SSI ADVANCED POST SERVICES SELECTS FOR-A’s HANABI HVS-1000HSFOR MULTI-FORMAT CAPABILITIES AND IMPROVED PICTURE QUALITY

Aug 8th, 2005

LOS ANGELES, CA, August  8, 2005 - SSI Advanced Post Services has purchased two HANABI HVS-1000HS HD/SD video switchers from FOR-A to upgrade the capabilities of its two HD telecine bays.  FOR-A’s HVS-1000HS, a one M/E 16-input switcher that supports 1080i, 24p, 720p, and SD formats, was chosen primarily because of its HD/SD multi-format capability.
  
“With our aging Alphie switchers, whenever we needed to resize or reposition an HD image for tape-to-tape color correction, we were limited to SD. So we’d have to stop the color correction session, take the HD images into our HD edit suite, resize and reposition them there, then bring them back into the telecine suite,” said Gary Fradkin, Director of Engineering for SSI Advanced Post Services, in Los Angeles.
 
“We felt that our existing switchers had reached the end of their life cycle, so we decided to purchase FOR-A’s HANABI switchers because they support 1080/24sf, 1080/60i, and 720/60p, the three top formats we need to serve our clientele,” said Fradkin. “Now, our workflow’s more efficient, and we’re delivering a better quality product to our clients.”
 
Another key factor driving the decision to purchase FOR-A’s HANABI switchers is the potential for this switcher to input images in full-bandwidth, RGB-4:4:4 color space. Currently, the HANABI HVS-1000HS switcher offers 10-bit, 4:2:2:4 digital component processing. Looking to the future, Fradkin said, “When FOR-A finalizes its new, cutting edge RGB-4:4:4 capability later this year, we will purchase and install that upgrade on both of our new switchers.”
 
“Having the multi-format and RGB-4:4:4 capabilities are critical to the high-level post production we do,” said Fradkin. “I estimate that 70-percent of the movie trailer work generated by Hollywood each year comes to our facility for film-to-HD transfer, and often the audio dubbing and mixing, and video finishing as well.”
 
Serving a clientele that includes Paramount, Warner Bros., Sony/Columbia Pictures, Focus, and Dreamworks, SSI Advanced Post Services recently contributed high-end post finishing of the trailers and television promos for all of the “Harry Potter” movies;  the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy; “Bewitched,” “The Longest Yard,” “Sahara,” and “Stealth,” and others.
 
SSI Post also did the entire ‘War of the Worlds’ campaign, including the IP transfer, HD editing, and 5.1 channel surround audio mixing and dubbing for all of the movie trailers, TV spots, and video clips that are taken on the talk-show circuit to promote the film.
 
After the creative editorial and digital intermediate services have been completed at other facilities, the studios bring the IP (Inter-Positive film print) to SSI Advanced Post Services, which then transfers that film to HD videotape on its two Thomson Spirit 2K high-speed scanners. HD color correction is then performed using two da Vinci 2K Plus color correctors, supported by the two new HANABI HVS-1000HS switchers, to ensure superior picture quality. 
 
“The movie studio’s marketing department then uses that HD deliverable in order to make decisions about which scenes and clips they will use to promote the film’s theatrical release,” said Fradkin.
 
SSI Advanced Post Services’ team of colorists, including Lyle Hellman, Rick Brunick, and Scott Sevick have been very pleased with the HANABI switchers since they were installed earlier this year. Fradkin said, “We especially like the performance and features of the HANABI switchers, as well as the training support we’ve received from FOR-A. These switchers have enabled us to streamline our workflow and deliver a better quality product, which keeps our clients happy.”
 
FOR-A is a major manufacturer and distributor of video and audio systems for the broadcast, post production, and professional video markets. For more information about FOR-A’s product line, call (714) 894-3311 or visit our web site at www.for-a.com.