Buder opens

cutting-edge

new facility

More than a year after the demise of the now infamous Bananazz Corporation, David Buder is back – with new insight into the future of broadcast post-production and a new company, XYZ Interactive.

The company combines traditional post-production services with production of the interactive cd-roms that Buder says are about to become ‘just one more element’ in the traditional marketing mix.

Since its inception in May, xyz has edited commercials for – among other clients – Swiss Chalet, Ford and Crest. The company’s first cd-rom is currently in production. Based on a popular children’s fairy tale, the interactive cd will include voice narration, original illustration and background information. ‘It’s for children, so it’s not terribly complex,’ says Buder, ‘but we do plan to get involved in more sophisticated applications.’

As an example, he says, an auto-maker may decide to produce an interactive cd for distribution to prospective customers. Buder would work with the agency writer, art director and producer, and put together a cd-rom that includes the company’s latest footage as well as more detailed information on the vehicle’s engine, interior, options and pricing.

‘Clients are beginning to look to interactive technology as a way to provide more information to the consumer,’ he says. ‘And advertising agencies are, of course, interested in fulfilling the needs of their clients.’

Having spent much of the past year editing, designing and producing promotional and interactive projects for Propaganda Films in l.a., Buder discovered what he calls the power of desktop video.

‘The technology is screaming along,’ he says. ‘We’re seeing multilayered, graphically elaborate presentations produced with Macintosh-based video on-line equipment, and digital compositing that, in the past, was limited to high-end video graphics. It’s becoming totally accessible.’

While at Propaganda, Buder worked on a video for the National Cable Television Association, which convinced him that ‘two-way interactive communication is definitely the way of the future.’

The video featured interviews with, among others, tci president John Malone, Microsoft president Bill Gates, ex-Apple pioneer John Sculley and Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone, who predicted that interactive technology will soon represent a $3 trillion industry.

‘These guys are visionaries. And through the interviews and footage that I worked with, I was able to get a real handle on where they see this industry heading.’

Still based in l.a., Buder returned to Toronto at Christmas to edit a feature film.

‘I noticed a remarkable change in attitude,’ he says. ‘People were more positive. The recession had taken its toll, but you could see a real difference, a renewed sense of optimism within the industry.’

Buder recognized that not only was Toronto ripe for a company that combined post-production with interactive expertise, but that his own experience was well-suited to the production of cd-roms.

Right now, organizations as diverse as public relations agencies, cable companies and technology-based corporations are producing and marketing interactive cd-roms. But as the competition becomes fiercer, Buder says it will be the most creative and interesting products that succeed on the market.

In terms of technology, Buder is working with Avid non-linear digital equipment, MacroMedia Director authoring software and graphics programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, which provide the power and versatility that he needs. Elements like music and voice will be recorded elsewhere, and the cd-roms will be physically produced at one of the large duplicating facilities in Toronto.

In assessing the viability of xyz, Buder found that while interactive technology is fast becoming entrenched in the market, the information highway and associated applications make it impossible to accurately predict future business potential.

‘I saw it as an opportunity to fill a niche,’ he says. ‘Post-production is one element in cd-rom production and the skills are highly compatible. But I think it’s an evolutionary thing; the market will change and grow over time. We’ve basically extended the realm of post-production to help agencies position themselves at the forefront of emerging technology.’