Windmill Lane announced today at MIP in Cannes that it is to bring the first High Definition (Hi Def) video editing suite into Ireland.
Representing an investment of over €500,000, the installation of Hi Def editing makes Windmill the most advanced offering in the post-production sector in Ireland.
Hi-Def is the next generation of digital technology in the film and television industries. It offers definition four times greater than that currently offered by video, which puts it in the realm of 35mm film quality. As a digital format, Hi Def also offers a level of flexibility thus far not seen in feature post-production.
The new format is so revolutionary that George Lucas has shot and edited the entire ‘Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones’ movie on Hi Def and has said of it, "It's as profound a change as going from silent to talkies and going from black and white to color. I'm completely sold on digital. I can't imagine ever going back."
Set to be launched this Spring, Windmill’s Hi Def represents a real shot in the arm for the Irish feature film maker as traditional optical houses become rarer and more expensive and the newer 2K houses remain financially out of reach, Hi Def gives the low budget feature maker a real and affordable alternative.
Because Hi Def has the quality of 35mm film and the flexibility of digital it has already gained widespread industry acceptance. The arrival of Hi Def editing in Ireland now means that Irish feature makers can shoot either on Hi Def or on 35mm and post in Hi Def, thereby making significant savings in both production and post.
Windmill Lane’s Creative Director Tim Morris said of the move, “This continues the tradition of Windmill Lane being first in new technology. Because of this we are now able to bring affordable digital post-production to the Irish film maker.”
Hi Def is now the international mastering format and its high picture and audio quality allow it to be used for standard definition (TV), film prints (cinema), e-cinema, DVD mastering and high definition transmission purposes.
In addition to providing a low cost alternative to feature film digital post production, Hi Def also allows lower cost transfer of television commercials to film for cinema advertising and it provides a real alternative to 35mm for TV production.
Over the past year, Windmill has completed work on a huge variety of projects including reality TV (Treasure Island, Popstars), light entertainment (It’s Not The Answer, The Cassidy’s) and high-end documentaries (Pearse, Unit 8). The next 12 months is set to be equally busy for Windmill Lane with a number of feature films (Jim Sheridan’s East Of Harlem, Actors for Miramax Films and the Jerry Bruckheimer production Veronica Guerin) all posting at Windmill.
Full details are available at www.windmilllane.com
