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Home » Digital Arts Trail Blazes New Age of Digital Audio & Picture Post Production in New York City

Digital Arts Trail Blazes New Age of Digital Audio & Picture Post Production in New York City

In anticipation of the mass adoption of 4K/Ultra High Definition (UHD) technology worldwide, New York’s Digital Arts (www.digitalartsny.com) is blazing a trail in the feature and TV communities with the first true-4K post production facility on the East Coast. This ground-breaking advance fuses the latest 4K color grading and finishing capabilities with state-of-the-art audio technologies, in a landmark, ultra-modern, environment – unleashing new and exciting possibilities for feature and broadcast producers to create and deliver compelling 4K and UHD content.

“We’re passionate about creative excellence, and with this next-generation facility, we’re opening a new chapter in New York’s long tradition for innovation,” said Digital Arts’ founder Axel Ericson. “We have built an inspiring environment where experienced digital artists have the latest technology at their disposal in order to collaborate creatively with filmmakers in this new paradigm. It’s a home for storytellers to develop the emotional qualities of their projects through beautifully-crafted sound and images.

“In designing these facilities I knew we had the opportunity to start from the ground up in our approach to image, sound and the creative working environment itself. Through a careful set of choices and a no-compromise approach to detail, Digital Arts sets a new milestone in New York. We are establishing new standards of excellence to fulfill the potential of today’s digital production technology through our new post production infrastructure.”

Digital Arts’ cutting-edge services have already attracted a number of high-profile projects. The company provided the audio facilities for legendary sound mixer Lee Dichter to complete Woody Allen’s upcoming feature Blue Jasmine. Digital Arts was home to HBO’s music documentary Beyoncé: Life Is But A Dream, and completed the audio design and mixing on the critically-acclaimed feature Hide Your Smiling Faces, directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone. The company also conducted the DI color grade on the feature Plus One, attended by director by Dennis Iliadis and cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr.

Superior 4K DI grading theater:

Digital Art’s realtime 4K, 2K and HD color correction and finishing facility maximizes the image quality of digital cinematography. It delivers new levels of productivity through advanced and efficient, file-based workflows for the very latest digital cameras. The infrastructure features extensive color science, including ACES, across ASSIMILATE Scratch and DaVinci Resolve grading platforms. The 27-seat DI theater combines a Christie 4220 4K digital projector with a 17ft 4K mesh screen, from Image Screens in Germany, resulting in peerless image quality. Digital Arts also provides complete workflows, including digital dailies grading, editorial, DCP mastering and LTO-6 archival.

Speaking about the capabilities of Digital Arts’ new DI theater Ted Schilowitz, of RED Digital Cinema, said, “RED is paying close attention to those post production companies and DI grading and finishing houses that really understand the importance and value of true, high-fidelity post, finishing and delivery. One of those DI facilities is Digital Arts, right in the heart of NYC. It’s great that Axel and his team are driving the technology with a full-on 4K DI grading bay, that can also serve the needs of those shooting RED today and deliver both HD and 4K versions with the same toolset.”

Premier 7.1 sound mixing:

Ericson has carried the same meticulous attention to detail into designing a landmark audio mixing environment. Sharing the same theater setting, the company’s state-of-the-art, Dolby-approved, re-recording dubstage includes 7.1 and 5.1 surround/stereo audio mixing using the latest Meyer Sound EXP cinema series speakers. Quad ProTools HDX2, with four satellites, and double 32-channel D-control ES Icon consoles, enable sound mixing teams to work collaboratively together. Services also include editorial, sound design, ADR and voiceover recording.

“Digital Arts’ new dubstage is a world-class facility,” said Lee Dichter, Woody Allen’s long-time sound mixer. “During my career I have worked in environments where every detail has been tuned to perfection. To my delight, I discovered that Axel understands the art of sound mixing, and has designed a truly inspirational room. There’s an impressive clarity, power and transparency to the audio it delivers. I found it a great experience while sculpting the dialogue tracks, and bringing out the subtle intimacies of the performances, in Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen’s new feature.”

News of Digital Art’s advance is made as incentives offered by the New York State Post Production Tax Credit were recently boosted to a 30% tax credit on post production expenditure. The company has become a member of the New York Post Alliance.

“Our vision is to deliver New York’s most creative post-production experience while achieving significant advances in quality,” said Ericson. “I want to energize the feature and broadcast communities, and give them something really special, that reflects the vibrancy of the city.”

Digital Art’s creative talent pool includes acclaimed feature and commercials colorist Milan Boncich (Beginners, Fair Game, Bobby Fischer Against The World), award-winning editor/director David Jakubovic (TWA Flight 800, The Forest Is Red, When Nietzsche Wept) and leading sound designer/re-recording mixer Chris Foster (30 Rock, Damages, Hide Your Smiling Faces).

 About Digital Arts: Located in the heart of New York City, Digital Arts provides ultra-modern picture and audio finishing services for feature and high-end TV productions within a 12,000sq/ft facility. The company was established by Axel Ericson, a technology pioneer who has over 25 years of experience in composing, sound design and mixing, producing, color grading and finishing. During his career Ericson has received numerous accolades – MTV, Emmy, Promomax/BDA and Monitor awards, and a Grammy nomination.

Under his auspices, Digital Arts created one of NYC’s first HD infrastructures and became the finishing house for major TV brands including National Geographic, A&E, ABC, Disney, History Channel and many more. Digital Arts has continued its pioneering endeavors launching the first true 4K infrastructure on the US East Coast for full 4K finishing. For more information visit www.digitalartsny.com.

 

 

 

About Dan Ochiva

New York City-based journalist and NYCPPNEWS founder Dan Ochiva writes and consults on film, video, and digital media technology.

Community & Partner Links

How Sony’s New Virtual Sound Technology Can Change How We Hear Films

Kami Asgar and Jessica Parks are post-production heavyweights who work with major studios, namely Sony. As a sound designer (Asgar) and as a post executive (Parks), their collective resume touches on everything from Apocalypto to Grandma’s Boy to Venom.

Parks has recently shifted her focus from supervisor to hands-on sound design, and we talk about how it’s never too late to pivot on your career path and find the thing you love doing wherever you are in life.

Click on this link to read the rest of the article on No Film School’s site.

NJ – Governor Murphy signs $14B Incentive Program Bill – the NJ Economic Recovery Act of 2020

 Film tax credits — amending existing programs to include provisions for so-called New Jersey film partners and New Jersey film-lease partners and allowing an additional $200 million of tax credits annually over 13 years.

Click this link if you want to read the full article on the Lexology site. http://bit.ly/35NtDx6

Film Commish announces date for production restart

In her December 18, 2020 news update, MOME Commissioner Anne del Castillo announced that the Film Office is now accepting permit applications for production activity that begins on July 27th.

She also announced awards now (Awkwafina) and more. To read all of the Film Commish’s bloggy sort of news column, click here.

Stimulus Offers $15 Billion in Relief for Struggling Arts Venues

The coronavirus relief package that Congressional leaders agreed to this week includes grant money that many small proprietors described as a last hope for survival.

For the music venue owners, theater producers and cultural institutions that have suffered through the pandemic with no business, the coronavirus relief package that Congress passed on Monday night offers the prospect of aid at last.

To read the full article on The New York Times’ site, click here.

If you want to start production, here’s the latest news from the Mayor’s Office

Phase 4 production guidance is available on the Film Permit website. All production activity, whether it requires a Film Permit or not, must comply with New York Forward Industry Guidance.

For more information see, please refer to the State Department of Health’s Interim Guidance for Media Production During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Please review the guidelines and FAQ before submitting permit applications. The Film Office is operating remotely, so please allow additional time for Film Permit processing.

The above paragraphs contain links to the various FAQ – just mouse over the relevant words.

Nikon to Stop Making Cameras in Japan

Nikon has fallen on hard times as of late as its camera sales have cratered, and now there’s a new indicator of how dire its financial situation is: the company is reportedly pulling the plug on making cameras in Japan after over 70 years of doing so.

To read the full article on Petapixel’s site, click here.

NVIDIA Uses AI to Slash Bandwidth on Video Calls

NVIDIA Research has invented a way to use AI to dramatically reduce video call bandwidth while simultaneously improving quality

What the researchers have achieved has remarkable results: by replacing the traditional h.264 video codec with a neural network, they have managed to reduce the required bandwidth for a video call by an order of magnitude. In one example, the required data rate fell from 97.28 KB/frame to a measly 0.1165 KB/frame – a reduction to 0.1% of required bandwidth.

To read the rest of this article on Petapixel, click this link.

 

 

 

Union Health Plan Dodges Film Workers’ Suit Over Virus Relief

Law360 (October 9, 2020, 5:22 PM EDT) — The Motion Picture Industry Health Plan’s board can’t be sued under ERISA for allegedly flouting its duties when it relaxed plan rules in response to COVID-19, a California federal judge has ruled, nixing a proposed class action filed by two cinematographers who still couldn’t qualify for benefits.

In an order entered Thursday, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner granted the board of directors’ motion to dismiss Greg Endries and Dee Nichols’ Employee Retirement Income Security Act suit accusing board members of breaching their duty to treat all plan participants fairly.

Endries and Nichols, members of Local 600 of the International Cinematographers Guild, said in July that the board left them and others “out in the cold” in its attempts to address the problems COVID-19 caused for plan participants.

But Judge Klausner agreed with the board’s contention that the case, which alleged a fiduciary breach, should be tossed because plan administrators don’t act as fiduciaries when they amend health care plans.

Read the full article on the Law360 site by clicking here.

Russo Brothers Received Close to $50 Million From Saudi Bank

Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo photographed at the PMC Studio in Los Angeles for the Variety Playback Podcast.

The Russo brothers, directors of the all-time top grossing film “Avengers: Endgame,” quietly secured a roughly $50 million cash infusion for their production company AGBO from Saudi Arabia earlier this year, multiple sources tell Variety.

In a deal brokered and closed at the beginning of the pandemic, the Russos received the investment from an undisclosed Saudi bank in exchange for a minority stake in the brothers’ Los Angeles-based shop.

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