Press release from Digistor
Digistor, a local digital solutions supplier for the broadcast and post-production market, has announced the company’s appointment as an Autodesk partner to sell and support the entire range of Autodesk Systems products including the new Autodesk Smoke Software 2010 for Mac OS X.
Autodesk undertook a stringent selection process prior to the appointment of Digistor to ensure the establishment of the best partner for the region.
Announced last week, Smoke for Mac is a software-only editorial finishing tool and the first Autodesk finishing product designed to run on the Mac. Since the software’s Inter BEE technology preview in Japan last month, the creative community has been anticipating the launch. As a software offering, Smoke easily integrates into existing Mac-based workflows using Final Cut Studio or Media Composer.
Complete Smoke on Mac Systems from Digistor
Complete Smoke for Mac OS X systems will include an Apple Macintosh Mac Pro, AJA KONA 3 card, storage, monitors and additional peripherals. Digistor has proven skills to sell and support Smoke as a complete integrated solution.
The company has broad experience in the broadcast and post-production marketplaces, with customers spanning the major post houses and television stations as well as independent professional production companies and education institutions.
This, combined with existing arrangements in place to represent products which complete the solution, including AJA KONA 3, SANman storage and Apple systems, makes the company the ideal choice as the Smoke on Mac partner.
"In 2007 Digistor was awarded Apple Professional Reseller of the Year," stated Digistor Managing Director, Andrew Mooney. "Our customer base represents the who’s who of television, video and film production in Australia and we have put in place an unbeatable team of specialists to sell and support Smoke. It’s a huge honour to represent one of the most respected brands in our industry."
New Staff for Autodesk Solutions
Digistor has hired Helmut Lottenburger as Autodesk Applications Specialist. Having previously worked for DVS selling and supporting DVS’ high-end HDTV and film systems, Helmut has an extensive knowledge of technology for digital intermediate, digital cinema and associated storage. His responsibilities at DVS encompassed pre-sales, demonstration, support and training in all DVS products. At Digistor, Helmut will focus on Autodesk solutions.
"Smoke is arguably the most admired editorial and finishing brand on the market with a huge installed base. Smoke on the Mac is a new product and new marketplace for Autodesk," stated Paul Hellyer, Manager Media & Entertainment Division. "It was critical that we chose the right partner to carry the brand forward into this new space. We’re very comfortable that Digistor is that partner."
Digistor Sells Full Range of Autodesk Systems Products
In addition to the new Mac product, Digistor is qualified to sell the full range of Autodesk Systems products including Smoke, Flame, Inferno, Flint, Lustre and Flare. The Smoke product is the only product available on both Mac and Linux.
"A number of Digistor’s existing customers are Autodesk Systems product users," stated Mooney. "So this decision enables Digistor to become their total solutions provider, delivering a better customer experience."
Digistor intends to work alongside Autodesk for Systems product sales to Autodesk direct customers. By providing products and expertise for file-based workflows, storage and archive as well as integration with Final Cut and Avid systems, Digistor can contribute to Autodesk’s systems offerings to satisfy broad customer demands in broadcast and post-production facilities.
"We have worked closely with vendors such as Apple, Avid and DVS to deliver the full solution to customers requiring integrated workflows," explained Mooney. "We can now bring that expertise to Autodesk systems sales."
About Autodesk Smoke 2010 for Mac OS X
Smoke software’s proven editorial finishing tools harness the 64-bit power of Snow Leopard to provide an interactive, all-in-one finishing experience. It combines proven technical and design tools in a comfortable non-linear editorial workflow. Editors, designers, and producers can work in an integrated creative environment that lets them take an entire creative concept from design to air.
Autodesk Smoke software is a tool of choice for delivering high-quality commercial, film and broadcast projects. Smoke helps save time while expanding creative capabilities with unmatched editorial finishing and visual effects tools, and it is now available as a software-only application for the Mac OS X operating system.
Encompassing a comprehensive creative toolset that spans editorial, colour correction, paint, cleanup, titling, 3D compositing and finishing, Smoke allows editors to move quickly between creative disciplines in a single application.
With direct access to popular native media formats – from compressed MXF all the way through fully uncompressed RGB – editors and designers can start working right away in Smoke, regardless of whether it’s used for cutting, conforming or finishing. For conforming, Smoke helps save time by importing timeline and supported media directly from creative editorial via the XML, AAF and EDL formats. Operators can deliver individual shots or entire timelines while taking projects to the next level with Smoke software’s colour grading, VFX and finishing tools.
Key features include:
· An all-in-one toolset for editorial finishing: editing, conform, 2D and 3D titling, sophisticated colour correction, image stabilisation, precision tracking and keying, 2D and 3D compositing, paint, rotoscoping, retouch and design
· Autodesk Modular Keyer, Master Keyer and Colour Warper advanced image-processing technologies
· Ability to import entire timelines from Apple Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer using the AAF or XML format and even finish projects using Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD media used in creative cut
· Native support for popular files-based formats: QuickTime, RED, Panasonic P2 HD and Sony XDCam files
· Support for uncompressed DPX, TIFF and OpenEXR workflows