CineForm(R), Inc., creators of high-fidelity compression-based workflow solutions for the post production marketplace, today announced that its Neo 4K(TM) for Mac and Prospect 4K(TM) for Windows software products now support a real-time, online post-production workflow for media originating from the Red One(TM) digital cinema camera.
Neo 4K and Prospect 4K include converters for Mac and Windows respectively that transform Red One R3D files into CineForm’s extremely high performance and high quality online editing format for cross-platform (Windows/Mac) compatibility and cross-applications (Final Cut Pro, Premiere(R) Pro, After Effects(R), etc.) compatibility. The newly created CineForm files become the new source masters for the remainder of the post workflow. After conversion, users benefit from CineForm’s real-time, multi-stream editing environment, even up to 4K spatial resolution, without the need for proxy files and conforming, thus saving labor and equipment expenses compared to more traditional workflows. “Higher spatial resolutions and ‘Raw’ formats, such as enabled by Red One, bring incredible quality images to a wider group of filmmakers,” said David Taylor, co-founder and CEO of CineForm, “but they also impose challenges to achieving an efficient and affordable post-production workflow. Through Prospect 4K and Neo 4K we defined three primary goals to address these challenges. The first is to offer visual fidelity equivalent to traditional uncompressed workflows, but at a fraction of the cost. The second is to empower workhorse industry tools from companies like Adobe and Apple as online 4K editing platforms. The third is to an online-all-the-time workflow by eliminating the need for traditional proxy files and conforming.”
Neo 4K and Prospect 4K Support for Red One
Neo 4K and Prospect 4K include Mac and Windows converters to transform Red One R3D files to CineForm files for online post production. Users may choose numerous conversion parameters including the preferred spatial resolution (4K, 2K, HD, 1K, or SD) for editorial plus chroma format (12-bit CineForm RAW, 12-bit CineForm 444 (RGB), or 10-bit CineForm 422 (YUV)).
All CineForm files are supported by its Active Metadata(TM) architecture which offers a renderless color workflow that improves visual fidelity of source files by maintaining image highlights without clipping. Active Metadata supports color and image developing parameters including white balance, 3D LUTs, gain, offset, color temperature, etc., and can be thought of as similar to an Adjustment Layer in Photoshop(R). Active Metadata is processed dynamically inside the CineForm compression engine independently of the calling application (e.g. Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, etc) and eliminates the need to render (or flatten) such parameters into the source file until final output is desired.
CineForm is also introducing a new editing concept called Express Files(TM) which are color-perfect 1K resolution files that represent the 4K source files, which simplify and cost-reduce high resolution workflows. Express Files are easily edited on virtually any timeline, including on laptops, allowing use of real-time color correction, transitions, effects, etc. With no conform process required, and at a time convenient to the editor, Express Files may be unlinked from the project, with subsequent re-linking of 4K CineForm master files into the same project which retains all effects previously applied in the project. Not only does this allow lower-performance workstations to participate in online editorial, Express Files are small enough to easily share with numerous project participants who may reside at different locations.
Prospect 4K also includes CineForm’s 4K video processing engine that augments the Premiere Pro video engine for real-time multi-stream 4K playback, and includes support for HD-SDI monitoring of 4K editing timelines.
Pricing and Availability
Neo 4K ($999) and Prospect 4K ($1999) are available for purchase through CineForm’s online store or through its reseller network. Both products are available as fully-functional Trial Downloads on CineForm’s website, and will operate for 15 days with full functionality. As an introductory promotion through the end of November, CineForm is emphasizing its cross-platform (Windows/Mac) workflow by offering a free serial number for Neo 4K Mac with any purchase of Prospect 4K on Windows, a savings of $999.
About CineForm
CineForm, Inc. develops compression-based workflow solutions for the post production marketplace. Offering the industry’s highest fidelity compression technology, CineForm is trusted among Hollywood filmmakers, television producers, videographers and digital media artists who rely on high image quality, high performance and innovative compression-based workflow solutions with up to 4k spatial resolutions for their online content creation projects. Available on both Windows and Mac platforms, CineForm workflow solutions are optimized for direct-to-disk camera recording, high-resolution post production and long-term content archives. For more information, visit www.cineform.com.
