Staines, UK – Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a leading international manufacturer of advanced camera support products, recently completed the successful installation and commissioning of an advanced camera support and management system at the Swiss Parliament in Bern. The announcement was made by Shotoku sales director James Eddershaw from the Company’s European headquarters in Staines, UK.

The project entailed complete replacement of outdated technology in the Ständerat chamber with Shotoku’s state-of-the-art Orchestra Camera Management System (CMS) with a TR-16S Shot Control Panel to direct seven strategically mounted TG-27 robotic pan/tilt heads. The Shotoku management system is fully integrated with the facility’s vision mixer and audio controls.

“We have been working with Shotoku for several years and had no hesitation completing the final stage of the TV upgrade [with] Shotoku’s TG-27 head and Orchestra control systems,” said Technical Project Manager Hermann Krähenbühl. “We operate with a combination of microphone-driven automatic control and operator-driven, joystick control for smooth on-air close-up work Shotoku’s Orchestra CMS system provides the perfect solution for this careful balance of requirements.”

“Shotoku provided systems for the Nationalrat [National Council] Chamber and Press Centre in recent years and we are delighted now to complete this major upgrade for the Ständerat,” said Eddershaw. “Our parliamentary TV system—based on the TG-27 head, TR-S shot panel and Orchestra CMS software—is built on years of experience gained from operations in parliaments across the world. As a result, it is very well suited to the uniquely demanding application of live coverage of extended debates in large chambers.”

About Shotoku Broadcast Systems
Shotoku Broadcast Systems is an international leader in the manufacture and marketing of a full range of camera support products with emphasis on manual and robotic pedestals and pan/tilt heads for the television broadcast industry. The Company also provides robotic camera systems capable of interfacing with third-party equipment. Established as an engineering design firm specializing in advanced mechanics and electronic control systems, Shotoku maintains headquarters in Japan with offices in Staines, UK and Torrance, CA. The Company’s robotic camera systems are designed, developed and manufactured in Staines, UK. For further information: www.Shotoku.co.uk

# # #
Shotoku contact: James Eddershaw
+44 (0)1784 224 650 • info@shotoku.co.uk

Press contact: Desert Moon Communications, Harriet Diener
+1-845-512-8283 / harriet@desertmooncomm.com

Woodland Park, NJ – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, has appointed Griffith Sales Associates of Marietta, GA as a manufacturer’s representative in the southeastern US. Jan Sandri, president of FSR Inc., made the announcement today from headquarters in Woodland Park, NJ.

“Griffith Sales is a seasoned, professional organization that is thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the regional markets that they serve,” commented Sandri. “We are confident that their industry and product knowledge will prove very advantageous for our customers. We are delighted to welcome Griffith Sales Associates to the FSR family.”

Added Scott Hough, Griffith Sales Contractor Division Manager, “Griffith Sales is excited to be representing FSR in the Southeast! For over 25 years, Griffith Sales has been representing the best product lines in the industry. FSR has a great reputation for quality and service and we are proud to be working with them.”

Griffith Sales territory comprises the Southeast US, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Griffith will sell, service and support FSR’s entire product portfolio that includes floor, wall, ceiling and table boxes; switchers and scalars; audio and video switchers; interfaces, plates and cables; and CAT-5 and fiber transmission systems.

Griffith Sales can be reached at 770-919-1030 or sales@griffithsales.com .

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

All FSR products are designed and manufactured in its Woodland Park, NJ facility. The company is an Energy Star Partner and complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to demonstrate its deep commitment to preserving the planet. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information: http://www.fsrinc.com.

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FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • mailto:sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • mailto:harriet@desertmooncomm.com

ASSIMILATE (www.assimilateinc.com) today announced that SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab version 6.1 have achieved never-before-seen performance levels in the playback of RED EPIC Stereo content. SCRATCH Lab now provides DITs, DPs and Directors with dailies playback and review of RAW Stereo EPIC streams, direct from the camera at a full 48 FPS. SCRATCH 6.1 finishing systems can achieve the same 48 FPS playback rate of EPIC Stereo content even after sophisticated color grades and VFX have been applied.

Now, Directors and DPs that are planning the next generation of stereo feature films can have the confidence of knowing that they can maintain the integrity of their shot from on-set QC and review, all the way through post-production. And best of all, they can eliminate the costly and time-consuming step of transcoding.

“48 FPS Stereo EPIC feature films are the next holy grail on the moviemaking horizon”, said Ted Schilowitz of RED. “Directors are constantly pushing the envelope to deliver the highest quality cinematic experience possible, and EPIC is the camera of choice for the majority of the top stereo productions in 2012. We’re delighted that these productions now have the benefit of 48 FPS playback, review and QC of stereo EPIC shots, on-set and in realtime, with an industry-leading tool like SCRATCH Lab. The ability to achieve 48 FPS Stereo EPIC support in a world-class dailies workflow system for less than $5,000 is astonishing”.

Jeff Edson, CEO of ASSIMILATE, said, “SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab have been at the leading edge of digital moviemaking since the original RED One camera. Today’s announcement is just another example of how SCRATCH and Lab and RED continue to set the pace for the industry. ASSIMILATE is dedicated to delivering the highest quality, most consistent artist experience for file-based content – from image acquisition, all the way through DI and post. We’re committed to continue working in lock-step with RED as we consistently deliver the technology that changes the way the world watches movies”.

SCRATCH Digital Workflow Tools

ASSIMILATE’s SCRATCH and SCRATCH Lab deliver the industry’s most comprehensive toolset for data-centric digital cinema and broadcast productions for 2D and 3D stereo projects at up to 5K resolution and beyond. New 6.1 versions of the software, running on Mac OS X and Windows 7, feature SDI output via AJA Kona 3G graphics cards, wicked-fast dailies rendering, improved metadata and timecode handling, and enhanced RED workflow support.

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

Sonic branding for spousal trades, tirades, rock stars and preachers.

Sonixphere, a global resource for everything connected to music and audio branding, in association with the award-winning composing team at iSpy Music, kicked off 2012 with the debut of ABC’s highly-anticipated reality series Celebrity Wife Swap. Famous spouses who signed up to swap households, children, and rules of domestic play include Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, songstress Carnie Wilson, Flavor Flav from Public Enemy, and actor Gary Busey, among others.
Greg Allan, CEO and Creative Director of Sonixphere, and Doug Bossi, CEO and lead composer of iSpy Music, combined their extensive music and branding experience to parlay the diverse personalities of the cast into distinct sonic alter egos for each spousal team. Cues throughout each episode play up both the humorous and confrontational aspects of the show, driving the action while adding to the emotional response from viewers. more

LONDON—Fotokem Budapest recently used FilmLight’s Baselight colour grading system to perform near-set colour grading for In the Land of Blood and Honey, Angelina Jolie’s new film on the Bosnian War.

Fotokem Budapest processed dailies for the film, which was largely shot in Hungary. It also hosted screening sessions for Jolie and the film’s crew. Those screenings were held in the facility’s DI grading theatre, with a Baselight EIGHT used to make real-time grading adjustments. Working under the guidance of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dean Semler, Senior DI Colorist Benedek Kaban refined the look of the dailies and applied special colour treatments.
“The subject matter of the movie is very hard,” recalls Kaban. “Dean wanted a stark look. He shot still photographs every day during production and sent them to me as a grading reference.”

more

Company to Display MATRIX Cheese Plate and Gold Mount System, DIONIC HCX, DIONIC HC, CINE VCLX and Battery Accessories

LONDON, FEBRUARY 9, 2012—Anton/Bauer®, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company and a premier global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries, will demonstrate its latest array of power solutions at Broadcast Video Expo 2012 (Stand I30) for an international audience of broadcast, video and audio professionals. more

Rio Rancho, NM – February 2012… Lectrosonics, recognized the world over as a leading manufacturer of wireless microphone systems and audio processing products, has taken a number of important steps to minimize the company’s power consumption and, thus, lessen the impact of its environmental footprint. The replacement of lighting fixtures throughout both the corporate offices and manufacturing facilities is an important step toward the company’s goal of being more environmentally friendly. more

2012 NAB Show
Las Vegas
Sonnet Technologies
Booth SL8713

Sonnet Technologies
8 Autry
Irvine, CA 92618-2708
USA

Sonnet Technologies Contact:
Martin Muggee
Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: +1 949 587 3532
Email: martin.muggee@sonnettech.com

Agency Contact:
Peggy Blaze
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 818 357 3693
Email: peggy@wallstcom.com

Company Overview:
Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leader in providing storage systems and media readers for professional users of Macintosh(R), Windows(R), and UNIX(R) systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries. The company’s product line features a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable desktop and rackmount RAID storage solutions ranging from two- and four-drive portable units, to eight- and 16-drive desktop attached storage with advanced RAID controllers, to 16-drive, 16-port, 8Gb Fibre Channel shared storage systems that are expandable to 384TB. Celebrating 25 years in business, Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market numerous innovative solutions that enhance the performance and connectivity of Macintosh, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.

Sonnet Products at the 2012 NAB Show:

Xmac(TM) mini Server 1U Rackmount PCIe 2.0 Expansion System With Thunderbolt(TM) Ports
Sonnet’s Xmac(TM) mini Server (previously known as RackMac mini Xserver) 1U rackmount PCIe 2.0 expansion system with two Thunderbolt(TM) Ports mounts a Mac(R) mini inside a specially designed enclosure that also contains two x16 (x4 mode) PCIe 2.0 slots, a 150W power supply, and an installed Gigabit Ethernet card. This system enables users to plug in two PCIe 2.0 adapter cards (one half-length and one full-length) to slots connected to the Mac mini via locking Thunderbolt cables while allowing the connection of additional Thunderbolt peripherals to the daisy-chain Thunderbolt port.

Photo Caption: Xmac(TM) mini Server
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/xmac_mini_images.zip

Echo(TM) Express PCIe 2.0 Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis
The Echo(TM) Express PCIe 2.0 Expansion Chassis with Thunderbolt(TM) Ports enables users to plug in high-performance PCI Express(R) 2.0 adapter cards to any computer with a Thunderbolt port. Professional video capture, digital audio, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb Ethernet, and RAID controller cards are examples of the PCIe adapters that may be used. Available in two sizes, the standard Echo Express PCIe 2.0 Expansion Chassis supports one half-length, single- or double-width, x16 (x4 mode) PCIe 2.0 card while the XL model supports two single-width, full-length cards, or one double-width, full-length card. Both have integrated universal power supplies, fans to cool the cards, and two Thunderbolt ports to support daisy-chaining up to six devices to the host computer.

Photo Caption: Echo(TM) Express
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/echo.zip

Echo(TM) ExpressCard(R)/34 Thunderbolt(TM) Adapter
The Sonnet Echo(TM) ExpressCard(R)/34 Thunderbolt(TM) Adapter adds an ExpressCard/34 slot to any computer to which it’s connected, extending Thunderbolt technology-equipped Macs’ capabilities like never before. The adapter enables users of the latest iMac(R), Mac(R) mini, MacBook Air(R), and MacBook(R) Pro models with Thunderbolt ports to seamlessly connect compatible ExpressCard/34 cards from Sonnet and other manufacturers. ExpressCard/34 adapters offer users additional connectivity and functionality beyond what is available through their computers’ stock configuration.

Photo Caption: Echo(TM) ExpressCard(R)/34 Thunderbolt(TM) Adapter
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/echo_ec34_tb_adptr.zip

Qio(TM) CF4 Professional CompactFlash(R) Media Reader
Sonnet’s Qio(TM) CF4 continues the Qio family tradition of offering a cost-effective, high-speed alternative to ordinary card readers for videographers and studios alike. The CF4 is the first four-slot CompactFlash(R) (CF) memory card reader available, and it includes an integrated two-port 6 Gb/s eSATA interface for connecting external storage systems. The Qio CF4 dramatically increases users’ efficiency, providing the ability to transfer data concurrently from four CF cards (used with professional HD camcorders from RED(R) and Canon(R), and DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon(R)) with an aggregate ingest speed up to 400 MB/sec. (desktops, 200 MB/sec. with notebook computers). Mac OS(R) X- and Windows(R)-compatible, the Qio CF4 connects to a computer through an included ExpressCard/34 or PCIe 2.0 interface adapter card.

Photo Caption: Qio(TM) CF4
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/qio_cf4.zip

Qio(TM) E3 professional SxS(TM) Media Reader
Sonnet’s Qio(TM) E3 is a cost-effective, high-speed alternative to ordinary card readers for videographers and studios alike that rely upon SxS media workflows. The E3 is the first three-slot SxS(TM) memory card reader available. It includes an integrated two-port 6Gb/s eSATA interface for connecting external storage systems and doubles as a bus expansion system for ExpressCard(R)/34 adapter cards. The Qio E3 provides the ability to transfer data concurrently from three SxS cards for Sony(R) XDCAM(TM) EX professional HD camcorders with an aggregate ingest speed up to 400 MB/sec. (desktops, 200 MB/sec. with notebook computers), dramatically increasing users’ efficiency. Mac OS(R) X- and Windows(R)-compatible, the Qio E3 connects to a computer through an included ExpressCard/34 or PCIe 2.0 interface adapter card.

Photo Caption: Qio(TM) E3
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/Qio_E3_images.zip

Qio(TM) MR – PC-Compatible
Sonnet’s Qio(TM) MR is the industry’s first compact mobile, rack-mounted device to support all major HD video memory card formats, providing a convenient high-speed alternative to stand-alone card readers for videographers and studios alike. Like the original Qio, which is now PC-compatible, the MR supports SxS(TM), CompactFlash(R), P2, and SDXC(TM) (with included SDXC adapter) media, with two slots for each (SDXC shared with SxS) and the ability to transfer data from all cards concurrently. Qio MR delivers the original Qio’s capabilities and advantages that Mac(R) users have come to appreciate in an easy-to-install Windows(R)-compatible package, as well as the ability to reads files from any combination of cards with aggregate bandwidth up to 200 MB/sec. The Qio MR connects through an included internal PCIe interface adapter card.

Photo Caption: Qio(TM) MR
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/qio_mr.zip

Fusion(TM) RX1600 Vfibre(TM) Video Editing SAN Server
Available in 16TB, 32TB, or 48TB configurations to start, the Fusion(TM) RX1600 Vfibre(TM) delivers amazing data throughput for video editing workgroups. Capable of supporting 4K workflows, this system delivers more streams to more users with up to 16 ports for 8Gb Fibre Channel client connections, plus a 10Gb Ethernet interface. The Fusion RX1600 Vfibre includes a metadata controller, Tiger Technologies’ metaSAN server software, redundant and hot-swappable storage, power supplies, fans, and server control drives out of the box. This video editing SAN server offers heterogeneous operating system support for Mac OS(R) X, Windows(R), and Linux(R) users and easy expandability to up to 384TB of storage — all backed by Sonnet’s five-year pro storage warranty.

Photo Caption: Fusion(TM) RX1600 Vfibre(TM)
Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/sonnet/rx1600fibre.zip

Company Quote:
“At the 2012 NAB Show, we’ll be demonstrating how our latest innovations in direct attached and shared storage can deliver dramatic new efficiencies for all types of mobile and studio broadcast workflows. One example is our new Xmac mini Server PCIe 2.0 expansion system, which packs a lot of punch into a 1U rackmount with features such as dual Thunderbolt(TM) ports and dual x16 (x4 mode) PCIe 2.0 slots – extending powerful expansion and connectivity capabilities to Mac(R) mini users.” — Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies.

Productions achieve award-winning results with NewTek LightWave 3D®

NewTek congratulates the winners and nominees of the 10th Annual VES Awards for outstanding visual effects artistry in 23 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues and video games.

NewTek LightWave 3D® software seamlessly integrates into the production pipelines of many VES Award winners and nominees, including 2012 VES Award winner “Terra Nova” for “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.”

“The ‘Terra Nova’ visual effects team is very deserving of its VES win—the visual effects work throughout the entire series was outstanding,” said Rob Powers, VP and head of 3D Development at NewTek. “The energy at the VES Awards was incredible. We are very excited to continue to support the VES in the coming years as they honor the best in the visual effects industry.”

Of the many winning and nominated entries of the 2012 VES Awards, LightWave was used in the creative pipelines of several productions, including:

- “Captain America: The First Avenger”
- “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
- “The Adventures of Tintin”
- “Terra Nova”
- “Pan Am”
- “Renee the Movie”

The 10th Annual VES Awards are scheduled to air on REELZCHANNEL Sunday, February 19 at 10pm ET/7pm PT. For more information on the VES Awards and the Visual Effects Society please visit www.visualeffectssociety.com.

About LightWave™

LightWave is designed to support the creative process, providing the artist with the ability to interact in real time with 3D content, to work seamlessly with the full range of software applications in production pipelines and to render on unlimited render nodes. LightWave 11 incorporates groundbreaking technology, including the Virtual Preview Renderer (VPR) for onscreen real-time rendering and Anaglyph Stereoscopic Preview for real-time interocular, ‘red-blue’ anaglyphic separations and more.
For more information, please visit www.newtek.com.

About NewTek

Benefiting producers and artists with cost-effective and groundbreaking technologies, NewTek is a worldwide leader in portable live production, video editing, 3D animation and special effects tools, including the TriCaster™ product line, 3Play™ and LightWave 3D®. NewTek has won numerous industry accolades, including two Emmy® Awards.

Clients include: “The X Factor,” ESPN X Games, New York Giants, NBA Development League, Fox News, BBC, NHL, Nickelodeon, CBS Radio, ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, MTV, TWiT.TV , USA TODAY, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NewTek products have been used in feature films and television shows, including “Avatar,” “The Adventures of Tintin,” “Terra Nova,” “Fringe,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and more.

NewTek is privately owned and based in San Antonio, Texas. For more information on NewTek please visit: www.newtek.com, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr or connect with us on Facebook.

PORTLAND, OREGON, FEBRUARY 8, 2012—Autoscript, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company, and the world’s leading teleprompting company, will showcase its latest prompting innovations at the annual Professional Video & Tape Cascade Mountain Video Show (CMVS) in Portland. more