Post back issues from September 2007:
Affordable tools, professional work.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The Colbert Report, on Comedy Central, takes advantage of a variety of gear to get their show on air and on time four days a week. The main editing tool for The Report, which shoots live to tape, is Avid Adrenaline (see our Edit This! column this month) but they have an Apple Final Cut ...
A UK talent search.(POST SCRIPT)
Sep 01, 2007; ... David Peto co-founded London's Unit (www.unit.tv) a little over a year ago, basing the editing, grading, VFX and mixing facility on an all-Apple workflow. The studio has 19 suites that rely on Final Cut Studio, Shake, After Effects, CineForm and Combustion, and has seen steady growth ...
Dell unveils new mobile workstation.(VIDEO)
Sep 01, 2007; ... ROUND ROCK, TX -- Dell (www.dell.com/precision) has introduced the next generation in its high performance Precision mobile workstation line. The new, 17-inch M6300 is the successor to the company's M90 and offers increased graphics capabilities, a new Intel chipset, 4GB of memory and a ...
BITT animates ford's Wind.(ANIMATION)
Sep 01, 2007 ... BUENOS AIRES -- BITT Animation & VFX (www.bittanimation.com) recently completed three months of work on a :90 animated spot for Ford. Wind has the feeling of a moving painting, with imagery of a non-specific city and its people being affected by strong but gentle breezes that carry them ...
Mumbai's Filmlab gears up for DI work.(DI)
Sep 01, 2007 ... MUMBAI -- India-based Filmlab (www.filmlabindia.com) has acquired two Imagica Imager XE Advanced Plus scanners for it DI services. Filmlab, which is located in the hub of the Hindi film industry, was established in '01, and the new Filmlab Digital, launched this July, is offering complete ...
Tim Hardy of London's Cut + Run.(VIDEO)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Tim Hardy of London's Cut + Run (www.cutandrun.tv) edited an effects-heavy spot for Guinness out of Irish International BBDO. Music Machine was directed by Red Bee's Steve Cope and details what might be taking place inside a pint of Guinness. Bubbles are represented by ...
Color Symmetry addresses consistency.(VIDEO)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Duiker Research held private demos of its new Color Symmetry (www.colorsymmetry.com) plug-in suite at the SIGGRAPH show in San Diego. The tools allow looks to be emulated and previewed across a range of animation, graphics and effects packages. Color Symmetry ...
Nomad puts down roots in NYC.(STUDIO)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Santa Monica-based editing company Nomad is now bi-coastal, having set up shop in New York City. The Manhattan facility is headed by VP/executive producer Lynne Mannino and offers the talents of editors Tom Muldoon, John Murray, Glenn Martin, Jared Coller and Debbie McMurtrey ....
Adobe targets audio pros with Audition 3.(AUDIO)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SAN JOSE, CA -- Adobe (www.adobe.com) has introduced the third version of its Audition audio production app, which is designed for audio pros looking to record, edit, mix and master soundtracks. The release offers professional features that go beyond what's offered in the company's bundled ...
Ed Ethridge sets up shop.(STUDIO)
Sep 01, 2007 ... HOLLYWOOD, FL -- Post producer Ed Ethridge (ed@ethridgeproductions.com) has opened up his own studio, here. Ed Ethridge Productions is based around Apple Final Cut Studio 2, Adobe Creative Suite 3, an 8-core Apple Mac G5, Beta SP decks for SD work, a greenscreen and 3TB of storage. ...
Registration opens for NY Post/Production Conference.(VIDEO)(Conference news)
Sep 01, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Future Media Concepts (www.fmctraining.com) is holding registration for the upcoming NY Post|Production Conference, scheduled to be held here from October 23rd-25th. The three-day educational event is being produced in association with the National Association of Broadcasters ...
NYC's Nailgun.(ANIMATION)
Sep 01, 2007 ... NYC's Nailgun (www.nailgun.tv) created a gritty show package for Versus' coverage of WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting). The :30 video places treated live action of WEC fighters--shot greenscreen--in an animated landscape inspired by tribal tattoos and the chain-link ring that ...
Filmworkers Club, Astro Labs building DI pipeline.(DI)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... CHICAGO -- Filmworkers Club (www.filmworkers.com) and its 35mm film lab affiliate, Astro Labs, are building a DI pipeline to service indie film and spot clients. The goal is to keep projects requiring DI services in Chicago and comes online this fall. The companies have acquired ...
New purchase allows Technicolor Montreal to 'open up'.(AUDIO)
Sep 01, 2007; ... MONTREAL -- The folks at Technicolor Montreal had a problem to solve: they needed an audio console that could speak to multiple platforms within their studios. This summer they found their solution in three System 5-MC digital audio workstation controllers from Euphonix. ...
XRez dealing with Extreme resolutions.(STUDIO)
Sep 01, 2007 ... LOS ANGELES -- xRez Studio (www.xrez.com) has launched a visual effects division based on the studio's work employing gigapixel panoramic photography. The studio was founded by industry vets Eric Hanson and Greg Downing. Using digital techniques derived from feature film VFX, ...
For Canadian media company Astral Media, Hollywood's Spark (www.sparkcreativeinc.com) developed a promo package for Mpix OnDemand.(VFX)
Sep 01, 2007 ... For Canadian media company Astral Media, Hollywood's Spark (www.sparkcreativeinc.com) developed a promo package for Mpix OnDemand. They produced a :50 spot and built a toolkit that Astral ...
Elephant Post comes to NYC.(STUDIO)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... NEWYORK -- Lost Planet, which recently launched the new creative studio Elephant Post (www.elephantpost.com) in LA, has opened another new studio in New York City. The Elephant Post location in Manhattan provides commercial finishing, including standard and high definition online editing, ...
Los Angeles Area Emmy award.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The team at GTV6 in Glendale, CA, received their fifth Los Angeles Area Emmy Award at a recent ceremony held in North Hollywood. GTV6 was honored for its work on an anti-drinking campaign aimed at teens. The GTV6 team worked with the Glendale Police Department to recreate an alcohol ...
Charles Ferguson: No End in Sight; This first-time filmmaker takes on the Iraq War, and does so in high def.(DIRECTOR'S CHAIR)(Interview)
Sep 01, 2007; ... HOLLYWOOD -- When Charles Ferguson decided to make his first film, the 52-year-old author and academic didn't make it easy on himself. Instead of learning his craft and honing his skills with, say, an expose of corrupt florists, he jumped into the deep end by taking on the thorny subject ...
Brett Ratner: Rush Hour 3; This third film in the franchise features 500 VFX shots.(DIRECTOR'S CHAIR)(Interview)
Sep 01, 2007; ... HOLLYWOOD -- Brett Ratner was eight years old when a family friend gave him his first camera, a Super 8, "and that started me on my journey of becoming a director," he recalls. At 16, he talked his way into NYU Film School, and at 27 he got his big break, directing his first movie Money ...
Cutting humor: The Colbert Report takes advantage of creative editing to make laughs longer and funnier.(EDIT THIS!)
Sep 01, 2007; ... NEWYORK -- Editing for comedy is all about pace and timing. And if you have ever watched Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and its regular segments, like Better Know A District or Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, you truly understand how cutting to a reaction and letting it sit for a ...
3D animation software: to keep up with market needs, today's big vendors open their arms even wider to third parties.
Sep 01, 2007; ... Without exception, animation software makers have professed their products' openness to third-party plug-ins and custom code since day one. Scripting language offerings from Python to C++ are now the norm. That said, all are making plays for larger or different market shares today and, to ...
HD for TV shows: while many series are still shot on film, a majority get HD post.(VIDEO)
Sep 01, 2007; ... HD post production is now mature and established with HD workflows routine for many TV programs. While there's no need to reinvent the HD post wheel every time a new show opts to follow the HD finishing path, some degree of customization is often required to meet the demands of a ...
Audio for feature films: whether it's about music, has musical numbers or needs larger-than-life sounds, these pros get it right.
Sep 01, 2007; ... Theatrical features destined for 'the big screen" are also destined for "the big speakers." Audio supports those larger-than-life images in every way, as a new crop of musicals and music- and sound effectsdriven motion pictures demonstrates. I'M NOT THERE Admittedly ...
Stepping up: how these recent students became pros--even before graduation!
Sep 01, 2007; ... The Transition from student to professional can be a challenge, a potential debris-filled minefield of questions and problems. How many applications does one have to send before hitting paydirt? Where are the jobs? And then, there's that burning question: "What exactly you want to do?" ...
DreamWorks symposium at SIGGRAPH targets educators.(Higher Learning)
Sep 01, 2007; ... GLENDALE, CA -- If you run a curriculum for a school for DCC professionals, you would naturally be quite interested in knowing what the top Hollywood studios were looking for in the way of hireable, trained talent. Same if you were a student. From DreamWorks Animation's perspective it ...
The winners of the first international FJORG!(Higher Learning)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The winners of the first international FJORG! Competition were announced at SIGGRAPH in August. Sixteen teams competed over 32 hours, all trying to create a character-driven animation of at least :15 in length and adhering to several predetermined requirements. Team Mocap from Bowling ...
Animation Mentor offers online training.(Higher Learning)
Sep 01, 2007; ... BERKELEY, CA -- Animation Mentor (www.animationmentor.com) offers an 18-month online program that teaches students the fundamentals of 3D character animation. The program is divided into six quarters, says Animation Mentor CEO/president Bobby Beck, and begins with students learning how to ...
Searching for a star: helping studios find their next hire.(RECRUITMENT)
Sep 01, 2007; ... FAIRFIELD, CT -- Everybody wants the best talent, the best creative and an artist with the best client-friendly skill set. The truth of it is, that breed of artist is hard to find--that's why dozens of high-end design studios and post house, some of the best in the nation, turn ...
Revisiting Lair in HD.(POSTINGS)(Dragon's Lair)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... GORMLEY, ONTARIO -- Dragon's Lair, the classic arcade game, was released on the Blu-ray format earlier this year, and is now available on the HD DVD format, making it one of the first games to appear on the high definition format. Enthusiasts can once again connect with Dirk the ...
Toilet troll.(POSTINGS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... BUDAPEST, HUNGARY -- Gyar (www.gyar.hu), here, created a slimy toilet monster for a Domestos Rim-block spot that was modeled completely in Luxology Modo. Textures were via Adobe Photoshop. Due to deadline constraints, the studio kept rendering times to three minutes, so the studio combined ...
Simpson-ized.(POSTINGS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... LOS ANGELES -- Visual effects studio Zoic (www.zoicstudios.com) teamed up with agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, animation studio Film Roman and live action director Paul Hunter to created a new spot for Burger King that coincided with the launch of the The Simpsons Movie. In the ...
Web of athletes.(POSTINGS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Guerilla FX (www.guerillafx.com) director/creative director Thor Raxlen and his team recently shot and posted 10 of the world's fastest athletes for Nike's new Web-based "Quick is Deadly" Zoom campaign. Developed by Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, OR, the project consists of 400 ...
GVS offers HD field recorder.(PRODUCTS)(GVS's 9000)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- GVS's 9000 (www.GVS900.com) 2U uncompressed HD field recorder is an affordable solution for live capture, playback and editing. The unit can ingest uncompressed HD from a camera, telecine or tape deck and allows multiple users to simultaneously review ingest channels while ...
E Frontier debuts Poser Pro.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SCOTTS VALLEY, CA -- E Frontier (www.efrontier.com) displayed Poser Pro at the SIGGRAPH show, a high-end addition to its Poser character animation product line. The release should be available by October and offers the features and functionality of Poser 7 along with professional-level ...
E-on improves tool for environment creation.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... BEAVERTON, OR -- E-on Software (www.e-onsoftware.com/professional), maker of Vue, a solution for creating natural 3D environments, has introduced Release 6.5 of Vue Infinite and Vue xStream for 3DS Max, Cinema4D, LightWave, Maya and XSI. The new release allows users to create ...
Mental Images offers shader creation tool.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Mental Images (www.mentalimages.com), a provider of rendering software and other tools for animators and visual effects artists, has released Mental Mill Artist Edition, a technology for the creation of shaders across all popular platforms. The tool is bundled with ...
Toxik 2008 addresses HDRI.(PRODUCTS)(www.autodesk.com/toxik)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... SAN RAFAEL, CA -- Autodesk has introduced Toxik 2008 (www.autodesk.com/toxik), the latest version of its desktop software for feature film compositing. The new release combines an extensive creative toolset with realtime, interactive compositing of high-dynamic range imagery (HDRI). ...
Will Hong.(POST PEOPLE)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Editor and VFX artist Will Hong has signed with HomeNYC, a full-service consortium of editorial, effects, design and directorial talent who work on spots, films and broadcast projects. Hong brings with him a ...
Cory Livingston.(POST PEOPLE)(FilmCore Editorial)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Editor Cory Livingston has joined Santa Monica's FilmCore Editorial. He comes to the studio from The Whitehouse Editorial, and while based at FilmCore's Santa Monica office, he is also available for ...
Charlie Johnston.(POST PEOPLE)(Lost Planet)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Lost Planet, with locations in New York and Santa Monica, has named editor Charlie Johnston as partner, joining Paul Martinez, who was promoted to partner last year. Johnston has worked with Lost Planet ...
Denise Shearer.(POST PEOPLE)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Toronto-based editorial house Stealing Time has hired Denise Shearer as executive producer. She comes to the ...
Simon Holden.(POST PEOPLE)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Simon Holden has joined Company 3 in Santa Monica as a VFX supervisor and senior VFX artist, focusing on spot work. He has worked freelance for most of his career and brings with him broad experience in creating effects for commercials and feature films. Holden ...
Apple's Color 1.0.1: a professional grading and finishing tool for the Mac-based masses.(REVIEW)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Color 1.0.1, a new program introduced in Apple's Final Cut Studio 2, brings professional color correcting and finishing to the already robust suite. Far more powerful than the basic color correction tools found in the previous version of Final Cut Pro, Color introduces Bezier-based masking ...