SGO will showcase Mistika and Mamba FX at Stand A11, Hall 6, from September 12-16 at IBC 2014.
SGO’s flagship product, Mistika appeals to filmmakers, broadcasters and content creators for its efficient finishing, grading and Ultra HD capabilities for any project regardless of resolution or frame-rate, including 4K at 60P and stereoscopic 3D. Mistika 8.2 will be launched this August, prior to IBC, with a preview of the next version 8.4 being demonstrated at the show itself. New highlights include the Spatial Isolation Toolset (previewed at NAB) which allows unrivalled control over multi-layer EXR image files by making full use of meta-data provided by CGI animation systems. Also on display will be Mistika’s next-generation color finishing functionalities supporting the Precision Grading Panels. Other new features include support for Dolby Vision, improved ACES workflows, enhanced AAF support, Dolby Atmos DCP generation and support for an even wider range of image codecs such as Canon’s RMF, Sony’s XAVC and ProRes 4:4:4:4. SGO will present Mistika performing effortlessly with mixed resolution raw camera files on the same timeline all in real-time.
SGO will feature version 2.0 of its compositor Mamba FX which provides unlimited layers of compositing in a resolution-free, node-based environment. Running on Windows, Linux and now also available on MAC, Mamba FX 2.0 offers such new features as the Layer Route Effect, providing associated functions for working with multi-layer EXR files; an innovative “Spatial Isolation Keyer” which interfaces with metadata that can be passed from CGI software via the EXR files; and a high-speed, “point cloud” shape tracker, which enables compositors to track 2D roto-shapes to shots very quickly. Mamba FX can be used as a stand alone compositor, or collaboratively, as part of a highly efficient postproduction pipeline with many Mamba FX platforms connected to a central Mistika as the postproduction hub.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More