucoda range – provide innovative tools to create the industry recognized highest quality HD, 2K/4K and stereoscopic 3D images. In April 2011 Digital Vision acquired Image Systems and is now a division of the Image Systems group of companies.

All trademarks used herein, whether recognized or not, are the properties of their respective companies.

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Digital Vision Marketing Contact:
Alexa Maza | alexa.maza@digitalvision.se | Tel: +1 (818) 769-8111

Digital Vision USA PR Contact:
Ignite | Christine Purse | chris@ignite.bz | Tel: +1 818 303 8088 | Mobile: +1 323 806 9696

Digital Vision EMEA & Asia PR Contact:
Jump PR | Kate Ford | kate@jumppr.tv | Tel: +44 (0) 1932 240001 | Mobile: +44 (0) 7740 948 065

Rapper and pop singer-songwriter Pitbull, a Billboard Latin Music Award winner, has been playing to packed houses on his PlanetPit World Tour 2012 where Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures are in tune with the artist’s unique vibe.

The tour recently concluded a cross-Canada run, will be heading for Europe shortly and plans to return to the U.S. in the fall. Lighting designer Justin Geiger of California-based Impulse Creative Group designed a tiered rig with video in the center for the Canadian dates. Impulse Creative Group consists of a design team with experience in live concerts, corporate events and houses of worship, which offers production design, system development and total show management.

“There’s a high-energy club vibe to the show; it’s very upbeat,” says Geiger. “The venues mostly hold 8-14,000 people, and Pit is selling out all over the place.”

Geiger “built everything around multiple heights and depths,” placing six Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures on band risers, four Sharpys in each of the two wings and eight more across the top.

“They’re being used as the high impact fixture of the show,” says the lighting designer. “They’re crazy bright, unbelievably fast, and definitely the main focus of the rig. In fact, I use them for every cue. Everyone is surprised how much those little fixtures make such a difference in our show.”

Geiger notes that Sharpy fixtures appear to be “popping up everywhere” these days. “For good reason,” he notes. “I had never used them before but told my production manager that I had to have them for the tour. And I just love them.” Lighting fixtures for the Canada tour were supplied by Briere.

Geiger plans to redesign the rig for the next leg of the tour. “I hope to use all Clay Paky fixtures,” he says. “I’d like to add Alpha Beam 700s to my inventory of Sharpys.”

A.C.T Lighting is the distributor for Clay Paky in North America.

Francesco Romagnoli, Clay Paky Area Manager for North and Latin America, adds, “We’re glad that our fixtures are doing so well for this tour. Mr. Geiger is a great designer truly understands the impact that the Sharpy can have.”

About Clay Paky
Headquartered in Seriate (Bergamo), Italy, Clay Paky SPA has a history of designing and manufacturing innovative professional show lighting. The company was founded in 1976 by entrepreneur Pasquale Quadri who anticipated the enormous impact the evolution of technology would have on the show and entertainment worlds.

DETROIT, Michigan – To create brand identity for high-end clients such as Serta, Pennzoil and others, Detroit-based full-service advertising agency, Doner, relies on Fairlight’s Constellation console and recently upgraded to the CC-1 FPGA media engine for all in-house post-production needs.

Some of Doner’s most notable work can be seen in the popular commercials for Serta with the counting sheep and their work with Choice Hotels and other high end brands. Doner’s work ranges from television and radio to video production for client presentations.

Doner recently upgraded both of its studios with the CC-1 media engine, allowing more flexibility and support while also allowing members of the Doner team to work in both studios utilizing the same console. “With Doner having a variety of clients, every day is different,” states Ken Warzybok, Senior Audio Engineer, Doner. “Doner encourages creative input at every level from concept to post-production. Being in-house, we actually get to see a project grow from its original concept and we continue to assist in the creative evolution of the idea all the way to the final product.”

One aspect of the Constellation that Warzybok has taken a liking to is the ability to use plug-ins as a mix function or clip function. “I find this really handy because it allows flexibility in how I want to finesse the mix,” Warzybok says.

When copying a clip, Warzybok mentioned that it is extremely useful for the automation to be copied with it. “This is great when working on a commercial with alternate versions. It saves me a great amount of time, knowing that the automation has followed every element for consistent levels and dynamics among versions.”

Warzybok explained that while working on a series of spots for Pennzoil he was working with multiple sound design tracks, which were utilized in several TV and radio spots. “We were able to position the sound effects in each of the spots without altering the integrity of the original mix levels and plug-in processing, thanks to the ability to copy automation by clip.”

The board is very intuitive for the entire Doner team, Warzybok adds. “With so many options, I don’t have to adjust my thinking to the software. We all have different backgrounds, so it helps that we can work on the same projects while doing things our own way. With deadlines to meet, sharing projects between studios happens frequently. With Fairlight, the process is seamless and I can be confident that as we pick up each other’s projects, the information, elements, and automation will remain intact.”

It’s the little things that give Doner the confidence to continue with Fairlight throughout the years, such as the System Mix safety guard. “It’s a great safety net if you didn’t happen to save the last mix. It came in handy recently when I needed to restore a six-year old project,” Warzybok adds. “Everything was precisely the same as when it was last worked on.”

As far as service, the very few problems that the Doner team has had have been resolved as quickly as possible. “All it takes is a phone call, Fairlight’s support team connects to our system directly and fixes the problem remotely with no hold up to us or our clients,” Warzybok summed up.

For more information on Doner, please visit: http://www.doner.com

For more information on FairlightUS, please visit: http://www.fairlightus.com

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About FairlightUS:
FairlightUS is headquartered in New Jersey USA and is the exclusive distributor for Fairlight products in the North American market. Fairlight has been at the forefront of digital audio development since its inception in 1975. Fairlight designs and manufactures media creation tools including digital audio recording, editing and mixing systems for standard and high definition audio post, broadcast and music production applications. www.fairlightus.com

About Fairlight:
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia Fairlight designs and manufactures media production systems powered by the company’s groundbreaking CC-1 FPGA digital processing engine. The Fairlight product range includes EVO, Xynergi and the new PyxisG2, all of which feature in the world’s leading broadcasters, commercial post facilities, music studios and film production studios. Fairlight has a rich tradition of innovation and development and is at the forefront of green computing technology.

About Doner
Based in Detroit, Doner is a member of the MDC Partners network and serves clients including ADT, AutoTrader.com, Avery Dennison, Choice Hotels International, Chrysler Group LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, The Coleman Company, Cox Communications, DuPont, Harman, Serta, Sherwin Williams, Shell Lubricants and The UPS Store. With over $1 billion in billings Doner has built on its strong creative legacy to create a modern, integrated creative network with offices in Detroit, Cleveland, London and Newport Beach. As a full-service, performance-driven agency, Doner focuses on creating ideas that change the destiny of brands through creativity.

Christie Digital Systems Japan (Christie) in co-operation with NHK Enterprises Ltd., WOW and Sigma A&V and Rental Corporation, played a key role in creating Sunday’s NHK documentary broadcast – “See Everything That Makes Tokyo Sky Tree Special!” – in advance of the Tokyo Sky Tree’s official public opening on May 22, 2012.

Christie’s expertise in ‘projection mapping’ was leveraged during the shooting of the documentary to deploy and operate 27 Christie Roadie HD+35K projectors, the world’s brightest and best DLP projectors, to project images created by NHK onto a 4,500 square-meter area on the East Tower, over a distance of up to 130 meters. Set on the rooftop of the eighth floor of the Tokyo Sky Town shopping mall, each projector is capable of 35,000 lumens output.

“As a professional-use projector manufacturer, it is an honor to provide technical cooperation for projection mapping in a locale that is as large in scale and as topical as the Tokyo Sky Tree,” said Mamoru Hanzawa, general manager, Christie Digital Systems Japan. “Projection mapping allows large numbers of people to share the excitement of seeing an image projection that, although far larger in scale than conventional uses, requires no screen setup and takedown, and does not interfere with the building or other object on which it is projected.”

Eye-Pleasing Projection Mapping Now Within Reach
Christie projectors have the reputation for image quality, reliability and brightness that artists, designers and rental stagers count on for their displays and events, and the firm is pleased to be the projector manufacturer of choice that helps create many spectacular displays, including those used in “See Everything That Makes Tokyo Sky Tree Special!”

Primitive forms of projection mapping have been around for more than a decade. Originally, projection mapping was used to project static images onto buildings and exterior structures using slide-projector setups and film to create lighting effects. Mapping to these surfaces was difficult since the designers were required to use technology that used camera obscura-type manipulations. The light sources were often not bright enough, so the result images could not been seen very well.

To eliminate these problems, Christie developed advanced technologies that help enable today’s complex and stunning mapping displays to be created. Technologies like Christie Twist and Christie AutoStack allow the projected images to be warped and edge-blended into irregular shapes and surfaces, as well as enable the set up and maintenance to be accomplished more accurately and quickly using cameras, projectors and software.

For advertising, events and ceremonies, projection mapping continues to be an engaging way of transforming buildings and facades in order to attract and excite people. As more displays emerge for advertising and entertainment, more and more people are deciding to use this type of environmental modification for weddings, ballrooms and corporate events. It’s the imagination and creativity of people working with the capabilities of today’s digital projectors that is helping to make projection mapping displays go mainstream.

“Projection mapping goes further than just providing content for television programs and for displays at events. It is a projection method with enormous and yet to be fully realized potential,” said Mamoru Hanzawa, general manager, Christie Digital Systems Japan.

“Furthermore, in the age of the personal computer, the smart phone, and the tablet, where each individual has come to enjoy watching still and moving images on his or her small device alone, visual experiences able to be shared by large numbers of people at once are, I believe, of great significance and value.

“As a leading manufacturing company of professional-use projectors, Christie wishes to contribute to the future of such shared visual experiences made possible by the use of projectors,” Hanzawa continued.

“Projectors are used not only in the entertainment sector, such as with image projection of this type here and movies, and the like. They are also used in a wide range of other fields such as pharmaceuticals, medicine, and for academic and technical research. It will be greatly satisfying if the application of projectors in this project can serve to show as many people as possible the enormous possibilities they have for image projection in general.”

About Christie
Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christiedigital.com.

Christie, the official contents sponsor for Expo 2012 Yeosu Expo, is pleased to announce the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 has selected Christie Roadie HD+35K projectors for its signature multimedia night show. Set against the natural backdrop of the Yeosu Sea, the 47-meter high Big-O is the world’s largest water curtain and the landmark installation at the expo.

Designed and directed by France-based ECA2, who were involved in shows such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 World Cup in France and the Eiffel Tower Millennium Show, the “O” stands for the ocean and resembles the numerical zero to illustrate a new beginning for the sea. The show is expected to remain as a permanent centerpiece after Expo.

Two sets of triple-stacked Christie Roadie HD+35Ks, the world’s brightest and best DLP projectors, project a short animated film about ocean conservation onto the water screen at the internal rim of the “O,” which is located about 100 meters away. To complete this show, the “Fountain Show,” staged by the US-based WET Design, also utilizes four sets of dual-stacked Christie HD+35Ks projecting content onto three sets of fountain jets located at distances of 20 meters, 25 meters and 30 meters respectively. The nightly multimedia show also includes other special effects such as moving water jets, mist, flames, lighting, and laser works.

“Christie HD+35K projectors are wonderful. They’re bright and offer superior quality. We’re getting a brightness level of more than 200 nits, which is more than what we expect. Even under strong wind conditions which affect the water screen, we’re still getting the clarity and the exact image focal point,” comments Guillaume Duflot, chief of operations & technical director, ECA2. “We have an excellent ongoing relationship with Christie, having collaborated with them on many projects in many parts of the world including Singapore and China over the last five years. As a company, they’re ultra-responsive and offer products of the highest quality.”

“Projecting onto moving waters is a challenging task. The Christie projectors are able to fully maximize the potential of our fountain show by adding a surreal touch. We’re very happy with the results as they really bring the whole show to life,” comments Helen Park, senior vice president, WET Design.

“The images projected by the Christie projectors are visually stunning and they have definitely met or even surpassed the requirements set out by the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea for the Big-O show. I’ve always been working with some of the world’s best companies and, in this case, Christie is the company who can offer the best visual solution for this show,” comments Yves Pepin, creative consultant to the Yeosu Expo 2012 Committee on the Big-O project.

“We wanted the best possible solution for the Big-O show and all the companies that we were working with – including ECA2, Electrosonic and Wet – unanimously proposed Christie. In this case, we decided to select Christie as a partner for this event. We would never be able to forget the visual impact that the show had on us when we first saw it. The projected images were brilliant and crisp even when we did the trial projection in the rain. The visual projection not only tells an entertaining story but most importantly, it helps to visually convey the expo’s core message – the need for ocean protection,” comments Berni Cho, Project Manager, Big-O installation.

Under the expo’s theme “Living Ocean and Coast,” various promotional locations and pavilions at Yeosu Expo have deployed close to 250 Christie visual solutions for the 93-day event taking place May 12 to August 12, 2012. Christie J Series, Christie M Series, Christie E Series, Christie Roadie HD+35Ks, Christie Roadster S+20Ks, Christie LX Series and Christie MicroTiles are used to help visually convey the message about the need for ocean conservation to an estimated turnout of eight million visitors from around the world.

“We’re very fortunate to be selected as the contents sponsor for the Expo 2012 Yeosu Expo and to be involved in one of the biggest events in Korea this year. Most importantly, we’re able to transfer our knowledge and experience gained from our strong participation in the similar expo event in Shanghai during 2010,” comments Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. “We started working on this event early last year and we’re pleased that our groundbreaking visual solutions are present in some of most significant installations including the Big-O, the Denmark Pavilion, the China Pavilion as well as corporate pavilions.”

As early as May 2011, Christie MicroTiles were selected by the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea Organizing Committee to promote the event at the Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport. These visual solutions will remain in use until the end of Expo.

About Christie
Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christiedigital.com.

EMERYVILLE, CALIF. – Advanced Systems Group (ASG), a leading West Coast video and film integration firm, today announced that pro audio veteran Mark Haynes has joined the company, effective April 2. Haynes is part of ASG’s expansion of its audio business, and he will specialize in contributing an audio perspective to video-centric projects.

Prior to joining ASG, Haynes was vice president of sales for Leo’s Professional Audio in Oakland, Calif., where he worked for 26 years. He began his career in the early 1970s with Showco, Inc., one of the pioneers in large-scale sound reinforcement, where he toured nationally and internationally as FOH engineer for Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Jefferson Airplane, and other headliners.

“Mark has spent decades in the audio industry, and he’s helping ASG enhance our audio offerings across the board,” explained Dave Van Hoy, president, ASG. “Audio is a vital part of any video system solution, and we want to make sure it receives the attention it deserves.”

“I’m here to contribute a perspective on audio’s importance as an integral element in any project,” Haynes added. “It’s exciting to join such an experienced team of colleagues at ASG, and it’s gratifying to receive the support and encouragement of the many audio vendors who share our passion for sound and all of its related disciplines.”

Haynes is based at ASG’s Emeryville office and can be contacted at (510) 654-8300 or via e-mail at mh@asgllc.com.

About ASG:

Advanced Systems Group LLC of Emeryville, Calif., with offices in the Bay Area and Southern California, has provided engineering, systems, integration, support and training to the broadcast, film, creative, and corporate video markets since 1997. With unmatched experience in Apple-based newsroom systems, shared storage, archiving, editing, finishing, and VFX systems, ASG has become one of largest installers of post production and shared storage systems on the West Coast. The ASG team is highly focused on customer success, and has installed and supported more than 185 SANs, production, and post production systems over the last six years. For more information, visit www.asgllc.com or call 510-654-8300.

Industry Honors Focus on Innovation, Creativity, Excellence in Post Production

(Hollywood, CA) The Hollywood Post Alliance(r) has announced the opening of its Call for Entries for the 2012 HPA(r) Awards. The standard bearer for excellence and innovation in Post Production, the Awards honor the individuals and companies who are engaged in noteworthy and groundbreaking work in post production. The gala award ceremony will take place on the evening of November 1, 2012 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA. This year’s competition marks the seventh year of the HPA Awards.

The Hollywood Post Alliance created the HPA Awards to bring to the forefront the individual talent as well as the creative and technical achievements that go into the post production process.

The HPA Awards invite entries in the following competitive categories:

Outstanding Color Grading using a DI process-Feature Film

Outstanding Color Grading-Television

Outstanding Color Grading-Commercial

Outstanding Editing-Feature Film

Outstanding Editing-Television

Outstanding Editing-Commercial

Outstanding Sound-Feature Film

Outstanding Sound-Television

Outstanding Sound-Commercial

Outstanding Compositing-Feature Film

Outstanding Compositing-Television

Outstanding Compositing-Commercial

Engineering Excellence

HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation in Post Production

The period of eligibility for the HPA Awards is September 7, 2011 through September 10, 2012 and eligible work must have debuted domestically and or internationally during this period. Entrants need not be members of the Hollywood Post Alliance or working in the U.S. to submit work for consideration. A list of last year’s winners can be found by visiting www.hpaawards.net.

Complete rules, guidelines and entry information are available at: www.hpaawards.net. Submissions for the creative categories will be accepted May 10, 2012 through July 10, 2012 and Early Bird Entry (reduced fee for the creative categories) applies until June 8, 2012. Submissions for the Engineering Excellence Award and the Creativity and Innovation Award will be accepted May 10, 2012 through June 15, 2012. Entrants for the Engineering Excellence Award will be invited to present at a special HPA judging event.

For information about sponsorship opportunities for the 2012 HPA Awards show, please contact Eileen Kramer at 213-614-0860 or write to ekramer@hpaonline.com. For more information about the HPA Awards, visit www.hpaawards.net or call 213.614.0860.

About the Hollywood Post Alliance(r)
Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content.

About the HPA(r) Awards
The HPA Awards were created to foster awareness of post production, promote creative and technical excellence, recognize the achievements of post production talent, and build involvement in the Hollywood Post Alliance.

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Media Contact:
Ignite strategic communications
p: 818.303.8088
Christine Purse, chris@ignite.bz or
Mimi Rossi, mimi@ignite.bz

OLD LYME, Conn. – May 9, 2012 – Audio specialist Sennheiser announced that LEAP OF FAITH, Broadway’s latest roof-raising Tony-nominated musical, is the first Broadway production to utilize digital microphone technology from Neumann. The musical, which features a score by eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken, opened late last month at the St. James Theater on 44th Street and features no less than 12 Neumann digital microphones in the orchestra pits.

Broadway is widely recognized as maintaining the “gold standard” when it comes to live sound production quality; its sound designers routinely specify Sennheiser and Neumann microphones and wireless equipment for their unrivalled sonic performance on both the stage and in the orchestra pit. For LEAP OF FAITH, Sound Designer John Shivers and Associate Sound Designer/Mixer David Patridge specified Neumann digital mics on the brass and woodwind sections of the orchestra, which were then fed into a Neumann DMI before reaching the DiGiCo SD7 digital console.

LEAP OF FAITH has two separate orchestra pits, both of which use the digital microphones. The pit below the stage and directly in front of the audience contain the woodwind section, which uses four Neumann KM 184 Ds as overheads and four TLM 103 Ds in a low position, approximately 15 inches off the floor and resting at a 120-degree angle towards the instrument. The other pit was situated below and to the rear of the stage and contained the brass section, which was miked with four TLM 103 Ds in a low position similar to that of the woodwinds.

An exquisitely pristine sound character
“We had already specified the analog versions of these microphones when Masque Sound brought up the possibility of our using digital microphones on this show,” Shivers recalls. “We jumped at the chance to use them since I am always interested in increasing the overall sound quality of the production. We didn’t get a chance to A/B these against their analog counterparts in a controlled environment, but my sense is that there is an increased clarity and transparency to these microphones.”

“These microphones exhibit an open, detailed sound,” Patridge adds. “I think additional clarity is evident in the high frequency range and the microphones themselves require less EQ. As for the noise floor, it is non-existent: these microphones are absolutely pristine.”

Realizing the benefits of remote control
According to Patridge, the benefits of using Neumann digital mics in the theater extend well beyond just the pristine sound, since many parameters such as shelving, padding and even polar patterns can be remote controlled from the FOH position*: “The pit can be a difficult area to access, and during sound checks I often have to send somebody in there to ensure there is no shelving or padding on the mics,” he observes. “With the Neumann digital mics, I can control all these settings from software interface on the console, which saves time and gives my production team one less thing to worry about.”

Shivers agrees that being able to control the microphones from a remote location is beneficial: “If a musician is playing particularly loud, having the ability to go to a control panel and adjust the padding could be very helpful. Also, having the capability to remotely switch to a hyper-cardioid from a cardioid pattern could give you a tighter sound and more rejection without having to move the microphone position. But for me, the audio quality is always most important.”

Prior to its official opening on Broadway on April 26th, LEAP OF FAITH was in previews for three straight weeks, during which time the Neumann digital microphones were put through their paces. “We were very impressed with how they sounded right out of the box,” Shivers says. “We knew from the reputation of the company that it would be an improved product, and now we can assuredly say that it is. The quality of these microphones is of a very, very high standard and I would love to use them again.”

*(available in the Neumann D-01 microphone, which features 15-switchable polar patterns at the click of a mouse).

Photo captions:

Greg Thymium of the LEAP OF FAITH woodwinds section plays into Neumann TLM 103 D digital microphone in the low position and a Neumann KM 184 D digital microphone in the overhead position (photo: Cheryl Fleming).
The Neumann KM 184 D is among the digital microphones currently being used in the LEAP OF FAITH musical production on Broadway (photo: Cheryl Fleming).
The Neumann TLM 103 D digital microphone was used in the low position on both woodwinds and brass during LEAP OF FAITH.

May 9, 2012 – Orad announced today that KCET-TV, the largest publicly supported independent television station in the U.S., has purchased the Orad ProSet Virtual Studio system for one of its two new studios currently under construction in Burbank, California. The new state-of-the-art broadcast facility equipped with Orad virtual studio technology will enable KCET to transform itself into Southern California’s premier public media and production center.
 
With a strong focus on high-quality local programming, the station plans to collaborate with its world-class creative community and utilize the new facility to produce unique programming with a national and international appeal. KCET Vice President of Engineering and Operations Gordon Bell said, “We wanted one studio to have as much versatility as possible and Virtual seemed to meet all of our requirements, including a favorable ROI, quick changes for sets, no set storage, augmented reality elements – and, of course, the ability to create amazing looking sets. Virtual affords us many creative and economic opportunities not available to us previously.”
 
Bell added, “During the design and installation process, I’ve had to make many gut-wrenching decisions, but the decision to use Orad was not one I had to dwell on. Orad is the market leader; they’ve been doing virtual studios longer than anyone and they offer a turnkey solution in terms of hardware, software, and camera tracking.”
 
About KCET
On-air, online, and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. In addition to broadcasting the finest programs from around the world, KCET produces and distributes award-winning local programs that explore the people, places, and topics that are relevant to the region.
 
About Orad Hi-Tec Systems
Orad Hi-Tec Systems is a world-leading provider of real-time 3D broadcast graphic, video server, and media asset management solutions including news, channel branding, sports production and enhancement, elections and special events, virtual studios, and virtual advertisement. Orad’s compelling solutions streamline production workflow, enhance viewer experience, and improve production value. Founded in 1993, Orad is a public company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (OHT). More information is available at http://www.orad.tv/.
 
For further information contact:
Orad Hi-Tec Systems Ltd
Ofir Benovici
Vice President Marketing
ofirb(at)orad(dot)tv
 
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The rich history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard from before the Revolutionary War to its exciting rebirth in the 21st century has found a home in Bldg 92′s Brooklyn Navy Yard Center (BNYC). An exhibit and visitors center operated as a program of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, the BNYC features a number of exhibits implementing Alcorn McBride Digital Video Machines and Digital Audio Machines.

The BNYC showcases the history and innovation of the Brooklyn Navy Yard where many warships – including the Civil War’s famous U.S.S. Monitor – were built and which today serves as model of industrial re-use and green manufacturing. The space occupies former naval officers’ quarters and offers interactive and conventional exhibits, videos and artifacts.

Design/build integrator Videosonic Systems, Inc. worked with museum designer Robin Parkinson to help communicate the ideas contained within the design package. “We’ve had a lot of success with Alcorn McBride products over the years,” says Glenn Polly, of Videosonic. “They’re a well-known staple for museums thanks to their bullet-proof performance and reliability.”

Videosonic senior project manager/programmer Eugene Ababio notes that “the Brooklyn Navy Yard has a pretty solid history and a lot to say” in the BNYC. “Our priority was to make sure we could provide technology that would not hinder the storytelling process.”

He points out that in an exhibit-type installation, “all the devices are critical components and at the BNYC all those devices were Alcorn players. That said, you might think you’d spend most of your time testing and troubleshooting ’til close out. But not with Alcorn. The units were very powerful products yet simple to set up and manage.”

The ground floor of the BNYC features a photo montage comprised of five 46-inch Samsung displays driven by five Alcorn McBride DVM-7400 Digital Video Machines. Each display contains a motion detector so when visitors approach they trigger the story of the photo showcased. Focused audio is provided via soundtrap-housed speakers and Alcorn McBride AM4 Digital Audio Machines. All of the playback equipment is located in an IT server room back of house.

The BNYC’s second floor has rooms documenting different periods in the Navy Yard’s history. Videosonic selected Alcorn McBride AM4 Digital Audio Machines to deliver information about various artifacts when visitors pick up exhibit handsets. The orientation theater also features an Alcorn McBride DVM-7400 Digital Video Machine, which drives the display on a 70-inch screen.

The third floor includes models of ships with embedded video monitors. All are triggered by motion detectors and driven by Alcorn McBride DVM-7400 video players. Additional DVM-7400s provide playback in a wing whose porthole viewers/monitors detail battleship construction. Another, rugged-style theater space, built from rusty corrugated aluminum and cyclone fencing, tells the story of the Navy Yard’s very successful reinvention. It houses a 70-inch monitor fed by a DVM-7400 video player.

Ababio reports that Alcorn McBride’s tech support throughout was “excellent. I’ve worked with a lot of AV gear for the last 15 years, and it’s impossible not to run into situations where you need help from tech support. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult to find more than a few technicians who know their products inside out. I never had this issue with Alcorn; everyone I spoke with had an excellent understanding of their products and was able to offer instant solutions.”

He adds that the Alcorn McBride products easily supported the multiple content providers contracted by the BNYC. “The project incorporated a number of content providers who didn’t all use the same technology. Thank goodness, Alcorn supports all the major file formats and compression rates. It was a relief for the content providers to hear us say, ‘Yeah, we can support that.’”

Southside Design’s Sam Morse was the exhibit fabricator for the BNYC.

About Alcorn McBride:
Founded in 1986, Alcorn McBride is the leading manufacturer of show control, audio and video equipment for the themed entertainment industry, and a rapidly growing provider of audio and video systems for retail environments and transportation applications. Staffed by some of the industry’s best engineers and backed by outstanding customer support, the company has demonstrated great agility in bringing new designs to market. A hallmark of Alcorn McBride products is their durable, zero maintenance design. The company’s products provide consistent, reliable operation for audio and video playback applications worldwide. For more information, visit www.alcorn.com.