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| Interview with Real
Image Media Technologies director Senthil Kumar |
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"Qube
Cinema is a revolutionary and path-breaking digital/electronic
cinema format"
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| Posted
on 16 July 2003 |
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Widely
acknowledged as one of the country's foremost experts in audio and
video technologies, Real Image Media Technologies director Senthil
Kumar has some truly outstanding achievements to his credit. He
set up Media Artists Film and Video Post-production Centre in Chennai
shortly after he graduated from college. Media Artists rapidly grew
to become the country's best sound recording studio for film and
video programmes.
In
1992, Senthil set up Real Image, along with two colleagues, to bring
Avid digital nonlinear editing systems to India. He has also supervised
computer graphics and special effects for a number of video programmes.
As a consultant to several Indian companies for audio and video,
Senthil's expertise has had a far-reaching influence on the industry
at large.
At
present, his company has 130 people and branches in Delhi, Mumbai
and Hyderabad. In addition, as an expression of his intense interest
in software applications for the film, video, audio and entertainment
industries worldwide, Senthil promotes a company called South Beach
Software. In this interview, Senthil speaks about the latest salvo
- Qube Cinema - fired by his company that promises to revolutionise
the distribution and exhibition chain in Indian film industry.
Senthil
was in Mumbai in last Saturday to demonstrate the product and indiantelevision.com's
Ashwin
Kotian
caught up with him. Excerpts:
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Tell
us about a little bit about Real Image Media Technologies?
Real Image Media Technologies is a leading technology enabler in
India in the film, audio and video industries - in the areas of
production, post-production
and delivery. The company has revolutionised the industry by introducing
the generic concepts of digital cinema sound and non-linear editing
in India. The company has a clear focus on film, video, audio, entertainment
technology and provides the best technology for those technical
artistes that are passionate about their work.
The
company's international exposure through its strategic alliances
has helped it hone its core competencies and look at several unique
opportunities in markets worldwide.
Real
Image has brought internationally renowned technologies that free
a creative mind's imagination; technologies that make it possible
to pursue that perfect idea; to experiment; and to discover a whole
new range of exciting possibilities.
We
have introduced Avid, Digidesign, DTS, Orad and Digital Cinema -
technologies that move picture and sound. We are the only company
to bring out two revolutions that changed the face of Indian cinema
- in fact our technology almost acquired generic brand status. In
fact, the trademark Avid has become an industry standard - similar
to Xerox for photocopying.
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Why
do you claim that Real Image is the only company to have brought
two revolutions in the world of Indian cinema?
Real
Image is highly regarded in the film, video and audio industries
in India for having heralded two significant revolutions in India
- Digital Non-Linear Editing (Avid) and Digital Surround Sound for
cinema (DTS). We are probably the only one company in the world
to do so.
In
1993, the company entered into a partnership with the US-based Avid
Technology - the global leader in the non-linear editing business
to market their products in India. Currently, there is an installed
base of over 500 Avid systems in India with over 70 per cent of
the feature films in the country and almost every Indian advertising
commercial being edited on Avid systems.
Real
Image has also made a considerable impact in the broadcast industry
with Orad Virtual Sets from the stable of Orad Hi-tec Systems, Israel.
Orad specialises in the development and manufacture of video and
real-time image processing technologies for the TV broadcast and
post-production markets.
The
sound technology base of the company coupled with its exceptional
marketing skills makes it a unique entity, best poised to herald
other technology revolutions in India and worldwide. In 1995, the
company partnered with the US-based company DTS to bring digital
cinema sound experience to Indian cinemas. At present, there are
over 800 DTS cinemas in India and over 590 Indian films have been
produced in the DTS sound format. Real Image also manufactures DTS
cinema processors under licence at a facility in Pondicherry.
Through
a partnership with Digidesign in 1995, we introduced their digital
audio workstations in India.
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Tell
us about Qube cinema?
Qube Cinema, Real Image's High Definition Digital Cinema Player,
is a uniquely powerful and flexible system for digital cinema designed
and manufactured in India to achieve a very attractive price point
of just Rs 500,000.
The
system can handle scalable resolutions from PAL to High Definition
(HD) and has a variable frame rates from 24 fps to 60 fps with support
for a variety of standard image formats such as MPEG-2 for compatibility
with standard systems, MPEG-4 and Windows Media 9 for the highest
quality images with smaller file sizes. Uncompressed playback for
post-production work and other critical applications are possible.
The
Qube HD Digital Cinema Player can be used with a high definition
3-chip DLP Projector (Barco or Panasonic or Christie). DLP Cinema
technology from Texas Instruments forms the basis of high quality
projectors for the home and for digital theatres. The projector
models and lenses used would vary based on the theatre and screen
sizes.
QCinema
is a revolutionary and path-breaking digital/electronic cinema format
which Real Image Media Technologies soon plans to introduce world-wide
post the India launch.
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"The
Qube Cinema playlists and scheduling are enabled to allow hands-free
operations (the control can be placed in the theatre manager's
cabin) of advertising commercials, trailers and the main feature" |
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What
are the additional features of Qube cinema?
The system provides multiple digital surround sound tracks and multi-lingual
subtitling as well.
The
Qube Cinema playlists and scheduling are enabled to allow hands-free
operations (the control can be placed in the theatre manager's cabin)
of advertising commercials, trailers and the main feature. This
will make possible different versions of a film for different audiences
being played in a multiplex theatre complex. Scheduling can be remotely
handled where necessary for centrally controlled advertising.
The
rugged controller is so simple that it can be operated by any an
ordinary layman primarily - even those who work in rural areas.
Finally, the system software can be upgraded to support newer formats
to bring the system into conformance with the emerging standards
in the near future.
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How
does Qube compare with the existing options such as the one being
sold by Adlabs? Will this technology help in upgrading the theatres
in B-C class towns and cities in India?
It is also very flexible in terms of working in extreme temperature
conditions - it can work in a non-AC room and bear upto 30 degrees
heat. It also has subtitling facilities in multiple languages and
can create new markets. It can also deliver digital advertising.
There could be ads (condoms or aphrodisiacs) that are shown during
the night shows.
Despite
having so many features, the system costs Rs 500,000. The projector
(Barco or Panasonic or Christie) itself costs around Rs 1.2 million.
Adlabs has come up with a new projector system that costs around
Rs 750,000. The projector suffices for small multiplex theatres
as it is meant for consumer requirements and not necessarily for
industry requirements.
With
our system, you can get nearly 60-70 per cent better digital output.
Also, in the Adlabs projector, the optics are not sealed and there
is a risk of dust accumulation. Also, it is possible that the investment
might be recovered as these systems will only last for five to six
years. Our system is very cost effective and flexible.
The
initial feedback is quite encouraging and industry people are quite
amazed at our pricing strategy for the combination of sound and
HD (high definition). We have priced it in such a way that theatre
owners and distributors/exhibitors in A,B or C centres in the country
will find our system to be cost effective.
Those
who distribute around 100 prints and release 15-20 films can save
money on them and recover their investments in two years flat. In
the near future, I see distributors and exhibitors buying equipment
and leasing it out to the theatre owners in B and C class towns.
Many of these theatre owners in B and C class towns are finding
it difficult to survive or make a profit.
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Can
the Qube Cinema system control piracy in ABC class town theatres
and protect the rights of distributors and exhibitors?
Digital Rights Management and security features make this a very
secure platform for movie screening. The system only allows authorised
players to decode content and it allows start date, end date and
number of plays to be controlled and monitored.
The
Qube system watermarks the content to indicate player serial numbers
and play dates/time so even the source of a pirated copy made using
a camcorder in the theatre can be uniquely identified. The Real
Image system offers options to enable accurate reporting and daily
"As-Runs" logs sent to the central server will bring unauthorised
shows to an end.
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| "I
feel that we have lost of opportunities as good vernacular language
films haven't been shown to discerning audiences or even metro
audiences due to lack of simple technological advancements such
as multilingual sub-titling." |
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Do
you feel that the cinema distribution and exhibition chain in India
is undergoing some kind of a slow revolution?
A cinema outing has become a social outing and experience. In the
US, prints are still in vogue as the distribution chain has a capability
to put out up to 4000 prints; 3000 of these prints eventually make
their way to other countries in the world.
In
India, we cannot have worldwide releases for every film as we don't
have a huge export market. In Europe, there is a similar situation
as what prevails in India; they are looking at other options of
exhibiting and distributing.
The
Indian market is very unique and vernacular language plays an important
role here. I feel that we have lost of opportunities as good vernacular
language films haven't been shown to discerning audiences or even
metro audiences due to lack of simple technological advancements
such as multilingual sub-titling.
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Tell
us about the Media Artists - Audio Post Production Studios that
Real owns?
Media Artists, the company's highly acclaimed studio complex in
Chennai, provides high quality services and facilities for audio
post-production. The studios have always been the first to adopt
new technologies and tools to enhance the flexibility and the quality
of its work.
It
was the first studio in India to introduce several technologies
including multi-track synchronisation, time-code, digital audio
and digital cinema sound. It is also the first studio in India to
work in a totally computer based Pro Tools environment for film
post-production and mixing. It is the only mix facility in the country,
which is THX certified.
This
global industry standard certification for technical excellence
puts the studios in the same league as premier studios worldwide.
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Does
Real Image Media also have an advertising film production division?
This division JS Films was established in 1986. Over the last 16
years, the company has produced over 450 commercial films, many
of which have been handled from basic concept stage to the final
product. Several well-known national companies, advertising agencies
and brands have placed their trust in JS for their film production.
The
company's strength has been its marketing perspective. Films produced
by the company are made with a sound understanding of the Indian
market. Some of the company's outstanding successes have turned
into marketing case studies and have won numerous industry awards.
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Tell
us about the QJam Music Juke Box?
South Beach, the software division, is engaged in the development
of creative solutions for the global entertainment market in the
areas of film, video and audio. The software team is also working
on several innovative professional media products born of the company's
unique combination of expertise in film, video, audio and computers.
The
first product, an innovative digital jukebox called QJamTM. QJam
is a hard disk based music jukebox that is controlled by the user
through a touch-screen interface.
Our
digital Juke Box can download songs; play it for consumers; and
also provide incredible flexibility. We have installed 100 such
machines at various hotspots in metros and will add 25 machines
more by the end of this month. Since, this smart digital Juke Box
uses dial up and is web based, we can provide advertising opportunities
both inside the system as well on the physical infrastructure that
houses the software.
Also
read:
QJam's digital
music juke box provides advertising opportunities
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