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.

SSL teams up with technology partners Genelec, Miranda and RTS to showcase the C10 HD Compact Broadcast Console in a state-of-the-art mobile broadcast studio

NEW YORK – Solid State Logic is proud to announce its newly completed Broadcast Equipment Demonstration Vehicle has set out on a non-stop tour of the United States and Canada. The tour began in San Antonio, Texas on Feb 1, 2012 and will continue onwards for the next three years. The custom designed mobile production vehicle features SSL’s C10 HD Compact Broadcast Console and associated routing and I/O solutions in conjunction with all of the key audio and video monitoring and communications systems required for a modern broadcast production facility. Housed in a Russ Berger designed acoustically accurate space, the vehicle enables potential clients to have hands-on experience of SSL’s on-air audio production technology right outside their front door.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for us,” says Piers Plaskitt, CEO of SSL Inc. “This vehicle gives us a unique opportunity to take a sophisticated broadcast production environment out on the road to connect directly with our customers in their own locality. We know that money is tight and that many organisations simply can’t send as many people to exhibitions like NAB anymore so this vehicle gives us the chance to show the whole production team the benefits of SSL and our partners’ technology. Bringing a mini-NAB to our clients ties in nicely with the way we have designed the product to fit today’s more challenging budgets. The vehicle is equipped to demonstrate a range of broadcast production systems and will be visiting local broadcast stations, sports arenas and houses of worship. This is also a fantastic opportunity for us to visit our extensive network of educational clients to share knowledge and insight with aspiring young audio engineers. We serve up an impressive cup of coffee, too!”

The SSL Broadcast Equipment Demonstration Vehicle, designed by SSL’s Project Engineering team, was built on a 2012 F550 Ford chassis with a custom body and was crafted by leading mobile vehicle specialist Shook Mobile Technology. Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG) provided the acoustic design for the space using both absorbing and diffusing treatments as well as SpaceCoupler technology for the ceiling. The vehicle is presented in association with SSL’s technology partners: Genelec, Miranda, RTS and Savant. The truck demonstrates the capabilities of all of these systems and the integration that is possible between them.

The mobile control room space is completely climate controlled, sound isolated and treated to provide a comfortable and acoustically accurate demonstration environment. The space can accommodate several people and a larger group can watch demonstrations from outside the vehicle via an external audio monitoring system and video display, which is linked to internal cameras.

The audio monitoring system inside the vehicle is a complete Genelec 8020.LSE Espresso 5.1 system, which consists of five Genelec 8020B two-way, bi-amplified active monitors matched with a Genelec 7050B LSE™ Series Active Subwoofer. A pair of 6010A Bi-Amplified Active Monitors for PFL (pre-fade listen) and a pair of 8030A Bi-Amplified Monitors for the outdoor display round out the audio system. A Miranda Kaleido-X16 multi-viewer offers high quality and space efficient monitoring with silent operation, and Miranda’s Densité processing offers simplified signal management using multi-functional modules. An RTS Adam-M system with two key panels is employed for intercom, while a Savant True Image interface handles the vehicle’s lighting and video switching.

The SSL Broadcast Equipment Demonstration Vehicle will visit local U.S. broadcasters, houses of worship, systems integrators, key sports and entertainment events, as well as being showcased at trade exhibitions. The schedule for 2012 begins with demonstrations in Texas, moving on to locations in New Mexico, Arizona and California, stopping in Las Vegas for the NAB Show in April, on to Utah and then the Eastern Seaboard.

You can find out more about the vehicle and the equipment, view a tour schedule (with interactive map) and request a stop at your location online at www.solidstatelogic.com/worldtour.

Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solidstatelogic.com.

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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Inspiring Demonstrations, Collegial Atmosphere and Unparalleled Sessions Bring Experts from Entertainment, Government and Research Together in Vibrant Exchange

(Los Angeles, CA) The Hollywood Post Alliance(r) – the trade association for the post production community – has announced the lineup for the HPA Tech Retreat(r), set to take place February 13 -17 at the Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells, CA. The HPA Tech Retreat is the annual conference that brings together thought leaders from digital and content creation, media and entertainment, forensics, medicine, digital imaging, to academic research.

The event consists of three days of sessions, and two days of additional conference programming including an all day super session, seminars presented by ATSC and by imaging-guru Charles Poynton, a demo room with groundbreaking technologies, cocktail receptions, a welcome dinner, and three days of breakfast roundtables, fireside chats and opportunities for networking throughout each day. The Tech Retreat is designed to foster ideas and information sharing among industry experts.

Leon Silverman, President of HPA, notes, “Our industry’s incredibly accelerated pace of change makes it extremely difficult to know to whom or where one can turn to make sure you’re plugged into the knowledge and people you need to know to survive and navigate in this environment. The Tech Retreat is a yearly way to literally get into the heads and private conversations of the people who are driving and leading our industry through this transformative change. There really is nothing like it anywhere. A ticket to the Tech Retreat is a front-row, up close & personal seat on the cutting edge.”

Mark Schubin, who has led the programming for the Tech Retreat for 15 years, sums up the event, “There will be someone there who knows the answer, whatever the question is!” And, that fact, he contends, is why the Tech Retreat remains a mandatory event for many in the industry. “It doesn’t matter what you are dealing with – movies, television, media for the physically impaired, forensics, optical issues for 3D – there are experts here who want to discuss their latest findings, show you what they’ve been working on, and share. It’s the place where questions are explored in depth.”

The Tech Retreat is also an event where technologies, chosen by a committee of experts, are presented in a carefully curated demo room. “This year I am particularly excited about the Demo Room. There are a number of truly interesting technologies and companies debuting here. We are presenting a technology that makes any camera a stereoscopic 3D camera, a 360-degree camera from which HD images can be extracted, demos of how depth perception varies with viewing distance, high frame rate tests, Ethernet AVB, and more. It’s inspiring to say the least.” Schubin concluded.

Registration for the HPA Tech Retreat is limited. Information and registration is available at http://www.hpaonline.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=130712. The Tech Retreat is sponsored by the Hollywood Post Alliance(r), serving the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content.

A complete schedule of the event is available online by clicking here: (http://www.hpaonline.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=130539). A summary of speakers, panels, and participating companies follow.

Expert speakers confirmed include:

o Andrea Kalas
o Andy Maltz
o Annie Chang
o Arjun Ramamurthy
o Bob Liodice
o Brian Zents
o Bruce Devlin
o Chris Lennon
o Clyde Smith
o Craig Merkin
o Craig Todd
o Curtis Clark
o Dan Germain
o Debra Kaufman
o Edgar Shane
o Geoffrey Tulley
o Henry Gu
o Jenny Read
o Jerry Pierce
o Jim Berger
o Jim DeFillipis
o Jim Taylor
o John Hurst
o Larry Thorpe
o Leon Silverman
o Mark Aitken
o Mark Lemmons
o Mark Schubin
o Masayuki Sugawara
o Michael Koetter
o Mike Krause
o Paul Chapman
o Peter Putman
o Peter Symes
o Phil Squyres
o Rob Hummel
o Sean Cooney
o Skip Pizzi
o Steve Kochak
o Steven Poster
o Tim Claman
o Tom Burn
o Wendy Aylsworth

Also joining the line-up are the filmmakers from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and an announcement of additional speakers is expected shortly.

Panelists representing studios, companies, and organizations include:

ABC
Adobe
ATSC
ARRI
Barco
Belden
Canon
CBS
CNN
DECE
Deluxe
Digital Domain
Digital Projection
Disney
Dolby
DVS
Fox
Harris
ICG
JVC
Laser-Illuminated Projector Association (LIPA)
Light Iron
NAB
NBC
Newcastle University
NHK
Oracle
Panasonic
PBS
RE: Vision Effects
RED
Rods & Cones
Sinclair
SMPTE
Sony
Sony Electronics
Technicolor
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA)
Vision Research
Warner Brothers
Walt Disney Company

More programming, panelists and organizations are to be announced shortly.

The HPA Tech Retreat is known for presenting topical, latest-knowledge panels and presentations. Among others, this year’s presentation topics include:

o Forecast for SuperSession 2012: Snowflakes with an Increasing Chance of Clouds
o 4K Cameras and their Workflows
o The Image Interchange Framework Demystified: What It Is and Why It Matters
o High-Dynamic-Range Acquisition
o Optical Temporal Filtering
o Broadcasters Panel
o The Current State of Connected TV
o The Home Ecosystem: What Will Make It Work?
o CES Review
o HPA Monitor Symposium Recap
o Next Generation Projection Systems
o Getting Creative Intent to the Viewer
o Digital Commercial Slates: a New Era in Commercial Workflow – a bicoastal live presentation
o Washington Update
o CALM Down? Stereo vs. Surround Loudness
o VFX Panel
o IMF Moving Forward
o What Happened to Dailies?
o Digital Preservation: An Ecosystem
o Perceiving 3D
o Increasing Resolution by Covering the Image Sensor, and much more.

Sponsors of HPA Tech Retreat in 2012 include: AJA, Dolby, DataDirect Networks, and Testronic Labs and Media Sponsors Createasphere, Post Magazine and LA 411.

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

# # #

Media Contact:
Chris Purse, 818.303.8088
ignite strategic communications
chris@ignite.bz or mimi@ignite.bz

Huntsville, Alabama – The 2012 International CES, a high-profile annual event to promote the consumer electronics industry, was held earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nev., and PESA routers played a significant role behind the scenes for several exhibitors and the keynote presentations from Ericsson, Intel, Microsoft, and Qualcomm.

Staging Techniques, an event staging company with offices in California, New York, Atlanta, and Seattle, was contracted to provide to provide video support for the keynotes in cooperation with the overall event management firm, The Production Network (TPN). “The CES Keynotes are an average sized show for us, with an audience size of approximately 2,000,” explained Bryce Will, general manager of Staging Techniques. “Where it does get fairly involved is with the technical complexity. Four different clients – all high technology companies – make for a pretty demanding environment. Lots of different sources, many different signal formats, and the quick changeovers required between the rehearsals and shows keep things exciting.”

The keynotes were streamed live and archived for on-demand viewing by the Consumer Electronics Association, Staging Techniques’ primary client, as well as the individual keynote companies. Two PESA Cheetah 64NE HD-SDI routers were used to feed video switchers for live HD cameras and other sources during each of the presentations. Will said the PESA routers are permanently installed in the company’s HD flypacks.

“Company-wide, we use almost exclusively PESA signal routing systems,” Will added. “They are just that reliable. We have been a PESA customer since 1996, and the vast majority of our production systems are based around PESA technology.”

With its universal device control (UDC) software and other technology, Clarkston, Michigan-based High Resolution Systems (HRS) provided support during the keynotes for Staging Techniques. HRS also provided rental and staging services for a major CES exhibitor, and used a PESA Ocelot 16×16 HD routing switcher to manage signals for a large video wall display in its booth. “Out of all of our HD-SDI routers, the PESA router has proven to be the most reliable,” said Drew Taylor, HRS applications engineer.

NEP Broadcasting, a Pittsburgh-based company that provides teleproduction services for live sports and entertainment events, supported another major CES exhibitor with one of its 3D-dedicated mobile production units, SS31, which features a PESA Cheetah 144×256 HD video router. “SS31 produced a 3D broadcast for the 3D network,” said George Hoover, chief technology officer. “The Cheetah is at the core of the production, handling signal distribution and routing for the entire show.”

“It was an honor to be part of such an important production initiative supporting the keynote addresses at CES,” said Chuck Tillett, president and COO of PESA. “We understand the critical level of support our customers must provide in live venue presentations, and are pleased to be recognized for our long-standing reputation of quality products, service and support.”

About PESA

As a leading provider of audio/video connectivity, PESA offers a wide selection of routing switchers, matrix switchers, extenders, converters, media extenders, and signal processing gear to support government, military, industrial, commercial, broadcast and mobile truck applications. PESA offers one of the widest ranges of AV products – from large scale fiber optic routing to single-point CAT-5 DVI extenders – each with the integrity and innovative high performance technology expected from PESA. Our products are available around the world from a leading team of channel partners offering local support and installation; and all of our products are supported by 24/7 technical support. To learn more about our technologies and services visit www.pesa.com. PESA is located in Huntsville, Alabama with regional offices throughout the United States.

All products mentioned herein are trademarked property of their respective owners.

Press Contact

Mark J. Pescatore
Pipeline Communications
561-531-3106
mark@pipecomm.com

Company Contact

Dan Holland
VP, Product Marketing
256-726-9200
dholland@pesa.com

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

Wayne, N.J. – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Optical Devices Division has announced that Director of Photography (DP) and Director Jay Kriss used FUJINON E-Series Digital Cinematography HD lenses exclusively in the production of his full-length historical documentary, “Harvesting the High Plains.”

The film is slated to air late summer or fall nationally this year on the PBS network. Kriss co-owns the film production company Inspirit Creative, based in Williamsburg, VA, with Producer Sydney Duvall. For more information on the film, please click on www.harvestingthehighplains.com or www.kpts.org.

Kriss began shooting the documentary in the summer of 2010 using a Panasonic AJ-HP3700 P2 HD VariCam camcorder outfitted with a FUJINON HAe10x10 (10x100mm) E-Series HD zoom lens. In early 2011, he added a complement of FUINON E-Series HD prime lenses, including the HAeF5 5mm; HAeF8 8mm; HAeF10 10mm; HAeF12 12mm; HAeF16 16mm; HAeF20 20mm; HAeF34 34mm; and HAeF54 54mm, which enabled him to match the needs of each shot with the ideal lens.

“Harvesting the High Plains” recounts the hardships and challenges faced by farmers during the 1930’s Dust Bowl, a time when farmland was devastated by extreme drought and excessive farming. The 90-minute film tells the true story of two farmers—Ray Garvey of Wichita, Kansas and John Kriss of Colby, Kansas—who are credited with the expanded use of the innovative Summer Fallow agricultural method as well as other innovative farming methods that transformed uncultivated prairies into high yielding fields of wheat while conserving and respecting the land they used. The film depicts the fortitude of the American spirit that brought the country out of the Great Depression. “Something we all need to be reminded of in this present time,” stated Kriss.

“The FUJINON digital cinema lenses gave me creative latitude that exceeded anything I’ve experienced with other brand lenses,” said Kriss. “This film greatly benefits from the depth of field, precision, and clarity these lenses produce.”

“We really put these lenses to the test by shooting for weeks under extreme production conditions,” Kriss said. Besides temperatures exceeding 102 degrees, the lenses were continually subjected to extremely hot, dry, dusty winds common to the plains of Western Nebraska and Western Kansas. Every evening, Kriss would spend 1.5 to two hours meticulously cleaning dust from the lenses, but they never failed to perform flawlessly.

“We also pushed these lenses creatively,” Kriss said. “We adjusted the camera’s menus to shoot monochromatically, and then affixed a ‘Red 25’ filter to the lens to obtain a high contrast effect. Since the filter costs 4.5 stops, it was extremely advantageous to be able to open the lenses as far as possible, from T2.2 to T1.6, to maximize available light.” This also allowed Kriss to shoot with a very open lens, a style he prefers.

Kriss also cites the excellent service and support he received from his FUJIFILM Optical Devices sales executive, Bob Van Bodegon, as well as John Heinke of Hampton, VA-based Digital Video Group.

The finished film pulls together black/white establishing shots, historical footage, interview segments shot in color, and a black/white scene featuring actors in 1930’s period dress operating vintage farm equipment to harvest a field of wheat. Currently in post, “Harvesting the High Plains” will be color graded to adjust and match the contrast and color temperatures of all scenes prior to 35mm mastering.

DP Kriss and Producer Sydney Duvall co-wrote the script, which was based upon tens of thousands of letters exchanged by Ray Garvey and John Kriss. The letters, sent daily via the U.S. Postal Service, documented the history of their massive farm operation, GK Farms, as well as the national challenges caused by such historical events as The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, and World War II.

According to Duvall, “This film documents the strength and resilience of these two farmers as they persevered to build an agricultural enterprise that eventually produced an unprecedented one million bushels of wheat by 1947—an accomplishment we hope will inspire contemporary Americans, many of whom are also facing tough economic times.”

Inspirit Creative is also partnered with Back 40 Films in the feature documentary production, “The Vanishing Hemlock.” The documentary focuses on the mass-scale death of more than 75 percent of the hemlock trees throughout the Smoky Mountains, and one man’s commitment to save what’s left. At times Kriss climbed more than 100 feet into a tree to shoot, and also captured extensive aerial footage with his Fujinon lens. Produced by David Huff and Back 40 Films in association with Inspirit Creative, “The Vanishing Hemlock” will be released on Arbor Day in 2012. For more information and to view footage, visitwww.thevanishinghemlock.com.

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 16 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2010, and in the year ended March 31, 2011, had global revenues of $25.8 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 86 yen to the dollar.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

FUJIFILM Optical Devices Division, 10 High Point Drive, Wayne, New Jersey 07470. Phone: 973-633-5600. Fax: 973-633-5216. Web site:http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/optical_devices/index.html

New 3D BULLET RIG shown with Panasonic HPX250 and Canon XF305 cameras, is the most affordable, modular 3D beam-splitter available today. It features adustable IO (3.5″), convergence (0-2 deg), XYZ axis, camera elevation and mirror angle (44 to 46 deg) for perfect image alignment in every situation. Fits easily on Steadicam, in handheld mode (shoulder mount incl), with EasyRig, on a jib and any tripod. Weighs just 15 lbs. and is 15″ wide. Accomodates Red Epic, Scarlet, Sony EX3, F3, Canon XF305, XF105, 5D, Si-2K, & many other professional cameras. For more information visit www.3DFilmFactory.com

ASSIMILATE’s SCRATCH DI Workflow Enables Award-Winning Films & Projects

ASSIMILATE (www.assimilateinc.com) congratulates DuboiColor (France) for the superior post-production of 2012 Golden Globe Award winner for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, “The Artist”. Kudos also goes to Offhollywood NYC for its high-end DI of “Beginners”, starring Golden Globe 2012 Award winner, Christopher Plummer.

The Artist
DuboiColor, a DI post-production group in France, did the DI for Golden Globe Award winner “The Artist”, directed by Michel Hazanavicius. Eric Martin, head of digital post-production at DuboiColor, used the powerful conforming capabilities of ASSIMILATE’s SCRATCH DI tool suite to conform the huge number of files, and to create and export LUTs for the black and white look of the film. “SCRATCH offers a fantastic end-to-end DI tool suite that enables a highly intuitive workflow. The sophistication of its conform tool allowed us to rapidly conform the files and create several iterations within a highly organized structure. This is invaluable when you’re working within a tight budget and deadline,” says Martin. “And as always, the ASSIMILATE support team was there for us all the way.”

Beginners
Offhollywood (NYC) did the final online, color, and mastering in SCATCH for “Beginners”, starring Christopher Plummer, Golden Globe Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

“One of the producers, who had previously worked with Offhollywood on Rabbit Hole, asked for a one-hour courtesy session for their RED RAW material in our DI Theater with our colorist Milan Boncich. His team was frustrated with the progress at a West Coast post facility that was using a traditional DPX workflow as opposed to a RAW workflow,” says John “Pliny” Eremic, partner and CTO at Offhollywood. “Director Mike Mills and lead actor Ewan MacGregor came to our studio, saw what Milan could do using ASSIMILATE’s SCRATCH DI workflow, and forty minutes later we had the job.” Pliny adds, “It was hugely gratifying to be able to achieve the look Mike envisioned, and work on one of the best films of 2011.”

Learn more about Offhollywood production, post-production and RED camera rental services at www.offhollywoodpictures.com. See and learn more about their film projects behind the scenes at www.offhollywoodbuzz.com

“We are always delighted by the accomplishments of our SCRATCH artists who continue to tell some of the greatest stories using SCRATCH. But we’re especially proud when the results of their talents earn outstanding achievement awards such as the Golden Globe Awards,” says Steve Bannerman, VP Marketing at ASSIMILATE. “We congratulate Eric Martin and his team at DuboiColor for The Artist, as well as Mark Pederson, ‘Pliny’, and everyone at Offhollywood for their masterful post-production of Beginners. We are honored to contribute to their craft.”

SCRATCH Digital Workflow

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 products, running on Windows and Mac OS® X, 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. To learn more, and find your local reseller, please visit www.assimilateinc.com.

New rack-mountable Cinedeck RX delivers multi-camera capture and post-production innovations for cinema and TV entertainment, sports, news and events

Cinedeck LLC (www.cinedeck.com), pioneering developer of mobile capture systems for motion picture and broadcast production, has shipped Cinedeck RX, the latest addition to the Cinedeck product family. Cinedeck RX is a new, rack-mountable, solid-state recording, monitoring and playback system, that delivers tapeless workflow to studios, post-production facilities and broadcasters covering the wide range of cinema production, sporting, music, theatrical and entertainment events in both 2D and 3D stereoscopic formats.

One of the first customers to install Cinedeck RX is outside broadcast service company All Mobile Video (www.allmobilevideo.com), New York, which is integrating multiple Cindeck RX systems into its fleet of OB vehicles and in-house post-production facility.

“We work with a diverse client base – across multi-camera televised sports, music, entertainment events, plus cinema and corporate production – and Cinedeck RX is the best-suited system to handle their different capture and post requirements in one box,” said Eric Duke, President of All Mobile Video. “Most importantly, because Cinedeck RX saves time and money on ingest into post, we can now offer our clients more competitive all-in pricing. Regarding future workflow, we see Cinedeck RX as a major step in removing tape-based acquisition completely from the workflow.”

Cinedeck RX is the next generation of the platform pioneered by Cinedeck EX, the company’s award-winning, portable, multi-format, HD-SDI recording system. In addition to cinema, studio and post-production applications, Cinedeck RX also meets the demands of broadcasters, whether they are in a facility or mobile. It offers unsurpassed native capture and codec choice, flexible connectivity and editorial workflow options, a small physical footprint, plus ground-breaking versatility on 2D/3D stereo and multi-camera shoots. Cinedeck RX uses the same intuitive touchscreen interface as the Cinedeck EX, reducing training time and speeding deployment in the field.

Record: Cinedeck RX captures from all leading production formats, recording on to cost-effective SSD storage media, and can be used for single input, dual-input two camera, or 3D stereo shoots. Cindeck is the first to offer simultaneous native support for Avid and Apple standards – supporting Avid DNxHD (wrapped as MXF OP-Atom or QuickTime), JFIF for proxies, and all Apple ProRes codec formats, including 4444, CineForm and uncompressed 444 (10-bit) or 422 (8- or 10-bit). Its unique “Double Dual-Stream” feature delivers the flexibility to capture two feeds at a time with the same codec, or to capture one feed with two different compression formats – such as Avid DNxHD and Apple ProRes together, or Hi-Res master and Low-Res proxy together – while simultaneously creating back-up copies of each.

Monitor: Cinedeck RX monitors video in realtime via a high-resolution, 7″ touchscreen display. It provides users with a comprehensive array of image analysis tools – including edge enhancement for focus assist, clipping, waveform, vectorscope and histogram. Users can also monitor audio via the headphone jack, and toggle between audio inputs – while simultaneously viewing the on-screen, pro-audio standard, recording level display.

Playback: Cinedeck RX enables users to review shots instantly in realtime, and in any order, via the built-in display, or external HD-SDI or HDMI monitors – allowing them to instantly QC and know they have captured the shots they want.

“Cinedeck RX builds on the magic of our hugely-popular Cinedeck EX, and delivers an array of new advantages to broadcast and post facility workflows, especially those transitioning to tapeless environments,” said Cinedeck CEO Charles Dautremont. “It’s a small, discrete unit, that’s easy to operate and is equally at home near-set, at a post house, or inside an OB truck. Cinedeck RX gives producers far greater choice in terms of production and post-production formats, while simplifying and accelerating production and post-production workflows. Features such as the unique Double Dual-Stream capability that simultaneously provides redundant finish and proxy files, deliver new gateways to post, plus huge time and cost savings for the entire project.”

Key advantages of Cinedeck RX for mobile OB and facility broadcast operations:

Compact Mobility: delivered as a 10lb, compact, 4RU half-rack package, Cinedeck RX is designed for the mobile production environment, where space is at a premium, and cooling, power-draw and weight are of utmost importance. Its rugged aluminum case is built for the rigors of the road, with the “Double Dual-Stream” mode doubling the productivity in the same half-rack footprint.

Massively Compatible and Fast: with Cinedeck RX, footage is immediately ready for editing in Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas and GV Edius. Time-consuming and costly ingest and transcoding have been eliminated, as Cinedeck RX captures files in the native format chosen by the user.

Versatility for any format – SD, HD, Dual Link, 3G and 3D stereo: Cinedeck RX is network-accessible, and supports realtime up/down/cross conversion, enabling the painless transition to new production formats. For 3D stereo it captures via HDMI or HD-SDI, and offers the widest variety of codecs for stereoscopic recording in one device, with footage immediately available for editorial and VFX post production.

Connectivity: Cinedeck RX can be deployed in any production environment, offering a wide choice of video, audio, and IT connections – including dual HD-SDI inputs and outputs, HDMI input and output including stereo 3D support, and multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Security: redundant file creation on separate local or remote discs and redundant hot swappable power supplies protect material during capture.

Pricing and Availability: Cinedeck RX is available now for purchase via resellers worldwide starting at $14,995 USD. To find a reseller, please visit www.cinedeck.com.

Founded by cinematographers, and headquartered in the heart of New York City, USA, Cinedeck manufactures innovative, touchscreen recording systems for use with all popular digital cinematography cameras. Along with on-set monitoring, playback and quality control capabilities, these recorders also unify camera-to-post workflows by offering the industry’s most comprehensive range of edit-ready output formats. Cinedeck EX, the industry’s first camera-mountable device, has proven essential to the workflow on hundreds of TV and cinema productions, and has won TV Technology’s “2010 STAR Award”, the “2010 Vidy Award,” and DV Magazine’s “Award of Excellence”. Continuing this pioneering spirit, Cinedeck LLC is also addressing the challenges of the mobile and outdoor broadcaster with Cinedeck RX, its new, rack-mounted, multi-format recorder, monitor and playback system. Cinedeck RX was awarded the prestigious “2011 Pick Hit Award at IBC 2011” from Broadcast Engineering Magazine. For more information, visit www.cinedeck.com.