| Bangalore, March 1, 2006- As the Indian entertainment
industry continues to flourish, many film studios and post-production
facilities are turning to digital color grading technology from Autodesk,
Inc. Five Indian studios and post-production facilities recently adopted
Autodesk's Discreet Lustre system, which is used to realize "look
and feel" ideas in movies around the globe.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Indian entertainment industry
is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy. It
is valued at more than $4.65 billion USD today and is expected to
grow at an 18% compound annual growth rate to reach more than $10.46
billion USD in 2009.
Pankaj Kedia, director for South East Asia and India, Autodesk's
Media & Entertainment Division, said, "The increase in
Indian films' overseas box office revenues has fuelled the production
of films with cross-over themes. Maturing audiences also dictate
the creation of Indian films with an international 'look and feel'
that enhances the narrative. These factors have contributed to a
greater use of Autodesk technology in the filmmaking process."
In Bollywood, the Discreet Lustre system has shaped groundbreaking
films such as Kaal, Lakshya, Black, The Rising and Chocolate, and
has been used by Prime Focus and Pixion for several years. In addition,
the following Indian studios and post-production facilities recently
adopted the Discreet Lustre system:
" Avitel Post StudioZ Ltd., which offers a range of broadcast-related
equipment and services
" EFX Labs, a division of Prasad Corp. Pvt. Ltd of India that
offers both pre- and post-production services
" Raj Taru Studios, a one-stop shop for digital content creation
and packaging
" Spirit, a visual effects facility that is part of Ramanaidu
Studio
" United Studios Ltd. (USL), the post-production subsidiary
of UTV
Autodesk's Discreet Lustre system is employed as part of a digital
intermediate (DI) process, in which film is converted to high-resolution
digital files and then back to film. Converting to a digital format
gives filmmakers greater control over a film's color manipulation
and visual effects. Moreover, using a DI process often increases
production efficiency since shoots can be completed faster, with
lighting, creative decisions and finishing being perfected in the
Discreet Lustre system during post production.
Ramesh B. Agarwal, chairman of Raj Taru Studios, said, "The
digital intermediate process strengthens a film's ability to connect
with its audience by augmenting the narrative, as well as making
it more appropriate for international distribution. With the Discreet
Lustre system, Autodesk is establishing the DI standard in Bollywood."
Autodesk estimates that only two Bollywood films went through a
DI process in 2003. This number increased to 17 Bollywood films
in 2004 and the company estimates that 60 Bollywood films underwent
a DI process in 2005.
Kavita Prasad, director at EFX Labs, commented, "The digital
intermediate process is gaining acceptance with Indian movie makers,
as it provides them with greater control while enhancing creativity
and reducing costs. We've been working with an Autodesk digital
film pipeline for a while now, and recently installed a Discreet
Lustre system in our Chennai DI facility to tap the rapidly expanding
digital grading market in Southern India." Prasad EFX's Autodesk
digital film pipeline includes the Discreet Smoke editing system,
Discreet Flame visual effects system, Discreet Lustre digital grading
system, Autodesk Combustion desktop visual effects software and
Autodesk 3ds Max animation software.
Siddharth Jain, managing director at Avitel Post StudioZ Ltd.,
said, "The digital intermediate process has become a necessity
in today's film and broadcast domains because it provides endless
creative possibilities. Autodesk's Discreet Lustre system's real-time
primary color grading, resolution independence and color correction
tools have helped Avitel become a state-of-the-art post-production
studio."
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is wholly focused on ensuring that
great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk
is the world's leading software and Services Company for the building,
manufacturing, infrastructure, media and entertainment and wireless
data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create
manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively.
As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage by
becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximizing
profits.
Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California.
For additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.
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