Digital Vision, provider of powerful image enhancement, color correction and restoration systems for a wide spectrum of content, announced that FotoKem’s Keep Me Posted (KMP) has expanded their commitment to them with a hardware, storage, and software upgrade to their existing Film Master. Furthering their allegiance to Digital Vision, they also purchased a second Nucoda Film Master grading system running the 2010 software release including DVO Enhance noise and grain reduction option.

Keep Me Posted specializes in television episodic and commercial finishing and is part of the FotoKem network of companies that includes Spy Post, LA Studios, and nextLAB. Burbank’s Keep Me Posted has fully integrated the Nucoda Film Masters into the company’s workflow, creating an end to end file-based system and a completely Avid-centric TV pipeline.

Based on the success they experienced over the first few weeks using the newly upgraded Film Master running 2010 software, Keep Me Posted ordered a second system. At the beginning of next year, they will be one of the first Hollywood customers to take delivery of the new Digital Vision “Precision” color panel, recently unveiled at IBC. The decision to chose the Nucoda Film Masters were based on three factors: its ease of integration into their file-based architecture, the need for engineering excellence, and the company’s focus on time sensitive deadlines and creative artistic requirements.

FotoKem CTO, Paul Chapman, commented that the Digital Vision systems clearly met their demanding technical requirements. “When we were putting the pieces of a file-based, start-to-finish workflow in place, we took a hard look at the field of appropriate competitors. It was imperative that there was an ease of integration into the colorist’s workflow in tandem with the critical need for the system to fit smoothly into our file-based, ingest-to-storage pipeline. The Film Master dropped seamlessly into our storage architecture, which immediately differentiated it from the competition. Our engineering team evaluated Nucoda’s interoperability and found that the PC-based system was the best choice for us, by far. Integrating with Avid, Facilis, and the other technologies in the pipeline has been an absolutely straightforward process. No other system came close to that promise, and Digital Vision delivered on it.”

Hawk Hamilton, Vice President at KMP noted, “We work with the pre-eminent content creators in the industry, and are ready to support their highly demanding schedules and creative needs without missing a beat. We are focused on creating a top tier experience for all of our customers and the second Nucoda Film Master is a key component in our ability to provide that caliber of responsive customer service. The transition process for our talented colorists to get up to speed has been flawless. The training, testing and troubleshooting done by the experts on the Digital Vision team ensured that our colorists were Film Master fluent very quickly.”

Bruno Munger, Senior Product Manager of Digital Vision said, “The team at Keep Me Posted and FotoKem are experts with keen vision about where the post production market is heading. We are delighted that they see the 2010 Nucoda product line as a perfect fit for their file based pipeline as they work with the top producers in Hollywood. It has been fantastic to collaborate with the creative and engineering teams at both FotoKem and KMP and we look forward to continuing our involvement in these outstanding facilities.”

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The RED ONE camera has had a major impact on our industry, providing a cost effective, high quality solution to Digital Cinematography. What this document outlines are current (November 2008) Red workflows that are offered by Quantel workstations. This is a fast changing topic. Red, Quantel and other third party vendors mentioned here are all engaged in ongoing developments, so any new information or changes will be posted on the Quantel usergroup. 
 
The RED ONE camera shoots to a CMOS sensor (4250×2540) with an effective pixel area of 4096×2304 (4K shot at 16:9) or 4096×2048 (4K shot at 2:1). Footage is captured at 12Bit linear RGB and saved as compressed raw data to allow maximum flexibility in the post production environment. Each rush is stored as a single file with a .r3d extension along with Quicktime reference files to supply reduced resolution media to the offline suites.
 
Quantel has implemented a new workflow for RED ONE cameras that removes the need to convert to DPX, therefore minimizing the need to use up time and disc space with intermediate conversion processes. This makes the job of online faster and simpler. 
 
The Quantel workflow also gives high quality results whether a project will be finished at 4K, 2K or HD.
 
The RED importer is available in Version 4.0 rev5 software for eQ, iQ, Pablo and Sid and the RED conform tools will be available in a later V4.0 revision provisionally scheduled for December 08. RED support is free of charge to V4 customers.    
 
  


Shooting and Offline  
When shooting with the RED ONE there are parameters that can be setup in camera. These range from colour temperature, ISO setting to colour space and gamma curve. None of these actually affect the media, they become the default settings to be used when importing and act as an indication of what the Director of Photography (DoP) intends. One thing to also note is that the camera records 2 different timecodes: “Absolute” code (time of day) and “Edge” code (which starts from a fixed point for each magazine e.g. 10:00:00:00). 
 
Every new magazine also increments the “Reel Number” as this is important to the offline/online process. When shooting begins a “Preferred” timecode needs to be chosen. 
 
Every button on/off on the camera creates an .r3d file and 4 Quicktime reference files. These Quicktime files reference the original media, and so need to remain in the same folder. They are “F”ull resolution, “H”alf resolution, “M”edium resolution and “P”roxy resolution. 
 
Moving to the online process, these files can be used as an offline source, using the Quicktime plugin from RED (only currently available for Mac) in (for example) Final Cut Pro. Other offline workflows may require a conversion process in either REDrushes or REDCINE before the offline can take place. Remember at the offline stage it is important to use the “Preferred” timecode source.
 
In Final Cut Pro the offline EDL can be exported via Automatic Duck as an aaf ready to be onlined on a Quantel system. Currently other online finishing systems may require the xml, EDL or aaf file to be used as a “pull” list to extract the high res media from the .r3d files. This is usually done in REDAlert, REDLine, REDRushes or REDCINE. For example, some systems will use an xml file in the Crimson application to convert the .r3d files to a sequence of dpx files that can later be imported and then assembled. This is a very time consuming process that requires 2 steps – extracting the media and then conforming. 
 
Wouldn’t it be easier and quicker if all the input conversions for size, colour and conform could all be done as single process? Well now they can.  
 
Importing .r3d Files with Quantel  
 
 

Partial import with preview
Quantel previews and imports native .r3d files either in their entirety or as a partial selection as shown. The user can navigate via the clip window and mark in and out points to determine the section to be imported.   Page: 12Next Page

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Once you’ve had the joys of solid state shooting and production, with formats such as P2 and XDCAMEX, its hard to imagine ever going back to tape. This is not to say that solid state doesn’t come without its drawbacks: no shelfable master, re-wrapping processes, short record times are all tangible workflow concerns. But the advantages – speed, efficiency, on-set clip review – for the most part outweigh the drawbacks. Going further, the real advantage to be embraced is metadata tagging and media management. It’s here that solid-state steps into a realm of its own.

Final Cut Pro has its log and transfer system for managing solid-state files which, whilst rather rudimentary, works reasonably well. Adobe’s Premiere Pro CS4 goes much further with a comprehensive system for metadata and solid-state file management built into a dedicated browser inside the GUI. But there has for some time also been a software tool floating around deserving much more attention than it attracted.

Sony’s decision to use the MP4 wrapper for its MPEG-2 based XDCAMEX essence often comes under fire from critics but the criticism is largely unjustified. MP4 is an open format wrapper, highly flexible and not proprietary. Many mistakenly associate the *.mp4 suffix with low-quality, high-compression H.264 codec files since this is where the MP4 wrapper is most commonly seen. But MP4 is a much more versatile wrapper than many realize. The only real issue is that so far Sony is the only company to use MP4 as a camera recording format wrapper.

In light of this, what Sony was always going to need to complete the XDCAMEX MP4 workflow for the EX1 and EX3 cameras was a dedicated software browser for managing the files into the NLE environment.

XDCAM Browser export

No sooner was the EX1 camera on the market than the XDCAMEX browser software was released. Sony already had a similar browser for its optical disc format, XDCAM and indeed the XDCAM browser, designed to work with the MXF format their shoulder mounted XDCAM cameras use, could import and rewrap XDCAMEX MP4 files. But the XDCAM browser was still not optimized for or focused on solid state XDCAMEX so a different and more dedicated application was released.

(Although, that said, the differences between the two browser apps have caused much confusion among users and indeed the decision to call the two formats themselves– XDCAM and XDCAMEX–  names that are almost interchangeable, was far from smart).

The first version of the XDCAMEX browser had the capability to browse, tag, and import XDCAMEX media. But it still seemed a very bare bones tool. What seemed to slip under the radar more recently however has been a new release of the browser to version 2. The new release now possesses a very useful toolset for solid state production and makes the application much broader in scope.

The XDCAMEX browser will most often be used to re-wrap the MP4 format to more NLE wrappers such as MOV or MXF but it would be a mistake to think this is the extent of purpose for the browser. The browser can certainly rewrap the MP4 to MXF which will suit many NLEs such as Avid and Vegas, but If you’re using Premiere Pro you don’t need rewrapping at all as Premiere will read and import the MP4 files natively. If you’re using FCP by contrast you’ll be forced to re-wrap the files to MOV which the XDCAMEX browser can’t do. But neither of these scenarios rules out the usefulness of the XDCAMEX browser. Its real power lies in markup, management and on-set file wrangling rather than just re-wrapping; a process which can be handled elsewhere if need be.

XDCAM Browser overview

The browser sees the XDCAMEX media direct on the SxS cards and provides a comprehensive set of tools for the mark up of that media. Clips can be renamed, annotated with descriptions and notes, in and out points can be set and new independent subclips or trimmed clips can be generated from the originals.

All the metadata generated from the Browser is embedded in the clip and viewable in any NLE capable of reading the data (which is virtually any pro NLE) The XDCAMEX browser also allows for the thumbnail image to be nominated to better visually indicate the content of the clip.

Particular to the XDCAM and XDCAMEX formats is the use of essence markers which are essentially time based metadata flags inserted in the clip. These clips can be inserted to mark particular moments, lines of dialogue or any other cue point the camera operator or editor may want. The essence markers can be viewed in the clip in any NLE which supports essence markers. Sony’s own Vegas NLE  (as you would expect) has particularly superb support for XDCAM and XDCAMEX formats including essence markers. The XDCAMEX browser application allows for essence markers to be viewed and inserted and thus provides a perfect middle ground for markup between camera and post.

XDCAM Browser tagging

All these resources for marking-up clips ready for the edit environment is well and good but the XDCAMEX browser also serves a number of production, rather than post production purposes. Primary among these is on-set file wrangling. The rise of solid-state tapeless shooting has seen a subsequent reinvention of the role we might traditionally have known as the clapper-loader. Where once the responsibility of the CL was the management of film stock, reels, salting and labeling, the new Clapper Loader in the digital age serves the role of data wrangler, responsible for importing files to a laptop on-set, clearing the cards ready to shoot again, and the digital labeling and management of the rushes. It’s to this role that the XDCAMEX browser is perfectly suited.

Sony has done very well to maintain a succinct efficiency of processing to match the fast 1/4 real-time importing of XDCAMEX files. Even on a busy set the browser makes it very easy to not only copy the files from the SxS cards to hard drive but also to quickly mark good takes and bad ones, add shot info and assign essence markers with a few keystrokes.

As a particularly useful feature, the new version 2 has added the capability to export compressed rushes from the master MP4 files. With an efficient 2-click batch processing mechanism, the browser can export the files to a variety of formats for end-of-day rushes in H.264 or WMV as well as DV. This export to DV also means the XDCAMEX browser can serve as a very effective bath-processing tool for creating off-line files at SD res and DV compression.

What’s missing however is the capability to export to QuickTime, which will frustrate the QuickTime environment of Final Cut Pro. I suspect this option is missing due to licensing issues but it’s one many editors would hope Sony will address in the future.

The XDCAMEX browser is an application arguably under exploited by those working with solid-state. This new version adds a good set of improvements and functions that position the browser as much more than post-production importer and more in line as a powerful production data management system.

The browser can be downloaded free from

http://www.sony.ca/xdcamex/software.htm

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In the previous article, we looked at using Sound Forge’s project file format for non-destructive audio editing. Here we’ll look at the Playlist feature which also lends itself to editing your work without affecting the file and therefore protecting your valuable original data.
 
This particular approach is best suited for straight-forward editing tasks such as making longer recordings into shorter pieces, voice-overs, audio books, podcasts, and so forth. It works well for re-arranging music selections, too. It is not for audio processing, though.

The workflow is a snap. Essentially, you select the best parts from a longer file, add these selections to a spreadsheet-like Playlist, and then compile these takes into a single, final file. Best of all, you don’t harm the original file in any way and can go back to the Playlist and tweak it until it meets your needs.
 
To get started using this technique, open the file you wish to work on in the Sound Forge workspace. Find the part and/or section you want to use and select it (hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse pointer). Press R to make this selection into a Region. Sound Forge automatically numbers these Regions sequentially. I prefer to right-click the Region marker and give it a more meaningful name.

Continue to work through the file creating Regions and naming them until you are finished. Your file will be marked up with a variety of regions that represent the parts/sections you want to use.

Next, select View > Playlist to display the Playlist dialog

Now double-click inside a region to select it. Once selected, drag and drop the selected region to the Playlist floating window. You may need to re-arrange your workspace slightly to make this process move ahead efficiently.

Click for full view

Continue dragging and dropping the regions until you add all the parts to the Playlist. Note that you can re-arrange the order by selecting and dragging an entry around. Click a play button to preview. Enter a number in the CNT field if you want a given section to play more than once. This is useful when looping music section.
 

What if you need to adjust the Region Start and End points? Go ahead and adjust the region in/out marker points in the regular workspace and the Playlist entry updates automatically. You can enter values directly into the Playlist Start and End fields, too. These two techniques are especially helpful when you need to tweak an edit slightly.

When you are satisfied that the Playlist contains the material you want to keep, right click in the window and choose Convert to New from the pop-up. Sound Forge will then compile your Playlist into a new file ready for you save to the format of your choice.

Here’s another cool Playlist feature. If you are collaborating with another person you can send just the Playlist to one another as long as you have the same media file at both places. Right-click the Playlist window and choose Save as and then name and save your Playlist file. This tiny text file is easy to email. Your collaborator can open this Playlist and easily preview (and tweak) the edits you made without the need for sending audio files repeatedly.

Using the Playlist is an invaluable way to condense material, fiddle with the order of certain projects, make music edits, and generally work on sound files without physically editing them. You save time, get added flexibility, and also work in a way that prevents accidentally destroying important, original data. 

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Weâ??re not certain what the preoccupation is with TV, but firms beyond the old-fashioned content developers, producers, â??shippersâ?? have gone out of their way to say they have the solution you need/want!

First, there was the bi-annual IFA conference in Berlin. All of the consumer electronics folks gathered to spin their TV, video, whatever stories and show their wares.

That was followed by IBC in Amsterdam.  There, the worldwide broadcast industry gathered to figure out how they were going to survive and make money with the growing demand for online video and audio content.

Then, at IDF (Intel Developers Forum), CEO Otellini proclaimed the world is infatuated with the wonderful possibilities of Smart TV.  September and the mesmerizing world of content everywhere wouldnâ??t be complete without Nvidia showing off its TV solutions at its  GPU Technology’s Conference.

The PC people — tablet, notebook, desktop, server — continue to try to figure out how they are going to get into the living/family room.

They’ve been trying to be the “content source” for 10+ years, continually spinning the story that this is the year the computer-based solution will really take its place in the family’s entertainment.

PCTV
But Otellini hasnâ??t given up on getting the Smart PC connected to the Smart TV.

See it Now â?” Intelâ??s CEO, Paul Otellini (R), explains how SmartTV and SmartPCs will open the world of content to Dadi Perlmutter, Intelâ??s EVP/GM of itâ??s architecture group.  Content wasnâ??t the only round of discussion at this yearâ??s IDF (Intel Developers Forum), but it was a key tipping point for the company. Photo – Intel

He told IDFers, â??Our vision is to create a continuum of personal computing experiences that provides consistency and interoperability across all Internet-connected devices in the home, car, office or in your pocket.â??

Still hasnâ??t happened!

Sure, easier systems have made it almost trendy for geeky people and folks who live in studio apartments where the computing, entertainment, dining stations share a corner.

The new PCs (all flavors) are suddenly very smart, very powerful and very economical, according to some intuitive as to your viewing desires.

But they still act like computers no matter what type of skin you put on â??em.

Sure, thereâ??s YouTubeâ??s live-streaming video service, but itâ??s still sitting on a PC.

But you get a hint of the array of contentâ?¦online video talk shows, how-to videos, TV stuff, more.

Of course networks, Hollywood, cable folks arenâ??t warm to Google managing their fortunes; but come on guysâ?¦all Eric wants is a few cents out of every eyeball view.

Then again, the late adopters and mainstream people (70+% of the buying public) just won’t put the computer in the room where they relax.

Apple tried with the AppleTV I and II.  Even with Jobsâ?? sainthood, it is still a “hobby.”

Hard drive people saw the Apple TV and figured what the heck. They’ve done as well as Appleâ?¦they still provide a PC add-on/accessory.

TV to PC to TV â?” While a lot of work is being done with chips and surrounding hardware to deliver video and shows to your set from the Internet, presently the PC and its supporting network create enough of a problem that people choose TV on their system or a long cable to deliver the content.

Theyâ??re as emphatic as Willy Wonka, â??But it’s the only way if you want it just right.â??

The poor set-top “champion” has just about left the building or as Willy said, â??Just press a button and *zing*! You’re off.â??

Poster child TiVo has shown virtually no growth for a number of years.

New solutions that donâ??t rely on the cable guy are being made available — one-time payments, low monthly fees, more features/capabilities/options have given new meaning to â??I TiVoed the show.â??

Set-top boxes including Boxxee and Roku are expanding their capabilities to include Internet connectivity and that will help them…a little.

Poor Old TiVo
TiVo and Veruca Salt look at them and say, â??They’re jealous of me!â??

They face a serious struggle for TV-top space with the Wii, PS3, Xbox that are not only already Internet connected but also offer added services like NetFlix.

Oh yeah, they have a USB slot to add storage capacity if you don’t want to watch the show right now.

As another option you can buy a new TV set with cable, Internet connectivity as well as 3D and â?¦

Time to Celebrate â?” Now that SD is dead and youâ??ve upgraded to an HD screen, itâ??s time to renew your investment in the next great home viewing solution.   Yes, the industry wants it to include an even newer screen.  Photo — NYTimes

The idea of dropping $1,000 + on another new set when â??good enoughâ?? is â??good enough,â?? is tough to justify.

As Willy said, â??Everybody has had one and one is enough for anybody.â??

To give people the streaming content and more, there are some low-cost add-in solutions that work with your wireless networks and simply connect to your present TV set.

Unlike expensive complete, end-to-end â??ultimateâ?? experiences and mish-mash shopping cart stuff, people simply want an inexpensive, easy-to-install and use answer.

You know, one that can be used with any TV set, a natural controller solution and one with the ability to add anywhere, anytime enjoyment.

As Willy said, â??Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous.â??

Radio and TV broadcasters are struggling to gain, regain and/or grab more eyeballs.

So with the exception of premium same-day events theyâ??re putting their content on the Internet

It goes up immediately or, less than 24-hours later, you can download/view when you want.  But itâ??s still a PC monitor or an Ethernet cable running to the TV.

Here Butâ?¦
True WiFi solutions require a little work, but as Willie says, â??If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.â??

Streams Everywhere â?” The Internet and a new breed of web sites are streaming content â?” professional, indie and home videos â?” out for people to enjoy or feel sorry about.  The broadcast industry knows tomorrowâ??s entertainment will incorporate online content.  They are still struggling with the monetization issues.

Streaming without cables is something you can get used to!!!

The trick with TV content is that stations/networks usually only leave their stuff up for 2-4 weeks, so if you don’t want to view it right away, you need to grab it/store it on your hard drive for “later.”

Then too, you want a solution that works at home and on your smartphone away from home.

PC approaches work O.K. at home.

The hard drive, set-top units — again at home.

Any Screen â?” People want and expect to be able to grab and enjoy their content on any screen â?” TV set, PC, mobile device.   Mobile device enjoyment is quickly becoming the screen of choice by GenY and GenI viewers.   Their criteria are when I want, how I want, where I want.

Most of the smartphone streaming content apps work only for the smartphone — Apple iOS or Android.

Guess theyâ??re the only folks with time on their hands to watch TV, videos!!!

Extendable solutions are needed that allow you to seamlessly grab, show the content when/where you want, how you want.

Some set-top providers offer solutions that “change” the content which can lead to lock-out or â??blockagesâ?? by content owners/providers.

Content owners aren’t certain how they’re going to make money off of the streaming — serious money that is — but they darned well are not going to allow Eric or Steve-come-latelies take money out of their pockets.

Most of the networks and studios have turned a cold-shoulder to Apple’s “generous” offer.  They saw how music industry lost control and theyâ??re not going to repeat their mistakes.

But thatâ??s “professional” content.

Going Live
Thereâ??s a dramatic growth in repurposed content, indie and consumer-level video.  The stuff is actually pretty good to look atâ?¦as good as most of today’s reality shows.

That stuff is being hosted by and sent out from a variety of audio/video sites including YouTube and a ton of others.

Do you get the idea that “TV programs” are similarly going to have a challenge from the new front?

All content viewing is going to change with a mixing and matching of professional and “other” content in the next 12+ months.

Will people pay subscription fees for the content?

Some will.

Thereâ??s always a market for pay-for-view serious theater viewing, special events/sporting venues.

Better Message Delivery â?” Tomorrowâ??s â??televisionâ?? viewing will be very personalized in content and advertising messages.   Sure, it might bore dogs; but humans have a relatively short memory, so it will be okay.

But the popular stuff will continue to be advertising subsidized.

Putting up with ads is a small payment with the vast majority of people.

By streaming over the Internet you’re going to be able to view a different breed of ads.  dvertisers will be able to be more personalized in their ads for the individual.

That hasn’t been possible before.

Even with the CW networkâ??s very tight audience profile, they ignore about 60 percent of the audience.

The cable guy has been able to group ads by specific neighborhoods and fairly broad audience profiles.  Thatâ??s still wasting a lot of the advertisers’ dollars (and yes your time).

New software algorithms will change all that.

The idea is that the stuff profiles your viewing habits but stays only on your system.

Content sellers and advertisers can then make available a number of ads that precisely fit that viewer’s profile and they are rotated for your viewing.   They’re less objectionable because they really are of interest to you.

It becomes fun (O.K., almost fun) to watch the content and the ads.

The content owner/distributor will get more per view because it is a precise target.

Your info isnâ??t shared, everyone is happy.

New View
You’ll never look at “commercial TV” the same way again!

As Willy said, â??Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.â??

Chris Andersonâ??s Long Tail is going to be easier to enjoy.  The cable 250-500 channels will probably stick around for most folks.

But watch the kids.

The iGeners (10 and below) won’t be able to imagine when they couldnâ??t watch anything — 30-minute old finished/quality videos of Tibetan monk ceremonies, drug busts in Mexico, dumb/dumber adults antics, knitting hints and 24 or Lie to Me segments on personal channels that have one segment stacked up right behind the other.

They’re going to “just expect” they will have their own specific channel or two that funnels any/all of the content they want to watch and the rest is blocked out (by their choice).

It wonâ??t be channel 36 or 360.  It will be Jonâ??s or Louâ??s channel(s).

My Contentâ?¦NOW â?” GenI viewers, content users wonâ??t wade through tons of network or search hundreds of websites.  Theyâ??ll simply sit down and enjoy their own personalized content â?” material tailored to their wants, needs, desires.  It will become a network of one!

They wonâ??t waste their time having to click through the rest of the garbage to find just the stuff they want to watch it, when they want to watch it, where they want to watch.

The Internet will play a key role in the TV of the future.   The problem is, it wonâ??t look like a PC the dust settles.

What will it look like?

As Willy said, â??I’m sorry, but all questions *must* be submitted in writing.â??

recommend this article Page: 1

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Digital Vision has today announced that its Nucoda Film Master system has been used to grade and master the new 3D animated feature from Warner Bros Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole by Australian animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic. Released on September 24th in the US and October 15th in the UK, the film is expected to be a box office smash.

Directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Zack Snyder and produced by Zareh Nalbandian of Animal Logic, the feature is based on the well known Guardians of Ga’Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky. The story centres on Soren, a young barn owl fascinated by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. The film features a number of famous voices including Geoffrey Rush, Helen Mirren, Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill, Abbie Cornish and David Wenham.

The entire 3D grading and mastering was completed on Nucoda Film Master by Animal Logic’s award-winning Head Colourist Eric Whipp. He explains, “For this style of animated film we use compositing mattes to isolate all the characters and parts of the image to create specific looks in detail. In a similar way you might grade a live action film, we do the same except we have the luxury of perfectly cut out mattes for characters.

“We initially graded the film in 2D to get the look right. Once we got to a point where we were happy, we applied all the settings to the right eye and then switched into stereo mode for final tweaks.  All windows and shapes had to be re-aligned for the right eye, and then we did other alterations such as light level adjustments. Once in stereo mode, layer by layer colour adjustments can easily be made using the Nucoda Film Master. Another useful feature is the system’s Open EXR functionality. All the shots were composited in EXR format, which was great as it was like working with a film negative in the sense that there was range in the highlights that could be pulled back if required.”

He concludes, “The Nucoda Film Master really enhanced the creative process of this production. We literally added hundreds of lens flares in the grade using the system’s Sapphire plugin tools to enhance the story and the look of the film, which really put the icing on the cake.”

Opening in the US in theatres and IMAX on September 24, 2010, the film will be presented in 3D and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

About Digital Vision
Digital Vision provides innovative image restoration, enhancement, color correction and data conforming systems that major movie studios, television networks and post-production facilities use to master and deliver feature films, TV programs and commercials.  The company’s Nucoda product line provides a strong suite of products for tapeless and non linear grading for HD broadcast and 2k/4k digital intermediate productions.  The company’s award-winning products are a standard of the media and entertainment industry and are deployed at top facilities and broadcasters around the world.
 
Digital Vision AB was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with three wholly owned subsidiaries, Digital Vision (US) in Los Angeles, California; Digital Vision UK in London, England; and Digital Vision in Hong Kong, China.  The company maintains its global presence through a network of qualified distributors.  Digital Vision is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange.  For further information, go to www.digitalvision.tv.

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

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Digital Vision has broken new ground in Europe by announcing that its stereoscopic toolset was used to grade the 3D feature film StreetDance. German post production facility, Post Republic graded the film using the Nucoda Film Master. StreetDance 3D, from Vertigo Films, made its U.S. premier at the 3D Film Festival in Hollywood.

 Set in London and featuring some of Britain’s top dance talent, the film tells the story of a street dance crew who, in a bid to win the U.K. Street Dance Championships are forced to team up with a group of classical dancers. Shot in 3D, rigs were supplied by Paradise FX who also supplied rigs for major features such as The Hole 3D and My Bloody Valentine.

Based in Berlin, Post Republic’s grading suite boasts a RealD projection system and silver screen display technology, which applies a polarizing filter system in front of the projector lens and passive polarizing glasses for left eye/right eye separation. Michael Reuter, Post Republic’s Managing Director explains, “We upgraded our Film Master specifically for this project and it has worked extremely well. For a reliable calibration in the grading suite we decided to technically replicate the RealD cinema experience. Our graders wore polarized glasses throughout the session watching the grade on the silver screen and finally mastered onto a stereoscopic DCP. We are very pleased with the results.”

Simon Cuff, Digital Vision’s CEO says, “We are extremely proud to be working with Post Republic on the U.K.’s first 3D feature film and congratulate the filmmakers on its U.S. Premier.  It was exciting to work on the film and to work closely with our clients and colleagues from Post Republic.”

For information about he screenings at the 3D Film Festival and StreetDance 3D, visit http://www.3dff.org/3DREDCARPET.html

About Digital Vision
Digital Vision provides innovative image restoration, enhancement, color correction and data conforming systems that major movie studios, television networks and post-production facilities use to master and deliver feature films, TV programs and commercials.  The company’s Nucoda product line provides a strong suite of products for tapeless and non-linear grading for HD broadcast and 2k/4k digital intermediate productions.  The company’s award-winning products are a standard of the media and entertainment industry and are deployed at top facilities and broadcasters around the world.
 
Digital Vision AB was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with three wholly owned subsidiaries, Digital Vision (US) in Los Angeles, California; Digital Vision UK in London, England; and Digital Vision in Hong Kong, China.  The company maintains its global presence through a network of qualified distributors.  Digital Vision is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange.  For further information, go to www.digitalvision.tv.
 
All trademarks used herein, whether recognized or not, are the properties of their respective companies.

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AVCHD has exploded on the consumer and pro-sumer scene like a new star at the Oscars, and the CX100 is the newest “actor” in the AVCHD lineup from Sony. Packed into a small body measuring 2″ W x 2.25″ H x 4″ L (including factory battery) and 2″ W x 2.25″H x 5″ L with the more practical NP90 battery, this small “brick” weighs in between 11 and 14 ounces, depending on the battery chosen. Short description; this camcorder is a mini-brick.

The CX100 records a 1920 x 1080i image on a Memory Stick Pro Duo card, with record times up to 340 minutes on the included 8GB stick, but it’s more practical to record to the highest quality video in most situations, reducing recording time to approximately 40 minutes on an 8GB card, or 115 minutes on a 16GB card.  There are other modes, and these are useful for recording surveillance, low motion, or even simple scenes, but for best quality, most users will likely find the 16Mbps FH mode to be the preference.

Most exciting is that this camcorder brings the award-winning Exmor(tm) imager to the consumer world. Exmor is the heart of the professional EX-series camcorders, which have become standards in the broadcast world. What this means to consumers is a more clean image, less noise in low-light, and a smoother image overall. It’s a single .20 CMOS imager, but don’t be fooled by single and small. Technology has brought CMOS to a new level of quality that previous generations of  CCD-dependent camcorders. CMOS has shown itself to be the new future of virtually all imaging devices from the very low cost cell cams to high end professional production cameras. Exmor is currently the kind of small imagers.

The CX100 is a very small package. The lens is a 30mm thread, if you’ll be adding wide or telephoto lenses.

Small and light, this camcorder fits snugly into the palm. It’s very ergonomic, being curved on the right side and square on the left side. The lens housing is very simple; it’s a 30mm threaded lens with a manual lens cover. It’s a Zeiss lens, identical to lenses found on previous HDR series camcorders. Optical width (35mm equivalent) is 42mm wide zoomed in to 497mm, so the camcorder isn’t quite wide enough for action sports or close-in work, but is plenty wide for the average user. While the camcorder does offer digital zoom, like most digital zooms, it’s not terribly useful due to the small sensor sizes. It’ll work well in a pinch, on a tripod/non-moving, or in a situation where the image acquisition is more important than image quality. Exposure is controlled via menu touchscreen, as is shutter speed, although the camera does not offer full manual control. There are nine exposure modes plus an Auto mode, giving users ten options for exposure control.

Two microphone ports are found beneath the lens housing.

The 2.5″ LCD panel flips open and rotates; there is no clasp or latch holding it in place. The panel may be closed with the screen facing out, as with all previous models in this series. This is a big preview screen and it looks terrific.

The controls are very simple. There is no normal on/off switch on the camcorder; opening and closing the LCD panel turns on/off the power to the camcorder. Power can be turned off with the LCD Panel open by pressing the on/off switch found beneath the LCD panel.

This camcorder has a manual open/close for the lens cover. The LCD panel will notify users if the Record button is engaged while the lens cover is closed

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At Panasonic’s Sunday NAB 2009 press conference, the company announced a new AVCCAM camcorder that weighs less that 2.2 lbs and features full HD 3MOS imagers to capture MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video in full 1080 and 720 resolution video. According to the company, the AG-HMC40 is capable of recording to all four professional AVCCAM recording modes (PH mode 21 Mbps/Max 24Mbps; HA mode 17 Mbps; HG mode 13 Mbps; and the extended recording HE mode 6 Mbps. It supports 1080i and 1080p, and 720p HD video. Extending on the format Panasonic introduced at last year’s show, the camera captures video to readily available SDHC memory cards that can be purchased at any consumer electronics, discount department store or camera shop. With a single 32GB SDHC memory card, the camera can record three hours of 1920×1080 full resolution HD video in the camera’s PH mode; four hours in HA mode; and 5.3 hours in HG mode, and up to 12 hours of 1440×1080 resolution video in HE mode.

Other features include HDMI output, USB 2.0, composite output, analog component, detachable XLR audio input and audio REC level adjustment dials. It features a 2.7-inch color LCD touch viewfinder, Dynamic Range Stretch and a Cine-Like Gamma mode that the company says gives the captured footage a more film like look.

To complement Panasonic’s line of AVCCAM camcorders, the company introduced a new compact field recorder priced at $2650. Called the HMR10, the recorder uses AVCHD compression and is an ideal solution for backup recording from any HD SDI capable camera. It records in three modes; PH mode (21 Mbps-24 Mbps), HA mode (17 Mbps) and HG mode (13 Mbps). A fourth recording mode, HE (6 Mbps), records at 1440×1080 resolution . The HMR10 records 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 720/60p and 720/50p.

Panasonic also introduced a point of view camera head that is built around new 1/4-inch  2-megapixel HD resolution 3-MOS imagers and measures at 2.1 inches x 2.2 inches x 4.8 inches. It features a 12x optical zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) and Dynamic Range Stretch. While the press conference didn’t unveil the cameras live, the cameras are at the Pansonic booth, and look for more close up pictures here when the show floor opens. For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

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Bi-coastal Apples and Oranges Productions, with offices in Southern California and Manhattan, has ramped up quickly since its founding in 2008 to become a notable force on Broadway, with two shows currently on the boards, the Tony Award- winning revival of the 1960s’ bellwether musical, Hair (associate producers), and Memphis (lead producers), a new musical with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan.  For both projects, and for the highly-anticipated Paradise Found (a new musical directed by Hal Prince that will premiere in London this spring before transferring to Broadway), Apples and Oranges is creating multi-faceted marketing packages using HD cameras from Panasonic Broadcast, including the AG-HPX300 and AG-HPX500 P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorders, the AG-HVX200A P2 HD handheld, and the AW-HE870N 2/3″ HD/SD multi-purpose camera.

Apples and Oranges maintains an ongoing partnership with the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, CA, where company co-founder Tim Kashani, then a student, was introduced to the HVX200A P2 HD handhelds, which the school uses for both instruction and production. Upon launching Apples and Oranges with partner Pamela Winslow, Kashani began incremental purchases of P2 HD camcorders; the company currently owns an HPX300, HPX500 and two HVX200As, and has an equipment sharing arrangement with Dodge College when shoots require additional camcorders.   

Before importing its digital flash to Broadway, Apples and Oranges partnered with Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center in Orange County, CA on “The Science of Hockey,” an exhibit that teaches visitors about physics through the sport of hockey. The production company shot all the exhibit video, featuring the Anaheim Ducks, with HPX500s and HVX200As. Shortly thereafter, Apples and Oranges set it sights on the Great White Way.

“While our first assignments were California-based, both I and Pamela, who has deep Broadway roots (she originated the role of Rapunzel in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods), were strongly committed to fostering artistic endeavors on both coasts,” said Kashani. “We knew our expertise was in audio/visual marketing, but we wanted to move beyond traditional Broadway promotion, which for decades has consisted largely of newspaper ads supplemented by limited television spots.”

“We were confident that with the P2 HD camcorders we had the ammunition we needed to create marketing pieces that were edgier and could blend into the whole panoply of social networking outlets,” he added.

Kashani relies on the HPX300 as his primary production camera, and typically shoots 1080p at 30- or 24-fps in AVC-Intra 100 (interviews, however, are often shot in AVC-Intra 50 to take advantage of the extended record times). He supplements the HPX300 with the HVX200As and especially, the HPX500 when wide-angle shots and/or low light are factors.

For Memphis, which opened on Broadway last fall, Apples and Oranges scheduled two multi-camera shoots, one of the live show (with several HPX300s time-synced) and one of a three-hour rehearsal. From that material, more than 30 interstitial videos have been created for viewing on the musical’s web site (www.memphisthemusical.com) and several social networking platforms, including facebook, myspace, YouTube and twitter. The video has been repurposed for the show’s group sales department, and used to produce a DVD for press. The show footage has likewise been used as b-roll in television commercials.

Apples and Oranges has just finished a “making of Memphis” documentary (outlets to be determined) shot with the P2 HD camcorders. Kashani said that all New York-based projects are edited in Final Cut Pro.

For the revival of Hair, the iconic sixties “American Tribal Love-Rock” musical, Apples and Oranges used HXV200As to shoot man on the street interviews that appear on the show’s web site (www.hairbroadway.com) and on various social networks. Currently, the company assisted with the design and installation of an HE870N POV camera on the stage of the Al Hirschfeld theatre that will capture video of the show’s famous finale, when audience members join the cast on-stage for a “be-in,” that will stream live on Hair’s web site.

Kashani said that, while video production projects for Paradise Found are not yet fully formulated, he will be taking P2 HD camcorders to London to document rehearsals and interview principals for early show advertising.

For more information about Apples and Oranges Productions, visit www.nyc-oc.com.

About the AG-HPX300
 
Incorporating a low profile shoulder-mounted design, the AG-HPX300 incorporates advanced 1/3″ 2.2-megapixel 3-MOS imagers to acquire full native resolution HD images. These advanced 3-MOS imagers provide exceptional image quality while minimizing any noise or sacrificing dynamic range. A new 20-bit digital signal processor (DSP) enhances the HPX300′s image performance. Delivering the quality of AVC-Intra 100 and AVC-Intra 50, the HPX300 also records independent frame images in 100Mbps DVCPRO HD and in standard definition in DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV. The HPX300 offers the security of a five-year warranty program (one year + four additional years with registration), ultimate quality and flexibility in an affordable ($10,700 SLP), full-size HD camcorder. For more information about the HPX300, visit www.panasonic.com/P2HD.

About the AW-HE870N

Combining versatile HD/SD functionality, high video quality and cost effectiveness, the versatile AW-HE870N delivers affordable 2/3″ quality acquisition for a wide range of applications. This 3-CCD multi-format camera supports 1080i/720p HD and 480i SD capture and works with most 2/3-inch motor drive zoom lenses, offering a simple upgrade path to HD. It is compatible with Panasonic’s comprehensive line of indoor and outdoor pan-tilt heads, pan-tilt controllers and camera control units. 

About Panasonic Broadcast
 
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems.  Panasonic Broadcast is a Unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations.  For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

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