Video News

This week’s Vidcast discusses Foley, which prompts us to recommend the following links. Enjoy the show…

The art of Foley
What is Foley?
Foley Recording
Free sound effects

This just in from VideoJug: Roseanne Barr, the notorious TV mom of the hit show Rosanne is VideoJug.com’s latest Ask the Expert talent. Roseanne will be sharing her candid views on life and the top news stories of the day. We can’t help but wonder if Roseanne, who’s also announcing her Presidential bid, is aiming for a seat on The View. Something tells us that Barbara Walters won’t have it. But, that’s all irrelevant anyhow.

What we really want to tell you is that VideoJug is helping you ring in 2008 with a How-To video contest. What can be better way of kicking off the year than a healthy bit of competition. What’s at stake? Well, beside risking your reputation, contestants are asked to submit a How-To video to VideoJug.com on a subject matching any of their categories; Health, Education, Fitness and Love are some of the popular ones. Videos must be 100 MB or smaller and 5-minutes or less. The important thing to remember is to upload it as soon as possible, because the leading 3 videos of each category (there are 20 categories) starting January 1st and ending the 31st will win a cash prize. The awards range from $500 for 3rd place finishers to $2000 for the most popular of the category. To find out more and upload your How-To video go to VideoJug.com. While you’re there, tell Roseanne hello for us.

For a list of more contests please visit our Video Contests page

reprinted from an Avid press release:

Tewksbury, Mass. – December 19, 2007 – Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today
announced that Gary Greenfield has been named chairman of the board and chief executive
officer (CEO) effective immediately. Greenfield succeeds Nancy Hawthorne, who has served as
interim CEO since August 1 and will assume the role of lead director on the company’s Board.
“As Avid continues to evolve and help our customers meet new challenges in the dynamic
digital media marketplace, we sought a leader who had direct experience in helping complex
and multi-dimensional public companies achieve their goals,” said Hawthorne. “Gary is an
outstanding choice to lead the company into a new era of growth.”

“Avid has a rich 20-year history as a vibrant and innovative technology pioneer, whose family of
brands stands at the forefront of technology for the digital media and entertainment industries—
that’s what made the opportunity to join the company so attractive. I believe Avid can become a
true media powerhouse and I am excited to lead that charge,” said Greenfield.

Greenfield has been CEO of GXS since 2003, a leading worldwide provider of business-tobusiness
integration, synchronization and collaboration solutions. Since December 2003, he
has also been an operating partner with Francisco Partners, a leading technology-focused
private equity firm.

Previously, he served as CEO of Peregrine Systems where he managed the restructuring of
their business; president and CEO of MERANT; and while CEO of INTERSOLV, they merged
with Micro Focus to form MERANT. He has experience growing businesses both organically
and through acquisition, managing development, marketing and operations, and serving diverse
customers from small businesses to the Fortune 500.

As part of Greenfield’s compensation package, Avid granted to him an option to purchase
725,000 shares of Avid’s common stock and issued 100,000 shares of restricted stock. The
option has a seven-year term and an exercise price equal to the last sale price of Avid’s
common stock on December 19, 2007, the date of the option grant. The option vests as follows:
100,000 shares vest quarterly in arrears over a four-year period, 300,000 shares vest on a
performance-based schedule tied to the price of the Company’s stock and 325,000 shares vest
on a performance-based schedule tied to both the price of the Company’s stock and
achievement of certain financial metrics. The restricted stock has a purchase price equal to the
par value of the restricted shares, is subject to contractual restrictions on transfer until vested
and vests as to 25% of the shares on January 1, 2009 and then in equal quarterly installments
thereafter until fully vested on December 19, 2011. The foregoing awards were made as
inducement grants pursuant to an exemption from NASDAQ’s shareholder approval
requirements under Section 4350(i)(1)(A)(iv) of the NASD Marketplace Rules, which require
public announcements of inducement grants. Additional information about the terms of these
grants can be found in Avid’s report on Form 8-K being filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on the date of this press release.

Conference Call
A conference call to introduce Avid’s new chairman and chief executive officer will be held
tomorrow, December 20, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. ET. The call will be open to the public and can be
accessed by dialing (719) 325-4750 and referencing confirmation code 2714881. A replay of the
call will be available for one week following the call by dialing (719) 457-0820 and inputting
passcode 2714881. The call and subsequent replay will also be available on Avid’s website. To
listen via this alternative, go to the Investor Relations page under the About Us menu at
www.avid.com for complete details prior to the start of the conference call.

The Writers Guild of America strike could be democratizing video further, according to this LA Times story we found this morning on Boing Boing. It’s worth further discussion, though–when players from the old Hollywood establishment get into the new frontier of the Web, what changes? Certainly, there is a newfound freedom in getting away from the old system. When other writers and producers taste this freedom and the new flexibility they have, could an exodus ensue? Has the union has sealed its own fate? Time will tell…

San Antonio, Texas — December 12, 2007 — NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced the release of LiveSet Generator for LightWave, a free plug-in for LightWave v9 that facilitates the authoring of computer generated virtual sets. LiveSet Generator for LightWave takes advantage of the Emmy award-winning modeling and rendering technology, providing a simple solution for the creation of custom, photo-realistic virtual sets. LiveSet Generator for LightWave is for use with LiveSet, the proprietary virtual set technology found in NewTek’s TriCaster STUDIOâ„¢, Portable Live Production System, and VT[5], Integrated Production Suite.

LiveSet Generatorâ„¢ for LightWave
Features of the plug-in allows users to:

-Create virtual sets with multiple camera angles and focal lengths.
-Generate effects with real-time video scaling for virtual on-set video monitors.
-Produce projects with full support for anti-aliasing, reflections, refractions, radiosity, texture filtering, bump maps and more.
-Automatically generate and assign LiveSet preview icons.
-Render LightWave projects directly to LiveSet format.

“Until TriCaster STUDIO live virtual sets were only available to production facilities with deep pockets” said Andrew Cross, NewTek’s Executive Vice President of Software Engineering. “LiveSet Generator for LightWave now makes custom, photo-realistic, virtual sets available to video producers at all levels.”

LiveSet Technology
LiveSet is a proprietary virtual set system included in TriCaster STUDIO and VT[5] products. LiveSet allows individual virtual set effects to be applied independently to each camera input as well as integrated DDRs and iVGA inputs. Each LiveSet effect offers virtual cameras with multiple camera angles and focal lengths, with support for secondary video sources, such as on-screen background monitors and video walls. The photo-realistic LiveSet engine allows real-time rendering of reflections, refractions, bump maps and more.

Pricing and Availability
The LiveSet Generator for LightWave is available as a free download for all registered owners of NewTek’s TriCaster STUDIO, Portable Live Production System, and VT[5], Integrated Production Suite. The LiveSet Generator for LightWave plug-in requires the use of LightWave v9. Registered owners of TriCaster Studio or VT[5] may purchase a full commercial copy of LightWave v9 for a special price of $495US. For more information, please visit www.NewTek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

reprinted from a Boris FX press release:

Marlborough MA – December 12, 2007 - Boris FX, the leading developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, announced today the release of Boris Graffiti 5.2. Boris Graffiti is a 2D/3D titling solution with extensive title animation capabilities including support for; EPS import and extrusion, resolution independent vector text, advanced type-on title animation, text on a path and automated rolls, crawls, fades and zooms.

A plug-in package for 20-plus non-linear editing systems, the new release is offered free for existing Boris Graffiti 5.0 customers via electronic distribution (www.borisfx.com) and adds support for major operating systems Leopard (Apple OS X) and Vista (Microsoft) as well as extended Sony Vegas 8.0 and Adobe CS 3.0 host integration with full validation for the Intel-Mac versions of After Effects and Premiere Pro and After Effects for Windows Vista. The point release also optimizes several features including Preview to Monitor which now supports Firewire as well as AJA video cards and an enhanced Boris Title Container with better control over sub titles.

Boris Graffiti 5.2 Highlights
•Support for Apple OS X Leopard and Windows Vista operating systems •Host Support: Adobe CS 3 (Intel-Mac AE and Premiere Pro, Windows Vista AE), and Sony Vegas 8.0 •Optimized features; Preview to Monitor (support Firewire / AJA video
cards) and enhanced Boris Red Title Container (no need to re-import the STL file).

reprinted from a Shining Technology press release:

Newly Patented Technology Covers Award-Winning Line of CitiDISK™ DV/HDV/DVCPRO HD® Tapeless Acquisition Recorders

CYPRESS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Shining Technology, Inc., a global provider of essential peripherals to the professional broadcast and video markets, today announced it has been issued a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its unique AV recording technology.

Entitled “System and Method for Direct Recording of Audio, Video and/or Images for Easy Access and Editing,” U.S. Patent No. 7,295,766 covers Shining’s proprietary technology for recording data, such as video, directly from video cameras onto tapeless hard drives – facilitating a video professional’s ability to edit instantly.

Shining has developed this system for several years and it is currently used worldwide in the company’s award-winning line of CitiDISK™ recorders. These palm-sized devices attach directly to DV/HDV/DVCPRO HD® video cameras and allow users to record footage directly to CitiDISK’s high-capacity (currently up to 120GB) video hard drive (and to tape simultaneously).

This tapeless recording capability eliminates the time-consuming video recapture process, making “on-the-spot” editing a reality for today’s broadcast and video pros, who must often edit instantly for immediate turnaround (e.g., online video uploads). The result is a significant resource savings in man-hours, production and field time, and the bottom line.

“The high-definition transformation we are all witnessing, whether at the professional or consumer level, represents a massive industry sea change,” said Chris Wang, chief executive officer of Shining Technology. “Our company is proud to be well-positioned with the patented technology and the right products at the right time for a burgeoning global appetite to work with video digitally.”

reprinted from a Toon Boom press release:

Toon Boom Studio 4 is Leopard Ready

Montreal (December 10, 2007) – Emmy award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. today announced that a Studio 4 patch is now available for all users running Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard), Apple’s latest operating system.
All current Studio 4 Mac customers need to go to toonboom.com, login, go to the My Products page and click on Download to get the patch.

This Studio 4 patch is for Mac OS 10.5 customers only and reaffirms Toon Boom’s commitment of making their animation software compatible with the leading operating systems.

Toon Boom will be showcasing Studio 4, Digital Pro, Storyboard Pro and Flip Boom at Macworld 2008, Booth W-4336, from January 15 to 18 in San Francisco. One hundred free Exhibit Hall Passes are available to be given away. First come, first served so go to
http://rcsreg.com/macworld/08-G-PC306 to register.

About Toon Boom Animation Inc.
Toon Boom Animation Inc. is the worldwide leader in animation software solutions. Toon Boom carries entry level and high-end animation software solutions for film, television, web, games, mobile devices and training applications. Toon Boom’s solutions also include powerful pre-production tools ideal for all animated or live-action projects.
In 2005, Toon Boom was granted the Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its significant contribution made to the animation industry targeted for television, in North America and throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In 2006, the IT Federation of Quebec (FIQ) awarded an OCTAS 2006 in the Multimedia – educational and cultural sector category, for Toon Boom Studio V3. In 2007, FIQ awarded an OCTAS 2007 in the Technological Innovation category, for Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

Toon Boom’s client base ranges from major studios creating Hollywood blockbuster animated films to individual animators creating their first masterpieces. Market-leading studios using Toon Boom’s products include Nelvana, Warner Bros., Mercury Filmworks, China Central Television, Toonz Animation India, eMation, Rough Draft Korea, Alphanim, Cosgrove Hall, Cromosoma and Enarmonia, to name a few. Some of the prestigious productions done with Toon Boom’s technology include Les Triplettes de Belleville, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, The Rugrats, SpongeBob The Movie, Curious George, Go West: A New Lucky Luke Adventure and The Simpsons Movie.

For additional information, visit Toon Boom at toonboom.com.

reprinted from a NewTek press release:

San Antonio, Texas — December 5, 2007 — NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced the release of a major upgrade to its TriCaster STUDIOâ„¢ portable live production and virtual set system. Key new capabilities in the update include features that provide additional preview options when switching live camera sources and greater flexibility when creating text and title treatments. The upgrade is available immediately as a free download to TriCaster STUDIO owners.

New features of TriCaster STUDIO include:

* Full-featured character generator, including scrolls and crawls, and the ability to easily produce title templates for live production.
* Titles can be placed up-stream of every input individually.
* New 3 camera dedicated on-screen preview monitor display mode.
* An iVGA underscan button that allows control over whether or not a VGA input fills the entire video frame.
* Improved keying and ease-of-use with an optimized LiveMatteâ„¢ engine.
* A Y/C across BNC option that allows users to create long cable-runs on site using two shielded BNC cables, which is sturdier and more cost-effective than using an S-Video cable.
* Video editor improvements based on SpeedEDIT 1.5, with new video effects, audio filters and other features.
* Additional tools will be available to allow you to create your own LiveSetâ„¢ virtual sets with Lightwave 3D v9.

“TriCaster has completely upended the economics of live production and streaming,’” said Andrew Cross, NewTek’s Executive Vice President of Software Engineering. “There’s nothing on the market that even comes close to TriCaster STUDIO‘s extensive suite of portable live production capabilities.”

TriCaster STUDIO provides all of the capabilities of a live remote production truck including: component video, balanced audio, six video inputs and advanced switching features, live virtual sets, multiple upstream effects, title graphics, dual virtual playback DDR’s and an additional record DDR, live streaming and much more, in a small, 16-pound package. TriCaster STUDIO makes it possible to cover live events and broadcast and stream from locations where the use of remote truck facilities are not feasible.

Virtual Sets
The proprietary virtual set system in TriCaster STUDIO, LiveSet™ allows separate virtual sets to be assigned independently to all six camera inputs and the dual integrated DDR’s. In addition, each input has an independent LiveMatte™ module eliminating the need for expensive keying or frame-sync hardware. Each virtual set supports virtual cameras with multiple angles and focal lengths with support for secondary video sources such as on-screen background monitors. The photo-realistic LiveSet engine allows real-time rendering of reflections, refractions, bump maps and more.

Pricing and Availability
TriCaster STUDIO in NTSC is available in North America for $9,995US through December 31, 2007. The price will increase to $10,995US January 1, 2008. TriCaster STUDIO is also available internationally in dual PAL/NTSC versions. For more information, please visit www.NewTek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, international callers dial +1-210-370-8000.