TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL GOES DIGITAL WITH SONY AS TECHNOLOGY SPONSOR
All Festival Entries Mastered on Sony's HDCAM Media; Each Screening Venue Equipped for HDCAM Projection
NEW YORK, May 3, 2004 - The digital video wave continues to roll through the independent cinema world, with Sony digital formats leading the way.
As a technology sponsor for the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, Sony's HDCAM ® digital playback equipment and videotape will be used in each of the festival's screening venues. Sony will also play an active role in raising awareness of digital production's impact on the creative process, by hosting technical seminars and workshops.
Each festival entry will be mastered on Sony tape and projected using Sony's HDCAM format, a testament to the rapid acceptance of the format by independent production. The HDCAM format was established as the festival's video presentation format in 2003, and this year each of the festival's 11 screening venues (21 screens total) will be equipped for HDCAM playback, providing attendees with a complete digital experience.
"In only its third year, the Tribeca Film Festival has become a well-respected and influential event, making it an important date on the calendar for the production community," said Alec Shapiro, senior vice president, Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. "The festival's growth has coincided with the rapid growth of digital video production, and the relationship between Sony and Tribeca is the perfect complement of technology and creativity."
The festival will also benefit from an array of Sony VAIO ® notebook computers and LUMA ™ professional LCD monitors, which will be used to create digital information displays in the lobby of many festival venues, alerting attendees to ticket status and other screening and event information.
In addition to equipment and technology services, Sony will be sharing its expertise on digital cinematography with festival attendees.
On Tuesday, May 4, Sony will host a "Digital Filmmaker Panel Discussion" that will provide a forum for noted moviemakers like Mario Van Peebles, D.A. Pennebaker and Kerry Weldon to share their experiences of shooting digitally. This panel will be held from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. in the Regal UA Battery Park Stadium Eleven.
Sony will also conduct hands-on workshops on digital cinematography, the digital post-production process, and the importance of choosing the appropriate digital videotape and hardware formats for a specific production.
These workshops will feature presentations by noted cinematographers and editors, and will be among the highlights of Sony's "Exhibit Day," on Friday May 7, in the Tribeca Cinemas' lounge area. The exhibit will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On display in the lounge will be several Sony technologies designed to enhance the digital production process. These include:
The XDCAM ™ PDW-530 optical camcorder - This DVCAM ™/MPEG IMX ™ switchable camcorder is part of Sony's XDCAM Professional Disc ™ System, which includes camcorders, decks and Professional Disc media. One key feature is the availability of an optional 24P board for the camcorder to offer "film-like" acquisition and image quality.
XPRI ® non-linear editing system - Version 7.0 of this system includes new features that increase its interoperability with other systems throughout the production chain. These include enhanced color correction, multiple source camera editing and MXF file transfer capabilities with the XDCAM Optical Disc System.
Vegas+DVD Production Suite - This software suite includes Vegas ® 5, DVD Architect 2 ™ and a Dolby ® Digital AC-3 Encoder software. The Vegas software is the ideal application for professional DV, DVCAM and audio editing and encoding, and an overwhelming favorite among digital video and audio professionals who are looking for a single-platform solution for A/V editing and finishing.
DSR-PD170 camcorder - This 3-CCD camcorder has an array of features appealing to the professional documentary and cinematography markets, including minimum illumination improvement for low-light recording increased from 2 lux to 1 lux; a new 2.5-inch (viewable area, measured diagonally) and a Hybrid LCD SwivelScreen ™ monitor for improved viewing in bright sunlight.
HDW-F900 camcorder - This member of Sony's CineAlta ™ family of products is the most widely used digital camcorder for both studio and independent motion picture production, and many Tribeca entries were shot using CineAlta technology.
DigitalMaster ™ professional videotape - Sony's newest DV/DVCAM videotape is designed for the independent cinema market. DigitalMaster videotape reduces the rate of dropouts by a minimum of 50 percent and on average by 70 percent or more, and also causes 90 percent fewer errors, compared to MiniDV tape, and offers significant benefits in applications such as shooting documentaries, where there is no chance for a second take.
HDCAM digital professional videotape - HDCAM digital cassettes incorporate Sony's advanced metal tape technology for use in the world's first HD camcorder. The development of a high performance metal tape enables high density recording with a recording wavelength of 0.49um achieving a digital recording length of up to 50 minutes for the small-size cassette, and 155 minutes (both in 24P mode) for the large-size cassette.
Editor's Note: For more detailed product information, your readers can visit www.sony.com/professional. To find the nearest Sony authorized dealer or service location, readers can call 1-800-686-SONY. For additional press information and digital images, please visit Sony Electronics' news and information web site at www.sony.com/news.
