Cutters Expands Avid Postproduction Workflow to Meet Demands of Dell Advertising Campaign

Leading Chicago commercial production facility deploys latest Avid editing, finishing, and shared-storage systems to maximize work efficiency and project quality

Tewksbury , MA – October 7, 2005 – Avid Technology, Inc. announced that one of Chicago’s top postproduction facilities, Cutters Inc., has implemented a new Avid® workflow for creative editorial, finishing, and compositing work on a national TV advertising campaign for Dell Computer. The Cutters team is using nine Media Composer® Adrenaline™ editing systems, two Avid DS Nitris® finishing and compositing solutions, and an Avid Unity™ MediaNetwork shared-storage environment to produce an ongoing series of commercials – including a high-profile spot featuring rock singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow.

“When Dell’s agency, DDB Worldwide, came to us with a proposal to do a very large number of TV ads, we knew we’d have to update our Avid installation to make it happen. We took a close look at the available options – including Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Xsan – and decided to re-invest in Avid,” said John McGrath, general manager at Cutters. “For a campaign of this magnitude, where we’re producing an average of one spot per day, Avid is the only company that can deliver all the editorial, finishing, and media management tools that we need. Plus, with Avid, we’ve been able to keep the project in an integrated pipeline that gives us maximum creative flexibility and allows us to deliver the level of quality and service that our clients expect from us.”

Dana Ruzicka , vice president of Post Solutions at Avid, added, “The Avid installation at Cutters illustrates the benefits that Avid brings to enterprise customers in the postproduction industry. For creative editorial work, the Media Composer Adrenaline system offers the industry’s most advanced tool set. Using features like FluidMotion™, the Cutters editorial team applied a time-stretching technique that gives the Dell product shots their unique visual character. At the finishing stage, the Avid DS Nitris® solution conforms every edit, transition, and effect created in the Media Composer Adrenaline system. And, when it comes to media management, the Avid Unity environment provides a powerful workflow to capture, track, and archive digital media as it moves through the facility and out to the client.”

Besides providing the Cutters editing team with a sophisticated means to share and move data, the facility’s Avid Unity solution is augmented by the Avid Workgroups 4.0 family of Productivity Tools, which allow clients to log in remotely and review their spots. These tools include the TransferManager, MediaManager, and MediaManager Select utilities, as well as the Nearchive™ managed storage solution and PortServer Pro network server. “Having that level of access to our network saves clients like DDB lots of time and effort, and it means fewer production cycles for our editorial and effects teams,” said McGrath.
About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company’s Oscar®, Grammy®, and Emmy® award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

© 2005 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, Pro Tools, Media Composer Adrenaline, Nearchive, Nitris, Avid Unity, and FluidMotion are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid’s audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information

Amy Paladino

Avid Broadcast

Avid Technology, Inc.

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