Spark Media Embraces Imagineer Systems' Planar Tracking Tools

GUILDFORD, UK, Jan 22 (MARKET WIRE) --
Spark Media (www.sparkmedia.com), a boutique visual effects company based in
Burbank, California, took on the complicated task of completing 236 effects
shots for the soon-to-be-released feature film, "Hidden Camera." With the
goal of keeping costs as low as possible while simultaneously delivering the
highest quality composites, Spark Media turned to Imagineer Systems
(www.imagineersystems.com) and mocha to track the numerous flat panel monitors
used in crucial CIA surveillance room scenes.

In the scenes, the camera pans across a crowded CIA surveillance room,
withagents buzzing about, while dozens of monitors depict a multitude of images,
from moving satellite surveillance images to scrolling data across computer
monitors. With obstructions, camera movement and monitors moving on and off
screen, traditional point tracking solutions would not have been able to
accurately four-point track the numerous screens required for this intense
scene.

"Creating a believable, ultra-high tech surveillance room would have been
close to impossible using After Effects' built-in tracking capabilities," said
Paul
Carlin, owner of Spark Media. "When you've got people and objects constantly
moving across the frame blocking your track points, mocha becomes indispensable
in creating believable tracking results." Tracking data was copied and pasted
into
After Effects as either corner pin data or transform data.

"The ease of getting the tracking data from mocha to After Effects was
definitely a time saver," continued Carlin. "Time is not always available for
these
complicated jobs; that's where a tool like mocha can save your hide."

For Carlin, letting go of the traditional point tracking philosophy was
noteasy. "I've worked with point trackers all my life. It took some time to
get used to the idea of planar tracking, but now I am a true believer. I
preach the gospel of planar tracking to everyone I meet."

Time was saved during shooting as well. Carlin continues, "I knew the power
of planer tracking from previous experience and was able to save time during
the film shoot by not wasting time on needless track markers. This saved me
the trouble of having to remove them in post as well."

mocha is a standalone 2D tracking tool with features that make the life of
the effects compositing artist easier and less stressful. With mocha's advanced
planar tracking technology, compositors can avoid the guesswork and inaccuracies
that result from the painstaking and time-consuming process of hand tracking
difficult
shots. The process of generating solid 4-point tracks, giving position, scale,
rotation, shear and perspective-matched tracks, is significantly accelerated
by Imagineer's next generation tracking. Once the track is complete, mocha is
designed to seamlessly export the data to the industry's most well known
compositingand finishing packages such as Inferno, Flame, Flint, Smoke,
Combustion, Avid DS,
Quantel generationQ, After Effects, Shake and Digital Fusion, providing artists
the freedom to finish shots in the compositing application with which they feel
most
comfortable.

Imagineer Systems' mocha is available immediately and is priced at $2,995
for
single node-locked licenses. For more information, please visit
www.imagineersystems.com.

"Hidden Camera" was produced by DrimTim Entertainment and will be released
in 2008
by Sony Pictures. You can watch clips from the job at www.sparkmedia.com.

About Imagineer Systems

Imagineer Systems Ltd innovates and markets next-generation visual effects
solutions for film, video and broadcast post production and have made
theirmark on such marquee Hollywood blockbuster productions as "Casino Royale,"
"Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Harry Potter." Imagineer's product line
consist of monet(TM) -- placement station, mokey(TM) -- removal station,
motor(TM)
-- roto station, mofex(TM) -- plug-in for Shake. Imagineer Systems was founded
in
2000 and its headquarters is located in Guildford, United Kingdom. For more
information visit www.imagineersystems.com.

Media Contact:
Kevin M. Bourke
BourkePR
+1.781.545.7449
Email Contact

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