By JIM HENNINGER
vices, NAB has really become more of a research exercise than an equipment purchasing binge. In that light, NAB ’99 was a great success for us.
There were ample server technology, asset management, DVD authoring, video streaming and Internet video distribution solutions to research as we tried to envision the future of our industry. Like most, we looked closely at anything high definition and we were not disappointed. It was great to see the SGI HD I/O card cleanly digitize a D-5 signal into Discreet’s Fire as if it were simply inputting a 601 signal. HD monitors and HD projectors were all over the place and it is still striking how good even compressed interlaced high-definition television looks.
This was a great year for comparing nonlinear editing solutions both in HD and 601.
We got a good look at Avid’s Universal and Symphony 2.0; SoftImage|DS; Jaleo; Discreet’s Fire and Smoke; and Quantel’s Editbox. The disparity continues between these high end options and what’s coming out at the low end. I think Play’s Palm Pilot media logger that can perform cuts-only editing takes the ticket for amazing things you can buy for under $1000 that actually edit video.
Some manufacturers were envisioning that today’s state of the art ‘online’ uncompressed 601 nonlinear editing systems (for instance: Symphony, Jaleo, Smoke, etc.) will become tomorrow’s offline editing systems for its HD counterparts (for instance: Avid HD, Jaleo Tempest, Fire, etc.). Interesting.
It feels to me that you can roughly track the progress of the convergence of television and computers year to year by walking the floor of the Sands. Each year I find myself gravitating over there more. The video/computer merger is accelerating as evidenced by hard disk recorders going into televisions and set-top boxes. More and more video devices are coming to market with IP address capability. Demonstrations such as Microsoft’s Web-TV (and others) for DBS and cable distribution begin to give us glimpses of what interactive television could look and act like in the future.
We are ever on the lookout for multi-site video interconnectivity and distribution over the Net. Telestream definitely caught our attention as did new developments from Creative Partners. Quicktime 4 looked particularly promising for inexpensively digitizing, streaming and/or collaborating with video on the Net.
A trend that accelerates each year is that I see more and more clients at the show. It’s great, and it’s indicative of the continuing blurring of the lines between production and postproduction.
Director Jack Begert Joins Biscuit For His First Commercial Representation In U.S. & U.K.
Biscuit Filmworks has added filmmaker Jack Begert to its roster in the U.S. and U.K. This marks Begert’s first representation in advertising, building upon his acclaimed work in music video and film. He is best known for his striking aesthetic and surreal use of visual effects, displayed in his feature film debut Little Death, which won the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The film stars David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffman, Dominic Fike, and Talia Ryder, and was produced by Darren Aronofsky.
Miami-born and L.A.-based, the USC Film School graduate began his career in VFX and as an editor. Begert has worked with iconic musical artists including Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Flying Lotus, Childish Gambino, and Olivia Rodrigo, and has independently directed international campaigns for brands such as Apple, Converse, New Era, and Reebok.
Shawn Lacy, founding partner of Biscuit Filmworks, said of Begert, “We are such fans of his work--and of him as a creator, thinker, collaborator, and great guy.”
“My creative approach is often about trying to discover something unexpected in the filmmaking process,” said Begert. “Biscuit is a place where I can bring my own perspective to the work and still feel supported. That philosophy is clear from the talent they represent, and I’m excited to join their roster.”
“Jack’s work blew me away the moment I first saw it,” said Rupert Reynolds-Maclean, managing director at Biscuit Filmworks UK. “He is a modern young director who clearly cares deeply about both craft and the necessity for it in his storytelling. Everything always pushes the narrative forward. We’re looking forward to making great work together.”
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