AV Specialist Vol. 113 by Tim Jones

Cartoon network boosts Arab animation Be aware of your market space Cultural diversity in Masada Nigeria feature film dances the Tango Emerging markets send out strong signal 3D television buzz

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Contents AV Specialist Volume 113

As site specific works go, they are rarely more special than this - a World Heritage site on the tip of the Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth at 400 metres below sea level - overlooked by the distinctive and majestic Masada Mountain, arguably best known for the mass suicide of the Sicari rebels in 74AD, during the first Jewish Roman war.

VFX Dubai have recently comleted working on RAK - The tree of life, a natural history film commissioned by the Government of Ras Al Khaimah. Publisher & Managing Editor Kevan Jones kevan@avspecialist.tv Feature Editor Dick Hobbs dick@avspecialist.tv Circulation Anne Ebrahim ann@avspecialist.tv Designer Rajiv Gopalan rajiv@avspecialist.tv Advertising sales Africa, Middle East, UK Richie Ebrahim richie@avspecialist.tv Europe Emmanuel Archambeaud earchambeaud@defcommunication.com Represented in North America by: Broadcast Media International Michael Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199 michael@avspecialist.tv Represented in the Middle East by: AV Specialist MENA FZ LLC PO Box 502314, Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 (0)4 391-4718 Fax: +971 (0)4 345-2898 Published in South Africa by: Doddington Direct cc PO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 083-6418 Fax: +27 (0)865253852 Represented in Europe by: Def & Communication 48 Bd Jean-Jaurès, 92110 Clichy, France Tel: +33 (0)1 4730 7180 Fax: +33 (0)1 4730 0189 Ave qualified circulation (Jan - June 2010) 4514

Cultural diversity as opera come to Masada

Are you aware of the space in which you operate? “Market research” is often seen as something ethereal and more associated with big brands in fast moving consumer goods or the automotive sector or whatever. It’s not somethingthat most media technology folks seem to talk about orconcern themselves with.

Emerging markets send out strong signal International study compares national crisis management and economic governance in the world’s major economies – quick and short-term responses instead of long-term strategies – no fine-tuned, concerted action on global level.

Publisher’s Note After the feeding frenzy created by the FIFA 2020 Football tournament you’d have thought things might have quietened down in Africa but by many accounts, business is booming. The next month will see many of the region’s broadcasters heading north for IBC where the conference and exhibition are always a highlight of the global broadcast industry calendar. This year’s Conference promises to be even more agenda-setting than ever, as it dissects the deployment of stereoscopic 3D, examines the rise of social media and its implications for content, and looks in detail at the world of sports broadcast. One of the unique elements of the exhibition is IBC’s New Technology Campus where cutting-edge innovation becomes reality, allowing attendees a glimpse into the future. In October the industry moves on to a few local events. In South Africa SACIA are hosting their ProAV Forum, an industry outreach programme designed to profile the effective implementation of audiovisual technology across the government, business and education markets. The event incorporates an exhibition, conference and social networking activities and is set to reinforce SACIA’s commitment to professional standards in the audiovisual industry. The keynote address will be delivered by Robert Simpson; a frequent writer and lecturer on Audio Visual and Lighting Control topics. Robert’s books include "Effective Audio Visual", "Videowalls - The Book of the Big Electronic Image" and “Lighting Control – Technology and Applications”. In 2008 he was awarded the InfoComm Distinguished Achievement Award. Taking place at the same time is Nigeria’s Africast exhibition that’ll once again take place in Abuja, the countries Federal capital. Africast’s vision is to serve as a gateway into the African broadcast market and to align African broadcasting with global trends and standards. To that end, the Africast event includes a Master Class on Digital Broadcast Operations. Themed “Africa in Digital Transition: Options and Perspectives”, Africast’s conference programme will encourage intense discussions on Africa’s choices and approaches to the digital transition. It will also give manufacturers and dealers in broadcast hardware and content the opportunity to connect with the decision makers in the Nigerian and African broadcast environment.

Product

news Transforming media at IBC Digital Rapids is bringing their comprehensive range of solutions for transforming and distributing media to IBC 2010. Digital Rapids connects content to opportunity, providing the leading solutions for bringing television, movie and web content to wider audiences and the latest viewing platforms. Scaling from standalone appliances to integrated, multi-solution global workflows, our systems provide unparalleled productivity, quality, flexibility and efficiency while streamlining our customers’ operations and lowering their costs. One of the latest products to make its IBC debut is the new Flux family of video capture and pre-processing hardware. Flux HD boards are the first cards optimized for encoding and streaming to feature dual-link and 3GSDI input support. The Flux hardware builds on the advanced video processing technology that has earned our solutions their reputation for industry-leading encoding quality. Working in conjunction with the Digital Rapids Stream software, Flux cards enable real-time, multi-format media capture, encoding and streaming for applications including post production, Internet TV, IPTV, VOD, mobile video, archive and more.

OConnor introduce O-Grips professional camera hand grips Pioneering fluid head and tripod innovator OConnor, a Vitec Group brand, has introduced the O-Grips Handgrips. Constructed with a solid titanium core for extreme durability and reliability, O-Grips feature smooth-functioning, singlehandle ball joints with a maximum payload capacity of 44 lbs (20 kg) – making them ideal for work with both smaller and larger cameras. These are the first professional camera handgrips capable of fitting all three standard rod systems (15mm and 19mm Studio, and 15mm LWS) via the single, easy to use O-Grips bridge. OConnor O-Grips can be used with all common camera configurations (several optional accessories will be available). Modular O-Grips are infinitely stackable for custom applications and can be configured to create double or even multi-joint handles. Each grip is fully adjustable and is capable of a half sphere of stepless articulation. In addition, by combining two grips, the range can be extended to a complete sphere.

UltraStudio Pro now shipping

Even more features for EVS’ Sports Graphic Tool

After the successful operation of the virtual offside line during this summer’s flagship event in South Africa, EVS’ sports graphic tool will be presented at this year’s IBC show with newly added features, such as the support

of 720p video format and extra analytical graphic overlays (distance to goal and free-kick circles). Epsio allows you to enhance your live production workflow and is now an integral part of your XT[2]+/LSM. LSM operators can instantly control the offside line graphic overlay, allowing you to optimize your live production workflow without additional resources. Based on patented algorithmic codes for real-time and automatic drawing of the field and its limits, the EVS Epsio is certain to take you to the next level.

Blackmagic Design has announced that UltraStudio Pro, the world’s first broadcast quality SD/HD capture and playback solution for USB 3.0 computers is now shipping! UltraStudio Pro combines the latest broadcast technology into an attractive ultra-thin design that fits into modern client friendly post production environments. UltraStudio Pro includes the mind blowing speed of the new USB 3.0 interface, which is ten times the 3

speed of regular USB, and runs at a massive 4.8 Gb/s speed. USB 3.0 easily has enough speed for the highest quality uncompressed 10 bit HD video with the maximum real time effects possible! UltraStudio Pro’s innovative design looks great on the desktop while hiding the cables behind the unit. With dozens of audio and video connections built in, the new style of design is critical to keeping cables hidden and editors can keep their studio neat and clean! UltraStudio Pro’s chassis is machined from solid metal with high grip silicon feet, so it’s strong enough to withstand harsh broadcast environments and won’t move around when heavy cables are connected. UltraStudio Pro also includes audio level meters for accurate audio level calibration.

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Product

news Ross Video raises the bar Ross Video raises the bar in high end production switchers with Vision Octane, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first 8 MLE switcher. Vision Octane is extremely powerful with 35 Full Screen HD Animation Stores, 24 Channels of 3D DVE with WARP capability, 96 inputs, 48 outputs, and an unprecedented total of 56 Keyers - 32 Full Keyers, 12 AuxKey Mixer / Keyers on the aux bus outputs and 12 DVE key combiners. Vision Octane can be loaded with any number of MLEs from 1 to 8, match any application, and be combined with up to 9 different control panels. At IBC Vision adds an optional internal Multiviewer! This multi-head multiviewer has access to all internal and external sources. Source labels with transparency, full program and preview tallies, and user selectable source assignments make this an excellent and cost effective solution for production control rooms. The entire Vision Series ships with a new 3G infrastructure as a standard feature, fulfilling the promise of Vision being a cutting edge product continuously evolving with the marketplace. Stereoscopic 3D capabilities and comprehensive iMag MultiScreen support will also be shown.

Vislink introduce MRC MobiLink Vislink has announced that IBC 2010 will see the introduction of the new MRC MobiLink - a high capacity, versatile and easy to use radio for outside broadcast and portable microwave applications. "We have designed the most capable radio on the market today that combines a split-box design with a broad range of IP and streaming video inputs, H.264 HD CODECs and modulation schemes including DVBS2 for maximum versatility," said Vislink Product Marketing Manager Eric McCulley. MRC MobiLink further expands Vislink's visionary range of IP-enabled products, which are revolutionising file-based workflow management in the field by extending the studio into ENG.

Argosy launch Miranda NVISION Compact Router

Vinten launches new intelligent Vector heads

Argosy will showcase the latest addition to the Miranda NVISION Compact router series at IBC 2010. The smallest router in the series, the 8x8 Compact routing matrix is ideally suited to utility routing applications and provides a routing solution for space conscious production environments. The 8x8 router is also extremely lightweight making it suitable for outside broadcast, Electronic News Gathering (ENG), Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and flyaway applications. As with the other components of the Miranda NVISION Compact router series, the 8x8 router has a comprehensive array of formats including 3Gbps/ HD/SD, analogue video and analogue audio and AES. The 8x8 NVISION Compact router is housed in a 1RU for maximum space efficiency. The system has multiple control capabilities including Ethernet or serial control, local button panels, and remote hard or soft panels. Powerful, easy to use configuration software is supplied as standard to simplify key tasks like salvos and partitioning, as well as integration with other Miranda NVISION and third party routing systems.

Vinten is launching two new heads at IBC2010 in direct response to user demand. The new Vector 750i delivers unsurpassed precision for virtual and augmented reality in outside broadcast and studio applications. Developed in collaboration with leading global customers, including Telegenic in the UK and Sport Vision in the US, the Vector 750i is the first encoded pantographic head from Vinten. It incorporates a new Intelligence Module allowing semi automatic set-up, slide plate tracking and kinematic compensation, all of which ensure stable and precise placement of virtual graphics into the live environment. This innovation coupled with the feel of the Vector 750, preferred by operators around the world, has ensured that the Vector 750i is keenly anticipated by production companies working with onscreen graphics, such as those that feature heavily in highprofile sports events like the upcoming Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games. 5

SRW-9000, a camcorder for life. The SRW-9000 from Sony is a real breakthrough in programme and movie technology for high end professionals. It’s a new breed of camcorder for life. By thinking beyond the conventional, we’ve revolutionised the format to deliver new opportunities in acquisition, workflow efficiency and storage archive. So you get a brilliant movie camera today that’s also a long term investment (and partner) for the future: • 35 mm and memory upgrade options • Open workflow with MXF and SR Lite • New ultrafast SR memory • Best in class tape archiving with new lower pricing For a closer encounter with the new camcorder for life, visit our website. For further information contact Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLC Unit C-50, P. O. Box 502050 International Media Production Zone Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 391 8400 Email: middle.east@eu.sony.com www.pro.sony.eu/mea

Product

news Budget Broadcast Battery PAG, the camera power and lighting specialist, has introduced a new version of its budget broadcast battery, the PAG L95e. The 95 watt-hour Li-Ion battery is compatible with Anton-Bauer chargers and camera mounts. The PAG L95e (Model 9310A) is a 14.8V 6.5Ah battery that has a maximum continuous output current rated at 7 amps. It has been designed as a high-quality, low-cost replacement for the Anton-Bauer Dionic 90, and is directly compatible with cameras that incorporate the Anton-Bauer battery mount. The significant advantage of the new PAG L95e is that it can be charged using existing stocks of Anton-Bauer Li-Ion compatible chargers. There is no need to replace chargers or purchase additional charge adaptors, enabling the switching of battery systems to be simple and economic. PAG claims that its L95e has a better quality to price ratio than any other battery in this market. Premier-quality materials and branded Li-Ion cells are used in its construction. It features a comprehensive electronic protection circuit which is itself protected from the results of damage to the cell pack. PAG asserts that no other manufacturer protects its Li-Ion batteries as thoroughly, and guarantees the battery for 18 months.

Redefining professional handheld video Canon has redefined the professional handheld video camera market with the launch of the XF305 and XF300 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two revolutionary, file-based video cameras that are the first models to use the new MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2) recording codec recently adopted by Canon. Designed to offer exceptional image quality and seamless workflow compatibility for a wide range of professional uses, the new XF models feature technology unrivalled in their class. An outstanding, all-new camera system comprises a Canon L-series HD Video Lens, 3CMOS sensor system and highly advanced DIGIC DV III processing. MPEG-2, Full HD video is recorded as industry-standard MXF (Material eXchange Format) files to Compact Flash memory cards, using data transfer rates of up to 50Mbps and rich 4:2:2 colour sampling, capturing more colour information for post production. XF305 and XF300 combine excellent imaging systems with a design that delivers advanced mobility and versatility. The broad feature set and adaptability of these models will allow users to shoot in almost any situation and for any given purpose, from independent filmmaking to commercial broadcast.

Third-Generation CopperHead Camera-Mounted Transceivers

Snell at IBC2010 At IBC2010, Snell will showcase new solutions to help its customers drive productivity, improve reliability, gain operational efficiency, and provide more flexibility for content restoration, live studios, remote productions, post-production, playout, and central operations. Enterprise control, configuration, and monitoring will be highlighted, together with Snell's latest advances in production switching, real-time restoration conversion, and routing. Snell will introduce enhanced audio monitoring capabilities for its recently launched MV-Series of multiviewers at IBC2010. The MV-Series offers flexible and costeffective solutions for combining and displaying multiple images (or "tiles") on a single or dual video display device. Designed for a range of applications including control rooms, studios, and OB trucks, the MV-Series offers users highly versatile and configurable viewing capabilities.

The CopperHead 3000 Series is the newest addition to Telecast Fiber Systems' patented CopperHead family of camera-mountable fiber optic transceivers, providing a single fiber optic link between any professional camera or camcorder and the broadcaster's truck, control room, or "video village" position. The CopperHead 3000 Series can handle all vital camera 7

signals and can be configured for specific applications such as ENG or multicamera use. At IBC2010, Telecast will introduce the CopperHead 3050 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of electronic news gathering (ENG) and satellite news gathering (SNG). Also making its European debut is the CopperHead 3200, which offers an affordable yet powerful multicasting solution for a range of HD broadcasting applications. Both systems deliver uncompressed HD video and simultaneously transport bidirectional digital (SDI or HD/SDI) and analogue (NTSC or PAL) video, as well as all two-way camera control, audio, video, data, sync, tally/call, prompter, and intercom signals between the camera and the base station.

Product

news Belden to demonstrate HD leadership at IBC With a proven track record in reliability and high quality which is required for the registration of “live” events, Belden offers a broad product portfolio for HD and 3G applications. People visiting the Belden booth will be able to see the latest high quality solutions for a wide range of broadcast applications. Belden specialists will be on hand to demonstrate how physically robust Belden cables offer excellent support for the high frequencies needed for digital video. It is here that Belden delivers Installable Performance, providing sufficient headroom so the cable will still work after installation. The main emphasis will be on cables for both studio and field use, as well as cables for use in permanent installations. Key innovations and features include the Belden Commercial Audio Range for the public A/V and live performance marketplace. The range is highly cost-effective, yet delivers the traditional Belden professional quality and high performance. Most cables have been developed with halogen-free (HF) design according to IEC 332-1 standards and all are based on an oxygen-free copper conductor, improving the quality of the signals and enabling the range to deliver the best audio performance.

Omneon at IBC2010 At IBC2010, Omneon will demonstrate its media storage, processing, and distribution infrastructure for enabling efficient content production workflows and distribution of content across multiple platforms. As the industry looks for ways to cope with the demands for broader distribution of content, Omneon will demonstrate how its video file-based infrastructure can help content owners and producers create more content using the tools of their choice, streamline workflows, accelerate media processing, and quickly package content for delivery to multiple destinations. At their stand, an Omneon MediaGrid active storage system will be integrated with a highperformance production server to enable fast access to incoming media used in live and near-live broadcast production.

TV One demonstrates cost-effective Video Wall

The use of video walls for creating bright, highresolution displays has been growing in popularity over the past years with installations into control rooms and stadiums as well as being used for digital signage and public information displays. Video processing plays a major role in video wall setup and TV One demonstrates how their products provide various solutions at IBC 2010. Using four standard video wall monitors in a 2x2 arrangement, four TV One 1TC2-750 dual DVI scalers and

a 1T-DA-554 DVI Distribution Amplifier, TV One are able to provide a cost-effective solution that includes many extra features at no extra cost. The integral CORIO2 scaling engines of the four 1TC2-750 units each zoom a quarter of a background image fed from a single DVI source via a distribution amplifier in order to produce a larger, complete image across the four monitors with no loss of image quality. Because each of the 1T-C2750 units possess 2 DVI inputs and advanced functionality, additional video sources, computer graphics and logos could also be introduced and keyed over the background image with pixel level precision to be viewed in the corresponding section of the video wall.

Sony introduces new solutions Sony is introducing a comprehensive response to the business issues facing professionals in the media market. Their ‘Media Backbone’ will link the various devices and solutions used throughout a content creation workflow, providing network-based management of AV files and metadata; and fully exploiting the advantages of file-based operation. The Media Backbone combines Sony's deep technological 9

expertise in the AV area with IT-based systems provided by Sony and other manufacturers. A key hardware component of the Media Backbone architecture is ELLCAMI, a resolution-independent multiformat ingest and transcoding platform. Based on Sony’s Cell processor technology, each system can be configured to meet a number of challenges faced by broadcasters and post production facilities.

Talking point – the third dimension In his series of articles aimed at provoking a debate, AV Specialist features editor Dick Hobbs looks at stereoscopic 3D and wonders what all the fuss is about.

s we all know by now, Avatar is the highest grossing movie of all time, and a very large proportion of its box office receipts came from showings in stereoscopic 3D. That was how I saw it, and it is certainly an impressive technical achievement. But the buzz surrounding this cinema event has led many people to suggest that there could be a big boom in stereo 3D for television. At the last minute HBS, the broadcast authority for the FIFA World Cup, has added 3D coverage of 24 games, and ESPN is making a great deal of noise about showing them. About a dozen stereo 3D channels have been announced, mainly in the US but also by Sky in the UK. Significantly, a couple of the high profile announcements in the USA are of channels which are being sponsored by consumer electronics manufacturers, who see the prospect of 3D as a way of saving their profits now that HD sets have become commodity items. But if Avatar is a hit in theatres, surely 3D will be a hit at home, too? Well, I do not agree, so please allow me to set out the case. It will call for some technical

talk along the way, but I will try to make things as clear as possible. First, we need to be clear what we are talking about, and why it is important to include the word stereoscopic when we talk about 3D. These are not true 3D images, they are simply different images for left and right eyes, and hence stereo.

See in three How do we see in three dimensions? Basically there are two sets of mechanics: convergence and accommodation. Our eyes are around 65mm apart, which is known as the interocular distance. The closer an object 10

gets to us, the more we have to angle the eyes in towards each other to bring it into alignment. We know this from the childhood game of bringing a finger from arm’s length right up to the tip of our nose to go really cross-eyed. This angle is known as convergence. We also have to pull focus to make an object sharp, by squeezing the muscles of the eye. This is known as accommodation. In the real world, our brain processes convergence and accommodation and works out where objects are relative to each other. If we set two cameras at the interocular distance, then arrange some mechanism by which the left eye sees only the left camera, the right eye sees only the right camera, then you should be able to match the convergence of the original scene. All the objects are in focus on the plane of the screen, though, so your brain has to turn its accommodation processing off. But for convergence this trick works really quite well, as anyone who saw Avatar will confirm. If the left image on screen is to the right of the right image then the eyes will have to converge and the object will appear in front of the screen – this is

known as negative parallax. If the left and right images coincide then the image appears on the plane of the screen. And if the left image is to the left of the right image (positive parallax) then the object appears behind the screen.

Nothing’s the same I want to point out here the first big difference between cinema and television stereoscopy. The interocular distance is 65mm, whatever you are looking at. That is how far apart your eyes are. Unlike just about anything else we do in media, that is not a relative number depending on the size of the screen: it is absolutely fixed. If you are in the cinema you are a long way from the screen, so the convergence for the screen itself is relatively small, about 0 0.2 . When you are much closer to the screen, as you are at home, you need four times as much convergence just to align 0 the screen in your eyes, 0.8 , and this limits the amount of additional negative parallax you can add without giving your audience a headache, which limits how much you can show in front of the screen.

In the real world It also limits how far back you can place objects in the 3D space, too. In the real world, when our eyes have zero convergence we are looking at infinity. But when the objects are on a screen in front of us, to get a sense of depth we sometimes need to force the positive parallax so far that our eyes actually diverge, not converge – the eyes are pointing away from us. That is thought to be one of the big causes of headaches and nausea. What this means in practice is that the depth of a stereo 3D programme to be seen in the home has to be much shallower than a movie. Research done by USC in Berkeley, with David Seigle and John Sanders of 3D specialists In-Three, suggests that for the cinema the movie director is free to place objects anywhere from infinity behind the screen to about 2.5m in front of it. In the home, that space is restricted to 1.25m behind the screen to 0.5m in front of it. The result is that you stick to these guidelines and get a compressed, barely there stereoscopic image, or you exceed them and risk making your viewers sick.

Accommodation For my second important message on why I am unconvinced by stereo 3D in the home, I need to remind you that it depends on convincing our brains to turn off its second big depth cue, accommodation: the change of focus in the eye. This, incidentally, is one of the

While 3D movies have become an undisputed hit in commercial cinema, the rollout of 3D television is far less secure. Many viewers report nausea and headaches from prolonged viewing and 3D set manufacturers have issued a health warning, suggesting that 3D television has the potential to initiate epilectic attacks in viewers pre-disposed toward this illness.

reasons why there is a significant proportion of the population who “cannot see” stereoscopic 3D: the inability to ignore one important set of cues. If you add in those who have problems for other reasons then you build up a substantial portion of the audience who will not be able to appreciate it. There seems to be no agreed figure for this, so I asked my optician: she thought that it could be close to 50% of the population.

Bizarre viewing experience But here is the bizarre thing: even though they cannot appreciate the stereoscopic effect, they still have to wear the glasses. Even if you only have one eye, the screen will look impossibly blurred unless you wear stereo 3D glasses. Back to the fundamental issue of accommodation. It is not a problem in the cinema where it is dark and the only thing you can see is the screen, so you have no need to change accommodation. But in the home, where it is not completely dark, there are real-world 3D objects which are at different distances, and so accommodation will be used. You will reach down to pick up a drink or a snack. You will look across to talk to a friend or partner. When you do this, you will destroy the 3D effect on the screen, which will take time to build up again. I can certainly see gaming, which is a completely immersive experience, making tremendous use of 3D in the home. But however compelling the television event, however exciting the sports action, I do not accept that you will never look away from the screen.

Production costs soar As I said at the beginning of this article, Avatar showed just how successful 11

and satisfying stereo 3D can be. But it took many years to make, and – on best estimates – around $300 million. Not the sort of budget available to television, and not practical for live sport. Producers and directors have to find a way to make satisfying stereo 3D, live or on modest post production budgets. Based on some of the demonstrations I saw at NAB, not everyone has grasped this fact yet. I do not normally rush to criticise, but Sony’s showreel shown at their NAB press event in April was truly awful. I am the least nauseous person I know, but some of the basketball footage they showed had me reaching for the sick bag. And the golf coverage – live from the Masters – showed all the schoolboy errors of 3D shooting, like having objects in front of the screen which suddenly disappear as you pan.

Effective 3D production I recently saw some very effective 3D television, produced by the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg with technical support from UK specialist Can Communicate. This was very simple, with few cameras holding long, steady shots. The most effective was a low angle looking across the stage, with a real sense of depth as the soloist moved around the corps de ballet. From what I have seen, there are two golden rules (which the Mariinksy production followed admirably). First, long and relatively static shots which allow the audience to explore the 3D space. You could argue that if Avatar was not in 3D half an hour or so could have been taken from its running time just by tightening up the edits. Second, low shots work really well, with the action coming to you. That works really well in ballet and

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opera, or in sports where a lot of the action is close-up like rugby. Unfortunately the big sport money-maker globally is football, and that works really badly in 3D. Football relies on wide shots which allow the viewer to appreciate the shape of the action – and they have absolutely no depth content so 3D is wasted. The positioning and movement of the 3D cameras mean that it is impractical for them to double as cameras for the regular 2D shoot. If you are going to introduce stereo 3D then it means another crew, another truck – and another set of negotiations with the stadium for more camera positions and lost, revenueearning seats.

glasses – below $10 a pair – but the manufacturing process is much more complex, adding as much as $1000 to the factory gate price. Whatever anyone tells you, autostereoscopic displays – 3D without glasses – is very many years away from success. Ultimately, though, it will be the consumer who decides on this one. As viewers get the chance to try watching different content in stereoscopic 3D, they will decide whether it is worth the premium price for receiver and subscription, and indeed if it is worth the trouble of putting on geek glasses just to watch television.

Conclusion There was a great deal of noise at NAB this year about stereo 3D television, although to be fair most manufacturers were arguing for slow and steady progress, using existing equipment wherever possible rather than suggesting that broadcasters and producers rush out to reinvest. Not until we have learnt a little more about the technical, creative and commercial issues. Consumer electronics manufacturers are, naturally, very excited about it. To see 3D in the home you have to buy a new set, and because it will say 3D on the box they can charge a premium price. Internally, it will use alternating displays – the screen will flash left then right – which requires the addition of a single chip for around $25. To watch it you need active glasses which cost around $100 a pair, and the offers so far suggest only one pair of glasses will be packaged with each set. The alternative, a polarised display, can be viewed with much cheaper

Dick Hobbs is a freelance writer, consultant and industry analyst. He is widely recognised as a leading commentator on trends in technology and applications, a lively speaker at conferences, and a contributor to many of the leading publications in the broadcast industry. He is also technical editor of the IBC TV News.

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ITU sets guidelines for digital transition Guidelines to help countries manage their transition from analogue to digital broadcasting were presented in June during the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) in Hyderabad, India. Delegates at the Conference also benefited from a hands-on demonstration of ITU’s Spectrum Management System for Developing Countries (SMS4DC).

eleasing the guidelines, the Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid said, “The transition to digital broadcasting is a major challenge facing all countries, but in particular, developing and least developed countries. We hope that our members will take full advantage of this very practical set of guidelines designed to help them through the process.” Al Basheer added, “ITU will also help countries implement the guidelines through country-level assistance and regional initiatives.” The transition to digital broadcasting has become an important global issue. It will provide a greater number of channels with higher quality within the same available bandwidth

along with advanced applications and features, such as interactivity and electronic programme guides. This transition also frees up spectrum — the so-called “digital dividend” — which can be used for enhanced broadcasting applications and wireless mobile

broadband, leading to greater convergence of services. This is a key solution to extend Internet access to currently underserved areas. The guidelines provide information and recommendations on policy, regulation, technologies, network planning, customer awareness and business planning for the smooth transition to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) and the introduction of Mobile Television Broadcasting (MTV). These guidelines are applicable to the GE06 Agreement planning area (corresponding to the geographical region situated to the west of meridian 170° E and north of parallel 40° S, except the territories of Mongolia, and including the Islamic Republic of Iran).

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been used in this way, it was also the first time in Israel that one company Jerusalem and Tel Aviv based Stage Design - has delivered all aspects of a major technical production including most of the site build. Stage Design is headed by the charismatic Eyal Lavee most definitely the 'Man With A Plan' plus an appealing impish grin and unfazable determination!

International opera standards

Cultural diversity as opera come to Masada As site specific works go, they are rarely more special than this - a World Heritage site on the tip of the Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth at 400 metres below sea level - overlooked by the distinctive and majestic Masada Mountain, arguably best known for the mass suicide of the Sicari rebels in 74AD, during the first Jewish Roman war.

urrounded by boundless expanses of barren desert and a rapidly receding sea line Masada Mountain incisively defines the raw, craggy landscape in the background to this picture, an area inhabited solely by snakes, lizards and scorpions and other reptilians, untouched by humanity for many centuries. Performing Verdi's seminal "Jewish opera" Nabucco at Masada was a long term dream of Hanna Munitz, the tenacious director general of The Israeli Opera. Two years and a huge amount of discussions, political negotiations, 4 directors and one immense logistical operation later, her incredible vision became reality. The technically ambitious, ground-breaking and truly unique production was the first cultural event to draw international tourists to Israel, and the first in the country to unite the very best local and global talents and resources in the industry in the middle of the desert. Apart from being the first time the Masada site had

Elad Mainz was forced to use camels to transport the massive line arrays used on the Masada site. He sourced the camels from one of the local Bedouin tribes, whose collection of beasts included a super-strong version capable of lifting 400 Kgs, and therefore taking a balanced load of 2 searchlights per lift! Known for their irascible personalities, Mainz comments dryly. "It's difficult working with camels - you can't always trust them".

Planning was an operative word as the task of building a 90 thousand square metre site from scratch in dusty, remote scrubland got underway to meet international opera standards - an undertaking not for the faint hearted! Stage Design has worked with Munitz for some time, and won the contact to deliver the main site infrastructure and all the technicals following a smaller open air project with the Opera last year. Lavee was sensible enough, early on, to realise that the enormous logistical exercise of staging a show of this stature and profile under these circumstances would benefit from bringing onboard external technical partners to handle certain aspects, and so he looked internationally for the stage sound and lighting equipment suppliers.

International partnership It was vital that whoever he chose had the right attitude to working in unorthodox conditions and the same passion for the project in addition to the appropriate equipment. "I needed people with expertise, who were good team players and could keep smiling through an exceptionally tough build," he confirms. They don't grow on trees! They came in the form of UK-based Britannia Row, with whom he's worked before, who supplied the sound, with lighting from Blackburn, UK based rental house HSL. HSL were a new partner, but came highly recommended by several contacts, including former business partner, Ofer Lapid, MD of Gearhouse South Africa. Lavee comments, "Both HSL and Britannia Row have been fantastic to work with - from all the organisation and delivery right through to the crews on site, who were highly professional and great fun to work alongside. Everyone has been stressed with the harsh working environment and all have produced spectacular results". As soon as the project was green-lighted at the end of 2009, Lavee asked Elad Mainz to join him as co-technical director, right hand person and energiser to help activate the plan.

Site Build Other than the stage sound and lighting, everything else was sourced from Israel. Stage Design undertook all the construction work, including the 60 metre wide stage with set designed by Nitzan Rafaeli, which included a large hydraulic section on the middle, a labyrinth of entrances, exits, tunnels and quick change rooms and extensive backstage and green room facilities. They also supplied and installed the seating tribunes to accommodate 6500 people, colour matched to the sandy desert landscape; built the massive 19 metre high by 24 metre wide gantries each side of the stage and another huge 19 metre high ground supported gantry at FOH. Nothing could obscure Masada Mountain as the backdrop, so the side gantries were built as high as they could within the wind-speed calculations. They were each ballasted by concrete blocks anchored to the floor - for which they drilled down over a metre - plus 3 bespoke heavy duty aluminium diagonal legs, designed by Total Fabrication in the UK. Stage design built all the props and supplied lighting for the vast reception and lavish VIP areas - designed by Giyora Porter - and did all the other construction work needed to create the public areas. These included everything you would expect at a leading opera house like cloakrooms, wheelchair access, posh toilets, bars, food outlets, merchandising stalls, etc,. Porter's foyer designs took the colours and texture of the landscape and the style of the original architecture built by King Herod The Great on top of Masada mountain between 37 & 31 BCE as his starting points. He created a stunning aesthetic for this walk-through area that gently ascended the hill from the entrance towards the venue. All the furniture, plants and accessories were supplied by Faza Productions from Tel Aviv.

30m water screen Lavee sourced a 30 metre wide water screen that was installed on 100 metres of decking to catch and recycle the 40,000 gallons of water. The screen was rear projected onto for two strategic moments in the opera, first with fire and later on with water effects. The prep for all this started 5 months in advance, utilising 3 different workshops, and the physical site build started 6 weeks ahead of the opening night. They were subject to extremely stringent regulations imposed by the National Parks & Nature authorities as to what could and couldn't

be done on site. Whilst a large amount of excavations were involved, the goal was to have minimal environmental impact across the 90,000 square metres. It was a gruelling project for everything involved - people and equipment -, contending with 47 degree heat, humidity, wind, dust and frequent sandstorms - and there were also many other curved balls to field. With the main site layout created and levelled to Giyora Porter's master plan, Masada Mountain took its place as the dramatic natural set piece behind the stage.

Moving the lights Then there were brain-teasers like getting the 60 x 5K and 7K xenon searchlights that lighting designer Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi) wanted to fill the 1700 metre space between the back of the stage and the foot of the 400 metre high mountain - a treacherous stone and boulder strewn landscape - impassable by vehicle or human carrying any weight. With all the technology on the planet available, the most ancient proved the best solution ... only camels could offer the strength and the sure footedness to achieve the task! Knowing this in advance was a major factor in deciding the choice of the xenon Panther searchlights - which Lavee found in China during a xenon fact-finding mission with Tim Dunn from Gearhouse South Africa, who also invested in the same units for the closing ceremony of the Soccer World Cup. An average camel can carry a total of 250 Kgs, and the 17

units that Stage Design ended up purchasing weigh 170 Kgs fully flightcased. Elad Mainz sourced the camels via word of mouth - from one of the local Bedouin tribes, whose collection of beasts included a super-strong version capable of lifting 400 Kgs, and therefore taking a balanced load of 2 searchlights per lift! Known for their irascible personalities, Mainz comments dryly. "It's difficult working with camels - you can't always trust them". It was a long-winded exercise, but in his own time and pace, the camel worked hard at getting the xenons into their optimum positions. Power was supplied by over 50 generators spread site wide, including backs ups for all the main production areas and 6 at the base of the mountain to feed the 5K xenons illuminating it. In Israel, it's often a question of "knowing or asking the right people" to get things done, and the Israeli National Electricity Company had a cable running 2 kilometres to the east of the site, and were obliging enough to build a new substation that delivered 1000 amps of 3phase to site. This was used to power all the front-of-house facilities and the stage right lighting. As you can imagine, the cable runs were phenomenal!

Lighting HSL's Mike Oates jumped at the chance to quote on the project, "It was always going to be a huge challenge from many angles, not just the logistics, but that's exciting and it's what we like doing," he confirms. Czech lighting manufacturer Robe lighting also came to the party big time. Bambi became involved in the project shortly after its inception. He has been designing for over 30 years across a variety of disciplines all over the world, and is Israel's best known LD. As the event drew nearer and his creative visions evolved, he honed down his lighting requirements to include some very specific elements which weren't actually available in any one fixture! He needed very powerful moving lights because of the throw distances involved onto stage, but he also needed the beams to stay contained, concentrated and bright. Despite the hostile environment and searing heat, the Robe fixtures once again proved themselves to be the toughest and most robust moving lights on the market. Creatively, it was a challenge to light Nabucco's large stage with the only back-lighting being that projected onto the Mountain and the xenons in the wilderness area and along the base of

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the mountain which could only be used sparingly. Bambi laid down his basic washes with PARs, used the Robe ColorSpot 2500E ATs for tight key lighting and effects and the Source Fours for secondary key lighting and specials and for general spotting. The REDWashes proved excellent for throwing intense blankets or slices of saturated colour across the stage, their homogenised LED lightsources bringing a visibly contrasting quality of light to the MSR sources of the ColorSpots.

Sound Britannia Row's crew of 9 were chiefed by Josh Lloyd, and the show mix was engineered by Richard Sharratt whose task was to achieve a perfect unamplified sound throughout the venue. Opera goers are notoriously hostile to any hint of reinforcement, so the heat was - quite literally - on to get the imaging pin-point perfect across every centimetre of the sound field - whatever the meteorology decided to throw into the mix! The L-Acoustics Kudo system was spec'd by Lloyd following a site visit in February, and a previous one by Britro's Bryan Grant. He took Stage Design's CAD drawings of the site, fed them into L-Acoustics Sound Vision

sounding Senheisser 5215 body packs. There were also aerial mics all over stage - a combination of Shure and AKG PZMs plus Sennheiser 416 and 816 shotguns to give an additional 20 channels of chorus. Environmentally, humidity was their biggest issue as it effectively blankets the PA, but luckily, nature bestowed a series of balmy, low wind, clear sky beautiful evenings almost as if blessing the show!

Masada Magic modelling software and looked for the best solutions. The main arrays were 13 Kudo elements per side, with outfill hangs of another 7 per side, primarily to benefit the top of the seating banks at 50 metres away. The FOH desk was a Midas XL8, a piece of kit that Lloyd has worked with extensively and comments is a "great" sounding desk. He stressed the importance of a desk needing to sound really transparent for an orchestra mix with the brief being to 'sound natural'. Monitor world - the domain of Graham Blake - was ensconced under the stage, nestled amidst the dressing rooms. The 8 principals were mic'd with omnidirectional DPA 4066s concealed in their hair lines, complete with the miniscule but great

So, when Hanna Munitz held her breath as the first chords were played on Press Night, the already incredible ambience of the setting was further enhanced by the magic of a full moon and clear twinkly, starry sky. It was an intensely emotional moment for all unfolding as her once "crazy" idea became a tangible imaginative asset that captivated a nation, in the process generating so much interest that the initially planned 2 nights of performance were expanded to 6. Her creative risk taking, combined with the technical experience, acumen and determination of a great production team ready to think laterally and meet multiple challenges with multiple solutions produced a world class event, setting new standards to inspire others!

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Namibia overhauls news studios with Spescom Media Namibia Broadcast Corporation (NBC) has overhauled its news and magazine studios with the assistance of Spescom Media IT, an initiative that will see the quality of NBC's news and current affairs content improve exponentially - along with the efficiency and productivity of the news teams.

ews and current affairs are a core function of NBC so we cannot afford to lag behind,” explains Mbeno Murangi General Manager for Engineering & IT at NBC. “Budgets have been very tight, however, and since most of the studio equipment was more than a decade old we were facing a number of challenges. With the 2009 national elections looming, it became imperative that we upgrade to increase the quality and efficiency of our studio outputs and, importantly, provide timely and relevant election coverage." With an older analogue tape system in place, as well as outdated studio cameras and audio equipment, NBC was daily battling the problems typical of older technology, namely dropout on taped footage that was incorporated into newscasts or programmes, breaks in studio output, and ongoing problems in terms of satisfactorily recording studio interviews. "What was needed," says Murangi "was modernization of the entire setup.

Migrate to tapeless This meant migration to a digital, non-linear, tapeless system, with sophisticated multi-functional cameras, audio and video production equipment and systems". Thomas Makore, MD of Spescom Media IT explains how the South African found a solution that matched NBC’s needs. "The studio solution we designed for NBC will allow them to professionally and easily record news and magazine programmes in studio, as well as record outside events, then efficiently edit and process footage," he says. This was achieved by re-designing the studios from scratch and upgrading them from analogue to digital systems.

Complete studio upgrade In the studios, professional digital Sony cameras were supplied, complete with Vinten pedestals and AutoCue prompters. Ross multiformat vision mixers were installed and all monitoring

The Namibia Broadcast Corp. recently appointed Spescom Media to upgrade their news studios. "With most of our studio equipment more than 10 years old we were facing a number of challenges," explains Mbeno Murangi, general manager for Engineering and IT. "We were battling with many problems typically found by studios using older technology - tape drop-out and breaks in studio output. The system provided by Spescom is a modernization of our entire news system."

is now done using Axon Digital MultiViewer systems on large-screen displays. Audio was also upgraded with new Sony radio mics, new Soundcraft audio mixers, and modern limiter compressor technology. Everything was brought together with a new ClearCom comms system including cable-less radio earpiece units for the presenters.

New digital strategy "The studio refurbishment is an important part of NBC's new digital strategy,” Says Makore. “Better quality outputs will give the broadcaster a slick modern feel, enabling it to successfully compete for advertising spend, and present more readily digestible content to viewers." According to MBC’s Murangi, "the studio refurbishment has enhanced our delivery, speeding up the broadcasting process. We are also 21

delivering better quality outputs with more variety as we are able to now conduct face to face interviews and instudio discussions easily and with confidence." Not only is content of a better quality but the newer equipment enables the broadcaster to move from current 4:3 transmission formats to 16:9 HD formats when it is ready to do so. In the transmission centre, compliance requirements are now also met with the Axon TRACS2, which records and stores whatever is broadcast by the station for a 90 day period. In addition, NBC is taking the first steps in terms of creating a new digital archive.

Building a digital archive “While 90% of the video and film footage NBC now has may never be used again, they have the option to selectively convert older historical

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footage while building a new digital archive,” explains Eric Lawrenson, Technical Manager at Spescom Media IT. “As NBC's storage and server capacity, as well as bandwidth increases, it can introduce full digital media asset management, transitioning from text-based physical asset management which is time consuming and inefficient.”

NBC's eight satellite offices across the vast and remote geography of the country with a DigiDesign DigiDelivery file exchange system. This has done away with the 24-48 hour delay in getting news reports and footage to NBC's Windhoek headquarters for broadcast. It also includes the restructuring and automation of the broadcaster's final control and transmission functions - which has enhanced reliability and performance of the station. "NBC has laid a solid foundation for its studio work with this investment.

Media asset management Digital media asset management at NBC will be enabled through use of Media Archive, Blue Order's enterprise media asset management platform. "By automating routine tasks and enabling broadcast teams to work more collaboratively, this solution will assist NBC to more productively use content such as video, film, audio and graphics,” explains Lawrenson. “For example, this solution enables a low resolution copy of archive footage to remain on the server, creating a metadata layer that allows editors to easily scan through and select footage they want from the high resolution media stored on the XD-CAM disks.” The studio solutions dovetail with other strategic investments in NBC's broadcast infrastructure. This includes digitisation of report submissions from

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Digital media asset management at NBC will be enabled through use of Media Archive, Blue Order's enterprise media asset management platform. "By automating routine tasks and enabling broadcast teams to work more collaboratively, this solution will assist NBC to more productively use content such as video, film, audio and graphics,” explains Lawrenson.

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Are you aware of the space which you operate? “Market research” is often seen as something ethereal and more associated with big brands in fast moving consumer goods or the automotive sector or whatever. It’s not something that most media technology folks seem to talk about or concern themselves with. Well that’s a potential mis-judgement - researching your market is something that any business savvy executive should be doing on a continual basis.

t’s maybe worth changing the terminology a bit and asking – “are you market aware?” Most executives would then respond in a much more positive vein saying – “of course I am!” in this feature we take a look as market awareness and market research and review what you can do to be right up to speed with what’s going on in the space in which you operate. It’s surprising how many of the people who operate in the broadcast, media technology and Pro-AV business know so little about what’s going on. Before getting too defensive about this assertion, stop and think about the following issues: Is your industry growing at present in revenue and profit terms? Are the top ten players increasing their market share or losing it? Are your customers spending more this year compared to last? How do people rate your company compared to your main competitor? There are many more questions that could be posed like these and surprisingly many senior executives in the industry don’t actually know the answers. This argument is not all about buying and paying for market research (although that might help), it’s about developing a market awareness habit that has an immediate and continuing impact on your business performance. Here are six simple principles that are worth taking on board: 1. Know how the industry or your specific sector is doing 2. Know how your competitors are doing. 3. Know how your customers or potential customers behave and what they think 4. Know what’s important to your customers’ business and where they are spending their money 5. Know what people think of your company and your products 6. Know the change issues that are affecting your industry There is a myriad of ways you can gain an insight into each of these issues

broadcast technology and the Pro-AV sector. These are rich sources of information and are often relied upon by the major companies to track the market. The IABM publish a Global Market Study for the Broadcast and Media Technology Market and Infocomm publish a Global AV Market Definition and Strategy Study for the Pro-AV market. Reading either of these studies will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the markets and how they are expected to develop over the immediate years ahead. They do not come cheap so, if you don’t have a budget for the Rolls Royce solution, it’s time to think about a DIY approach. There are two quick ways to get tabs on the market which are really quite effective. First of all try and identify three to five of the top companies in the market segment that interests you. They will most likely be public companies listed on a stock exchange. If they are, simply go to Google Finance and build yourself a virtual portfolio and find their recent quarterly reports and track them as they appear in the future. You can monitor their stock movements if you want but more relevant is their results announcements and presentations. You can quickly get a good insight into how they are doing and they often reference independent market research information to create context. If they are not public companies think about using the various national and regional company reporting databases or even things like Dunn and Bradstreet. Secondly use Google Alerts to track any company announcements so you know what’s happening with the industry majors or your competitors. If you want you can build up your virtual portfolio and then start tracking aggregate sales and/or profits to create your own ad-hoc market valuation. It won’t be long before you have a good feel for what is happening.

and most of them don’t involve spending much money, if any at all! It’s all about building up a scan of what is going up and frequently updating it.

How is the industry or your sector doing? This is one area that can cost money but doesn’t have to. There are highly detailed and definitive market studies available for both the 24

We’ve done the really easy stuff, this gets a bit more challenging but the information is there for those who want it. There are lots of different ways of tackling this one – here are just a few ideas. Use on-line survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Zoomerang to set up a simple market survey. You can incentivise people to respond by offering them a prize or by making a charitable donation for each response or even by offering to share the results with everyone who participates. These can be initiated by email or on your website or by using communities like LinkedIn or Twitter. These surveys can also be done at trade shows and a useful way to engage in dialogue with customers and prospects as opposed to the “can I help you?” clanger! Another approach is to make a point of attending relevant conferences as a delegate from time to time. This might seem a luxury but a day or two spent in a less combative environment mixing with customers and competitors can be worth its weight in gold. It’s also worth remembering that industry magazines, publications from industry associations and your competitors’ white papers often feature case studies that give good insights into customer needs and behaviour.

Know how your competitors are doing This is also quite straightforward. As with the industry wide view use things like Google Finance and Google Alerts to make sure you get notice of what’s happening with your competitors. It’s also worth subscribing to a few of the industry e-newsletters and RSS feeds that track product, people and order announcements. If you then use a desktop search tool you can easily set things up to get notified if your target company makes an announcement. Next, set yourself a routine of making monthly visits (or whatever) to your competitors’ web sites. Check out their news releases but also look for white papers, case studies and things like presentations to make sure you know what they’re up to. It’s also worth joining the relevant communities on social networking sites like LinkedIn or Twitter as they will also provide you with a feed of relevant competitive information and other useful industry gossip. A word of warning though, find your own way to control the amount of information you get and how much time you spend accessing it or this task can run away with you. In days gone by, you would have had to employ a private detective for this stuff but thanks to the internet it’s usually all there for everyone to see – provided you look!

Know how your customers or potential customers behave and what they think

Know what’s important to your customers’ business and where they are spending their money Knowledge is power. If you knew which industry trends are the most important to the future of your customers business, and where they are planning to spend their money over the next year or two, you would be on your way to better engagement with customers and better sales for your company. Trends drive major projects, which in turn often drive product purchase. Of course trying to survey thousands of customers around the word about their business and their budgets sounds like a daunting (and expensive) undertaking, but there are third-party companies already dong this

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work today. Devoncroft Partners, run by broadcast marketer Joe Zaller does an industry wide survey for that sector called “The Big Broadcast Survey” (BBS) , which looks at industry trends, budgets and how customers perceive the brands of broadcast technology vendors. This study asks customers trends are most important to their business, how much they’re spending on technology, what projects they have budgeted for the year, and when they are upgrading their infrastructure for things like HD and file-based operations.

Know what people think of your company and your products Most companies are not very good at doing this. The innate self belief that most of us have in who we are and what we do means that we seldom consider that others may see us very differently. Again, you can do this with your own surveys as suggested above or you can get a third party to do it for you. Joe Zaller of Devoncroft specialises in this type of work and commented: “The BBS provides broadcast technology vendors with a comprehensive overview of how they are perceived by the global market, segmented by both geography and customer type, which enables granular analysis of their brand. It turns out that there can be a significant difference in the way a company is perceived in different parts of the world or by different types of customers. This information helps companies create more effective marketing and customer engagement strategies.” If you do decide to do it yourself find a way to do it that ensures customers open up and reveal their true feelings. It is human nature that people will often not tell you the truth when asked directly what they think of you. Introducing an independent element needn’t be expensive. You could use a retired employee, a placement student or a commercial research company. Make

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sure that different customer types, buying different products and services and in different regions are surveyed and that way you’ll get a comprehensive view. What is crucial is that the customer understands that the polling in independent and unattributable. It’s also important that the customer understands that their view is valued and that the company concerned will reflect on the view that is given. Ironically, what is most difficult is using any subsequent analysis to create real change in the way you do business.

Know the change issues that are affecting your industry Last, but by no means least, make sure you understand the change issues affecting your industry. This means the industry and not just your sector. Sometimes changes in the industry as a whole have a habit of creating change to a sector that no-one had envisaged. One thing impacting technology suppliers at the moments is the trend for outsourcing technology infrastructures and that suddenly means that the nature of the customer is changing and that may affect who might be buying your product or service in the future. Monitoring the change issues costs nothing but does involve quite a bit of personal diligence. It means making time to monitor what’s going on. That means routinely doing the obvious things like reading e-newsletters; checking market research company websites; getting involved in your industry or professional association and finding and studying white papers, case studies and conference proceedings. It should also mean being part of the debate and not just an observer of it.

About the Author Roger Crumpton is a freelance writer, commentator, facilitator and presenter. He was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the IABM. According to Roger, staying “market aware” is a bit like dieting. It’s easy to decide to do it and then have an initial effect but it’s much harder to change your behaviour to stay market aware month in, month out, year round. But, just like dieting, you’ll feel better for it in the long term and it won’t just affect your sales performance, it will impact the overall health of your business for the long term.

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Server Technology recently released “POPS” (per outlet power sensing), allowing for accurate power measurement at the outlet level. The concept of a “Green Data Centre” has increased the demand for PUE within Data Centre Facilities today which has mapped a road for Server Technology to be known as a true power management house... You cannot save what you are not measuring! AdleRac EV Racks took on a new look as we evolved to biometric access control and finishes that compliment your office and your pocket. Our modular range of server racks housed the latest CISCO Nexus 7000 range of switches, at the most recent Cisco Networkers Live Show. Feel free to call our experienced sales team to discuss challenges you might be facing in your Data Centre today!

Christie first to achieve full DCI compliance Christie, the leader in digital cinema projection technologies, announced that it is the first digital cinema projector manufacturer to pass the full range of tests required by the Compliance Test Plan (CTP) for the DCI Digital Cinema System Specification (DCSS), including all procedural and design review aspects.

he tests were completed by Cinecert, a technology development and consulting firm that is the only organization in North America licensed by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) to administer the CTP. “We are very pleased to confirm that the Christie CP2220, featuring Texas Instruments’ Series 2 DLP Cinema technology, has passed all the requirements of the CTP,” said John Hurst, CTO of CineCert. “We are dedicated to helping the exhibition community understand all of the technical requirements for passing the CTP and helping manufacturers get through the testing process quickly and efficiently.” Hollywood studios require exhibitors worldwide to install DCI compliant projectors in their theatres; and passing the CTP is the only approved path to DCI compliance. Christie’s latest generation

projector, the Christie CP2220 – from the Christie Solaria Series of 4K-ready projectors – was tested by CineCert, and their tests confirmed that the projector meets the highest level of technical performance, interoperability, and rigorous content security requirements as specified by DCI’s Compliance Test Plan. “With over 12,000 digital cinema projectors installed worldwide, Christie helps set the standards for quality, reliability and performance,” said Brian Claypool, Senior Product Manager, Entertainment Solutions. “Now that CineCert has confirmed the Christie CP2220 meets the CTP’s requirements, exhibitors have another level of assurance about our commitment to providing them with industry-leading products and services.” Recognized as “the future of 4K,” the Christie CP2220 projector is built on the proven, highly reliable 1.2” DLP

Cinema chip, the only one to offer a 4K upgrade path using Christie’s easy “15 minutes to 4K” process. Smaller than other 1.2” DLP Cinema-based projectors, the Christie CP2220 provides exceptional installation flexibility with a motorized lens option that is the fastest and most accurate available. With more light output than any mid power projector on the market, the CP2220 also offers the lowest cost of operation. “With more than 80 years in the industry, Christie has earned the trust of the exhibition community by consistently providing products of the highest quality and reliability. This new digital cinema landmark – meeting the strictest requirements for DCI compliance – is further proof of Christie’s commitment to the market,” said Craig Sholder, Vice President, Business Development and Cinema Solutions at Christie.

Francisco makes binding offer to acquire Grass Valley business During late July Technicolor announced today that it has received a binding offer to acquire its Grass Valley Broadcast & Professional business from Francisco Partners -- a leading technology-focused investment company that recognizes the value of the Grass Valley brand, the strength of the new and refreshed product line, and the potential that can be realized through independent ownership of the company. The directors of Grass Valley view this as positive news for the company. “As we take steps towards becoming an independent business, we believe we can provide even greater focus, flexibility and agility towards our customers. We will also continue to enhance our responsiveness, while continuing our focus on bringing to market innovative products, integrated solutions and systems, as well as professional services and customer support structures which meet or exceed your needs in this fast-changing business,” said Jeff Rosica, head of Grass Valley Broadcast & Professional business.

Complete product portfolio The offer to acquire the business includes the complete product portfolio,

the R&D centers and manufacturing facilities, as well as all current customer contracts and support agreements – everything that is part of the Grass Valley Broadcast & Professional business. Most important, because the business depends 29

on its ability to design, manufacture, sell and support its market-leading products, the offer of course includes the great people within Grass Valley, from the design engineers in our R&D centers to the sales and customer support teams around the globe – and the many other people in between. “It will continue to be business as usual for our customers and partners with respect to how they interact and conduct business with our company, and how the Grass Valley team will continue to support you. While we recently completed the celebration of our 50th anniversary – an achievement very few companies in our industry can claim – all of us at Grass Valley are looking forward to an exciting future, and continuing to serve you for another 50+ years!

The lighting scheme was designed and specified by Hugh Turner and Tim Dunn, with Dunn also programming and operating the show. As with all stadium shows, it was a case of creating lots of big, bold, epic looks and statements Think big, light big - and with 468 of the most powerful moving lights available, they had plenty of opportunity to impress.

Gearhouse SA helps close World Cup in style Gearhouse South Africa was contracted by ceremonies producers VWV Group to deliver all technical aspects of the amazing Closing Ceremony of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup - including rigging, power, sound, lighting and large format projection (which was contracted out to French-based ETC) - utilising the dynamics, skills and services of most companies in the Gearhouse Group.

he 30 minute show at Soccer City Stadium in Soweto happened just ahead of the Final match, which saw Spain win their first World Cup, beating Holland 1-0. It reflected the vibrancy, energy and colour that characterised one of the most successful World Cup tournaments ever. It featured a cast of 740 including 40 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;elephant operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plus 35 headline artists. Mark Ransom was technical production manager. Technical director Mik Auckland and David Proctor, David Zolkwer and Adrian Bourke from Jack Morton Worldwide acted as consultants, bringing their vast experience in producing world class events to the equation. A spectacular lightshow was designed by Gearhouse's Hugh Turner and Tim Dunn. Dramatic large format video pitch projections - for the first time in South Africa - helped make the visuals even more memorable. There were many challenges in staging the first major entertainment event in a brand new venue. Gearhouse engaged in some serious statistics and logistics, starting

the get-in for the Closing Ceremony as soon as the opening match had been played, a month previously. All site/technical logistics and crew coordination were handled by project managers, Eyal Yehezkely and Bonni Meyer respectively, while Bill Lawford organised the arrival of 8 containers of equipment by sea freight and a further 50 tonnes by air freight, representing a massive investment by Gearhouse for the show.

Logistics and administration Meyer took care of the logistics, crewing and administration, which included the management of up to 140 crew on site at peak times including locals, while Yehezkely looked after the technical operation, including brain teasers like where to position two projection and four follow spot platforms built by Gearhouse Structures and In2Structures - which were flown in the roof well of the venue's upper concourse. These had to be custom designed by Tim Dunn and approved by the several sets of authorities and structural engineers 30

involved with the stadium. The spot platforms were flown on 16 2-tonne motors and the projection ones on 10.

Lighting The lighting scheme was designed and specified by Hugh Turner and Tim Dunn, with Dunn also programming and operating the show. As with all stadium shows, it was a case of creating lots of big, bold, epic looks and statements Think big, light big - and with 468 of the most powerful moving lights available, they had plenty of opportunity to impress. Simultaneously, illumination had to be a careful balance so it fulfilled the creative criteria of looking dynamic on camera as well as for the 94,000 capacity audience at Soccer City..... whilst also not interfering with the pitch projections.

Big financial investment Gearhouse invested heavily in Panther 2K and 5K searchlights and Vari*Lites for this gig. The 120 Vari*Lites were bought via South African distributor DWR and is the biggest sale of Vari*Lites in South Africa to date. A massive amount

of work went into programming the show. Dunn & Turner spent a week before the get in pre-programming the show's basic building blocks on the MA Visualiser, after importing a detailed re-drawn schematic of the stadium architecture and structures into the system. They then spent 7 overnight sessions in the stadium building the show and recording it on the grandMA, which contained hundreds of complex cues.

Projection UK based large format projection specialist, Ross Ashton, was appointed to help co-ordinate the stunning pitch projections, and he worked closely with ETC Paris who are the best known global exponents of the genre, and were brought in by Gearhouse SA to supply all the hardware and control solutions. The ETC Paris team was led by Patrice Bouqueniaux, and this is the first time that monumental projection has been used in South Africa. The dramatic 55 metre square projections in the middle of the field-ofplay were delivered by 18 x Christie 18K Roadster projectors, mounted on the 2 platforms flown along the east and west (long) sides of Soccer City. The projectors were configured in 16:9 format and rigged

in 6 stacks of 3, covering the pitch that was divided into 6 areas. The show's video content was produced by VWV, who engaged Johannesburg based Ministry of Illusion for the graphic scenes. Each projector received its own video feed and keystone correction to eliminate discrepancies between their optical centres. The show – conceptualised and produced entirely by the VWV Group – was a fast-paced, lively and accessible mix of contemporary African music,

dance and theatre, including a family of thirteen elephants (life-sized puppets) and a sensational performance by Shakira of her Waka Waka 2010 World Cup theme song. It has been internationally acclaimed as the most exciting World Cup Closing Ceremony to date, right up - in terms of quality and entertainment value - in the league of high profile sporting event ceremonies, and together with the whole tournament, a real achievement of which South Africa can be proud.

ERTU invest with Studer for growing broadcast capabilities In recent months the Egyptian Radio and TV Union (ERTU) has extended its long relationship with Studer digital consoles by placing a sequence of orders that bring a further 39 OnAir 3000 desks and a Vista 8 into the national broadcaster’s estate. All will be located at ERTU headquarters in the Maspero TV building.

he new sales represent a total of six separate orders. First, the organization equipped three TV studios with three OnAir 3000 digital audio consoles and peripheral equipment such as active audio monitors, headphones, telephone hybrids and distribution amplifiers, as well as full engineering services, commissioning and training. ERTU then equipped a complete music recording studio (Studio 45) with a Vista 8, satisfying the requirement for an audio multi-layering mixing console. Some of the Studer OnAir 3000’s are configured for 18 channels, some for 24channel operation (for both on-air and production operation). ERTU has also upgraded 11 on-air and 19 different production studios with peripheral equipment such as headphones, active

audio monitors, microphones and recording equipment. According to Studer’s business consultant for the Middle East and Africa, Mohamed Ali (of ICT), the enhancement of existing facilities is in line with the Union’s policy of continually reviewing and renewing their equipment as part of studio development throughout the 31

country. “ERTU has added many recent radio and TV channels, ordered eight OB Vans, which will be equipped with Studer OnAir 2500’s — and these will be used for various TV OB applications. In conclusion, Mohamed Ali states, “These orders further cement the strong business and personal relationship that Studer continues to enjoy with ERTU, and which now stretches back over a number of years.“Besides the confidence they have in the brand’s reputation and reliability they are familiar with the operating system, and know they can depend on first class technical support.” A spokesman for ERTU responded, “The management and staff have become accustomed to using Studer systems over a number of years and continue to be more than satisfied with the products.

Get ready for more reach, more choices and the coming HD-TV and 3D revolution with Arabsat’s newest satellite With the launch of Arabsat’s new state-of-the-art BADR-5 satellite, the largest Arab community in the sky now reaches farther than ever across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. BADR-5 is the latest addition to Arabsat’s constellation of BADR satellites at 26º East, bringing more reach, more in-orbit redundancy, more entertainment choices, more possibilities and more power to experience the HD-TV and 3D revolution of the future. Join the largest Arabsat community in the sky and tune in to the future, today.

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Morocco's Luxe radio takes to the air and internet Newly launched radio station builds streamlined, highly automated production and broadcast workflow on RadioAssist 8 software suite

orocco's Luxe Radio, a new radio station dedicated to luxury and the art of living, was recently launched deploying the latest version of the Radio-Assist 8 suite of digital audio automation software. The NETIA software not only supports and streamlines the end-to-end production and broadcast workflow at Luxe Radio, but also makes it easy for the station to leverage its official Internet portal, Anaka.ma, the first Moroccan luxury magazine online. "Luxe Radio is the radio of taste, elegance, and refinement, with programming that responds to Moroccans' passion for art, fashion, luxury, and lifestyle," said Abdessamad Aboulghali, president of Luxe Radio. "We are proud to showcase the exceptional artistic talents and creative elements within our country and to share with

listeners the finer aspects of living in the international global village. As we strive to deliver the best of Moroccan and international life, NETIA's Radio-Assist 8 software suite provides a complete, intuitive, and efficient platform that ensures the quality and continuity of our radio and Internet broadcasts."

This project was implemented in close partnership with systems integration company AVTM - EUROCOM Morocco, based in Casablanca, which ensured the integration and technical implementation of the whole project. One of just four new stations to have received a private broadcast license from Morocco's Higher Council of Audiovisual Communication, Luxe Radio broadcasts from Casablanca to six cities: Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir, Essaouira, El Jadida, and Casablanca itself. The NETIA installation in Casablanca includes 15 workstations tailored to the jobs of journalists and technicians, with two dedicated to playout and a backup used to provide redundancy. The system also manages scheduled streaming of the audio broadcast to Anaka.ma, where listeners can tune in via Internet radio.

DStv first to launch DVB over IP MultiChoiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative spirit has opened up a whole new world of digital broadcasting, to accommodate the evolving needs of its customers. Digital Video Broadcast over Internet Protocol (DVB over IP) was recently launched to commercial establishments.

he service will be provided to hotels, shopping malls and office complexes. Later in the year the service will be extended to gated residential communities and residential apartments. DVB over IP enables customers to receive their favourite DStv channels delivered over a closed multicast Internet Protocol (IP) network. The channels are then distributed to individual DStv IP decoders. Gerdus Van Eeden MultiChoice Chief Technology Officer says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Commercial customers now have access to a range of services that were previously restricted by bandwidth. The exciting features and benefits of this service enable these establishments to enhance their services and add unique value to their customers' experience. We are proud to launch DStv into the world of IPTV .â&#x20AC;? One of the benefits is that several digital services such as telephony, internet, DStv and even security can be made available over the same physical

network, resulting in significant cost savings to the commercial customer.

Significant cost saving MultiChoice identified a need in the market to address the current limitations and conducted trials before launching the system. Soccer City is one of the first recipients to implement the system in their suites and control room. The solution supports both Standard

Definition and High Definition television services; as well as surround sound, multiple language options, 8 day electronic TV guide, central PIN management on both Parental Control and installation Menus and a TV link. It also offers an interactive portal and commercial establishments such as hotels, stadiums and office complexes can tailor-make the portal to suit their requirements.

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ENPS’s iPad client brings newsroom to fingertips Throw away the paper, leave the laptop in the newsroom. ENPS now allows presenters and field reporters to do their jobs using an iPad or Android-based Tablet PC.

he Tablet Story Viewer (TSV) allows presenters and field reporters to read and review stories directly on their ENPS-enabled iPad. Paper copies no longer need to be printed and distributed for studio use, and field reporters can now hold not only their story, but also the full context of the show, in their hand during an outside broadcast. In live breaking news situations, presenters can quickly refresh the iPad client, and immediately see the latest story updates. “We believe the ENPS Tablet Story Viewer will give presenters new flexibility while on air, and field reporters new options while covering stories. This is something our customers have been asking about and we think it will gain rapid acceptance in the marketplace,” said Lee Perryman, Director of Broadcast Technology at the Associated Press. The TSV also automatically stores a full copy of the running order and its

stories, providing the comfort of a paper script that presenters and reporters can still hold in their hands, just in case. The TSV integrates seamlessly with the ENPS mobile client, allowing field staff the additional ability to work with assignments, contacts, search and messaging. The ENPS TSV works with the larger ENPS Mobile line of products, which include ENPS clients Web, as well as for

iPad, Blackberry, iPhone, a wide array of other Smartphones. ENPS Mobile provides unparalleled access to newsroom resources for the widest array of users and devices. In this way, when a journalist is finished gathering elements for the story, putting it together is simple. The journalist logs in through the ENPS Smartphone or Web client and start writing. No VPN required. At IBC, ENPS will also showcase the ENPS ‘Digital Publishing Engine’, which enables journalists to publish multimedia content on-air, online, and to mobile devices through intuitive drag and drop integration with existing CMS workflow.” ENPS is the world’s most advanced, reliable and widely-used news production system, with leading market share and used by almost 60,000 reporters, writers, editors and producers in more than 700 newsrooms in 60 countries.

High-Definition reference monitor 3 ways to stand out from the crowd For studio professionals who are performing color-critical work on a daily basis, Barco now presents its new RHDM-2301 High-Definition reference monitor. As the first true Grade-1 LCD with this level of image quality, Barcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RHDM-2301 display offers three ways to stand out from the crowd: 1

Colors that last Advanced calibration and stabilization technology keeps your colors lasting.

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Expanding Nigerian church installs iLive One of Nigeria’s fastest growing churches, Daystar Christian Centre in Ikosi, Lagos, has upgraded its audio system to an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system.

he installation was managed by Lagos-based rental and installation company, PF Syztems, who originally installed a 40-channel Allen & Heath ML3000 VCA console at FOH with a 40-channel GL4000 at monitor position when the church was first opened 3 years ago. Increased attendance and a switch to four consecutive services, coupled with increased complexity in dealing with multiple stage requirements, prompted the 7-000 capacity church to enquire about possible ways to streamline worship services. PF Syztems has an iLive system, comprising an iDR-48 MixRack and iLiveT112 Control Surface, in its rental stock and due to the excellent service provided by that system, they recommended that the church should upgrade to an alldigital A&H system, arguing that the church would get the best value for

money compared to other digital desks. PF Syztems’ engineer/consultant, Olushola Aremu, comments: “I recommend iLive desks to every FOH and monitor engineer. The iDR-48/iLive-T112 system is a great digital system to work with; it’s user-friendly, portable and is a particularly good mixer for monitor mixing. The fact that you can control the entire mix from a Notebook via a wireless network makes it so flexible. Setting it up

is very fast and easy as Allen & Heath has done a good job in removing the many complications involved in setting up digital desks. The system eventually installed at Daystar consists of an iLive-T80 surface to manage monitors, an iLive-T112 at FOH, with iDR-48 and iDR-32 MixRacks digitally split via ACE on stage to provide the required 60 channels, whilst retaining trim controls at both surfaces. The engineers and stage techs are delighted with the amount of control the system provides, especially the full dynamic and EQ processing on each channel, plus 8 channels of onboard FX. “It’s been an awesome experience so far. It’s great to know that you can access your strips and assign them to do whatever you want to do at anytime, even when mixing away from the surface,” comments Daystar’s monitor engineer, Funminiyi Adedeji.

international studios will be offered to the academy’s leading students.

Abu Dhabi based studios The new animation development studios, also launching in September, is where ideas and concepts for animation will be generated and trialled before taking the best Arabic creative concepts through to production. Young Arabs will be given the opportunity to engage with Cartoon Network experts who will provide the guidance, knowledge and tools required to ensure that their creative animation ideas turn from concept into reality.

Producing commercial products

Cartoon Network boosts Arab animation industry Cartoon Network, a part of Turner Broadcasting System, a Time Warner company, is providing a massive boost to the fledgling animation industry in the Middle East & North Africa region with news that it is to open a dedicated animation training academy at twofour54 Abu Dhabi.

he ambitious plans announced at MIPTV in Cannes, will see the development of a number of projects focused on the development of Arabic animation. As well as the Animation Academy, the new partnership will see the opening of the Cartoon Network development and production studios, all of which will be based at twofour54.

Revolution in animation Tony Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said, “Cartoon Network is planning to revolutionise the creation of Arab animation. When we launched twofour54 this is exactly the type of partnership we envisioned – one that impacts across the full content creation chain – from training through to broadcast. This partnership will not only facilitate the creation of Arabic media content, but also supports our aim to develop a sustainable media and entertainment content industry here in Abu Dhabi.” The first phase to become operational will be the new Cartoon Network Animation Academy and development studios, which will launch in September 2010. Working closely with twofour54 tadreeb, the region’s premier

vocational media and entertainment training academy, the academy will offer young Arabs innovative, animation focussed training, with the specific aim of developing animation skills across the region. The courses will offer comprehensive vocational training in all aspects of animation. This training will be complemented by a programme of master classes, which will be presented by Cartoon Network and highly regarded industry experts. A key attraction will be the internships to the Cartoon Network’s

Tony Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said, “Cartoon Network is planning to revolutionise the creation of Arab animation. When we launched twofour54 this is exactly the type of partnership we envisioned – one that impacts across the full content creation chain – from training through to broadcast."

Launching in early 2011, the production studios is the final phase of the partnership. These studios will translate viable ideas from the development studios into a commercial product – Arabic animated programming for the region.Speaking on behalf of Turner Broadcasting Jeff Kupsky, President TBS EMEA, said, “We are very pleased to be working with twofour54 on this project to stimulate the talent that exists here. It will allow us work with them to develop innovative local content to compliment Cartoon Network’s global brand and programming strength.” Alan Musa, VP & GM, Middle East, Africa & Pan Region said, “Cartoon Network has built a strong reputation in the Middle East so it made tremendous sense for us to invest directly in the region. Demand for quality Arabic animation is on the rise and our projects in Abu Dhabi will facilitate further growth in the industry.”

Training and skills development “The academy will offer training programmes that will develop the skills of the region’s animators and find the talent that exists in the region and the development studio will ensure their creative animation ideas get off the ground. This is a very exciting opportunity for Arabic content creators and we look forward to working with twofour54 to realise the potential in the region.” “All of our partnerships, including this Cartoon Network agreement, add to the twofour54 ecosystem,” added Wayne Borg, Chief Operating Officer, twofour54. “The training academy is raising standards and producing talented individuals who are able to fill the new jobs being created. Cartoon Network is one of the world’s most recognisable cartoon brands and will provide tremendous opportunities for talented young Arabs to create animation relevant for the region.”

Imago stand behind the future of education in South Africa Just because a child goes to school in a poor, under-resourced classroom, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t travel the world or receive the best education technology can offer.

uring early August pupils at three schools in Tembisa township experienced the best education technology can offer when they were linked together through interactive video communication and white-board technology. Imago Communications, a company that supplies and distributes hitech video communications, has made a substantial investment with regards to resources, time and money to bring hundreds of pupils in the Gauteng township the best education technology available. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management is aware of the problems faced by the majority of South African schools, falling matric pass rates and shortages in maths and science teachers, but believes they can make a real difference in the education landscape.

Close the education gap Through the LifeSize suite of high definition video conferencing products distributed and installed by Imago Communications, interactive white-board technology supplied by Traceboard and Satlinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wireless connectivity one specialised teacher can teach thousands of children from anywhere in the world. Suddenly with the Virtual Interactive Communication (VIC) project initiated by

Ukwanda Innovation & Training, the opportunity to close the gap between wellresourced private sector and less equipped public schools is here. With the best sound and picture quality which is accessible, live, on demand and high definition video transmission, Imago Communications will provide learners the opportunity to go on virtual trips.

Great sound and picture In the past projects have failed because the quality of the sound and picture was poor, but Imago Communication is providing the best, ensuring this will no longer hold back the eager pursuit of young minds. The visual communication and interaction allows schools to bring guest speakers to children and top teachers can reach even

the remotest classrooms. The interactive white-boards are also able to record lessons and so has the potential to become an e-library resource for learners and will help teachers collaborate and advise each other. Managing Director of Imago Communications, Clint Cronje believes there is no other way to close the gap between middle class and poorer schools than through this technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all know that the department of education is under enormous pressure to perform with very few resources. Distance learning is already a medium of communication and teaching in South Africa. Currently the University of South Africa (UNISA) utilizes video conferencing technologies as a medium to enhance its education offering by utilizing international lecturers to compliment its current curriculum.

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Black Ginger see a 3D future In just five years, Black Ginger, run by Hilton Treves, Marco Raposa de Barbosa and Marc Bloch, has grown from a small post-production facility with six staff members, to a large, highly efficient, internationally recognized VFX studio.

ituated in Cape Town, Black Ginger has a staff of 65 craftspeople in hugely specialised fields, and specialises in animation and visual effects. There is a large research and development department, designing software ahead of their needs, and Fluids and Hair are just two of the specialities for which they have developed software. Black Ginger’s feature experience includes Free Willy 4 and more recently, TangShang (Aftershock), the largest Chinese movie made to date. The production company, Shy the Sun, had already worked with Black Ginger on the production of a Baker’s commercial, so it was an obvious choice to approach Hilton when they were asked by Ogilvy Advertising to produce an M-Net commercial. After much debate, it was decided to shoot in miniature – primarily to keep costs down.

M-Net Magic goes 3D Hilton had worked on a number of stereoscopic projects in the past and with the resurgence of 3D movies such as Avatar, he proposed that the project be in Stereo 3D. The concept would fulfil the basic promise of Magic from M-Net. Due to budget challenges, bringing in a classic motion-control rig such as Milo was obviously out of the question, so Hilton approached Peter Constantatos in Johannesburg with the idea of using his old motion-control rig. With one of the Black Ginger software developers in tow, he set off to see if it was possible to use the rig and create a programme to control it for use in this multiple-pass Stereo 3D environment. With hugely positive feedback from the Black Ginger Research and Development team, the rig was acquired. This then necessitated the development of a programme which would operate in a stop-motion environment. This was developed inhouse and would allow the rig to talk to the computer and talk back to the rig. This was done using Gateway, Dragon and Houdini. Dragon (originally developed for the film Coraline) was used to control and manage the stop motion and Houdini was used to control the camera data for the motion control rig. Gateway assisted by working out S3D

and translating the Houdini data to the moco rigs’ unique language.

Small-scale challenges Then came the analysis of the challenges facing them. Shooting S3D in computer graphics is pretty straightforward – the rules governing such a shoot are pretty simple – such as no fast cuts – the eye needs at least two seconds to adjust to new focus points. Another point is that no objects should break the edge of frame. However, shooting in a miniature environment posed its own set of challenges. The above considerations were there, but, since the scale being used was 1/14, and, as the decision to shoot S3D had been made, the first challenge was how to set up cameras with a much reduced inter-ocular distance.

Finding an affordable solution The obvious choice would be a mirror-based rig with two cameras shooting into angle-controlled mirrors. Once more, cost reared its ugly head. As this was a miniature shoot, and would of necessity take a longer time using an HD movie camera, such as Red or film-based 35mm animation camera, this was out of the question. The final decision was made to shoot on a stills camera, the choice in this instance being the Canon 5D. Using the full functionality of stills, such as very long exposure times, this would then enable the use of small 44

f-stops to increase the depth of field. This last point was critical, since in 3D filming the best possible scenario is that everything in the frame should be in focus. The human eye and brain in the process of stereopsis will compensate and create natural depth of field. In a 3D movie it is natural for the viewer’s eye to drift over a frame and focus at different areas in the frame. In two dimensional TV work, depth of field is used to create pseudo 3D effects.

Convergence creates flexibility Here, since the entire production would be shot stop-motion, motioncontrol was of the utmost importance as a number of passes were to be used. The left-eye pass would be done first, then the right. There would also be passes for the visual lighting effects. For each pass, full use was made of the developed software to calculate inter-ocular distances (sometimes as little as 3mm), convergence, and to smooth out preplotted camera moves. Due to the time constraints, the convergence set-up would remain a constant, although altering the convergence within a shot is possible with the software that Black Ginger has developed. “Convergence gives more flexibility if you’re shooting things like miniatures”, Hilton explains. “Miniatures cannot be easily shot in parallel; as they tend to feel like miniatures, convergence helps to increase the sets’ perceived size”.

Tedius and tiring Since each shot is effectively made up of a series of still frames, and, since each exposure could be as much as 4 seconds in duration, filming was, if not downright tedious, then at the least, it was extremely tiring. Hilton says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unlike most stop-motion, which moves every two or three frames, we are doing this for every single frame â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thus every frame becomes a key frameâ&#x20AC;?. Long days indeed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and there were 21 of them! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our compositing tool, Nuke, was extensively used on Avatar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and we can now set up a stereographic pipeline allowing us to generate cameras and camera data, shooting the left and right eyes automatically. And we can see the results immediately in Anaglyphâ&#x20AC;?. Black Ginger are now partner-content developers with RealD and have installed a full RealD production pipeline to ensure the highest possible quality and accuracy for material to be distributed to the RealD theatres around South Africa. When shooting the miniatures, at any point in the script when live action needs to be inserted, scale models of the actors are positioned in the set. Using computer graphics, these figures are then removed and replaced with real actors. The software also scales distances and inclination when shooting the actors on green-screen. The challenges facing Johan Horjhus, lighting cameraman, were also extreme. Lighting in miniature is challenging enough, but when frame-by-frame lighting effects and stop-motion are added to the equation, the prospect becomes pretty daunting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With stunning models, amazing art direction by Ree (who also developed the characters in the commercial), and incredible technical back-up from Black

Lighting in miniature is challenging enough, but when frame-by-frame lighting effects and stop-motion are added to the equation, the prospect becomes pretty daunting. â&#x20AC;&#x153; With stunning models, amazing art direction by Ree (who also developed the characters in the commercial), and incredible technical back-up from Black Gingerâ&#x20AC;?, Hilton says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jannes has had everything going for him to enable him to create an incredible first in the country â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Stereo 3D commercial in miniature, using stop-motionâ&#x20AC;?.

Gingerâ&#x20AC;?, Hilton says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jannes has had everything going for him to enable him to create an incredible first in the country â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Stereo 3D commercial in miniature, using stop-motionâ&#x20AC;?.

Work on a larger scale Hilton adds that, in retrospect, future S3D model work would be done on a larger scale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; possible 1/8 to 1/6, to obviate a lot of the problems which had to be overcome in this shoot, more obviously the depth of field considerations. In conclusion, Hilton says â&#x20AC;&#x153;The thing I love about this industry is innovation and evolution. And I'm really excited about the prospects of S3D - it opens up a whole new way of working and seeing. The future is Stereo!â&#x20AC;?

About the Author Rod Stewart, well-known DOP, has more than 60 features films to his credit. A great proponent of education and training in the industry, Rod became Honorary Professor of Cinematography in 2003, and at present runs Master Classes for post-graduate students at AFDA.

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Nigerian feature film dances the Tango Africa is not considered the easiest country in which to make a film, let alone a feature on 35mm, but respected Nigerian director/producer Mahmood Ali-Balogun aims to instigate change. His motive for selecting Kodak 35mm film for his big budget psychological drama, Tango With Me, centres around his determination to alter the “subsistence digital nature” of the Nigerian film industry. He strongly believes that Africa in general and Nigeria in particular have the ability to create internationally-acclaimed movies.

igeria’s impressive movie legacy dates back to the 1960s. Nowadays, ‘Nollywood’ boasts one of the largest movie industries in the world. Between 1,000 and 2,000 titles originated on video are released each year, all of which are put onto DVD or VCD and the demand is increasing from within Africa and worldwide. Ali-Balogun, however, is earnestly addressing the issue of the quality of movies from his country. As he explains, “Our industry needs to develop a cinematic culture. Although there are many incredible stories to be told on film which would attract large audiences, movies from Africa face a great deal of competition, particularly those aimed at international release. I am seeking to encourage African filmmakers to move away from the video format and embrace the universally and professionally accepted format of 35mm, which provides ready access to international film festivals.”

Kodak comes to the party Ali-Balogun continues: “Kodak was instrumental in enabling me to achieve my objective of shooting on 35mm and was phenomenally supportive throughout the whole process of making Tango With Me. I first met Kodak officials at their stand at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 and discussed with them my desire to shoot the feature on 35mm. I spoke to them again the following year and they were more than cooperative. They came to Nigeria, met with the Nigerian Film Corporation and offered me a fantastic deal. Through their vision meeting mine, I was able to make this project happen.”

Passion for filmmaking Kodak recognised Ali-Balogun’s professionalism and his passion for filmmaking, and offered him a comprehensive package comprising film stock, processing and telecine transfer to tape for the rushes at Kodak Cinelabs in Dubai. They also provided the 35mm print

Mahmood Ali-Balogun(director), Keith Holland (DP) and other crew members shooting in Nigeria. "“Kodak was instrumental in enabling me to achieve my objective of shooting on 35mm and wasphenomenally supportive throughout the whole process of making Tango With Me," says Ali Balogun.

for theatrical release. With direct daily flights from Lagos to Dubai, turnaround time is very short, and Kodak’s infrastructure guarantees the best possible quality and services. The negative cutting, post production and final print is being done in Kodak Cinelab, Sofia, Bulgaria. Kodak’s one-stop-shop makes 35mm affordable for Nigerian filmmakers who wish to follow Mahmood Ali-Balogun’s example and bring the unique film look back to Nigeria; the look that audiences love and all digital formats try to emulate.

Exploring serious issues Ali-Balogun explains why he opted for film, instead of taking the digital route for his landmark movie: “I believe that when it comes to movies, digital is inferior to film. Film is still the best medium in the world and I knew that Tango With Me would lend itself to the film feel.” His longawaited movie, which explores serious issues in society, was shot on KODAK VISION2 500T 5260, KODAK VISION2 200T 5217 and KODAK VISION2 100T 46

5212. Ali-Balogun enhanced production values with an experienced American crew and British director of photography Keith Holland, who is currently Los Angelesbased. They were supported by an efficient Nigerian team. Ali-Balogun invited colleagues from the Nigerian movie industry to observe aspects of the film shoot and involved three students from the Nigerian Film Institute (NFI) in the making of Tango With Me.

Unusual camera positions DP Holland, recalls the two-and-ahalf month shoot which took place in and around Lagos: “Mahmood and I worked well together and he was open to many of the ideas I suggested. He is a good director and related well to the actors, leaving me to create the movie’s photographic style. It was a pleasure to shoot on 35mm film and select the appropriate stocks for each situation.” Holland frequently placed the camera in unusual positions, using foreground objects to give depth and texture. “In one

scene in Tango With Me, the lead actor is sitting at a glass-topped table drinking his troubles away. I placed the camera under the table and framed his face through the glass, which had a shattered texture. During the shot I racked focus from the glass to his face, symbolising the fragmentation of his life and his marriage. I also used a lot of backlighting, which can be challenging in practical locations with low ceilings, and I manipulated the mood with colour. I used an 85 filter under tungsten lights to create that warm look and tungsten emulsion under daylight lights as the way to produce the cool mood, as with the sad drinking scene.”

Innovative camerawork Holland used longer focal length lenses whenever possible to give a shallow depth of field and concentrate the audience’s attention on a particular aspect. “Ali-Balogun took the footage to Kodak Cinelabs Dubai and supervised the transfer,” notes DP Holland, adding that he’ll definitely be putting a clip from the film onto his reel. “Mahmood reported at the telecine stage that everything was looking ‘gorgeous’ and he’s asked me to meet him at a lab in Europe to complete the colour timing.” “Forgiveness is the central theme of Tango With Me.

Maiden and The HIV/AIDs Pandemic. He has also been responsible for numerous television commercials for major agencies, which have raised the quality of commercials shot in Nigeria.

Collaborative art

Keith Holland (DP), MarQ Edwards (Asst. Cameraman) & Mahmood Ali-Balogun (Director). “Filmmaking is my passion,” states. Ali-Balogun. “It is a collaborative art and the more we improve our standards and the higher we aim, the better our chances of success."

Communication, faith and love It is a story of how communication, faith and love can conquer marital difficulties and I believe it will have universal appeal” says Ali-Balogun, a religious family man who is well known for his evocative documentaries. During his diverse career, he directed and produced Human Trafficking Nigeria, Child Abuse Nigeria, Environmental Pollution, The People’s Constitution, Dance of the

“Filmmaking is my passion,” states Ali-Balogun. “It is a collaborative art and the more we improve our standards and the higher we aim, the better our chances of success. It’s a tough and cumbersome process, but it is incredibly worthwhile. My ambition is to contribute to the emancipation of Africa. I believe that if my film is successful it will encourage the African movie industry to create better and better productions.” Tango With Me is produced by Brickwall Communications Limited. The film will follow the international film festival route before being officially released in cinemas and theatres. Release on DVD will be long after the cinema run. Ali-Balogun hopes that its release will prove to be a defining moment for film in Africa. A condensed version of this article was first published in Kodak's In Camera magazine - July 2010 edition. This extended version is inspired by their initiative and is published with their permission.

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South African based Surgesound recently supplied a quantity of Lab.gruppen’s acclaimed FP+ and fP Series power amplifiers to Johannesburg-based production services company, The Sound Corporation, for installation at some of the key FIFA Fan Fest outdoor fan parks across the country. The Sound Corporation, one of the biggest professional-audio production houses in South Africa, is the only company to have been awarded more than two officially designated FIFA Fan Fest parks out of a total of nine designated fan parks across the country. For the thousands of eager football fans out there that haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets for the big matches, FIFA Fan Fest areas are the perfect alternative, allowing people to share in the football fever and take in the match on giant screens supported with world class audio systems. That’s where Lab.gruppen’s world renowned power amplifier expertise was brought to the game. The Sound Corporation provided the audio systems for 4 of the fan parks, including one of the largest in Soweto where over 75,000 fans watched the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, as well as those at Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. The systems have been based around Lab.gruppen FP+ and fP Series amplification powering EAW loudspeakers. Racks of Lab.gruppen’s ultra reliable and high power density FP 10000Q (4 x 2500W) power EAW KF760/761 and KF730 line array systems, with a combination of Lab.gruppen fP 6400 and fP 2600 driving EAW SM12 monitors, ensuring the fans enjoy world-class tour sound quality at the FIFA Fan Parks. Surgesound’s founder, Andrew Rowan, commented “The Sound Corporation has been a great client of ours for many years and currently has an extensive inventory of Lab.gruppen product as well as the biggest EAW system in Africa. We are extremely proud that a production house of The Sound Corporation’s calibre happily put their trust in Lab.gruppen and EAW products when it comes to their most high-profile gigs” Mark de Klerk, owner of The Sound Corporation, said “We’ve invested heavily in Lab.gruppen amplification technology, and with good reason...they are in my opinion second to none, giving us absolute peace of mind when it comes to reliability as well as delivering a natural sound quality that makes the difference when it comes to the most demanding live sound applications, such as here at the FIFA Fan Parks.”

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Strategic partnership amongst lens manufacturers During NAB Zeiss, ARRI and Fujinon announced a cooperation agreement to utilize strengths of each company in order to create innovative new products for the visual entertainment community. The agreement consists of an open exchange of technologies, standards and ideas, as well as close cooperation in the development of new products.

ogether, theses three companies represent an unsurpassed concentration of expertise and excellence in optical engineering. By examining, incorporating and improving upon current systems, as well as encouraging third parties to participate in a discussion, the triumvirate of industry leaders aims to deliver higher customer value than existing solutions can offer. Already, the group offers the existing, unrivalled range of prime lenses that are the result of the decade long partnership between ZEISS and ARRI. Now, the new ARRI/Fujinon “Alura-Series” zoom lenses are introduced. This is a great benefit for customers who can now shoot with modern primes and zooms that are perfectly matched according to tight specifications.

The group will push developments to encourage more effective integration and communication between cameras and lenses. Beyond the benefits of idealized mechanical and optical synergies, solutions are needed that respond to the needs of today's industry and also combine affordability with enhanced electronic data transfer, thereby simplifying postproduction workflows especially those that incorporate visual effects elements.

During NAB Zeiss, Fujinon and ARRI announced a cooperation agreement to utilise strengths of each company to create innovative new products for the visual entertainment community.

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any emerging markets have responded more swiftly and successfully to the global recession of 2008/09 than advanced economies. However, quick and short-term responses by far dominated sustainable long-term innovations and adequate structural changes in most countries.

The recession bites South Africa was one of the countries that considered itself to be wellequipped to weather the global economic storm owing to its strong regulatory framework, low levels of debt, and banking system that hardly had any exposure to toxic assets. The government’s optimistic tone in the early stages changed when it became obvious

that the impact on the economy would be severe. Indeed, South Africa was pushed into its first recession in 17 years, as declining commodity prices and lower growth in major trading partners lowered demand for South African exports and employment decreased for the first time in 50

almost four years. Although South Africa was slower to implement decisive crisis management measures than other countries, its process of drafting an economic crisis response framework benefited greatly from the institutionalized and inclusive multi-stakeholder approach that is the procedural hallmark of the country. The deliberation process drew upon existing structures that had been set up in 1994 to ensure that social dialogue accompanies the development of economic policies. The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) convened a task force of government, labor, business and community representatives, which negotiated the final framework and retains responsibility for its monitoring and implementation. The framework has been

praised at the international level for bringing together a broad range of social partners to jointly forge a common response to the crisis.

Comparative study These are some the main findings of an international comparative study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung on the crisis management and economic governance in 14 countries. The emerging markets’ effective crisis management indicates that their governments are today much more adept at preventing and tackling crises than in the past. This can be attributed primarily to effective policy learning and the implementation of institutional changes in reaction to former downturns like the 1997/98 Asian crisis.

Sound fiscal policy The report concludes that major emerging countries took advantage of precrisis prudent regulation of the financial markets and banking systems as wells as sound fiscal and monetary policies to deal adeptly with the worldwide economic downturn. As a consequence, emerging economies did not have a large amount of toxic assets in their domestic financial systems, their financial markets proved to be more shock-resistant and given their solid financial situation their governments had more latitude for stimulus policies when the crisis hit their real economies in fall 2008. Due to fewer institutional and budgetary restraints, many emerging countries today seem to have a comparative advantage over their industrialized counterparts. In year two after the outbreak of the global financial and economic crisis, emerging countries like China, India or Brazil are stimulating the global economy and differ profoundly from advanced Western economies in important parameters: by solid growth, lower debts, a rebounding domestic demand and a stable banking and financial system. “Many emerging economies have done their homework in the past and have now proven that crisis

prevention does not only enhance response options to tackle new crises, but can also lead to genuine economic advantages,” says Sabine Donner, Project Manager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The crisis outcome thus far confirms and gives an added boost to the rapid rise of emerging countries and a global power shift in their favor. Emerging markets are not only catching up with advanced economies with regard to economic performance. They have also displayed impressive skills of politically managing the global shock according to the study.

Structural reform In order to deal with the consequences of the downturn and to tackle future crises, it will be of utmost importance if advanced economies will be equally adaptive, draw the necessary conclusions and implement structural reforms in the aftermath of the crisis. The study’s analysis of national crisis management reveal numerous commonalities. While the perception of the crisis and its concrete impact varied widely from country to country, the current global recession has been handled more swiftly, pragmatically and comprehensive than any such previous downturn. As soon as the potentially devastating impact of the crisis was recognized, resistance against swift emergency measures and fiscal expansion evaporated, at least temporarily, and national crisis management went into overdrive during the first phase of the crisis examined in the study (from September 2008 to September 2009). As a consequence, all cases included in the study show the emergence of strong executive leadership and mostly uncontested stimulus packages. In “crisis mode”, each government relied on its indvidual governance style and leadership skills – be it the highly centralized administrative apparatus such as that present in China, the technocratic, topdown management style observed in South Korea, or the pragmatic moderation that relies on the personal leadership skills of its president as was the case in Brazil. The swiftness of crisis responses has been given precedence in nearly all countries irrespective of the political system. Time constraints limited the usual consultation processes with intermediary organizations about the focus of the measures taken. Civil societies were subsequently not actively involved in agenda setting and policy formulation. Only the South African government engaged in a comprehensive consultation process with social partners about the 51

scope and priorities of the crisis response.

Sustainable economic policy Aspects of a sustainable economic and structural policy have also taken a backseat in the first stage of the crisis. All countries included in the study showed extreme short-termism and “expansionism” in drafting stabilization and stimulus policies both in emerging and advanced economies. Only a few governments identified and used the crisis as an opportunity for a considered and purposeful restructuring. Even fewer, e. g. South Korea, China or the United States can claim a boosting of the “national innovation system” through techonology, education, research, “green” policies or tackling structural economic bottlenecks.

Global governance Regarding the often stressed claim for more international adjustment of crisis responses, the study draws a sobering conclusion. Hauke Hartmann, Project

Manager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung: “Instead of strengthening global governance in reaction to the global crisis, the management of the crisis and the drafting of stimulus packages took place almost exclusively on the national level.” The most effective and profound coordination of policy steps ocurred, according to the study, among central banks and monetary authorities. Within the G-20 framework, government leaders merely reassured themselvels about the timing and extent of their national stimulus packages strictly in line with their domestic policy agendas. But they did not enter into concerted, fine-tuned programs of action. At least the opportunity for an exchange among the most important economies of the world has never been so ample, and never have emerging markets been included so compehensively. It has yet to be seen if this leads to any serious attempt for more global governance in financial markets.

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Dubai Media installs SSL C100 HDS consoles Dubai Media has installed two 32-fader, Solid State Logic C100 HDS consoles in two new remote OB vans as part of the network’s move into HD broadcast. The C100 HDS consoles primarily support live to air coverage of horse racing at the massive new Meydan Racecourse and other local and international sporting events.

he positive experience with a C100 HD in the main studio helped Dubai Media with its decision to use the C100 HDS consoles in the new vans.“The new OB trucks were initially commissioned for the new Meydan Racecourse horse racing venue in Dubai,” says John Fee, outside broadcast manager for Dubai Media, Inc. “The trucks were outfitted with the latest square feet and features a world class generation, high end HD equipment, so grandstand that spans over a kilometer we needed consoles to match that quality. and boasts a seating capacity of up to The C100 HDS consoles were the right 60,000 guests. The two OB vans provide size, offering us great system flexibility live coverage for such international events and an easy learning curve. We have had as the prestigious Dubai World Cup for a good relationship with SSL through the horse racing, but also events like the FIFA experience we’ve had with the C100 HD Beach Soccer World Cup Finals. console in our main studio, so continuing “We expect the SSL C100 HDS this relationship was an easy choice.” consoles to run audio for the over 1,400 The spectacular Meydan programming days planned for this year Racecourse is spread over 76 million covering all types of sporting events,” Fee LP_1x1_1.2AVSpecialist:LitePanel 2/18/10 3:53 PM Page 1

continues. “The sound quality the C100 HDS delivers is, in a word, perfect, which helps us capture the excitement for live broadcast. As we have Dolby encoding in both vans, the SSL consoles are surround ready when we move into full surround broadcasting of the sporting events. ” The Meydan Racecourse is arguably the most expensive track built in history taking over 34 months to complete at a conservative cost estimate of $1.25 billion. This world class facility demands the very best on all levels. “The C100 HDS consoles work flawlessly, so we are never worried while covering these massive events,” states Fee. “With all the prestige that goes along with a facility like Meydan, everything must work first time, every time. Our experience with the C100 HDS consoles has been excellent. We are very happy with these consoles.”

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BT delivers virtual fitting rooms to Tommy Hilfiger Telepresence solution reduces travel time and costs, increases speed-to-market and lowers carbon emissions for leading premium lifestyle brand

eading premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger, one of the largest designer apparel brands globally, has signed a five-year managed services contract with BT. Under the terms of the agreement, BT will provide a videoconferencing solution which includes the industry’s first ‘virtual fitting rooms’, which the company jointly developed with Tandberg, now part of Cisco. These rooms enable immediate global “in-person” communication and collaboration among Tommy Hilfiger’s designers and manufacturing facilities. The solution connects offices in Amsterdam, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo, with potentially more units to follow.

Virtual fitting rooms The virtual fittings rooms - based upon BT’s Unified Communications Video solution coupled with Tandberg technology - include add-ons such as mobile cameras and recording facilities to enable the design team – based in Amsterdam and New York – to collaborate faster and more effectively with the manufacturing team in Hong Kong. Teams will be able to discuss the development of every single piece of the collection faceto-face without having to take longdistance flights. “We were impressed by BT's knowledge and experience in the videoconferencing area. This, combined with the creative, innovative solution which

the BT-Tandberg team offered, made the decision easy,” said Fred Gehring, CEO Tommy Hilfiger Group. “The solution will bring us an immersive virtual meeting experience and save both time and money. Teams will be able to interact and collaborate as if they were in the same room, making us much more agile and competitive. We look forward to better and more regular communication between our entities across the globe.” Bas Burger, CEO BT Benelux, added: “This solution will also significantly lower carbon emissions. It is a good example of where sustainability and cost-savings go handin-hand. We at BT understand that

sustainability is not an altruistic activity. To sustain the business, investments need to show return.” “Tommy Hilfiger has always been a trend setter, now further illustrated by their innovative approach to virtual design and collaboration,” said Fredrik Halvorsen, senior vice president, Cisco TelePresence Technology Group. “Like many other leading companies, Tommy Hilfiger has recognized that high quality telepresence can make their processes faster and more effective, delivering a distinct competitive advantage.”

Global rollout The contract includes two Tandberg Telepresence T3 systems (Amsterdam and New York), one Telepresence T1 system in Tokyo, three customized ‘virtual fitting rooms’ (based on the Telepresence T1) in Amsterdam, New York and Hong Kong, desktop units, supporting infrastructure (such as recording facilities) and software. Tommy Hilfiger will also receive BT’s One Source for Tandberg, a complete and ubiquitous managed services wrap which includes 24/7 helpdesk support, automated call scheduling and call launching, on-site maintenance, pro-active system monitoring and remote diagnostics. This reliable and easy to use service provides users and administrators alike with a single point of contact for all their support needs.

Blackmagic Design is a natural fit for VFX Dubai VFX is a Dubai-based production house specialising in turnkey productions. We take on a mix of commercials, corporate films, wildlife films, architectural realisation and multimedia and animation. Our production facilities support the full spectrum of video production from pre to post-production.

e have our own 4,000 square foot studio comprising three HD edit suites – two kitted out with Final Cut Pro and one with an Avid – a sound studio, a Blue Matt floor and a render farm. Our staff of around 11 includes editors, sound engineers, cameramen and lighting specialists. However, one of the things that makes us unique is that we all tend to do more than one job, so a cameraman might also double up as an editor, for instance. Before I started VFX, I was a filmmaker. The company was formed with a strong focus on continually reinvesting in people and equipment, which carries through to the present. Our motto is very much ‘the best people, the best equipment’.

HD workflow We’ve been more or less HD-centric since 2000 when we started to use a Panasonic DVCPro camcorder and we wanted a video capture card that complemented this workflow. We first started using the Blackmagic Design DeckLink card back in 2003 after switching from an existing Matrox card and since then we’ve stuck with Blackmagic Design. We currently have a range of Blackmagic kit including Intensity Pro and Multibridge Pro for editing and HD Link for monitoring. We are also looking at how the HD Link Pro and DeckLink Studio perform with a view to future investment. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the issue of costeffectiveness that matters most when buying equipment -- you can’t afford to invest in a system that is outdated in two years time. I’ve always looked at spending my dollar very carefully and Blackmagic Design really fits in with this approach. I prefer to have a modular system in place that enables us to keep moving forward to match our requirements or as the technology evolves.

Decklink HD Extreme We recently upgraded to the DeckLink HD Extreme, which we

Yusuf Thakur is the CEO of VFX Dubai. Their production facilities support the full spectrum of video production and post-production. "Our company was formed with a strong focus on continually investing in people and equipment," says Yusuf. "To me, picture quality is the ultimate benchmark when assesing equipment choices. It’s important that whatever workflow and interface you have in place delivers on this point."

purchased from our local dealer, Mediacast Systems, here in the UAE. Additionally, we decided to invest in a Red ONE camera in 2007, and had it delivered and installed in 2008. These two new pieces of kit enabled us to cut in realtime 2K with ease and at a low cost, as well as output and monitor in 2K. I’ve always preferred to work as close to finished quality as possible even if it takes slightly more time as you get a much better end result. Compared to other products available on the market, the DeckLink HD Extreme represents brilliant value for money and it fits into a lot of our work at the moment and delivers the picture quality we need.

The ultimate benchmark To me, picture quality is the ultimate benchmark when making an assessment and that remains a key factor when I buy equipment. It’s important that whatever workflow and interface you have in place delivers on this point. Right now we’re finished working on RAK- The Tree of Life, 55

a natural history film commissioned by the government of Ras Al Khaimah. The film looks at five different tree species that each support an entire eco system; one in the mountains, one in the wadis, one on the plains, one in the dessert and another in the coastal region. After the four-month shoot on location here in the UAE, we began editing in our studio The whole thing was filmed with a Red ONE, with a Sony HDCam as a secondary camera, and an underwater camera for the Persian Gulf segments. We’re currently in post-production with all the RED camera footage being graded using RED ALERT! prior to being imported into FCP for a realtime 2K edit. We have two identical FCP systems each hooked up to a DeckLink Intensity – one with DeckLink Extreme so we can monitor in both HD and 2K – and 8TB of RAID 0 external hard drive storage. Backup is via a Data Robotics (Drobo) storage device and the DeckLink cards can access both storage systems. We have used Apple Color for final visual effects and color

Promoting AV excellence in Southern Africa As part of InfoComm International’s global AV Week programme, SACIA is hosting the SACIA ProAV Forum - an industry outreach programme that examines how South African business can utilise audiovisual technology to cut costs, enhance communication and boost business efficiency. The event incorporates a dedicated exhibition - as well as a series of half-day seminars focusing on the use of audiovisual technology in government, business and education. Many of South Africa’s largest and most prestigeous AV technology suppliers, consultants and integrators have signed up to participate – including Audiosure, Christie, Dimension Data, Electrosonic, Harris Broadcast, Inala Distribution, Omega Digital, Peripheral Vision, Pro Acoustic, Questek Advanced Technologies, Shellard Media, Spescom Media & IT, and Wild & Marr. Entrance to the exhibition is free while participation in the conference sessions is priced at a cost of only R750. Register online at www.proav-africa.org and qualify for a special R200. discount on all

conference sessions booked before 30 September. Just enter SPECIAL as your discount code when making your reservation. When: 20-21 October 2010 Where: Misty Hills Conference & Exhibiiton Centre, Gauteng, South Africa Who should visit? SACIA’s ProAV Forum is a 2-day event aimed specifically at people who use AV technology to achieve their communication objectives. It’s designed to highlight how businessmen, teachers, government officials and others can use audiovisual technology to communicate more effectively. It’s an end-user event that will demonstrate the real-life application of AV technology in Southern Africa today. A visit to our ProAV Forum will provide information on how you can use AV technology to cut costs, work smarter and achieve your communications objectives more effectively.

17-23

The South African Communications Industries Association is a not-for-profit Trade Association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards in the audiovisual industry throughout Africa.

correction for the project and once again the DeckLink HD Extreme card has be used for this. The final master has been produced in 1080i and SD, and we have also preserved the 2K edit. We have also used the same workflow on another recently completed natural history film – Tracking Mermaids - which is all about Dugongs (a marine mammal related to the Manatee). The film is based on the research conducted by the EAD (Environment Agency Abu Dhabi) and the subsequent conservation efforts made to protect and preserve their habitat, and the Dugong population, in the waters of the UAE.

Long term approach My view is definitely to take a longterm approach to investing in new equipment. It’s all about choosing equipment that allows us to retain our existing gear; Blackmagic’s DeckLink HD card fit the bill for us. My old Nikon lenses can still be used with the Red ONE, and my very first Blackmagic DeckLink is still used when the project demands it. As I said once before: our motto is very much ‘the best people, the best equipment’ and our investment in Blackmagic Design’s products was very much inspired by our motto.

VFX Dubai have recently completed work on RAK- The Tree of Life, a natural history film commissioned by the government of Ras Al Khaimah. The film looks at five different tree species that each support an entire eco system; one in the mountains, one in the wadis, one on the plains, one in the dessert and another in the coastal region. The film was primarily shot on VFX's Red ONE camera. It was graded using RED ALERT! prior to being imported into FCP for a realtime 2K edit. The company has two identical FCP systems each hooked up to a DeckLink Intensity – one with DeckLink Extreme so we can monitor in both HD and 2K."

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“Get comfortable—with Media Composer 5, you can truly edit the way you like.” – Terence Curren, founder/president at AlphaDogs, Inc., blogger at CreativeCOW.net

“Avid has done it again—in a major overhaul of Media Composer, version 5 is going to blow your mind.” – David Michael Maurer, editor (Splinter, Barking Water, The Apprentice), blogger at FlickGym.com

“All in all, I am very excited about the new Media Composer software because it gives me a few reasons to tell clients that it would be more efficient to use Avid instead of FCP.” – Q. Bryce Randle, lead editor/creative director at Post Fifth Pictures

You spoke—we listened. Get ready to edit faster than ever before with smarter tools, expanded AMA (Avid® Media Access) tapeless media workflows (including native RED, QuickTime, and Canon 5D/7D editing), UI enhancements, open, cost-effective monitoring, and more. Meet the new Avid Media Composer® 5—your wish list is now your reality. With affordable pricing, Media Composer has never offered so much for so little.

Test-drive Media Composer 5 today—www.avid.com/mctrial © 2010 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Promotions and discounts are subject to availability and change without notice. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change with out notice. Avid, the Avid logo, and Media Composer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

LIVE bolsters its OB capacity with latest high-end HD equipment LIVE, Abu Dhabi Media Company’s wholly-owned outside broadcast (OB) and production subsidiary, continues to advance its fleet of state-of-the-art production OB vans with a significant acquisition of latest high-definition (HD) technology and equipment from Alfacam, one of the world’s leading providers of TV facilities and services to the broadcast and media production industry.

he acquisition includes 16 GV HD cameras (a mix of portable and studio types); 4 GV HD high-speed cameras for super slow motion (SSM); 6 EVS hard disc broadcast servers (each server comprising 6 channels) which enables high-quality recording, SSM and editing of video signals; 6 HD Sony VTRs for the recording of HD video signals; a HD Canon lens with a wide range of focal lengths and zooming powers, which allows for versatility and creativity in applications; and VINTEN tripods for all types of cameras. These and several other features and capabilities make the new equipment ideal for the HD broadcasting of a variety of programming, from live entertainment to sports events, where extremely fast, frame-accurate operation is critical.

“Our sustained investment in HD technology clearly shows our commitment to be at the forefront of HD TV production in the Middle East and become the partner of choice for the broadcast of international events. It is essential that we offer our partners and customers a complete HD production facility that delivers the best production the region

has ever seen and that we pursue the highest-quality standards for HD TV broadcast, both of which will ensure we are well-positioned for growth in the future”, said Abdul Hadi Al Sheikh, CEO of LIVE. “We are very pleased with the outstanding relationship we have established with our partners Alfacam. The equipment and services we have acquired fulfill our needs and protect our investment for many years to come,” concluded Al Sheikh. Since launching in August 2008, LIVE has brought the most exciting sporting and cultural events in the region to millions of viewers globally and has been recognized as a pioneer in HD broadcasting and production, with unmatched technological capabilities in the Middle East.

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Kramer introduce compact Line Transmitter/Receiver set Kramer Electronics is pleased to announce the introduction of the PT-571HDCP and PT-572HDCP twisted pair transmitter and receiver for DVI signals. The PT-571HDCP and PT-572HDCP can transmit DVI signals directly over a twisted pair cable (shielded twisted pair cables are recommended). The PT-571HDCP and PT-572HDCP offer an extremely compact and inexpensive solution for DVI signal transmission over long distances and are ideal for any application where long distance signal distribution is required. The PT-571HDCP converts a DVI signal into a signal that can be run over shielded twisted pair cables. The PT-572HDCP receiver then converts the signal back to a DVI signal. Both units feature a bandwidth of up to 1.65Gbps and are HDCP compliant and HDTV compatible. A DVI signal can be transmitted up to 90 meters at SXGA resolution and up to 30 meters at UXGA resolution when using Kramer’s shielded BCDGKat524 cable. Kramer’s shielded BC-DGKat623 cable can extend the range for UXGA to 70 meters and the soon to be introduced Kramer shielded BC-DGKat7a23 cable will extend the range to 80 meters for UXGA signals.

Extron Introduces Two and Four Input HDMI Switchers Extron Electronics is pleased to announce that the SW HDMI LC two and four input switchers are now shipping. These switchers support HDMI 1.3 specification features, including data rates up to 6.75 Gbps, Deep Colour, Lip Sync, and HD lossless audio formats. HDCP compliance ensures interoperability with other HDCP-compliant devices. The switchers support all HDTV rates including 1080p/60 with 12-bit Deep Colour, and PC resolutions up to 1920x1200. Front panel LED indicators provide visual confirmation of signal presence. Input cable equalization for each input compensates for cables up to 50 feet in length. The SW HDMI LC switchers are ideal for sending HDMI video and embedded multi-channel digital audio to a single display. "A/V integrators have long turned to Extron for feature-rich, yet cost-effective analogue and digital signal switchers that optimize system performance," says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron. "The SW HDMI LC switchers now bring Extron quality, reliability, and performance to HDMI switching applications, providing integrators and end users alike with the extra measure of confidence that comes with every Extron product."

Da-Plex and Rear Projection Module

Projecta is pleased to introduce Da-Plex, a rigid rear projection acrylic screen offering high resolution diffusive reflection for permanent installations. DaPlex features a microscopic thin diffusion coating which is permanently bonded to the acrylic substrate and cannot peel off like laminated film or

vinyl based diffusion screens. Diffusion coatings ensure uniformity and a wide viewing angle, suitable for today’s high output digital projectors. The optical diffusion coating does not exceed 1 mm in thickness. The screen substrate is made of a clear acrylic and offers breakage resistance, is lightweight for transport, features high optical quality and superior transmission. Da-Plex is available in standard sizes up to 251 cm high and 427 cm wide and has a gain of 1.0 with a full viewing angle of 70 degrees. Larger sizes and custom formats are available upon request.

Mitsubishi introduce 3D-ready portable projector Mitsubishi has announced a new projector designed for cost-conscious customers looking for classroom or meeting room projectors. The EX240U is an XGA projector that features 2500 lumens of brightness producing high-quality images at very competitive prices. The new EX240U features a sixsegment colour wheel (red, blue, green, white, yellow and cyan) to produce impressively rich and accurate colours, and is designed and built using Texas Instruments DLP technology and BrilliantColour for superior colour performance. It comes with a filter-free engine and a convenient top-loading lamp to make installation and lamp replacement simple and easy. Lightweight at just 2.4kg the EX240U can easily be moved from room to room. The direct power off function eliminates powerdown time allowing presenters to make quick exits without damaging the projector. It also comes with up to 4000 hours of lamp life, which reduces overall cost of ownership, meaning fewer replacements over time, saving time and money. 60

Christie introduce most advanced 3D projector yet

Gefen ships Digital Signage Creator

Christie, the first to market a fully stereoscopic 3D DLP projector nearly a decade ago, has announced the latest edition of its popular Christie Mirage Series, the Christie Mirage WU7K-M. Featuring a full WUXGA resolution display and dual lamps for excellent uniformity, the Christie Mirage WU7K-M is a compact, 6,300 ANSI lumens powerhouse. With dual-link DVI support at 330MHz full bandwidth and up to 10,000:1 contrast, the projector delivers crisp images, vibrant colours and uniform brightness – all at the lowest cost of ownership. The Christie Mirage WU7K-M stereoscopic 3D display system meets the precise needs of the energy markets, life sciences, government, education and medical research where performance, reliability, easy maintenance and low operating cost are critical to project success. Built on proven 3-Chip DLP technology, the Christie Mirage WU7K-M is versatile and efficient, with three modes of 3D input: standard frame rate of up to 120Hz, as well as frame-doubled content for maximum source compatibility and flicker-free operation. With the addition of a second input module, the Dual Input 3D mode enables the display of a frame-locked, passive stereo source for high-performance, active stereo at 120Hz without the need for an external passive to active converter. It features an extended lamp life of up to 3,000 hours per lamp, low power consumption of only 20W in standby, and filter-free, autosensing fans and temperature sensors, making it the industry’s most efficient “green” advanced visualisation projector.

Gefen has announced that its Digital Signage Creator (DSC) is now shipping. The DSC works with any Windowsbased browser and gives users full control over their digital signage content creation. The intuitive layout program offers the ability to create templates, insert music, layer video images, write scripts to control content and pull RSS feeds off the Internet to name just a few. Unlimited creative possibilities free users to build totally customized content that best suits their unique needs. Each DSC comes with Digital Signage Director (DSD) software that is intuitive and easy to use, while still offering advanced features to develop visually stunning digital signage. It offers built-in scheduling and calendar functions so users can pre-arrange content to play at any time. Content can be pushed to the DSC for immediate updates or pulled automatically from another server using iCalendar. The DSC is a compact solid state unit that weighs less than 7 ounces and typically uses only 2 watts of power, making it a green and viable solution to any facility while eliminating excessive power costs.

RTI's vIRsa mouse IR emitter now shipping

Chief launches new accessories for Video Conferencing

Chief is excited to announce new accessories for FUSION Series wall mounts, AV carts and stands as well as a new online compatibility tool for selecting the right accessories for your

video conferencing needs. From codec and camera shelves to sound bar speaker adapters, accessories can help create the ideal solution for a wide range of video conferencing and digital signage needs. Chief’s’ TV Cart series also has a couple of new video conferencing accessories, including a Large Video Conferencing Shelf and a Codec/CPU Interface Adapter that can hide Tandberg’s popular codecs behind the display for a clean look. Finally, Chief offers a Large Shelf Accessory that allows users to add a centre channel speaker or sound bar to a mobile video conferencing solution.

Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) has announced that it is now shipping its vIRsa Mouse IR emitter. Built with the professional integrator in mind, the versatile device features a sleek, symmetrical design while providing a host of features to ensure smooth, reliable installations. The lowprofile vIRsa is unobtrusive and adapts to any installation environment with a flexible film adhesive that conforms to curved surfaces. For fast troubleshooting, a separate holder remains attached, allowing easy removal and 61

replacement of the emitter. A blue LED flasher offers increased visibility but may be hidden during normal operation. For high reliability, a translucent PCB improves the integrity of electrical connections while a built-in resistor protects against voltage overdrive and precision moulding ensures consistent quality. The device's 15-foot cable reaches the entire equipment rack, and an integrated cablemanagement strap reduces clutter. "Our vIRsa Mouse is the ultimate IR emitter. Engineered like no other, it combines flexibility, convenience, efficiency, and unmatched reliability for integrators, all in one device," said Pete Baker, vice president of sales and marketing for RTI. "From its flexible film adhesive to its built-in resistor, every aspect of the vIRsa is designed to simplify installations in the field."

Barco dazzles theatres around the globe Barco has announced that the first half of 2010 has brought impressive results for its digital cinema business thanks to the worldwide deployment of the DP2K series. This year has taken off with a significant increase in sales, orders and production capacity. Powered by the global demand for digital and 3D projection, Barco's new DP2K family of digital projectors is on its way to break all records. Launched at ShoWest in March 2010, this family of DLP Cinema digital projectors was the first ever to pass a DCI compliance testing milestone and the first to offer integrated CineCanvas subtitling. “The DP2K series has been extremely well received,” says George van Gils, managing director of Questek Advanced Technologies, Barco distributor in South Africa. “The market is really taking up the proven Barco design concepts, such as our truly modular design and commonality of spares, which have been taken to the next level in the DP2K series. The many key customers selecting Barco for their digital cinema rollouts are a great realization of this continued technology leadership.”

TV One adds new EDID solution The TV One-task product line expands by offering an EDID/CEC Selector. The 1T-EDID-11 Selector allows for easy set up of the EDID and CEC parameters between a source and display monitor. Instead of waiting for the source and display to synchronize, this HDMI switcher saves time by using preset EDID and CEC settings to speed up the process. It’s also easy to change your settings should that become necessary due to the selection of a different source or destination device or because you have purchased new equipment. SD and HD video, RGB video and embedded audio parameters can all be selected via the front panel and system operation is displayed on an LED array. The product also features the unique TV Onetask locking power connectors to enhance overall system mechanical security. The advanced features include compliance with HDMI v1.3 and DVI 1.0 standards, serial data rates of up to 2.25Gbps, selectable DTV Resolutions of 720p, 1080i/p and selectable PC resolutions of XGA, SXGA, and UXGA.

Lighthouse launches DuoLED

Lighthouse Technologies have launched DuoLED, a lightweight mesh product that has all the advantages of transparency and ease of handling, but with an extra benefit. As the name suggest, DuoLED can be used as a mesh screen but, with the simple flick of a switch, can also be used as a standard display panel. The second mode is achieved by a revolutionary set of shutters, which close behind the mesh and give the panels a solid appearance. Available in

12mm and 18mm pixel pitch versions, DuoLED is ideal for large format indoor or outdoor displays, with a brightness of 5,000 nits, accurate reproduction of 281 trillion colours and IP65 ingress protection rating. Each panel of both types measures 576mm square, is less than 150mm deep and weighs less than 9 kg, making DuoLED screens of any size easy and fast to build. Lighthouse’s industryleading contrast and colour uniformity technology means that the images produced by DuoLED, in either mode, are sharp and lifelike. Most importantly, the dual use of the panels means that rental companies no longer need to stock both mesh and standard panels.

Presenters On The Move With Hitachi Providing unmatched performance and portability to travelling professionals, Hitachi has introduced the CP-RX82 3LCD projector. The CP-RX82 offers a brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens at a weight of less than five pounds. The CPRX82 is an XGA projector that features an easily accessible, high-efficiency filter, as well as a lamp life of 6,000 hours in Eco Mode, making maintenance even easier. The Saving mode reduces the standby power consumption to .5W. The CP-RX82 features 1W audio out and offers a variety of userfriendly functions, including Closed Captioning, Whiteboard/Blackboard modes, Template function, and instant on/off. Also included are proprietary Hitachi functions such as My Screen, My Memory, My Buttons and My Source. The CP-RX82 also offers PIN lock security. “Entry-level projectors do not need to be synonymous with low quality, as the CP-RX82 demonstrates,” said product manager John Glad. “The CP-RX82 packs a ton of features into a compact and lightweight chassis at a very affordable price.” 62

AMX Now Shipping Novara 3000 Series ControlPads AMX has announced distribution of the Novara 3000 ControlPads. This unique product is a standalone user interface combined with an onboard controller that can be easily configured to operate lights, AV equipment, HVAC systems and the likes in simple conference rooms / classrooms. The Novara 3000 is the third generation of ControlPads currently available from AMX. These smartly designed keypad/controllers fit into a standard US, EU or UK back box and are available in six-, eight- and 17-button configurations. The Novara 3000 is ideal for streamlined control, available in various configurations of IR, RS-232, relay and I/O ports to support a wide variety of audiovisual devices, including projectors, DVD players and switchers. A deployment with multiple Novara 3000's can easily be installed and updated simultaneously with the easy to use and easy to set up Novara Device Configuration Software. "The Novara 3000 Series is one of the most versatile product lines on the market for commercial control," stated AMX Chief Technology Officer Robert Noble. "It fits perfectly in smaller cost-effective, standalone, simple control solutions all the way up to large, comprehensive, multi-level, AMX NetLinx control solutions - this robust product delivers."

World’s first native 2.5K projector launches at IBC 2010 Visitors to IBC 2010 will see video projector resolution for small to medium-sized edit suites and preview theatres taken to a new level by Norway’s projectiondesign. The company will use the Amsterdam show to give a global debut to the cineo35 2.5k – the world’s first compact projector capable of showing images at a native 2560 x 1600 resolution. By offering an uncompressed and unaltered display of 2K data, the cineo35 2.5k gives the fine detail view that 1080p projectors are unable to provide without cropping or scaling the image. Additionally, because of the extra resolution available, the projector can display full 2K in a window and still offer space for editing tools on the same screen. This makes the cineo35 2.5k the perfect projector for small to medium-sized rooms where colour accuracy and performance are the most important criteria. The projector comes with multiple preset calibration profiles as standard, and users can switch quickly between colour spaces and calibration settings.

The Fastest, Most Powerful AV Network

Sanyo launch world's shortest-focus projector

Sanyo is pleased to announce the release of new ultra short-focus projector with 3D Ready. The new model also offers the world's shortest projection distance, and can be set up vertically or horizontally for enjoying “large images projected from right on the wall." In 2006, Sanyo was the first in the industry to come out with an ultra short-focus projector that can project a large image from a short distance, thereby expanding the situations where projectors can be used. In 2007, Sanyo

also released the LP-XL50 projector with an ultra shortfocus lens, which revolutionized the conventional projector concept with the world's shortest set-up distance. This model has been well received in educational settings. The new PDG-DWL2500J model represents a further advancement of the LP-XL50, and has a compact design that is about half the size of the conventional model. Along with being able to project large images from an even shorter distance, the new models have 3D ready, a feature that is rapidly gaining popularity. As a result, Sanyo is aiming to expand the market for these projectors from the conventional educational market to include new uses including amusement applications.

Crestron has announced the release of its revolutionary new DigitalMedia 8G technology, the first true one-wire, highoutput network. DigitalMedia 8G delivers unprecedented ultra-high speed and long distance transmission of all data, Ethernet and control, plus analog and digital AV signals. All signals and communications are managed over a single shielded CAT5 wire or multimode fiber strand; no compression or repeaters required. Installation is now faster, cheaper and easier 63

than ever. DigitalMedia 8G far surpasses the 1 gigabit throughput of standard Ethernet networks. 8G is the world's first AV distribution and control transport solution that delivers an eight gigabit pipeline for each input and each output. DigitalMedia 8G preserves the native video resolution and audio format of every signal, ensuring a pure, lossless signal path. The result is the highest quality and most reliable HD digital entertainment experience available. "DigitalMedia 8G is the fastest and most powerful AV network ever developed," says Vincent Bruno, Crestron Director of Marketing. "As a true one-wire platform with a single RJ45 connection, 8G also saves integrators a lot of time and money, significantly reducing material and labor costs of cabling and the number of terminations."

Embracing industry standards During June MECIA hosted the InfoComm CTS Prep training course in Dubai. The course was well attended by 18 AV professionals all eager to earn InfoComm’s CTS credential. Interestingly, many of the participants were long–in-the-tooth AV professionals with many years experience in the audiovisual profession. “Keeping up to date with industry standards is of paramount importance when you’re working on major AV integration projects that involve input from multiple suppliers,” says Troy Frankson, AV engineer with Omnix Media Networks in Dubai. “This course provides all the information on industry best-practice – it’s probably the best presented education programme I’ve ever attended.”

Essentials class in Johannesburg. The course attracted nearly 20 participants including a number of AV technicians from Parliament and other state-owned enterprises. “Government bodies are increasing their use of audiovisual technology to cut costs and streamline the communication process,” explains Aubrey Ngcobozi, head of Parliament’s audiovisual unit. “It’s critical that we’re aware of the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of our industry – and of our country.” From 20-21 October SACIA are hosting their ProAV Foum: an outreach programme that’s being presented as part exhibition and conference that of InfoComm International’s AV Week. The Forum includes an exhibition and conference aimed at highlighting the use of AV technology in business, government and education markets.

of AV Technology. Jasper Cecil from the University’s Audio Visual Centre has been a great supporter of SACIA since its inception and explains that the Audio Visual Centre provides and maintains facilities on 5 campuses with 35 staff, who provide a variety of AV services in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. This includes a video production unit with 3 studios and 2 OB vans. “We also provide AV equipment to support academic and student initiatives. The division is committed to delivering exceptional services to its clients within the University and to achieve this objective, it is critical that our staff understand the science and technology behind the audiovisual services we provide,” he said. Jasper’s objective is to ensure that all frontline staff within the Audio Visual Centre earn their CTS credential so that they can meet the educational objectives of the University more efficiently. He is also actively encouraging all the University’s AV technology suppliers to demonstrate their knowledge and support capability by earning their CTS credential.

Broadcast and Film in Kenya

SA Parliament pursue AV training Excitement ran high at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa during July when George Puthenkulam CTS presented the SACIA GEN111 course: Essentials

African countries face the prospect of failing to meet the 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for all countries to make the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting. At Aitec’s second Broadcast and Film Conference and

University of KZN training programme Immediately after the course at the University of KwaZulu Natal, SACIA hosted another GEN111 AV 64

exhibition held in Nairobi in July the continent’s industry leaders came together to deliberate and discuss the challenges and issues affecting this sector. According to Russell Southwood, chief executive of Balancing Act UK, only 5 of the 53 states in Africa have launched the process of switching over from analogue to digital television.

Freedom of creativity At the end of June Advanced Media Trading hosted an open day at their Colonia Production Studios in Dubai. Described as the “Freedom of Creativity” event, they were able to showcase a collaborative video production workflow featuring products from Sony, Adobe, HP and Apple. Over two days visitors had the opportunity to experiment with the Sony XDCAM EX series cameras in a professional studio environment that included lightning, greenscreen and a real model onstage. They were also able to try the latest Apple Final Cut Pro video editing software and evaluate the newest Adobe Production Premium CS5 software running on super-power HP workstations. Feedback from particpants was extremely positive and I’m certain we’ll be seeing more of these custom events from this innovative supplier over the next few months.

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