By MILLIE TAKAKI
Colorist Jais Lamaire has joined 525 Studios, the Hollywood-headquartered post/effects house that is in the process of extending its reach to the Westside with the planned formal opening of a Santa Monica facility. Lamaire, formerly of Encore Santa Monica, has actually begun working out of 525s Santa Monica site that at press time was nearing completion.
Lamaire is already at the reins of a C-Reality, Cintels HDTV telecine, which is just now up and running at 525 Studios, Santa Monica. Lamaire is no stranger to the C-Reality, having spent many hours on the high-end system during its development. Hes credited with being the first artist in the U.S. to transfer an effects-heavy project on the C-Reality, after testing early versions of the system during sessions in London and at IBC, Amsterdam. David Hurst, Western Regional sales manager at Cintel Inc., said of Lamaire, We are delighted to have one of the top colorists on the Westside driving the C-Reality at 525 Studios. The system was designed for use in high-end commercial environments like 525.
Lamaire has developed working relationships with some of the spot industrys top directors. His latest commercial credits include: Nikes Snowdome, Blader and Johnny helmed by Michael Bay of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; Nissan Trucks Fishing directed by Zack Snyder of bicoastal HSI Productions via TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles; Coca-Colas Night Train directed by Gordon Clark of Tate & Partners, Santa Monica; and Dodge Neons Amore, Heaven and Stars helmed by Randy Roberts of Rhythm & Hues Studios, Los Angeles.
On the music video front, Lamaires recent endeavors include Whitney Houstons Heartbreak Hotel directed by Kevin Bray of bicoastal/international Satellite; Faith Evans All Night Long directed by Paul Hunter of HSI; and Will Smiths Miami helmed by Wayne Isham of bicoastal A Band Apart Music Videos.
Lamaires move to 525 represents a homecoming. Earlier in his career, from 87 to 90, he was at 525 Post Production, Hollywood (now 525 Studios). Since then, he has worked at such notable Hollywood shops as The Post Group and Post Logic before moving on to POP, Santa Monica, and then the aforementioned Encore where he spent the past two years. Born in France, Lamaire began his career in Paris as a dub operator, editor, cameraman, technical director and later worked as a colorist for seven years before coming to the U.S.
I am thrilled to be back at 525 with a great team and technical support staff, related Lamaire. Working with the C-Reality is the perfect marriage of art and technology. Joining him at 525 Studios is Julie Airale, his scheduler/producer. Airale has worked with Lamaire since 96, at both POP and Encore.
Jais will be a great complement to our existing telecine team of colorists: Paul Bronkar, Brian Linse, Clark Muller, Corey Olson and Arnold Ramm. His expertise on Cintels C-Reality will be a welcome attraction to our Santa Monica studio, assessed Eric Bonniot, president, 525 Studios.
525 Studios specializes in visual effects, computer graphics, telecine and editing for the commercial, feature film and music video industries. 525 Studios is wholly owned by Virgin Digital Studios (VDS) which is part of the U.K.-based Virgin Group.
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