New Digital Tools for Viewing Dailies

New Digital Tools for Viewing Dailies:

Presented by Steven B. Cohen at Directors Guild of America Digital Days 2003

In the last few years many alternative viewing systems have come to market to allow directors, producers, and creative production executives to evaluate dailies. Some are new physical media like DVD, Firewire and USB 2.0 Drives. Others are Global Satellite, Terrestrial fiber that are part of WANs, SANs or local networks that bring content to the desktop or screening room as a Store and Forward or streaming media.

These systems are capable of delivering 4k, HD or SD quality content. As we all know filmmakers is a series of compromises. Time, Money, Location, Equipment, you can’t have the best of everything or an unlimited supply. In many cases remote productions have to being satisfied with SD Dailies only. Advanced Media Networks can deliver an hour of SD Dailies anywhere in the world in minutes over a KU Band Satellite. EDNET offers Internet based Store & Forward systems that can take 2 to 5 times running time to deliver an hour of dailies. Of course you pay dearly for the speed and high bit rate. The communication isn’t always only 1 way. You might need to collaborate with a Lab VFX shop or a Director, not on set. Real time 30 frame SD is an option also.

Today’s Feature Film and Television Director’s have to find a solution that provides them with the ability to determine if the Camera Master was properly exposed, in focus, not damaged, in sync with the appropriate performance and delivered in a timely manner, so as to allow them to move locations, strike a set and dismiss actors.

High Definition Dailies can provide a solution that meets all the above criteria. Negative transfers to HD masters can show exposure, focus, and performance. An error detected on the HD Master will qualify the location of the photographed imperfection. If you are printing 1-LITE 35 prints, the problem could be the positive print. New generation HD capable...