'Sniper II,' a Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment Release, Is First Major
Studio Release to Use Sample Digital's Digital Dailies Application
Incorporating Windows Media Video and DRM During Production Process
REDMOND, Wash., and SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Sample Digital Inc. today announced that
Sample Digital's Digital Dailies application powered by Microsoft(R) Windows
Media(TM) Video and Digital Rights Management was used for the first time on a
major studio film production. "Sniper II," an upcoming release from Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment, used Sample Digital's Digital Dailies solution to
significantly streamline the film production process. By using Windows Media
Video, Digital Dailies makes it quick, easy and inexpensive for film and
television directors, producers, and studio executives to review and
collaborate around the world on time-sensitive "dailies" -- footage of the
latest day's shooting -- via the Internet and other delivery options.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
Earlier this year, "Sniper II" became the first major studio production to
use Sample Digital's Digital Dailies solution during production in Budapest,
Hungary. Los Angeles-based executives viewed "Sniper II" Digital Dailies in
Windows Media Video on PCs, streamlining the process of reviewing daily rushes
by up to 75 percent, saving precious time and money for the filmmakers of
"Sniper II."
"Digital Dailies radically streamlines the review and approval process
during production. This is particularly crucial when shooting and processing
outside of Los Angeles," said Gilbert Dumontet, senior vice president of
production at Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. "This allows us to
collaborate -- both across the country and even the world -- by watching
streamed or downloaded video and using an interactive Web-based tool."
Dailies are an integral part of the filmmaking, television and commercial
production process. Traditionally, videotape dailies are duplicated and
shipped out via messenger and/or airborne delivery, can cost many thousands of
dollars per project, and usually lag behind shooting by at least a day. Such
delays can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to reshoot costs. Traditional
dailies often lack usable time code, simple audio and advanced metadata. As a
result, the creative decision-making process becomes difficult and time
consuming for all involved. Using Windows Media Video and Digital Rights
Management technology combined with broadband Internet connections, Digital
Dailies fundamentally transforms the film production process by encoding in
real time to Windows Media Video and distributing the content across IP
networks.
"Windows Media enables the Digital Dailies application to provide secure
collaboration for film and movie creators and significantly streamlines the
movie and television production process," said Dave Fester, general manager of
the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "Whether the collaboration is
across hallways or across hemispheres, Digital Dailies can shrink the review
and approval process that can take four days or more down to just a single
day."
"Our Digital Dailies solution built using Windows Media allows creative
professionals to function free of the constraints of time and location within
a secure, structured environment," said Josh Kline, president of Sample
Digital. "It's better, cheaper and faster. Digital Dailies is the natural
progression of technology in the production process -- no less dramatic a
change than what the fax meant to traditional mail."
Sample Digital's Digital Dailies includes a feature called clip
collaboration that allows creative professionals to review dailies and enter
comments tied to a particular clip, and then share with editors or directors
on location or in editing facilities. The clip collaboration feature also
reduces the likelihood of reshoots caused by lag time between shoot and
review. Digital Dailies includes user authentication and Microsoft Windows
Media Digital Rights Management to prevent unauthorized access to unreleased
movie or television content as it travels across public networks such as the
Internet.
About Windows Media
Windows Media is the leading digital media platform, providing unmatched
audio and video quality to consumers, content providers, solution providers,
software developers and corporations. Windows Media offers the industry's only
integrated digital rights management solution and the most scalable and
reliable streaming technology tested by independent labs. Windows Media
Technologies includes Windows Media Player for consumers, Windows Media
Services for servers, Windows Media Tools for content creation and the Windows
Media software development kit (SDK) for software developers. Windows Media
Player, available in 26 languages, is the fastest-growing and now leading
media player. More information about Windows Media can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/ .
About Sample Digital
Sample Digital -- leading provider of digital media services for the media
and entertainment industries -- built Digital Dailies using Windows Media
Video and Digital Rights Management technologies and Microsoft Visual
Studio(R) .NET. Digital Dailies can be delivered across a variety of channels
-- including broadband Internet, proprietary networks or satellite-based IP.
Sample Digital provides a full spectrum of digital media services, from
digitization to asset management and distribution. More information on Sample
Digital solutions can be found on http://www.sampledigital.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company
offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people
through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
NOTE: Microsoft, Windows Media, Windows and Visual Studio are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States
and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
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Related links:
http://www.microsoft.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, 1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840
CONTACT:
Gwynne Beatty of Rogers & Cowan,
+1-212-445-8441, or gbeatty@webershandwick.com, for Microsoft
Corp.; or Josh Kline, ext. 228, or jkline@sampledigital.com, or
Chip Robertson, ext. 223, or crobertson@sampledigital.com, both
of Sample Digital, +1-310-315-1999; or Fritz Freidman of Sony,
+1-310-244-7799, or Fritz_Friedman@spe.sony.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional
information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at
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