Reflecting the industry’s rethinking of workflow, a young startup called Creative Bridge–which offers technical and creative services and support for the Digital Intermediate (DI) process–has developed what it terms a Mobile Digital Lab and Theater (MDLT) with capabilities including the ability to provide “pre-post” look management and supervision in a controlled environment at a production location.
Creative Bridge was founded by Brian Gaffney and Dan Lion, alumni of such manufacturers as Discreet (now Autodesk Media and Entertainment), and maintains offices in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Of the concept, Gaffney explains that digital cinematography cameras allow production teams to see work immediately, and the MDLT assists in beginning post faster.
The mobile unit could be used to customize a workflow. It is equipped with recording devices and other technologies that facilitates viewing and management–for instance, the footage could be prepped and sent out to an editorial or visual effects house. The mobile unit also offers a small preview theater, and well as a comfortable environment for clients.
And it is equipped with Assimilate’s Scratch and Iridas SpeedGrade digital intermediate/color grading systems, where look creation or color correction can begin.
“It gives commercialmakers the opportunity to immediately start designing the look, while then are still on set,” related Gaffney, “as well as [a comfortable on-set work environment] for clients.”
To support the MDLT capabilities on location, Creative Bridge also represents colorists and visual effects supervisors Jeff Olm and Price Pethel.
Olm has held visual effects compositing and color correction roles with Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dreamworks Animation, Disney Feature Animation, Asylum, Hydraulyx, CIS, and Discreet.
Academy Award winner Pethel was one of the early members of Venice, Calif.-based Digital Domain; his work included serving as composting consultant on Titanic, digital compositing supervisor on Apollo 13, and digital postproduction supervisor on True Lies.
A production may also invite an outside colorist to work on set in the mobile unit.
Moving the Creative Bridge developments forward, a partnership was announced last week between Creative Bridge and Plus8digital–which maintains offices in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto and Houston–making Creative Bridge a Plus8digital Technology Partner Company. Per the agreement, Gaffney and Lion will represent the complete Plus8digital inventory nationwide, and Plus8digital will be the exclusive rental partner for Creative Bridge.
“The dynamics of production are evolving into a new workflow paradigm,” said Gaffney. “Cinematographers and directors can realize both cost savings and a greater creative control with this datacentric process. Our partnership with Plus8digital allows us to customize this workflow and provide these services on location in a more efficient manner.”
“This partnership advances our mission to maintain the vision of the cinematographer from digital capture to distribution,” related Marker Karahadian, CEO and owner of Plus8Digital.
Carolyn Giardina, SHOOT’s senior editor, technology and postproduction, can be reached at 310-822-0211 or at cgiardina@shootonline.com.
