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Panasonic Announces ‘Shoot It. Share It.’ Video Contest For Professionals


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Posted by Marc Leitner
August 19, 2010

(Secaucus, New Jersey—August 19, 2010) Panasonic Solutions Company is giving users of its professional camcorders a chance to win exciting prizes by showcasing their creative work in the new "Shoot It. Share It." video contest.

From August 18th through October 15th, 2010, users of Panasonic P2 HD, AVCCAM and DVCPRO HD camcorders * can submit up to five videos demonstrating their compelling use of the camera for a chance to win wide-ranging honors, including the grand prize of an AG-HPX370 P2 HD Camcorder package.

How It Works

  • Step 1: Shoot a video that showcases the innovative way you are using your Panasonic camera.

  • Step 2: Upload the video (no more than 5 minutes in length) on the http://www.ShootItShareIt.com website. Log in to create an account and submit your video (format options: flv, wmv, avi, mpg, mp4, and m4v) in one of seven categories (Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Wildlife, Sports, Travel/Lifestyle and News). You will be asked to include a title for the video and a brief written explanation of how your Panasonic camera allowed you to capture your subject best. Your friends and colleagues can access the site to view your videos and others and rate them to tell the judges who they think should be selected as a semi-finalist.

  • Step 3: After the submission deadline of Friday, October 15th at 5:00 p.m. EST, a panel of judges will choose the first and second place winners in each category: The panel will be composed of Panasonic personnel as well as industry video professionals. Videos will be judged on the basis of filmmaking and cinematography, creativity and inventiveness, and the ability to convey a unique vision.

Prominent filmmakers and production companies have signed on as "Shoot It. Share It." program sponsors and judges. They include the Cinequest Fim Festival for the Drama category; Rosey Media for the Comedy category; Bandito Films for the Documentary category; and Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival for the Wildlife category.

On Oct. 19th, first and second place category winners will be posted online. From Oct. 19th through Oct. 22nd, the public will have the opportunity to vote for the Grand Prize winner. The winner of the Wildlife category will be screened during the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Symposium, October 26-28, 2010. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on November 3rd during the Createasphere Exposition in Burbank, CA.

Contest winners will receive the following prizes:

  • Grand Prize winner
    AG-HPX370 P2 HD Camcorder package including battery, case and one P2 card (a value of over $12,000.00)

  • 1st place category semifinalist winners
    Choice of an AG-HMC40 AVCCAM HD Camcorder or an AG-MSU10 Portable P2 Media Storage Device (value of $2,300 or greater)

  • 2nd place category semifinalist winners
    AJ-PCD2 P2 Card Reader (a value of $350).

In addition to the grand and category prizes, some semi-finalist winners will also receive recognition from the category sponsor. For instance, Cinequest is offering the Drama semi-finalist a guaranteed screening spot at the 2011 Cinequest Film Festival. Rosey Media is granting a sixth month ‘first look’ relationship with the Comedy semi-finalist. Bandito Films will offer a short-term relationship in which they will work with the Documentary semi-finalist to review and critique his material.

For complete contest rules and to learn more about the "Shoot It. Share It." video contest, visit http://www.ShootItShareIt.com.

About Panasonic Solutions Company

Panasonic Solutions Company empowers people whose jobs depend on reliable technology. The company delivers collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in government, healthcare, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises. Products and services within the company’s portfolio include Panasonic Toughbook® mobile computing solutions, projectors, professional displays (including both plasma and LCD), and HD video acquisition and production solutions. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic is known for the reliability and longevity of its products. Panasonic Solutions Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).

For more information on Panasonic pro video products, please visit http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast or call 877-803-8492.


Enter Your Weddings, Events & Corporate Video - Open to All Professionals


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Posted by Marc Leitner
May 17, 2010

The 2010 "Call For Entries" in the WEVA 20th Annual Creative Excellence Awards Competition was announced at the WEVA-NAB 2010 Open House with all entries due by the 2010 deadline 5:00pm Thursday, May 27, 2010. The competition is open to all professionals worldwide (WEVA members receive lower entry fee - to see all advantages of WEVA membership go to WEVA.com).

Creative Excellence Awards Competition
Creative Excellence Awards Competition

Click Here to download the Official Entry Form or visit www.weva.com/ceawards/CEA2010.pdf

Enter your best productions now (on standard DVD format).

All 2010 winning entries will be officially announced and screened this summer at the WEVA Creative Excellence Film Fest during the "Opening Night Gala" of the WEVA 20th Annual Wedding & Event Video Expo 2010 at The Dolphin Resort in Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL on August 23, 2010

16 Video Award Categories

The 2010 WEVA Creative Excellence Awards Competition embraces 16 Video Award categories. Like last year, the Official Rules allow you to enter as many of the award categories as you wish, and you may submit up to two video entries per category.

The newest category, introduced last year, is Wedding Movie Trailer. One of the most popular and effective ways today’s wedding videographers and event filmmakers are marketing their work is through the use of short, film-like trailers. In this award category, entries must not exceed 2.5 minutes (see the 2010 Official Rules for complete descriptions of all 16 video award categories).

The WEVA 20th Annual Creative Excellence Awards Competition categories welcome productions that cover a variety of social events and corporate work, including weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, class reunions, recitals, theatrical/stage productions, promotional videos, graduations, band performances, cheerleading competitions, memorial services, corporate training, anniversaries, christenings, charity events, and others. Each year, awards are presented to wedding and event video professionals nationally and internationally. Many are first-time recipients. Enter your finest work now on DVD.

"Each year, WEVA invites all wedding and event video professionals to enter their finest work in our industry’s most prestigious awards competition," said WEVA Chairman Roy Chapman. "The Creative Excellence Awards Competition, now in its 20th year, an industry milestone, is again open to all professionals worldwide. It is a WEVA peer-reviewed competition. There is always a new panel of judges every year, and each year brings a fresh opportunity for new productions to be honored. A WEVA Creative Excellence Award represents the highest honor in production achievement in professional wedding and event video. All professionals are encouraged to enter their best work!"

Winning Entries to be Screened at Disney World

The 2010 winning entries will be screened in their entirety this summer at the WEVA 20th Annual Wedding & Event Video Expo August 23-26, 2010 at Walt Disney World. "WEVA EXPO 2010 is also where wedding and event video professionals will discover cutting-edge wedding video creativity, new digital cinema techniques, Video/DSLR-HD 'fusion' technologies, new social media marketing and sales strategies, and new techniques for taking your work to the highest levels of production artistry," said John Zale WEVA’s Director of Educational Development. WEVA EXPO 2010, our industry's biggest convention and trade show, is open to all industry professionals, affiliates, and students (WEVA members receive discount registration).

The WDW Dolphin Resort, host hotel for WEVA EXPO 2010, is already accepting WEVA EXPO 2010 room reservations. The special discount for all EXPO attendees is only $99/night (single or double). Parking is free for EXPO attendees who are registered guests and in-room Internet access is also free. To make guest room reservations Click Here! Registration for WEVA EXPO 2010 will open online soon. Check WEVA.com regularly for all Wedding & Event Video Expo 2010 updates!

About Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA)

Founded over a decade ago, WEVA International is the largest trade association for professional wedding & event video producers, shooters and editors and leads the field with education that's on the cutting-edge of industry developments and new technologies. To see the full list of WEVA International membership benefits click here, and join WEVA today online.


Enter Your Best Wedding Videos & More in WEVA's 20th Annual Awards


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Posted by Marc Leitner
April 20, 2010

Sarasota, FL - The 2010 "Call For Entries" in the WEVA 20th Annual Creative Excellence Awards Competition was announced Monday at the WEVA-NAB 2010 Open House and posted on the WEVA Forums, with all entries due by 5:00pm Thursday, May 27, 2010. The competition is open to all professionals worldwide (WEVA members receive lower entry fee - to see all advantages of WEVA membership go to WEVA.com).

Click Here to download the WEVA 2010 Official Entry Form or visit www.weva.com/ceawards/CEA2010.pdf

All 2010 winning entries will be announced and screened this summer at the WEVA Creative Excellence Film Fest during the "Opening Night Gala" at the WEVA 20th Annual Wedding & Event Video Expo at The Dolphin Resort in Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL on August 23, 2010.

16 Video Award Categories

The 2010 WEVA Creative Excellence Awards Competition embraces 16 video award categories. Like last year, the Official Rules allow you to enter as many of the award categories as you wish, and you may submit up to two video entries per category.

The newest category, introduced last year, is Wedding Movie Trailer. One of the most popular and effective ways today’s wedding videographers and event filmmakers are marketing their work is through the use of short, film-like trailers. In this award category, entries must not exceed 2.5 minutes (see the 2010 Official Rules for complete descriptions of all 16 video award categories).

The WEVA 20th Annual Creative Excellence Awards Competition categories welcome productions that cover a wide variety of social events and corporate work, including weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, class reunions, recitals, theatrical/stage productions, promotional videos, graduations, band performances, cheerleading competitions, memorial services, corporate training, anniversaries, christenings, charity events, and others. Each year, awards are presented to wedding and event video professionals nationally and internationally. Many are first-time recipients. Enter your finest work now on DVD.

"Each year, WEVA invites all wedding and event video professionals to enter their finest work in our industry’s most prestigious awards competition," said WEVA Chairman Roy Chapman. "The Creative Excellence Awards Competition, now in its 20th year, an industry milestone, is again open to all professionals worldwide. It is a WEVA peer-reviewed competition. There is always a new panel of judges every year, and each year brings a fresh opportunity for new productions to be honored. A WEVA Creative Excellence Award represents the highest honor in production achievement in professional wedding and event video. All professionals are encouraged to enter their best work!"

Winning Entries to be Screened at Wedding & Event Video Expo 2010

The 2010 winning entries will be screened in their entirety this summer at the WEVA 20th Annual Wedding & Event Video Expo August 23-26, 2010 at Walt Disney World. "WEVA EXPO 2010 is also where wedding and event video professionals will discover cutting-edge wedding video creativity, new digital cinema techniques, Video/DSLR-HD 'fusion' technologies, new social media marketing and sales strategies, and new techniques for taking your work to the highest levels of production artistry," said John Zale WEVA’s Director of Educational Development. WEVA EXPO 2010, our industry's biggest convention and trade show, is open to all industry professionals, affiliates, and students (WEVA members receive discount registration).

The WDW Dolphin Resort, host hotel for WEVA EXPO 2010, is already accepting WEVA EXPO 2010 room reservations. The special discount for all EXPO attendees is only $99/night (single or double). Parking is free for EXPO attendees who are registered guests and in-room Internet access is also free. To reserve guest rooms Click Here! Registration for WEVA EXPO 2010 will open online soon. Check WEVA.com regularly for all Wedding & Event Video Expo 2010 updates!

About Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA)

Founded over a decade ago, WEVA International is the largest trade association for professional wedding & event video producers, shooters and editors and leads the field with education that's on the cutting-edge of industry developments and new technologies. To see the full list of WEVA International membership benefits Click Here, and join WEVA today online.


Adobe Announced Premiere Pro CS4 v.4.0.1


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
December 1, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated has introduced Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 software, a major update to the leading start-to-finish professional video production solution.

A pivotal component of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 leads the way in delivering open, flexible post-production workflows by providing virtually seamless project exchange with Final Cut Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, and Avid workflows. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 enables users to import Final Cut Pro projects via XML interchange, export to Open Media Framework (OMF) format, and import and export projects in Advanced Authoring Format (AAF). Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 also offers significant performance and stability enhancements, including full support for 64-bit computing platforms to accelerate compute-intensive post-production tasks.

Top new features in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 include:

  • More flexible, open workflows: Editors who are using Final Cut Pro, Digidesign Pro Tools, and Avid solutions can now more easily tap the high level of integration and unique features offered in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium. Final Cut Pro users can transfer projects directly to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 without conversions or re-rendering, preserving commonly used effects and transitions. Once files are in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, features such as Adobe Dynamic Link provide tighter-than-ever integration when moving assets among Adobe After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, and Soundbooth CS4, saving invaluable time that would otherwise be spent in intermediate rendering. To help users manage footage, Speech Search in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 turns spoken dialog into text-based metadata that makes video searchable. Project output can be delivered virtually anywhere, including exporting through Adobe Encore CS4 to Blu-ray, DVD, and the Web. Customers can also streamline audio editing by exporting audio in OMF for interchange with audio workstations, and then importing the final mix back into Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 also includes enhanced AAF project interchange for improved integration with high-end workflows and tools.
  • Native RED R3D support: Both Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 and Adobe After Effects CS4 version 9.0.1 provide a true file-based workflow for RED R3D files, without transcoding or rewrapping, via RED’s beta plug-in available at www.red.com/support. Native handling of RED R3D augments Adobe’s existing support of Sony XDCAM EX, Panasonic P2, and AVCHD tapeless formats, providing users with software-only HD workflows from capture to output. In addition to downloading the RED plug-in, customer must update their software to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 and Adobe After Effects CS4 version 9.0.1, accessible for free throughout the Adobe update manager in the Help menu of the applications. Click here to learn more about RED workflows with Adobe video solutions.
  • Faster performance and responsiveness, with full support for 64-bit computing platforms to accelerate compute-intensive post-production tasks. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.0.1 is architected to take advantage of the additional memory available in 64-bit systems. In addition, version 4.0.1 includes numerous performance enhancements in all areas of the workflow.


Adobe and RED Collaborate to Create Next-Generation Raw Workflows


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
November 17, 2008

RED and Adobe share the goal of developing a native raw workflow that keeps filmmakers close to the lens, so that you’re always working with the sensor data the camera captured. By always working close to the lens, without proxies or other restrictions, editors can adjust the look and feel of their work all the way through the production process, knowing that their changes are completely accurate.

The first step of this long-term partnership is the importer plug-in bringing native support for RED R3D files to Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Adobe Encore CS4 and Adobe After Effects CS4, allowing 4K resolution native R3D files to be dropped straight onto the timeline without transcoding or rewrapping. It is now in beta and available for download at www.red.com/support.RED is making the beta plug-in available as early as possible to provide customers a more flexible workflow immediately, and in order to obtain feedback from the community on how best to develop this workflow. Over the coming months, you can expect to see new developments that move both companies closer towards our shared vision for advanced raw workflows.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium software is an indispensable part of a film and video professional’s toolkit and leads the way in tapeless and raw workflows. The alliance with RED underscores Adobe’s commitment to integrate tapeless camera formats into its line of professional video products, and will enable advanced post-production workflows to be faster and more flexible.

  • Hollywood-caliber digital cinematography made more affordable: RED cameras have taken the digital filmmaking world by storm, making high-resolution digital cinematography accessible to many more productions. RED cameras capture extremely high resolution raw files, opening up the possibility of a digital production workflow that allows filmmakers to make image processing decisions throughout the post production process because raw files keep the image sensor data directly. Until now, a truly native, nondestructive workflow has not been possible in desktop video tools.
  • A native, raw workflow today: Importing R3D files directly into Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore and Adobe After Effects without conversion delivers a faster, color-rich workflow that gives users control of the look when they edit. Filmmakers can dynamically change the resolution; applying color correction to the footage in full resolution for example, and then lowering the resolution on the fly to gain better performance from their hardware as they scrub through edits.
  • A more powerful, streamlined workflow tomorrow: Because Adobe Premiere Pro works directly with the sensor data, editors can work with footage as close to what the lens saw as possible, opening up much richer, more powerful ways of working non-destructively on the color and look of their work.

Customers who want to get started with the RED and Adobe workflow today can download the free Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and After Effects CS4 trials for Mac OS X or Windows at www.adobe.com/downloads and the RED importer plug-in at www.red.com/support.


NVIDIA Introduces NVIDIA Quadro CX


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
October 17, 2008

NVIDIA has introduced its new accelerator for Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 software, the NVIDIA® Quadro® CX. This new GPU provides creative professionals with a faster, better, more reliable way to maximize their creativity. Quadro CX was architected to deliver the best performance for the new GPU-optimized features of Adobe Creative Suite 4.

"Adobe is at the forefront of the Visual Computing Revolution," said Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of marketing at NVDIA. "CS4’s GPU features are sending shockwaves through the creative industry."

"Photoshop users are always looking for maximum performance, and we recognized that tapping into the power of the GPU is one way to give it to them," said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for Professional Digital Imaging at Adobe. "Thanks to NVIDIA’s efforts to optimize the Quadro CX product for CS4, users can be assured of a dramatically fast and fluid experience on tasks such as panning, zooming, and rotating large images as well as manipulating 3D content."

NVIDIA specifically designed and optimized the Quadro CX to enhance the performance of Adobe Creative Suite 4 product line and meet the unique needs of the Creative Suite 4 professional. Adding NVIDIA Quadro CX to the pipeline gives creative professionals a faster, better, and more reliable experience. With NVIDIA Quadro CX users can encode H.264 videos at lightning-fast speeds with the NVIDIA CUDA™-enabled plug-in for Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, RapiHD™ from Elemental Technologies; accelerate rendering time for advanced effects; and accurately preview what deliverables will look like with 30-bit color or uncompressed 10-bit/12-bit SDI before final output.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 software now has added optimization to take advantage of GPU technology, including the parallel processing capability in the Quadro CX GPU. These enhancements accelerate a number of visually intensive operations, including:

  • Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 uses the NVIDIA Quadro CX GPU to bring unprecedented fluidity to image navigation. The GPU enables real-time image rotation, zooming, and panning, and makes changes to the view instantaneous and smooth. Adobe Photoshop CS4 also taps the GPU for on-screen compositing of both 2D and 3D content, ensuring smoothly anti-aliased results regardless of zoom level. Brush resizing and brushstroke preview, 3D movement, high-dynamic-range tone mapping, and color conversion are also accelerated by the GPU.
  • Adobe After Effects® CS4 now has added optimization features to accelerate a variety of creative effects, making it easier than ever to add graphics and visual effects to video, which allows the artist to quickly move from concept to final product and speeds up the workflow. Effects accelerated include depth of field, bilateral blur effects, turbulent noise such as flowing water or waving flags, and cartoon effects. NVIDIA Quadro CX takes advantages of these workflow enhancements.
  • Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 can take advantage of Quadro CX to accelerate high-quality video effects such as motion, opacity, color, and image distortion. Quadro CX also enables faster editing of multiple high-definition video streams and graphic overlays and provides a variety of video output choices for high-quality preview, including DisplayPort, component TV, or uncompressed 10-bit or 12-bit SDI.

NVIDIA Quadro CX is available starting today, from leading resellers, e-tailers, and retailers, for $1,999 USD. For more information on NVIDIA Quadro and the new Quadro CX, please visit: www.nvidia.com/quadrocx.


Adobe Introduces Creative Suite 4 Product Family


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
September 23, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 product family, a milestone release of the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical workflow breakthroughs that bring down the walls between designers and developers — and packed with hundreds of feature innovations—the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, mobile, interactive, film and video production. With new levels of integration and expressiveness for Flash technology across the entire product line, Adobe’s biggest software release to date includes Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design editions, Creative Suite 4 Web editions, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as 13 point products, 14 integrated technologies and seven services.

Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection CS4 combines virtually all of Adobe's new design and development applications, technologies and services in a single box — the most comprehensive creative environment ever delivered.

"Designers and developers are shaping the way that people consume information, share ideas, sell products, tell stories and create memorable experiences — in print, online and via mobile handsets," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. "Whether you’re creating a rich Internet application, a video or a best-selling magazine, Adobe Creative Suite 4 delivers powerful cross-media technologies that have the ability to elevate products, brands and ideas above the clutter."

Adobe Creative Suite 4 offers unprecedented choice among editions and stand-alone products, with comprehensive support for the most cutting-edge workflows for virtually any design discipline. Customers can choose from six suites or full version upgrades of 13 stand-alone applications, including Photoshop® CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign® CS4 (see separate releases), Illustrator® CS4, Flash® CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, After Effects® CS4, and Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4.

A simplified workflow in Adobe Creative Suite 4 enables users to design across media more efficiently by making it easier to complete common tasks and switch between mediums without leaving a project. InDesign CS4 includes a new Live Preflight tool that allows designers to catch production errors and a newly customizable Links panel to place files more efficiently. The revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling tool in Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions. An expanded version of Dynamic Link in CS4 Production Premium enables users to move content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth® CS4, and Encore® CS4, so updates can be seen instantly without rendering.

Designers using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family will be able to gain unprecedented creative control using the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Adobe Flash Player 10 to deliver breakthrough Web experiences across multiple browsers and operating systems.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 brings 3D center-stage providing the ability to paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools. Flash CS4 Professional now offers the ability to apply tweens to objects instead of keyframes, providing greater control over animation attributes. Also in Flash, the new Bones tool helps create more realistic animations between linked objects. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 (see separate release) enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 significantly expands access to services* available to creative professionals and developers who want to collaborate online. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, can be accessed from InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™, which is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores, sound effects, and other stock media; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 and its associated point products are scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store . Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium will be US$1799, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, and US$2499 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection. Adobe plans to offer tiered upgrade pricing from previous versions. For a limited time, validly licensed customers of eligible versions of Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Production Studio and Macromedia Studio will be able to upgrade to Creative Suite 4 for the CS3 upgrade price. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/creativesuite.

Adobe Flash Player 10 is currently available in beta as a free download from Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/astro with general availability expected by the end of the year. Adoption of the previous update to Adobe Flash Player 9 set all-time records by achieving over 80 percent reach on Internet enabled desktops in less than six months and Flash Player 10 is expected to achieve a similar adoption rate.

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.


Adobe Releases Creative Suite 4 Production Premium


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
September 23, 2008

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Production Premium, a complete solution for creative professionals who craft world-class video, audio, and interactive media — for delivery on-air, online, and on device. Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium offers unprecedented levels of integration across major new releases of its video, audio, design, and Web tools, including Adobe After Effects® CS4 Professional, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, Adobe Encore® CS4, Adobe Photoshop® CS4 Extended (see separate release), Adobe Illustrator® CS4, Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional, Adobe® Soundbooth® CS4 and Adobe OnLocation™ CS4 — now redesigned to natively support Intel-based Macs.

"With new tools for creating searchable video content in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, we’re opening up incredible opportunities for media professionals of all kinds," said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. "Imagine being able to create world-class content, distribute it online, and precisely target rich-media advertising based on the embedded metadata. These capabilities forge a new interactive media paradigm for distributing, differentiating, and monetizing content in ways that were not possible until now."

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium offers unique features for professional production. Powerful new Speech Search in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Adobe Soundbooth CS4 uses spoken dialogue to make video searchable, significantly reducing the time spent searching for clips and creating rough cuts, and makes content searchable when delivered online. With deep XMP metadata support, the production workflow is simplified, resulting in online content that gives viewers new ways to interact with and search for video, while giving content owners new opportunities to track and monetize content. In addition, After Effects CS4 has enhanced support for Adobe Flash CS4 workflows providing new, powerful paths for creating compelling interactive content.

With Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Adobe strengthens its support for film and broadcast production, as well as extending its industry leadership in supporting efficient, tapeless, cross-platform workflows. Editors can work natively with RED, P2, XDCAM, and AVCHD without transcoding or rewrapping, giving them one of the fastest possible workflows to see what the camera captured without loss of fidelity. Adobe OnLocation CS4 enables the capture of DV, HDV and DVCPROHD footage directly to disk and offers powerful on-set clip annotation and metadata editing, then couples with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 for a streamlined editorial workflow. For final output, Adobe Creative Suite 4 has powerful workflows for large and small screens, efficiently exporting to film, DVD, Web DVD, Blu-ray disc, the web and mobile devices.

"At Disney Online we marry our world-class content with cutting-edge technology to create top-quality, high-impact guest experiences," said Eric Freeman, vice president of Technology, Disney Online. "We rely heavily on Adobe solutions to support the creation and distribution of our content and the new features of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium will further enhance our ability to deliver innovative offerings to our guests."

The Adobe Creative Suite 4 product line, which includes Adobe Creative Suite Design editions, Adobe Creative Suite Web editions, Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium and Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection (see separate releases), offers access to online services* to creative professionals and developers who work and collaborate online. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, can be accessed from InDesign® CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™, which is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores, sound effects, and other stock media; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 (see separate release) enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium for Mac OS X on Intel® based systems and for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista® platforms is scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store . Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium edition is US$1699. Prices for upgrading to Creative Suite 4 Production Premium from CS3 will be US$599 and from previous versions will be US$799. For a limited time, licensed customers of any version of Adobe Production Studio are eligible for the US$599 upgrade price. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/creativesuite .


Safe Harbor Announces New Tutorial for Matrox RT.X2 Users


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
August 4, 2008

Safe Harbor Computers, a leading supplier to professional videographers, today announced the release of "HDV & Blu-ray for the RT.X2," hosted by Jeff Pulera.

This DVD, aimed at all levels of RT.X2 users, provides over 90 minutes of unique instruction on the steps, tips, and tricks necessary to maximize an HDV-to-Blu-ray workflow in the RT.X2.

Highlights include:

  • The technical details of HDV and Blu-ray
  • Supported HD formats and ingest procedures
  • The proper workflow for using HD with your RT.X2
  • Monitoring options including downconversion
  • Mixed-format editing and aspect ratio conversions
  • Encoding options and settings for Blu-ray
  • Blu-ray menu creation using Encore and Photoshop

About the Instructor
Jeff Pulera is a professional videographer with 15 years experience. He also works for Safe Harbor Computers, sharing his knowledge and real-life editing experiences with their customers. His company, Digital Vision Productions, specializes in corporate, event and wedding videography. The author of many tech reviews and articles, Jeff is widely known throughout the industry as the "Matrox guru."

Pricing and Availability
"HDV and Blu-ray for the RT.X2" is available exclusively from Safe Harbor Computers. Suggested retail is $49.99 For more information or to order, please visit www.sharbor.com.


Panasonic Announces Solid-State AG-HMC150 AVCHD 1080 Camcorder


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Posted by Safe Harbor Staff
April 18, 2008

At NAB 2008, Panasonic added a powerful, new camcorder to its AVCCAM professional line – the handheld AG-HMC150. Building on the phenomenal success of the highly popular DV tape based, standard definition AG-DVX100 camcorder, the affordable HMC150 blends professional 1080 and 720 HD production capabilities and enhanced quality recording (at average 21 Mbps/ Max 24Mbps) with the simplicity and familiarity of SD card, digital still camera workflow.

With an exciting range of professional-level features and a sleek, compact design, the HMC150 can record hours of high-quality 1080 and 720 HD images onto solid-state SD and SDHC memory cards, at lower bit rates than current HDV compression formats. This new model offers an enhanced quality mode at average 21 Mbps (Max 24Mbps) that moves quality up even further. The AG-HMC150 camcorder utilizes AVCHD, the industry’s newest long GOP compression standard based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 high profile encoding (the same as Blu-ray HD players). AVCHD provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency and improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats and standard definition DVD players. AVCHD high definition recordings look clean and clear, even during fast motion, reducing the image degradation or dropout associated with HDV.

Highest-Quality, Full HD Recording
Designed to be used in a variety of budget conscious production applications, the HMC150 records stunning high definition in four recording modes – PH mode (average 21 Mbps/Max 24Mbps), HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), HG mode (approx.13 Mbps) and HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). It captures full horizontal resolution 1920x1080 images at its PH, HA and HG recording modes. The camera can also be set to capture 1280x720 images at PH mode. At its 6 Mbps record mode, it captures 1440x1080 HD images for extended HD recording at its lowest bit rate. The HMC150 supports a range of HD formats, including 1080/24p, 1080/60i and 720/60p.

This mainstream, production-level camera features native 16:9 progressive 1/3" 3-CCD imagers, enhanced by a high-performing digital signal processor with 14-bit A/D conversion and 19-bit processing. Its 13X Leica Dicomar zoom lens offers a 28mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle setting (the widest in its class), a 72mm diameter, and a cam-driven manual zoom. The HMC150 provides auto or manual operation of focus and iris, and automatic optical image stabilization (O.I.S.) to ensure stable, smooth and precise shooting. It also features a range of selectable gamma functions including Cine-like gamma, making it well suited for cinema-like video production.

Extra-Long Record Times
With the HMC150, videographers can capitalize on the cost advantages, reliability, and widespread availability of SD and SDHC memory cards. Using just one 32GB SDHC card, users can record three hours of full pixel 1920x1080 video and audio at PH mode, four hours at HA mode and 5.3 hours at HG mode. In the HE mode, the camera can record up to 12 hours of 1440x1080 HD content – all on a single 32GB SDHC card. Panasonic also offers a variety of other SD and SDHC card sizes with Class 6 performance including 16GB, 8GB, 4GB, 2GB and 1GB.

Easy HD Playback on a Growing Number of Affordable Consumer Players
Content shot on the HMC150 can be played back directly on a wide range of widescreen flat panel displays, and front and rear-screen projectors, directly from the camera. Unlike HDV tapes, SD cards with HD content can be inserted into and played back on a growing number of affordable playback devices including Blu-ray players (like Panasonic’s DMP-BD30), the Sony PlayStation 3, and some new Panasonic plasma displays as well as computers with an SD card slot using applications that play AVCHD files. Using NLE software, content can also be edited and rendered in various formats and delivered on a wide range of media. Currently, AVCHD is supported by over 30 companies and implemented in numerous camcorders, NLE systems and consumer HD playback devices.

Professionals can instantly transfer content from the HMC150 camcorder to Mac or PC computers with an SD/SDHC card reader or by connecting the camcorder directly via its USB 2.0 interface. Other standard interfaces on the camera include HDMI out, component out (mini D terminal), composite out, remote jacks for zoom, focus iris and start/stop functions. The camera’s 3.5-inch LCD monitor displays content in thumbnail images for quick viewing.

The HMC150’s professional audio connections include XLR two-channel audio input (48V phantom power) with mic/line select, manual two-channel audio level VR and RCA audio out jacks. The camera offers waveform monitor display and an array of recording functions including time/date stamp, pre-record, shot marker, Index, time code/user bits and metadata.

Panasonic’s AVCCAM camcorder line-up brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Like digital still photography, recording onto SD/SDHC cards offer a fast and simple, file-based workflow with ultra-reliable performance and resistance to shock, vibration and extreme temperatures and weather. SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive and widely available and can be reused repeatedly. Since AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) and optical storage media and transferred to future storage media as technology advances.

The HMC150 will be available this fall at a suggested list price under $4,500.

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