News Stories

Sony Rolls Out Digital Media Academy Program For Higher Education

4.27.2012

Sony is supporting successful proposals with a range of technologies, including 3D Handycam® camcorders, VAIO® computers, Alpha DSLR cameras and Sony Tablets.

[Press Release]

Sony Electronics is teaming up with higher education institutions in a new program called Sony Digital Media Academy – a collaboration between Sony and academic institutions to foster and fuel innovative approaches and facilitate new expressive applications of digital media technologies.

The SDMA program connects Sony’s unique digital media strengths with academia’s innovative culture. Initial projects are primarily supported by Sony consumer electronics, and areas of research include high-definition mobile media production, new storytelling methods, innovative digital media processes, 3D cinema and augmented reality.

“The program is designed to expose students to the latest Sony technologies and equipment, building on mutually beneficial goals, in order to help education to stay ahead of the curve and evolve with the ever-changing landscape of technologies,” said Steve Zimmer, Business Development Manager at Sony Electronics. “There is a shared commitment and investment with the schools and we will help facilitate the development of production, research and curriculum with new Sony products.”

Nine institutions have signed up to participate in the kick-off of the program, including:

  • American University, School of Communication — Washington, D.C.
  • Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design –Philadelphia, PA
  • New York University, Tisch School of the Arts — New York
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago, IL
  • The Florida State University, College of Motion Picture Arts –Tallahassee, FL
  • UCLA, School of Theater, Film and Television – Los Angeles
  • UC San Diego, Division of Arts and Humanities – San Diego, Calif.
  • University of Central Florida, College of Arts & Humanities — Orlando, FL
  • University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts – Los Angeles

“These initial campuses were selected and invited to participate in the SDMA program based on their diverse strengths and leading educational programs in digital media, as well as their previous programmatic relationships with Sony,” added Zimmer.

Each participating school developed proposals for digital media projects to undertake in the coming year. Sony is supporting successful proposals with a range of technologies, including 3D Handycam® camcorders, VAIO® computers, Alpha DSLR cameras and Sony Tablets. As the program develops and evolves, Sony will explore the possibilities for collaborating with more schools. For more information about the program, visit www.sony.com/SDMA.

See the original post here: http://www.embedded.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-releases/audio-design/4371823/Sony-Rolls-Out-Digital-Media-Academy-Program-For-Higher-Education

Nanoco Group plc – the world leading developer and manufacturer of quantum dots

4.26.2012

[Philip Lelyveld comment: Nanoco is mass producing quantum dots, using no heavy metals, for manufacturers in the UK and Japan.]

[from Nanoco website]

Nanoco Group PLC and its operating subsidiary Nanoco Technologies Ltd partner major R&D and blue-chip industrial organisations in the development of applications incorporating semiconductor nanoparticles, “quantum dots”.

Nanoco Technologies is unique in the nanomaterials market as a company that manufacture large quantities of quantum dots. Our molecular seeding process for the bespoke manufacture of these nanoparticles on a commercial scale is protected by worldwide patents.

Nanoco Technologies is the only manufacturer currently able to supply production quantities of these nanoparticles which do not use a regulated heavy metal. We are the only manufacturer able to respond to orders for large quantities of bespoke quantum dots, and we are leading the way in customising the functionalisation of quantum dots enabling chemical linkage for biological and other specific uses.

The bulk manufacture of quantum dots provides our partners with the platform to develop a wide variety of next-generation products, particularly in application areas such as display technology, lighting, solar cells and biological imaging.

Nanoco Technologies’ research and manufacturing headquarters was established in Manchester (UK) in 2001. The company currently operates facilities in the UK and Japan.

See more here: http://www.nanocotechnologies.com/

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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