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editor's note L By RANDI ALTMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF raltman@postmagazine.com Pros weigh in on new MacBook Pro ast month Apple introduced what they are calling an "all-new" MacBook Pro with a 15-inch Retina display. It offers Flash stor- age and third-generation quad-core Intel proces- sors. It's also noticeably thinner and lighter than its predecessor, coming in at 0.71 inches and 4.46 pounds — almost as thin as the MacBook Air. Apple points out that Flash is four times faster than a hardware-based computer, which will make many post pros happy. But they might have to wait for some of their favorite software to be optimized in the display. While your apps will work, at press time I could only confirm that Apple software, such as FCP X, Aperture and Lion, takes full advantage of the higher resolution. Others will follow shortly. Brooklyn-based VFX supervisor/producer Eric Alba got a look at the new offering. "It's fast, it's thin, it's quiet. The screen is gorgeous. I see details in pho- tos and HD video I've never seen before. I compared it to the current non-Retina 15-inch, and the differ- ence in screens is immediately noticeable. The screen size allows for full-res HD video with room to spare on your screen. The details you see are stunning." That's what Post has been hearing — how this laptop with Retina will help pros work faster, with much more accuracy, and from anywhere. Max Nova, owner of editing house Shellac/NY, says laptops have always had a prime place in his POST SCRIPT FX Networks details branding strategy L By MARC LOFTUS SENIOR EDITOR mloftus@postmagazine.com ast month, we looked at studios that spe- cialize in "broadcast design." I recently had a chance to connect with the folks at FX Net- works, which faces a constant challenge in attracting viewers to its popular programming. The network is home to Sons of Anarchy, UFC, American Horror Story, How I Met Your Mother, The League and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and according to executive VP of marketing and on-air, Stephanie Gibbons, a lot of their success comes from breaking rules and avoid- ing templates. "Every rule we have, we break when we need to," she explains. "We do not have a tem- plate or branded look. Each show is it own entity in terms of tone and manner." The network, whose own logo Gibbons sees as "chunky, visceral and monolithic," relaunches its broadcast design package every year, holding on to some of the "connective DNA" from the previous year. "Every year the look is different," says Gibbons. "It all stays within the same family, but that's sort of the 2 Post • July 2012 thrill of it — to try to reinvent the wheel every time, although it remains a circle." A show like The Shield, which has been run- ning for seven or eight seasons and relies heavily on iconic imagery of the badge, presents the challenge of "taking it to the next level." Newer shows, such as the breakout hit American Horror Story, provide their own unique challenges, such as staying with what has worked in the first sea- son, or pushing the envelope further. "I would say we could probably push our- selves a little further than we would have with any of our other shows," says Gibbons of the horror drama. "I think it's an interesting question: 'When is it ready for the next level?' My answer to that would be: 'Always!" The work should be scathingly arresting and fresh. And to that extent, I think you stand a chance of bringing new people in… I want to have the most powerful communication out there. Maintaining what may be mediocre and [didn't] get them the first time is not going to be successful." www.postmagazine.com company's ecosystem. "My main work computer is a MacBook and has been for five years. I still edit on it regularly — with an extended keyboard, wireless mouse, additional monitor, and FireWire 800 RAIDs/network drives as needed." He feels like he's been "waiting forever to become completely untethered in post — from analog and digital SD and HD video, and graphics cards, and giant shared storage servers, and the jet engine squeal of freezing machine rooms filled with dinosaur devices sadly committed to dead codecs. Not that I'm predicting any format extinctions in post any time soon. I'm just happy that 80 percent of the work (99 percent of the creative?) really doesn't need any of the above, towers included. Though my keyboard, mouse and monitor prefer- ence may make me a bit of a workflow snob." Santa Monica-based VFX artist Jim Geduldick calls the new MacBook a "power beast. The reso- lution is amazing; we just need the apps to catch up. We can view near-native resolution in better detail. Two Thunderbolt ports, HDMI and SSD standard…" While he's excited about this laptop, he is also excited about the HP z820 towers. "I'm hope to get my hands on a tricked-out z820 this summer. Also a new DreamColor coming out at SIGGRAPH." EDITORIAL Senior Editor/Director of Web Content (516) 376-1087 raltman@postmagazine.com MARC LOFTUS RANDI ALTMAN Editor-in-Chief (516) 797-0884 mloftus@postmagazine.com CHRISTINE BUNISH Film& Video JENNIFER WALDEN Audio European Correspondent bob.pank@virgin.net BOB PANK DANIEL RESTUCCIO West Coast Bureau dansweb451@aol.com West Coast Blogger/Reporter BARRY GOCH IAIN BLAIR Film mviggiano@postmagazine.com MICHAEL VIGGIANO Art Director ADVERTISING NATASHA SWORDS VP, Marketing (818) 291-1112 nswords@copcomm.com (818) 291-1153 cell: (818) 472-1491 mkohn@postmagazine.com MARI KOHN Director of Sales Eastern & Intl Sales Manager (631) 274-9530 cell (516)410-8638 grhodes@copcomm.com GARY RHODES opt 2 (publishing), opt 1 (subscriptions) 620 West Elk Ave, Glendale, CA 91204 csr@postmagazine.com (800) 280 6446 mtabizon@copprints.com CUSTOMER SERVICE MIKE TABIZON Account Manager (818) 291-1180 (781) 255-0625 • (818) 291-1153 REPRINTS Reprints LA SALES OFFICE: 620 West Elk Avenue, Glendale, California 91204 (800) 280-6446 WILLIAM R. 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