In the face of demanding deadlines, Wink Inc., a full-service media company with facilities in Denver and Jackson Hole, installed GraniteSTOR ST-RAID, a cost-effective, Ethernet-based shared storage system from Small Tree, to improve workflow at both locations. System performance improved immediately, leading the company’s founder and owner, Jason Winkler, to wonder why he hadn’t made the switch to Small Tree’s shared storage sooner.

“I don’t think you realize how much time you’re spending duplicating and moving media until you stop doing it,” Winkler said, in reference to his company’s previous practice of swapping around drives to share media. “Our workflow improved immediately with ST-RAID in that you bring media into the system and everyone is able to access it at the same time. There are no more outputting and compressing files for viewing and approval. All of that can be done while the editors are still working on the project.”

Wink Inc. is a new age, Final Cut Pro, post-production company, featuring seven permanent work stations handling editing, color and graphics. Much of the company’s work revolves around mainstream factual programming and digital asset management, delivering programming throughout the world in a variety of formats.

According to Winkler, a surprising benefit of the Small Tree technology was that it allowed Wink to develop a “mobile server.” By utilizing Small Tree’s shared storage, Wink can view RAID-protected media and have up to six editors working concurrently in the field.

Impressed by Small Tree’s system performance, Winkler was just as pleased by the company’s commitment to customer service.

“Small Tree’s customer service is great,” Winkler noted. “We’ve rarely had any issues with the system we installed, but in those instances where we have, they were able to take control of our work screen and make the necessary adjustments. They also spent time teaching us how to make the adjustments so that we could go into the system and take care of the situation on our own. There’s tremendous peace of mind in dealing with a company that has such technological expertise and cares about its customers.”

As Wink Inc. continues to grow, scalability was a major priority for Winkler when considering which storage solution to commit to. The ability to easily add to their current system was crucial.

“The scalability of Small Tree’s shared storage is awesome,” Winkler commented. “The ability to add single work spaces or another SAN is huge – it’s been easy and really cost-effective for us. I just can’t believe that we are able to move media this effectively over Ethernet. That you can literally be on a high-speed Cat5 or Cat6 network and plug in and work immediately is mind blowing to me.”

Units Deliver Announcers’ Audio Via Fiber from Headsets to Production Desk

ATLANTA, GA – Studio Technologies’ 5110 Mic/Line Input Module and 5120 Line/IFB Output Module were chosen to be part of the fly pack kit used to produce Turner Sports Internet coverage of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) season championships. Production services for the web-based streaming broadcasts of each event are being provided by Indianapolis-based WebStream Productions, a leading supplier of video production, streaming and content creation. The production schedule covers 87 championship games across all NCAA-sanctioned sports played at more than 1,200 Division I, II and III schools across the United States and Canada. A compact custom rack enclosure houses the 5110 and 5120 modules along with audio-over-fiber transport gear. Located at the announcers’ location, this allows direct connection of each announcer’s on-air headsets. more

Director Rick Knief and Hooligan Editor Thomas Ostuni have teamed up to create a graphically compelling live-action music video for “Over the Sun,” Joseph Arthur’s latest single from the critically-acclaimed album, “The Graduation Ceremony” (Lonely Astronaut Records). The ground-breaking music video was shot on a multi-iPhone rig, captured within iPhone and iPad apps, and edited in Final Cut. The video is now available for purchase on iTunes.

Told on a stylized mosaic of nine interchanging and overlapping frames, the video features myriad shots of Arthur painting and playing every instrument heard in the song; the B story interprets the song’s muse who is seen leaving a NY gallery where Arthur performs, into the setting sun.

“It was exciting to work with an artist like Joseph, whom I’ve admired for many years,” remarks Knief. “He is such a unique artist. I really wanted to create a music video for him that would reflect that. And I think using an everyday tool like the iPhone in such an unorthodox way, really enabled us to pull that off.”

Knief says the video’s concept was heavily inspired by Arthur’s acclaimed performance art, which combines looping himself on various instruments with poetry and live painting.

 

“The way Joseph assembles his songs live on stage informed my filmmaking process,” explains Knief. “As a designer myself, I like to break things down to their core elements. Bringing those sensibilities to shooting and directing this video made sense because I could interpret the many layers of his art by essentially turning them into a collage, with each frame effectively serving as an individual film.”

 

“My favorite thing about Rick is he approaches filmmaking in terms of the graphic nature of the imagery,” adds Thomas Ostuni, senior editor, Hooligan. “He has a special knack for keeping things visually pleasing. Our goal was to keep the piece simplistic and graphic. It’s an art director’s dream video — every single second is art directed, it had to be.”

 

Knief’s idea to translate Arthur’s performance art in the form of a music video had long been in the making. The two first met at an Evan Dando concert and discussed the idea; subsequently, Arthur put Knief in touch with his management and the rest was history.

“Tossing the idea around with Arthur’s management, I had simultaneously been in conversations with Apple to develop a project using their tools and create a ‘making-of’ piece to share in-store. The iPhone’s video quality had vastly improved, so I decided to shoot with it.”

 

Knief developed a treatment with a concept to divide the 16:9 aspect ratio into nine separate screens. He then devised a method to achieve the multi-frame effect using six iPhones on a custom-built camera rig he designed and built. Production took place at the Aperture Gallery and on NYC’s High Line. Knief’s 6-man crew completed the shoot in just one day.

 

Knief downloaded numerous apps from iTunes to enhance production and postproduction, from concept aesthetic to workflow. The B story, for example, called for images of the sun flaring around the video’s love interest. Given that the iPhone camera is automatic, he achieved crucial lighting aesthetics with FilmicPro, an exposure locking app. Finally, to address the crucial phase of syncing footage from essentially nine iPhones, they used an iPad app called MovieSlate.

Ostuni says the consumer tools used to produce the video offered a unique editorial process, which called for creating nine unique sequences (utilizing every take) to assemble the master composite within the 16:9 aspect ratio.

“Dealing with multiple edits kept us on our toes as far as managing frames and organizing bins and dailies,” concludes Ostuni. “But working in uncharted territory allotted us freedom to experiment and write the rules as we went — convention went out the window and the possibilities were endless; but what ultimately made it interesting for me as an editor was I didn’t have to cut away from the performance to show the B story. With this vehicle, I could tell two stories at once.”

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parsons’ Interactive Installation, Online Website + Video Initiative  Raises Awareness Of Design’s Impact On Our Lives

Minneapolis, MN: CRASH+SUES was called upon by mono to bring its fresh aesthetic to the editing, color correction and graphics for SoundAffects, Parsons The New School for Design’s multi-platform exploration of the relationship between music, design and technology. Conceived by mono, a Minneapolis-based advertising agency known for its forward-thinking creative solutions, the physical installation, online experiment and media content are driven by Parsons’ mission to raise people’s awareness of design’s relevance and impact on their lives.

The first phase of the experiment began with the installation of an interactive wall on New York’s Fifth Avenue. The structure housed a series of monitors and a complex network of sensors, each assigned a specific sound and color, enabling it to cull data about elements in its environment – from traffic and people to weather and movement – and then musically visualize them to show their correlation to sound and color. Pedestrians could plug earphones into jacks in the wall and listen to how their surroundings were influencing the music. CRASH+SUES collaborated with mono on the crafting of visually captivating and thought-provoking media content designed to break down the complex premise behind the experiment and present Parson’s unique perspective on how they interpret design’s role in the world. (“http://soundaffectsnyc.com/#making). Featured on the SoundAffects website, the creative communications tool delivers an elegantly simple message in a way that engages and intrigues everyday people.

CRASH+SUES’ editor Carrie Shanahan cut the piece on Final Cut Pro, marrying footage of the installation wall with images of cityscapes, traffic and people moving to the pulse of lights and the rhythm of the music they generate – along with by-passers who stop to put on headphones and plug into the wall and share their thoughts about it. The video opens with the voiceover posing a simple question: What if, instead of just looking at the world, we also listened?

It goes on to explain the premise behind the project: We listened to the light,the temperature, the connective, the movement, the noise and the colors of a city block in New York. We built a wall on Fifth Avenue that housed sensors, which allowed us to gather inputs that created a musical composition that responded directly to the environment around them. In addition to the music, we created a ‘visualizer’ that interpreted the sensor data and let us see our environment from a new point of view. Then we watched and we listened.

Shanahan began the editorial process by roughing out the visuals to fit with the story as it unfolded, incorporating text as needed and drawing from multiple sources to create sound design tailored to the imagery. Working with over two-dozen tracks of video concurrently, as well as intricately layered video, the potentially overwhelming story was woven into a tapestry of dynamic visuals driven by the script’s clear message.

“Editorial decisions had to be well thought out in order to ensure that we captured the essence of the journey, and used interviews, text and audio most effectively,” says Shanahan. “I cut a number of different versions and we experimented with many incarnations until we found just the right balance. What’s amazing is mono’s ability to communicate the essence of this complex experiment about a seemingly abstract hypothesis with a simply engaging story – without getting technical or heady,” says Shanahan.

“They’re artists at CRASH+SUES, and we always love working with them,” said Tracy Tabery-Weller, mono producer. “Carrie is a smart editor who dives in and can digest parts into a cohesive story. She helped us take a heady technological experiment and tell it so simply that even my grandmother could understand it.”
“I love getting the opportunity to dig into heavy sound design, and this was a project that was begging for it,” said Shanahan. “The SoundAffects website had a timeline spanning days of audio data from which to draw; I layered that with ambient city sounds collected in the doc footage. I wanted the experience of viewing the video’s content to echo the experience of being on a city street, at times cluttered and cacophonous, then cresting into stillness and calm.”

SUE, CRASH+SUES’ senior colorist utilized the Digital Vision Nucoda Film Master’s features to create an urban color pallet and a consistent feel for footage from multiple sources.

“We weren’t trying to create a “look” on this project – just something natural while also reflecting what was happening with the audio and sound effects,” said SUE. “ I was able to help out some of the darker scenes by opening them up and applying noise reduction.”

“This project was a welcome opportunity to collaborate with the pioneering creatives over at mono,” added Shanahan. “It’s the type of work that I love – extending beyond just a spot to a cutting-edge experiential ‘happening. In a sense, the experiment itself was like an edit session – writ large – an invitation to the public to take a moment for reflection on how what they’re seeing relates to what they’re hearing,” adds Carrie Shanahan. “The relationship between moving pictures and sound, which is what drew me into editing in the first place.”
mono creative co-chair Travis Olson noted, “CRASH+SUES was great at combining a really diverse set of assets including audio, digital and film into a great story. It was a complex project with lots of components and C+S helped craft a simple story about Parsons that they can now use to help define who they are and how they approach design’s role in this world.”

Parsons, a pioneer in art and design education, initially approached mono after seeing the internationally acclaimed ‘Real Good Experiment,’ which its team conceived and orchestrated for the furniture designer and manufacturer, Blu Dot (http://www.bludot.com/bonus-tracks-dir/rge.) Both projects showcase the agency’s signature talent for translating complex concepts into straightforward yet unconventional messages.

SoundAffects was conceived by mono and engineered by Tellart in collaboration with Parsons and The New School’s communications and external affairs team.

About CRASH+SUES:
CRASH+SUES is a seamlessly integrated creative editorial, animation, FX, motion design, color correction, finishing and multi-media company. Its collaborative team of talent is dedicated to providing advertising agencies, brands and filmmakers with fresh, innovate and cost-effective creative content. For additional information about CRASH+SUES, contact executive producer Sven Shelgren at 612.338.7947 or visit www.crashandsues.com.

About mono: mono is a creative branding agency that believes in the power of simplicity. Founded in 2004 by Michael Hart, Chris Lange and Jim Scott, today mono creates inventive, idea-centric communications that earned them Agency of the Year in 2010 from both Advertising Age and the 4A’s. mono works with some of the nation’s leading brands including Apple, MSNBC, Harvard Business School, Prairie Organic Vodka, Revel Stoke Whiskey, Blu Dot, Angie’s Kettle Corn, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Check out more of their work at www.mono-1.com.

CREDITS:
CLIENT: Parsons The New School for Design
TITLE: SoundAffects
2 ½ minute concept video

AD AGENCY: mono/MN

EDITORIAL COMPANY: CRASH+SUES/MN
Executive Producer: Sven Shelgren
Editor: Carrie Shanahan (Final Cut Pro)
Assistant Editor: Matthew Kroese

POST | FX | ANIMATION: CRASH+SUES
Executive Producer: Sven Shelgren
Colorist: SUE (Digital Vision Nucoda Film Master)
Online Editor: Ryan Wheeler (Autodesk Smoke Mac Autodesk Maya)
Flame Artist: Adam Celt (Autodesk Flame)

SAS has selected and installed 197 Christie MicroTiles comprising five walls, four Christie projectors and four Christie Spyder X20 video processors at its worldwide headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. SAS, the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market, provides business analytics, data management and IT management software and services to the financial services, government, retail, energy, life sciences, manufacturing and numerous other industries.
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“In designing our new state-of-the-art executive briefing center, SAS was creating a technology and functional showpiece,” said Woody Weaver, SAS senior manager of engineering and operations. “MicroTiles, with their 1 mm bezel between each tile, provide a virtually seamless wall with the flexibility to build almost any configuration. Our building is platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and MicroTiles met our requirements as a green solution with their low power consumption and no consumables.”
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“You see the LEED Wall (4 Christie MicroTiles wide by 2 Christie MicroTiles high) as soon as you enter the building,” continued Weaver, “along with a second, smaller video wall nearby (5 MicroTiles wide by 4 MicroTiles high). The showcase display is the 40-foot long Welcome Wall (28 MicroTiles wide by 4 MicroTiles high), which becomes the backdrop for our registration area. We also have the Future Wall (12 MicroTiles wide by 3 MicroTiles high) displaying current and upcoming events.”
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Located on the sixth floor, the executive wing’s Executive Wall features a 7 MicroTiles wide by 3 MicroTiles high array displaying computer models, cable television content and digital signage.
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“We often send content from our auditoriums and meeting rooms to the Executive Wall, so others can watch the presentations,” added Weaver. “Even with a skylight overhead, the MicroTiles still look good. Next, we’re implementing a touchscreen application using infrared sensors.”
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Christie Spyder and Christie MicroTiles – The Ideal Combination
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Two Christie Spyder X20 video processors manage and control the content fed to the Christie MicroTiles.
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“We can transform our lobby into a technology showcase and use the Welcome Wall in conjunction with our Spyders for our conference registration areas,” said Ken Weaver, senior IT manager, SAS. “For example, for an education conference here our graphics team designed a themed background for the wall, to which we added letter logos to facilitate the registration process. We often repurpose one wall several different ways just by changing up the display content.”
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Four Christie Projectors and Two Additional Christie Spyders
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Two additional Christie Spyders deliver top-notch content in the center’s two auditoriums. Both spaces feature two rear-projected Christie HD10-M projectors with a Christie Spyder X20 blending the content onto impressive 30-foot wide by 10-foot high screens. Two Christie HD6K-M projectors in each auditorium present content for two smaller, flanking screens.
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“We chose Christie because it is good product. The MicroTiles have been very reliable,” Woody Weaver concluded. “The MicroTiles run 12 hours a day, six days a week and definitely provide that ‘wow’ factor for our clients when they walk into the building.”
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Integrator AVI-SPL was pleased to install MicroTiles at the high-tech firm after becoming very familiar with the technology on other installations. Will Parry, senior vice president, special projects groups at AVI-SPL said, “We were happy to use the MicroTiles again after several large installations. We’ve had great success with them in the past, and highly recommend them to our clients.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Moira Marquis was born to make music. Marquis attended New York University and earned a major in music business and technology. While still at school, she interned at Manhattan’s legendary Right Track Recording studios and was trained by Grammy award winning engineer Frank Filipetti. She worked with industry greats such as Bob Clearmountain, Ron St. Germain and Ed Stasium, and with artists including James Taylor, Kiss, Carly Simon and Mick Jagger.

Moira Marquis then moved to California where she expanded into engineering television and film soundtracks and working in music editorial services for TV and movies. She became a mom and wanted devote more time to her family yet remain in the music business. Her solution: the 2003 opening of Mo’s Garage, a private recording facility that has hosted an array of diverse artists and acts including Public Enemy, the US Marine Corps Band, The Fizzies, The Blood Arm and others.

Like many engineers, Marquis has been making the move from hardware effects to plug-ins. She’s recently added HARMAN’s Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle and PCM Native Effects Bundle to the sonic toolbox at Mo’s Garage, with impressive results.

“I first got a demo of the Lexicon Native Reverb and Native Effects at a trade show and heard enough to make me want to try them in Mo’s Garage,” said Marquis. “I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed I am with these products. I have never heard plug-ins that sound so great and perform so consistently, with no glitches that make you have to stop in the middle of a session, or latency issues where you get timing problems when recording or mixing.”

“I have been a long-time Lexicon fan. When I left Right Track and went out on my own I bought a Lexicon 480L and still have it, but in this age of mixing “in the box” on computer has become less and less practical for me to use it. Between all the cabling, in-and-out calibrations and patch points, the PCM Native Reverb and Native Effects plug-ins actually sound better, besides being easier and faster to use.”

“One of the ironies of engineering today is that we finally have all this excellent and super-convenient digital gear, yet many engineers, myself included, still like analog for that warm, rich sound. However, the Lexicon Native Reverb and Native Effects have that wonderful, rich, natural sound that I want from a reverb or effects unit – and they’re plug-ins.”

“The PCM plug-ins have been a life saver in a variety of situations at Mo’s Garage,” noted Marquis. “For a number of seasons my partner, Tom Banghart, was mixing all the live concerts recorded for the “Last Call With Carson Daly” TV show, including artists like the Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Thievery Corporation and Interpol to name a few. Sweetening live material can be a very tricky situation, and the Lexicon plug-ins were perfect for creating a sense of the space seen on camera yet not necessarily captured in the audio feed.”

“I will be using the PCM Native Reverb and PCM Native Effects on all my projects from now on,” concluded Marquis. “I‘m about to start mixing a jazz/fusion record by the incomparable bass player Brad Russell with the equally incredible Gregg Bissonette on drums. I can’t wait to try the PCM plug-ins on that!”

For more information about Mo’s Garage please visit www.waymolive.com.

The Lexicon PCM Native Reverb and Native Effects Plug-In Bundles are designed to work with popular DAWs like Pro Tools and Logic, as well as with any other VST®, Audio Unit™ or RTAS®-compatible platform. Compatible with Windows® Vista, XP and 7 and Macintosh® computers, the plug-ins offer a host of unique Lexicon reverbs and effects, and hundreds of finely crafted studio presets including classics from Lexicon’s extensive library of sounds.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

Think the cooing, grunting or wailing sounds a baby makes mean nothing? Think again.

By using Vaddio cameras, East Carolina assistant professor, Heather L. Ramsdell is studying how baby sounds develop in the first year of life and the link between those sounds, first words and early language development. “The ultimate goal is to gain a better understanding of normal vocal development patterns in infants, so we can identify earlier those who are at risk for developing speech and language problems,” explains Ramsdell.

Since joining ECU in 2010, Ramsdell has created the Infant Vocal Development Laboratory (IVDL) in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The IVDL provides a state-of-the art infant and child recording suite consisting of a nursery/playroom and a control room.

The nursery lab is filled with colored blocks, books and stuffed toys – so parents and children can eat, nap, play – do whatever they do at home. An infant would never even notice the eight cameras partially hidden by purple monkeys mounted strategically throughout the room.

“We have eight cameras – four upper and four lower – but we only need to record two at a time,” explains Ramsdell. “The reason we have so many cameras is that when we analyze the data we need to have a very good view of the baby’s face.” Two angles are recorded: a close up shot of the baby and a wide shot of the interaction between the parent and baby. “We need to know where the baby is looking while talking and be able to see the facial affects. Was the baby happy or sad? Was he or she looking at mom? Did the baby respond to something mom did or said? We have to have the flexibility of changing camera angles to the best views possible.” Having eight cameras provides this flexibility.

“Vaddio allows us to have even more flexibility because all of the cameras move side-to-side and up-and-down.” Each mount is located on a sliding track so they can be repositioned even more. To permit even more camera angles, each wall is covered in mirrors. “We might not be able to get a good camera angle from Camera 1 or 2, but we can get a great shot in the mirror from Camera 3.”

Audio is recorded separately with attached wireless microphones worn by both mom and baby.

The audio and video is captured in an adjacent control room with two Vaddio ProductionVIEW FX camera control systems, two capturing devices and two monitors for viewing. Mark Allen, ECU’s electronics specialist, designed the system according to what Ramsdell needed. “When Heather came in she had a list of all the equipment she had been using in Memphis where she recently completed her Ph.D.,” explained Allen. “The way academia works is we try and replicate the labs they came from. I looked at her list and started searching the Internet and other departments on campus.” This is where he was redirected to Herb McGrail with Whitlock.

“I had worked with Vaddio cameras on previous installs at the ECU Brody School of Medicine,” explained McGrail. “I worked with Mark to create a list of everything he would need.”

The entire install only took two months. “By the time we got the funds we needed, we knew exactly what we wanted,” said Ramsdell. “I had already started recruiting participants.” Sixteen families are participating in the study and have been coming in once a month for eight months now. Between Ramsdell and her small army of undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, they’ve recorded over 112 times.

Every time a family comes in at least three people are needed to control everything. During recordings, laboratory staff members have control over each individual Vaddio camera. “Let’s say Camera 1 has a wide shot of mom and baby playing on the mat,” says Ramsdell, “We can zoom in with Camera 1, but Camera 3 would be at a much better angle because I could get a close-up of the baby’s face. All of this can be done simultaneously. We can record and change from any two cameras all at the same time. We just work together and communicate to get the best angles possible.”

In the end, Ramsdell hopes the study will lead to better and earlier treatment of speech and language disorders in young children. The discovery that an early communication problem may be developing allows her team – and eventually others in the field – to facilitate diagnostic and treatment intervention at an extremely early age.

“It’s a very specialized study, but you’d be surprised at how many research labs across the country have recording rooms like this,” explained Ramsdell. “I have a lot of students who may eventually continue on for their doctoral degrees and one day create their own infant labs – across the country – across the world.”

Detroit/LA: Team Detroit took the Ford Mustang Customizer to the next level this year, creating an interactive experience that not only invites users to help design their dream muscle car, but also gives their designs a life outside of the automaker’s website, in social media. The agency once again tasked Speedshape with transforming the car, options and accessories into high quality photo-real assets that capture the imagination of car enthusiasts and draw them into this immersive interactive experience.

A hybrid design/development company best known for its cutting-edge VFX-driven commercials, Speedshape again shows how an artistic eye and technical ingenuity can transform traditional digital rendering from a process to a craft. Rooted in animation, the company’s multi-disciplined team of designers and producers brings a level of artistry to computer imagery that is distinguishing Speedshape’s work in the digital arena.

Speedshape’s VFX team began the job at Ford’s live shoot, where they captured the HDRI environments for the three locations in which the 2012 customizer would reside. They then created all modular elements required to build the full range of trim levels, as well as the hundreds of accessories and options – including the wheels, grilles, Ford racing performance parts, factory and custom colors, body kits, and graphics.

After completing the modeling and data prep for each of four different models: The Mustang V6, GT, Boss 302 and the Shelby GT500, as well as the massive quantity of options, Speedshape took all the assets to a photo real finished quality, matching the lighting and environments captured during the shoot.

“Having a sophisticated approach to asset management and a fluid, customized pipeline in place is key to keeping a job of this scope efficient and cost-effective – and maintaining the same pristine photographic quality and lighting values for every asset, ” says Speedshape’s CG Supervisor, Mike Ward. “We integrated back-plate images to maximize the flexibility and intuitive functionality of the Customizer.”

“Our focus on the management and maintenance of files, scripts and software ensures that our scalable assets can be repurposed and seamlessly integrated, year after year, without running into software or hardware conflicts,” added Ward.

Team Detroit fully loaded this year’s Customizer with new features that make playing around with the infinite combinations of colors, accessories and options almost a video game-like experience. Once completed, cars can be posted on Facebook where users can opt to go into ‘battle mode’ and compete against each other for top ranking based on the number of votes their design receives from other participants.

“Speedshape and Team Detroit have built a strong creative partnership over the last few years. It’s great to work with a client that collaborates with us throughout the creative process, and is so committed to making each generation of the Customizer more innovative and cutting-edge than the year before,” says Speedshape’s Executive Producer, Mike Albert.

Speedshape provided all of the layered CG assets, 2D smoke and burnout graphics for the website and delivered final layered files for all parts, stripes and decals and delivered it to Firstborn where the live site was developed and programmed.

ABOUT SPEEDSHAPE:
Speedshape/CGI + VFX
Speedshape/Interactive Design + Development
Speedshape/3D Stereo Film

Speedshape is a multi-disciplined CG/VFX, Interactive and 3D Stereo company dedicated to providing advertising agencies, brands and motion picture clients with innovative creative content in a seamlessly integrated full-service creative environment tailored to their specific needs. Our collective of multi-talented artists, designers, digital strategists and producers bring artistry and technical ingenuity to the creative development and crafting of inspired visual content.

Since the launch of our flagship Detroit-based facility in 2003, our award-winning company has expanded its footprint with satellite divisions in New York, Venice Beach and London, creating an open-architecture national – and global – creative network that traverses all platforms with cutting-edge content.

Speedshape’s client roster includes_General Electric, Mercedes Benz, Sports Authority, Bosch, Ford Motor Company, Jack Daniels and Duncan Hines. Speedshape’s recently launched 3D Film division debuted its services with The Weinstein Company’s feature films, Spy Kids: All The Time in The World, Escape From Planet Earth and Piranha 3DD

For additional information contact Speedshape’s Account Director, Chad Cooper at 248.282.0200, or visit http://www.speedshape.com. To learn more about our 2D-to-3D stereoscopic conversion, contact Frank Rainone (East Coast) or Julie Currin (West Coast) at 248.282.0200.

Speedshape(Detroit) 30300 Telegaph, Suite 300, Bingham Farms, Michigan, 248.282.0200, detroit@speedshape.com; Speedshape (Los Angeles) 200 Mildred Avenue, Venice, California, 210.822.8182, losangeles@speedshape.com;Speedshape (New York) 99 Hudson Street, Suite 200, New York, New York, newyork@speedshape.com: Speedshape (London) 4 Kingly Street, London, WiB 5PE, United Kingdom, +44.207.440.2578, london@speedshape.com.

CREDITS:
Client: Ford Motor Company

Project: 2012 Ford Mustang Customizer

AD AGENCY: Team Detroit
Project Manager: Chris Steele
Program Manager: Amy Daneke
Account Manager: Andrea Gontina
JWT Account: Anthony Biondo
Information Architect: Stacie Sheldon
ZAAZ Analytics: Reem Anani
Tech Lead: Chad Dattilio
Strategy: Amanda Douglas
Creative: Jennifer Powers
Creative: James Robinson
Creative: Sue Driscoll
Art Buyer: Kim Harris

CGI DESIGN + PRODUCTION: Speedshape (Detroit/NYC/Venice Beach/London)
Executive Producer: Mike Albert
CG Supervisor: Mike Ward
CG Supervisor: Linden Vennard
Producer: Dawn Giddings
Technical Director: Jared Tripp
Designer: Josh Hamman
Designer: Cory Brent
Designer: Rob Braithwaite

DIGITAL PRODUCTION: Firstborn

Los Angeles — Aero Films executive producers Lance O’Connor and Skip Short constantly seek ways to up their game. Their company has an enviable roster of A-list directors and is ranked among the country’s most successful producers of television commercials. Not ones to rest on their laurels, they recently launched a bi-coastal post production division, Aero Studios, that offers editorial, visual effects and animation services. As a result, the company is steadily extending its reach beyond traditional television advertising into long form content, web media and other emerging platforms.

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