Japan's Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. are in negotiations to end the three-year next-generation DVD format war by teaming together to create one universal format, according to various publications. The move is seen as a compromise to ensure a bigger market as well as a way for both firms to share costs.
NewTek Inc. has named Jay Roth president of the 3D graphics division of the company. Roth, co-founder and former CEO of Electric Image Inc., has 25 years experience in the 3D visual effects and graphics industry. In his new role Roth will oversee the expansion of the 3D product line, the advancement of technical innovation in LightWave 3D, along with sales and marketing efforts relating to NewTeks 3D graphics offerings.
TrendWatch Inc., a leading market information company for the pro-video, visual effects, content creation and graphics markets, suggests in its 150-page report (Servers Holding the Workflow Together) that server growth will be strong this year.
Mark Lasoff has joined Alias Santa Barbara, California-based Custom Development Center (CDC) as entertainment consulting manager. In his new role at the CDC, Lasoff will work with Alias' software engineers to design and implement new workflow tools and custom software solutions for production facilities and key customers that rely heavily on the Maya, Alias MotionBuilder, and Alias SketchBook Pro family of products.
Its still a month away but fans crazy to see STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH, have inundated Fandango, the nation's largest online and phone movie ticketing service, which is reporting unprecedented sales for the eagerly awaited movie, with sold-out shows in select markets. The George Lucas epic opens May 19, 2005.
SITH ranks as Fandango's fastest-selling movie to-date, selling five times as many tickets as the company's next best-selling movie (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST) at this point in the film's sales cycle.
Buena Vista International Television - Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) struck a multi-year agreement for a Jetix block on CHAMP, a new animation channel that will be carried on both cable and satellite platforms in South Korea.
CHAMP takes its name from a popular comic book series in South Korea. A joint venture between Daewon digital broadcast and CJ Media, will launch on May 2, 2005, and has positioned itself as a 24-hour channel that will showcase the best in action and adventure animation.
Helen Blayney joins Celador International as senior sales manger, kids division, where she will be responsible for sales of the companys growing portfolio of childrens programming, including ROOBARB & CUSTARD and TALES OF THE RIVERBANK. Blayney reports to Cathy Laughton, who joined London-based Celador Intl in February 2005 as head of kids programming to champion of its new kids division, Celador International Kids.
The National Assn. of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the winners of the third-annual Awards for Innovation in Media (AIMs).
The top five products within each of the Content Creation, Content Management and Content Delivery categories received recognition during NAB's Technology Luncheon, held April 20, 2005.
Within the Content Creation category, Apple's Final Cut Pro 5, Avid's Media Composer Adrenaline HD 2.1, Avid's Symphony Nitris, the JVC GY-HD100U 3-CCD HD Camera Recorder, and the Sony HDCAM SR/HDCAM Dual Format Recorder were each awarded a 2005 NAB AIM.
Verizon Wireless customers who enjoyed THE INCREDIBLES can now dial it up on their phone or favorite wireless device with the release of THE INCREDIBLES 3D mobile game on Verizon Wireless' new V CAST wireless broadband multimedia service.
Digital Vision, is showcasing, at NAB2005, the newest version of its Valhall Colour Grade system, V2.0, a complete realtime color correction system, with full primaries and secondaries, machine control and an ergonomic work surface. The Valhall control software also supports all Digital Vision DVNR options, including the new line of ME motion-compensated image processing systems.
Apple launched Shake 4 at NAB2005, a major upgrade to the leading compositing software used by independent artists and visual effects facilities. Shake 4 features 3D multiplane compositing, cutting-edge optical flow image processing and unprecedented integration with Final Cut Pro 5.
From Academy award-winning films to broadcast television, Shake helps bring realistic visual effects to life, said Rob Schoeben, Apples vp of applications marketing.
Autodesk Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Colorfront Ltd., the leading developer of color correction technology for film studios and digital film laboratories, for $15 million. This acquisition will bring comprehensive new expertise in film laboratory processes, digital post-production, color science, image processing and hardware platform optimization to Autodesk. The transaction is expected to close in the next 45 days, and to be neutral to Autodesks earnings in fiscal year 2006.
This week editor Bill Desowitz is away at NAB so Ill be providing my musings. As I mentioned last week, we have Peter Plantecs look at how realtime rendering has affected the industry as well as a review of combustion 4. In addition, Fred Galpern tackles the future of visual content, especially effects animation, in the world of gaming.
![NewTek Announces VT[4] Version 4.5](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/small_featured/public/image/featured/17589-newtek-announces-vt4-version-4.5.jpg?itok=-MgBu-gX "NewTek Announces VT[4] Version 4.5")
![NewTek Announces VT[4] Version 4.5](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/tiny_featured/public/image/featured/17589-newtek-announces-vt4-version-4.5.jpg?itok=WJcF5GBT "NewTek Announces VT[4] Version 4.5")
NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, announced the latest software version of its award-winning VT[4] Integrated Production Suite, providing a comprehensive toolset for all professional video production needs from network broadcast to web streaming. VT[4] version 4.5 provides realtime layering and effects for live video and graphics in most PC file formats and operates internally in uncompressed D1 component video, with composite, Y/C, component, DV or optional SDI output.
Buena Vista Games Inc. (BVG) announced two major business deals to strengthen the company's internal game development capabilities and further its goals of becoming a top tier publisher of handheld and console games. The deals include the acquisition of acclaimed Salt Lake City-based videogame developer, Avalanche Software Lc. and the establishment of a start-up development studio in Vancouver, Canada, led by former Electronic Arts Canada senior development and business staff.
At da Vinci's annual Master Colorist Awards competition ceremony on April 19, 2005, at NAB2005, da Vinci announced the winning entries in the four categories of the competition. The winners this year are:
Theatrical release TRAVELERS AND MAGICIANS Digital Pictures Sydney Colorist: Siggy Ferstl
TV And Long Format C.S.I. Down the Drain The Post Group L.A. Colorist: Paul Westerbeck
Commercials NORTHWEST AIRLINESEncore HollywoodColorist: Laura Jans Fazio
Autodesk Inc. announced new versions of its Discreet Flint and Discreet Smoke systems. Running on a personal computer, the Flint 9.2 visual effects system and Smoke 6.7 editing system are high-definition (HD) capable, enabling customers to realize their ideas in both HD and standard-definition (SD). Autodesk is also introducing two suites: Autodesk TV and Autodesk Digital Intermediate (DI).
DC Comics fans can double their pleasure during the SMALLVILLE season finale as The WB presents the world premiere of an exclusive eight-minute special footage preview of the eagerly awaited summer release, BATMAN BEGINS, during the 90-minute presentation SMALLVILLE broadcast at 8:00 pm on May 18, 2005.
Habbo Hotel, one of the world's largest and hottest online destinations for teenagers, will be opening its doors to animated story-based programming. In response to overwhelming consumer demand from the site's teen audience for new ways to experience the innovative world of Habbo Hotel, Sulake, the creators of the burgeoning community, have launched an animation challenge. Through this challenge, animation studios from across the globe will compete to help bring the popular Web world beyond the Internet.
High school seniors interested in education to enter the videogame development or animation industries are invited to apply for scholarships from The Art institute of California San Francisco (www.aicasf.aii.edu). Students may apply the scholarships toward tuition in the schools bachelors degree programs in Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming or Media Arts & Animation.
On April 19, 2005, the Cannes Film Festival announced its films, including two films in competition that are adaptations of comic books. David Cronenbergs A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and Robert Rodriguez and Frank Millers SIN CITY will both compete for the coveted Palme d Or.
After last years surprisingly high amount of animated films in and out of competition, the 2005 event, which takes place May 11-22, 2005, features no toons.
At NAB, Accom announced the launch of ProServ MX.8, EasyClip, APR/ClipStoreMX and APR/ClipStoreMXc. Accom is located at NAB Booth SU 7834.
ProServ MX.8 is the industrys most versatile video production server. The ProServ MX.8 offers up to four high-definition channels or up to eight standard definition channels. All channels offer symmetrical inputs and outputs. For complete versatility, ProServ MX.8 can simultaneously record, play, edit and manage HD and SD content.
At NAB, ADS Tech unveiled PYRO A/V Link Studio that includes ADS Tech's 1394/Firewire-based Analog/Digital Video (DV) converter bundled with the Sony Vegas+DVD Production Suite of video and audio software tools. Combined, the industry leading hardware and software components provide professional media producers and prosumers with a compelling video production solution that includes everything they need to begin capturing, editing and processing DV, HDV and creating other content, including surround-sound audio and streaming media.
IRIDAS is presenting a full lineup of new products at NAB 2005 including FrameCycler Digital Daily System (DDS) 3.5, FrameCycler Professional 3.5, SpeedGrade DI and SpeedGrade On Set. The SpeedGrade products represent both ends of the world's first unbroken color pipeline from filming through post-production and finishing. FrameCycler is the first 2K playback technology to run on the Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.
REALVIZ chose NAB 2005 as the setting for the introduction of SMART ('Scalable Matching Architecture for Tracking'), a new automatic tracking engine, which is the result of extensive R&D efforts at the company's headquarters in the South of France. MatchMover Pro will be the first of the REALVIZ products powered by SMART, with a release slated for June 2005 on Macintosh, Windows and Linux.
