Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019
CBS affiliate in Cleveland deploys JVC ProHD Studio 4000
WOIO is using the JVC ProHD Studio 4000 to produce live breaking news coverage for its OTT media platforms.
WAYNE, NJ --
Live streaming of breaking news is nothing new in the Cleveland-Akron market, but WOIO wanted to provide its viewers with more than just a video feed. In December, the Raycom Media-owned CBS affiliate began using its new ProHD Studio 4000 live production and streaming studio from JVC Professional Video, a division of JVCKENWOOD USA Corporation, to provide a scaled-down, cost-effective version of its full control room for its OTT media platforms.
"We saw it as a way to drive our OTT with a control room-type look that would not require a control room to do," explained Bob Maupin, director of technology for WOIO and WUAB, a CW and MyNetworkTV affiliate also owned by Raycom. "We hope to drive all our digital platforms with this."
On Dec. 18, WOIO began using the system by offering live coverage of two events in one day, a press conference in Akron and the sentencing of a murderer in a Cleveland courtroom. The production, which was shared on the station's website, mobile app, and Facebook Live, included double boxes, graphics, phone commentary from a reporter, and other production elements viewers expect during a newscast.
"All of this we can do with one person running this production system using touchscreens," Maupin added. "We've developed some workflows to make it rather comprehensive."
The self-contained ProHD Studio 4000 is housed in WOIO's newsroom. With a dedicated JVC KY-PZ100 robotic PTZ network video production camera hanging from the ceiling in front of the production workspace, the system operator can also serve as on-camera talent. A 70-inch LCD monitor behind the operator serves as a video backdrop, and retractable ropes on either side of the workspace prevents personnel from walking in front of the camera during a live webcast.
Two of the ProHD Studio 4000's four inputs are dedicated to the PTZ camera and an NDI source, while the other two are used for content accessed through the station's router. During a webcast, the system operator can add graphics, bugs, relevant archival footage, live Skype feeds, and web pages, as well as adjust audio levels.
According to Brian Sinclair, WOIO assistant news director, training on the new system was very easy, and operators adapted quickly to the touchscreen interface. There is no traditional control panel, and a keyboard and mouse are used only for typing CG content or searching for content in the station's ENPS system. WOIO added a second touchscreen so operators could conveniently access the station's virtual router control panel and ENPS through a separate computer.
The new production system also provides WOIO with new flexibility. As Sinclair noted, during the live coverage on Dec. 18, the main studio and control room were used to produce an on-air update and a recorded tease for an upcoming newscast. In the past, the station would have had to break from its live coverage to produce the two segments.
WOIO plans to use the ProHD Studio 4000 extensively. "We want our digital platforms to have as much live breaking coverage as we can provide," Sinclair said. "We're hoping the JVC system can make a difference in the market with obvious viewer benefit."
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Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018
Did 2018 usher in a creeping tech dystopia?
In this April 10, 2018, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. We may remember 2018 as the year in which technology's dystopian potential became clear, from Facebook's role enabling the harvesting of our personal data for election interference to a seemingly unending series of revelations about the dark side of Silicon Valley's connect-everything ethos. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
By Matt O'Brien, AP Technology Writer
We may remember 2018 as the year when technology's dystopian potential became clear, from Facebook's role enabling the harvesting of our personal data for election interference to a seemingly unending series of revelations about the dark side of Silicon Valley's connect-everything ethos.
The list is long: High-tech tools for immigration crackdowns. Fears of smartphone addiction . YouTube algorithms that steer youths into extremism. An experiment in gene-edited babies .
Doorbells and concert venues that can pinpoint individual faces and alert police. Repurposing genealogy websites to hunt for crime suspects based on a relative's DNA. Automated systems that keep tabs of workers' movements and habits. Electric cars in Shanghai transmitting their every movement to the government.
It's been enough to exhaust even the most imaginative sci-fi visionaries.
"It doesn't so much feel like we're living in the future now, as that we're living in a retro-future," novelist William Gibson wrote this month on Twitter. "A dark, goofy '90s retro-future."
More awaits us in 2019, as surveillance and data-collection efforts ramp up and artificial intelligence systems start sounding more human , reading facial expressions and generating fake video images so realistic that it will be harder to detect malicious distortions of the truth.
But there are also countermeasures afoot in Congress and state government — and even among tech-firm employees who are more active about ensuring their work is put to positive ends.
"Something that was heartening this year was that accompanying this parade of scandals was a growing public awareness that there's an accountability crisis in tech," said Meredith Whittaker, a co-founder of New York University's AI Now Institute for studying the social implications of artificial intelligence.
The group has compiled a long list of what made 2018 so ominous, though many are examples of the public simply becoming newly aware of problems that have built up for years. Among the most troubling cases was the revelation in March that political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica swept up personal information of millions of Facebook users for the purpose of manipulating national elections.
"It really helped wake up people to the fact that these systems are actually touching the core of our lives and shaping our social institutions," Whittaker said.
That was on top of other Facebook disasters, including its role in fomenting violence in Myanmar , major data breaches and ongoing concerns about its hosting of fake accounts for Russian propaganda .
It wasn't just Facebook. Google attracted concern about its continuous surveillance of users after The Associated Press reported that it was tracking people's movements whether they like it or not.
It also faced internal dissent over its collaboration with the U.S. military to create drones with "computer vision" to help find battlefield targets and a secret proposal to launch a censored search engine in China. And it unveiled a remarkably human-like voice assistant that sounds so real that people on the other end of the phone didn't know they were talking to a computer.
Those and other concerns bubbled up in December as lawmakers grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a congressional hearing — a sequel to similar public reckonings this year with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives.
"It was necessary to convene this hearing because of the widening gap of distrust between technology companies and the American people," Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.
Internet pioneer Vint Cerf said he and other engineers never imagined their vision of a worldwide network of connected computers would morph 45 years later into a surveillance system that collects personal information or a propaganda machine that could sway elections.
"We were just trying to get it to work," recalled Cerf, who is now Google's chief internet evangelist. "But now that it's in the hands of the general public, there are people who ... want it to work in a way that obviously does harm, or benefits themselves, or disrupts the political system. So we are going to have to deal with that."
Contrary to futuristic fears of "super-intelligent" robots taking control, the real dangers of our tech era have crept in more prosaically — often in the form of tech innovations we welcomed for making life more convenient .
Part of experts' concern about the leap into connecting every home device to the internet and letting computers do our work is that the technology is still buggy and influenced by human errors and prejudices. Uber and Tesla were investigated for fatal self-driving car crashes in March, IBM came under scrutiny for working with New York City police to build a facial recognition system that can detect ethnicity, and Amazon took heat for supplying its own flawed facial recognition service to law enforcement agencies.
In some cases, opposition to the tech industry's rush to apply its newest innovations to questionable commercial uses has come from its own employees. Google workers helped scuttle the company's Pentagon drone contract, and workers at Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce sought to cancel their companies' contracts to supply tech services to immigration authorities.
"It became obvious to a lot of people that the rhetoric of doing good and benefiting society and 'Don't be evil' was not what these companies were actually living up to," said Whittaker, who is also a research scientist at Google who founded its Open Research group.
At the same time, even some titans of technology have been sounding alarms. Prominent engineers and designers have increasingly spoken out about shielding children from the habit-forming tech products they helped create.
And then there's Microsoft President Brad Smith, who in December called for regulating facial recognition technology so that the "year 2024 doesn't look like a page" from George Orwell's "1984."
In a blog post and a Washington speech, Smith painted a bleak vision of all-seeing government surveillance systems forcing dissidents to hide in darkened rooms "to tap in code with hand signals on each other's arms."
To avoid such an Orwellian scenario, Smith advocates regulating technology so that anyone about to subject themselves to surveillance is properly notified. But privacy advocates argue that's not enough.
Such debates are already happening in states like Illinois, where a strict facial recognition law has faced tech industry challenges, and California, which in 2018 passed the nation's most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. It takes effect in 2020.
The issue could find new attention in Congress next year as more Republicans warm up to the idea of basic online privacy regulations and the incoming Democratic House majority takes a more skeptical approach to tech firms that many liberal politicians once viewed as allies — and prolific campaign donors.
The "leave them alone" approach of the early internet era won't work anymore, said Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat poised to take the helm of the House's antitrust subcommittee.
"We're seeing now some of the consequences of the abuses that can occur in these platforms if they remain unregulated without meaningful oversight or enforcement," Cicilline said.
Too much regulation may bring its own undesirable side effects, Cerf warned.
"It's funny in a way because this online environment was supposed to remove friction from our ability to transact," he said. "If in our desire, if not zeal, to protect people's privacy we throw sand in the gears of everything, we may end up with a very secure system that doesn't work very well."
AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Jose, California, contributed to this report.
Art Adams named cinema lens specialist at ARRI
BURBANK, Calif. --
Art Adams has joined ARRI Inc. as cinema lens specialist. The newly created position will further develop and support sales of ARRI lenses for North America, while collecting user feedback from imagemakers.
Adams has worked as a director of photography for over two decades, focusing on commercials, branded content, visual effects and much more. He also served as a technology consultant for companies including Sony, Canon, Element Labs, and Sound Devices. He is a longtime contributor for publications such as ProVideo Coalition and DVInfo, in addition to authoring articles for American Cinematographer, Australian Cinematographer, Camera Operator Magazine, Film and Digital Times, and HD Video Pro. As a trainer for the ARRI Academy, he instructed classes on ARRI camera systems including the ALEXA LF.
Adams said, "I look forward to using my new position to support visual storytellers in achieving their cinematic goals."
Sebastien Laffoux, ARRI Inc. VP of Camera Systems Sales, said of Adams, "he understands the demands of productions both technically and artistically to help us deliver the best tools possible."
Adams will be based out of ARRI's Burbank office.
Silicon Valley East: Google plans $1B expansion in New York
In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, people walk by Google offices in New York. Google is spending more than $1 billion to expand operations in New York City. Ruth Porat, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Google and Alphabet, said in a blog post Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, that Google is creating a more than 1.7 million square-foot campus that includes lease agreements along the Hudson River in lower Manhattan. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
By Mae Anderson, Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --
Silicon Valley is becoming Silicon Nation.
Google announced Monday it will spend more than $1 billion to build a new office complex in New York City that will allow the internet search giant to double the number of people it employs there.
It is the tech industry's latest major expansion beyond the Seattle-San Francisco Bay corridor. It follows recent steps by Amazon and Apple to set up operations well outside their home turf.
Tech companies are "coming to the realization that the Bay Area, which has traditionally been the major center of tech activity in the U.S., is getting expensive and crowded," said Andrew Bartels, principal analyst at Forrester Research.
"A lot of vendors are coming to the realization that 'We can probably find top talent elsewhere at a more affordable costs, and perhaps a better style of life for employees who may be struggling to make ends meet.'"
The Northeast is attractive because of its large concentration of highly educated young people. New York in particular also offers proximity to Wall Street and already has the second-biggest concentration of tech startups behind the Bay Area and a large base of tech employees, Bartels said. Facebook, based in Menlo Park, California, has over 2,000 employees in New York.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, will fashion a complex of more than 1.7 million square feet along the Hudson River in the city's West Village neighborhood, Ruth Porat, senior vice president and chief financial officer, said in a blog post.
Google opened its first office in New York nearly 20 years ago and now employs 7,000 people in the city. Its footprint is expanding rapidly. Google said earlier this year that it would buy the Chelsea Market building for $2.4 billion and planned to lease more space at Pier 57, both along the Hudson about a mile north of the newly announced complex.
Porat telegraphed Google's plans to double down in New York a month ago during a technology conference.
"Not everybody — big surprise — wants to live in Silicon Valley, so we want to make sure we have the opportunity to build vibrant centers across the country," she said.
The news follows Seattle-based Amazon's announcement a month ago that it would set up new headquarters in New York's Long Island City neighborhood and in Arlington, Virginia, creating upwards of 25,000 jobs in each location.
But it's not just the East Coast that is benefiting from the expansion. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, said last week that it plans to build a $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, that will create at least 5,000 jobs.
Even as it looks elsewhere, Google is still buying offices and drawing up plans to construct new campuses near its headquarters, as it tries to build upon its success in internet search, email, web browsers, digital mapping, online video and smartphone software to make money in other markets such as health care and internet-connected homes.
The company recently agreed to pay more than $100 million for a swath of land in downtown San Jose, California, for a big new campus that will include employee housing.
Microsoft likewise is overhauling its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, with an 18-building construction project that will make room for an additional 8,000 workers. It currently employs about 47,000 in the area.
But the competition for programmers is driving salaries higher, which in turn is catapulting the average prices of homes in many parts of the San Francisco Bay Area above $1 million. Many high-tech workers are choosing to live elsewhere, forcing major tech companies to look in new places for the employees they need.
Google hopes to move into the new campus by 2020. Porat said that the company's most recent investments give it the ability to more than double the number of Google employees in New York over the next 10 years.
Tech companies see New York as a way to gain a new perspective, one that is different from that of Silicon Valley, which can be seen as an "out-of-touch echo chamber," Bartels said.
"New Yorkers consider themselves to be more in tune with the reality of life in U.S. urban centers and believe this helps them innovate products and services that are more closely aligned with the needs of the average American," he said.
AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Blackmagic unveils DaVinci Resolve 15.2
DaVinci Resolve 15.2
FREMONT, Calif. --
Blackmagic Design has made available DaVinci Resolve 15.2, a major update to its editing, color correction, VFX and professional audio post software. DaVinci Resolve 15.2 includes over 30 new features that simplify and streamline everyday tasks for editors, colorists and sound engineers.
The editing timeline in DaVinci Resolve 15.2 draws at a higher frame rate which makes editing and trimming feel faster, more responsive and more fluid than ever. In addition, new animations have been added so clips slide in and out of position, making it easier to see exactly how different edits affect other clips in the timeline.
Visual dup detection lets customers see when the same clip has been used more than once. In addition, clips displayed in the bin now display usage indicators for the current active timeline. White vertical lines highlight the currently marked portion of a clip, while red horizontal lines show which frames are used. The timeline can also be cleaned up by flattening down unused clips, and timecode entry has been simplified throughout the application.
DaVinci Resolve 15.2 also adds features that make pancake editing, which is the editing of clips between multiple timelines, much easier and faster. Timelines or compound clips can now be loaded into the source viewer and edited into the current timeline in their decomposed state. Most importantly, editors can tap the X key to instantly mark a clip in the source timeline and edit that clip directly into the active program timeline.
The inspector, on-screen controls and metadata viewer on the Edit page now automatically update to show the relevant information for the highest visible clip under the playhead. That means customers no longer have to manually select a clip to change a parameter. Keyboard customization has been completely redesigned in DaVinci Resolve 15.2. The new visual interface lets editors quickly see which keys are in use and assign shortcuts. The included keyboard sets emulate other popular editing applications, making it easier for editors switching to DaVinci Resolve. Keyboard sets can be shared between systems and shortcuts can now be assigned to different pages and user interface panels within the application. Shortcuts can even be assigned to commands in contextual pop-up menus. New highlights make it easier to see which portion of the interface is active so customers know which keyboard shortcuts they can use.
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
RED rolls out DSMC2 DRAGON-X
RED's DSMC2 DRAGON-X
RED Digital Cinema's DSMC2® DRAGON-X™ 5K S35 camera is now readily available. And soon to be in the marketplace are RED's DSMC2 Production Module and DSMC2 Production Kit, which are slated for rollout in early 2019.
The DSMC2 DRAGON-X camera uses the DRAGON sensor technology found in many RED legacy cameras with an evolved sensor board to enable RED's enhanced image processing pipeline (IPP2) in camera.
In addition to IPP2, the DRAGON-X provides 16.5 stops of dynamic range, 5K resolution up to 96 fps in full format, and 120 fps at 5K 2.4:1. Consistent with the rest of RED's DSMC2 lineup, DRAGON-X offers 300 MB/s data transfer speeds and simultaneous recording of REDCODE® RAW and Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD/HR.
The new DSMC2 DRAGON-X is priced at $14,950 and is available as a fully-configured kit priced at $19,950. The kit includes: a 480GB RED Mini-Mag; Canon lens mount; RED DSMC2 Touch LCD 4.7" monitor; RED DSMC2 outrigger handle; RED V-Lock I/O expander; two IDX DUO-C98 batteries with VL-2X charger; G-Technology ev Series RED Mini-Mag Reader; Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens; and a Nanuk heavy-duty camera case.
Meanwhile the DSMC2 Production Module is designed for professional shooting configurations; this accessory mounts directly to the DSMC2 camera body and incorporates an industry standard V-Lock mount with integrated battery mount and P-Tap for 12V accessories. The module delivers a comprehensive array of video, XLR audio, power, and communication connections, including support for 3-pin 24V accessories. It has a smaller form factor and is more lightweight than RED's REDVOLT Expander with a battery module.
Film Academy's Scientific and Technical Award Honorees Unveiled; DP Curtis Clark To Receive John A. Bonner Award
Curtis Clark, ASC at awards ceremony in February 2013. (Credit: A.M.P.A.S.)
LOS ANGELES --
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that nine scientific and technical achievements represented by 27 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 9, 2019, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
In addition, cinematographer Curtis Clark will receive the John A. Bonner Award (a medallion) for his extraordinary service to the motion picture industry.
"Each year, the Academy forms a diverse committee made up of nearly 60 experts on the technology of filmmaking tasked with examining the tools that artists use to create films," said Doug Roble, chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. "This year, the committee is recognizing nine technologies from around the world. These extraordinary contributions to the science of filmmaking have elevated our art form to incredible new heights."
Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2018. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.
The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)
--To Eric Dachs, Erik Bielefeldt, Craig Wood and Paul McReynolds for the design and development of the PIX System's novel security mechanism for distributing media.
PIX System's robust approach to secure media access has enabled wide adoption of their remotely collaborative dailies-review system by the motion picture industry.
--To Per-Anders Edwards for the initial design and development of the MoGraph toolset in Cinema 4D for motion graphics.
MoGraph provides a fast, non-destructive and intuitive workflow for motion designers to create animated 3D graphics, as used for title design and fictional user interfaces in motion pictures.
--To Paul Miller for the software design, principal engineering and continued innovation, and to Marco Paolini for the efficient, artist-friendly workflow design of the Silhouette rotoscope and paint system.
Silhouette provides a comprehensive solution for painting, rotoscoping and image manipulation of high-resolution image sequences. Its fast, scalable and extensible architecture has resulted in wide adoption in motion picture post-production.
--To Paul Debevec, Tim Hawkins and Wan-Chun Ma for the invention of the Polarized Spherical Gradient Illumination facial appearance capture method, and to Xueming Yu for the design and engineering of the Light Stage X capture system.
Polarized Spherical Gradient Illumination was a breakthrough in facial capture technology allowing shape and reflectance capture of an actor's face with sub-millimeter detail, enabling the faithful recreation of hero character faces. The Light Stage X structure was the foundation for all subsequent innovation and has been the keystone of the method's evolution into a production system.
--To Thabo Beeler, Derek Bradley, Bernd Bickel and Markus Gross for the conception, design and engineering of the Medusa Performance Capture System.
Medusa captures exceptionally dense animated meshes without markers or makeup, pushing the boundaries of visual fidelity and productivity for character facial performances in motion pictures.
--To Charles Loop for his influential research on the fundamental scientific properties of subdivision surfaces as 3D geometric modeling primitives.
Loop's 1987 master's thesis, "Smooth Subdivision Surfaces Based on Triangles," together with his subsequent research and publications, extended the theory of subdivision surfaces and inspired further development of methods that transformed the way digital artists represent 3D geometry throughout the motion picture industry.
SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)
--To David Simons, Daniel Wilk, James Acquavella, Michael Natkin and David Cotter for the design and development of the Adobe After Effects software for motion graphics.
After Effects' pioneering use of consumer hardware to host an application that is extensible, efficient and artist-focused has made it the preeminent motion graphics tool in film production, allowing motion designers to create complex animated elements for title design, screen graphics and fictional user interfaces.
--To Thomas Knoll and John Knoll for the original architecture, design and development, and to Mark Hamburg for his continued development and engineering of Adobe Photoshop.
Photoshop's efficient, extensible architecture, innovative virtual-memory design and powerful layering system introduced a new level of user interactivity, which led to its adoption as the preferred artistic tool for digital painting and image manipulation across the motion picture industry.
--To Ed Catmull for the original concept, and to Tony DeRose and Jos Stam for their pioneering advancement of the underlying science of subdivision surfaces as 3D geometric modeling primitives.
Their creation of essential geometric operations and sustained research on the fundamental mathematics of subdivision surfaces helped transform the way digital artists represent 3D geometry throughout the motion picture industry.
JOHN A. BONNER AWARD (Medallion)
--Curtis Clark Presented to an individual in recognition of extraordinary service to the motion picture industry.
The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
GoPro to move production out of China over tariff concerns
This Nov. 11, 2015 file photo shows the GoPro HERO4 Session action camera in Decatur, Ga. Action-camera maker GoPro says it will move production of U.S.-bound cameras out of China by the summer over tariff-related concerns. (AP Photo/ Ron Harris, File)
SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) --
Action-camera maker GoPro says it will move production of U.S.-bound cameras out of China by the summer over tariff-related concerns.
Companies have been voicing concerns over a looming trade war between China and the U.S. as both countries have been threatening tariffs against one another.
GoPro did not say Monday where production was moving or how much the move would cost.
The San Mateo, California-based company did say that it owns its own manufacturing equipment, so it will only be changing the physical location of where production will take place. Production of international-bound cameras will remain in China.
GoPro shares slipped nearly 2 percent to $4.88 in morning trading.
Friday, Dec. 7, 2018
Phil Ventre, Ben Dair join AR developer Ncam
Ben Dair
LONDON --
Ncam Technologies, a developer of real-time augmented reality technology for the media and entertainment industries, has added Phil Ventre as VP, sports and broadcast, and Ben Dair as head of product management.
Ventre's industry experience spans across sales, marketing, business development, partner and channel management, and project management, working for such entities as Apple, Avid, Ross Video and most recently AE Graphics. In his new role at Ncam, Ventre will lead the global business development and sales function for the sports, e-sports and broadcast sectors, working closely with CEO Nic Hatch to build on the company's solid foundations and grow further in these key vertical markets.
Dair has vast experience in product management within the media and entertainment industries, having worked with companies including Quantel, Avid, Autodesk, Technicolor and most recently SAM as director of product management. At Ncam, Dair will lead the product management and cross-functional team to develop and deliver powerful real-time capture, tracking and processing solutions for live broadcast AR graphics and pre/post-visualization for film and TV productions.
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018
Peter Crithary named president of ARRI Rental US Camera
Peter Crithary
Carly Barber assumes presidency of ARRI Rental US Lighting; Jeff Pentek joins as VP
SECAUCUS, NJ --
ARRI Rental, a provider of camera, lighting and grip equipment, has put new top management in place for North America. Peter Crithary has been appointed president of ARRI Rental US Camera; Carly Barber will be taking on the role of president of ARRI Rental US Lighting, with Jeff Pentek joining as VP.
Over the past 13 years Crithary has had a number of roles at Sony Electronics, including market development and customer outreach for cinema technologies. He began his career as a cameraman in Australia and continued in the US, working in motion pictures, television, and postproduction before joining Sony. Based out of the Secaucus office, Crithary will be responsible for overseeing camera rental operations in North America, helping to develop new business opportunities, and building strong relationships within the creative community. He will also promote ARRI Rental's proprietary technologies, which include the exclusive ALEXA 65 large-format camera system and ARRI Rental's evolving program of in-house lens development.
Barber and Pentek are lighting industry veterans with more than 30 years of experience: while Barber managed Hollywood Rental as VP operations and president for 15 years, Pentek worked in a rental company and as a member of
Local 728 in Los Angeles before both founded Illumination Dynamics in 2001.
Barber commented: "I have been connected to ARRI Rental for years and am excited to be working as part of a very talented team to continue to drive the success of the lighting business in the Northeast." Both Barber and Pentek will remain in their positions at Illumination Dynamics, a wholly owned subsidiary of ARRI Rental--Barber as CEO and Pentek as COO.
Newly promoted VP of lighting and transportation operations John Van der Linden will be overseeing all ARRI Rental lighting operations, while SVP Rental Hardwrick Johnson will continue to drive sales and participate in overseeing operations.
Furthermore, ARRI Rental is adding Billy Hines to the lighting team. In his position as marketing and productions relations manager he will be responsible for developing opportunities and building relationships with crew and production clients, while bringing his considerable knowledge and experience to enhance lighting operations. "Working for almost 30 years as a lighting technician on many feature and television projects Billy will bring an extremely valuable perspective to our team," said Barber. Hines' film and television credits include Spider-Man, The Interpreter, Bridge of Spies and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.