*Lightworks provides voice of the people

Montreal-based Lightworks demonstrated a prototype of its new digital non-linear editing system, vox [populi] at the recent NAB2000 marketplace in Las Vegas.

The company acquired the assets of the Lightworks product family from Oregon-headquartered Tektronix in August 1999. Introduced in 1991, Lightworks systems have been used for high-end digital post-production primarily on feature films and long-form television.

vox is the first member of a new generation of Lightworks systems running on the Windows nt platform. The base product includes a redesigned graphical user interface, internal realtime 2D digital video effects, scene-to-scene color correction and luma/chroma keying. Multi-camera editing can be performed from four shots running simultaneously in realtime, with no limit to the number of shots chasing sync.

For cutters looking to stave off carpal tunnel syndrome, the editing console has been ergonomically designed. On the sound editing side, the system offers realtime audio level control and mixing, and automatic checkerboarding for multitrack post-production. vox can work as a standalone system or be connected to a network for multiple users. Its capabilities can further be expanded with third-party plug-ins.

The system will likely be favored chiefly by offline editors, who are now often called upon to create visual effects and perform more audio work on their own. Lightworks expects the online and broadcast communities will adopt the system once it can handle dtv and hdtv material, which Lightworks foresees by the next nab.

Lightworks plans to release vox in the fall.

Lightworks: www.lwks.com

*Sunny skies for FilmToronto.com

Filmtoronto.com is a new online film and television production and post-production directory designed and operated by working industry professionals. The site managers report 41,000 hits in the site’s first six weeks of operation.

The Web destination offers key contact information for companies and individuals involved in the major industry sectors. The listings are conveniently divided into 12 different categories, and a search engine further facilitates the visitor’s information quest. There are even Toronto weather reports.

The FilmToronto.com creators began by cross-referencing their database with all available public directories, and then had industry experts in each category ensure the lists were both accurate and free of omissions.

New companies can easily submit their information, and already-listed ones can update their text at any time on the ‘add a listing’ page.

FilmToronto.com looks to expand with an ‘in production’ list as well as a preproduction category, which will include entries in the areas of casting, distribution, funding and finance, and insurance. Another planned enhancement is the ability to link directly to a listed company’s website. FilmToronto.com can create a one-pager within its site umbrella for those companies that don’t have a site.

The directory is free to users, as is the basic company listing.