Avid sells for $1.4 billion
š SIGGRAPH Lookback, VIVE Mars Competition Winners
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Welcome to another edition of VP Land.
If you havenāt seen the last season of Succession, hereās the primer (aka spoiler) for all the Mr. Snippy Snip jokes that are about to drop.
In this issue:
ā Avid gets bought
š Stories you may have missed (lots from SIGGRAPH)
š Winning VP shots from the VIVE Mars competition
and more! Letās dive in.
MAIN STAGE
Whatās the future for Avid, the OG Mr. Snippy Snip?
The original NLE app Avid Technology, maker of Media Composer and Pro Tools, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired for $1.4 billion.
Rumors have been going around for a few months that Avid was up for sale, and there was lots of speculation on who might buy it (my money was on Ross or Grass Valley).
If you had STG on your bingo card, please go buy some lotto tickets.
Who is STG?
From their website: āSTG is a private equity firm focused on fueling innovative software, data, and analytics market leaders in the mid-marketā
Here are some companies from their portfolio.
Nothing that stands out in the film or media space.
This transaction will also make Avid private. If you want details of the stockholder buyback pricing, check out the full statement.
Whatās this mean for current and future support and development?
Nothing definitive, only speculation. I reached out to Avidās media rep but didnāt receive a reply.
But this statement from Avid CEO Jeff Rosica indicates that the acquisition will help accelerate development:
STG's expertise in the technology sector and significant financial and strategic resources will help accelerate the achievement of our strategic vision, building on the momentum of our successful transformation achieved over the past several years. This transaction represents the start of an exciting new chapter for Avid, our customers, our partners and our team members and is a testament to the importance of Avid and our solutions in powering the media and entertainment industry.
Hopefully, that also means addressing Titler+
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DAILIES
Weekly Roundup:
Stories You May Have MissedĀ
FIZTrack: VIVEās New Lens Encoder
VIVE has rolled out the last part of their Mars CamTrack setup - the FIZTrack, a lens encoder to send real-time camera data (Focus, Iris, or Zoom) from your production camera to your virtual camera in Unreal Engine so your virtual background updates in real-time.
Unity's WÄtÄ Tools Opens Up Access to High End VFX Tools
Unity just dropped WÄtÄ Tools - a complete toolchain for 3D creation, simulation, and rendering.
Hollylandās New Livestreaming Camera
Hollyland, a company typically associated with affordable wireless audio and video solutions, just released its second camera, the VenusLiv.
NVIDIAās Picasso powering new tools in Maya and Shutterstock
Autodesk, creator of 3D animation software Maya, announced some AI updates at SIGGRAPH. Shutterstock announced a 3D background scene generator.
Puget Systems launches computers to train your own AI models
If you want to train your own Large Language Models (LLMs) but donāt want to go the cloud route, Puget System just launched a line of custom-built workstations for on-premise LLM training.
ZEISS wastes no time putting Ncam acquisition to work
ZEISS debuts CinCraft Scenario, a new camera tracking ecosystem.
VIDEO VILLAGE
@wlab.virtualproduction Virtual Production One-Take #filmtok #filmmaker #virtualproduction #bts #cinematography #onetakeshot #production #behindthescenes
Caught this great transition shot on TikTok using VP. Turns out it was one of the winners of VIVE Marsā Best Shot competition.
Check out all the winning shots here.
AKS
š Around the Web
AWS CEO not worried about AI, says AI cannot exist without the cloud
ShapesXR, a VR design and collaboration platform, secures $8.6 million funding
Upload large files and folders fast with MASV*
NVIDIA CloudXR Suite allows developers to craft scalable and personalized extended reality products
Stability AI debuts Japanese StableLM Alpha, its most proficient Japanese language model yet
Generative AI has achieved remarkable outcomes in producing high-fidelity 3D models
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CALL SHEET
š Upcoming Events
AugustĀ
Studio Arts - Technology for Entertainment Creatives
Unreal Engine and virtual production online courses
August 21 to 25 (other dates available)
Planar Studios Virtual Production Workshop
Planar Headquarters, Hillsboro, Oregon
Learn about VPXR technologies from industry experts.
October 3
XR, Virtual Production & Beyond
St Martins Courtyard, Coney St, York
Engage with experts and industry leaders on the latest trends in film and TV production, games, and software.
October 24 to 26
10th Edition Augmented Enterprise Summit
Houston, Texas
World's biggest companies leveraging XR/Metaverse today and preparing for the future of work
Have a film-related event to share? Just reply back to this email and let us know the details.
ABBY SINGER
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