Leaflet

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Notes Obin, “You get three Z-series Workstations and
you have a render farm equivalent to 40 or 50
machines from just a couple years ago.”
Demanding requirements
The Olsons not only edit in high resolution, but edit
extremely large, demanding files. They capture their
motion images on a RED camera, a high-performance
digital cinema camera that delivers 4K (4096
horizontal pixel) resolution along with a wide dynamic
range and 12-bit color in its native RAW format. At
4K resolution, that’s more than five times the amount
of information of formats recorded by competitive
cameras with embedded image compression.
The sheer amount of data would choke most
computers. But not the HP Z-series Workstation.
“Working with a RED RAW file and expecting it to
playback at 24 frames per second requires four times
the processing power to compress and decompress
the images,” notes Obin. “It’s one of the hardest
things you can ask a CPU to do.”
But the Olson brothers insist on working with RAW
format RED files because it allows them to capture
image data and manipulate it like no other digital
workflow. “We can push the image all over the map
in terms of tonality and color gamut, just like you
would a film scan,” says Obin. “All of which pays
off for the client. It looks great, with crisp, more
saturated and detailed images.”
They use SCRATCH Digital Intermediate Process
Solution from ASSIMILATE for color finishing. Obin
says it’s the ideal tool for color finishing RED files
and that with the HP Z800 Workstation and NVIDIA
video card, it all takes place in real time.
To maintain control over the color gamut throughout
postproduction, the brothers use HP DreamColor
LP2480zx Professional Display. “The DreamColor
monitors are very, very accurate with calibrated color
and contrast, and that translates directly from desktop
to cinema, to computer screen, to every output option
our clients might have. So I know I can see the color
once and it’s done,” says Obin.
Delivering value, stability
Dv3 Productions works in an industry where creative
talent is prized above all. But in order to get their foot
in the door, Obin and Amariah Olson have had to
deliver high-end production value at the most
reasonable possible cost. Their workflow—from image
capture with the RED camera, through editing and
other postproduction on HP Z-series Workstations
using primarily the Adobe CS4 suite—has been
key to their success.
“The HP Mobile Workstation is the fastest I’ve seen. I
can now finish work on the road. I’m constantly
revising high-resolution work even on my laptop—
something you just couldn’t imagine doing until now.”
Obin Olson, co-owner, Dv3 Productions
Today, the Olsons handle every aspect of
postproduction—from editing to sound mixing,
animation and compositing—on their Z-series
Workstations. Adobe CS4 (including Adobe Premiere
Pro, After Effects, Soundbooth and OnLocation) is their
primary toolbox, but they also utilize such software as
LightWave 3D and Digital Fusion.
“I’ve been cutting one project for three days
straight, with no crashes, no slowdowns, no
problems of any kind. That’s unheard of
when you’re working with 2K and 4K files.
These workstations just eat it up.”
Obin Olson, co-owner, Dv3 Productions
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