In SHOOT’s first installation of this year’s series previewing the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention, the cinematography community was focused on workflow (SHOOT, 3/10, p. 1). For those in the editing and compositing space, the influx of digital technology has created a similar necessity for an approach to workflow issues.
Some are also looking to the future and developing processes in a tapeless environment. Expect workflow and tapeless to be among the post buzzwords at NAB this year. “Technically, this can be accomplished,” explained Larry Chernoff, who is CEO of Providence, R.I.-headquartered technology maker MTI. “The challenge is administrative. There’s a lot of information that needs to be accessible.
Information also needs to be communicated. “The EDL is a very primitive method of communicating decisions from one application to another,” Chernoff relates. “In order to become tapeless, we need a more advanced method.”
This year, efforts are being made at technology companies to improve communication between applications, and to advance asset management. Also exploring these topics are organizations such as the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Technology Committee’s DI subcommittee, which is developing an open method of communicating color, called the ASC CDL (Color Decision List). But at this point in time, the industry does not yet have a complete answer and execution.
At this stage, the motion picture industry is the furthest along in the development and implementation of new digital post systems, largely due to the rapid acceptance of the digital intermediate process, and related DI style workflows. DI is essentially the process of taking images into a random access, data realm for all post processes, including color correction and finishing, to create a digital master, from which all film and digital deliverables may be created. Today it’s widely believed that upwards of 50 percent of major features go through a DI process. And an increasing number of independent films, television productions and even some commercials are beginning to use DI-style workflow to meet production needs and budgets.
Still, advertising has a ways to go. “The commercial industry lags not less than five years behind entertainment,” Chernoff estimates. “Commercials remain mired in standard definition…The sad fact is local news in Los Angeles is becoming more advanced than the commercial industry.”
The question is what impact NAB will have on the evolution of this sector.
Most of the pre-show news came from companies that have integrated editing and compositing capabilities in their DI-style post systems, meaning applications with editing, compositing, color correction and mastering tools. Since many of these companies also inhabit the color correction space (the subject of the next “Road to NAB” installment), look to the next edition of this NAB series for additional product news.
EXHIBITOR NEWS For this week’s NAB chapter, Newbury, U.K.-headquartered Quantel starts off, with its Pablo advanced color correction system that runs on its highest-end iQ finishing system and can support resolutions including 2k and 4k data.
For smaller post houses, Quantel will introduce Pablo on its eQ, which supports standard definition or high-resolution imagery, and is designed to bring the creativity and efficiency of the DI workflow to commercial post.
“We’re focused on post houses admitting DI environments for commercials,” said Steve Owen, Quantel’s head of marketing, postproduction and DI. “NAB for commercial post is about being super efficient and super creative. [For instance,] in a conventional telecine grading you’re working in a linear manner. [With a DI-style workflow] you have nonlinear access, and you are doing the color correction before the conform, meaning you can see shots in correct editorial shot order. You get a much better idea of how the session is going.”
“Workflows are becoming more datacentric,” agreed Maurice Patel, Montreal-based Autodesk Media and Entertainment’s head of product marketing. “We are seeing very strong trends toward data pipelines with color grading, editing, and effects.”
This concept is generally similar among manufacturers. But as for specifics, some of the key exhibitors–such as Avid, Apple and Autodesk–are holding much of their NAB product announcements until closer to the event, which will be held April 22-28.
Patel did offer a limited update with regard to the company’s recent acquisition of Alias. NAB is the first major trade show with the former Alias technology merged under the Autodesk banner, and consequently, attendees will see the rebranding of media and entertainment products from Alias to Autodesk. So the latest version of newly branded Autodesk’s Maya will be featured, along with a preview of Autodesk’s MotionBuilder next version 7.5.
Tewksbury, Mass.-headquartered Avid Technology’s pre-show news was also limited to 3D. The company is previewing its Softimage subsidiary’s Softimage|Face Robot, a new software dedicated to the creation of believable facial animation in less time than using traditional methods. With the software, artists may sculpt expressions by directly manipulating various anatomical features such as the mouth, eyebrows and jaw.
Face Robot also offers built-it support for importing and exporting of Autodesk 3ds max and Maya file formats for incorporation into existing pipelines.
San Jose, Calif.-headquartered Adobe Systems revealed that it plans to showcase its Adobe Production Studio (launched in January), alongside the newly acquired Macromedia products in Studio 8. The Adobe Production Studio Premium includes Adobe After Effects 7.0, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, Adobe Audition 2.0 and Adobe Encore 2.0, in addition to Photoshop CS2 and Illustrator CS2. Macromedia Studio 8 includes Dreamweaver 8, Flash Professional 8, Fireworks 8, Contribute 3, and FlashPaper. These products offer broadcast, postproduction and Web professionals the ability to create and deliver content across podcasts, radio, film, video and the Web.
Bruce Bowman, Adobe Production Studio product manager, says the company aims to offer flexibility with the system. “Regardless of if you are working with SD, HD, or uncompressed SDI, the interface stays the same from Web to HD or 2k,” Bowman explained. “Our applications are designed to be resolution independent and format agnostics.”
Like Adobe, Cincinnati-headquartered Harris Corp.–which acquired Leitch this past year–will be showcasing new technology while addressing production and distribution from television to the Web and mobile devices.
For editors, this will include the forthcoming Leitch VelocityX software-only nonlinear editor, which shares the Velocity editing interface with Leitch’s hardware-based editors, VelocityQ and VelocityHD. VelocityX could be used by customers needing an editor in a facility, or portable as a laptop system.
Also on display will be version 9.1 of VelocityHD, which includes support for the HDV high-definition format and variable frame rate processing for content from Panasonic’s VariCam camcorder.
For the editorial community, Hollywood-based Lightworks and its parent company U.K.-headquartered Gee Broadcast are combining powerful new hardware with their well regarding editing console to introduce a new nonlinear editing system, Alacrity MR (multiresolution), which supports HD and SD, compressed and uncompressed, MJPEG, MPEG2 and DV, mixed-format timelines, and multiple real-time streams.
D2 Software, a subsidiary of Venice-based Digital Domain, will demonstrate its now shipping version 4.5 of its Nuke high-end compositing system. The new version incorporates a new image-based keyer and tools for additional creative flexibility when working in 3D. With a focus on making Nuke accessible to the broadest range of users, the newest release also introduces a new UI mode, support for Mac OSX and broader support for Open FX, and a new pricing structure. Nuke is a principal tool in Digital Domain’s workflow, and in recent years was introduced as a product and made available to additional companies.
