Henninger Productions Remasters `'SEIZED AT SEA'' in HDTV for Discovery Channel.

Business Editors and Entertainment Writers

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2001

Henninger Productions today announced that they have re-mastered one of Discovery Channel's documentaries, "SEIZED AT SEA: SITUATION CRITICAL," in High Definition Television (HDTV).

Last May 14, Discovery Channel and Henninger Productions marked the 25th anniversary of a critical episode in U.S. history with a special presentation covering what is considered the last battle of American involvement in Southeast Asia and utilizing footage and voice recordings declassified for this program.

"SEIZED AT SEA: SITUATION CRITICAL" tells the tragic story of the Mayaguez Incident, the so-called "Final Battle of the Vietnam War." The production team, led by executive producer Brian Kelly and producer Bill Howard, wanted this documentary to have a strong sensory and emotional impact on the audience.

High Definition image acquisition, creative editing, color correction, sound design and mix were used extensively to achieve that goal. The producers also needed to plan ahead to deliver two versions of the show; first in Standard Definition for air, and subsequently in High Definition for special showings and future broadcasts. Furthermore, the show would require a variety of source formats.

For example, interviews and motion control footage (stills) were acquired with Henninger's Sony HD700A High Definition Camcorder. Super 16mm film was chosen for location shots in Cambodia for the look and feel it would bring to the more dramatic battle scenes and aerial shots. The super 16mm film would be transferred to high definition video on a Philips Spirit Datacine.

Henninger producer Bill Howard and senior editor Nick Lagrasta put the HDTV upgrade plan into action. The entire show was reloaded into an Avid Symphony, all HDTV and film sources were removed from the sequence, and the remaining archival images were output to digital betacam. That tape was processed through a Juno up-converter to HDcam.

In a separate process, film intakes were transferred to HD in a Spirit Datacine. An EDL of the full show was taken to Henninger's HD online suite where the HDcam original source tapes, the newly transferred HD film sources, and the up-converted archival images were edited to complete the program. Lagrasta performed the HD editing.

Joe Bridgers and Roy Weinstock completed additional compositing work in an Avid DS HD. HD Tape to tape color correction was performed by colorist Lauren Meschter of Henninger Capitol, completing the final High Definition master. The audio was designed and mixed to 5.1 surround by Rob Fritts of Henninger Digital Audio. The original score was written by Michael Wolpe.

"SEIZED AT SEA: SITUATION CRITICAL" relives the events that began on May 12, 1975, just two weeks after the last U.S. forces left Vietnam. On that day Cambodian Khmer Rouge forces seized the merchant marine vessel S.S. Mayaguez igniting an international crisis that is considered one of most important events in Gerald Ford's presidency.

Forty Americans had been taken captive, their fate unknown, when President Ford convened the National Security Council and decided on a swift military response to punish the Khmer Rouge and rescue the crew.

The result turned out to be a harrowing rescue of a Marine contingent that landed on the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and fought a daylong battle with the Khmer Rouge -- considered the last battle of the Vietnam War.

The documentary airs previously secret footage, voice recordings and photographs of the events. The program includes personal accounts from Ford and Henry Kissinger, as well as those of the U.S. Marine survivors and Khmer Rouge participants in the tragic events and bloody battle of the Mayaguez crisis.

Other interviews in this authoritative account include Brent Scowcroft and James Schlesinger, who were members of the National Security Council.

Filmed on location at Koh Tang Island, Cambodia by Henninger Productions, "SEIZED AT SEA: SITUATION CRITICAL" includes secret footage of the actual battle on Koh Tang, declassified for this program, actual voice recordings of the rescue in process, and new evidence suggesting that some Marines may have been left alive on the island of Koh Tang.

Clips and still photographs of all this material are available by contacting Henninger Productions' John Warren at 703/908-4242.

Information on Henninger Productions can be obtained by phone at 703/243-3444, by fax at 703/243-4023 or by e-mail at [e-mail]. Located at 2601A Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22201, their complete service offerings can be viewed via the Web at www.henninger.com.

Discovery Channel is one of the United States' two largest cable television networks, serving 82.2 million households across the nation with the finest in informative entertainment. Discovery Networks, a division of Discovery Communications Inc., operates and manages Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Science Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure Channel, Discovery Civilization Channel, Discovery Wings Channel and Discovery en Espanol.

The unit also markets and distributes BBC America. A member of the Henninger Media Services network, Henninger Productions and Henninger Development & Distribution together develop, produce, represent, and distribute award-winning, high-quality original television programming.

Founded in 1983, privately held Henninger Media Services Inc. is one of the nation's largest video, film and new media services providers with headquarters in Arlington and facilities in Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, Va., Richmond, Va., New York and Los Angeles.