All posts by Like Tangents In The Rain

Integrator News

First Run Movies|Premium Prices|Home–Celluloid Junkie

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On Tuesday, Sony’s CFO, Rob Wiesenthal, said that his company was not only looking to cable and satellite operators to provide early releases for the studio’s titles, but has high hopes for its new streaming video service, Qriocity. The service was established earlier this year to beam content directly into Sony’s consumer electronics products (televisions, video game consoles, Blu-Ray players, etc.).

Speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, Wiesenthal spoke of the “big white space” between theatrical and home video release dates for movies, stating there was “a real consumer desire for a premium offer” for such content. He did not cite any studies or reports to back up the claim that consumers were clamoring for such services.

So begins J. Sperling Reich‘s December 13, 2010 article Titled:

First Run Movies Headed Into The Home At Premium Prices

It is heavily excepted here, but the rest is very compelling.

One will also notice that Prima Cinema has job openings for Senior level software engineers. One is suspicious. 
Senior Software Engineer (Embedded Software) jobs – Dice.com
Senior Software Engineer (Web-services) jobs – Dice.com

Other articles of note about the Prima Cinema misdirection (they later announce that the news was spread too soon and incorrectly), are at:
Prima Cinema: The High End is Not Dead Yet | CEDIA Crosspoint
Prima Cinema – AVS Forum

Frankly, though Universal knows much better than I do (if, indeed they have invested in Prima), it is difficult enough to ensure piracy prevention in a ‘known friends’ circuit. I can’t imagine that this will get off the ground, at least in the way they presume currently.

In fact, it often seems that the only people making such statements publicly are the studios themselves, rather than moviegoers. This is probably because a number of studios are exploring premium video on demand models that will enable them to release movies for home viewing during their theatrical window but with significantly hire prices; around $30 per viewing.

,,,

…

Then on Wednesday the Wall Street Journal ran a story that got a lot of play around the Internet, if only for shock value. At the center of the piece was Prima Cinema Inc., a new company that is actively working on bringing first-run movies into living rooms through high-end home theatres. There’s just one tiny little catch; customers will have to shell out USD $20,000 for digital-delivery equipment and will be charged USD $500 per film.

It’s easy to think that a company with such pie in the sky ideas won’t get very far, but Prima has already raised USD $5 million in venture capital from the likes of Best Buy and Universal Pictures. With such a high price tag Prima’s market would seem relatively small, however the company has a target of 250,000 homes and hopes to be serving up movies by the end of next year.

…

Storage and Networks

Disaster Recovery Plans: Top 10 Forgotten Items

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1. Failing to identify everything that could potentially jeopardize the infrastructure and data that run your business. In addition to the obvious threats – viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. – you need to identify any forces that are unique to your geography. Do you live on an earthquake fault or in a flood zone? Does your region experience frequent power interruptions from storms or rolling blackouts? Make sure all of these possibilities are considered when creating your plan or choosing a location for a new DR facility.

2. Creating a plan that depends on too few qualified personnel. It is not uncommon for businesses to create a DR plan that depends on just one IT person with a pager. What if that person is unavailable for some reason? You need to identify and cross-train a pool of employees that are capable of responding in an emergency. It also helps if this pool of resources is geographically dispersed in case of a large environmental disaster that affects all local employees.

3. Relying on manual processes to notify staff during a disaster. If the power goes out in your facility and no one is there to report it, will your DR staff be informed? You need to create an automated system that will notify your IT staff of any disaster or disruption to service. You can also establish an arrangement with a third-party service provider to monitor your facility and notify a pre-defined set of individuals that are trained to execute your DR plan.

4. Failing to procure adequate backup power. If your facility is affected by a wide-spread environmental disruption, you many find yourself without power for an extended period of time. Be sure to purchase the longestlife, most uninterruptible power supply available. Then obtain additional battery back-up for continued power.

5. Forgetting to prioritize what resources need to be restored first. Which of your IT applications need to be accessed first? Are there some that can wait a day or two without affecting your business? You need to be selective about the order in which applications and services are brought back online first after a disaster. For example, you might choose to reactivate your company’s email application before you restore departmental file servers. There may be politics involved in this decision, so make sure you get buy-in beforehand, to avoid the “me firsts!”

6. Failing to create adequate documentation of your DR plan. After creating a plan, be sure that you create detailed step- by-step instructions on how to execute the recovery plan. Ensure that every process is well documented. Describe the location of all system resources needed to accomplish the recovery. Be sure to store the documentation at multiple locations and verify that all key personnel have easy access to the manuals.

7. Relying on back ups. It doesn’t matter how good your DR plan is if your data is out of date, is in a location also affected by the disaster, or has become corrupted. Perform backups at rigidly enforced, regular intervals to protect information integrity. Or, use a technology like VMware virtualization to implement a remote site with replicated virtual machines to speed recovery.

8. Forgetting to test your disaster recovery plan. You need to make sure your recovery plan actually works in an emergency! While this seems obvious, many enterprises neglect to adequately test their plans. You should regularly conduct data fire-drills to test every possible scenario, from basic power failures to catastrophic events that could result in multiple months of devastation. Again, technology like VMware virtualization, and the ability to provision any server with the virtual machines needed, in minutes, make testing your DR plan fast and effective.

9. Making passwords too hard to find. Though password protection is a key goal for data security, you need to store your system passwords in at least two geographically separate, secure locations. Make sure that more than one IT staff person has access to all passwords and codes. And be sure to change these passwords promptly if key personnel leave the company.

10. Failing to keep your recovery plan up to date. You should never stop updating your DR plan. Once you’ve created your plan, revisit it at least on a quarterly basis. Determine a list of trigger points that should invoke changes to the plan, like personnel, equipment, location or application changes, to name a few. This will not only keep your IT staff’s skills fresh, it will also provide the opportunity to improve procedures as you uncover vulnerabilities in your plan or ways to streamline your procedures.

Video Processing

DCPC – Digital Cinema Package Creator

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Functions:

– SMPTE / MXF Interop DCPs
– 2D + 3D DCPs
– 2k BW/Scope, 4k BW/Scope and HD resolutions
– 6 Channel Sound, 24bit/48kHz
– Film and still image creation
– MPEG2 DCPs for E-Cinema Server
– DCP “re”wraping of MXF files
– Source image formats: bmp, tif, dpx, MPEG2 ES (MPEG2 DCP)
– Source Sound format: PCM 24bit
– Framerates: 24, 25

Utility archive: This archive contains the required Imagemagick, and a helpful
Program to e.g. avi video files to split into individual images in order to create aDCP.

3D channel separation test DCP: The DCP contains two test images for you to consider the quality of the channel separation. The left image contains the test images, the right image is black.

Video Processing

Ideas for mastering DCPs

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Taken from an article at Knut Erik Evensen’s site: 
Some ideas for best common practices when mastering DCPs

For the very brave, he also has instructions on making your own DCP using free or Open Sourced programs (EasyDCP, for example), but he also has a very reasonably priced service.

If a movie uses a workflow like the movie Inception where there is no Digital Intermediate (DI) and the film is color timed photochemically in a film lab, the color timed print has to be scanned and fine tuned for 2.6 gamma 12 bit linear to make the DCP. Otherwise the 35 mm print has to be screened. In no way can the offline edit or a SD video tape be used to make a DCP for theatrical distribution.

A DCP should be made from the DCDM with correct XYZ colorspace and 2.6 gamma made from the Digital Intermediate (DI) that has been graded on a P3 color space projector with 14 footlambert of light. The DCP is normally made from the emulation of how the 35 mm print will look on a digital projector. This emulation is baked into the DCDM and the DCP is fined tuned for 12 bit linear. The resolution should be 2048×858 or 1998×1080.

Continued at: Some ideas for best common practices when mastering DCPs

Video Processing

Effect Lessons

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Tutorials

After Effects Basic Training – 10 Free Lessons

VIDEO COPILOT | Professional After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins & Pre-Keyed Stock Footage
            Free Stock-Pack Appreciation Day

From Forum Post: Effects availible for Lightworks

Revisionfx primere effects
Pete warden after effects 
Top Video Editing Effects According to About.com
144 After Effects Plug-Ins
New Blue Cartoonr effect
Free Frame effects
The Plugin Site – might be very out dated
StevenGotz Plugins
Tool farm<-pretty much a big list of links to plugins for effects

Technique Bin

DProVe | Digital Projector Verifier

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Because it was originally marketed with the post-production-centric Digital Leader, which has the price of $2,500, it perhaps isn’t as well established in the industry. But for $100 it is a steal and should be used often and by everyone until everyone is an expert.

OK; not quite $100 you say. True. It is $100 per copy plus a $150 media charge. So, $250, or $350 for 3, etc. Except, the license allows that for a single site all copies over 5 are not charged for. In other words, there is a 5 copy per site charge, plus the media fee – total $650, then that’s it for a multiplex, even if it has 10 or 15 screens.

SMPTE Digital Leader Demonstration – YouTube

What is needed next is a checklist of questions and answers for the projectionist to run through, making sure that the presentation from the server and projector is as fine as can be.

This is where the DCinemaCompliance – Post Installation Checklist can come in handy, as well as the DCinemaTraining instruction set on how to make the checklist relevant to each of your employees.

SMPTE Releases Two New Digital-Cinema Products To Standardize Workflows, Enhance Theater-Going Experience

DPROVE_Order_Form.pdf

DProVe Flyer | SMPTE

Technique Bin

DProVe | Digital Projector Verifier

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Because it was originally marketed with the post-production-centric Digital Leader, which has the price of $2,500, it perhaps isn’t as well established in the industry. But for $100 it is a steal and should be used often and by everyone until everyone is an expert.

OK; not quite $100 you say. True. It is $100 per copy plus a $150 media charge. So, $250, or $350 for 3, etc. Except, the license allows that for a single site all copies over 5 are not charged for. In other words, there is a 5 copy per site charge, plus the media fee – total $650, then that’s it for a multiplex, even if it has 10 or 15 screens.

SMPTE Digital Leader Demonstration – YouTube

What is needed next is a checklist of questions and answers for the projectionist to run through, making sure that the presentation from the server and projector is as fine as can be.

This is where the DCinemaCompliance – Post Installation Checklist can come in handy, as well as the DCinemaTraining instruction set on how to make the checklist relevant to each of your employees.

SMPTE Releases Two New Digital-Cinema Products To Standardize Workflows, Enhance Theater-Going Experience

DPROVE_Order_Form.pdf

DProVe Flyer | SMPTE

White Papers Post

Post Site Links

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  • Amatuer Media (Typography Specialist – including video tutorials)
  • Art of the Title Squence (See A Brief History of Title Design)
  • Cinema 5D (DSLR Filmmakers Forum – Ideas and Videos)
  • Clay Asbury’s Post Tips (FCP and AE Training Tips and Videos)
  • Digital Films (Oliver Peters – Tips and Video Examples, including RED, FCP, AVID)
  • FCP.co (Aiming to be the #1 FCP resource)
  • Filmmaker Magazine
  • Grayscale Gorilla
  • Lester Banks
  • Little Frog in High Def
  • motionographer
  • Pro Video Coalition
  • ProLost
  • Studio Daily
  • Tao of Color
    • Video Processing

    EditShare, Lightworks Open Source Proceeding

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    Avoid the PR link: Lightworks

    Early release loading errors are being shaken out, and it looks like a bit of a community is being formed.

    The store isn’t opened yet, so pricing on additional codecs isn’t openly available.

    Here is a nice list of free plug-ins to go with the open source software: Effects availible for Lightworks

    Boston, MA – November 30, 2010 — EditShare®, the technology leader in cross platform collaborative editing and shared media storage, is pleased to announce the first step in the roll out of Lightworks Open Source. Today, the free Lightworks 2010 Public Beta download will be available to all interested participants. Now anyone can familiarize themselves with the Lightworks editing system and view the new features and enhancements that have transformed Lightworks into the industry’s most advanced editing solution. “Since our initial announcement at this year’s NAB Show, we’ve had over 25,000 editors and 1,700 developers sign up to become a part of the Lightworks Open Source community. The unified support and constructive feedback has driven the initiative and helped bring our developers one step closer to finalizing the most creative editor on the market,” says James Richings, Managing Director of EditShare EMEA. “We look forward to the phase two release of Lightworks Open Source in the new year.”

    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. “Lightworks has been a far superior editing tool since its inception, and I am very happy to see EditShare’s aggressive development of the new Open Source platform. I look forward to Lightworks’ continued growth and seeing it take center stage in the post-production community,” says Tariq Anwar, Editor, “The King’s Speech.”

    Lightworks 2010 Public Beta – Free Download Features 
    Since EditShare’s acquisition of Lightworks in August 2009, developers have been working around the clock to perfect new and improved software and hardware features to bring a higher quality product to the end user. 

    Capture and Playback
    • Edit While Capture, Firewire, SD (analogue and digital), HD-SDI with optional I/O cards
    • Full-screen, real-time SD, HD, and 2K preview playback on desktop display, Dual HD-SDI and DVI for Stereoscopic playback

    Editing
    • Resolution, format and codec independent edits
    • Edit at 23.976, true 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, or 60 
    • Advanced multi-cam editing with unlimited sources

    Effects
    • Real-time effects in SD, HD and 2K
    • Field or Frame based varispeed
    • Key frame graphs 
    • Effects Layers with node-based layering tool
    • Multiple real-time Primary and Secondary color correctors

    Tools
    • Multi-track Audio Mixer with full bus routing and multiple mixes
    • Customization templates for Avid® and Final Cut Pro® shortcuts
    • Voice Over tool for adding narration directly to edit
    • Shot Sync – sync two sources for playback comparison 
    • Customizable BITC timecode and film footage overlays

    Film
    • Support for 35mm 3-perf, 35mm 4-perf, and 16mm-20 and mixed film formats 
    • View feet and frames in edit
    • View keycode and ink number
    • 24-fps EDL import, export and conversion to and from 29.97 fps 
    • Import ALE, FLX, and CSV files
    • Cut list, Change list, Optical list, Pull list, Dupe list

    3rd-Party Support
    • Inscriber Titlemotion®, Boris, Combustion®, After Effects®, Premiere® Plug-ins, Sapphire™, Digital Fusion
    • Support for any application that can exchange AVI, MXF and QuickTime® files 

    Collaboration
    • Advanced Shared Projects with real-time review*

    I/O Support
    • Avid DNxHD*, Apple® ProRes®*, RED® R3D*, AVC-Intra*, AVCHD*, H.264, XDCAM HD*, XDCAM EX* DPX*, DV, DV50, DV100, P2, Uncompressed, OMF, AAF
    • QuickTime, MXF Op-Atom, MXF Op1a, AVI
    • Telecine 29.97i to 24p pull down removal 
    • 30fps and 25fps import to 24fps project
    • Stereoscopic support for independent Left and Right files*

    New Features
    • New and intuitive User Interface
    • Avid and Final Cut Pro keyboard shortcut preferences
    • New Style ‘Bins’
    • On screen console controls
    • Full screen video on single or secondary displays
    • Advanced Project Sharing*
    • Native support for ProRes, Avid DNxHD and AVC-Intra*
    • Native support for RED R3D files and RED ROCKET™ cards*
    • 10-bit and 16-bit DPX support*
    • H.264 and AVCHD support for DSLR cameras*
    • Stereoscopic import and editorial support*
    • Stereoscopic output through SDI and DVI (dual stream, side by side, anaglyph)**
    • Native 2K resolution support
    • Output through DVI in different resolutions up to 2K
    • New project browser
    • Windows® Vista® (32-bit), Windows 7® (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows XP® SP2 (32-bit) support

    *Options available through the Lightworks Store
    ** SDI Output requires optional I/O hardware

    For further information on the Lightworks Open Source project, please visit: www.editshare.com/lightworks

    About EditShare LLC
    EditShare LLC is the pioneer of a new category of collaborative editing solutions designed for digital media workgroups and production companies. The EditShare system fuels the collaborative creative process for digital media artists by delivering high-quality, high-performance, and cost-effective networked collaborative editing solutions. For more information, please visit: http://www.editshare.com.  

    ©2010 EditShare LLC. All rights reserved. EditShare is a registered trademark of EditShare LLC. All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

    Articles and News

    Deaf Sue Cinemark Chain

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    The suit is brought by The Association of Late-Deafened Adults (“ALDA”) on behalf of its members with hearing loss, and two individual plaintiffs.  The plaintiffs are represented by Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”), a non-profit disability rights firm headquartered in Berkeley, California that specializes in high-impact cases on behalf of people with disabilities and John Waldo, a lawyer whose practice focuses on the unique legal needs of the Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf. He works on access and advocacy issues through the Washington Communication Access Project (Wash-CAP), www.hearinglosslaw.com

    So begins the press release from Disability Rights Advocates which is available for download here with the complaint that was filed this week in a California Superior Court in Alameda County, California.  

    Cameras

    Jackson, Hobbit, 3D & 30 RED EPIC Cameras

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    The Hobbit will be amongst the first productions in the world to use the EPIC. The camera’s small size and relatively low weight makes it perfect for 3D, where two cameras have to be mounted on each 3D rig. RED cameras are modular and can be customized any way they want. The photo above is of Jackson holding one of the RED EPIC cameras they’ll be shooting with. Jackson has a long history (relatively, since they started in 2006) with RED, dating back to when he directed a short film called Crossing the Line (watch a trailer) as an early test of prototype RED cameras. “I have always liked the look of Red footage.”

     

    From an article at FirstShowing.net
    Jackson Shooting ‘The Hobbit’ in 3D with 30 RED EPIC Cameras

    Jackson continues:

     

    “I’m not a scientist or mathematician, but the image Red produces has a much more filmicfeel than most of the other digital formats. I find the picture quality appealing andattractive, and with the Epic, Jim and his team have gone even further. It is a fantastic tool, the Epic not only has cutting edge technology, incredible resolution and visual quality, but it is also a very practical tool for film makers. Many competing digital systems require the cameras to be tethered to large cumbersome VTR machines. The Epic gives us back the ability to be totally cable free, even when working in stereo.”

    Impressive. There’s always been a lot of debate about RED and digital camera systems in Hollywood. Every different cinematographer I’ve spoke to has his/her own opinion on if the cameras are good or not or what the drawbacks are. Seeing Jackson choose RED almost exclusively for an extremely high profile project like The Hobbit will only give them more credibility and I’m sure we’ll start to see these cameras used more and more. I’ve got no problem with RED cameras, I think used properly they’re just as good as film, and I’m sure the set design and lighting on The Hobbit will be incredible enough that this will still look phenomenal no matter what. Shooting starts next year on both parts of The Hobbit, so we’ll continue to keep you updated!