FotoKem – an innovative, global post production leader for the creative community – has announced that its award-winning nextLAB system is now being represented in the Midwest region by Fletcher Camera & Lenses with offices in Chicago and Detroit. Built on FotoKem’s proprietary file-based workflow software, these mobile systems are integrated, portable units that bring powerful post production capabilities to productions around the globe. They are an extension of the company’s in-house technological advancements and professional services, backed by decades of experience and knowledge, to assist with streamlining workflow from ingest to delivery and archive on set or near location. Fletcher will rent and manage the deployment of nextLAB units in the busy production areas of the Midwest, primarily Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
Fletcher kicked off this alliance with two introductory events on June 14, 2011, in Detroit. The first one is a non-technical “Producing in a Data World: Exploring Mobile Lab Services,”and the second is an intensive, hands-on training for local technicians. FotoKem has long-held a leadership role in the development and deployment of post production technologies that support storytellers. The company has been developing solutions for the industry’s transition to mobile production capabilities over the past five years, and in R&D for much longer.
FotoKem’s nextLAB system, which includes custom software, a mobile ruggedized enclosure, training and technical support, was developed to service the industry’s transition to RAW and data-centric camera formats such as ARRI ALEXA, RED, Silicon Imaging, and Canon DSLR. The software securely stores media, archives to LTO, and provides quality control tools, offering access to metadata, audio syncing, color management, and transcoding. It not only streamlines the dailies process but also provides fast delivery to editorial and finishing.
Launched in 2009, nextLAB Mobile won the 2010 HPA Post Alliance Award for Creativity and Innovation. It has been used on over 60 productions and is currently in deployment on features and projects in cities from Los Angeles to London.
Fletcher is the Midwest’s high-end camera and lens rental house featuring top-of-the-line film and digital cameras, strong relationships with the creative community, and a big picture view of how the industry is evolving in terms of mobile production services. Based on the extensive experience and close relationship that Fletcher shares with its creative clientele, they are increasingly involved with many pieces of the content creation chain, from camera through post. Four years ago, Fletcher built its own mobile system, COSMoS, that addressed the needs of productions for onset data management and editorial services.
“Like FotoKem, Fletcher was among a very small number of companies that started to build the solutions for what was coming with data-centric workflows,” says Tom Fletcher, vice president of Fletcher Camera & Lenses. “When I saw where FotoKem had taken nextLAB, I immediately knew they had built something truly amazing; they get it. The nextLAB workflow improves efficiency for all types of projects-motion pictures, commercials, and television.”
According to FotoKem’s nextLAB Vice President and General Manager Tom Vice, this is an ideal time to work with a company like Fletcher to support the demand and interest in file-based workflow in the Midwest.
“The team at Fletcher Camera has been longtime friends of FotoKem, and we have worked closely with Tom Fletcher over the years on a wide variety of projects,” Vice says. “As an expert who has been involved with the use of emerging and evolving camera technologies, he became an early leader in mobile systems supporting file-based workflows on location, and initially created a system of his own. All of us at FotoKem are very excited about this collaboration, and see it as a great way to have an industry leader represent us in the Midwest.”
Mobile systems, such as FotoKem’s nextLAB, are becoming an increasingly critical piece of the post production puzzle in an industry where acquisition tools and post production are uniquely and dynamically intertwined. More and more, post production begins on set with color management and the ability to ingest, view and sync new and varying camera technologies. FotoKem is a proven leader in these services, having supported projects around the world and under demanding time and budgetary circumstances.
Megan Donnelly, director of Digital Mobile Services for Fletcher Camera & Lenses, adds, “We live in an interesting new world. The nextLAB system works intuitively with the way crew members work while also surpassing the expectations of creatives. The learning curve for clients is very seamless with FotoKem’s solution. We think customers will see it’s a must-have product once used.”
Mike Brodersen, vice president of FotoKem, comments, “We could not have found a better colleague to work with than Tom and the entire Fletcher Camera organization. They are well-respected and incredibly knowledgeable partners for us in the Midwest. We look forward to working with them to help put our system directly into the productions that need it.”
About FotoKem
FotoKem is a global, family-owned, full-service post production facility that has become the go-to resource for the creative community. Since 1963, the company has serviced every corner of the entertainment market, providing excellent service, unmatched expertise, high-end solutions and innovative technologies. The company’s systems approach to the imaging chain assists filmmakers in successfully bridging production and post, and supports them in navigating the many formats and choices for telling stories.
FotoKem offers a broad spectrum of services backed by legendary industry experience, including file-based workflows, 3D digital intermediates, digital cinema packages, mobile dailies, global data delivery, film and video finishing, audio mixing and mastering, visual effects, restoration, and production rentals. The company also operates a post production facility out of Raleigh Studio’s in Budapest, and has expanded the FotoKem family over the years with the acquisition of SPY Post, Keep Me Posted and L.A. Studios/Margarita Mix. For more information, visit www.fotokem.com.
About Fletcher Camera & Lenses
Fletcher Camera & Lenses is the Midwest’s premier provider of camera and lens rentals – including high-end digital equipment such as the Arriflex ALEXA, RED and Phantom – to the television, film and commercial industries. Fletcher Camera is headquartered in Chicago with a branch office in Detroit. For more information, visit www.fletch.com.
