Next Streamlines Workflow With Avid DNxHD

Revolution Studios’ sci-fi thriller Next, now in theaters, was cut entirely in Avid's compressed (DNxHD) formats, representing a first for Hollywood feature production. The unique workflow allowed the post team to handle the massive file sizes captured with Panavision’s Genesis camera with manageable storage capacity, saving time and cost.

Working in the lightly compressed domain of DNxHD, editor Christian Wagner and his team were able to preview frames during the offline process with a level of detail they don’t usually have, he said. Orbit Digital (www.orbitdigital.com) provided the post-production team with three Avid Media Composer Adrenaline HD systems and an Avid LP Unity with over 11 TB of storage. Orbit also supplied technical support to the production.

Director Lee Tamahori and DP David Tattersall captured the live-action footage as uncompressed data using the Genesis camera. The master tapes were immediately cloned, using Technicolor's printer light system for color management, and then digitized into the Avid NLE systems using the DNxHD 115 codec.

At the company’s editorial facilities in Santa Monica, CA, Revolution Studios associate editor Leigh Folsom used the Adrenaline systems to sync the sound files coming from the set. Wagner's Adrenaline system was configured with a 62-inch rear-screen 1080p monitor and a Sony 2K projector. HD cuts and dailies were projected directly from either the Avid or an HD deck onto a larger screen in his cutting room for review.

More information on Next is available: http://www.nextmovie.com/