Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/246736
Sony Pictures installs Harrison MPC5/Xrange CULVER CITY, CA — Sony Pictures Studios (www.sonypicturesstudios.com) has installed a new Harrison MPC5/Xrange system with MC² - 64 wide monitoring and Object++ 3D panning software. The console will be used to support wide-format and object-based immersive sound formats such as Dolby Atmos and Auro3D. The new MPC5/Xrange system provides 1,230 channels of DSP processing to accommodate the wide variety of specific processing requirements for immersive sound feature film mixing. The MPC5/Xrange provides the latest MC² - 64 Wide Monitoring Matrix and Object++ 3D panning system, which can treat the incoming channels as objects placed in a virtual space. Using Harrison's ESP waveform technology, objects appear and disappear along with the regions on the DAW screen, allowing mixers to anticipate sounds and see their placements in the room. The new MPC5/Xrange includes advanced new panning features, such as direct Ethernet control of the Dolby Atmos RMU, as well as various wide format panning modes that include multiple levels of height. The system also consolidates the capabilities of multiple mix formats, and puts them in the user's hand via motorized joystick. "Instead of using a different workflow involving a mix of Atmos, Auro3D, and ProTools panning plug-ins, we prefer a single workflow that generates multiple mix formats using a consistent framework," explains Paul Massey, sound director and re-recording mixer at Sony Pictures. "The console software will handle the details, so we can focus on the artistic effects we are trying to achieve. This is going to allow us to work more efficiently while maintaining the consistency of creative decisions made in the original mix throughout all formats." Chain Camera Pictures adds Small Tree storage LOS ANGELES — Documentary director Kirby Dick (http://kirbydick. com), who's been nominated for both Oscar and Emmy Awards, recently selected Small Tree's TitaniumZ-8 shared storage system for installation at his Chain Camera Pictures in LA. Dick is best known for his work on This Film is Not Yet Rated, The Invisible War and Twist of Faith. In addition to the TitaniumZ-8 (www.small-tree.com) in the edit suite at Chain Camera Pictures, Dick also purchased another Small Tree system for installation at his office nearby The TitaniumZ-8 is built on an operating system that was designed to be easy to use, feature-rich and reliable, while also performing at a high level. Small Tree offers an eight-drive system with 2TB drives or up to an 80-drive system with 4TB drives. Both Small Tree systems used by Dick and Chain Camera Pictures offer 32TBs of storage and are configured to accommodate 6 GbE clients. "We were using an older RAID system for storage and were in desperate need of an upgrade," Dick recalls. "Prior to installing the Small Tree systems, we were duplicating media and creating up to 3TBs of hard drive backups each week. Now, with the server-based solution, we don't have to do that, which is far more efficient for me and my team." The TitaniumZ-8 is flexible and allows users to work across multiple protocols (AFP, SMB, NFS and iSCSI) and platforms, including Adobe Creative Suite, Avid Media Composer, Avid Pro Tools, Apple Final Cut Pro 7 and Apple Final Cut Pro X. The team had been working with Final Cut 7, but is currently shifting to Adobe Premiere. In addition to its flexibility, the TitaniumZ-8's scalability played an important part in the decision to purchase this solution. "With the Small Tree appliances, I know that we'll be able to add to our current configuration easily and cost-effectively," says Dick. OneTV employs Grass Valley's GV Stratus HONG KONG — OneTV, a new 24/7 television station that delivers news, sports and entertainment to millions of viewers across Hong Kong, recently deployed Grass Valley's GV Stratus nonlinear media production tools, marking the first to use them in the region. The station is using Grass Valley's (www.grassvalley.com) Edius Elite multi-format nonlinear editing software, K2 Summit 3G production client, and K2 SAN storage solution. Together, these technologies allow OneTV to deliver around the clock programming to multiple platforms, including smartphones and tablets. With GV Stratus, OneTV is equipped with an efficient and complete set of tools for ingest, editing, content aggregation, logging, transfer and playout. Compatibility with the Media Object Server (MOS) protocol allows it to interface with and take programming instructions from most newsroom computer systems. "Running a TV station 24/7 is a paramount task and when news breaks in Hong Kong, we needed a tool that enables us to quickly turnaround new content production, deliver it first, and across multiple platforms," explains Lo Wing Fai, Oliver, president of OneTV. "We opted for a solution from Grass Valley that will help facilitate a 'create once, publish everywhere' consolidated workflow. Now, we can take advantage of a seamless work environment that gives us control over the entire spectrum of our content creation and distribution lifecycle." Stormy Weather on Super 35mm and HD StormStock® The world's premier storm footage library. (817) 276-9500 www.stormstock.com www.postmagazine.com Post • January 2014 35