by Ray Tragesser
Vice President/CTO/Editor
Euphoria Post
PITTSBURGH
Workflow is the name of the game in post production these days, and is a very hot topic with all of the hardware and software manufacturers. The faster and easier it is to work with a variety of different mixed assets, the more time you have to explore creative avenues for your clients. Euphoria Post is a visual communications boutique producing award-winning work for a diverse group of clients in the advertising, interactive, public relations and corporate arenas. We understand the importance of facilitating our clients' creative visions in every detail. If it can be visualized, we will create it.
The Matrox Axio HD/Adobe combination in use at Euphoria Post Currently our toolset of choice is the Matrox Axio & Adobe Production Studio Premium CS-3.
TECHNOLOGY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Like many other post houses in regional markets, you have to choose very wisely the technology you put in place to service your clients. Euphoria has had many different post-production systems throughout the years, and although those systems were name brand and certainly very powerful, when the time came to upgrade our facility we decided to look at every available option with no preconceived notions.
We were familiar with Adobe software from our use of Photoshop and After Effects. We were also familiar with the older versions of Premiere Pro. I knew that Adobe had completely rewritten Premiere and it was now going by Premiere Pro. While doing some research on input and output cards, I came across the Matrox Axio. It's much more than an I/O card; it's a complete post-production solution. The card is designed to provide the most comprehensive realtime feature set, the highest quality native codec technology and complete file-based workflows, totally integrated with the Adobe software. I realized right away this might be the holy grail of post production at a very affordable price. After further investigation, it became clear that the amount of "real time" that the Matrox Axio could deliver was astonishing. Bundle that with the native editing of P2, XDCAM HD422, DVCPRO HD, mixed format timelines, and it started to pull away from the competition.
SPEEDS UP EDIT SESSIONS
After evaluating and testing the Matrox Axio and Adobe CS-3, we decided to completely retool our facility. We ended up replacing our edit suites with three Matrox Axio suites. Initially we were surprised that very few people were aware of the Matrox Axio and Adobe combination. My clients trust me and have no reservations about what system I am using. One thing they have noticed is how quickly things are completed. My clients get to see more creative options in a shorter amount of time when I use the Matrox Axio and Adobe combination.
It's been almost two years since we put the Matrox/Adobe systems in place. During that time we have not experienced any downtime. Matrox has been very responsive to our needs as a professional facility. I see Matrox and Adobe as two great partners that have enhanced our business model. I would suggest to anyone in post production to take a strong look at the Matrox Axio and Adobe Production Studio CS-3 (CS-4). The product keeps getting better and more mature with every release.
Ray Tragesser is a vice president, chief technology officer and editor at Euphoria Post. He has 19 years of experience in post production. He may be contacted at tragesser@euphoriapost.com.
For additional information, contact Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. at 800-361-4903 or visit www.matrox.com/video.
