IRIDAS to Preview SpeedGrade Color Correction System

Press Release

IRIDAS to Preview SpeedGrade Color Correction System at SIGGRAPH Innovative Technology Allows Color Grading at Any Stage of Postproduction

MUNICH, GERMANY: July 24, 2003 . . . IRIDAS, a leading innovator of high-performance digital playback solutions for the film, broadcast and digital content creation industries, will unveil its new color correction technology at SIGGRAPH 2003. SpeedGrade is a powerful new application which allows for a notably more flexible approach to color correction than was previously possible. Until now color grading had to wait until the last stage of the postproduction pipeline; with SpeedGrade, a bi-directional color correction workflow is easily accommodated.

SpeedGrade allows for non-destructive color correction: rather than changing the source material, the application simply attaches XML-based color correction parameters to sequence playlists. Using XML greatly simplifies exporting color information to asset management, compositing, and editing applications. SpeedGrade exchanges color grading parameters with IRIDAS' FrameCycler uncompressed playback applications to allow color-corrected playback of the unchanged source material. Actual output of frames can be deferred until the very last point in the pipeline.

" SpeedGrade represents a different way of thinking about digital color grading, making it possible to do color work at various stages of the process," said Steve Crouch, Director of IRIDAS USA. "Also, since the original frames are never touched, different versions of the grading can be stored as parameter sets ­ saving terabyes of intermediate storage."

IRIDAS will provide technology previews of SpeedGrade and FrameCycler 3 at the nVidia booth (#2625) at SIGGRAPH 2003 in San Diego, CA, July 29 through 31. SpeedGrade is scheduled for release in the fall of 2003.

To learn more, visit the nVida booth at SIGGRAPH, contact IRIDAS at +49 89 330 40 982, or visit www.speedgrade.com.

About IRIDAS

IRIDAS is a leading innovator of high-performance digital media playback solutions for the film, broadcast and digital content creation industries. It delivers products and services that address the full spectrum of uncompressed playback needs ranging from straightforward review of frame sequences, to advanced stereoscopic digital projection with multi-channel sound. Its FrameCycler and other playback products are used by major animation and post-production houses including ESC Entertainment, Digital Domain, Warner Bros. Feature Animation, and Industrial Light and Magic, as well as by freelance digital artists. IRIDAS was founded in 2000 and is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Munich, Germany.