SHOOT looks at advances in production andpostproduction technology.
Not a week goes by without the emergence of some sort of new technology, be it hardware or software. At one point, a revolutionary new visual effects tool was a once-in-a-while occurrence. Now, with the advent of HD and DTV, advances in technology are sure to happen with greater frequency.
As SHOOT recently reported (9/24/99, p. 7), the East Coast chapter of the Association of Commercial Editors (AICE) will be holding educational sessions several
times a year to help young editors fine-tune their skills and to offer established editors the opportunity to stay abreast of constantly changing technologies. The AICE is on the right track with trying to develop an industry-wide forum that allows people to learn about and understand the changing toolbox. Other sectors of the post field—as well as production—could also benefit from a series of sessions that help one navigate an ever-evolving landscape.
To that end, this week’s Special Report seeks to update and explain some recent developments in post. "Flex Effects" presents an update of SynaFlex, the visual effects system introduced by Lowell, Mass.-based SynaPix at NAB ’98. The technology has since been refined and now runs on an NT operating system. SynaFlex is now being beta tested at eight locations, including 525 Studios, Santa Monica. SHOOT talked with 525 Studios’ president/CEO Eric Bonniot about the software’s capabilities.
In "Unusual Techniques," designer/director Stefan Smith of Miss Jones, Santa Monica, discusses how he manipulates software—at times turning its so-called "flaws" into advantages—to enhance his design work. The former Flame artist explains how he was able to exploit a Flame plug-in to create the First Union spot "Voices" for Cook Marketing Communications, Jacksonville, Fla.
Finally, "Going Steadi" takes us to The Digital Lab, a division of Sight Effects, Santa Monica, for a look at the SteadiScan Electronic Stabilization System. This new component to the Spirit Datacine helps to eliminate the weave that can occur in the film-to-tape transfer process. Digital Lab’s chief engineer/partner Rudy Hassen explains how the adjunct to the Spirit will help spot projects realize cost savings, now that stabilization can be achieved prior to the post process.
As the digital arena progresses, it’s imperative for artisans to stay cognizant of the latest industry tools—not only in terms of their applications but also their implications for commercialmaking. It’s in that spirit that we present this Special Report.
—Kristin Wilcha
associate editor
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