News

The latest version of Steinberg's mastering, editing and batch processing software is available for purchase. Users of WaveLab 8.0 can download the update at the Steinberg Online Shop. WaveLab 8.5 comes with a broad range of new functions, among them industry-first features such as the new Watch Folders batch processor.

Top features in version 8.5
Watch Folders: Drag-and-drop automated offline-processing feature, using standard folders of the operating system to process and render audio files.

Encoder Checker: Compare and contrast codec quality and settings on the fly without perceivable latency and with up to three streams simultaneously, such as MP3, AAC and OGG Vorbis.

Multi-format rendering: Render to multiple audio file formats simultaneously and save encoding chains as presets.

AAC Encoder: Encode straight to AAC formats, such as HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, HD-AAC and 3GPP, for compatibility to Apple products, such as iTunes, iPod and iPhone.

Eyeon Software's much-anticipated update of their compositing engine, Fusion 7, comes with a battle-tested pedigree of 25 years of development and thousands of productions. With core updates that have significantly increased speed and efficiencies, Fusion 7's design of 2D tools in a 3D system has achieved a highly-productive VFX environment.



Fusion 7 Key Features
Fusion 7's 3D system and renderer import geometry from FBX and Alembic, as well as OBJ, 3DS, and Collada. Millions of polygons, complex Shaders, Ambient Occlusion, Deep Volumetric Atmospherics, Particles Systems, and other toolsets, are now all final rendered with advanced optimization for GPUs, benchmarking in seconds instead of hours. Fusion 7 offers the ability to have multiple 3D renderers all in one project, all integrated and rendering different aspects from the same scene. Generating Deep Passes, such as World Position, Normals, UV, and Velocity, with Fusion's flexibility to combine 3D and 2D in a single workflow, is a significant demarcation point from other applications. In addition to new 3D tools (Replace Normals 3D, 3D Text Bevel Shaper, or 3D Interactive Splines), Fution 7 contains Dimension, eyeon Software's highly regarded Optical Flow and Stereoscopic Tools, previously offered as an option.

Fusion 7 Productivity and Workflow
Productivity and workflow are streamlined further with automation tools and enhanced rendering. Fusion 7's built-in Render Manager, and the Scripting engine that supports Python 2.x and 3.x, and Lua, are supported with scripts that ship as part of Fusion 7. Developing Macro tools, managing and sharing tools, jobs, and footage, are now part of Fusion 7's design for studio-wide use via the integrated Bin System. Fusion can have multiple projects open at the same time, with cut and paste abilities between comps adding to the integrated environment design. It is now a matter of seconds to test one comp while rendering another. The Integrated Script Debug Console works for Python and Lua to step through code, set breakpoints, and have multiple scripts open at the same time. Just-In-Time Compiling for Fuses and OpenCL tools gives the ability to develop sophisticated tools without having a C++ development environment. Immediately compile and use these tools while working in the Fusion comp. These are multithreaded for speed, and OpenCL is GPU accelerated.



“I love this software! It is literally like I can think of anything and Fusion will allow me to do it.”
– Leon Liebenberg, CVC Media

Fusion 7 Updates and Enhancements

• Animation Indicators

• Drag and Drop Layout

• User Interface Templates

• Learning Environment

• Multi Projects/Documents

• Connected Node Position and Prediction

• Templates

• Native Camera Support

• Screen Space Ambient Occlusion

• 3D Custom Vertex

• Alembic Import

• Latest FBX Library

• Replace Normals 3D

• 3D Interactive Splines

• 3D Ribbon

• UV Render and Super Sampling

• 3D Text Bevel Shaper

• Dimension - Optical Flow and Stereoscopic Tools

• Just-In-time Compiling

• Script Development Interface

• Linear Light Color/Open Color IO

• Deep Volume Processing

• Roto Onion Skinning

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that Manchester, England-based ABF Pictures used the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K to shoot national television commercials for Clevercards (known in the US as ‘Cleverbug,’) one of Europe’s fastest growing greeting card and greeting card application companies, and MandM Direct, one of Europe’s leading online, off price retailers.

ABF is a production company and advertising agency specializing in the creation of TV commercials for broadcast, having handled advertising campaigns for global brands such as Virgin Games and VistaPrint. With the series of Clevercards spots, ABF was tasked with showing how simple it is to use Clevercards’ application by connecting to Facebook to ensure you can create and never miss sending out the perfect greeting card. For the MandM Direct campaign, ABF created commercials showing the fun that families have online shopping in conjunction with highlighting MandM Direct’s sponsorship with the “Britain’s Got Talent” television show.

“We shot both spots in 4K, and the Production Camera 4K worked like a charm. The ability to shoot in 4K and get that Ultra HD look at an incredible price and with an easy to use workflow from production to post is really amazing. The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K is a real game changer for shooting commercials,” said Tim Folin, DP for both commercials.

Both campaigns were shot in ProRes using the camera’s film mode, with footage being sent seamlessly from the camera straight into Final Cut Pro. Throughout the production, ABF used a mix of Nikon, Voightlander and Canon lenses.

“For the Clevercards spots, I wanted to get a flat, filmic look, and the images that the Production Camera 4K gave us were amazing and fit that perfectly,” said Tim. “We also had to plan for post production to add in different greeting card art work and wording, so we shot all of the actors holding blank, black card and added graphics later. All of the data and detail that comes with the 4K images from the camera really made it very easy to work with adding content after the shoot was completed.

“The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K gave us a much sharper picture than with any of the other cameras I have worked with, and the images are just amazing,” finished Tim.



Press Photography
Product photos of Blackmagic Production Camera 4K are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Pocket Cinema Camera were used to shoot China's hit web series “Ex Model.” The web series is produced by Drunken Dragon Productions, a Paris-based production company co-founded by Chinese producer and actress Xin Wang and French director and writer Emmanuel Sapolsky, for Youku, one of the world's largest Chinese video websites.

Directed by Emmanuel, “Ex Model” tells the story of the young Chinese girl Xin Xin, played by Xin Wang, pursuing her dream of modeling in Paris but getting too old for it. She tries to find her way in the French city not knowing the path to success, and this personal journey generates some funny, crazy and unexpected moments. The first season of the web series, which consists of 10 episodes, is now airing on Youku and has built up more than 22 million views since its premiere on April 1st.

As one of the earliest European owners of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera EF and the Pocket Cinema Camera, Emmanuel has shot many popular shorts, as well as his first feature film “The Eyes of Silence,” on his Blackmagic Design cameras. Because of his successful experiences already, he decided to continue relying on the cameras to shoot the “Ex Model” project.

“In a web series like ‘Ex Model,’ you have to be able to shoot fast, with less light and not that much space, as we shoot entirely on location,” said Emmanuel. “I love the form factor and the compact size of these cameras. You can add accessories or remove them as you go, so they fit everywhere!”

Shot completely on a Blackmagic Cinema Camera Emmanuel mounted the camera on a tripod and an Edelkrone slider for dynamic shots. He used aPocket Cinema Camera as a B camera, mounting it in a Movi stabilized camera gimbal or roller skate camera, which captured special and hyperactive shots, with all of the footage recorded to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) in both cameras.

“To me, the ability to record ProRes in camera is one of the two best assets for shoots because you don’t have to deal with an external recorder or some conversion in post. That is a time saver,” said Emmanuel. “Dynamic range is my other favorite feature because we can't afford to put that much light on set. Not only because of budget, but also because in Paris, sometimes you shoot in very old places that are preserved. You can't just come in and put some 2K HMI there without risking damage. And both the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Pocket Cinema Camera have the same stop range, so it was not hard to match the images in post.”

Emmanuel also noted that the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera helped him shoot retakes and B roll even long after the shoot was over because it is so compact and portable that he could take the camera out whenever necessary. “Sometimes I was in the middle of editing and suddenly I realized that I would need an Eiffel Tower shot or Xin Xin walking on the streets of Paris. I couldn't just call everyone for additional shots like these, so I grabbed the Pocket Cinema Camera and voila,” he concluded.

Press Photography

Product photos of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and all other Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesing.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

The latest version of Desktop Video (Desktop Video 10.1.1) is now available to download. New features include the ability to capture 10-bit RGB HD signal via HDMI with UltraStudio 4K and DeckLink 4K models and more:

– Audio fixes on all inputs and outputs.

– 10-bit RGB support on HDMI in all HD modes.

– Fixes for Avid Media Composer Title Tool and timeline output.

– Fixes for output flicker and issue when replacing clips of different formats in ProTools 11 (Mac only).

– General performance and stability improvements.