Future Pirates purchases Japan's first Cineon digital film workstation.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 1994--Future Pirates, an international multimedia entertainment, video and film production company with offices in Venice, Calif., and Tokyo, has purchased Kodak's Cineon digital film workstation for its Tokyo studio.

The state-of-the-art system, the first to be installed in Japan, will allow Future Pirates to manipulate film images at multiple resolutions for use in feature films, television commercials, video games, CD-ROMs and other applications.

Future Pirates plans to use the Cineon workstation's multiple resolution capabilities for the simultaneous production of a feature film and several video games, which are currently in production. The film will be the first of its kind, combining digital cinematography with live-action actors for a cyber-sci-fi action adventure. The video games are being developed for multiple platforms and their availability will correspond with the film's production and release.

"The Cineon workstation's superior technical capabilities allow us to fully realize the creative aspects of our upcoming projects. It's the only system that offers the seamless compositing and special effects capabilities we demand for our film projects and the resolution flexibility to use our film images in TV commercials to video games, without the time-consuming task of having to recreate them," Tsuyoshi Takashiro, president and CEO, Future Pirates Inc., said.

The Cineon workstation, based on a Silicon Graphics Onyx supercomputer platform, is a non-proprietary, open-architecture digital compositing and retouching system, which allows production houses to upgrade their system as their businesses grow, develop their own custom image processing extensions, input and output a variety of data file types, network their systems and connect with different peripherals.

The Cineon digital film system allows users to work at true film resolution and any other resolution level required. Users can manipulate and view 4k, 10-bit log space image files for output to feature film, NTSC/PAL video, HDTV and CD-ROM quality levels.

Other key features includes an image stabilization tool for eliminating unsteadiness; a motion tracking tool for automating the process of following a moving object; high-quality keying and precise color controls; multilayer complex compositing tools; real-time previewing; and a unique degrain/regrain module for manipulating film's grain signatures.

Future Pirates will use the Cineon workstation as a critical component of its "virtual studio." Both Future Pirates' offices will be linked via ISDN lines so that everyone will have access to the system.

"While I'm traveling around the world, our artists in Tokyo and directors of photography in Los Angeles will be able to send information digitally to the Cineon system for manipulation," Takashiro said. "This will allow us to increase our productivity and access the creativity of some of the most talented people worldwide -- all without the expense and time of traveling."

Kodak's imaging science heritage and reputation for quality products also influenced Future Pirates' purchasing decision, according to Takashiro.

"Kodak's competitors are computer companies. I need to work with a company which understands the complexities of analog and digital imaging, and a system dedicated to producing the highest quality and most realistic images, regardless of the medium. The Cineon system was the only choice to make," Takashiro said.

Future Pirates joins the growing list of companies which are utilizing the Cineon system for more than movie making. Rainmaker Imaging of Vancouver, British Columbia, has also announced their purchase of a Cineon system for use in interactive multimedia creation.

"Future Pirates' purchase indicates how companies are leveraging the multiple resolution capabilities the Cineon system affords its users," Mike Inchalik, Cineon products general manager, Eastman Kodak Co.'s Advanced Technology Products Group, said.

"By taking advantage of the creative and technical versatility of Kodak's digital film technology, Future Pirates will erase traditional production boundaries to create film and multimedia properties than would have been impossible to realize before."

Cineon customers include ARRI Digital Film Studio, CINESITE Digital Film Centers, Future Pirates Inc., The Moving Picture Company, OCS Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic, Pacific Ocean Post, Pacific Title Digital, The Post Group a Rainmaker Imaging Corp.

Future Pirates' corporate office is located at 4-4-8 Jingoo-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan; phone [phone], fax [phone]. The Venice office is located at 228 Main St., Main Design Center No. A, Venice, Calif. 90291; phone [phone], fax [phone].

Eastman Kodak Co.'s Hollywood office is located at 6700 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. 90038. -0-

Note to Editors: Cineon and Cinesite are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Co. Onyx is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc.

CONTACT: The Bohle Co., Los Angeles

Suzanne Fulco, 310/785-0515