News Stories

Panasonic, Arri Preview Cameras

2.18.2010

photoAt HPA, Panasonic previewed its two-lens 3D HD camcorder (top)—which was part of the company’s CES lineup— at the HPA Tech Retreat.
A company rep said convergence is adjustable and images are recorded to HD cards that fit into workflows with various post products such as Final Cut Pro and Pablo.
An NAB launch is planned, and it ships in September for $21,000.

Arri previewed a working prototype of its “Alexa” camera (bottom), which was first announced at IBC 2009.
IMG_6908There will be three models of the 35-mm format digital cameras, designed around a new CMOS sensor and offering file-based workflow options. The models include the basic EV (electronic viewfinder), shipping in June for around €50,000 (roughly $75,500); EV+, shipping in September for roughly €60,000 (roughly $93,000); and OV (optical viewfinder), shipping in December for €130,000 (roughly $195,000).
The EV and EV+ use a 16:9 sensor, and the OV uses a 4:3 sensor. Arri emphasized features including sensitivity, signal to noise ratio and high dynamic range.

HPA Addresses 3D, Games, Packaged Media

2.17.2010

ETC again made the HPA Tech Retreat program this afternoon, during a panel on Consumer Electronics.
CEA’s Shawn DuBravac announced that the latest ETC/CEA 3D Study would be released next week.
He reviewed some of the finding, which were also presented at CES.

Earlier, Mark Schubin’s Year in Review included a look at 3D, including:
–3D trucks are on the way from NEP and AMV
–Integrated cameras and camcorders are arriving from companies including 3D-One, Astro, DXG, Iknoskop, LMP, Panasonic and Sony.
–He raised a question: Will the industry see auto convergence from 3Ality?
–This year 10% of new TVs 37-inch and up will support 3D (Source: Panasonic)

Additional topics:
–Games: OnLive’s Tom Paquin related that the company is creating a game-on–demand service with HD video available over public networks, and commented on how it would handle latency issues. Essentially, OnLive would enable delivery of interactive content over public networks, a service that can be used for additional applications.
It is designed for use on any consumer device including a PC, Mac or handheld product.
–Packaged Media: Steven B. Cohen reported that last year 20% of all video rentals came from vending machines. Among the examples of businesses in the space is Redbox—with 22,000 kiosks in the US that offer $1/day rentals.

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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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