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view all articles in:
The Reference Room
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TV Technology User Reports
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| Media 100i, Cleaner 5 Speed BMW Streaming |
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by Bob George,
7.30.2001
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Bob George is a director/cameraman for HOW LONG THERE? Setterholm Productions and has been with the company for seven years. Prior to that, he was a director and DP at WCCO in Minneapolis. Bob can be reached at bgeorge@qwest.net. The opinions expressed above are the author’s alone.
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MINNEAPOLIS
Setterholm Productions is a full-service television commercial production and post-production company based in Minneapolis. Recently, we collaborated with advertising agency Fallon on the largest online ad campaign to date.
The commercial campaign for BMW features original 6- to 7-minute action films directed by top feature film directors including John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wa, Guy Richie and Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, and executive produced by director David Fincher.
For each film, we are created a total of 19 streaming segments that are available for viewing in QuickTime, Real and Windows Media formats at www.bmwfilms.com. We are also outputting a full-screen QuickTime version that can be played using BMW’s proprietary player, which can be downloaded from the site for a truly film-like experience.
Each film also has accompanying sub-plot sequences and a trailer. A "making-of" program on the films and a driving technique video for the vehicles are available on the site as well.
WIDE SCREEN
We received films shot in a wide screen aspect ratio 2.35 to 1, and from this footage we were able to deliver sequences at 800 x 340 resolution to play online as they would appear on a cinema screen. To optimize and compress these films for BMWfilms.com, we utilized technologies from Media 100. Media 100i and Cleaner 5 enabled us to maintain as much of the original quality as possible when compressing the films for the Internet.
We took the DigiBeta masters of each film we received and brought them into Media 100i using the lossless board, which enabled us to maintain high image quality throughout the transfer process. Once the footage was imported, we made reference clips and started processing them in Cleaner.
I was processing movies on two different Media 100i systems and one PowerBook G4 using the transcoder. Once you get a feel for the footage and where the movement is, it becomes easier to predict what the frame rate needs to be. So with a bit of trial and error, I was able to output a lot high quality compressed data in a very short amount of time.
Although other programs will compress clips, nothing else supports a 3:2 pull down on film footage and a native 24 fps movie like Cleaner 5. The output quality in Cleaner 5 is excellent and it takes care of extra frames and de-interlaces beautifully, leaving you with a crisp, clean sequence.
NO JAGGIES
Unlike other compression solutions, Cleaner 5 enables output of pristine frames without the jagged edges around objects that often plague Internet-streamed content.
Working with Media 100’s applications has enabled me to transition my skills as a director and cinematographer into the realms of digital editing, effects creation, encoding and other valuable digital production skills. In working as a director, I have sometimes been confronted with budget-challenged spots and purchased my first Media 100 several years ago so that I could finish my own spots and save clients money while still delivering a high-end product.
For commercial work, I often work in After Effects or Combustion for compositing and I can access those applications easily and quickly through Media 100i.
For both our commercial and streaming projects, Media 100i and Cleaner 5 have been valuable assets in our production facility, and we look forward to future innovations from the company.
For more information, contact Media 100 (508-303-4605,www.media100.com
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