files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from The Pixel Farm Ltd
IBC 2011, Sept 9-13, Hall 6C18 – The Pixel Farm Ltd (
www.thepixelfarm.co.uk ), developer of innovative image-processing systems for VFX, DI and restoration, today announced a radical new approach to film restoration with the launch of PFMill, a ‘restoration-factory-in-a-box’. This new collaborative workgroup product, enables restoration facilities to scale the size of their operations according to their workload, and introduces pricing and rental structures according to their budgets.
PFMill utilises the same core technology as it's enterprise stablemate, PFSilo, the company’s collaborative workflow management system for the restoration market, and enables up to ten restoration artists to engage simultaneously on restoration projects in a seamless workflow across a workgroup intranet, using special versions of The Pixel Farm’s renowned clean-up and remastering software, PFClean.
PFMill is a single software product, with a simple producer interface, which provides a single point for project updates, administration and resource management. It runs on one workstation, which hosts all support hardware and services.
Artists can ‘log into’ PFMill from any computer on the facility network and run a PFMill-only, modified version of PFClean as a lightweight client on their machine. This lightweight client provides full PFClean functionality, but differs from the standalone PFClean in that it only operates with PFMill, and all image I/O operations are executed in PFMill’s producer GUI.
With the introduction of this new technology, The Pixel Farm has created flexible multi-seat pricing and rental options that directly reflect the technical and budgetary challenges in the archive restoration market.
Starting at a base price of £35,000, PFMill offers easy facility expansion by offering owners the option to either purchase or rent additional restoration clients. The base price includes three clients, a producer seat plus all associated infrastructure products, and can be expanded to a total of 10 clients as required.
In software-only form, PFMill supports OSX and Windows variants of OS. However, a PFMill System is also available as part of The Pixel Farm’s Turnkey Systems range, in which guise it can be scaled for different performance and workload requirements.
“Archive film restoration presents difficult challenges to restoration facilities,” said Michael Lancaster, managing director of The Pixel Farm. “The magnitude of the task is large and the budgets to fund restoration projects are typically challenging to source. PFMill addresses all of these challenges by making PFClean’s toolset easily accessible in volume quantities. The pricing model for PFMill is purposely non-penalising and with flexibility built in. Customers can choose to purchase additional licenses, or even rent, when it suits them, their workload or their budget.”
PF Clean is a resolution-independent, clean-up and remastering system for moving-image data, noted for delivering the highest-quality results at speed. Facilities worldwide have adopted PF Clean for its vast toolset, ease-of-use, productivity and ability to repair even the most badly damaged material.
PFSilo is The Pixel Farm’s collaborative workflow management system, designed for use with the comprehensive DI and restoration toolset of PFClean. PFSilo enables teams of restoration artists to work on single or multiple feature film projects simultaneously. Simple-to-administer project management and asset-handling tools, let users manage workflow, deadlines and deliverables, and improve productivity.
About The Pixel Farm:
The Pixel Farm manufactures and markets innovative image-processing technologies that meet the demands of professionals working in the motion picture, broadcast TV and interactive entertainment industries. The company, headquartered in the UK, was established in 2002 by a management team with decades of experience in developing some of the world's most advanced 2D and CG effects systems. The company's products, which address VFX, DI and restoration, are designed to seamlessly integrate into the most demanding post production pipelines, whilst supporting creativity and maximizing productivity.
