Hasta La Motion!

Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), a subsidiary of Prime Focus Group, announced the appointment of Michael Schunk as VP, business development, digital asset management. Schunk will be based out of Prime Focus’ North American headquarters in Hollywood, CA, and will report to North American CEO Larry Birstock and PFT President and CEO Ramki Sankaranarayanan. Schunk’s role will be focused on developing sales strategy for Digital Asset Management services globally, and driving sales throughout North America.

“We are delighted to have Michael on board to spearhead the company’s initiatives in the digital asset management space,” commented Ramki Sankaranarayanan, president and CEO, Prime Focus Technologies. “Michael has a thorough understanding of digital media workflows and a proven track record for growing companies.”

Schunk joins PFT from The Continuous Image Company, where he provided consultation on broadcast distribution and asset management to companies such as Prima Royale, Beam.TV and Ascent Media Networks Division. Prior to that, from 1994-2007, Schunk served as a managing director within Ascent Media Group’s Creative Services Division and as VP of strategic planning & business development for Ascent’s FilmCore Distribution, leading the company in developing Web, DAM and new media solutions for companies such as Sony Pictures, Saatchi & Saatchi and Wieden + Kennedy, as well as major brands including Taco Bell and Nike. A veteran of the postproduction industry, Schunk began his career as an international wildlife and documentary filmmaker.
“Prime Focus Technologies is the right size to nimbly tackle complex global distribution problems in broadcast and film,” Schunk remarked. “It’s the neural network for managing all this incredible postproduction talent and creativity with a legacy of being at the forefront of post technology. I look forward to merging my passion for technology and the creative process to further cement PFT’s reputation as a prominent player in the global DAM space.”

Prime Focus Technologies provides digital content solutions to media and entertainment enterprises, and anyone who owns audio/visual content. The PFT service provides a combination of technology infrastructure and ancillary services, but also enhances collaboration, productivity and asset utilization. Additional benefits include new and increased monetization opportunities and valuable time and cost savings.

PFT counts amongst its clients some of the largest content owners and media enterprises in the world including EMI, MTV, BBC, BCCI, Yorkshire Film Archive, British Movietone, PMG, Doordarshan, Warner and adidas.

Prime Focus Technologies (PFT) is a global company providing digital content solutions to media and entertainment enterprises, and anyone else who owns audio/visual content. As these content owners embrace file-based workflows and begin to explore the multi-platform opportunities which are available to them, new challenges emerge. The PFT service provides a combination of technology infrastructure and ancillary services which not only provides solutions to these challenges, but also enhances collaboration, productivity and asset utilisation. Additional benefits include new and increased monetization opportunities and valuable time and cost savings.

In addition to being market leaders in traditional content processing and library management services, Prime Focus also has over six years experience in delivering digital services to advertisers, broadcasters, studios, production houses and archives. Equipped with a scalable hosted digital asset management platform, a global infrastructure for processing film and video content, a unique distributed workflow model and an offshore delivery base in India, PFT counts amongst its clients some of the largest content owners in the world, including Doordarshan, Getty Images, BCCI, Universal, Warner, adidas, EMI, MTV, BBC, Hindustan Unilever and HBO. www.primefocustechnologies.tv
PFT is part of the Prime Focus group of companies.

Attached Thumbnails

 
 

Promoting Open Standards for Visual Effects

Seven companies joined forces at NAB last month to launch The Open Effects Association. This non-profit, UK-based company aims to develop and promote open standards across the visual effects community. Founding members are Assimilate, Autodesk®, Digieffects, FilmLight, The Foundry, GenArts® and RE:Vision Effects. These companies have helped artists create ground-breaking VFX shots on just about everything that hits cinema screens.

The Association’s initial focus is to improve the OFX image processing plug-in standard launched by The Foundry in 2004. The goal for the OpenFX API is to reduce the level of development and support required for plug-ins across different compositing and editing host platforms. The OpenFX API has, to date, been adopted by:

• Assimilate® SCRATCH®
• Autodesk® Toxik™ software
• FilmLight’s Baselight
• GenArts® Sapphire® plug-ins
• The Foundry’s Nuke compositor and Tinder, Keylight and Furnace plug-ins
• RE:Vision Effects’ ReelSmart™ Motion Blur and DE:Noise plug-ins
• Digital Vision’s FilmMaster
• Grass Valley’s Bones
• Eyeon Fusion
• Avid DS
• Photron’s Primatte Keyer

The Association hopes that as a new, independent organization, it will encourage increasingly open communication and collaboration between hosts and plug-in developers and establish a uniform specification to benefit everyone involved, starting with the artists.

Bruno Nicoletti, Chief Technical Officer at The Foundry and main creator of the original OpenFX API comments: “It was always The Foundry’s aim to make life easier for everyone. I’m reinvigorated by the formation of this new independent body, delighted to have been appointed to the board and am looking forward to collaborating with the other members and encouraging uptake of OpenFX API as a standard.”

Gary Oberbrunner, Chief Scientist, Vice President of Engineering at GenArts and newly appointed Director of the OFX Association adds, “GenArts Sapphire has a well-earned reputation for supporting a wide range of host platforms. We’ve been supportive of the OpenFX premise since its inception, and Sapphire runs on all major OpenFX hosts. We at GenArts are excited about the OFX Association, and we believe this new approach will enable the industry to advance our common goals more quickly.”

The successful software developer demonstrates experience in the VFX Industry. Functional areas of responsibility will include designing, developing, and maintaining tools used in film & TV production, software infrastructure tools, asset database tools, and studio-wide user interface frameworks.

This position reports to a Director of R&D within the Lumière VFX group.

Primary Responsibilities:
· Design, implement and support various software using a range of languages, tools and third-party applications
· Lead projects with contributions from artists, producers and R&D
· Document, test and debug tools to ensure it meets requirements
· Design and implement solutions for current production workflow
· Collaborate with technical directors in determining the software and pipeline needs of current and future productions
· Interact with the IT Department with respect to operating, file, and network systems’ issues
· Write clear documentations for tools/scripts
· Provide secondary technical support, training/tutorials to production staff
· Maintain up-to-date knowledge in the relevant fields
Qualifications and Experience Necessary:
· MS or BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering or software related field
· 5+ years experience in design and implementation of software development
· 2+ years experience in VFX, film or TV graphics production environments
· Demonstrate experience developing for the Linux operating system
· Thorough knowledge of Python, C++ or Java, Shell, Perl and Linux software development
· Must have knowledge in MEL and other UI programming languages
· Working knowledge of Maya, Shake, RenderMan
· Working knowledge of Houdini and Nuke is a plus
· Experience developing for production pipelines is an asset
· Excellent written and verbal communications skills
· Excellent troubleshooting and debugging skills
· Proactive with proven ability to work both independently and in a team

Save trees and email your resume to jobs@lumierevfx.com

Be sure to include the position you are applying for in the subject line.

Looking forward to reviewing your résumé!