Producer/director J.J. Abrams has gone back to the future of the Star Trek franchise with a fresh new take on the classic sci-fi adventure. While using the familiar elements that Trekkies have come to expect, this Star Trek film adds a surprisingly emotional storyline.
The advent of HD has been like a ticking time clock. For the venerable 60 Minutes – the longest running primetime show in television history – it also marked a major milestone. For the 2008-2009 season, the show became the first news magazine to broadcast in HD.
When the University of Montana’s Radio and Television department overhauled its facilities in 2007 with a complete Avid broadcast solution, it tapped into its students’ current learning styles, engaging them with the curriculum like never before.
Film editor Michael Tronick knows a thing or two about music-inspired films. He began his career as a music editor on films such as All That Jazz and A Chorus Line. Now he has added another dimension to his considerable resume - editing in 3D.
As supervising sound editor and sound designer of Slumdog Millionaire, Glenn Freemantle had one goal in mind: to create sounds that portray the burgeoning vitality and paradoxical charm that is modern-day India.
When it comes to dealing with crisis situations few organizations are better prepared than television station newsrooms. Not only are they equipped to rapidly deploy resources to cover news stories, but they produce and deliver news content daily under relentless time constraints, often with deadlines met only seconds before going to air.
Every horse and dog racing fan who heads out to the track or to the nearest off-track betting location is always on the hunt for a sure bet, yet the odds-on favorite for ensuring their success may be a surprising choice. It is the Avid Deko on-air graphics system, which plays a pivotal role at racetracks across the country, helping bettors keep pace with all the wagering and racing data.
For most Americans the word “rodeo” evokes thoughts of the old Wild West, untamed and filled with adventure. However, rodeo is still a thriving industry today, filling arenas and smaller stadiums across the Central and Western U.S. with tourists eager to experience the cowboy culture - and cowboys eager to keep the nostalgia alive.
Slumdog Millionaire, the latest film from director Danny Boyle, is touching hearts and racking up awards worldwide, including this year’s Golden Globe award for Best Drama. Set amidst the slums of Mumbai, the film tells the tale of an impoverished 18-year-old Indian boy, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), who hits the big time on the Hindi equivalent of the U.S. game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? But all is not as it seems.
Running the Sahara follows three ultra-endurance athletes who set out to become the first modern runners to cross the Sahara desert. The film’s editing team met a considerable challenge as well, keeping pace with a massive amount of footage.
The intricate film has nearly 600 visual effects shots and was shot using a range of source formats, including HDCAM and Super 35mm film. To help achieve its distinctive visual appeal, the film’s conceptual art and design was done by the team of artists behind the Star Wars trilogy (Iain McCaig and Ninth Ray).
As the first prominent American politician who was openly gay, Harvey Milk was an iconic figure in the 1970s. Gus Van Sant's biopic, which stars Sean Penn as Milk, deftly combines archival footage with original material to portray Milk's groundbreaking political career and tragic death.
Working on a James Bond film may not be every 10-year-old boy’s dream, but it probably comes awfully close. At least that is how editors Matt Chesse and Richard Pearson describe their enthusiasm for editing the latest film in the popular 007 franchise.
There is something singularly recognizable and almost comforting about the soundtrack of a James Bond film. Maybe it’s the familiar “ta-da, ta-dah” musical motif or the red-hot squeal of an Aston Martin on the run. Quantum of Solace may be breaking that mold.
The visual effects in Quantum of Solace include sensational car chases and death-defying airplane pursuits, not to mention human bodies falling off bell towers, crashing through glass ceilings, and bouncing off scaffolding. And that’s just for starters.
Director Clint Eastwood’s most recent films - the award-winning Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Letters from Iwo Jima - have all been dramatic powerhouses. Changeling, his latest, is another quietly remarkable stunner.
With approximately $250,000 budgeted for its post workflow, The Haunting of Molly Hartley was on a tight post budget. Yet first-time film producer Todd Ulman created an HD workflow that rivaled that of many big-budget films.
Some television screens are just bigger than others. Consider the gigantic HD stadium screen at Phoenix-based Chase Field, home to major league baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. The 136 x 46-foot board, which hovers above center field, has become a huge hit with fans.
When the VERSUS network became the exclusive cable television home of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2005, it sparked the beginning of an era to re-brand the 24/7 sports network - and to design and build all new HD facilities
Crawford Post Production has seen it all and done it all before. Since 1981, the Atlanta-based post house has built its reputation on providing technologically sophisticated post solutions, working on a range of projects for top ad agencies, broadcasters, corporations, and production companies.
The name J.J. Abramsis enough to elicit high expectations for any new series. The inventive creator behind the hugely successful Lost and Alias has a knack for leaving audiences confused, riveted, and - above all - addicted. This fall he is at it again with his latest series, Fringe.
Michael Forrest, the founder of Hollywood-based Post Box, knows the ins and outs of the competitive film and television market. His company offers a range of post services for some of Hollywood’s top projects. His secret weapon? Avid DS.
Tim Horgan and Sean Stall may be living a sport's lover's dream. The owners of Bluefoot Entertainment and Ironik Post and Design have teamed up to turn out hundreds of high-profile sports packages in HD for major networks such as ESPN.
Fresh from his Academy Award nominated turn as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, actor David Strathairn stars in another contemplative story - this time set in a small New Hampshire town.
In 2005, director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia) gave an edgy new twist to the Batman franchise with his gritty, realistic Batman Begins. His latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, evokes a similarly gloomy and introspective tone.
Would you believe? Get Smart is back. The classic television series, which starred Don Adams as the bumbling spy Maxwell Smart and Barbara Feldman as his cohort Agent 99, is getting a whole new look with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway in the starring roles.
Forty-six years since the Hulk's comic-book debut, the popular super-hero is poised for a big-screen transformation in a new live action/CG film adaptation produced by Marvel Studios.
Only a handful of insiders really know what Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte have been up to these past few years. It is tantalizing to think about: the gossip, the canoodling, the shoes. Now the wait is over.
Each year billions of dollars in advertising are booked based on "upfront" presentations, the yearly week-long promotional events held by television networks that give advertisers a peek at the upcoming TV season and a chance to reserve primetime advertising slots.
Identical twins Logan and Noah Miller had never produced or directed a film. Yet the 29-year-olds managed to raise money, hire a crew, and attract top-notch Hollywood talent to create Touching Home, an autobiographical film they wrote, produced, and directed.
After completing a sold-out concert tour and launching a hit television show, what's a pop music phenomenon to do? If you are 15-year-old singing sensation Miley Cyrus (a.k.a., Hannah Montana) you make a move to the big screen - in 3D.
Women's Murder Club is a high-profile, new show with an impressive pedigree, including a popular lead actress (Angie Harmon), a push from a major network, and a distinctive, creative editorial stamp.
For Brian Schnuckel, an editor on the Nickelodeon show Just Jordan, keeping pace with the program's multi-camera action requires some high-powered post tools. Namely, two Media Composer Adrenaline v2.7 systems.
For FRANCE 24, the challenge was clear: how quickly could they launch the first French-based global news network while attracting viewers used to getting their world news from established broadcasters such as the BBC and CNN?
It's Shakespeare on the Jordan River when two star-crossed lovers are forced to battle traditional Israeli-Palestinian conflicts with two unusual weapons - music and comedy - in the short film West Bank Story
Jason Bourne returns to unlock the secrets of his mysterious past in the latest espionage thriller in this popular film franchise. This installment promises to uncover the truth behind Bourne's dangerous and never-ending search for his own identity.
Shot on 35mm film, the film was edited in HD for its crisp, rich detail, which enabled the filmmakers to carefully craft the gritty and realistic tone they were aiming for.
There are approximately 5,000 cults in the U.S., and they - and their members - may be surprisingly close to home. This is the message behind the new documentary Join Us, which opened to rave reviews at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Since its founding in 1963, a primary mission of the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) has been to address the needs of underserved populations, providing opportunities for students with limited means but unlimited potential.
What do you get with three guys, one digital camcorder, and a $200 budget? If the guys are writers/actors/producers Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton, you get the now legendary pilot for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
MTV's Room 401, a new weekly program from Punk'd executive producers Billy Rainey, Jason Goldberg, and Ashton Kutcher, puts an outrageous horror twist on the wildly successful hidden-camera, prank-based genre.
No television station delivers more hours of local coverage in Fort Wayne, Ind., than the CBS affiliate WANE-TV 15. The station bills itself as "The News Channel" and stakes its reputation on providing the most hours of in-depth local coverage.
As the world's leading mixed martial arts sports association, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produces up to 20 live, mixed martial arts pay-per-view and cable TV events a year, which are are distributed worldwide and watched by millions.
Shot entirely in New York City, the filmmakers used a full range of Avid systems to create the comedy-drama.
When Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of vascular cancer, she decided to make a documentary of her experience working through the medical establishment and seeking alternative remedies. The result? A network debut on TLC's LifeLens.
When snowboard enthusiast Anthony Cupaiuolo first launched First Tracks Productions in 2001, it was purely an experiment to see if he could turn his high-flying hobby into a well-grounded business venture. The experiment worked.
Chapman University, one of California's oldest and most prestigious universities, recently made a stunning $41 million investment, building a new 76,000 square-foot facility for its undergraduate and graduate film students.
First assistant editor Sean Valla has worked on all three Spider-Man films and believes that Spider-Man 3 is the most complex one yet, with more sub-plots, main characters, and action scenes. Plus, audiences get to see a dark side of their beloved ...
With the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, still fresh in the minds of many, the makers of United 93 had a daunting task ahead of them: to deliver the story accurately while respecting the memories of those who suffered the most.
The viewers served by WRDW-TV, the CBS affiliate in Augusta, Ga., are about as diverse as they come. Covering 19 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, the small broadcaster employs an Avid workflow to deliver flexible and affordable news.
Thirty-something, single, and frantically funny - that's how Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrays the title character in the CBS hit comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine, which follows a divorced working mom searching for calm amid the daily chaos of her ..
Named among America's "Hottest Colleges" for studying art by Kaplan/Newsweek in 2005, the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., is keeping its technological edge, in part, by incorporating HD into its video editing workflows.
At the age of 22, Anicia Morris is already on the fast track to a successful career in television editing and production. In July 2006, just months after graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Radio, TV, and Film from Howard University in Washington...
At KOTV in Tulsa, Okla., the news and marketing teams use the Avid Archive solution with SGL FlashNet archive management software to get fast, easy nonlinear access to nearly 30 years of stored media footage.
John Snowdon purchased his first Avid Media Composer editing system in the early 1990s, a decision he credits with helping to jump-start his interactive media business, Captured Light Studio, which competes in the global medical market.
Renegade Productions often pushes the envelope in terms of its technology resources. Clients seeking projects that utilize HD, video on demand, broadband, podcasts, and video mobile phones often look to Renegade to produce top-quality content.
Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication provides students with real-world learning environments. This experience is precisely what helps graduates routinely land jobs in broadcast journalism, sports production, and promotions.
Just two years after graduating as a directing fellow from the American Film Institute (AFI), writer/director Eva Husson has a feature film to her credit. Working with AFI colleagues, she is completing the coming-of-age film Tiny Dancer.
After submitting the horror thriller The Signal to a number of film festivals, producer Alex Motlagh experienced some unexpected thrills of his own: he began fielding calls from excited film reps. Then came the call from Sundance.
Every facet of this film was congenial and happy, says Virginia Katz, film editor on Dreamgirls, a musical based on the Broadway show that follows a trio of female soul singers who cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s.
Turning a beloved children's book into a major feature film takes a clear and heartfelt vision. In the case of Charlotte's Web, it also took a whole lot of animal trainers - and a wide-ranging Avid editing setup.
When Jed DeCory became chair of the School of Communication Arts at Toronto's Seneca College in 1999, he was asked to help make its newly-opened York campus one of the college's "technical jewels." He quickly moved to bring in Avid systems.
In the 1980s, ruthless drug lords invaded the city of Miami, transforming it from a peaceful retirement mecca to one of the most dangerous places on earth. The pulse-pounding, heart-racing documentary Cocaine Cowboys chronicles the city's decline.
Come Early Morning explores some of life's most trying challenges as it follows the hardworking days and harder drinking nights of a Southern woman in a small Arkansas town. Simple, eloquent editing is key to the film's success.
In order to offer a more comprehensive degree in Communication Studies and greater job opportunities for its graduates, Iowa-based Dordt College recently expanded its Communications department to include digital media production.
Keeping ahead of the competition and easing the election night workload are two reasons that the staff at WOOD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich., decided to use Avid Deko, DekoCast, and LeaderPlus systems.
Everything I do is an extension of my editing, says Joseph Kahn, whose music video and commercial work has won him critical acclaim in just a few short years. Voted by Variety as one of the top 10 directors to watch, Kahn is at the forefront of a new ...
When the French broadcast network RFO decided to update its existing infrastructure to support its nine geographically dispersed stations, the staff knew that a comprehensive and forward-looking digital solution would be required.
In mid-August 2005, Robert Racine, assistant professor in digital technology at the University of New Orleans (UNO), put the final touches on the school's new Digital Media Lab. Then just days later, the unthinkable happened.
Student editors in the Media Arts program at Oakville, Ontario-based Sheridan College work on Avid systems from their first year through graduation. Nearly 90 percent of them land jobs within the first few months after receiving their degree.
FRONTLINE is undeniably one of the finest sources of public affairs journalism on television. To ensure each show meets its high standards, independent producers are required to use Avid systems for an efficient, top-quality offline-to-online workflow.
If the early reaction is any sign, Nice Guys may be the next big independent hit. Made on a $100,000 budget and shot in 11 days, the film was produced and directed by Joe Eckardt, and, in a truly independent fashion, was edited in his home studio.
In only two seasons, ABC's Grey's Anatomy has attracted viewer attention like few other shows. The program is compelling, in part, because of the way it merges plot and rich character development with sharp editing, realistic audio, and a top-notch soundt
In 2004, Denis Roche had his hands full. He had just been hired as the director of engineering for Charleston, Ill.,-based WEIU when he was asked to make his first equipment decisions fast.
"We took on the project to make a difference, not a profit," says Jason Neal, editor and post production supervisor for the documentary film Samboja Lestari: One Square Meter at a Time. The film explores novel techniques for saving a deforested section
Fanta has successfully marketed its soft drink around the globe with mass-media savvy. Its latest commercial spots, "Drink Fanta, Stay Bamboocha," feature a Fantasy Island-like environment with surreal colors, quick cuts, and a soundtrack worthy of a feat
Film editors Dan Hanley and Mike Hill are an intrepid duo. The longtime collaborators of director Ron Howard were fresh from editing the acclaimed Cinderella Man when they dove in to what may be the biggest film project of their careers, literally.
Why make a documentary about a defunct soccer team and a league whose heyday was nearly 30 years ago? "The reason we have soccer and a decent following in the U.S. today is literally because of the Cosmos and the NASL," says Paul Crowder.
Using an extensive Avid-based workflow, Richmond, Va.,-based First Baptist Church has improved the quality of its broadcasts and extended its audio and video production with DVDs, CDs, and Podcasts to reach a broader audience.
While the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale distinguishes itself as an art school as opposed to a technical school, it encourages its graduates to become proficient with state-of-the-art digital tools, including the Media Composer Adrenaline system.
King Kong is one beauty of a beast. With more than 3,200 final shots culled from 3 million feet of live-action footage and thousands of visual effects shots, taming this film in post was a gargantuan task, especially considering that it was shot and edite
When Smithfield, R.I.,-based Bryant College officially became Bryant University in August 2004, it was the culmination of a five-year effort to position itself for a strong future.
Who wants to be stranded on a tropical island with a polar bear, a mystical boar, and a mysterious group of people known as "the others"? No one. Who wants to watch people stranded on a tropical island with these and many other dangers? Millions.
To ensure that German viewers would not miss a second of the fast-moving Tour de France, Saarländische Rundfunk used a mobile editing unit specifically designed to create programming directly from the Tour route.
USC's Annenberg School for Communication requires its students to matriculate through a core curriculum that includes hands-on instruction with the industry's leading editing and broadcast technology.
Not every film balances a combination of drama, humor, and song, yet Romance and Cigarettes gamely manages it all with a vision entirely its own.
According to Charles Celander, operations manager of the Film and Video department at Columbia College Chicago, the school is the film and television industry's "best-kept secret."
