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5. February 2024Filmoteka Narodowa Instytut Audiowizualny (FINA), the Polish National Film Archive, has recently installed DFT’s Scanity film scanner at it’s facility in Warsaw. Reading Time: 5 mins Established in 1955, FINA was the first movie archive in Europe, and the collection of film tapes and archives gathered in FINA is now one of the largest. Tasked with digitalizing, collecting, restoring and promoting Polish audiovisual heritage, FINA’s collection includes all Polish movies including a large collection of pre-war movies. As part of a major initiative called “Digital Poland”, which was co-financed by the European Union, FINA has invested in a new 4K film scanning facility, which includes DFT’s Scanity 4K film scanner with WetGate technology for both 16mm and 35mm film. The new facility has so far worked on hundreds of film materials, many from the nitro collection, which were at risk of loss due to the progressive decay of the media. Olgierd Grodzki & Piotr Wyzykowski, FINA Tomasz Pisula, responsible for the implementation of “Digital Poland”, described the new 4K facility: “Over the course of 17 months, we made copies of two hundred films, including seven full reconstructions. Previously, the National Film Archive performed one to two reconstructions a year.” DFT’s Scanity film scanner, with WetGate technology was chosen following exhaustive research and testing to ensure that it was the most appropriate solution. Paweł  Śmietanka, Head of the film digitization and reconstruction at FINA explains why Scanity was the ideal choice: “We needed a film scanner that could manage 35mm and 16mm film materials in good to very damaged condition. The solution needed to be uncompromising – combining scanning speed and image quality, with proper respect for the film material. Although we had experience in working with other systems, none of them were able to combine speed, quality, gentleness and efficiency when working with very damaged film materials from the early days of cinema.” Pawel Smiertanka & Olgierd Grodzki, FINA “FINA will be primarily scanning 16 mm and 35 mm film materials, image negatives and positive copies. As we have an extensive film collection from various eras, our current focus is on materials that we have been unable to access so far due to their state of destruction. Our plan is to use Scanity to digitize approximately 100 feature films and 5-10 films from the cinema of the 1920s and 1930s each year, as well as ongoing archive work.” “So far, after three months of working with DFT’s Scanity, our operators are having a lot of fun! The scanner is very intuitive and easy to use, the interface is stable, and the quality of the scanned material is incomparable. Even materials that are heavily damaged and scratched, such as those from our 1920’s and 1930’s nitro collections, are scanned very quickly and cleanly using the WetGate system, which simplifies and speeds up the digital reconstruction process.” Piotr Wyzykowski, FINA “We are certainly happy with our new purchase – as it is simply very efficient and easy to use.” Author: Michael Schneider, DFT About DFT GmbH DFT has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years. It has been providing solutions for film postproduction, archives and restoration with a range of highquality, leading-edge products and services. DFT is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. For more information, visit: https://dft-film.com/ DFT Media Contact: Digital Film Technology GmbHsales@dft-film.com [...]
12. December 2023Germany’s National Film Archive, Bundesarchiv, has recently commissioned and installed a state-of-the-art film digitization facility at its Film Archive in Berlin-Hoppegarten. by Michael Schneider  2023-12-12 (Link to article as PDF) Reading Time: 5 mins read At the centre of the workflow in the new facility are six film scanners from Digital Film Technology (DFT), which work in combination with processes supporting film restoration, color-correction and storage, to digitize the Bundesarchive’s large historical original inventory. The installation includes three Scanity HDR scanners and three DFT POLAR HQ scanners, all equipped with DFT’s WetGate technology – making this the largest installation of DFT technology in the world. DFT Scanity HDR film scanners are the industry standard for fast and high-quality digitization. Scanning at 4K, the industry standard, and using patented HDR technology, these scanners work at a very high speed, capturing data from dense black and white materials and color film stocks. Alongside Scanity HDR, DFT POLAR HQ film scanners also address the specific needs of film archives, they have been developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials for digitization at resolutions in excess of the industry norm. Using DFT POLAR HQ, Bundesarchiv becomes the first archive in Europe to have the ability to digitize very fragile 16mm and 35mm films up to 8K resolution. DFT Film Scanner at Bundesarchiv https://dft-film.com/news-releases/pics/DFT-Film-Scanner_at_Bundesarchiv.jpg The facility also benefits from DFT’s ‘WetGate’ system, a fluid tank which the film passes through, filling any surface imperfections such as scratches with fluid at the point of scan, and can be used for film formats from 8mm up to 35mm. DFT has also customized a Central Supply Unit for the supply of the liquids to the six scanner from a central storage location for this project for Bundesarchiv. DFT’s WetGate Technology saves a significant amount of time and efforts in the restoration stage. Bundesarchiv houses the central German film archive and is one of the largest film archives in the world, storing over 1.1 million film rolls and around 210,000 film titles. The archive includes German films of all genres including newsreels, animated films, documentaries and feature films – including the oldest publicly performed film from 1895, but also the current winners of the German Film Prize. Titles from the years 1930 to 1945, cinema newsreels ‘Kinowochenschau’ (post-1945) and films from the GDR are hold. With the new digitization facility, Bundesarchiv can restore and digitize motion picture film up to 8K resolution and it is estimated that around four petabytes per year can now be saved digitally, corresponding to around 2,300 film titles per year. Michael Hollmann, President of the Federal Archives, said: “Like no other medium, film depicts contemporary stories and thus contemporary history. Protecting them and making them available for use requires special efforts because of the often fragile and difficult-to-access media. We are now addressing this and taking film digitization to the latest technical level. In this way, we set standards for the protection of this valuable cultural heritage.” Marlo Boelens, Head of department AT3, which manages the entire Film archive, states: “Digitizing such a valuable, precious, large and complex film archive, requires an optimal workflow that is strictly defined and organized using standards. We have ensured that the entire process chain takes all the concerns of each individual title into account and have incorporated our experiences into an efficient process. All devices are connected to the central server room via fiber optic cable and can send and retrieve data in real time.” Marlo Boelens, Bundesarchiv https://dft-film.com/news-releases/pics/Marlo-BOELENS_Bundesarchiv.jpg Michael Schneider, Chief Sales Officer at DFT, comments: “We feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to be part of this prestigious project. The technical requirements described by Bundesarchiv were challenging, but they enabled us to ‘raise the bar’, setting new high standards in film scanning and workflow for film digitization. DFT’s scanners and the installed storage area network make the system at Bundesarchiv one of the most efficient and powerful installations in the world.” Michael Schneider, DFT https://dft-film.com/news-releases/pics/Michael-SCHNEIDER_DFT.jpg — End of PR — About DFT GmbH DFT has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years. It has been providing solutions for film postproduction, archives and restoration with a range of highquality, leading-edge products and services. DFT is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. For more information, visit: https://dft-film.com/ DFT Media Contact: Digital Film Technology GmbHKate Kilpatricksales@dft-film.com [...]
21. March 2023Budapest’s Origo Studios has upgraded its storage systems and scaled up its post-production environment, with the help of HPE GreenLake and Qumulo. by Budapest Reporter  2023-03-14 Reading Time: 3 mins read Origo Studios, one of the largest film studios on the continent opened its doors some 13 years ago, and has since worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as “Inferno”, “Atomic Blonde”, “Blade Runner 2049”, and “Dune”. Keeping up with the most cutting-edge tech, Origo Digital Film operates a DFT Scanity 4K real-time scanner, ARRISCAN and ARRILASER 2 HS scanners. The studio’s editorial teams work in Avid or Adobe Final Cut Pro, collaborating through shared storage. VFX and online finishing for film and TV are performed in 2K/4K, HD and SD, and other finishing tasks can be supported using uncompressed 4:4:4 signal processing. The studio’s team specializes in encoding video masters to file formats needed for streaming and broadcast playback devices, or for further work on clients’ computers downstream. Origo operates a highly secure fibre-based global data delivery pipeline, and runs a high-speed dedicated network for remote color correction and studio approvals. Its two client screening rooms are capable of 35mm, 2K/4K data and video projection, supporting two digital intermediate suites. To support its operations, Origo needed a quick and efficient storage system that supports constant data transformation between formats without dropping frames or holding up processes. Origo Digital Film’s services are led by László Hargittai, head of Origo Digital Film’s services, who noted that the studio has worked through several changes to its storage infrastructure. “At the time we opened in 2010, our studio was using an Isilon storage system. But at about the same time, Dell acquired Isilon and shortly afterward began to take the development of its systems in a direction that no longer suited our purposes as well,” he added. The studio realized that to make their operation sustainable, they would need to find an alternative, and considered various options, including the cloud. Finding an Alternative The studio started looking for an alternative, and decided to adopt the HPE GreenLake hybrid cloud system. HPE calls GreenLake an edge-to-cloud system, defining edge as the point where data is first collected, generated or stored – from cameras and other kinds of sensors, scanners and finishing suites, to servers and small data rooms. HPE GreenLake aims to bring a cloud-like experience to the edge and increase the potential for new low-latency services. Its edge computing approach is characterized by high bandwidth, ultra-low latency and real-time access to network information that can be used by several applications. The studio recognized that HPE GreenLake’s storage environment and functionality has features that the facility needed, but at first found it a challenge to manage and control their files and file data. Their team was encountering bottlenecks when storing 4K images generated by their Scanity system. During grading sessions, the playback of uncompressed 4K images was not real-time, and frames were dropped. The issue was solved when the studio started using Qumulo’s file data software, which they found could be delivered as-a-service through the HPE GreenLake platform. “For upcoming film ‘Poor Things’, for instance, Origo served as dailies processor. The project was shot on film, coming in at 170MB/frame that had to be played back in real time across six workstations,” Hargittai said. “We were working with uncompressed DPX or EXR files, sometimes even playing the footage back in reverse.” “The performance we achieved with Qumulo and HPE GreenLake really impressed us. We’re now able to perform tasks like color grading without dropping any frames. It’s making the whole post production process faster and more efficient including film scanning, dailies processing, editing, audio-post and color finishing. In particular it has made a noticeable difference for our team and helped keep our production deadlines on track.” While HPE GreenLake looks after the backbone of the post environment, Qumulo functions as the software file system layer, simplifying the management and optimization of a storage system, and managing the quantities of data, regardless of its physical location. Built into its file data platform are tools for managing the data lifecycle from ingest and transformation, to publishing applications and finally to archive. Qumulo also possesses data protection features to support disaster recovery, backups or user management, plus automatic data protection from external threats through encryption. Additionally, Qumulo can be used to move data to the cloud, without re-factoring applications, by transforming data from file to object, and using file data with cloud-native applications that are designed for object data. Cover credit: Origo Studios Budapest/Facebook [...]
15. March 2023Press Release Darmstadt/Las Vegas; 15th March 2023 DFT, the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage and deliver pristine film quality, in archives and post production facilities worldwide, will be showing its newest 8K film scanner, DFT POLAR HQ alongside its brand new state-of-the-art prototype WetGate. POLAR HQ, which was developed specifically for film archives, it scans up to a maximum of 9.3K resolution in native RGB. The scanner has a modular design which can flex and grow as user needs and technology changes over time. This modular approach, unique in the film scanning world, marks a step-change in the way that scanners will be built in the future. At NAB23, DFT POLAR HQ will demonstrate 35mm and 16mm film scanning capability into a high quality 8K or Super 4K deliverable. New for NAB23, DFT will also be unveiling a prototype version of the new Smart Motion WetGate, developed for DFT POLAR HQ and planned for release in summer 2023. Despite only launching DFT POLAR HQ in September, DFT has already delivered 3 scanners to an archive customer, where the 3 new scanners will be also connected to the archives central WetGate System that currently serves three Scanity film scanners in their daily operations. The new DFT POLAR HQ complements DFT’s established range of film scanners, suitable for a wide range of uses; the flagship Scanity HDR – which offers both high-quality and high-speed film scanning universally regarded as the “go-to” scanner for high volume quality film scanning, the large format OXScan 14K – which provides ultra-high-resolution scanning from 65mm/70mm and 35mm films, ideal for mastering ultra-high resolution large film format productions, and Sondor Versa with Resonances for film audio capture. DFT counts major archives and postproduction facilities worldwide among its customers, including but not limited to the BFI, Library of Congress, Fotokem, Spectra Film and Video, National Film Board of Canada, Packard Humanities Institute. DFT’s stand at NAB 2023 can be found in the central hall at Las Vegas Convention Center, stand number C6610.   Please find a hi-res image of the DFT POLAR HQ film scanner here: DFT POLAR HQ – hi-res image link Editors notes: DFT (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for decades, supplying the film industry and archive market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service, and support centers worldwide. DFT is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information:                                                                      Digital Film Technology GmbHPublic RelationsEmail: pr@dft-film.comTel: +49 6151 8503 500 [...]
9. March 2023Darmstadt, Germany. 10th March 2023. DFT (Digital Film Technology), the leading manufacturer of high-end motion picture film scanning equipment, is excited to announce the formation of a strategic partnership with Media Migration Technology (MMT) for the United States’ film archive and post production markets. This partnership boosts DFT’s presence in the US, giving customers access to additional specialist technical support and expertise. MMT will support DFT’s US customers from its offices in Chicago. DFT invests heavily in providing the industry with cutting edge, leading engineering, for motion picture film postproduction and archive digitization. The partnership with MMT coincides with the recent launch of the latest scanner, DFT POLAR HQ, which is capable of native 8K scanning. DFT POLAR HQ features unique options, such as wet gate and a modular design for future upgrades paired with a future proof and up to date 2023 technology platform. DFT’s product range also includes DFT’s flag-ship film scanner, Scanity HDR, which scans at real-time and high dynamic range, OXSCAN 14K, an ultra-high-resolution film scanner capable of scanning 65/70mm formats and SONDOR VERSA, a modular audio playback and digitization platform for film archives. Ideally placed to support DFT customers, MMT has over 120 combined years of experience supporting the worldwide film and TV archiving community with a large range of specialized dedicated products, equipment and technical support. MMT are well known amongst many of DFT’s existing customers as suppliers of complimentary products, such as ultrasonic and non-immersion film cleaning machines, videotape cleaning, evaluation and rejuvenation equipment and film laboratory equipment. Jonathan Banks, Managing Director of MMT: “MMT is delighted be working with DFT in the US market. DFT has a reputation for providing solid, industrialized solutions for film digitization, and is regarded by film archives and film service providers around the globe as the number one choice.” Michael Schneider, Chief Sales Officer at DFT: “We are happy to welcome Media Migration Technology (MMT) to the DFT family. Jonathan brings a wealth of experience and a very good understanding of the film market into this partnership.” Both companies will be exhibiting at NAB 2023, Central Hall, stand number C6610. To arrange a meeting, please follow https://dft-film.com/news-media/events/upcoming-events/. ENDS Editors notes: DFT (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centers worldwide. www.dft-film.com MMT (Media Migration Technology) designs, manufactures, and refurbishes specialist critical equipment for a Digitization workflow, essential for the global film and video archive community. Over 50 specialist devices are offered to assist with restoration and preservation as well as parts, supplies and technical support. All of these products are also used in motion picture postproduction and film laboratory facilities. www.mmtfilm.com Further information:                                                                      Digital Film Technology GmbHPublic RelationsEmail: pr@dft-film.comTel: +49 6151 8503 500 Media Migration TechnologyPresident, Jonathan BanksEmail: jbanks@mmtfilm.com [...]
23. January 2023Managing Director Gunter Weidlich 16th Jan 2023 (Chennai, India) The board of Prasad Corp. has appointed Gunter Weidlich as Managing Director for Digital Film Technology (DFT). Prasad Corp, is the world leader in film preservation, digitization, and restoration, and the owner of Digital Film Technology. DFT has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years. It has been providing solutions for film post-production, archives and restoration with a range of high-quality, leading-edge products and services. Gunter Weidlich comes in with more than three decades of experience in managing development, operations, and support for media and broadcast vendors, and electro-mechanical manufacturers. This includes more than a decade of leadership experience in the production of high-end film scanners and image processing software. He was one of DFT’s founding managing directors in 2012 having been involved with products such as Spirit Classic, Spirit 4K and Scanity. “I am happy to be back at DFT and I am looking forward to supporting the company on its technically exciting and demanding journey.  Listening to our customer’s needs and challenges is key for providing successful solutions,” says Gunter Weidlich, Managing Director – Digital Film Technology. “We are very pleased that Gunter accepted our invitation to return to DFT leading the company into its new phase of technology and growth,” says Saiprasad, Director – Prasad Corp. “Gunter comes with a deep understanding of our customers industry coupled with a rich technical and operational background. His long experience in the film scanning domain and product management convinced us that he is the right person to lead DFT. He is very much aligned with the principles and philosophy of Prasad. We look forward to working with him to realize our vision.” About DFT GmbH DFT has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years. It has been providing solutions for film post production, archives and restoration with a range of high-quality, leading-edge products and services. DFT is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. For more information visit https://dft-film.com/ About Prasad Corp: Prasad Corp offers a comprehensive range of preservation, digitization, and restoration services globally. As the proud owner of Digital Film Technology, a manufacturer of Motion Picture Film Scanners, Prasad is uniquely positioned to offer convenient, strategic, and wholesome preservation services to its customers both onsite and offsite. For more information visit www.prasadcorp.com Media Contact: Prasad Media Contact:                                                                     Prasad CorporationRavindran ViswanathanGM – Marketingravindran.v@prasadcorp.com DFT Media Contact:                                                                      Digital Film Technology GmbHChristina Winkpr@dft-film.com [...]
14. May 2021Left: György Ráduly, Director of the Film Archive;Right: Benedek Kabán, Technical and Development Manager of the Film Archive 11th May 2021 Hungary’s National Film Institute and Film Archive (referred to as NFI-FA), has recently installed a state-of-the-art Scanity HDR, 4K film scanner, at its facility in Budapest. Established in 1957, NFI-FA is responsible for safeguarding and enabling access to the film heritage of Hungary as the only public collection for audio-visual content. The Archive has the most extensive film collection in Hungary and houses approximately 72,000 film titles, and about 360,000 inventory items. Restoration and transfer of films from flammable nitrate stock to safety film materials has always been a priority for NFI-FA, and in 2017, a major film digitisation and restoration programme was launched, restoring 120 feature films to 2K or 4K quality. Today, the aim is to digitise the Archive’s entire film stock. Backed by annual government funding, NFI-FA is now able to fully restore a larger number of films than before, at 4K, thus preserving this heritage and making the content available to wider audiences. After a lengthy review, dft’s Scanity HDR 4K scanner, with WetGate, was chosen as it suited NFI-FA’s requirements perfectly. Scanity HDR can ingest film in 2K and 4K to produce outstanding image quality, even at high speeds up to real-time. It has been designed for the safe and gentle handling of precious film stocks, and the end-to-end process makes is ideal for this kind of work. Benedek Kaban, Technical and Development Manager at NFI-FA, is delighted with the new scanner. “The addition of the WetGate to the Scanity has vastly improve our processes. Base scratches can be ‘removed’ during the scanning process, which means the restoration process is faster and more efficient than before.” György Ráduly, Director at NFI-FA stated: “For a Film Archive, the most important task today is to preserve the film collection, by digitising in the highest quality, at an optimal speed and maximum used capacity. At NFI-FA, 90% of our film collection can be classed as “difficult” in terms of the scan and restoration tasks. The WetGate and the dust and scratch concealment options of the Scanity have enabled us to go much further than we have been able to do previously in terms of preservation and restoration, and as a result we are now able to show previously unseen material to our audience.” Simon Carter, Sales Director at dft comments: “We are delighted that NFI-FA chose to install Scanity HDR for their film scanning requirements and for all the help and support of our regional partners Boneheadz and Silicon Computers Hungary. Scanity HDR 4K provides a controlled, high speed film ingest, and addresses a number of other key archive film issues – such as shrinkage, warped films and dust/scratch management via its highly specialised aquarium style 35mm/16mm WetGate solution, which has transformed the quality of the deliverables, facilitating both significant quality benefits and time saved. We are looking forward to the time when these historical remastered / restored films can be shared by all. ” Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information:                                                                      Digital Film Technology GmbHPublic RelationsEmail: pr@dft-film.comTel: +49 (6151) 8503 500 [...]
27. March 202127th March 2021 The Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), the national film archive for Taiwan, has recently installed a Scanity HDR film scanner, from dft, as part of its programme to preserve and store Taiwan’s film heritage, promote film culture and promote the development of the film industry. The archive has a considerable collection, including over 20,000 domestic and foreign films and more than 72,000 domestic and foreign DVDs and video tapes. Recently, TFAI upgraded its film preservation, collection and digital restoration facility, digitally restoring a number of classic Chinese movies. As part of this, following a great deal of research, TFAI invested in dft’s Scanity HDR, with a WetGate, with 16mm and 35mm gates, as one of its primary film scanners. TFAI’s Film Restoration Department explained why they chose Scanity: “We chose Scanity for several reasons – it is capable of scanning high-quality images at real-time (24fps/2k) speeds, and it has an exceptionally good reputation for scanning and is used by many archives around the world. We have many films in our archive that urgently need digitising, and we felt confident that Scanity would deliver on quality, performance and speed. We were impressed with Scanity’s pin-free mechanism and the way it handles delicate, warped and shrunken fragile film stock. We are also looking forward to using our new WetGate system, which will enable us to manage very scratched film stocks.” To ensure safe delivery and installation, dft’s engineer, Benjamin Kratz, “flew half around the earth during the pandemic”, before spending two weeks in quarantine in Taiwan prior to the two-week installation and training, as well as another two weeks in quarantine on return to his home in Germany. Now installed, Scanity HDR will be used to digitise TFAI’s film collections, including those which are deteriorating with age and will require restoration in the future. TFAI’s Film Restoration Department comments: “Scanity is important for us largely because it is pin-less, which is critical for our archival collections. So far, we are comfortable with how Scanity handles our archival films. For films with damaged perforations, Scanity uses algorithms to detect the frame, and that help us to manage them better. We like the ‘cache’ facility in the operating software, as it enables us to browse and locate specific frames easily. Lastly, Scanity’s speed allows us to quickly react on any project that given to us – which is really important.” Simon Carter, director at dft commented: “We are delighted that TFAI has joined dft’s family of Scanity HDR WetGate users. I’m sure that the combined professionalism of TFAI and that of the Scanity 4K HDR with WetGate technology will liberate the long-standing high-quality deliverables needed by the Taiwanese people for generations to come.” ENDS Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information:                                                                      Digital Film Technology GmbHPublic RelationsEmail: pr@dft-film.comTel: +49 (6151) 8503 500 [...]
19. February 202119 February 2021 LA-based Spectra Film and Video has installed a new state-of-the-art Scanity HDR film scanner, enhancing the services it provides, in processing and transferring of a variety of film formats to digital data. Spectra wanted only the very best in film scanner solution available on the market, and as this was to be a significant investment, they took a thorough review of available technology. Tests compared how each scanner handled a variety of tasks including resolution, extremely dense negative and positive, handling of delicate and aged materials – and more, as well as ease of set up and use. Doug Thomas, co-owner of Spectra Film and Video explains: “We found that the dynamic range, sharpness and speed of the Scanity outperformed all the other scanners tested. In addition, Scanity was by far the easiest to use. The display layout is very intuitive and easy to learn with a basic understanding of scanning. With the test results in, we knew it had to be the Scanity. Scanity was chosen because it produces full resolution pictures without any unwanted interpolation, which many other scanners produce. In addition, it can capture noninterpolated 4K DPX at 18fps which is the fastest scan speed we could find on a scanner of this type for professional applications. As Spectra is a full motion picture lab, we needed both picture quality and speed to get edit-ready dailies out to our clients super-fast. The optional upgrades such as optical/magnetic sound pick-up, super 8 and regular 8 were also useful options for our archival applications.” Scanity fits within Spectra’s existing workflow and, in contrast with previous experiences with other suppliers, was “a dream” to install. Doug Thomas explains: “The overall installation was very clean and professional. Prior to the install, dft ensured we were fully aware of our equipment compatibility, power, air supply and space requirements. This made everything go very smoothly after our scanner was uncrated. dft also took care of much of the network hook-up and testing to assure everything was in good working order.” Since installation, Spectra has successfully deployed Scanity HDR on a number of key client projects, and is looking forward to many more 16mm and 35mm high end projects that require scanning at full resolution. Simon Carter, sales director at dft commented: “It is our policy at dft to work closely with our clients at every stage, to ensure that we not only meet, but where possible, exceed expectations. We knew that Spectra wanted a scanner that excelled against a range of criteria, and so were delighted that Scanity performed so well in the comparative tests. It has been a pleasure working with Doug in this process, and I am pleased that we have delivered an ‘out of the box’ commercial film scanner that fulfils all of their needs – from 8mm to 35mm Vista Vision. Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. Further information: Digital Film Technology GmbH Public RelationsEmail: pr@dft-film.comTel: +49 (6151) 8503 500 [...]
3. December 201903 December 2019 Digital Orchard is an industry-leading film and digital service provider that offers a unique end-to-end workflow and colour-management solution, from capture to post for the film and television industry. Pioneers in the digital side of the industry with experience in a wide range of high-end productions, Digital Orchard’s highly-skilled technicians focus on workflows that are as seamless and as cost-effective as possible, making film more accessible to everyone. Sam Margaritis, managing director, comments: “Fitting with Digital Orchard’s forward-thinking ethos, the Scanity HDR film scanner now sits at the centre of our 16mm and 35mm workflows. We are now able to offer the highest possible 4K deliverables to all our clients as standard. Having the Scanity gives us the ability to further develop our relationships with major Hollywood studios, who see the Scanity as a pre-requisite on tent-pole productions.” Dan Redrup, senior film supervisor, has worked with Scanity on many projects and explains: “Scanity increases both the quality and pace of our work. Traditionally, 4K scanning has been a slow process, but with Scanity, we can maintain that quality and also keep up with our clients’ demanding schedules. This is especially true in the expanding commercials and music promo sector.” On a practical level, Dan comments: “As we’d expect from Scanity, image quality, stability and grain reduction are exceptional. We are also using UBUNTU, the latest operational software, and it is very well organised and user friendly. Set-up and calibration now takes half the time and features, such as the detail tool, which is used to indicate individual pixel position and colour values within an image, are very useful.” Simon Carter, Director at Digital Film Technology (dft) comments: “Digital Orchard are well known for their high-end services, and so we are delighted that they have chosen to include Scanity HDR in their Leavesden facility. Scanity is our ‘flag ship’ film scanner, and because it combines versatility with high performance, it is a perfect fit.” Editors notes: Digital Orchard is an industry-leading film and digital service provider that offers a unique end-to-end workflow and colour-management solution, from capture to post. From expert technicians on-set, right through to film processing, scanning, picture post and deliverables, they pride themselves on having the right knowledge and attitude to ensure every production gets exactly the people, equipment and services it needs. Recent projects include: Fast and Furious – Hobbs and Shaw, Murder on the Orient Express, Bond – No Time To Die, The Kings Man, Pennyworth, Avenue 5, A Discovery of Witches S2, Riviera, Peaky Blinders. dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 80 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: dft Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing DirectorEmail: simon.carter@dft-film.comTel: +44 (0) 1223 870853Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 [...]
13. September 201913 September 2019 IBC 2019 , RAI Amsterdam, 7D29dft, the world leading provider of high-end film image and audio scanning solutions will be launching a brand-new large format, high resolution, film scanner, called the OXScan. OXScan has been designed in response to a growing trend of new ‘ScanOnce’ large film format productions, within the feature film industry. Producing exceptionally high-quality, high resolution images, OXScan is a true 14K, 16Bit RGB scanner – the first commercially available scanner at this level. Designed initially for 65mm Original Camera Negative film, OXScan will be extending its capabilities over the coming period to manage other large formats, such as 70mm 15 perf, for the post and archive sectors. OXScan will be available after IBC, initially on a rental only basis. Alongside OXScan, dft will be showing their flagship film scanner, Scanity HDR, with proven 35mm and 16mm WetGate technology. The WetGate technology provides a fast organic delivery for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal, and is ideal for archive owners who need a fast, touch-less scanner that can also manage the range of problems associated with old and aged film. Scanity HDR will also be showcasing its latest operating software, on Ubuntu, providing improvements for changing deliverables. Simon Carter, dft Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are very excited to be unveiling OXScan, our newly developed large format film scanner, for the first time at IBC. The new scanner enhances our existing product range, whilst providing the ever-evolving ScanOnce market with a new large format ideal scanning solution for their needs.” “We are also very proud to be detailing the Scanity WetGate solution , which has evolved in accordance with the requirements of the archive markets, to become both easier and faster to use. The WetGate has demonstrated remarkable results for our customers, enabling many of the issues associated with historically-aged film to be addressed at the scanning stage – saving valuable time and money.” dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, including but not limited to the British Film Institute (BFI), Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) , National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-Visual Archive of Finland (KAVA), Russian state archive Gosteleradiofond (GTRF) , Israel Film Archive (IFA) ,the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) , the Royal Thai Archive & Thai Film Archives, The National Film Board of Canada, Library of Congress. Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 80 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: dft Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing DirectorEmail :simon.carter@dft-film.comTel: +44 (0) 1223 870853Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 [...]
20. June 201920 June 2019 Once again, dft, in conjunction with Prasad Corp, are sponsoring the Focal International Awards. These awards celebrate achievement in the use of footage in all variety of genres, across all media platforms plus its restoration and are the leading and most complete set of awards for the archive footage industry in the world today. We wish all nominees success on the day! [...]
8. April 201908 April 2019 NAB, Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel hospitality suite 439, 8th April 2019 – dft, the leading provider of high-end film image and audio scanning solutions will be describing its latest technology for image scanning – including the WetGate option, a variety of lens gates and the addition of image sound track scanning. dft’s flagship film scanner, Scanity HDR, works with tried-and-tested WetGate technology to provide a fast-organic delivery for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal. The WetGate is ideal for archive owners who need a fast, touch-less scanner that can also manage the range of problems associated with old and aged film. Unlike traditional WetGate systems, dft’s innovation makes wet scanning as easy to use as standard dry scanning – combining the speed and gentle film transport of a dry gate with all the advantages of scratch removal of a wet gate. It also enables fast and easy switching between the dry and the wet gate scanning modes. Using an aquarium style design, dirt particles are removed by the fluid in a gate pre-chamber and so the film is cleaned before scanning starts; combining the primary dust and scratch removal processes reduces both time and costs substantially. Simon Carter, dft Sales Director, said, “Scanity WetGate was developed as a response to the requirements of the archive market. The WetGate has demonstrated remarkable results for our customers, enabling many of the issues associated with historically-aged film to be addressed at the scanning stage – saving them valuable time.” dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, including but not limited to the British Film Institute (BFI), Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) , National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-Visual Archive of Finland (KAVA), Russian state archive Gosteleradiofond (GTRF) , Israel Film Archive (IFA) ,the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) , the Royal Thai Archive & Thai Film Archives, The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) , Library of Congress (LOC). editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com further information: dft Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Email :simon.carter@dft-film.com Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. February 201901 February 2019 The Library of Congress, the world’s largest library and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States of America, has recently purchased and installed Scanity 4K HDR, a state-of-the-art film scanner, following a highly competitive, rigorous tender process. The Library’s Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia, houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of American and foreign-produced films, television broadcasts and sound recordings. The facility houses over 7 million items, including more than 3.6 million sound recordings and more than 1.8 million film, television and video items, representing more than a century of audiovisual production. The new scanner, which was installed in the Autumn 2018, will work alongside existing dft Spirit data scanners to maintain and preserve the library’s aged motion picture heritage. Scanity 4K HDR was chosen for its ability to gently handle delicate and damaged film material, whilst at the same time getting the best possible quality image from black and white stock. Developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials, the patented HDR technology is adept at capturing data from dense black and white materials to deliver superb, crisp pictures at high scanning speeds. The Library of Congress will also benefit from Scanity’s renowned safe and gentle film handling – ensuring even the most delicate of film can be scanned for future generations to enjoy. John Carter, digital film preservation specialist said: “We are delighted with our new scanner. It suits our purpose perfectly, enabling fast, yet gentle scanning of some of the nation’s oldest and most delicate film projects.” Simon Carter, director at dft added: “We have worked with the Library of Congress for many years, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to continue supporting them with our latest technology.” Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Library of CongressJohn Carter, Digital Preservation SpecialistEmail :jcarter@loc.gov dft Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing DirectorEmail :simon.carter@dft-film.comTel: +44 (0) 1223 870853Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
30. September 201830 September 2018 Following the announcement that Pinewood Group is expanding its digital services business offering to North America, and to meet new demand in the UK, Pinewood has entered into a 5-year agreement with Prasad. Prasad will be providing Pinewood Digital with a flagship Scanity HDR 4K film scanner, and further services to support and optimize the expansion. Pinewood Digital provides film and digital dailies for features, TV and commercials, supporting productions on the lot at Pinewood and Shepperton in the UK, Atlanta in the USA and globally elsewhere with mobile solutions. Services include dailies grading, 4K projection, transcode for editorial and online dailies review, VFX pulls including automated services, 4K ‘scan-once’ workflows for film (which create tens of terrabytes of data per day), SAN and LTO archiving. Simon Carter, Director at Prasad commented: “Prasad is dedicated to supporting Pinewood with their unique ‘scan-once’ workflow, and we are delighted to be able to supply them with our latest technology and services.” Darren Woolfson, Director of Creative Services Technology for Pinewood commented: “This agreement underlines our commitment to support filmmakers who choose to shoot their films on physical film in the UK, for example our recent work on Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Working with Prasad means we can deliver high quality film scanning and digital dailies to our clients worldwide.” Editors notes: Prasad with over 7 decades of rich experience is a pioneer and leader, providing end-to-end solutions for film and digital workflows. Prasad has delivered solutions for more than 15000 features films across the world. With facilities, offices and associates in USA, UK, Germany, India, Japan, Middle east and Far east, Prasad digitizes content for leading production houses, archives and TV Channels. Prasad has digitally restored more than 500 Hollywood classics including academy award and golden globe award winners. www.prasadcorp.com Further information: Prasad Global Media Services Simon Carter, Regional Director info@prasadcorp.com Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
28. September 201828 September 2018 Studio Hamburg Postproduction has recently secured a major contract with Bayerischer Rundfunk, Bavaria’s public broadcasting service, for the digitisation of around 9,000-hours of footage from their film archive. In a Europe-wide multi-stage competitive tendering process, Studio Hamburg Postproduction won a 10-year contract for three out of four service packages. With over 8 million viewers and listeners each day, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) operates 10 radio stations and 2 television channels from 20+ regional offices throughout Bavaria. In this project, BR wish to digitise their entire film archive, protecting it from decay in the long term, ensuring it’s usability and improving reusability. For the successful implementation of this demanding 10-year contract, Studio Hamburg Postproduction has set up a facility near Munich for the mechanical preparation of the film, as well as a sophisticated studio in Hamburg for film scanning and digitisation. The Hamburg site hosts dft’s flagship 4k film scanner, Scanity HDR, which includes state-of-the-art WetGate technology for 16mm and 35 mm films, working alongside high performance storage from Quantum. Tammo Steinmetz, managing director of Studio Hamburg Postproduction is delighted: “An archive is like a treasure! With modern technology we can help to revive and preserve this cultural treasure for future generations. We are working with the latest technology and techniques, using SMPTE’s Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF) standard for the mastering and archiving of high-resolution digital copies – which seems to us to be trend-setting for comparable projects.” Robert Dittrich, project manager of Studio Hamburg Postproduction, adds: “In responding to this project we have established an impressive infrastructure to support film and archive service delivery. Working with our colleagues at Bayerischer Rundfunk, we have a team of skilled “film rescuers” who can grow and expand together.” Simon Carter, sales and marketing director at dft added: “This large and significant film project with Bayerischer Rundfunk is an important milestone in the preservation of German cultural film history. We are extremely proud that Studio Hamburg Postproduction has chosen Scanity HDR with its latest WetGate technology for this very important project.”Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Studio Hamburg Postproduction is the leading post-production company in Northern Germany and is part of the Studio Hamburg Group. www.postproduction.de Further information: Digital Film Technology Simon Carter, Director simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
19. March 2018IBC, RAI Amsterdam, 7D29 dft, the world leading provider of high-end film image and audio scanning solutions will be unveiling a number of new technological advances for it’s flagship Scanity HDR film scanner at IBC. New options for Scanity HDR include the addition of Resonances, an image sound track scanning system, as well as a brand new operating platform that delivers significant operational benefits. Alongside Scanity HDR, dft will also be revealing it latest Sondor Audio system with a new graphical user interface that provides greater intuitive control. Scanity HDR is a versatile, high speed film scanner that can manage a wide variety of film gauges and conditions, and it’s touchless design ensures that even the most delicate or damaged film can be handled with ease. At IBC we will be showing Scanity HDR with improved WetGate technology; enhanced drier performance now provides a faster delivery for those wishing to solve difficult historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal. New for Scanity HDR is the option to include Resonances, an image soundtrack scanning system. Previously only available for Sondor systems, the new option enables Scanity HDR to manage the removal of defects on the film from within the soundtrack at the time of transfer, before they are converted to audio files. Scanity HDR will also be demonstrating its new operating platform, UBUNTU, an extremely flexible and stable platform which can provide users with access to a greater range of third-party plug-ins and codecs. Alongside Scanity HDR, dft will also be showing a brand new graphical user interface for the Sondor audio scanner. The GUI enables intuitive remote operation of the Sondor sound system, unlike the existing push button approach, giving users more control over the machine’s performance. This is a significant step forward for users, providing for the first time a sophisticated mode of operation – similar to that seen in Scanity. Simon Carter added: “We live and operate in an ever-demanding film archive environment, so it is of critical importance that all dft products are continually improved for performance and agility. Our new universal product operating platform UBUNTU enables a range of new features and deliverables previously unseen from both Scanity HDR and Sondor – we urge you to come along and take a look.” DFT counts major archives worldwide among its customers, including but not limited to the British Film Institute (BFI), Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) , National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-Visual Institute (KAVI), Russian state archive Gosteleradiofond (GTRF) , Israel Film Archive (IFA) ,the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) , the Royal Thai Archive & Thai Film Archives, The National Film Board of Canada, Library of Congress. Editors notes: DFT (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. DFT is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 Email: simon.carter@dft-film.com [...]
12. March 201812th March 2018 dft, the leading provider of high-end film image and audio scanning solutions will be describing its latest MAX8mm/S8mm/8mm lens gate assembly (LGA) and S16mm/16mm WetGate options, launched at IBC last year, which are now being delivered successfully. These latest options are for dft’s flagship film scanner, Scanity HDR, which works with latest WetGate technology to provide a fast organic delivery for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal. The WetGate is ideal for archive owners who need a fast, touch-less scanner that can also manage the range of problems associated with old and aged film. Unlike traditional WetGate systems, dft’s innovation makes wet scanning as easy to use as standard dry scanning – combining the speed and gentle film transport of a dry gate with all the advantages of scratch removal of a wet gate. It also enables fast and easy switching between the dry and the wet gate scanning modes. Using an aquarium style design, dirt particles are removed by the fluid in a gate pre-chamber and so the film is cleaned before scanning starts; combining the primary dust and scratch removal processes reduces both time and costs substantially. Simon Carter, dft Sales Director, said, “Scanity WetGate was developed as a response to the requirements of the archive market. The WetGate has demonstrated remarkable results for our customers, enabling many of the issues associated with historically-aged film to be addressed at the scanning stage – saving them valuable time. Adding the S16mm/16mm WetGate options to the Scanity HDR capability has been an obvious next step.” dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, including but not limited to the British Film Institute (BFI), Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) , National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-Visual Archive of Finland (KAVA), Russian state archive Gosteleradiofond (GTRF) , Israel Film Archive (IFA) ,the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) , the Royal Thai Archive & Thai Film Archives. notes to editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com further information: Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director, dft email: simon.carter@dft-film.com [...]
11. March 2018March 11, 2018 Film laboratory Haghefilm Digitaal, a prominent service provider in the field of cinematographic heritage preservation, receives films from the early days of cinema from all over the world. The company is known for its knowledge of obsolete film formats and the skills and motivation of its employees who often perform little wonders so that images that were thought to be lost still can be retained. Very often the films that are sent to Haghefilm Digitaal are in very bad shape and require serious attention from the Haghefilm Digitaal restoration specialists before they can either be printed to nowadays polyester-base film stock, if possible, or digitized. The Scanity film scanner that was installed late last year, and extended with the wet gate option early this year, has already proven its value. Thanks to this equipment some rare images dating from the beginning of the 20th century could be scanned at the highest possible quality and thus be saved and made accessible again for use today and in the future. With the arrival of the Scanity, the Haghefilm Digital toolbox has been expanded with an installation that allows the company to help film archives preserve films from the past at the highest possible quality level today. company details: Haghefilm Digitaal b.v. Willem fenengastraat 39 1114 AH Amsterdam-Duivendrecht The Netherlands contact: Peter Roelofs, commercial director Telephone: +31 20 5685411 E-mail: peter@haghefilm-digitaal.nl notes to editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simon.carter@dft-film.com Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 [...]
30. January 201830th January 2018 Cinelab London has just completed the installation of a new dft Scanity 4K HDR scanner, alongside a 300TB Pixit Media Pixstor SAN, which creates a high-tech, unmatched, capability in film scanning for new and archive film projects. Cinelab celebrates its 5th Anniversary in June 2018, and has, in a relatively short time, established itself as a leading international film facility, working on major studio and independent feature films, commercials and pop promos. All sectors have seen growth in acquisition on motion picture film during this 5 year period, and coupled with an extensive capability for both photochemical and digital remastering and restoration, Cinelab London has become the unrivalled expert in film. Adrian Bull, Managing Director and co-founder, comments: “the revival of film is no doubt in part due to the demand for 4K and HDR, which as an acquisition format film delivers with ease. The aesthetic look of film continues to prove favourable against digital acquisition. The addition of the Scanity 4K HDR film scanner to our comprehensive line-up will assist in delivering on projects where a “scan once” approach is preferred, particularly where a VFX intensive feature may want to work with 2K or 4K images from the start of production. We have also seen a tremendous increase in demand from archive clients wanting to remaster in 4K, in some cases going back to the original camera rushes to create the best possible results and in some cases completely different edits.” Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director for dft added: “dft, which is part of the Prasad Corporation Pvt Ltd , is delighted that Cinelab London have chosen Scanity 4K HDR for its facility. Scanity has been specifically designed to manage the accurate digitisation of film – whether as part of a fast and precise ‘scan once’ process during film production, or in the gentle handling and scanning of aged and treasured materials during film restoration.” Top directors Ralph Fiennes, Paul Thomas Anderson, Chris McQuarrie, Rian Johnson and Sir Kenneth Brannagh have all shot film projects in the past year using the services of Cinelab London including 16mm, 35mm and 65mm processing. The lab is the only facility in the world providing processing for all motion picture film formats from Super8 to 65mm, and includes full dailies, scanning and film deliverables services. notes to editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com further information: Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director, dft email: simon.carter@dft-film.comRoger Harlow, Sales Director, Cinelab London email: roger.harlow@cinelab.london ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
15. November 2017November 15, 2017 Kodak and Prasad Corporation, owners of dft (Digital Film Technology), announce a joint strategic initiative to provide digitization and archiving services for the UK market. This announcement will see the installation of a Scanity HDR with full WetGate™ functionality at KODAK Digital Services London. The new facility, operated by KODAK Digital Services London, includes a state-of-the-art 4K Scanity HDR film scanner with full Wetgate functionality, which is the first of its kind to be available in the UK. Manufactured in Germany by Digital Film Technology (dft), a subsidiary of Prasad, the new scanner provides complete scanning solutions for Dailies, Mastering, and Archive film in a range of resolutions from 0.5K to 4K. The scanner employs unique triple exposure technology to facilitate constant scanning speeds, which dramatically improves time and cost barriers when scanning high density or historically-aged film content and has been designed to manage even the most delicate film including notched or damaged edges, warped and even severely shrunken film. notes to editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simon.carter@dft-film.com [...]
11. August 2017August 11, 2017 dft, the leading provider of high-end film image and audio scanning solutions will be showing a range of new features for its Scanity HDR film scanner, in addition to the latest Sondor Resonances audio scanner at IBC 2017. On view at IBC will be dft’s flagship film scanner, Scanity HDR, which works with latest WetGate technology to provide a real-time organic solution for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal. The WetGate is ideal for archive owners who need a fast, touch-less scanner that can also manage the range of problems associated with old and aged film. Unlike traditional wetgate systems, dft’s innovation makes wet scanning as easy to use as standard dry scanning – combining the speed and gentle film transport of a dry gate with all the advantages of scratch removal of a wet gate. It also enables fast and easy switching between the dry and the wet gate scanning modes. Using an aquarium style design, dirt particles are also removed by the fluid in a gate pre-chamber and so the film is also cleaned before scanning starts – combining the primary dust and scratch removal processes reduces both time and costs substantially. Originally designed to work with 35mm, and being launched at IBC 2017, dft has now extended the WetGate’s range to include capability for 16mm gauge film – therefore opening further possibilities for archive facilities worldwide. Simon Carter, dft Sales Director, said, “Scanity HDR was developed as a response to the requirements of the archive market. The WetGate has demonstrated remarkable results for our customers, enabling many of the issues associated with historically-aged film to be addressed at the scanning stage – saving them valuable time. Adding the S16mm/16mm film gauge to it’s capability has been an obvious next step.” In addition to the new 16mm WetGate, dft will also be unveiling a range of additional file formats and transcoding deliverables in its latest Scanity software for 4K and 8K. These include the ffv1 codec which is a royalty free, lossless codec, which is becoming a popular preservation format amongst professional archives for long-term storage. At IBC 2017, dft’s Scanity 4K HDR will be on show using GB Labs’ “Space” NAS (network attached storage), which has been designed to consistently handle massive data streams, guaranteeing safe file deliverables from Scanity. Following extensive testing, GB Labs’ Space solution is an ideal match for Scanity HDR, capable of speeds of up to 9,000Mbytes/sec – more than enough to ensure Scanity HDR runs at optimum performance. Alongside Scanity HDR, dft will also be demonstrating, for the first time since acquiring the technology at the beginning of the year, the latest Sondor Resonances Audio Scanner. Simon Carter added: “With Sondor sound technology, dft are now able to provide both the very best sound scanning and image scanning to its customers, wherever they are in the world, while simultaneously delivering highest levels of its well renowned service and support.” dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, including the British Film Institute (BFI), Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS), Packard Humanities Institute (PHI), National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-Visual Archive of Finland (KAVA), Russian state archive Gosteleradiofond (GTRF) , Israel Film Archive (IFA), the Swedish Film Institute (SFI), the Royal Thai Archive & Thai Film Archives. Notes to Editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simon.carter@dft-film.com Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
29. March 2017Darmstadt – March 29, 2017 Eye Filmmuseum, located in Amsterdam, has recently purchased a Sondor audio scanner to complement its already well equipped archive and restoration facility. The archive holds over 40,000 films from all genres, and including unique nitrate titles, classics of Dutch cinema, blockbusters and experimental films. Sondor was recently acquired by film image scanning specialist Digital Film Technology (dft), and this was the first installation carried out by the dft team. The Sondor and dft teams have worked alongside each other for many years, and following the acquisition, service and support for Sondor technology is now carried out by the dft team. The installation at EYE Film was of a Resonances audio scanner with Dolby Digital optical reading and multi-format mag track capabilities for 16, 35 and 17.5mm formats. Anne Gant, Head of Film Restoration and Digital Access, said: “We are pleased to introduce this new audio scanner into our facility. The dft team did a great job during the installation. They have been good about supporting the Scanity in the past, and now we will expect the same high-quality service for both our image and audio scanners.” Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology GmbH) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft, head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information and press inquiries, contact simon.carter@dft-film.com. Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simon.carter@dft-film.com ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
27. December 2016December 27, 2016 Digital Film Technology (dft), the leading film scanning specialist, is delighted to announce that it has completed on the 9th of December 2016 the technology acquisition of precision Swiss image and sound digitization company, Sondor. Both dft and Sondor’s product ranges are widely used in film production and film archive facilities all over the world. This acquisition brings together two leading technologies from each of the image and sound digitisation fields, with the explicit intention of benefiting all film archive customers. Aaron Taylor, dft’s Managing Director said: “Sondor’s film sound digitisation technology is highly regarded throughout the world, so we are extremely pleased that we are able to expand our range of products and services to include those from Sondor. Having worked alongside Sondor for many years, it is clear to see the benefits that this expansion will bring to the market.” William Hungerbuehler, Sondor’s Managing Director added: “dft have been producing high quality film scanners for well over 75 years, including the Shadow, Spirit and more recently Scanity HDR, and they are uniquely qualified to continue on our legacy. Going forward, dft will provide stability and continuity for existing Sondor customers, in terms of both sales, and service support, and will be investing in the development of some of their product ranges.” Simon Carter, dft’s Sales and Marketing Director added: “With Sondor, dft can now provide a wider range of technology to customers, wherever they are in the world, while simultaneously delivering highest levels of its well renowned service and support.” Notes to Editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
17. August 2016August 17, 2016 Digital Film Technology (dft) is pleased to announce the appointment of Quinto Communications as its representatives in Australia and New Zealand. dft is the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage and deliver pristine film quality, in archives and post production facilities worldwide. Their products are widely used around the world with many users including the National Film and Sound Archives (NFSA) in Canberra. According to Simon Carter, dft’s Sales Director, “We are extremely pleased to be working with Quinto Communications who I have always regarded as a highly professional company at the top of their game. Having worked with Quinto on multiple projects over the past two decades, I know that they can deliver technical expertise and a superb local service for our customers in Australia and New Zealand. It is a pleasure to be working with Quinto and I am looking forward to many future years in partnership with them.” Quinto’s Executive Chairman, Alan McIlwaine adds, “Quinto Communications has been associated with film scanning for many years and we look forward to working with dft in this region”. dft are best known for their Scanity product range which was developed to provide the highest possible quality film scanning for applications including – but not limited to: film archive scanning for mass digitisation; EDL/conform scanning; low resolution browsing for archive and restoration; short-form commercials; and 4K UHD ready and digital intermediate scanning. further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
4. August 2016August 4, 2016 Omnimago, provider of services for motion pictures, has successfully installed and implemented the first dft Scanity HDR 35mm WetGate system. Having provided a range of services supporting motion picture film for over 30 years, Omnimago is at the forefront of the industry. Peter Fries, managing director at Omnimago, said: “Satisfying clients’ needs is very much the focus of what we do, and we can only achieve this by having dedicated people delivering high standards of work, supported by professional, modern equipment. Our Scanity HDR 4K film scanner is at the heart of our operation, and so we were delighted when dft asked us to work with them on their new 35mm WetGate system.” The new WetGate system is being used by Omnimago to repair of a range of complex, damaged, delicate and aged film materials. Some of this material is already available to view online on the dft YouTube channel. Olaf Legenbauer, head of the film department, has been delighted with the quality produced by the wetted process. “We have been really pleased with the new Scanity HDR – 35mm WetGate system. Not only is it extremely simple and quick to set up, compared to other available solutions it’s also capable of very fast transfers, which are truly amazing. We have put the WetGate through its paces with some very complex and challenging material, and the WetGate has delivered every time. Scanned images are vastly improved, and because base scratches are ‘removed’ during the scanning process, the restoration process is faster and more efficient than before, which is great for a busy facility like Omnimago. The WetGate is now an integral part of the services we offer, and it ensures our clients get the best possible results from their material.” Korinna Barthel, key account and project manager worked alongside Olaf to create some stunning ‘before’ and ‘after’ images: “We are all very pleased with the impressive result using the WetGate, which is quite obvious to see in the split screen film!” Further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
22. June 2016A frame from the movie June 22, 2016 ‘The Memory of Justice’, created in 1976 by Marcel Ophüls, examines three of the defining tragedies of the Western World in the second half of the 20th century, from the Nuremberg trials through the French-Algerian war to Vietnam, building from a vast range of interviews, from Telford Taylor (Counsel for the Prosecution at Nuremberg, later a harsh critic of US’s escalating involvement in Vietnam) to Nazi architect Albert Speer to Daniel Ellsberg and Joan Baez. Vincent Canby, from The New York Times said in 1976, that this film “expands the possibilities of the documentary motion picture in such a way that all future films of this sort will be compared to it.” This culturally and historically significant film has been out of circulation for nearly 40 years and has been painstakingly restored over a 10-year period by the Academy of Film Archive in conjunction with Prasad Corporation, Sony Colorworks, Paramount Pictures and The Film Foundation. At the start of the project, the 35mm colour reversal intermediate (CRI) representing the 1976 Paramount release was thought to be the best surviving material on the film. When the restoration project began, however, the 16mm original camera negative (OCN) rolls were discovered and ultimately used for the restoration. DFT’s Scanity was used to produce a 2K scan of the 16mm original negative. Scanity’s unique features ensured gentle handling of the most fragile original elements, at varying speeds, to provide stable and best quality scanned images. Frame by frame clean-up of dirt and scratches was completed by Prasad Corporation, and colour-correction at Colorworks. The original film included an English-language voice over track, but during the course of the restoration, the original recordings of Ophüls’ interviews with French and German speaking participants were discovered. On consultation with Marcel Ophüls, it was agreed to include the original voices of the participants, to replace the English-language voiceover track, with new subtitles in English, French, and German – as had been intended by Marcel Ophüls when he created the film. ‘The Memory of Justice’ had its world restoration premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015, and has since been screened at multiple film festivals world-wide. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials there were screenings at the Memorial de la Shoah in Paris and the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. ‘The Memory of Justice’ recently won the prestigious award for ‘Best Archive and Preservation Project’ at the FOCAL International Awards 2016. Notes to Editors DFT (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. DFT is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Simon Carter, Director, DFT email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
3. June 2016in the picture: Margaret Bodde (Film Foundation) and Simon Carter (dft) celebrate the award June 3, 2016 As a provider of world-class archive film scanning technology, dft is privileged work alongside some of the world’s leading facilities and be associated with a number of high profile and accomplished projects. FOCAL International’s annual awards celebrate the some of the greatest achievements made by audio-visual libraries in a diverse range of categories. This year, we were delighted to discover that several of our customers and their projects had been nominated for awards at FOCAL International’s annual ceremony. In the category ‘Best Archive and Preservation Project’, which was incidentally sponsored by Prasad Corporation, we were even more delighted, when on opening the golden envelope, it was announced that ‘The Memory of Justice’ had been chosen as the winner by the judges, all respected professionals from the international footage community. ‘The Memory of Justice’ is a 1976 film, restored by the Academy of Film Archive, in association with Paramount Pictures and The Film Foundation. The film reflects on issues raised during the Vietnam War, and using interviews and archival footage raises essential questions about the moral choices made by individuals and governments in wartime. This culturally and historically significant film has been out of circulation for nearly 40 years and it has taken 10 years to restore. dft’s Scanity was used to produce a 2K scan of the 16mm original negative. Frame by frame clean-up of dirt and scratches was completed by Prasad, and colour-correction completed at Colorworks. ‘The Memory of Justice’ had its world restoration premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015, and has since been screened at multiple film festivals world-wide. The Prasad Corporation, of which dft is a part, is an enthusiastic supporter of FOCAL International, and has worked alongside many of the world’s archive and restoration facilities over the past few years bringing their projects to fruition. Congratulations to everyone who took part in the awards, and thank you to FOCAL, for the support and recognition they have provided for our industry. further information about the focal awards 2016: https://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2016/the-focal-international-awards-2016/winning-entries [...]
18. April 2016April 18, 2016 As a provider of world-class archive film scanning technology, dft is privileged work alongside some of the world’s leading facilities and be associated with a number of high profile and accomplished projects. FOCAL International’s annual awards celebrate the some of the greatest achievements made by audio-visual libraries in a diverse range of categories. This year, we were delighted to discover that several of our customers and their projects had been nominated for awards at FOCAL International’s annual ceremony. In the category ‘Best Archive and Preservation Project’, which was incidentally sponsored by Prasad Corporation, we were even more delighted, when on opening the golden envelope, it was announced that ‘The Memory of Justice’ had been chosen as the winner by the judges, all respected professionals from the international footage community. ‘The Memory of Justice’ is a 1976 film, restored by the Academy of Film Archive, in association with Paramount Pictures and The Film Foundation. The film reflects on issues raised during the Vietnam War, and using interviews and archival footage raises essential questions about the moral choices made by individuals and governments in wartime. This culturally and historically significant film has been out of circulation for nearly 40 years and it has taken 10 years to restore. dft’s Scanity was used to produce a 2K scan of the 16mm original negative. Frame by frame clean-up of dirt and scratches was completed by Prasad, and colour-correction completed at Colorworks. ‘The Memory of Justice’ had its world restoration premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015, and has since been screened at multiple film festivals world-wide. The Prasad Corporation, of which dft is a part, is an enthusiastic supporter of FOCAL International, and has worked alongside many of the world’s archive and restoration facilities over the past few years bringing their projects to fruition. Congratulations to everyone who took part in the awards, and thank you to FOCAL, for the support and recognition they have provided for our industry. further information about the focal awards 2016: https://www.focalint.org/focal-international-awards/2016/the-focal-international-awards-2016/winning-entries [...]
29. March 2016March 29, 2016 dft, the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage, and deliver pristine film quality, in archives and post production facilities worldwide, will be showing it’s state-of-the-art WetGate™ technology for its latest Scanity HDR film scanner at NAB 2016. dft’s newly patented WetGate™ technology is designed specifically for dft’s Scanity HDR model providing a real-time organic solution for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal – surpassing prior transfer standards. The WetGate™ is ideal for archive owners who need a scanner that’s able to handle a range of problematic and historically-aged film issues. Simon Carter, dft Sales Director, said, “We’ve responded to the needs of the archiving market by evolving our technology to address its requirements, first with the Scanity HDR, and now by including our WetGate™ technology. By enabling many of the issues associated with historically-aged film to be addressed at the scanning stage, our customers have less work to do downstream, saving valuable time and money.” Also on view at NAB 2016 will be dft’s Scanity HDR, which was developed in response to the demands of the film market. It will be demonstrated with the latest Scanity software release. Scanity HDR now offers a host of new user friendly features, that serve a variety of film scanning applications, including – but not limited to: film archive scanning for mass digitisation; EDL/conform scanning; low resolution browsing for archive and restoration; short-form commercials; and 4K UHD ready and digital intermediate scanning. Scanity HDR has a number of key advantages over other scanners solutions for the archive and restoration market, namely its touchless patented capstan drive Lens Gate Assembly (LGA) system. This provides both automatic shrinkage compensation and gentle film handling, whilst delivering industry leading image stability, perfectly designed to liberate data from old films. Key features include its patented Black & White HDR function, a new triple exposure – executed once – in realtime 2K or 4K data ingest. This means the scanner speed remains constant, instead of having to slow down, creating significant time and cost benefits and allowing access to previously unseen details from the high and lowlights of the film faster than ever. In addition to Scanity HDR and the new production ready WetGate™, dft will be showing a new solution for storage. As alternative to the more traditional SAN solution, ‘Space SSD’ is a new NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution, from GB Labs, which can be integrated into Scanity HDR and will be shown at NAB for the first time. dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, among them the British Film Institute (BFI), the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-visual Archive of Finland (KAVA), the Royal Thai Archive and the Thai Film Archive. further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 [...]
22. March 2016March 22, 2016 Digital Film Technology (DFT) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years providing solutions for film post production, archive and restoration markets with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. Their film scanning process requires powerful media storage, which is traditionally achieved using Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions. Working closely with GB Labs, an alternative solution, Network Attached Storage (NAS) is now available for the first time on Scanity HDR. Film scanning to modern file formats such as 2K and 4K DPX puts media storage through its paces. Consistent and extreme performance is required to ensure files are ingested without any corruption or dropped frames. The choice of suitable storage has been limited predominantly to traditional SAN solutions, but now, with the availability of GB Labs’ new system, customers can choose between two alternatives – either traditional SAN or latest NAS. Traditionally, DFT had recommended Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions to their clients, as the only option able to handle the massive data streams needed by their Scanity HDR product. However, the new range of NAS solutions from GB Labs offers a solution which is easier to install, set up and implement. The solutions are very fast and can work with third party applications without the need for expensive client software licences. GB Labs’ NAS range of Space media storage represents 15 years of storage innovation in the media industry. They are renowned for pushing the boundaries of storage innovation where others have failed. The Space storage range empowers creative workflows worldwide and GB Labs provide solutions to some of the best-known names in media and entertainment. DFT’s Scanity HDR can output huge 16 bit file sizes in either 4K TIFF or DPX whilst scanning. Following extensive testing, GB Labs’ Space SSD solution is an ideal match for Scanity HDR, and is capable of speeds of up to 9,000Mbytes/sec, more than enough to make Scanity HDR run at its optimum performance. What is more, if additional capacity or performance for a project is required, the SSD is easily expandable and further performance is quickly achievable by adding GB Labs HyperSpace product. Because Space SDD is compact, it can be housed within the Scanity HDR casing, and can be purchased together as a turnkey solution from DFT if required. Both DFT and GB Labs will be attending this year’s NAB in Las Vegas.You can see Scanity HDR running with Space SSD and scanning 4K DPX files for yourself in the South Lower Hall on stand number SL10530. Alternatively, if you would like to see what else the GB Labs range of NAS media storage could do for you, please visit; also in the South Lower Hall on stand SL5517. further information: Simon Carter, Director, DFT email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. March 2016March 01, 2016 The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) has installed dft’s Scanity HDR, a state-of-the-art film scanner at its purpose-built film preservation facility in Paju, Korea. KOFA collects and preserves all materials related to the process of producing films for the benefit of Koreans now and in the future. This includes the acquisition of Korean film from the past, implementation of world-class “cutting-edge digital restoration projects” at facilities in Sangam Digital Media City and the Paju Preservation Centre, and sharing of Korean film to national and international audiences through the national film museum and multimedia library. KOFA’s purpose is described by Ru Jae-lim, director of KOFA , as committed to “contributing to the enhancement of national culture sentiment by collecting and preserving Korean films and by recreating value.” dft’s Scanity HDR film scanner will be at the heart of KOFA’s digital restoration process in the Paju Preservation Centre, which plans to scan, at 4K, and digitize over 40 aged film titles each year. Scanity HDR was chosen for its ability to gently handle delicate and damaged film material, whilst at the same time getting the best possible quality image from black and white stock. Scanity HDR has been developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials. The patented HDR technology is adept at capturing data from dense black and white materials to deliver superb, crisp pictures at high scanning speeds. KOFA will also benefit from Scanity’s renowned safe and gentle film handling – ensuring even the most delicate of film can be scanned for future generations to enjoy. Kisoo Shon, head of the Paju Preservation Centre said: “We have had many years of trouble-free service from our dft Sprit 2K scanner, so choosing dft’s Scanity HDR 4K scanner was a natural progression for us. Scanity HDR will give us higher quality images at faster speeds – which is the standard of performance and quality we have come to expect from dft technology.” Simon Carter, Director, dft added: “dft is delighted that KOFA has invested in another dft scanner for their Preservation Centre. The team has already seen what can be achieved using technology developed by dft – in terms of picture quality and through-put – and we hope that this new addition will further enhance their workflow, so that they can manage and capture the best possible images from even the most damaged and delicate film materials.” Notes to Editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
25. February 2016February 25, 2016 The Thai Film Archive has installed a state-of-the-art film scanner, DFT’s Scanity, for film preservation and archive at its facility in Bangkok, Thailand. Established in 1984, the Thai Film Archive is responsible for preserving and restoring Thailand’s rich cinematic legacy, for the benefit of the whole country. The archive researches, gathers, catalogues and conserves film, audio-visual material and other, related footage to provide a rich resource for educational and entertainment purposes. An extensive review of all available technology by the Thai Film Archive, determined that DFT’s Scanity 4K film scanner suited the requirements perfectly. Scanity uses ‘touchless’ technology that safely and gently handles the most delicate and damaged film stocks. It can also ingest film at real time 2K and 4K speeds to produce outstanding image quality, even at high speeds – so it was an obvious choice. The Thai Film Archive worked closely with Bangkok-based Golden Duck International, a specialist local systems integrator who assisted in the installation, workflow design, systems integration and training. “We worked closely with DFT in this project,“ noted Chanunkarn Boonmarkmee, Manager, Golden Duck. “This project has been a great example of cooperation between the product developer, customer and local specialist, resulting in a very satisfied customer.” Simon Carter, Sales Director at DFT comments: “We are delighted that the Thai National Archive chose to install Scanity for their film scanning requirements. They conducted an extremely thorough and lengthy review, so we are very pleased that Scanity fulfilled all of their requirements. Scanity provides a controlled, high speed, film ingest and also addresses a number of other key archive film issues – such as sensitive handling of issues, like warping, shrinkage and dust/scratch management. The film transfer process has ‘touchless’, reliable and repeatable outcome that should enable the National Archive to provide this valuable public service for many years to come. Notes to Editors DFT (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. DFT is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Further information: Chanunkarn Boonmarkmee, Golden Duck email: Chanunkarnb@goldenduckgroup.com Simon Carter, Director, DFT email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
12. January 2016January 12, 2016 the bfi national archive, the national collection of film and television, has recently installed dft’s scanity hdr, a state of the art film scanner at it’s conservation centre in berkhampsted, to assist in the digitisation of the uk’s rich screen heritage for everyone to enjoy. Established in 1935, the BFI National Archive holds one of the largest film and television collections in the world. The archive includes material from the earliest days of film to current television content – which includes around of 60,000 fiction films, including features, on all gauges of film and formats of videotape, 120,000 non-fiction films, and around 770,000 television titles – as well as millions of other items – such as scripts, posters, still images, books, journals, articles and newspaper cuttings relating to Britain’s cultural heritage. Scanity was purchased as a part of a Lottery-funded programme to ‘unlock film heritage’ by investing in the digitisation, preservation and interpretation of film, providing access to the UK’s screen heritage to the public. The programme ensures that the people can access and enjoy the full range of British filmmaking, regardless of where they live or where that film heritage is held. In all, 10,000 titles will be digitised and made available online in a project that runs through to March 2017. Heather Stewart, BFI Creative Director, Programme comments: “Our Unlocking Film Heritage programme has changed public access to the UK national collection of film and television through the launch of Britain on Film. Many of the 10,000 titles due to be digitised by the end of 2017 have been unknown and unseen for decades.” The Scanity film scanner was chosen after extensive testing to ensure the technology was able to safely handle delicate or damaged film materials from a variety of film gauges and formats, some of which date to 1895 and are in formats that are now obsolete. The digitisation process takes a ‘snap shot’ of the original ‘master’ film. Once scanned, the ‘master’ is either returned to the BFI’s Master Film Store facility in Warwickshire, or returned to the lender. Once digitised, the scanned images are enhanced using Scanity’s in-built software tools to remove scratches and dust, in conjunction with other post production tools to enhance the images prior to becoming available to view via the online ‘BFI Player’. Charles Fairall, Head of Conservation, Collections and Information, BFI comments: “Scanity is the ideal film scanner for the ‘Unlocking Film Heritage’ programme because it combines very careful handling of film with the capability of scanning at relatively high speeds. This is particularly important given the scope of the project, which is aimed at providing high volume digital access to these most fragile and historically valuable film collections preserved by the BFI National Archive”. Simon Carter, Director for dft comments: “This is a very exciting project and we are delighted that Scanity was chosen as the preferred scanner for this project. We are looking forward to the months ahead and to helping the BFI achieve their goal to digitise 10,000 titles for everyone to enjoy.” notes to editors dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com about the bfi The BFI is the lead organisation for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by: Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK – investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work Promoting British film and talent to the world Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences The BFI is a Government arm’s-length body and distributor of Lottery funds for film. The BFI serves a public role which covers the cultural, creative and economic aspects of film in the UK. It delivers this role: As the UK-wide organisation for film, a charity core funded by Government By providing Lottery and Government funds for film across the UK By working with partners to advance the position of film in the UK. Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Greg Dyke. about the bfi national archive The BFI National Archive was founded in 1935 and has grown to become the one of the largest and most important collections of film and television in the world with over 180,000 films and 750,000 television programmes. For over 80 years the BFI has been an international leader in film preservation and guardian of Britain’s unparalleled film and TV heritage. The BFI is an innovator in presenting films to audiences in new and dynamic ways, from cinemas to film festivals, outdoor events to online video-on-demand. At the heart of all its activities is the BFI’s central aim to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to the widest possible range of film and their own film heritage. That heritage includes all time great British directors Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean and Powell and Pressburger; and the rich vein of documentary filmmaking, in which Britain led the world, including the lyrical work of Humphrey Jennings. The archive also boasts a significant collection of filmmakers’ papers as well as extensive stills, posters and production and costume designs along with original scripts, press books and related ephemera. Expert teams undertake the time-consuming and complex task of restoring films at the BFI John Paul Getty Jr Conservation Centre in Hertfordshire. The BFI’s most precious film materials are kept in optimum conditions in the world-leading Master Film Store in Warwickshire. further information: Brian Robinson, Communications Manager, Archive & Heritage, BFI, email: brian.robinson@bfi.org.uk Tel +44 (0) 207 957 8940 Simon Carter, Director, dft email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Tel: +44 (0) 1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
30. October 2015October 30, 2015 – London Prasad, Togen and RightSmith form an alliance to provide world-class digitization and archiving services to preserve Japanese film heritage. Prasad Corporation Ltd (Prasad), provider of integrated post production services worldwide, Tokyo Laboratory Ltd (Togen), market leader in Japanese film post production, and RightSmith K.K. (RightSmith), provider of global archive and content management services, have together formed a strategic partnership to provide digitization, restoration and archiving services for the Japanese market. The new facility, operated by Togen in Tokyo, includes a state-of-the-art 4K Scanity HDR film scanner, which is the first of its kind to be available in Japan. Manufactured in Germany by Digital Film Technology (dft), a subsidiary of Prasad, the new scanner will manage even the most aged and damaged film stocks, transferring and preserving images for generations to come. The new facility will be managed and marketed by RightSmith, Prasad’s business partners for the Asia Pacific region. Aged film typically displays a number of issues – including shrinkage, bending, warping, buckling, poor splices, damaged or missing perforations, notched or broken edges. Scanity HDR has been designed to manage the issues present in the most delicate of films, handling the film material gently, to enable the preservation of images for generations to come. Scanity film scanners are installed in leading archives around the world including Library and Archives Canada, Slovak Film Institute, Australia’s National Film & Sound Archive, BBC, Disney, Malaysian National Film Development, Technicolor, National Library of Norway and many more. Narendra Jawahrani, CEO of Prasad said: “Having worked on several international projects over the years, we understand how important it is to have a first-hand knowledge and understanding of the local market. We are delighted to be part of this project. Customers will be able to get the best possible outcome from their film using our Scanity HDR film scanner, and will also benefit from an expert service provided by Togen, one of the most prestigious film laboratories in Japan.” Masaru Yabe, CEO of Togen said: “Our priority at Togen is to ensure the customer receives the highest quality of service. In addition to working on current digital motion picture film projects we also simultaneously focus on the restoration, archiving and preservation of aged film – to ensure this valuable cultural heritage is accessible for years to come. We are excited to be working alongside Prasad, world-class experts in this field, to useScanity HDR, as part of this process.. This is a great opportunity for Togen to accelerate our archiving business in the Japanese market and beyond, into other territories as well.” Mica Imamura, Founder & CEO of RightSmith said: “This partnership is a happy marriage between state-of-the-art film digitization technology and highly optimized services for the Japanese customer. Our mission at RightSmith is to produce the best possible quality film ingest and managed services for both the Japanese and APAC regions. I’m thrilled to be a part of this strategic alliance and look forward to serving Japanese customer.” Notes to Editors About Prasad Group Founded in 1956 by the legendary filmmaker L.V.Prasad, Prasad Group is India’s largest provider of integrated services catering to every area involved in film, video and new media production, post production, distribution and exhibition though its facilities around the World. Prasad Group’s clientele include major Hollywood studios and they have worked on several Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, National and International Award Winning projects. Over the years Prasad Group has received the Indian National Award for best services 20 times. dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com About Togen Tokyogenzosho founded in 1955 as a TOHO group, is a leading service provider in Japan in the domains of special effects, film scanning, film recording, editing, mastering encoding and authoring. Or the like is worked “video sector” In telecine video editing, DVD encoding & authoring and digital cinema packages. About RightSmith K.K. RightSmith K.K. Group is a global company that refines, manages, and monetizes content from professional rights holders. The company was founded by industry veterans from the United States, Japan, and Australia. RightSmith K.K. is its Japanese entity headquartered in Tokyo, and was founded to service key clients in Japan as well as clients in Asia such as Korea, China, and India. Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
23. June 2015Darmstadt – June 23, 2014 The National Library of Norway has recently installed a state-of-the art film scanner from dft. The Scanity HDR is the second film scanner purchased by the National Library, which leads the way as a new modern digital national library and the nations ‘national memory bank’, safeguarding its collection for future generations. The National Library is in the process of systematically digitizing and archiving its entire collection of newspapers, pictures, books, sound, manuscripts, film and parliamentary reports – from the Middle Ages to present day materials. Huge progress has been made, and the library is already able to offer online copies of all books, published up to 2000, to anyone holding a Norwegian IP address. The Library holds copies of all Norwegian films, videos and television programmes, in addition to many foreign films distributed in Norway – as well as an important collection of documents (such as posters, stills and scripts) related to films distributed across the country. Located in Mo i Rana and Oslo, the team responsible for digitizing the film content have been tasked with completing the entire film collection of over 21,000 titles before 2030 – a significant project in itself. Martin Weiss, Audiovisual preservation specialist at the National Library explains why a second Scanity was needed for the project: “We have had a very good experience with our first Scanity, and as the National Library of Norway plans to digitize all of its film titles, we needed to expand our scanning capability.” The new scanner from dft has been developed specifically for archives and facilities handling delicate or damaged film materials. Its patented HDR technology is adept at capturing data from dense black and white materials and its ‘wet gate’, a fluid tank which the film passes through, fills any surface imperfections with fluid at the point of scan. In addition to delivering superb, crisp pictures at high scanning speeds, users also benefit from Scanity’s renowned safe and gentle film handling – ensuring even the most delicate of film can be scanned for future generations to enjoy. Working alongside dft’s scanning capability, the National Library’s solution integrates the Dot Hill AssuredSAN® Ultra48™ storage solution, to manage the great quantity of data generated during the process. Weiss adds: “With our new Scanity HDR, we are looking forward to testing the potential quality improvements that come when scanning black and white film, and also using the new wetgate system.” Simon Carter, Director, dft added: “dft is delighted that the National Library of Norway has invested in a second Scanity for this important project. The team have already seen what can be achieved using Scanity – in terms of picture quality and through-put – and we hope that this new addition will further enhance their workflow, so that they can manage and capture the best possible images from even the most damaged and delicate film materials.” editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, DFT is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org. Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Press contact: Jump PR Contact: Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv [...]
1. June 2015In May, dft and Prasad were proud to support customers and colleagues at the 12th FOCAL International Awards at the London Lancaster Hotel. Hosted by the Chief News Correspondent for the BBC, Katie Adie, the awards recognised producers, directors and other creative media professionals for excellence in the use of stock archival footage across all genre and platforms of production. It was great to see so many of our customers (including the BBC, Eye Film, Prime Focus, Pinewood, ITN and Deluxe), at the event, especially as a number of the projects completed using dft products had been nominated for awards. Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted for a category, and to all the winners. Top Restoration/Preservation prizes went to Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection (Arrow Films / Deluxe Restoration) and the horror classic Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung). Camera Obscura was praised for the exemplary restoration, as well as the completed 5 disc Blu-ray and DVD box set and book. Soul Boys of the Western World, which tells the story of iconic 80’s band Spandau Ballet, was justly shortlisted in two categories but didn’t quite manage to pull a win. However, it did earn Kate Griffiths the accolade of Jane Mercer Footage Researcher of the Year – a just reward for collating 450 hours of footage from over 70 sources, then clearing and licensing the chosen clips for the 100 minute feature film plus 2 discs of ‘extras’ in the box set. The evening ended with Sir Jeremy Isaacs giving fond and worthy praise to this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Raye Farr, recalling their days working together on the World at War series through to her becoming Director of the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive. Prasad and dft are proud to support FOCAL. Kind Regards, Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
12. May 2015London, 12 May, 2015 dft, the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage, and deliver the pristine quality that film deserves, has successfully launched its state-of-the-art Wet-Gate technology for its latest Scanity HDR film scanner. Launched recently, the new Wet-Gate technology is designed specifically for dft’s Scanity HDR model providing a real-time organic solution for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal – surpassing prior transfer standards. The new Scanity HDR Wet-Gate has been designed to address the needs of archive owners who require a scanner that’s able to handle a range of problematic and historically-aged film issues. The combination of dft’s Scanity HDR and new Wet-Gate provides an elegant solution that handles everything from warping, buckles, shrinkage, weak and/or damaged splices through to missing or broken perforations, notched or broken edges, and vinegar syndrome. The system also works with both colour and black and white film stock. Unlike other infra-red scanning technology available on the market, the Scanity HDR Wet-Gate works as a fluid tank that the film runs through. This eliminates the need to work with complex vacuums systems, which are not only prone to reliability issues, but also expensive to maintain. The fluid tank removes the risk of bubbles being introduced, and the usually complex setup and management of a scanner are a thing of the past. The film enters the fluid filled gate through a pre-chamber to make sure that no air and dust reaches the scanning area. The film is then run onto an air filled glass roller, which includes all the necessary components to illuminate the image scanning aperture and the area for the perforation/hole detection, ready for scanning. Finally, the film leaves the gate via a drying unit. Simon Carter, dft Sales Director, said, “We’ve worked hard to develop a simple yet elegant solution to the most common and critical problems faced by archive owners. The Scanity HDR Wet-gate enables them to maintain the quality and originality of film material, while at the same time saving valuable time and downstream processing, because the majority of issues are addressed at the scanning stage itself.” The Scanity HDR Wet-Gate system is made up of two main components, a Lens Gate Assembly (LGA), available for all 16mm or 35mm films, and a Supply Unit. The wet-gate can be mounted like a standard ‘dry’ LGA and is connected to a supply unit, comprising a tank, filters and pumps to supply the fluid, as well as electronics to control the LGA and the fluid stream. The entire system fits neatly in to two 19”enclosures and is installed in a standard 19” electronic rack. dft counts major archives worldwide among its customers, among them the National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-visual Archive of Finland (KAVA) and the Royal Thai Archive. Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Press contact: Jump PR Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. May 2015The Venetian’s Rockhouse was an inspired venue for a party – and hopefully we’ll see more rodeo riding next time! It was great to meet up with old friends and colleagues, and to have the opportunity to make some new ones – hopefully we left you all with a good impression of us…. Just in case you missed us at the show, our big news this year were the launches of a couple of new innovations developed specifically for those of you who work with damaged and aged film material. We launched a brand new wetgate (perhaps next year we’ll try it with vodka rather than water!) and a new 16plus (small gauge film gate for 8mm and 9.5mm) for our Scanity HDR film scanner. We’ve loads of useful information on both of these innovations on our dft website and a video clip if you’d like to catch up on what you missed. We also have a nice selection of images which might bring back memories from the show – we hope you enjoy them. If you’d like to know more about what we do and how we do it – we’d love to hear from you. Kind Regards,Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. April 2015We are demonstrating a number of new Scanity software developments which enhance the performance of dft’s Scanity HDR machine. These include “Clean View” and “Live View”. Clean View – a realtime dust and scratch solution: Whilst Scanity already includes a number of Dust and Scratch management tools for the film archivist at the ingest stage (including the use of PTR rollers, diffuse LED light source, (IR) infrared scanning with embedded dirt matt and its new wetgate technology system), we have also been hard at work developing software options which will work with the existing technology to further enhance Scanity’s performance. In addition to Scanity’s Dirt Concealment Option, there is now a new, user definable, live restoration tool, called “Clean View” which is able to conceal large, medium and small dirt and scratch artifacts in realtime, using its Scanity onboard FPGA processing power. Previously only possible using 3rd party products, “Clean View” can access this dirt matt in realtime. This improves both the quality of the resultant image and speed; delivering both time & cost benefits. Clean View can be configured to output the dirt matt in any of the following combinations: 1. Original Scanned DPX file unmodified 2. Original Scanned DPX file unmodified + (8 bit) IR dirt matt details 3. Original DPX file corrected + (8 Bit) IR dirt matt details Live View – user definable realtime colour correction: In addition, we will be demonstrating “Live View”, which provides a realtime colour corrected output. Previously, the scanned output had to be updated by means of a new scan (refresh), slowing up the resultant deliverable file. With the introduction of Live View the archivist can have full confidence in the colour balance or correction, ensuring a linear colour deliverable (non-time lined) but in realtime. Both Clear View and Live View are simple to use and operate, requiring only simple push button activation and slider selection processes. All Scanity and Scanity HDR scanners come fully hardware preconfigured ready to enable these new software enhancements by the means of a dft licensed key, that can liberate fast processes in realtime up to 4K, and of significant archival importance the natural film grain structures are left unaffected…. Note :- Scanity HDR offers a host of new user friendly features, that serve a variety of film scanning applications, including – but not limited to: film archive scanning for mass digitisation; EDL/conform scanning; low resolution browsing for archive and restoration; short-form commercials; and 4K UHD ready and digital intermediate scanning. Two examples of this “Clean View“ Scanity deliverable can be seen below. original Image “Clean View” – Restored Image original Image “Clean View” – Restored Image Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. www.dft-film.com Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales & Marketing Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Mob: +44 (0) 7776 297371 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Press contact: Jump PR Contact: Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. February 2015Stand no: SL13605 dft, the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage, and deliver the pristine quality that film deserves, counts major archives worldwide among its customers, among them the National Library of Norway (NBR), National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and The Slovak Film Institute (SFÚ), the Film Institute Netherlands (EYE), National Audio-visual Archive of Finland (KAVA) and the Royal Thai Archive. At NAB 2015, the company will be announcing new technology developments for its latest Scanity HDR film scanner. This year’s stand, located in the south lower hall, will feature dft’s state-of-the-art Wetgate technology and its latest small gauge film gate strategy. dft’s Scanity HDR, developed in response to the changing needs of the film market, will be demonstrated with the latest Scanity software release. Scanity HDR now offers a host of new user friendly features, that serve a variety of film scanning applications, including – but not limited to: film archive scanning for mass digitisation; EDL/conform scanning; low resolution browsing for archive and restoration; short-form commercials; and 4K UHD ready and digital intermediate scanning. Scanity HDR has a number of key advantages over other scanners solutions for the archive and restoration market, namely its touchless patented capstan drive Lens Gate Assembly (LGA) system. This provides both automatic shrinkage compensation and gentle film handling, whilst delivering industry leading image stability, perfectly designed to liberate data from old films. Key features include its patented Black & White HDR function, a new triple exposure – executed once – in realtime 2K or 4K data ingest. This means the scanner speed remains constant, instead of having to slow down, creating significant time and cost benefits and allowing access to previously unseen details from the high and lowlights of the film faster than ever. New Wetgate System: A fully working prototype of the new Wetgate technology, first announced at NAB 2014, will be on view at the dft stand. Specifically designed for Scanity HDR, it provides a real-time organic solution for the ingest and management of difficult to solve historical film transfer issues – such as dust and scratch removal –surpassing prior transfer standards. The new Wetgate is ideal for archive owners who need a scanner that’s able to handle a range of problematic and historically-aged film issues. 16mm/ 8mm small gauge film gate: dft will be demonstrating its new small gauge film gate strategy, showing the optional “16plus” LGA for its Scanity and new Scanity HDR models. The LGA will be available for order and delivery by mid-2015, with further details and price information available on the stand. dft will be demonstrating this 8mm ‘inlay’ for the 16mm gate working on the stand. company details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Press contact: Jump PR Contact: Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
19. December 2014Darmstadt – December 19, 2014 Slovenia’s national public broadcasting organisation, Radio-Television Slovenia, has recently installed a high-end film scanner from dft. As a public broadcasting service, RTV is responsible not only for the creation and broadcasting of national TV and radio programmes, but their archiving as well. The RTV Archives and Documentation Service contains recordings of radio and television programmes dating back to 1928. Visual holdings comprise 90,000 video tapes and 20,000,000 meters of film – in addition to thousands of photos and other related documentation. In meeting a public responsibility for preserving and archiving Slovenian cultural heritage, RTV Slovenia have embarked on a major project to digitally restore many films for the archive. Having researched the market, they chose dft’s Scanity HDR 2K film scanner as the fastest and more technically accomplished in the market. Matjaž Fajdiga, Head of TV Engineering from RTV Slovenia commented: “We have worked with dft technology for many years and have been very impressed with the technology they develop. This new scanner is the perfect solution for us, as we have many thousands of film that need to be archived. With the Scanity HDR we are able to work faster, by scanning and archiving materials at the same time. We chose the HDR 2K scanner because most of our films in stocks are 16mm and S16mm” Simon Carter, Director for dft added: “dft is delighted that RTV Slovenia have chosen Scanity for its film archive – Scanity HDR has been specifically designed to manage the accurate digitisation of aged and treasured materials for future generations to appreciate.” Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology GmbH) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft, head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org. Company Details Digital Film Technology Borsigstrasse 13, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany Contact: Simon Carter, Sales Director Tel: +44(0)1223 870853 Email: simonc@prasadgroup.org Press contact: Jump PR Contact: Farah Jifri Tel: +44 (0) 7795 558 238 Email: farah@jumppr.tv ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
19. December 2014December 19, 2014 Our UK service team has been busy packing up and moving all of their equipment and stocks of spares and replacement components Although we did like our old office, on Oxford Street in London, it was a bit cramped and also, as it was due to be demolished, it was time we found somewhere new. Our new office is just a stone’s throw from many of our London-based customers, and as it is slightly bigger, we’re able to hold more parts. It is only our address that has changed – our email and telephone numbers are just the same as before. Feel free to drop by and say hello if you are passing! Digital Film Technology St George’s House 15 Hanover Square London W1S 1HS United Kingdom Telephone: +44 203 012 1984 In the picture, From Left to Right: Howard Treeby, Paul Giles, Robert Duguid ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
2. October 2014October, 2014 Rotana, the Arab World’s largest entertainment company, has entered into an agreement with the Prasad Corporation to restore Egyptian classic films. Egypt has a rich film heritage, dating back to the early 1900s, much of which was in danger of being lost forever. An initiative to save Egypt’s classic films began in 2004 and was revived and expanded when Rotana became involved in June this year. Rotana owner, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced that he would allocate funds to restore 1,650 Egyptian films, and he commented that the company had brought together the best expertise and the latest technology from around the world in order to preserve them. President of Rotana’s TV Business Unit, Turki Al Shabanah, commented “this project is of national importance for Egypt, so we are delighted that Rotana is a part of it.” Tarek Al-Gabali, the head of Rotana Film Library and its technical director explained that after Rotana started acquiring positive and negative 35mm prints of 20th-century Egyptian films for its library, “we had to act very quickly to restore those that were stored in unsuitable conditions. Our target now is to restore more than 1,000 feature films.” As the key partner in this high-profile project, the Prasad Corporation has brought restoration equipment and experts to Rotana’s facilities at Egyptian Media Production City – including the supply of a dft’s Scanity. Among the many decayed film lists was the 1962 Egyptian classic production Imraa Fi Dawama (A Woman in a Spiral), directed by Mahmoud Zolfakar. The film was badly affected by “vinegar syndrome,” which meant that it had become extremely fragile and unable to pass through traditional telecine equipment to transfer it to video, because the film’s sprocket holes would immediately break. dft’s Scanity handled the physical limitations of the film without using the sprocket holes, scanning the film frame by frame and adjusting for focus problems in places where the physical material had warped. After the restoration process, Rotana was able to create a 4K scanned copy that enabled them to create a new negative of the film as well as digital versions for HD broadcast and the Blu-ray market. Al-Gabali says the National Film Center and other broadcasters are interested in joining the project to have their own content restored using Rotana expertise. Further information and images: https://egypttoday.com/blog/2014/09/02/restoring-lost-classics/ about dft dft(Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
6. August 2014LONGMONT, Colo., August 6, 2014 Dot Hill Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: HILL), a trusted supplier of innovative enterprise-class storage systems, today announced that Digital Film Technology GmbH (dft), is integrating Dot Hill AssuredSAN Ultra48 “ultra-density” storage system as part of dft’s high dynamic range Scanity HDR, film scanner solution. The new dft Scanity HDR high-speed film scanner, with integrated Dot Hill AssuredSAN® Ultra48™ storage, captures maximum dynamic range from historical black-and-white film without compromising speed or quality. Headquartered in Germany, dft is a leading, global provider of high-end film scanning equipment that preserves, manages, and delivers high-quality images. Using proprietary, patented triple-exposure technology, the Scanity HDR ingests difficult black-and-white materials at real-time speeds, allowing content owners to handle a wide range of problematic and historically aged film issues. With the industry’s first ultra-density chassis design, the Dot Hill AssuredSAN Ultra48 houses nearly 58 terabytes of data on small form factor 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDDs), while utilizing 23 percent less power in an efficient 2U footprint. Uniquely designed to deliver high-performance, randomized sequential I/O optimization for demanding, multiple-stream workflows like 4K film, the array can support any combination of solid-state drives (SSDs) and HDDs in the same enclosure. This compact footprint is 25 percent lighter than a comparable RAID unit and JBOD chassis combination, making it sleek to integrate with the Scanity HDR solution. “The Dot Hill AssuredSAN Ultra48 was one of the few arrays we tested that could meet our demanding performance requirements; the Ultra48 is capable of sustaining 4K film ingest at 15 frames-per-second and delivering digital output to an XFS file system with a 16 bit RGB format,” said Hasenzahl Markus, head of research and development, dft. “Furthermore, no other storage vendor provides this much capacity in such a convenient and small compact footprint.” Leveraging Dot Hill’s integrated AssuredSAN Ultra48 storage with 6.4 GB/second sequential reads and 5300 MB/second sequential writes, the dft Scanity HDR delivers the levels of performance necessary for numerous applications including: “In a class by itself, the Dot Hill Ultra48 ultra-density chassis delivers twice the performance and twice the capacity per rack unit compared to alternative products, making it an excellent choice for customers such as dft who require extremely reliable and high-performing storage,” said Garrett Wein, vice president of OEM sales, Dot Hill Systems. Designed to take advantage of powerful on-board multiple processors, the Ultra48 provides accelerated, predictable performance for randomized sequential workloads, making it an ideal solution for high performance computing, telecommunications data capture, media streaming, video post-production, and broadcasting. With fully redundant and hot swappable components, the Ultra48 provides easy serviceability resulting in lower support costs through the life of the product. Also, as with all highly reliable AssuredSAN solutions, the Ultra48 delivers proven 99.999 percent availability. Backed by an industry-best 37-month “bumper-to-bumper” warranty, Ultra48 storage solutions are available with the latest, high-bandwidth interfaces including 12Gb SAS, 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb iSCSI or dual personality 16Gb Fibre Channel/10Gb iSCSI. About Dot Hill Leveraging its proprietary Assured family of storage solutions, Dot Hill solves many of today’s most challenging storage problems – helping IT to improve performance, increase availability, simplify operations, and reduce costs. Dot Hill solutions combine breakthrough software with the industry’s most flexible and extensive hardware platform and automated management to deliver best-in-class solutions. Headquartered in Longmont, Colo., Dot Hill has offices and/or representatives in China, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit us at www.dothill.com. About dft dft(Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information, visit us at www.dft-film.com. Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ from those expressed or implied by the statements. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that Dot Hill may face, please consult the Forms 10-K and 10-Q most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Dot Hill. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made and Dot Hill undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect changes in circumstances. Dot Hill is not responsible for statements made by independent entities such as Digital Film Technology GmbH. Contact: Steve Sturgeon Lutz PR (for Dot Hill Systems) 858-472-5669 steve@lutzpr.com Company Contact: Ruth Macdonald Dot Hill Systems 303-845-3364 ruth.macdonald@dothill.com ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. June 2014Darmstadt – June, 2014 The Slovak Film Institute (Slovenský filmový ústav, SFÚ) has installed dft’s state-of-the-art film scanner, Scanity, for film preservation and archive at its facility in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Founded in 1963, SFÚ is the national film institute, responsible for the collection, preservation and protection of the Slovak audiovisual heritage. The SFÚ film archive houses around 80,000 film reels, which include all films made in Slovakia. Regarded as a significant part of national cultural heritage, these films are considered to be national property, protected by the state, and entrusted to SFÚ for archiving and administration. In 2011, a major national project, ‘Digital Audio Visual’, was established to digitise all audio and visual film and video heritage to help preserve national history and culture for future generations. Digital Audio Visual is a large scale digitisation project, requiring a highly technical solution to capture both audio and visual content, including sound, music, video and film. An extensive review of all available technology by SFÚ specialists determined that the dft 4K film scanner suited their requirements perfectly. Scanity can ingest film at real-time 2K and 4K speeds, to produce outstanding image quality, even at high speeds. It has been designed for the safe and gentle handling of precious film stocks, and the end-to-end process, which includes real-time audio and infra-red scanning, made it a perfect fit for this large scale and challenging project. SFÚ worked closely with Slovakia-based BoneheadZ, a specialist local systems integrator who assisted in the installation, workflow design, systems integration and training. Ladislav Hodinka, General Manager, BoneheadZ says, “This project has been a wonderful example of strong cooperation between the developer and the authorised reseller, resulting in a highly satisfied customer experience.” Simon Carter, Sales Director at dft adds: “We’re delighted that SFÚ chose to install Scanity for its film scanning requirements. SFÚ conducted a thorough review and we’re extremely pleased that Scanity ticked all the right boxes. Scanity provides a controlled, high-speed, film ingest and also addresses a number of other key archive film issues – such as sensitive handling of issues, like warping, shrinkage and dust/scratch management. The film transfer process has a ‘touchless’, reliable and repeatable outcome that will enable SFÚ to meet its long term archival management goals for many years to come. Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft is head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of the Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
7. April 2014Darmstadt – April 07, 2014 dft, the leading provider of high-end film scanning solutions that preserve, manage, and deliver the pristine quality that film deserves, has announced the global launch of its state-of-the-art Scanity HDR film scanner at NAB 2014. Scanity HDR provides a solution for content owners who require a scanner that’s able to handle a range of problematic and historically-aged film issues. It facilitates the ingest of difficult dense black and white materials at real-time speeds using dft‘s new proprietary, patented triple-exposure technology. Demonstrated on booth SL15123, Scanity HDR serves a variety of film scanning applications including, but not limited to: film archive scanning for mass digitisation; EDL/conform scanning; low resolution browsing for archive and restoration; short-form commercials; 4K UHD ready and digital intermediate scanning. At NAB, dft will show the Scanity HDR with its new cosmetic black look finish and detailing. The production model will ship later in the summer and will include a number of new features that enables users to obtain greater information on the status of on-going jobs. Scanity HDR has a number of key advantages over other scanners including is its new triple exposure, executed once, in real-time 2K or up to 15 fps in 4K. This means that instead of slowing down, the speed remains constant, creating significant time and cost benefits and allowing access to previously unseen details from the high and lowlights of the film at extraordinary speeds. Scanity HDR can be fitted with dft‘s new optional proprietary wet-gate technology, which fills surface deficiencies with environmentally safe fluid at the point of scan thereby providing near-perfect quality transfer results, saving time and downstream processing. Scanity HDR also provides an audio scanning option facilitating the ingest of analogue optical mono or stereo sound tracks from 16mm or 35mm PRINT and magnetic tracks on 16mm film. dft will also be showcasing PHANTOM II, its new software transfer engine solution developed for existing SPIRIT users. This hybrid software development takes elements from both dft’s Flexxity and Bones playout tools to produce a simple yet effective alternative to the current Bones solution. Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology GmbH) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft, head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
25. March 2014Darmstadt – March 25, 2014 Library and Archives Canada (LAC), responsible for the acquisition and preservation of Canada’s documentary heritage, has installed Scanity, a state-of-the-art film scanner from dft. The national archive, originally founded in 1872, has over half a million hours of audio and video recordings and 90-thousand motion picture film titles ranging from interviews, music, television and radio broadcasts, to parliamentary proceedings. Included in the archive are some of the first Canadian motion pictures and photographic negatives, much of which are highly sensitive and require precise temperatures for preservation. These, along with other less aged materials, are at risk as audio-visual records deteriorate, formats (such as Betamax or VHS) become obsolete and the machines that can play them disappear. In order to preserve these unique records and make them more accessible to Canadians on and offline, LAC has embarked on an ambitious plan to transfer this content to standard computer formats, a monumental project given the size and scope of the material involved. LAC’s new film scanner, Scanity, has been specifically designed to ensure the safe handling of difficult, damaged and aged film stocks, and will enable the accurate digitisation of these treasured materials for future generations to appreciate. The new film scanner will also enable LAC to capture high quality images from their archive materials in real time, an important feature given the large volumes of film that they have. Simon Carter, Director at dft comments, “dft is delighted that LAC has chosen Scanity for its film archive. Scanity has been specifically designed to handle large volume archive library ingest and together with its dedicated Infra- Red scanning capability it facilitates a rapid and effective transfer for dust and scratch management, delivering the best possible results for 2K or 4K data files.” Editors notes: dft (Digital Film Technology GmbH) has been at the forefront of film scanning technology for over 75 years, supplying the film post production market with a range of high quality, leading edge products and services. With a reputation for quality, dft, head quartered in Germany and has a network of sales, service and support centres worldwide. dft is a subsidiary of Prasad Corporation Ltd, India. For more information and press inquiries, contact simonc@prasadgroup.org. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
21. August 2013Chennai, Aug 21, 2013 Prasad Group, India’s largest post production house announced today that it has partnered with the T3Media, Inc. (formerly Thought Equity Motion)—a leading provider of cloud-based video management and licensing services— to provide content owners worldwide with best-in-class film scanning up to 4K, preservation, restoration and access services. “As film ages and deteriorates, content preservation is imperative and Prasad’s digital film restoration services are a great asset for our customers,” said Mark Lemmons, Chief Technology Officer at T3Media. “With our partnership, today’s content owners can ingest, manage, consume, deliver, and monetize their assets anytime from any location worldwide. Our partnership will help content owners reduce and eliminate capex, integration investments, facility costs, and more.” Together T3Media and Prasad will provide a flexible, high-scale solution for content migration (film and videotape) into a cloud-based digital management platform, which allows for on-demand access. Through this partnership, customers will benefit from onsite film scanning services, LTFS storage, full-resolution delivery capabilities, proxies, and rich metadata toolsets. “With the combination of T3Media’s proven video management platform and our award winning technology for digitization integrated with our scalable preservation and restoration services , content owners anywhere in the world can now preserve and access their libraries easier than ever before, regardless of their library size,” stated Sai Prasad, Director at Prasad Group, “In many cases content owners are hesitant to physically move their libraries, so we are setting up onsite scanning and digitization operations at their facilities so customers don’t have to worry about potentially disrupting or damaging their archives. With T3Media’s advanced metadata tools content owners can locate specific moments within their archives within seconds, which is a huge asset when delivering and monetizing content.” About Prasad Group: Prasad Group with over 6 decades of rich experience is one of the biggest players in Asia providing end-to-end post production solutions. Prasad has delivered solutions for more than 15000 films across the world. Prasad digitizes content for leading TV Channels around the region and has digitally restored more than 250 Hollywood classics including academy award and golden globe award winners for Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, MGM, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney. Connect with Prasad on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. For more information on Prasad Group visit www.prasadgroup.org. For press inquiries, contact corpcom@prasadgroup.org About T3Media: T3Media offers cloud-based storage, access, and licensing for enterprise-scale video libraries. Its technology Platform and services enable media owners to generate new value from their content while managing cost and complexity. Through www.t3licensing.com and its global sales force, the company licenses sports, news, and creative footage to producers in advertising, entertainment, publishing, and emerging media. T3Media works with the world’s leading video libraries, including BBC Motion Gallery, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, National Geographic, The New York Times, and the NCAA®. Connect with T3Media on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. For more information on T3Media, visit www.t3media.com/platform. For press inquiries, contact ahagstrom@t3media.com. Download PDF back to press releases ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
13. May 2013Digital Film Technology GmbH, a leading provider of high-end film and digital post production solutions that preserve, manage, and deliver pictures, has announced a major sale to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA). The NFSA has acquired DFT’s new motion picture film scanner SCANITY, for the digitisation of its extensive holdings of 16mm film in the national audiovisual collection. This new equipment will add to the NFSA’s existing capability for scanning small-gauge film, and complement its commitment to traditional photomechanical film preservation. Introduced in 1923 16mm film is one of the most common film gauges, favoured particularly by independent filmmakers, documentary producers, and as a format for non-theatrical distribution. The national audiovisual collection holds 91,000 16mm titles – more than all other film formats combined. Michael Loebenstein, CEO of the NFSA says, “16mm film, once a format to liberate filmmakers from the confines of industrial production and the first democratic distribution medium, has become the poor cousin of legacy formats. As the stewards of the Australian screen heritage, NFSA makes a substantial investment in the future accessibility of an important part of our collective audiovisual memory. The timing is fortunate as in 2013 we celebrate the centenary of Film Australia and Australian documentary film; a legacy that to a great extent survives in the 16mm format.” Traditional photochemical film solutions are being phased out and becoming more expensive, with limited suppliers, so scanning 16 mm materials is a key element in a long-term preservation strategy. Scanned materials are not discarded; they continue to be preserved in their physical formats, in optimised cool storage. The SCANITY scanner selected by the NFSA is being supplied via Future Reality Ltd, Australia, following a tender process and an extensive period of research and market-testing. The selection criteria included the ability to handle fragile, shrunken film, and efficient scanning of soundtracks and images at high resolution; crucial requirements for archival digitisation. Simon Carter, Sales Director for Digital Film Technology GmbH comments, “SCANITY will greatly enhance the film ingest capability for the NFSA’s ageing collection, preserving the true value of this historical content for future generations.” He adds, “Delivering high quality data capture from archival 16mm material is fraught with a range of complex considerations predominantly physical damage like dust, abrasions and shrinkage, which can only be managed by the correct technology. The real-time SCANITY is designed specifically to handle just these concerns and deliver the best possible 2K or 4K data files in a fast and yet controlled manner. Digital Film Technology GmbH is delighted that the NFSA has, after an extensive evaluation period, chosen the SCANITY for this historical 16mm film capture.” Ian Gilmour, Head of Technology Strategies at the NFSA says, “The DFT SCANITY performs very well in the gentle handling of fragile, shrunken film and efficient scanning of soundtracks and images at high resolution.” Loebenstein, concludes, “This scanning equipment will also potentially increase the NFSA’s capability to support digital screenings of the national collection at both the NFSA’s Arc Cinema in Canberra, and its regional touring screening programs, and offers new opportunities for restoring and re-releasing historical titles for the broadcast, home entertainment and broadband markets. The implementation of 16mm digital workflows also moves us further towards future support for the digitisation of 35mm film.” For more information and press inquiries, contact simon.carter@dft-film.com. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]
1. October 2012Weiterstadt, Germany – October 1, 2012 Award winning, multi-national company Prasad Corporation headquartered in India, with offices in India, Los Angeles, Singapore & London are proud to announce the acquisition of the “SCANITY & FLEXXITY” product groups. Precision Mechatronics and dft Munich will be merged into a new company called Digital Film Technology GmbH (dft) who will continue with Research and Development, New Equipment Manufacturing, Sales and on-going Service Support for its large installed client base of legacy products and new sales. Prasad Corporation recognizes that these are challenging times for traditional film use & production and are committed to support Digital Film Technology GmbH in meeting these new challenges. The general market trend of traditional film scanning is changing and becoming more about historical ingest; restoration and archive management. SCANITY is a real-time 2K & 4K capstan driven ingest scanner more than capable of meeting these evolving and demanding Archival Market conditions. With the traditional business model dft can supply and continue the development of both the SCANITY and a range of FLEXXITY products to facilitate the best possible solutions for this emerging archive market. As part of this new business development Prasad Corporation will be retaining a significant number of dft (Digital Film Technology) and Precision Mechatronics original management team and operational staff, including its Service operation so that it can continue to provide the same excellent customer support going forward. dft is looking forward to reaching out to existing and new potential customers over the coming weeks and months ahead; any enquires should be emailed to the following email: info@dft-film.com About Prasad Corporation and Prasad Group Prasad Corporation, a member of the Prasad Group of Companies founded in 1956, is India’s largest provider of integrated services catering to every area involved in film, video and new media production, post production, distribution and exhibition segments. Prasad Group’s clientele include major Hollywood studios and they have worked on several Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, National and International Award Winning projects. For more information and press inquiries, contact corpcom@prasadgroup.org. ______________________________________________________________________________ [...]