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.

Luma Pictures used SCRATCH for VFX post on Underworld Awakening, a RED Epic stereo production

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.

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

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.”

Orad’s lineup will include state of the art on-air graphics, studio, sports, MAM, and video server solutions for the broadcast industry
 
February 8, 2012 – Orad, world leader of award winning, real time, 3D graphics, video servers, and media asset management solutions will be presenting its newest product lineup at the upcoming 2012 NAB Show (booth SL4524). Orad’s professionals will be on-site to provide attendees with informative demonstrations and presentations of its on-air, studio, MAM, sports and video server solutions.
 
“The 2012 NAB Show is the perfect forum to demonstrate our wide variety of unique broadcasting solutions. Visitors to our booth will enjoy exciting interactive demos, giving them a feel for the endless possibilities Orad’s solutions can offer,” comments Avi Sharir, President and CEO of Orad. “This NAB Show, Orad will also be presenting some new solutions that will greatly facilitate the production workflow.”
 
NAB Show 2012 Lineup – What to See at the Orad Booth
 
Press and attendees are invited to stop by the Orad booth (SL4524) to see Orad’s award-winning solutions.
 
• TD Control: Orad’s TD Control allows Technical Directors (switcher operator) to select different video box compositions and assign different video sources to each of the video boxes, enabling tasks that could not have been achieved before, like switching on air from six video sources to completely different video sources with one click of a button.
 
• PowerPlay: PowerPlay is a turnkey solution that manages fast turnaround sports productions from ingest, through instant highlight editing, to dedicated sports media asset management in a post-production environment. PowerPlay is designed to provide a complete solution for large-scale sporting events, focusing on fast turnaround and advanced data management tools.
 
• PlayMaker: PlayMaker, Orad’s SD/HD, slow-motion video server, is designed to meet the growing challenges of live sports productions. PlayMaker provides up to 8 I/O channels of high quality ingest in multiple video formats, including DVCpro, DNxHD and JPEG200, with synchronized slow motion replay and powerful yet simple editing tools. With its “PlayNet” module, PlayMaker provides Gigabit network file sharing between servers for preview, copy, or instant playout of clips from remote servers. For an extremely fast turnaround workflow, PlayMaker introduces instant import and export capabilities to almost any storage or NLE environment. PlayMaker supports tapeless workflow with the export and import of video footage to and from NLE systems.
 
• iFind: iFind is a sophisticated media management solution, which provides the user with the ability to manage the essential elements of a complete broadcast server, graphics and archive system from a web browser. Powerful search, workflow and management functionality is available, which can be tailored to a station’s individual requirements to maintain a smooth day-to-day operation. Simple to use, the combination of the iFind user interface and rules engine produces a powerful workflow management system, the benefits of which can be quickly identified to bring a fast return on investment. The system’s iFind Asset Core is the powerful database that underpins the media asset management system, providing flexible, user configurable metadata schemas. In addition, advanced business rules based and process driven workflows enable essential functions such as archiving, restore from archive, clip movement and deletion.
 
• RadioTV: RadioTV enables the automatic broadcast of radio shows, including live videos, real-time 3D graphics and promos, over digital media without human intervention. RadioTV is completely automated and relies on unique audio detection software to identify the talent’s voice and determine which camera should be on air. Camera switching does not require human intervention and the existing workflow is maintained without any additional costs. RadioTV offers a complete set of 3D graphic templates including supers, titles, logos, promos and other elements, and supports the playback of full-frame videos, opening new revenue streams for advertising and sponsorships.
 
• Interact: Orad’s Interact enables television presenters to control and direct the content on their touch screens, video walls and other input devices, helping them engage more with their viewers. Orad now offers its dedicated OradTouch application, which enables presenters to interact with the graphics using their iPad and control the content and flow of production while moving around the production space freely. Interact supports single, dual and multi-touch displays from a variety of manufacturers, allowing broadcasters to choose the device that best suits their production’s style and budget.
 
• MVP: Emmy Award-winning MVP provides fast preparation of captivating sports highlight clips to better visualize critical plays, the flow of the game, and post-game analysis. MVP can be deployed for any sports event and can be used for live productions or highlight shows, from either the OB VAN or the studio, and supports up to 32 different cameras without camera or lens modifications. New enhancement features include: virtual camera flights between two real cameras; viewing a play as it is drawn on the coach’s drawing board comparing the position and technique of individual athletes; drawing a specific player in color on top of a black and white background, and breaking down a play into a sequence of frames to better analyze the player’s movements, and more.
 
• Maestro: Maestro addresses all broadcasters’ graphic needs for real time, pre- and post-production environments. The latest version of Maestro introduces many interesting features that improve usability in a studio environment, and the connection to external systems and data sources. The new OradControl iPad application enables television anchors to control Maestro graphics by using an iPad. Also new are integrations with Avid’s Command and an NLE plugin for Adobe’s Premiere, further expanding Maestro’s extensive list of supported NLE systems.
 
• 3DPlay: 3DPlay, Orad’s advanced channel branding solution, offers stunning 3D graphics for promo over credits, multiple tickers, video clips playback, etc. 3DPlay covers the entire workflow from integration with traffic, scheduling and automation, to frame accurate graphic playout. 3DPlay offers user management, customized metadata, and logic-based, scripting free graphics.
 
• Morpho: Morpho is a real time, 3D character generator that offers uncompromised creation and playout capabilities from a single user interface. Powerful 3D real time graphics rendering, smart graphic design tools and flexible playout capabilities are packed together, offering an efficient and easy workflow. Creation and playout are performed from a single interface, increasing reactivity in production. Morpho is the perfect solution for branding, OB VAN, news and other studio productions.
 
• ProSet: ProSet, Orad’s high-end virtual studio solution, provides a powerful dimension to any virtual studio production. ProSet can utilize any of Orad’s many tracking solutions, including its high-end Xync infrared tracking system with 360 degrees of free camera movement. By combining state of the art tracking with sophisticated graphics, ProSet enables the broadcaster to display a big studio look from a small location.
 
Book A Private Press Briefing
To set up a press briefing with a member of Orad’s management team or a private product viewing, please contact Janice Dolan at janice(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com.
 
About Orad
Orad Hi-Tec Systems is a world-leading provider of real time 3D broadcast graphic and video server solutions including news, channel branding, sports production and enhancement, elections and special events, virtual studios, and virtual advertisement. Orad’s compelling solutions streamline production workflow, enhance viewer experience, and improve production value. Founded in 1993, Orad is a public company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (OHT). More information is available at www.orad.tv
 
Press Contacts
Ofir Benovici
VP Marketing
Orad Hi Tec Systems
ofirb(at)orad(dot)tv
 
Anya Oskolkova
Zazil Media Group
anya(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com
(p) 617.817.6559

Top Hollywood Facility Relies on Nucoda for Versatile Workflow

(Los Angeles, CA/London, UK) Image Systems – the leading manufacturer of image enhancement and mastering systems for post production – has announced that MTI Film in Hollywood, California, has installed its third Nucoda Film Master into its state-of-the-art facility. Opened in 2010, MTI Film is a full service post production facility providing high quality dailies, editorial, visual effects, color correction and assembly for film, television and commercial projects. MTI is currently at work on a number of projects, including AMC’s Hell on Wheels, CW’s Ringer, Good Christian Belles on ABC, and for TNT The Closer, Dallas, and Rizzoli & Isles, as well as a number of feature and restoration projects.

MTI installed its first Nucoda Film Master in 2010, as the facility prepared to open their Hollywood facility. Barbara Marshall, Executive Producer at MTI, noted, “The Nucoda is central to the way we work with our customers, whether they come to us with a feature, or a network or cable program. Its interoperability with Avid and the versatility of the toolset is crucial to our work and underpins our entire pipeline. We have found it to be an incredibly powerful creative tool.”

Steve Porter, Senior Colorist, noted, “Nucoda’s color grading toolset enables us to be gutsy when necessary and subtle when needed. It is ergonomic and intuitive. The fact that we can do a show like Hell On Wheels, which is extremely vivid, and turn right to Ringer, an elegant, female-driven show, says a lot about its capabilities. Our focus is to support the story and the filmmaker, and Nucoda is an essential part of that.”

The built-in effects in Nucoda Film Master have been extremely useful. Jeremy Sawyer, Colorist at MTI, noted that, “In addition to the great color grading tools, all of the other plug-ins and effects that come straight out of the box are outstanding. They are great for beauty work, the grain tools are top of the list, and the visual effects tools are truly powerful. In television, we ‘re often up against a tight deadline, and the tools in the Nucoda are extremely beneficial to us in hitting our schedule.”

MTI is busy with television projects but has a history of quality restoration services. The Nucoda Film Masters have been involved in a number of recent remastering projects, including classics; In Like Flint, Our Man Flint, and The Flight of the Phoenix for Twentieth Century Fox, among others. All of these iconic titles were remastered at 4K in MTI’s DI theatre.

Larry Chernoff, President of MTI concluded, “A year ago, we started with Nucoda Film Master at the center of our color operations. Since then, we’ve found our decision was more than validated by the consistent development, support and innovative ideas coming out of Image Systems, and we are delighted to continue our work with them.

About Image Systems
Image Systems Media Unit, formerly Digital Vision, is a division of Image Systems AB, which specializes in high-resolution image processing, film scanning and motion analysis solutions. Headquartered in Linköping, Sweden, Image Systems has offices in Stockholm, London and Los Angeles. The company has three business units: Media, Defense and Motion, managed via a global network of qualified distributors. Its Nucoda and Phoenix image grading and restoration software solutions and Golden Eye range of scanners provide innovative tools to create and master media in HD, 2K/4K and stereoscopic 3D. The TEMA software platform provides a range of user friendly, high-speed motion analysis solutions for the automotive industry and other industrial test and design applications. The TrackEye system provides image analysis solutions for the military reconnaissance and testing markets. For additional information, visit www.imagesystems.tv.

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

About MTI
MTI Film is a full service Post Production facility providing high quality dailies, editorial, visual effects, color correction and assembly for film, television and commercial projects. MTI Film’s talented staff of seasoned industry veterans have served a number of high-profile projects including Rizzoli & Isles, Ringer, The Defenders, Through the Wormhole, Hell on Wheels and Dallas. As a leader in post-production technology, MTI Film’s facility is state-of-the art. With MTI Film’s award-winning Control Dailies at the head of the workflow, MTI Film offers unparalleled flexibility in the production’s choice of cameras, preferred editorial platform and deliverables formatting. MTI also boasts a brand new DI theater that is fully calibrated and capable of 4k playback. For more information visit www.mtifilm.com.

# # #

Image Systems Marketing Contact:
Alexa Maza | alexa.maza@imagesystems.se | Tel: +1 (818) 769-8111
Ulrika Liiv | ulrika.liiv@imagesystems.se | 46 (0) 8 546 18232

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

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

Company will announce plans for “breakthrough” technology to be introduced this year
 
Paris, France – February 7, 2012 – Dalet Digital Media Systems will showcase enhancements in Dalet Enterprise Edition, their advanced Media Asset Management (MAM) platform, along with their technology solutions packaged for different production workflows at NAB 2012 in Las Vegas, NV from April 16 – 19 (stand SL4615).
 
On the NAB floor, Dalet will demonstrate several enhancements in Dalet Enterprise Edition, the MAM platform which unifies disparate systems to improve workflow productivity and to facilitate content distribution to multiple platforms, including broadcast, web, VOD and mobile. Dalet Enterprise Edition will be shown in combination with Dalet’s tailored production suites for news (Dalet News Suite), sports (Dalet Sports Factory) and radio (Dalet Radio Suite). In particular Dalet will be demonstrating several new, integrated modules for Dalet MediaLife which is focused on workflows for Program Preparation, MAM for Production and Archives. These new modules are focused on the many steps involving media transformation and content enrichment in the production chain.
 
“Our MAM offering transforms multisystem linear workflows into a fully integrated, federated and centralized workflow. And our specially packaged toolsets simplify the workflow for different types of production,” says Kevin Savina, Director of Product Management, Dalet “We’ve integrated tools in Dalet Media Life that include ingest, QC, clip creation, storyboarding, subtitling and closed captions. Tailored work-facilitating tools are also available for our news and sports solutions. Everyone works more efficiently which is especially important at a time when we all need to produce more with less.”
 
Dalet will also reveal the development roadmap for the year-end release of the next version of Dalet Enterprise Edition that will include new, breakthrough technology and major enhancements to the product.
 
“The market has been incredibly receptive to the benefits of our technology and MAM-centric approach. Our customers have been able to leverage our systems and know-how to realize genuine productivity gains,” says Stephane Schlayen, COO of Dalet. “Now we’re prepared to make yet another technology leap. At NAB 2012 we will announce the next major version of our Enterprise platform that will include many new features and advanced technology to improve workflow performance and agility. The new version, which will be released later this year, will further accelerate the productivity curve and provide additional value to our customers.”
 
Several new features in the current Dalet product line will also be shown shown on the booth. These include: enhanced multimedia editing capabilities, highly configurable usage restriction rules and rights management, streamlined metadata forms, expanded glossary and genealogy support, more powerful search capabilities and the ability to expose Dalet applications in 3rd party portals. Visitors to the booth can also see integrations with EVS, Avid and Adobe products.
 
Full demonstrations of Dalet Enterprise Edition and the Dalet MAM-driven workflows for News, Sports, Program Preparation, Archives and Radio will be available on the booth.
 
Dalet Enterprise Edition
 
Business-driven, Cross-System Metadata, Media and Workflow Management
 
Dalet Enterprise Edition is a full-featured, end-to-end media, metadata and workflow management system with multiple integration paths that unify different systems to deliver maximum flexibility for managing content production and distribution with business systems. Built-in production modules manage ingest, logging, production, distribution and archiving across systems and workgroups. The multimedia content catalog, customizable metadata forms and enterprise search engine makes content readily available to everyone who needs it – whether for editorial review or repurposing for new media distribution. Built as an open platform, Dalet Enterprise Edition can integrate easily with a wide range of non-linear editors, including Avid, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier. Graphics, archive, automation and other systems can also be integrated using a variety of methods, including using SOA compliant tools such as Web Services APIs. The highly scalable architecture and modern, flexible design of Dalet Enterprise Edition delivers a strong ROI and the assurance that new technologies can be added in the future.
 
Dalet News Suite
 
Collaborative News Production and Playout
 
Dalet News Suite, the only integrated, end-to-end, MAM-based newsroom production system on the market, improves efficiency, productivity and collaboration with its advanced design and smart tools. With fully integrated desktop scripting, video, graphic and multimedia tools, journalists are engaged in a smooth and intuitive workflow that allows them to concentrate on producing high quality content for broadcast and new media outlets. Content and metadata are enriched at every step — from ingest through automated playout, archives and multiplatform delivery. Dalet News Suite facilitates story-centric production and fosters collaboration between different departments — from the news desk, planning and production, to the control room and new media units. The Dalet MAM platform tracks it all and the workflow engine automates many background tasks. With full media and metadata tracking, the MAM platform provides a robust framework for managing assets and leveraging content to take advantage of new business opportunities.
 
Dalet Sports Factory
 
Fast Logging, Highlights Creation and Replay
 
Dalet Sports Factory offers fast sports production tools, fully integrated within an enterprise MAM platform. Sports Factory’s highlights and replay components cover logging, play-by-play highlights and playback, and instant replay with multiple camera angles and slow motion. Media is logged once and immediately available for use in programs and packages. Unlike typical sports production products, Dalet Sports Factory integrates both production archives and media management, ensuring all enriched media assets are at your fingertips both during and after the game. Designed on the open Dalet MAM platform, Sports Factory integrates with industry standard NLEs and other broadcast and sports production systems to provide a cohesive, fluid workflow.
 
Dalet Sports Logger features one-button logging and “intelligent” team rosters for fast highlight creation. One click denotes the type of play (goals, penalties, etc.) and the start of the highlight. Add player info with a single click on the roster display. Plays and metadata are accurately entered into your pre-configured MAM fields, adding value and consistency to game logs. Highlight starts can be set a few seconds before mark-ins, so that you’ll never miss a key play; all clips are immediately available in Dalet Hilites Espresso for fast assembly of multiple playlists.
 
Dalet Media Life
 
MAM and workflow automation for program prep and promos
 
Dalet Media Life leverages IT standards and infrastructure to meet the complex production and asset management needs of multiplatform content providers such as networks, thematic channels and promo departments who deal with high volumes of video and audio programming — from movies, documentaries and TV series to cartoons, promos and jingles. It has a flexible, comprehensive data model, a workflow engine to manage human and automated tasks, and a complete set of functional tools that are all accessible from the same user interface. Media Life is designed to integrate with third-party systems such as NLEs, automation devices, archives and business systems. It is an open platform with a variety of data exchange and integration paths, including using SOA compliant tools such as Web Services APIs.
 
Dalet Radio Suite
 
Radio …and more
 
Dalet Radio Suite is the only radio production and automation software that incorporates music workflows, news workflows, media asset management and multimedia distribution within the same system. Designed for the era of media convergence, Radio Suite is built on the powerful Media Asset Management (MAM) platform of Dalet Enterprise Edition and streamlines every aspect of the digital production chain for news and music channels. Stations can optimize their programming efforts for traditional over-the-air broadcasts as well as streaming, VOD, Podcasts and other platforms.
 
Combined with modular, task-specific tools, Dalet Radio Suite meets the comprehensive demands of large-scale newsrooms as well as the needs of multichannel music networks. Journalists have all the desktop tools they need to ingest audio, create scripts, record and edit audio, and build and manage rundowns. DJs can exercise their creativity with easy-to-use playlists, multitrack editing, and Carts for jingles and liners. Remote voice tracking tools facilitate contributions by off-site talent. Dalet OnAir is a proven and highly reliable automated solution used in some of the world’s largest multi-channel operations. Dalet Radio Suite is designed for outstanding scalability with hundreds of simultaneous users.
 
About Dalet Digital Media Systems
 
Dalet solutions enable broadcasters and media professionals to create, manage and distribute content to both traditional and new media channels, including interactive TV, the Web and mobile networks. Dalet combines into a single system a robust and proven Asset Management platform with advanced metadata capabilities; a configurable workflow engine, and a comprehensive set of purpose-built creative and production tools. This integrated and open environment enables end-to-end management of the entire News and Sport and Program content chain, and allows users to significantly improve efficiency, and to maximize the use and value of their assets. Dalet’s solutions are delivered through a dedicated Professional and Integration Services Department to ensure the highest possible standards. Dalet systems are used around the world by many thousands of individual users at hundreds of TV and Radio content producers, including public broadcasters (ABS-CBN, BBC, CBC, DR, France TV, RTBF, RFI, Russia Today, RSR & TSR, RT Malaysia, VOA, WDR), commercial networks and operators (Antena 3, Canal+, FOX, eTV, Mediaset, Orange, Time Warner Cable, Warner Bros., Sirius XM Radio) and government organizations (Queensland JAG, Canadian House of Commons, The European Commission). Dalet is traded on the NYSE-EURONEXT stock exchange (Eurolist C): ISIN: FR0011026749, Bloomberg DLT:FP, Reuters: DALE.PA.
 
For more information on Dalet, visit www.dalet.com
 
Press contact:
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
(p) +1 617-817-6595
(e) janice(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com
####

Emmy Award-winning Artist Scott Rader Joins Team
(SANTA MONICA, CA) SPY, a FotoKem company offering creative finishing services for commercials and feature films, has opened a new studio in Santa Monica, Calif. SPY: LA extends the capabilities of its main facility in San Francisco, and will specialize in VFX based commercial productions. SPY: LA began work in December on a number of visually compelling spots for such clients as UPS, Asics, THQ/UFC, Hillshire Farm and Canon. The new West Coast locale is within FotoKem’s award-winning sound studio Margarita Mix.

Visual effects artist Scott Rader also joins SPY: LA as creative director and lead Flame artist. He previously worked at top VFX studios such as Radium, Hydraulx and Digital Domain. Rader’s work on numerous television series, feature films, commercials and music videos as an Inferno artist/VFX supervisor has earned him nine Emmys, three Clio Awards, three PromaxBDA Awards and a VES Award.

“Anchored by Emmy Award-winning talent and industry leading technology, SPY: LA provides the same level of quality services that is offered in our San Francisco facility,” says Co-Founder Eric Hanson. “The two studios are securely connected by a high speed network offering real-time interface capabilities between San Francisco and Santa Monica, and this west side location greatly enhances our ability to interface effectively with our clients.”

FotoKem Senior VP Rand Gladden notes, “There is synergy and scalability for our clients in the aggregation of solutions provided by SPY and Margarita Mix. The flexibility of SPY’s interconnected locations and FotoKem’s Burbank headquarters offers a wide range of artistic and technical support from set to delivery. Our goal is to continue to support the creative community through investments in talent and technology.”
Hanson adds, “The connection and design of the facilities will empower collaboration; when there are tight turnarounds, creative changes, and advancing deliveries, this will be a great value-add for the creative process.”

About SPY
SPY was founded in San Francisco in 1998 by Darren Orr and Hanson, and acquired by FotoKem in 2009. A highly regarded creative studio, SPY has contributed to many projects for some of the industry’s leading advertising agencies, including Goodby Silverstein & Partners, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Leo Burnett, DDB, and more. Over the past several years, SPY: SF has also provided visual effects for a number of features including Fox’s Avatar and Sony Screen Gem’s Priest, as well as effects and color grading for director Francis Ford Coppola on his visually complex self-released feature, Twixt.

For more information, go to www.spypost.com, or follow SPY on Facebook (www.facebook.com/spypost).

# # #

Media Contacts:
Chris Purse / Lisa Muldowney
ignite strategic communications
818.303.8088
chris@ignite.bz / lisa@ignite.bz

MELBOURNE, FL/DENVER, February 6, 2012 — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, will unveil its next-generation family of file-based analysis solutions at upcoming shows in South Asia, the Middle East and North America — bringing top-tier quality control without compromise to broadcasters, content producers, cable networks, post houses and other digital media operations.

The Harris® QuiC™ software family minimizes the workload for video server operators in TV stations, network facilities and new media operations. Customers using QuiC software tools to analyze files ingested into video servers can achieve results faster through automated processes. Featuring best-in-class quality control technology from content analysis specialist Digimetrics, the Harris® QuiC™ software family includes three easy-to-use, cost-effective tools:
• QuiC™ Pro for maximum flexibility, with scalability to enterprise-level operations
• QuiC™ Express for file analysis in less complex workflows
• QuiC™ View for visual presentation of digital content with ties to HTML reports

“The increasing emphasis on file-based workflows in today’s demanding broadcast, production and media operations creates a need for straightforward quality control processes,” said Harris Morris, president, Harris Broadcast Communications. “These new tools provide fast, effective and actionable results without false positives — allowing our customers to more effectively share, distribute and monetize media assets across many workflows and delivery platforms.”

QuiC Pro and QuiC Express integrate quickly into any operation or facility, with ready-to-go test templates and an intuitive web-based user interface. A web-service Application Programming Interface (API) enables communication with digital asset management systems and other workflow components. Harris customers can easily integrate QuiC software products into workflow solutions featuring Harris NEXIO AMP® servers and Invenio® digital asset management software.

QuiC Pro offers the most flexible QC feature set for the creative process. It is ideal for use after content editing, during automated ingest, and for on-the-fly video transcoding and archival transfers. QuiC View is a professional-grade viewer that offers added value for content owners seeking a fast and efficient way to closely inspect file-based assets. All QuiC software products support multiple media formats, a wide range of video and audio codecs, and many ancillary and metadata formats.

The QuiC software family will debut overseas at the BES EXPO 2012, taking place February 11-13 at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India (Stand 101, Hall 12A); and CABSAT 2012, taking place February 28 to March 1 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (Stand S3-A21, Sheikh Saeed Hall). The products will debut in North America at the 2012 NAB Show, taking place April 14-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Booth N2502).

In broadcast communications, Harris offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-of-home networks. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business models.

About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $6 billion of annual revenue and about 17,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.
# # #

Plans include enhanced end-to-end tapeless workflows and new versatile capabilities for high-performance, collaborative storage solutions
 
Boston, MA — February 3, 2012 — EditShare®, the technology leader in shared media storage and end-to-end tapeless workflow solutions, today announced its plans for the NAB 2012 exhibition held in Las Vegas, NV from April 16 – 19 (stand SL9020). EditShare will showcase its entire product line-up and highlight advancements in storage performance, seamless file migration across storage tiers, enhanced file and metadata management, and new enterprise capabilities, including distributed processing for large-scale file ingest and proxy rendering, and system-wide workflow monitoring from ingest to archive. “Collaboration, high performance, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are at the heart of everything we do, starting with our shared storage platform. The newest features and capabilities in our end-to-end workflow build on that approach. Whether you are ingesting or archiving, searching for media or playing it out, our integrated production tools make it easy to get your job done and to manage any format and any workflow. This gives our customers a tremendous competitive edge,” comments Andy Liebman, Founder and CEO of EditShare. “We are looking forward to sharing our latest innovations at the big show and celebrating alongside our customers, the successes of their projects powered by EditShare.”
 
Highlights of the EditShare Tapeless Workflow
EditShare seamlessly integrates high-performance shared storage solutions – XStream, Energy and Metro – with video capture / asset management – MAM (EditShare Geevs/Flow), editing (Lightworks), archiving (EditShare Ark) and playout (Geevs) – to offer broadcast and post-production professionals a productivity-enhancing, end-to-end tapeless workflow. With powerful capture, logging, searching, sequence creation, project sharing and easy archiving, the workflow becomes streamlined and more efficient. From start to finish, metadata and media are easily searchable and accessible from EditShare’s central storage or archives; background processes are transparent to users, allowing them to focus on their creative efforts.
 
Highlights of the EditShare tapeless workflow
• Geevs records Avid DNxHD or ProRes directly to EditShare’s shared central storage and produces proxy files in real time for the Flow MAM, with user-level security, mirror copy and automatic backup to EditShare Ark. During ingest, users can log shots, create subclips and even create sequences that cut between inputs.
• Integrated with Geevs, the Flow MAM allows users to view proxy file content on their desktops as well as ingest media from file-based sources such as P2 and XDCAM. Simple editing tools and metadata templates let users add details to clips, make rough cuts, and drag and drop clips and sequences into their NLEs – all without requiring access to full-resolution media.
• EditShare’s high-performance, shared-storage media-management workflow offers an advanced Project Sharing feature with patented bin and project-locking capabilities. Lightworks, Avid and Final Cut Pro (v6/7) editors can see, copy and revise the work of colleagues with the assurance that no bins, sequences or projects will be accidentally deleted or overwritten.
• Ark Disk and Tape offer facilities for tiered storage infrastructure with nearline and offline archiving options and automation capabilities to keep media safe. When combined with Flow, users can browse, delete and restore (including partial restore) archived materials from any desktop on the EditShare network.
 
NAB 2012 – EDITSHARE NEW TECHNOLOGY SNEAK PEEK
 
EditShare XStream and Energy Series – Shared Production Storage
EditShare’s best-in-class storage infrastructure delivers high performance and workflow-engineered features, such as Avid and Final Cut Pro project sharing, to optimize collaboration for post-production, Digital Intermediate and broadcast production workflows. Fully integrated with EditShare Flow, Lightworks, Geevs and Ark, EditShare’s shared storage solutions are scaled to petabytes, outperforming comparable solutions at an unbeatable price point.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Advanced project sharing with Adobe Premiere Pro
• Support for Final Cut Pro X
• Enhanced networking configurations to maximize performance and throughput across the EditShare tiered-storage platform
 
EditShare Flow – Production Asset Management
Flow offers comprehensive media management with production tools to log, track, browse, retrieve and edit assets. Advanced features such as Multichannel SDI Ingest, Edit-While-Capture, and Bandwidth-Controlled File-Based Ingest add a level of control over productions that set Flow apart from its peers. Fully integrated with EditShare’s full lineup of products, Flow facilitates a tapeless workflow from ingest to archive.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Ability to drag and drop clips into Adobe Premiere
• Support for creating group (multi-cam) clips during ganged capture
• Ability to delete and restore files by individual users
• Proxy-node worker for distributed rendering of proxy files
• Closed-caption support
 
Lightworks – Non-Linear Editing | Open Source
Academy® and Emmy® award-winning Lightworks was introduced in 1989 as the first and most advanced professional editing system on the market. Its intuitive controls, real-time synchronization and editing features remain unmatched by top industry alternatives. Notable and recent films edited on Lightworks include the Academy-Award® winning The King’s Speech, edited by Tariq Anwar; Hanna, edited by Paul Tothill; Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, edited by Jill Bilcock; and the multi-nominated Hugo, edited by Thelma Schoonmaker.
 
On the NAB stand, EditShare will host a “Lightworks Edit Bar,” with which attendees can hands-on test-drive the latest Lightworks release.
 
EditShare Ark – Archiving and Backup
Developed on the same rock-solid architecture as the shared storage solutions, EditShare Ark Disk and Tape offers advanced backup and archiving capabilities managed from the same intuitive interface. Because Ark is directly integrated with EditShare’s tapeless workflow and collaborative-storage products, archived content can be easily searched using EditShare Flow MAM tools, retrieved, and quickly brought back onto the EditShare shared storage systems – XStream, Energy and Metro.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Partial Restore from Ark Disk
• Extensive system-activity reporting
 
Geevs – Broadcast Ingest and Playout
Geevs Broadcast Servers are crafted to support a wide range of demanding workflows, including simple ingest, complex newsroom integration, live sports with instant replay, multi-camera studio ingest and 24/7 scheduled playout. With over 1,000 channels on-air, Geevs meets the needs of every broadcast production workflow with its unmatched codec support, including DVCPRO HD, Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD, XDCAM HD and AVC-Intra 100.
 
New capabilities shown at NAB 2012
• Support for Live Preview
• 23.98 Support
• Upscale from SD to HD
• Multiviewer support
 
About EditShare
EditShare is the technology leader in networked shared storage and tapeless, end-to-end workflow solutions for the TV and film industry. Our groundbreaking products improve efficiency and workflow collaboration every step of the way. They include video capture and playout servers, high-performance central shared storage, archiving and backup software, media asset management, and the world’s first 3-platform (Windows, OS X and Linux) professional non-linear video editing application.
 
©2012 EditShare LLC. All rights reserved. EditShare® is a registered trademark of EditShare LLC. All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
 
Press Contact
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
Email janice@zazilmediagroup.com
Tel +1 (617) 817-6595
####

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.”

 

# # #