Technical Directors Turchin, Katatikarn, Modeler DiNoto, Compositor Karnik Come Aboard
By NEW YORK
Technical directors Vadim Turchin and Jasmine Katatikarn, modeler/texturer Brian DiNoto and compositor Nitant Karnik have joined New York-based rhinofx.
Turchin’s initial projects at his new roost are spots for GMC, Fidelity and Colgate. He earlier held positions as a technical director/animator at such New York shops as Massive Industries and Psyop. Turchin has also freelanced at The Mill, New York.
Prior to rhinofx, Katatikarn was a 3-D lighter for NYU Medical Center, Nickelodeon and Rhythm & Hues. Her rhino endeavors include work for Colgate, Crest and ATI3’s “The Assassin.” She is slated to work on videogame cinematics for another ATI project shortly.
DiNoto has already contributed to projects for GMC, Crest and Hyundai since coming aboard rhinofx. A recent graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts with a BFA in computer art, DiNoto created 2-D and 3-D visual effects for Time Enough At Last, an NYU short film.
Karnik has wrapped rhinofx assignments for State Farm, Accenture and GMC. He is currently working on an ATI4 game project. His experience includes freelancing for New York houses Psyop, Eyeball and Curious Pictures.
Rick Wagonheim is managing director/partner at rhinofx. Camille Geier is the company’s senior executive producer.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More