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Home » Once Was Not Enough: Week in Review Returns

Once Was Not Enough: Week in Review Returns

We’re re-introducing “Week in Review” from its hiatus. Why did we stop? We don’t like expending any of our web real estate unless we’re sure there’s a need served. In this case, enough of you have mentioned Week in Review over the past few months that we decided to restart it. What is it exactly? We take a look at the prior week’s pronouncements, product releases, blovations and any other bits that we think would make interesting reading.

This interpretive look back at the past week’s news points up a key aspect of NYCPPNEWS’ approach: we’re in no rush to get the news out. We’d rather take a little more time to mull things over, and consider a product’s good or bad attributes. Finally, we develop our own opinion based on our experience as journalists and creatives in our own right. You won’t find us reposting press releases as “news”.

Each Monday we’ll deliver “Week in Review”, but it’s only on the website to whet your appetite. After a trial period you won’t find it here, but simply subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll deliver it to your in-box once-a-week. We’ll also add in special features over the months that should be fun stuff. So watch this space…and sign up if you want our own unique take on the news. (Look for the sign-up link in the frontpage sidebar.)

 Your Future is in the Clouds

Last week saw the 10th annual Cloud Expo turn up at the Javits. There wasn’t much for anyone working in traditional video post, but what was going on at the convention center gave a hint that this is starting to change fast. Using the cloud for video storage was trumpeted by a number of companies in attendance, including HP and Cisco.

Cost has been one consideration for potential users; it’s still cheaper to keep storage on site. But the increasing number of players in the cloud storage market will trigger a rapid drop in costs. Both Amazon and Google, for example, lowered their costs earlier this year for use of their cloud infrastructure. Amazon, a leader in running both programs and storage on its huge S3 worldwide network, dropped prices by up to 13.5%. Meanwhile, the company’s storage service reported a year-over-year growth of 192 percent for 2011.

So while “production in the cloud” is still a bit too much for most facilities to embrace, expect storing and editing your video online to become a real alternative in the coming years.

Currently, however, you need to be aware that companies charge not only for the storage on a per monthly basis but the amount of data transferred in and out as well as the number of requests made on the storage system.

Synform “guarantees” the lowest flat fee for secure offsite cloud storage and backup.

That can get complex. One company at Cloud Expo, Synform, offered up a different, simplified approach to cloud storage. The Seattle-based company’s claim is that the traditional cloud storage model is “broken” as you can buy your own storage and run it locally at a much cheaper level than what you’ll pay to store the same amount of data on line.

So how does Synform make use of local storage? Somewhat similar to how torrent streams work—you know, The Pirate Bay and all that–you can have as much storage as you want but you must offer up some of your own storage and agree to be part of a worldwide network of similar users. How’s it work? You upload your video or other files to the cloud where they’re broken up, the bits encrypted and then sent to other customer’s personal storage. Whether or not you’re comfortable with parts of your files sitting on some unknown person’s storage, you’ll have to admit that’s a pretty unique approach.

A more practical approach to working in the cloud just got a lot cheaper, as Scenios recently announced a free version of their secure network for planning, production, and post. While the New York-based company’s clients include big players such as Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox, you can now create a free account with up to 5GB of storage for one production along with an unlimited number of users.

(I wrote about Scenios a while back when they had just come out of beta )

Instead of having to figure out whether cloud storage works for you, what Scenios offers makes instant sense. Using the company’s servers allows your production to use the ‘net to work collaboratively, share location scout reports, check out dailies together, post call sheets, and more.

Their paid services won’t set you back much either; Scenios Plus, for example, allows users to manage two productions and work with up to 100 GB of cloud storage for only $19 per month. Worth a try.

The new Maya nHair module, part of the Maya Nucleus unified simulation framework, offers “highly realistic” hair.

It’s Big and Loaded: Autodesk’s Entertainment Creation Suite 2013 Arrives

Autodesk’s massive Entertainment Creation Suite 2013 has just been released.

There are a number of powerful new features in the Suite. One we particularly like is the Autodesk FBX 2013 software file-interchange format. It brings a level of interoperability that enables you to establish a live streaming connection between a character in Maya and MotionBuilder. This should speed things considerably.

In our upcoming review, we’ll be checking out the new Ultimate version, which lists for $7995. This full on version contains major apps such as 3ds Max, Maya and Softimage. Softimage was once competitive with Maya before being bought out, and this fully featured 3D modeling, rendering and animation software remains a favorite of many. We’ll also touch upon Mudbox (3D sculpting and painting software); MotionBuilder (virtual production and motion capture editing software); and SketchBook Designer (concept art software).

You’ll also find enhanced f-curve editing, better interoperability between Maya and 3ds Max, more realistic hair in Maya, Bullet Physics, Enhanced After Effects and Photoshop interoperability in 3ds Max, interactive iRay rendering and… Wait a second. The list of new features in the Entertainment Creation Suite is really long and this is supposed to be a short update. So stay tuned for our review, where we’ll have plenty of space to treat everything in depth. In the meantime, check out the software here.

The inexpensive Intensikey app enables live actors to be quickly integrated into 3D virtual sets.

Integrate Green-screened Actors into Virtual Sets with Intensikey

Intensikey is an interesting 3D post-production virtual set system, which launched at NAB 2012. Intensikey allows you to integrate green screen footage of talent (actors, show hosts, news anchors) into 3D virtual sets in an easy-to-use virtual set system.

You can key the footage right inside the software, and then apply integrated camera moves. While we haven’t tested it yet, Intensikey looks promising, and seems to shave hours oaff of what would have taken a much longer time to pull off in complicated 3D and compositing programs.

Intensikey, developed by Eric Pratt, CEO of Virtualsetworks, addresses a need he saw for better functionality in virtual set post-production software. Look for our upcoming review. Want to know more now? Check out Intensikey’s website for more.

AMD’s Eyefinity software offers control over display parameters previously delivered only by custom software.

AMD’s New Pro Graphics Card Won’t Set You Back Much if You’re Pondering Digital Signage

While it might not be as sexy as working on the latest feature or commercial, many facilities in New York find solid job prospects by focusing on delivering great graphics and video on digital signage. No wonder: With today’s large and relatively inexpensive monitors, dynamic, multi-screen display video walls turn up in hotels, malls, concerts, Times Square and places we can’t even imagine. The need for good production content just keeps growing too as tech gets cheaper and more capable.

Take hardware for example. To capture some of this high-resolution, content rich market—one that had once relied on sluggish embedded graphics technology–AMD jumps in with its FirePro W600 graphics card. Built with power-efficient 28nm Core Next architecture, the card only pulls a top 75W even though it can decode two simultaneous HD video streams at once while pushing out video to six monitors via its mini-DisplayPort connectors. Its modest $599 list even includes 2GB of GDDR5 graphics memory.

Even if you just want to power a few displays in your facility’s lobby, check out what AMD has come up with by visiting AMD for more information.

–By Dan Ochiva and Joe Herman

 


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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