AlphaDogs News

AlphaDogs Providing Post Services for LOGO TV Reality Series "Bad Sex"

2011-12-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—What do post production and bad sex have in common? Burbank-based Post Production house AlphaDogs, found out while providing post services on the group therapy reality series Bad Sex. The show profiles the lives of 10 individuals struggling with compulsivity and intimacy disorders as they complete an intense two-month recovery program under the guidance of sexuality expert, Christopher Donaghue. The 10-episode series currently airs Monday evenings at 10/9c on Logo TV.

Post Coordinator for PB&J Entertainment, Cindy Kerber was researching post facilities to finish the series when a respected colleague suggested AlphaDogs, recommending their talent, focus and technical aptitude. “Besides AlphaDogs' stellar reputation for being a dedicated and talented group of post production professionals, I also had the comfort of knowing that the internal QC process is extremely thorough and any changes that needed to be made would be caught before the delivery of each episode.”

Finishing editor and colorist Sean Stack is in charge of handling color grading and deliverables for the show. File-based delivery consists of textless SD, HD, international, and iTunes exports, with each requiring different network specs. File-based delivery has become more prevalent with plenty of room for error due to each file being rendered out individually. Kerber comments, “Sean has been fantastic! He brings a level of professionalism, pride and detail that you don’t always find with other facilities. I will definitely be calling upon Sean the next time I need post production.” To ensure conversions are accurate Stack uses the Kona 3 card to transcode the editing and source media frame rate of 23.98 to the broadcast frame rate of 29.97. In the past, tape masters would pass QC before additional delivery dubs were made. Since these delivery tapes are “cloned” they would match the perfection of the master. Stack comments “Now each file comes from a different sequence and the computer could potentially write an error during the rendering process of exporting. Each file presents additional possibilities for QC issues. At Alpha Dogs, extreme care is given to attempt to minimize those errors.” Audio tracks were also conformed which included inserting appropriate audio stems to meet network specs for each file export sequence. The air master was delivered as a MPEG IMX 525 digital file, with additional outputs to SD digital Betacam in NTSC letterboxed format.

Due to time constraints, color grading was completed in Final Cut Pro 7 using the three-way color corrector filters. Problem shots were handled in Apple’s Color program. Additional challenges have presented themselves in footage where participants were interviewed against a green screen background. Using DV Garage’s DV Matte Pro, Stack is able to key out and remove the green background, replacing it with a grey gradient. “Some keying filters do not work well with fragile areas—like hair—and you end up with fuzzy areas with green still showing up where you don't want it, or too much hair becomes cropped. The DV Matte Pro filter eliminates those problems.” For legal clearance purposes blurs were also added to props and people in scenes that were shot in public places.

Bad Sex takes an in-depth look at addictive and compulsive behaviors and how lives can be destroyed if left untreated. Sexuality expert Christopher Donaghue specializes in sex and love addiction treatment at The Hills Treatment Center in Los Angeles. By undergoing an intensive two-month program, participants are able to get the root of their addictions and behavioral problems, leading to healthier lives.

Bad Sex is produced by PB&J Television with Patty Ivins and Julie Pizzi serving as Executive Producers. Brent Zacky and Pamela Post serve as Executive Producers with Stevenson Greene as Producer for Logo.

About AlphaDogs:
AlphaDogs is a full service post production company. Operating in the heart of Burbank’s media district, AlphaDogs offers state of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Gets Into the Holiday Spirit With Extreme Christmas Trees

2011-11-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production has completed work on Extreme Christmas Trees. From a three-story-tall tree in a private home to America’s tallest singing Christmas tree, Extreme Christmas Trees shows people wreaking havoc and battling impossible obstacles in the pursuit of the ultimate Christmas experience. The one-hour special will air on Saturday, December 10th at 10/9c on TLC.

Extreme Christmas Trees showcases decorated holiday trees from different locations around the world. The footage was shot using different camera crews and equipment for each location. This presented a challenge in creating a unified look for the show. AlphaDogs veteran colorist, Terence Curren was able to seamlessly correct the problem by using Avid’s Symphony color corrector. Curren comments, "The Symphony is not the most powerful color correction tool at our disposal, but its tight integration with the entire post process made it the obvious choice for this show." Curren’s extensive experience with correcting color in these types of situations allowed the show to be delivered on time and was well received by everyone involved.

Senior Animator Russell Frazier designed and animated the main title for Extreme Christmas Trees. Five concepts were originally submitted from AlphaDogs as well as concepts from other companies. Frazier comments, “A technical and creative concern was to make the tree and title appear suitably monumental while meeting Discovery's requirements for various areas of the frame to be kept open for bugs and other graphics.”

Using Adobe After Effects while following the storyboard, Frazier mixed five-seconds of both 2D and 3D animation, as a snow-covered evergreen grows into an enormous, fully decorated tree that fills the entire frame. The design is timed to a brief and bouncy arrangement of the classic carol “O Christmas Tree” as a glowing 3D title grows out of the snow. Trees and ornaments were derived from stock photos with retouching done in Adobe After Effects. Frazier also designed a lower third ID banner, a looping snow scene background, and added additional details that included a falling star ornament to punctuate the title and match the main title’s music.

Extreme Christmas Trees is worthy of it’s title when you find out why it takes a team of 40 master carvers from China to construct an meticulously detailed tree entirely of ice, and how an Antler tree made entirely out of antlers can be so stunning that it's sent to a Swedish Art Gallery. More than just a simple survey of unusual trees, this one-hour special takes the viewer on an adventurous journey into the excesses and dangerous pursuits in creating the ultimate Christmas tree.

Extreme Christmas Trees is Produced by Discovery Communications for the TLC Network.

About AlphaDogs:
AlphaDogs is a full service post production company. Operating in the heart of Burbank’s media district, AlphaDogs offers state of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

Extreme Drug Smuggling at AlphaDogs Post Production

2011-10-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production has announced completion of post services for Extreme Drug Smuggling, a documentary that explores the underground world of drug smuggling and the extreme measures that are taken by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs into the United States. The show aired on the Discovery Channel in September.

Post Producer, Scott Young has been a long time client of AlphaDogs Post Production. Young called on the AlphaDogs team once again knowing that he could be assured of seamless on time delivery, even with a challenging turnaround time of just one week. Young comments. “In spite of any obstacles, AlphaDogs delivered the look and sound we wanted to achieve. Quality was not sacrificed due to time constraints and I was extremely pleased with the final delivery of the project.”

Color correction and conform was handled by Online Finishing Editor, Sean P. Keenan using the AVID Symphony 5.5.3. A streamlined workflow was crucial with the delivery date less than one week away. Conforming sequences required matching the documentary's extensive use of archival footage from law enforcement with footage shot on location. This meant extra attention to detail in the color correction process to seamlessly match various formats of footage. Using GenArts Sapphire 3 Effects Keenan was able to add or remove grain and noise as needed to match archive footage to production footage and make it less jarring to the viewer. Varying frame rates and resolutions were also converted to meet network specifications.

Re-Recording Mixer, Erik Valenzuela completed the audio mix for the documentary mixing in Pro Tools 9. One of the challenges that presented itself during the mix was the poor audio quality in the interviews. Valenzuela used Izotope RX and RX de-noiser to repair the audio, removing any unwanted sounds while restoring any clipped audio. Powerful music was used to drive the pace of the show, along with layers of sound effects to create a feeling of suspense while adding excitement to action sequences. AlphaDogs extensive sound library was utilized to create realistic sounds of Columbian soldiers talking amongst one another, jungle ambiances, and motorboat effects as the soldiers travel deep into the mangrove swamps in search of drug cartel camps. Valenzuela comments, “I mixed the show in a way that would be appealing to both me and the audience in creating an entertaining and educational story.” Facing a short turnaround, the use of Waves compression, equalization, and other tools on a Pro Tools 9 system were used to assure delivery of quality audio under a tight deadline.

Extreme Drug Smuggling takes an inside look at the sophisticated methods cartels and drug traffickers are using to import marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Billions of tons of narcotics are smuggled into the United States every year. Anything from submarines to super tunnels, ultra lights, and go fast boats, drug traffickers will risk their lives and the lives of others and have no limits with the drastic measures they will take to make a profit.

Extreme Drug Smuggling is produced by Discovery Studios LLC for The Discovery Channel.

For additional information please contact

Julie Leibovitz

(818) 456-4149

Julie@alphadogs.tv

www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—AlphaDogs is a full-service post production facility and design studio. Operating in the heart of Burbank’s Media District, AlphaDogs offers state-of-the-art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, motion graphics, visual effects, media transfers/conversions, production offices and equipment rentals for television, independent film and the web.

AlphaDogs is also home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Toronto, Canada.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Post Production Delivers The Three Chocolatiers for the Food Network

2011-07-22T17:02:00.001-07:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production announced they have completed work on The Three Chocolatiers; a new reality television series that takes you inside the family business at the renowned Beverly Hills chocolate shop, Generations of Lee Gelfond. The show airs Friday, July 29th at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on The Food Network. DirecTV and Dish Network, at 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

Executive Producer Michael Brockhoff needed a one-stop shop to complete the finish for the show at a reasonable cost. AlphaDogs became the post house of choice based on all services being offered under one roof and their extensive experience in delivering cable network shows at an affordable price. Brockhoff comments, “The team at AlphaDogs cared about the quality of the product as much as we did. The personal attention was appreciated and we didn’t get lost in the client shuffle.”

Founder and President of AlphaDogs, Terence Curren finished the color grading for the series. Since the show was file based, the clients worked with the native camera resolution, which meant the normal “recapture at higher resolution” workflow wasn’t required. The majority of the work included enhancing the existing color using the Avid Symphony Color Correction toolset. Fortunately these shows were mostly shot in a controlled lighting situation, which is unusual for reality shows. This allowed more time for finessing the color as opposed to just fixing it. Curren comments, “When the clients see how much better the show looks after color correction, they are always amazed at what the polishing step brings to their project, and Chocolatiers was no exception.”

Re-recording mixer, Marcus Pardo handled the post audio for The Three Chocolatiers. Pardo, using Avid’s Pro Tools HD with Waves and Cedar plug-ins, was able to sweeten the sound for the show to the exact taste of the TigerDog producers. When asked what was the most challenging part of working on the show, Pardo replied, “Sound designing the main title was creative and fun. I was able to dig into our sound library to find interesting sounds for the great graphics. There’s a shot of a hand putting pieces of chocolate down, spelling out THE THREE CHOCOLATIERS. I was able to record the sound of chocolate being placed into a pattern. Of course, there is no shortage of chocolate at AlphaDogs."

The series follows Teri Abelson and her two grown daughters, Jennifer and Carrie at the family owned business, Generations of Lee Gelfond in Beverly Hills. The raucous, bickering family are masters when it comes to made-to-order chocolate pieces. From creating a life-sized replica of a guitar for a rock ‘n’ roll mama’s rock star son, Les Paul to a gorgeous chocolate “sushi” platter, it’s all just another day’s work at the family business.

Brockhoff comments, “The show looks and sounds terrific. We would absolutely use AlphaDogs again as they can be trusted to deliver quality projects on time, and a fair price.”

Producers Valerie Chow and Michael Brockhoff of TigerDog TV produce The Three Chocolatiers for The Food Network.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie@alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—AlphaDogs is a full-service post production facility and design studio. Operating in the heart of Burbank’s Media District, AlphaDogs offers state-of-the-art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, motion graphics, visual effects, media transfers/conversions, production offices and equipment rentals for television, independent film and the web.

AlphaDogs is also home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Post Examines One of the Youngest Hate Crime Victims in Modern History

2011-06-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post is pleased to announce the completion of Two Spirits, a documentary that will air nationally on PBS as part of the Independent Lens series in June of 2011. Produced by filmmakers, Lydia Nibley and Russell Martin, the film asks the question "Why are people killed for being who they are?" as the film examines the life of Fred Martinez, one of the youngest hate-crime victims in modern history who lost his life at the age of 16 in Cortez, Colorado.

AlphaDogs Post was responsible for conforming two versions of the docufilm, DVD authoring and creating graphics. Two versions of the film were needed due to time duration for broadcast spec. This required a cut down from the original longer version and extensive revisions in the end credits. True to AlphaDogs fashion, finishing editor Sean Stack found an efficient and cost effective solution that worked for both PBS and the Director, Lydia Nibley. VP of Design, Sean Williams created design elements for bonus materials for the DVD. "It's been an amazing experience to collaborate with such a great team on this film," said director Lydia Nibley. "Everyone contributed solid creative and technical work, and also their passion for a human rights story that has the potential to do some real good in the world." Nibley continues. "We choose AlphaDogs Post because of their extensive credits and the way the entire staff gets behind a project. I look forward to bringing them another film-I'm a life-long client."

Two Spirits follows the life of Fred Martinez, a teenage Navajo boy who was a nadleehi- someone who possesses a balance of masculine and feminine traits. Viewed as a special gift in the traditional Navajo culture but rejected in mainstream society, this unique gift costs Fred his life. Shockingly, the young man who committed this brutal murder boasted about his crime after bludgeoning his victim to death with rocks and leaving him for dead. Martinez's body was not discovered until days later. Two Spirits examines the hate and discrimination the LGBT community continues to face and its challenge to overcome societal misconceptions.

"Two Spirits is a complex and nuanced film about a boy who was also a girl," explains producer Russell Martin. "It was great to work with everyone at AlphaDogs and with colleagues in the film community who support the film's essential message that gender exists across a spectrum, something many Native societies have known for centuries."

Director of photography David A. Armstrong shot Two Spirits between Saw films. He began his career in documentary and has served as the principal cinematographer for more than a dozen feature films. Editor Darrin Navarro edited Bug for famed director William Friedkin as well as many other films. Supervising sound editor and sound designer Ron Eng's credits include Coraline, Lakeview Terrace, and Mulholland Drive.

Two Spirits is directed by Lydia Nibley and produced by Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley. The film is a co-production of Say Yes Quickly, Riding the Tiger, and Academy Award-nominated Henry Ansbacher and Just Media. Two Spirits is currently screening at film festivals around the world and airing on PBS this month. The consumer DVD is available for purchase at www.twospirits.org.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie@alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopter's edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

Changing Landscapes in Post Production Explored at AlphaDogs 8th Annual Pre-NAB Editors’ Lounge

2011-04-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production hosted their 8th Annual Pre-NAB discussion panel at the March Editors’ Lounge. Over 100 attendees turned out to learn more about what to expect at NAB and where the future of post-production is headed with this month’s topic, “Trends and Predictions in Post-production in 2011 and Beyond.”

Moderated by journalist and owner of Mobilized TV, Debra Kaufman, the panel consisted of experts in the field of post, including: Lucas Wilson (Director of Business Development for 3ality Digital), Steve Cohen (Film/TV Editor and author of “Avid Agility”), Mark Raudonis (VP of Post Production at Bunim/Murray Productions), Michael Bravin (Technical Consultant and Founder of The Digital Picture Company), and Founder/Editor/Colorist of AlphaDogs Post Production, Terence Curren.

The evening kicked off regarding the buzz on the new Final Cut Studio being released near the week of the NAB show. Panelists discussed how Apple is changing the playing field and going their own way in preparing for the majority of content that’s predicted to be broadcast via live streaming in the near future. Owner of AlphaDogs Post Terence Curren comments, “Apple sees the future of broadcast being done over the Internet. This will create a different definition of what a professional editor would be.” What defines content and its delivery will change dramatically to more an individualized entertainment experience. Lucas Wilson (Director of Business Development, 3ality Digital) comments, “New technology will be used to create emotional impact and immerse the individual emotionally beyond just linear storytelling.” Steve Cohen (Film/TV Editor, Author of Avid Agility added, ‘Storytelling will still go into your soul deeper than technology can. That won’t go away.” It was agreed, the key to being a successful editor is to be self sufficient into the new future of post.

The old business model is also beginning to erode with an evolution into new and different ways of doing things. Terence Curren comments, “We will need to learn how to make money off of small targeted audiences.” Mark Raudonis (VP Post Production, Bunim/Murray Productions) added to this by saying the consumer will get their content through more than one source and we need think in terms of the consumer viewing experience beginning on one screen and continuing onto a second, and third screen with the diversity of mobile devices that continue to go mainstream.

The disaster in Japan has had a major impact in the post world halting the production of HD-CAM-SR tape. This has caused a tape shortage which posed the question “Is tape dead?’ It’s estimated that in approximately 3 months post facilities will be forced to go file based. This presents a challenge, as there are currently no standards for file based delivery in regard to how footage will be displayed and interpreted by each device it’s played back on. File based deliveries currently have no reliable archive methods which poses another major concern.

3-D was coined the “wild west” and does not appear to be a fad. Consumers now base their decision on whether to see a movie in 3-D based on story content vs. the 3-D experience. Bigger budgets still remain limited to film, while the broadcast market remains more events driven with the networks looking for a budget conscious business model for creating content. It was stressed that the editorial process for 3-D is quite different than 2-D. Cutting and pacing is quite distinct along with managing transitions with similar depth cues. There are things you simply can’t do in 3-D that you can in 2-D. To complicate matters even more, there is currently no QC for the technology. In order for an editor to learn the art of 3-D editing it was suggested by Lucas Wilson (Director of Business Development for 3ality Digital) to search for free 3-D footage to download.

The evening wrapped with an overwhelming vibe of reminding everyone that change is constant. Michael Bravin (Technical Consultant, Founder of The Digital Picture Co) commented, “We are going in a new direction with a new way of doing things that people will learn to embrace.”

For more information please visit The Editor’s Lounge website at editorslounge.com or contact AlphaDogs Post Production. To view the entire panel discussion and learn more tips from the panelists please visit vimeo.com/channels/editorslounge

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Toronto.

AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Gets Pregnant (In Heels)!

2011-04-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production has announced they have completed all post services for Pregnant In Heels, a new docu-drama series that profiles “MomPrep” a high-end maternity training academy that assists sophisticated expectant mothers with bizarre baby needs ranging from Brazilian waxing for the labor room to getting the baby into British aristocracy. The series will premiere Tuesday, April 5th on The Bravo Network at 10pm EST.

Post Production Supervisor Lance Asher chose AlphaDogs to complete post production on the series based on their stellar reputation in the community. Asher comments, “AlphaDogs came highly recommended by other colleagues. Not only did I find knowledgeable people who check and re-check their work, but a quality of the final product along with a great price for an overall package deal.”

Emmy-Award-nominated Re-recording mixer Marcus Pardo was able to deliver excellent-sounding audio while minimizing background noise in real-time without introducing digital artifacts by using a Pro Tools HD2 system accompanied by Waves plug-ins and the Cedar DNS One for noise reduction. Pardo comments, “Audio for reality television is tricky due to uncontrolled environments. The Cedar DNS One allows me to drastically reduce noisy room tones or background traffic. This in turn, allows the viewer to focus on the dialog.” Pardo continues; “There were several times throughout the series when tender moments needed to be heard in places like busy Central Park and atop a balcony on a high-rise. Even in these instances, I was able to deliver quality audio.”

Interesting challenges were faced during post with the footage that was shot on green screen. The lead character, Rosie Pope has blonde hair which is can be very difficult to work with in this type of setup as the blonde hair tends to pick up the green cast. Online finishing Editor Herrianne Cayabyab comments, “There is no one answer to solve a problem like this, but our extensive experience with difficult compositing of shots helped tremendously on this show. As Pregnant in Heels was offlined on Avid’s Media Composer, it naturally went through one of our Avid Symphony Nitris DX suites. When working in Avid as opposed to our other systems, I like to try their built in Spectramatte keyer first. It often works miracles and delivers real time performance, which means no rendering. However on this show I had to hit heavier tools like Boris Continuum Complete for example to clean up many of the composites.”

Shared Terrablock storage with file level locking from Facilis allowed Lead Assistant Editor, Scott Davenport to perform the preparation of the sequence for color correction by veteran colorist Brian Hutchings, while additional assistants were doing the capture in another bay. Davenport comments, “The shared storage is a great tool to have. I was able to continue working and meet the project deadline in ample time.”

Each episode of Pregnant In Heels follows pregnancy guru, Rosie Pope and her assistants as they guide the most affluent and hormonal expectant Manhattan mothers in meeting their outlandish baby needs. In the series premiere, Rosie helps an expectant couple come up with the perfect baby name and another couple baby proof their stylish New York flat.

Pregnant in Heels is produced by Hudson Media for Bravo TV. Michael Rourke, Gerette Allegra, Megan Estrada and Danielle King are Executive Producers. Bravo TV is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal. For more information, visit BravoTV.com.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Illinois, Florida and Ohio, with the first international location in Toronto, Canada. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Editors' Lounge to Feature the Latest From Sony and Avid

2011-02-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2011

AlphaDogs Editors' Lounge to Feature the Latest From Sony and Avid

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production has announced they will be hosting the February Editors’ Lounge in conjunction with Key Code Media. This month’s topic will feature product and workflow demonstrations from Sony. The event will be held on Friday, February 25th at 6:15 p.m. at Key Code Media, 270 S. Flower St., Burbank, CA.

Sony will showcase advanced workflows for HDCAM SR and XDCAM. HDCAM SR material can now be ingested and edited natively in the new Avid Media Composer 5.5 The long awaited ability to ingest XDCAM’s proxy video with high-resolution audio is now a reality. Media Composer goes where other video editing systems leave off. Now more open and interactive than ever, you can work with practically any media format and expand your capabilities with options from Avid and third-party manufacturers.

Sony also will demonstrate the features of the PMWF3 camcorder that provides stunning picture quality, shallow depth of field, and a proven post-production workflow. The F3 extends the popular EX line to include a full 35MM sensor. Sony’s latest display technology including the newly announced BVME series that delivers stunning pictures and blacks that exceed CRT will also be included.

The Editors’ Lounge is a hip forum where post production professionals come together to learn about the latest trends in post and network with industry peers. For more information or to RSVP please visit www.editorslounge.com

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs in the Junkyard for New Reality Series on the Discovery Channel

2011-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA — Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production has announced it has been chosen to complete online editorial services for 10 episodes of Desert Car Kings, a new reality show for The Discovery Channel that takes an inside look at the restoration process of classic vehicles as they are re-built for auction. The series airs Wednesdays on The Discovery Channel at 10pm EST.

Reality shows can present unique demands when it comes to post production “As with most reality shows, the footage can be all over the map,” says AlphaDogs president, Terence Curren. “But our team specializes in bringing out the best from every project.”

That devotion has earned AlphaDogs a loyal following of clients including Producer Brian Knappmiller. Knappmiller was first introduced to AlphaDogs over three years ago and has continued to bring projects to the facility since. Knappmiller comments, “The best thing about the team at AlphaDogs is that they care. You never feel like you are just another client, or another paycheck. It’s very apparent that the folks at AlphaDogs love what they do, and that directly carries over to the effort and quality of work they bring to every project. Whenever I have a new project, they are always my first call for all things post production.”

In the case of Desert Car Kings, the task of turning footage into a story fell to finishing editor, Herrianne Cayabyab who used Avid’s Symphony Nitris DX. “We follow the offline platform for our finishing tasks,” noted Cayabyab, “If they use Media Composer, it’s a Symphony finish, if they use Final Cut Pro, then that project would go through our FCP finishing pipeline.”

One of the distinct challenges faced during post on Desert Car Kings were iris changes within the camera, which cause exposure changes during a shot that can be jarring to the viewer if not corrected. Cayabyab comments, "With the Nitris software we are able to add keyframes to the color grade which allows me to correct any iris shifts. They then appear more transitional in nature and go unnoticed to the viewers at home. The clients have been extremely pleased with the results." Cayabyab also used the secondary color correction feature in the Symphony to help pull out the rich blue skies of the Arizona desert.

Desert Car Kings follows the McClure family as they and their crew restore classic American cars in the Arizona desert. Applying the same loving care as the McClure family, the AlphaDogs team helps imbue the show with a luster deserving of the subject’s automobiles. Each episode ends with the auctioning off of the restored car while hoping to make a fair profit. The McClure’s lot has over 10,000 rust free cars, which they use for both classic car parts, and as a source for restorations.

Desert Car Kings is produced by True Entertainment for Discovery Communications and The Discovery Channel.

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz (818) 456-4149 Julie(at)alphadogs.tv www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Boris Continuum Complete 7, mocha Pro and Plugins from Intelligent Assistence at AlphaDogs Post January Editors' Lounge

2011-02-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production hosted their first Editors’ Lounge of 2011 in January with over 80 people in attendance. The event included new software demos from Boris FX, Imagineer Systems, and Intelligent Assistance.

James Rankin, founder and artistic director of Light Space and Time Digital, showcased the latest features of the Boris Continuum Complete 7 AVX plug-in collection that brings over 200 filters to Avid editing and finishing systems. The new Version 7 release features lens blur effects, a video noise reduction tool, a new OpenGL particle engine, and new on-screen overlay control widgets for streamlined workflow. Other features include the ability to uprez NTSC standard definition video to full 1080P and beyond with high quality, Pixel Fixer to eliminate dead pixels, and an incredible Optical Stabilizer tool. One of the more unique features that was demonstrated is the Smooth Tone filter that allows blemishes to be smoothed while maintaining detail and contrast in the talent's face. Mocha tracking data can also be imported. Rankin comments, “Discovering these plugins really opened a creative door for me that not only gave me more options but changed my workflow. It was great to be able to share a hint of what’s possible with Boris Continuum Complete.”

Mary Poplin, Imagineer Systems’ LA-based product specialist, demonstrated mocha Pro, the Company’s newest 64-bit all-in-one VFX master tool set. Based on Imagineer’s award-winning planar tracking technology, mocha Pro combines and delivers all the planar tracking and rotoscoping from mocha, adds compositing tools for match moving, auto image and wire removal, clean plate generation, lens distortion correction and stabilization, all in one desktop application. Mary added, “When I first discovered mocha as a stereoscopic artist, matte painter and roto artist in the industry, I was amazed at how it cut my workflow in half! I completed scenes for stereoscopic conversion in a single day with mocha that I know would’ve easily taken me three days to complete otherwise. So I was very excited to present mocha Pro to an audience of my friends and colleagues at the Editor’s Lounge; I knew they’d appreciate just how much mocha Pro can impact their day-to-day workflow!”

Technical guru and Co-founder of Intelligent Assistance, Philip Hodgetts revealed amazing things that can be done with the various Intelligent Assistance plugins for Final Cut to maximize your workflow. As well as showing a range of production utilities and the groundbreaking First Cuts software, Hodgetts previewed a new version of their paper-cuts application prEdit that works with standard transcripts, making it much easier for everyone to use. Hodgetts comments, "When I was working on the the Floyd Lippencott documentary, I realized I was not only building my edit more quickly, but working with the text so easily encouraged me to cut more tightly, giving a much faster-paced first assemble."

The next Editors’ Lounge will be held in conjunction with Key Code Media on Friday, February 25th at 6:15pm with product demonstrations and workflows from Sony.

To learn more please visit www.editorslounge.com.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

Triple Demo Action at AlphaDogs Post Production January Editors' Lounge

2011-01-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production has announced it will host the first Editors' Lounge of 2011 on Friday, January 28th at 6:30pm at their facility in Burbank. The Editors' Lounge is a hip forum where post production professionals come together to learn about the latest trends in post and network with industry peers.

The visual gurus at Boris FX will return to show you the latest features in their Continuum Complete plugins package. BCC is one of the most popular NLE visual effects plugins packages out there, and you'll want to see what can be achieved with version 7.

Imagineer Systems is also returning to demo their latest mocha offering. The all-new mocha Pro combines their amazing tracking and roto tools from mocha with the matchmoving and correction/stabilization tools from mokey and monet for an all-in-one compositing solution.

Philip Hodgetts will also demo the amazing things that can be accomplished with the various Intelligent Assistance plugins for Final Cut. From automated syncing and matchbacks to sequencing and log note tools and much more, there's a plugin to solve your problem and speed your workflow.

For more information please visit the Editors' Lounge website at www.editorslounge.com or contact AlphaDogs Post Production.

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Toronto.

AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Post Production Gets Intimate with the Playboy Channel in new Documentary Series

2011-01-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA- Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production has been chosen to do all online editorial and color correction services on 12 episodes of Brooklyn Kinda Love. The new documentary series explores the relationships of four “quintessential” couples living in Brooklyn with a focus on intimacy to attract more female viewers. The first episode premieres January 15th at 10pm on The Playboy Channel.

AlphaDogs is known for providing affordable service without compromising quality which is what brought Producer Harry Gantz (HBO Taxicab Confessions) to the facility. Gantz comments, “AlphaDogs has great creative talent, pays attention to the details, and goes the extra mile to please us. On the business side they were willing to find a way to work within our budget, and the negotiations were easy”. Gantz continues; “As a result the final delivery shined and the process to get there was smooth. A real find. I look forward to working with them again”.

Online editorial services are being handled by AlphaDogs finishing editor Sean Stack. Specs include an entirely file based delivery to the network with color correction being completed in an Apple Color finishing room. Shared Terrablock storage allows both the online editor and colorist to access the same media from different bays. Stack comments, “Shared storage allows me to work on lower thirds and subtitles while color correction is being done in another room. Scrutiny is given to be sure all the media is in the same codec and frame rate”. Stack continues; “We strive to assure both client satisfaction while paying close attention to the network delivery specifications for a seamless delivery of the project”.

Brooklyn Kinda Love is produced by Harry Gantz for Playboy Entertainment Group.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Illinois, Florida and Ohio, with the first international location in Toronto, Canada. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Post Production Finishes "Enough Already! with Peter Walsh" for Oprah Winfrey Network

2011-01-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce completion of work on Enough Already! with Peter Walsh, a new reality show for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) hosted by organizational expert Peter Walsh. The series airs Mondays on the OWN network at 8pm EST.

The post team at Discovery Studios chose AlphaDogs for this project based on the quality, know-how and humor offered by the AlphaDogs team (crew) they have come to know over the years. Post Producer Scott Young comments, “Whenever I have an opportunity to finish a show with them, I jump at the chance. I’m in good hands with their attention to detail, and knowledge of various formats and delivery specs. In spite of any obstacles, owner Terence Curren delivers the look we want to achieve”. Young continues; “We were very happy with the final delivery of the project. The masters were received without a glitch. I would recommend AlphaDogs for any project. They’re not happy until the client is happy and that makes for a satisfied post supervisor”.

The show is entirely shot on-location in the field. This type of environment brings a fair share of challenges to the audio mix. Re-Recording mixer Lisa Baro uses a Pro Tools HD2 system and the Cedar DNS One plug in. Baro comments “We have a lot of experience in reality television and the Cedars plug in has been an invaluable tool for removing challenging background noises conducive to these types of shows. All clean-up and fixes can be done in real-time, expediting the mix saving the clients both time and money”. Post Producer Scott Young comments, “Lisa has a knack for addressing our client's notes with an ear to the overall mix”.

Enough Already! with Peter Walsh takes a candid look at the overwhelming clutter that can take over a family’s home and how—in just days—with the help of organizational guru Peter Walsh, they not only de-clutter their homes but also come to understand the underlying reasons why clutter has crept into their lives. Walsh teaches how to relinquish their emotional attachment to the things surrounding them and rebuild their relationships, moving forward clutter-free.

Enough Already! with Peter Walsh is produced by Discovery Studios for Discovery Communications and The Oprah Winfrey Network.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; with affiliates across the United States and Canada.

AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506. Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

Hotrods and Cool Cats at AlphaDogs Post Production

2010-12-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production recently completed work on the film Deuce of Spades, a story about a modern day hot rod girl who finds a mysterious letter dating back to the fifties hidden in her roadster that takes her on a journey into the underground scene of fast hotrods and cool cats.

DVD encoding and authoring services were handled by AlphaDogs VP of Design, Sean Williams, using Apple's DVD Studio Pro and Compressor. Williams comments, "Faith's DVD project was one of the larger ones we've tackled. The film's 2-hour-plus running time with 5.1 surround and stereo audio listening options along with the inclusion of behind the scenes documentaries, a director's commentary track and subtitles in 9 different languages really pushed the limits of what the dual-layer (DVD-9) disc could handle. Encoding the HD film at the highest possible SD quality while leaving enough space for the bonus features was one challenge we faced. Fortunately we have developed a lot of tricks over the years for squeezing the best quality out of these situations". Williams who worked closely with Faith to help her prepare her menu designs for the DVD also comments; "Graphic design for DVDs is my favorite part of the process. It is the creative stage where we can really use our talents to make the client happy."

Deuce of Spades is directed, produced and written by Faith Granger. For more information and to purchase a DVD that includes subtitles in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Dutch, and English, visit www.deuceofspadesmovie.com.

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

Rumors of Big Waves at AlphaDogs Post Production

2010-11-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce completion of work on the movie Rumors that will be premiering November 18 at 8:00 p.m. at the Lido Theater in Newport Beach. Rumors is a cinematic journey into Mexico’s deepest surf scene that follows 5 world-renowned individuals on a surfing adventure into some of Mexico’s most remote beaches.

Producer Mark Kronemeyer chose AlphaDogs as their post facility based on their reputation for providing quality work with personalized service. Kronemeyer comments; “The main thing we liked about AlphaDogs was that despite not really knowing anyone there we immediately felt comfortable working with everyone. There are many factors when working on a film such as budgets, deadlines, opinions, etc, but it seemed that the crews' main objective was not just to do business but also help to get the best possible result. We felt like part of a team, instead of just customers, which is really hard to find these days, in any industry.” Kronemeyer continues, “The final delivery was excellent, everything came out how we had visualized it, if not better. We would use AlphaDogs again, it's not often you find a good working environment and achieve excellent results at the same time.”

One of the challenges faced during post was matching footage of roughly 800 shots of assorted waves from around the world. The majority of the massive swells were shot during inclement weather creating a hazy environment. Veteran colorist Brian Hutchings was not only able to match the shots for continuity purposes, but also create a rich color palette conducive to the tropic feel of Mexico. Hutchings comments; “Our goal at AlphaDogs is to save the client money without sacrificing quality. Everyone here enjoys the satisfaction of creating a quality product.”

Finishing Editor Sean Stack provided tech support for the project while also isolating problematic footage and fixing it using a variety of tools. An example Stack gives involved some footage that was recorded incorrectly due to camera issues in production. This resulted in offset fields that gave a jagged edge appearance to the footage. He decided to use de-interlacing filters to successfully repair the shots.

AlphaDogs also provided DVD encoding and authoring services. VP of Design Sean Williams was faced with an extremely tight deadline for delivery to the DVD replication facility, and turned around a completed project in one day. Special emphasis was placed upon getting the best quality standard-definition encoding possible out of the client's HD source material.

The audio mix required that ambiance be created during segments that were only cut to music in offline. Due to a limited budget, this required a lot of creativity from Audio Mixer, Isai Espinoza. Since the filmmakers wanted a surround mix, Espinoza used the Waves 360 plugins to create a 5.1 surround environment and successfully sent the music to the rear channels without creating phase issues from stereo only music tracks. Pro Tools HD/2 and AlphaDogs extensive sound library was used to recreate ocean and beach atmosphere during the breaks between surf footage.

Rumors takes you deep inside Mexico into the world of surfing. Visits to secret spots such as the recently discovered “Lost Point” and many other secret hideaways of surf in the country are explored. For future premiere dates and to check out the trailer, go to www.RumorsTheMovie.com. Copies will also be available for purchase at www.GreenRoomSurf.com. Rumors is Directed by Mark Kronemeyer and Produced by Alistair Calderon & Mark Kronemeyer

For additional information please contact
Julie Leibovitz
(818) 456-4149
Julie(at)alphadogs.tv
www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs—Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopter's edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team at www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Post Production Battles It Out In New Series For ESPNU

2010-11-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

Burbank, CA- Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce it has completed work on the new ESPNU series The Battle. Presented by AT&T, the series will air five 30-minute shows during four straight weeks, every Thursday from November 4 to November 25, on ESPNU at 6:30pm EST.

Producer Eric Page faced extreme challenges to meet the deadlines for the show. AlphaDogs was chosen as the post facility based on their experience in providing creative and technical solutions in the fast paced world of television. Page comments; “The team at AlphaDogs is an affable bunch with top rate talent. General Manager, Paul De Cham runs a tight ship while creating an environment that makes you feel confident your production is being handled with care”. Page continues; “We are extremely pleased with the final product and would certainly be up for a second season under their roof. I would definitely take future projects to AlphaDogs. Terence Curren has a talented group and it was a great comfort to know this project was under their care”.

The tight turnaround of less than two weeks per one half hour episode necessitated a streamlined workflow. Since the client had already started editing in Final Cut Pro, the team at Alpha Dogs created a workflow with four Final Cut Pro systems on shared storage working at ProRes HQ so the locked episodes would be ready to send to Color. One of the challenges the post team faced was the wide array of mixed formats and frame rates. The majority of the footage was shot on the RED camera at 23.98-frame rate. In addition, a 7D and 5D were used at varying frame rates including 30P. The final master had to be delivered in 720P 60.

Projects can become corrupt quickly and cause delays if these types of situations are not handled efficiently. Finishing Editor Sean Stack used various proprietary techniques to convert the various footage to a common frame rate. High quality motion compensated techniques were also applied to remove the jitteriness and stuttering that can be caused with such conversions and in turn rejected by the network. Final color correction was achieved in Apple’s Color with veteran colorist Brian Hutchings at the helm. “The great thing about RED footage is the latitude available in post to pull out stunning images,” notes Hutchings.

Re-recording mixer Marcus Pardo utilized a Pro Tools HD2 system, with a plethora of plug-ins. In particular, the Waves Renaissance EQ’s and L2 limiters were used to deliver crisp dialog and a thumping soundtrack that was very important to the subject matter. Also, the Cedar DNS One is a crucial tool in his audio arsenal. With the DNS One, he was able to minimize background noise in real-time, without introducing digital artifacts. “With Pro Tools, Waves and the Cedar DNS One on my side, I can deliver exactly what clients envisioned, sonically”

The Battle is an inside look at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) marching band world. Created by Music producer, fashion designer and filmmaker Dallas Austin who was also the executive producer and music director of the movie Drumline, the series picks up where the film left off. Band Director Donovan Wells conducts no holds barred military style methods in preparing the bands’ for competition. Bands of over 300 plus are required to learn over twenty songs with dance routines, military style formations and chants in between. The bands’ hard work will culminate at the 31st annual Florida Classic that pits the two Sunshine State rivals in an end-of-the-year showdown at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando Saturday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN Classic.

•
About AlphaDogs Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Zombies and Monsters Go Post Mortem at AlphaDogs Post in New Web Series

2010-10-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production recently completed work on FEARnet’s newest web series Post Mortem With Mick Garris. Directed by Perry Martin and hosted by Master Of Horror Mick Garris, the shows focus is on horror films and other genre-related matters.

AlphaDogs Post Production completed the entire post package including color grading, online editing and the audio mix. Director Perry Martin chose AlphaDogs because he was concerned about maintaining broadcast level quality for the web series. Post Mortem is a dialogue intensive show with no music or sound effects to mask any room tone or imperfections during the interviews. Sound Mixer Isai Espinoza used Pro Tools to mix the show and Waves Renaissance Plug-Ins to equalize and compress the dialogue. Some episodes required the Cedar DNS One dialogue noise suppressor to get rid of any excess room noise and hiss. This allowed for a cleaner re-record of the final stems. Martin comments; “Working with AlphaDogs has been a very happy and satisfying experience. The team was a pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job all the way around. The series looks beautiful and sounds great”!

Post Mortem features one on one-celebrity interviews discussing a wide range of horror related topics featuring some of the biggest names in horror. Recent episodes include interviews with Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream), Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist), John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog) and Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects). Full-length episodes currently air on FEARnet on demand with shorter episodes available online. http://www.fearnet.com/shows/post_mortem/index.html

Director Perry Martin has written, produced and directed over 100 “making of” documentaries with many receiving industry awards. Martin coins himself as a “Preditor”- Writer/Producer/Director/Editor. His work on Post Mortem includes everything from beginning to end including the editing of each episode. Jim Burns and Eric Spiegelman produce Post Mortem in conjunction with Jetpack Media and Echo Lake Management.

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz at (818) 456-4149, Julie@alphadogs.tv or visit http://www.alphadogs.tv

•

About AlphaDogs Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506. Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

K-Ci & JoJo Come Clean at AlphaDogs Post in New Reality Series

2010-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce completion of the new reality show K-Ci and JoJo Come Clean. Completely non-scripted and raw, the nine episode series examines the duo's hard road back to sobriety combining intense medical treatments, physical training, and spiritual therapy. The show airs on TVOne beginning October 19th at 9:00 EST with two back to back episodes.

Executive Producer, Carl Craig chose AlphaDogs post to do the post production on the show due to the tight budget and time constraints. Facilities Manager Paul DeCham comments; “Due to budgetary constraints between the client and the network, this project was a real challenge. But in typical fashion, we were able to both satisfy the client and network with a quality "look" for a very reasonable cost”.

A unique challenge presented itself during post-production when a dead pixel was discovered on one of the cameras used throughout production. All shots from this camera had to be repaired by finishing editor Sean Stack who used a special filter to seamlessly fill in the dead pixel area. Stack comments; “Being able to overcome production challenges in post makes for a rewarding experience as an editor. We kept the client happy and delivered a perfect master on time to the network”. Keeping a consistent and thorough workflow for the audio mix during the short turnaround time was also a challenge. Audio mixer, Isai Espinoza used the Waves Noise Reduction and Cedar DNS One plug-ins to reduce hiss and remove crackling and popping that can be introduced during production. Espinoza comments; “Facing time constraints, the use of Waves compression, equalization, and other tools on a Pro Tools HD2 system allowed me to stay within budgetary guidelines, fix any problems, and deliver a fine polish to the sound”.

In the series, a camera team follows R&B artists K-Ci and JoJo for 30 days beginning at the Prometa Treatment Center where they receive shots 3 times a day to reduce the urge to drink. Based loosely around the AA 12 step program, the show chronicles the determination and strong measures being taken to stay sober. Apologies to babies mamas and a visit to a funeral home to view the sobering reality on where a life of alcoholism can end, are just a few of the realities visited in the series. To assist in their recovery, there will be appearances by Pastor Jamal Bryant, R&B legend Charlie Wilson, actress and celebrity life stylist A.J. Johnson, recording industry mogul André Harrell, and their Jodeci band mate, Devante Swing.

K-Ci and Jo Jo Come Clean is produced by Executive Producer, Carl Craig of Ultra Wave Vision Productions in conjunction with the group’s manager, Damon Jones.

•

About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs Attack Extinction of Big Cats in Kenya

2010-10-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce completion of full post services on the 50-minute docufilm Lion Warriors that will air during National Geographic’s Big Cat Week in December. Produced by Erik and Kire Godal, the programming event is part of The Big Cat Initiative launched by the National Geographic Society, to create global public awareness in preventing extinction of the big cat population in Kenya by the year 2030 - as predicted by experts.

AlphaDogs is proud to have been chosen as the facility to complete the film finishing and audio. In addition, a main title design was created to go along with the theme of the docufilm. Senior Animator Russell Frazier comments; "The idea was to show the lions and Maasai warriors at the same time, but never together. They are in conflict, so a collision course was suggested by having both on the move, but one as a high-contrast element through which we see the other. The intense colors and pacing were guided by Erik Godal's music, that contained location audio of the warriors in action."

Lion Warriors focuses on the conflict between the semi nomadic Maasai tribe and the survival of the lion population in Kenya. The Maasai depend on cattle as their primary source of food and currency. As a patriarchal warrior tribe, it’s customary for young men to hunt a lion as a rite of passage in becoming a warrior. Increased populations in once wild areas, along with recent droughts have also forced the cats to prey on the tribe’s cattle herds. Retaliation is persecution by death to the big cats.

Erik Godal comments. “Education and awareness is going to be the key in changing the culture of the Maasai before the big cat population is wiped out”. To educate the tribe on the financial alternative the MPT (Maasai Land Preservation Trust) also produced an educational film titled We Don’t Kill Lions Anymore (made by Kire Godal) that creates awareness on the reimbursement the tribesmen can receive for any cattle that are killed by lions. Founded by Richard Bonham and Tom Hill, the MPT works in conjunction with Living with Lions, a research and conversation group that works in Kenya’s unprotected areas to save wild lions.

AlphaDogs Post was the Godal’s choice after learning of some notable documentaries the facility had previously worked on. Godal comments, “We were pressed for time and I needed everything done under one roof as efficiently as possible. AlphaDogs provided a professional environment with personable service and delivered a great finished product. Everything I do from here on out will be with AlphaDogs”.

Lion Warriors is produced by the sister and brother team of Erik Godal (Producer, Music Composer) and Kire Godal (Director, Writer, Editor). They divided forces, and made the film in a 5-month window to meet their September 1st deadline for Nat Geo WILD. Original Godal Productions produces ethnographic wildlife films and expects more to come on Lion Warriors. Learn more at erikgodal.com.

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz at 818.456.4149 or address an email to Julie(at)alphadogs.tv or visit www.alphadogs.tv

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About AlphaDogs Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters' edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Alien Abductions at AlphaDogs Post Production

2010-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Burbank, CA—Aliens have landed at AlphaDogs Post Production in the new horror film Grey Skies. Written and produced by husband and wife team Stacey Jorgenson and Mark Reilly at Little Engine Films, the story is about a group of friends reuniting at a rural lake cabin. Strange disappearances begin to happen, as they become victims of alien abductions. To learn more visit www.greyskiesmovie.com

Stacy and Mark approached AlphaDogs initially to complete color correction on the film. The duo was so pleased with both the consistency and quality of the work as well as the professionalism of the staff that they decided to post the entire film at the facility. “I came to Alpha Dogs in tears” Jorgenson comments, “The audio had so many problems and we were up against the deadline for our premiere. What seemed like complex problems that couldn’t be fixed in time were simplified and we made our delivery date”.

AlphaDogs worked around the clock to complete the entire audio mix and design. Audio mixer Marcus Pardo utilized a Pro Tools HD2 system, with a plethora of plug-ins. In particular, the Waves Diamond Bundle, Waves 360, Cedar DNS One, and the Waves Dorrough Meter Surround Edition allowed Marcus to keep the final mix entirely in the Pro Tools realm. Pardo comments, "I love the Wave Diamond Bundle for the EQ's and Compression. The Waves 360 has a great sounding 5.1 surround reverb for the sound design elements. Furthermore, I believe that the Cedar DNS One is truly heaven sent, for the way it attacks hissy noisy production dialogue and the ease to automate every setting in Pro Tools”. Shared Terrablock storage integrated the picture and the audio seamlessly expediting the delivery, saving both time and money.

Colorist Brian Hutchings quickly interpreted the vision of the suspense needed for the alien abductions in one of AlphaDog’s finishing suites, that integrates the Tangent 200 panels with Apple’s Color application. Brian’s craftsmanship as a colorist allowed him to augment the story visually giving the images the tension needed to create the eeriness surrounding alien abductions.

“We felt that AlphaDogs was our home away from home during the arduous 15 plus hour days”. Jorgensen said. “AlphaDogs will definitely be my first call for post production on future projects”. Grey Skies has been selected for the Sante Fe Independent Film Festival October 19-29th, 2010. Little Engine Films has 3 films in development and currently securing financing. To learn more visit www.littleenginefilms.com

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz at 818.456.4149 or address an email to Julie(at)alphadogs.tv or visit www.alphadogs.tv

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About AlphaDogs Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters' edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—including editing, color correction, 5.1 audio, motion graphics, visual effects, DVDs, media transfers, duplication, production offices, and system rentals with 24/7 tech support.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs has End of the World Encounter in Burbank

2008-08-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Leading Burbank post house AlphaDogs has announced that it was chosen to provide post services for the critically acclaimed Werner Herzog movie Encounters at the End of the World which is currently in theatres nationwide.

CEO & Founder of AlphaDogs Terence Curren comments, “We provided all online editing and color timing for this project in our Burbank facility. Our colorist Brian Hutchings was able to achieve exactly the look the client wanted in our newest color correction suite.”

Brian Hutchings, AlphaDogs Colorist added “Color Correction for Encounters at the End of the World was all done in house at AlphaDogs using the Apple Final Cut Studio Color package. AlphaDogs installed Color along with the optional Tangent operator panels which really gives the feel of the Da Vinci System I’m used to. Color worked throughout the sessions without fault and allowed us to achieve the exact look required.”

Written, directed and narrated by Herzog for the National Science Foundation, Encounters is a never before seen glance at a hidden South Pole society. It documents the lives of 1,000 men and women living in close quarters in physically and psychologically challenging circumstances to further the goals of cutting edge science. The film exposes the psyches of this diverse clan while capturing the treacherous beauty of the Antarctic landscape and below water world.

Encounters has been honored with an Oscar® Nomination for Best Documentary Feature. The film has been shown at numerous festivals and won Best Documentary at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and a Jury Mention at the Planet Doc Review Festival in Warsaw. Encounters was voted one of Time Magazine's Top Ten Movies of 2008.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Bogdanovich ﬁnishes Tom Petty DVD at AlphaDogs

2008-06-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Runnin' Down a Dream project completed with additional Early Years sequences

AlphaDogs has announced that producer/director Peter Bogdanovich has just completed additional sequences for the new DVD release of his acclaimed epic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream at their Burbank facility. AlphaDogs also finished the original DVD version released last year by Warner Bros. Records.

The nearly 4 hour long documentary chronicling the 30-year career of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, continues to receive praise for not only its content but the pacing, which makes it feel half its length while taking a leisurely stroll through the years in exclusive footage of the band and abundant interviews with numerous other music legends. The new footage further enhances a work already showing signs of becoming a classic.

CEO & Founder of AlphaDogs Terence Curren comments, “This was a very prestigious project from the outset and something we were delighted to have here at AlphaDogs. Peter (Bogdanovich) has just ﬁnished adding some additional scenes to the DVD completed in the fall of 2007. These include Tom Petty in his early years with Mudcrutch and will be added as special features to the DVD package.”

AlphaDogs provided all ofﬂine and online HD ﬁnishing work for the original DVD project completed in September 2007. Two of the companyʼs ofﬂine FCP suites were in use constantly for 12 months before the project moved into an online FCP suite for HD ﬁnishing.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Digital Service Station expands to San Francisco

2006-01-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

In another move aimed at keeping AlphaDogs "ahead of the pack", the San Francisco branch of their Digital Service Station opened this week at Lee Miller's Miller Film and Video.

Lee Miller will manage AlphaDogs' San Francisco branch of the Digital Service Station™, which will offer a full range of services in addition to the Digital Service Station input and output service. DSS offers a Kinkos-like service for capture from expensive acquisition formats direct to the Avid or Final Cut Pro media format required for editing. The end user takes the files away, edits and brings the final media back to DSS for output back to tape.

The San Francisco branch parallels the Burbank office and offers Avid Media Composer, Adrenaline and Apple Final Cut Pro editing suites; standards conversions for NTSC and PAL masters, and broadcast rentals, including Avids, Digital Betacam and HDcam formats. Its international standards conversions are among the best in the San Francisco area, featuring Snell & Wilcox motion compensated serial digital processing.

Miller Film and Video is located at 38 Keyes Ave, San Francisco. The Burbank location is in AlphaDogs' facility at 1612 W. Olive Ave, Burbank.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

Digital Service Station completes work on Indepedents and Series

2006-01-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Burbank facility completes post for That Man: Peter Berlin, A Cigar at the Beach, and History Channel's Where Did It Come From?

AlphaDogs' DSS Burbank facility recently completed post on the 15-minute short film, A Cigar at the Beach, by filmmaker Stephen Keep Mills that peeks into the mid-life male psyche. DSS work included cleaning the film and roll out flashes, color timing and audio/sound mixing. The project was output to D5 for final delivery. A Cigar at the Beach debuts at the Syracuse International Film Festival in April.

Mills said, "I cannot praise AlphaDogs enough. They're so capable and as an independent filmmaker I was pleased that AlphaDogs could work within my budget."

To prepare for theatrical and international distribution of his documentary, That Man: Peter Berlin, Jim Tushinksi chose AlphaDogs' DSS to create a new master. Tushinksi had to create new end credits and replace the entire soundtrack with a new mix. DSS digitized the end credits and sent it to Tushinksi on a Firewire drive, which allowed him to work on his own system and perfect the sequence. When he was done, AlphaDogs' DSS staff inserted the new sequence, replaced and synched up the new mix, created a new master, and coordinated making the numerous dubs in different formats that Tushinksi's distributors required.

"I chose AlphaDogs' DSS for my project because of the variety and flexibility of services they offered. I needed a combination of self-service and full-service. AlphaDogs came through," said Tushinksi.

Recent DSS television projects include media transfers for the History Channel's Where Did It Come From?, a project brought by MODS studio. AlphaDogs' captured elements for MODS compositing and 3D modeling work. Modeling included ancient Greek and Roman bridges, roads, ships and stadiums.

Often working on an overnight or next-day deadline, DSS would receive MODS' files and transfer them to HDCAM tape for final post. DSS also stored and made duplicates of MODS' files and media.

Ian Robinson, MODS CEO said, "AlphaDogs' Digital Service Station handled our projects with utmost attention to detail and provided us with excellent customer service."

AlphaDogs Finishes "Ben Hur" & "Unbearable Lightness" DVDs

2005-12-07T17:01:00.001-08:00

AlphaDogs Inc. announced that it has completed work on two DVD projects for Leva FilmWorks, Ben Hur Collector's Edition four-disc set and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. AlphaDogs finished post for the main titles, graphics and color correction.

Work on The Unbearable Lightness of Being DVD (Filmed in 1988 starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Juliette Binoche) included animating parts of the Emotional Memory documentary. Russell Frazier, AlphaDogs vice president of graphics technologies, chose reflection as a visual motif from the film and animated scenes from the movie in spinning, reflected panels that pass by like fleeting memories.

The Ben Hur DVD starring Charlton Heston includes documentaries, audio commentary and other special features. Frazier's graphic work on this project included slowing and separating the iconic image of the chariot in motion from the film and presenting it against the monumental, frescoed style of the film's titles.

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AlphaDogs Onlines TLC's "Bringing Home Baby"

2005-11-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

AlphaDogs Inc. announced that Norsemen Television Productions LLC and The Learning Channel (TLC) contracted the studio to online Bringing Home Baby, a reality series that documents parents' first 36 hours at home with their new baby.

Bringing Home Baby requires multiple work stations for media capture, online color correction and total conform from Avid® offlined shows. To streamline the video online process, AlphaDogs opted to use a shared storage solution to stay on schedule and within budget for the 60 episode series.

The post-house draws on the advanced storage solutions of TerraBlock™ from Facilis. TerraBlock is a virtual-volume, high-performance SAN solution that combines intelligent drive management software with lower-cost SATA drive technology and dedicated optical fiber channel connectivity.

AlphaDogs uses TerraBlock because of its cross platform compatibility with Apple and PCs and its raid protection for mission critical media. In addition, all users can have access to common elements such as graphics and series specific effects bins by setting up a simple file/volume structure. It is possible to simultaneously online one episode while another episode is being captured and prepped.

Even with AlphaDogs' Fibre patch bay moving content between local storage drives, it takes approximately 15 minutes for transfer. Multiply 15 minutes by the number of times per day media needs to be shared and the cost in man and machine hours adds up quickly, not to mention downing two rooms for 15 minutes to swap media cuts into productive editing time.

The Bringing Home Baby type of workflow would not be practical in a local storage environment where it is necessary to power down computers and drives in order to move media between different systems.

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Alpha Expansion

2005-10-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Burbank post-production studio AlphaDogs has enhanced its post-production capabilities with a second online audio bay, bringing the studio's total full-mix edit bays to five. Each audio bay runs on an AppleR Power Mac G5 with dual 2 Ghz processors and includes Pro Tools HD2 Accel, Waves Platinum Bundle Plug-In Pack, Dynaudio 5.1 Monitoring Systems (speakers) and Dorrough Metering 50 inch Sony HD televisions.

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Reality TV Keeping AlphaDogs Busy

2005-05-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

AlphaDogs has been busy providing online services for a number of popular reality series produced and directed by Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc. American Chopper, American Hot-Rod and Southern Steel all air on the Discovery Channel and were onlined at the facility. American Chopper also gave AlphaDogs the opportunity to showcase its audio bay, which the company added in late 2004. The studio mixed and sweetened the audio for the show in the new bay.

Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, headed the projects, which were posted using a combination of Avid Symphony and Adobe After Effects.

American Chopper is a reality show that follows the various business and social activities of a father/son custom chopper building team of Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. AlphaDogs posted the episodes Jr. vs. Sr. and Mikey Special. Both were finished in standard definition, though the programs were shot in both SD and HD.

American Hot Rod looks at the business of custom hot rod builder Boyd Coddington and his crew. Pilgrim Films normally edits the show in-house but turned to AlphaDogs for online edits and color correction due to a very tight deadline with the series' schedule.

Southern Steel focuses on a Virginia-based shop that creates custom motorcycles. Russell Frazier, VP of graphics technologies for AlphaDogs, created the opening titles for Southern Steel and designed graphics treatments used throughout the program. Curren led online finishing and says the biggest challenge for AlphaDogs' editing team was color-correcting the episodes.

"All of Southern Steel was shot on location in the garage or outdoors," Curren explains. "With many of the frames illuminated only by ambient lighting, we had to adjust for different outdoor/indoor environments, times of day and camera angles. Moreover, Southern Steel was shot using a combination of Mini DV and DVCAM cameras, which don't give the same range of color information to work with as higher-end cameras."

Set to premier this spring on Discovery, Dry Dock was shot in the Bahamas and documents a cruise ship makeover. Frazier created the show's opening graphics. AlphaDogs' sound editors also worked on the show.

The studio is also posting Ghost Hunters (NBC/Sci Fi Channel), The Ultimate Fighter (Spike TV), and the upcoming VH1 reality series Strip Search.
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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs completes Post work on Sports DVDs

2004-11-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed post-production work on five Nouveau Richards Productions sports-themed DVDs: Athens 2004 Olympic Games Gymnastics, 2004 U.S. Open, 2004 U.S. Women’s Open, 2004 U.S. Senior Open and The Best of Stars on Ice: Volume 3.

AlphaDogs editors worked closely with Tony Richards, director and producer at Nouveau Richards Productions, to ensure all five projects were completed as quickly as possible, while still maintaining the highest level of post-production quality control.

“Schedule wise, the Olympics video and golf videos were extremely demanding projects,” said Richards. “Part of that was due to the short turnaround time, but also to the volume of material that we had to sift through. We had to watch endless hours of the events and digitize it all to make sense. For the Olympics gymnastics video, we were writing scripts on a daily basis, as we didn’t have the luxury of waiting until after the events were over to tell our story. The Olympics gymnastics video was being advertised on NBC’s telecast and Web site while the games were going on.”

Richards entrusted AlphaDogs as his one-stop post-production and finishing studio. The editors at AlphaDogs were responsible for all offline, online, color correction and design work.

“Our team excelled in pulling together to meet the creative and scheduling challenges presented by this project,” said Sharon Nichols Bourassa, COO of AlphaDogs. “Our artists displayed their abilities by contributing to various parts of the process. I’m proud to say that the combined efforts resulted in the client walking away confident in the knowledge and talent of the post team at AlphaDogs.”

Continued Richards, “AlphaDogs attacked the projects from every possible angle. Rather than act like many conventional post-production houses that sit there and log the amount of hours, what machines were used, how many copies and dubs were made, they apply their entire team to every facet of the project to ensure the highest quality and to make sure that every single deadline is met on time. I had assistance in every facet of the production.”

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AlphaDogs completes Bonus Materials for Star Wars Trilogy DVD Boxed Set

2004-09-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Leva FilmWorks Featurettes present never-before-seen interviews and footage from Star Wars Trilogy

Leva FilmWorks, Inc., a full-service entertainment and production company specializing in DVD special features and cinema-themed documentaries, today announced the completion of documentary work on the upcoming Star Wars Trilogy DVD, scheduled for release on September 21.

Included in the Star Wars Trilogy four-disc boxed set are three featurettes by Leva FilmWorks: The Birth of the Lightsaber, The Characters of Star Wars and The Force is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars. Each title features interviews with members of the cast and crew, including George Lucas, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, as well as never-before-seen footage and images from each of the original three episodes. The company also produced three new Star Wars audio commentaries featuring George Lucas and Carrie Fisher, among others.

“Making the Star Wars featurettes was a treat for me,” said Gary Leva, president of Leva FilmWorks. “So many of the motifs and characters in these films are part of world culture now… I think fans are really going to enjoy learning where they came from. There are definitely some fun surprises in there.”

Leva and his production company, Leva FilmWorks, have worked with Lucasfilm on more than a dozen projects, from the acclaimed mockumentary R2-D2: Beneath the Dome to bonus material and audio commentaries for the current Star Wars DVDs, Episodes I and II. The company has also produced documentaries and DVD special features for such studios as Warner Home Video and MGM.

For the Star Wars Trilogy DVD, Leva FilmWorks worked closely with AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio headquartered in Burbank. Leva entrusted AlphaDogs as his one-stop finishing and design studio. AlphaDogs was responsible for all online color correcting as well as design work, including the main titles in the Star Wars featurettes.

“Working with AlphaDogs was a big help on these projects. The schedule was very tight and there were last-minute changes, so I needed an online facility that was flexible enough and versatile enough to handle whatever challenges came up,” said Leva. “The entire AlphaDogs team is great, but the bottom line for me is always the quality of the final product—and Terry Curren is the most talented colorist I’ve ever worked with.

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AlphaDogs Launches Digital Service Station

2004-07-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Digital Service Station™ aims to be the Kinko’s℠ of the entertainment industry

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced the launch of Digital Service Station™, a new division that will provide post-production professionals with the tools and services needed to complete their projects on time and on budget.

Digital Service Station offers editors a new solution to importing and exporting their material from tape to hard drive and back to tape. This competitive new alternative to renting editing equipment or hiring assistants will change the way the industry operates today.

Digital Service Station will serve as a digitizing or export solution for editors with limited equipment, time and/or budgets. The new division provides the latest cutting-edge editing equipment—from Avid® to Final Cut Pro®. Clients will save a significant amount of time and money, whether they prefer to digitize material themselves or have Digital Service Station’s experts handle the tasks.

Digital Service Station will offer the following services:

Hourly and daily station rentals

Drive rental and sales

Tape to drive (OMF, QuickTime®, Windows Media®, etc.)

Drive output to tape

Drop-off and next day pick-up

Drop-off and pick-up with one-light color correction

Assistant editor services available upon request

Tim Graser, executive producer at AlphaDogs, will head the new division.

“Today’s post-production community is filled with talented editors who are working independently or in small teams. This means they usually have limited equipment to work with or are on tight deadlines to deliver the finished project,” said Graser. “By launching Digital Service Station, AlphaDogs will enable editors to focus their attention on the more creative aspects of their project and leave the busy work to us.”

AlphaDogs completes Post Work on full-length Motion Picture

2004-06-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Company completely remasters "Interview With Terror"

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed post-production work on Interview With Terror, a full-length feature film.

Interview With Terror, created and produced by Biotone Productions, centers around a journalist who plans to “get the story of a lifetime” from a mysterious author. The author relates three stories—each a study in horror—before revealing his own evil nature.

The film is being released in DVD format and will be available in selected retail outlets nationwide.

AlphaDogs completely remastered Interview With Terror, including audio re-recording and sweetening, color correction, and dirt and scratch removal. In addition, the company prepared the film for distribution by creating DVD menus and added features for consumer viewers.

“AlphaDogs continues to build its reputation as the post house of choice for a number of production companies,” said Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs. “We are pleased that the market continues to recognize that we are a full-service post-production facility, capable of handling a wide range of media properties, whether they be commercials, corporate presentations, television shows or feature films.”

AlphaDogs to host Editors' Lounge Events

2004-03-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Industry gurus meet to discuss the future of production, post-production, new products and trends

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” is hosting an ongoing series of Editors’ Lounge events, designed to help professionals in the production and post-production industries exchange ideas, discuss trends and learn about new technologies.

Editors’ Lounge events, free and open to editors and other industry professionals, are usually held at 7 p.m. on the last Friday of each month. To RSVP or learn about the next event, visit the Editors’ Lounge website.

The popularity of the Editors’ Lounge has grown rapidly since AlphaDogs began the events in fall of 2003. The gatherings provide an informal environment for discussion, and allow editors to have their questions addressed objectively—without a sales pitch.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs chosen for Big Time Post Work

2004-01-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Post house on- and offlines episodes for WB show

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” has been selected to complete post-production work on Steve Harvey’s Big Time, a talk/variety show for the WB Television Network.

“When I work with AlphaDogs, I never have to worry about a thing,” said Steve Goldsby, post-production supervisor for Steve Harvey’s Big Time. “They are so good at what they do.”

The AlphaDogs team, led by President Terence Curren, has been chosen for post-production work on 12 episodes of the show. Curren and his colleagues are completing all of the “finishing work” for Steve Harvey’s Big Time, including color correction and titling of the show.

According to Curren, “Before AlphaDogs’ involvement, episodes were taken to tape-to-tape color correction, which made it difficult to maintain the tight timeline for production of Steve Harvey’s Big Time. AlphaDogs is able to save the team time and money by color correcting in Avid Symphony and applying last-minute changes without difficulty.”

Curren and Goldsby have a longstanding working relationship, most recently working together on Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! for TBS.

“Steve is an expert in the industry and a true professional—we are thrilled to be working with him on Steve Harvey’s Big Time,” noted Curren.

AlphaDogs completes Post-Production work on Little Alvin

2004-01-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Feature-length DVD from Bagdasarian Productions shot and edited in high-definition

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed work on Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks, a groundbreaking emotional-learning DVD for children created by Bagdasarian Productions.

Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was filmed and edited entirely in high-definition, then was downconverted to standard definition for distribution. “AlphaDogs was the right post house for this project,” said Jerry Rees, director of the project and former director and writer for Disney. “At AlphaDogs, this project isn’t just a number and a name—we get personal attention and I know that they’re not going to drop the ball.”

Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, and Russell Frazier, vice president of graphics, worked extensively to perfect Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks to ensure that it met the high standards of other Bagdasarian Production projects. Frazier rotoscoped a number of elements in Commotion, eliminating rods on puppets that appear in the video and in one scene, entirely eliminating an onscreen character.

“Terry and the AlphaDogs team went out of their way to make Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks amazing,” noted Rees. “They cared about the quality of our project as much as we did. They displayed a real sense of pride in their craft, which elevated the final product. Working with them was a great experience.”

During the post-production process, Rees created entire scenes in Adobe After Effects that would normally be done in a dedicated animation program. He worked closely with AlphaDogs as he completed the complex effects sequences, which sometimes exceeded 300 layers, resulting in what Curren called “incredible animation.”

“Our talented crew has years of experience working with high-definition projects, which helped us deliver the finished project quickly and to meet the budget requirements of Bagdasarian Productions,” said Curren. “In addition to our team’s talent, we are committed to keeping abreast of the latest technologies, enabling AlphaDogs to provide the best post-production solutions in the industry. We are honored to have been chosen to complete post-production work for Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks.”

Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was created and written by Janice Karman and produced by Ross Bagdasarian. The DVD, which stars the Chipmunks and Chipettes as preschoolers, includes six new songs and combines puppetry, live action and computer animation. Karman and Bagdasarian provided the voices for the Chipmunks and Chipettes, as they have for the past 23 years.

Already, the DVD is proving to be hugely popular with parents and children. The Bagdasarian Productions team worked with noted child psychologists to ensure that a number of lessons—including telling the truth, sharing and sibling rivalry—are age-appropriate and presented honestly and directly. “The response has been absolutely incredible!” noted Bagdasarian.

AlphaDogs' work for Century Council wins Freddie Award

2003-10-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” announced that it has helped one of its clients win an International Health & Medical Media Award, known as the Freddie Award.

For the past 29 years, the awards have been given by MediMedia, one of the world’s leading providers of healthcare educational materials and services. The competition’s goal is to celebrate excellence in the healthcare field; each year, the Freddies attract documentaries, series, shorts, videos, Web sites and CD-ROMs from around the world.

AlphaDogs was responsible for all offline and online post-production work for the winning CD in the Health and Wellness category. The CD, titled Alcohol 101 Plus, was created by the Century Council of Washington, D.C., to help students make responsible decisions about alcohol use. The project was chosen for a Freddie Award over a number of other major competitors, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and NBC’s Dateline.

“We worked extensively on the Alcohol 101 Plus CD to ensure that it both looked spectacular, and that it had the kind of ‘feel’ that would appeal to young people,” said Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs and the project’s lead editor. “We congratulate the Century Council for winning this award, and are pleased to have played a part in helping them achieve this goal.

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Alpha Dogs completes Post on two films for ACI

2003-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

AlphaDogs’ online expertise with Avid Symphony cut post-production costs and editing time in bay

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it recently completed online post-production work on two American Cinema International (ACI) projects: Hatchetman, a horror film, and Wildfire, a documentary film about smokejumpers.

AlphaDogs took full advantage of Avid® Symphony™’s Universal online editing power to color correct, conduct dirt fixes, titling and assembly for both films. The AlphaDogs team worked closely with the producers, directors of photography (DP) and post-production technical supervisors of each project to ensure the unique challenges and technical problems that each project presented were quickly addressed and corrected.

Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, was the lead editor for each project and worked closely with both post-production teams to ensure the online post process was completed on time and on budget. “At AlphaDogs, our commitment to client satisfaction is always the top priority,” said Curren. “We strive to exceed our clients’ expectations every time we go to work on a project—be it a feature film or other project meant for television or cable.”

Adam Bennett, post-production technical supervisor for Hatchetman, noted, “The primary reason we chose to online in Symphony was due to its ability to produce the cleanest masters in both NTSC and PAL formats. In addition, working in Symphony allowed us to globally color correct for both formats from one master.” Bennett also added, “Terry and the AlphaDogs team turned us into Symphony fans. After watching them work for five minutes, it was clear that we were working with experienced Symphony editors; they showed us tricks that we didn’t think were possible within Symphony.”

According to Bennett, the entire online process for Hatchetman was completed faster than expected. Bennett allotted three to five days for color correction on Symphony—the same time as he normally gives for working on film. To his surprise, AlphaDogs completed the project faster than expected and, according to Bennett, “the final product came out looking better than he expected.”

For the ACI documentary Wildfire, AlphaDogs was responsible for ingesting digi beta masters for the final conform, color timing and correction, as well as titling. The entire post-production process was executed within Symphony and was completed within a week.

Arnold Peterson, director of photography and associate producer for Wildfire, said, “As a cinematographer used to working in the chemical medium [film], I found the flexibility of the system [Symphony] quite astounding. This was a multi-media project combining video and film masters, and the entire post-production team was quite pleased with the rhythm of the project.”

Peterson continued, “After sitting in the room with Terry on the Symphony, I knew something was different. I was not expecting 75 percent of what the Symphony was capable of doing. Having the kind of flexibility in post on a Symphony system in the capable hands of the folks at AlphaDogs brings great comfort to a cameraman who had always in the past felt constrained by the limitations of video.”

AlphaDogs Marks New Territory

2003-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Growth forces second move in company's first year

After only a year in business, Burbank-based post house AlphaDogs has expanded for a second time. The newest spurt adds a third Avid Symphony, rentable production space and ups the total square footage to 5,000.

President Terence Curren cites continued rampant growth and a desire to future-proof the company so they can evolve without having to move yet again.

"We started with two small Symphony rooms in 800-square-feet," recalls Curren, who says the company was 'forced' to move to its current location six months after opening in 2002.

Sitting in the shadows of the Warner Brothers and Disney studios, AlphaDogs has made its name posting television series but Curren says commercial work is increasing steadily.

Recent assignments include spots for Stitch! The Movie, the Lilo & Stitch Series and Fillmore for Walt Disney Television Animation, and a campaign of 10 :30's for the Stater Brothers grocery chain through Heartland Media.

AlphaDogs' two-person motion graphic and branding team has completed design and animation work for, MTV Productions' Tough Enough series, Terra Nova for the Discovery Channel and various promos for The WB.

In addition to the Symphony's the AlphaDogs arsenal includes an Avid Meridien Media Composer, Avid Adrenaline, five Avid Xpress and four Final Cut Pro systems. The graphics department runs After Effects, Commotion and Combustion.

Curren says it was the plunging cost of these post toys - a Symphony edit bay can run one-tenth the cost of its linear on-line predecessor - and the goal to stress talent over tech that lead to the formation of AlphaDogs. "I really don't see a big future for large facilities," says Curren.

AlphaDogs completes Ad Campaign for Stater Bros.

2003-04-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Post-production studio lends creative, technical expertise to commercials for major grocery chain

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed post-production work on a series of television commercials for Stater Bros., one of the largest privately held chains of grocery stores in the U.S.

The advertising campaign, with the tagline An American Tradition, consists of ten 30-second television spots that emphasize the quality of the grocery store’s offerings as well as its low prices.

In the past, Stater Bros. had created its ads on film; this series was the first shot entirely in high-definition (HD) digital using Sony’s 24P camera. After the segments were created, Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, helped them save money and time in the post-production process.

“We decided to edit the new spots at AlphaDogs because of their stellar reputation, and I must say it speaks for itself,” said Lisa Shanks Thomas, executive producer and owner of Heartland Media Productions, which directed and produced the commercials. “Everyone was very professionals and helpful, but with a relaxed atmosphere. Terence Curren is a terrific editor and was immensely knowledgeable in the 24P environment. We consider AlphaDogs at the top of our list.”

According to Curren, Stater Bros. originally planned to have AlphaDogs do HD online editing, which is quite expensive. “When I spoke with them,” said Curren, “I discovered that the final product was to be delivered in standard definition—they shot the ads in HD only to get the ‘film look.’ I suggested that we down-convert the master tapes and do the work in Avid® Symphony™.”

Because of the speed necessary to complete the ads, Curren used Symphony to edit both offline and online uncompressed. “Because AlphaDogs has three terabytes of storage available, it’s no problem to have all the media online.”

As always, Curren’s team used its creative and technical experience to provide the client with an outstanding finished product. “One spot needed to go from an ‘old film’ look to current day,” explained Curren. “AlphaDogs used a combination of sepia toning and Boris Continuum’s Film Damage plug-in. We didn’t need to fake the film motion, as the source was 24P. After AlphaDogs cut the spots to the clients satisfaction, we used Symphony’s color corrector to achieve a final look that the director was happy with.”

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About AlphaDogs Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs continues to attract New Clients, experience Record Growth

2002-12-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

Post-production house chosen to put the finishing touches on popular television shows and refine business presentations

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” continues to gain momentum in Hollywood with a string of impressive projects for cable television and major business organizations.

Today’s news follows last month’s announcement that AlphaDogs had been selected for post-production work on MTV’s Tough Enough. Founded earlier this year, AlphaDogs has experienced rapid success and a growing client base in just months.

“Our challenge is to make each finished project match the director’s and producer’s vision,” said Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs. “Thanks to the technical expertise and creative vision of the AlphaDogs team, we believe that AlphaDogs is producing some of the highest-quality work in Hollywood. Our continued growth shows that production companies, entertainment studios and businesses think so, too.”

The projects were led by Curren and Russell Frazier, senior designer/animator at AlphaDogs. The majority of graphics and effects were created using Avid® Symphony™ and Adobe® After Effects®.

Television Projects
House Hunters and Weekend Warriors (Home and Garden) — AlphaDogs completed all finishing elements for these two popular television programs, including online editing, color correction, and creation of titles and credits.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! (TBS) — Curren has edited Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! since its inception three years ago. Woodridge Productions, producers of Ripley’s, continue to trust AlphaDogs with the complex post-production process. The show incorporates digital, filmed and still images of varying quality levels, including archived footage from the Ripley’s vault. AlphaDogs must make sure that every image looks perfect and help the show deliver its trademark punch. Curren makes extensive use of Avid Symphony effects and numerous third-party effects plug-ins to achieve the show’s distinctive look.

Worst Case Scenario (TBS) — Woodridge Productions, the group behind the highly successful Ripley’s Believe it or Not! has recently taken over production of Worst Case Scenario, a show based on the popular book series. Woodridge assigned the post-production work to Alpha Dogs based on Curren’s Ripley’s expertise. For Worst Case Scenario, AlphaDogs is responsible for such effects as heavy graphics layering and color correction.

Organizational Projects
Cedars-Sinai — AlphaDogs edited a promotional video announcing plans for the S. Mark Taper Imaging Center, to be part of world-renowned medical facility Cedars-Sinai. The final project, which incorporated a number of diverse file formats, was imported into and edited in Avid Symphony and ultimately output to digital video.

Ernst & Young — AlphaDogs completed three Ernst & Young projects. The first was the prestigious 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards video presentation, which AlphaDogs completed in less than three weeks. The presentation was approximately an hour in length, and was created and edited entirely in Avid, with graphics imported from Adobe After Effects. In addition, AlphaDogs completed work on two Ernst & Young presentations. For one of the presentations, AlphaDogs color-corrected, titled and had the audio mastered in Symphony in just two days. The presentation ran approximately 10 minutes and was used by Ernst & Young as a testimonial video for a major media organization.

Lexani Wheel Corporation — AlphaDogs completed a 12-minute demonstration tape for this luxury alloy wheel manufacturer. The tape, for display at trade shows and in retail outlets, was finished in just three days to meet Lexani’s deadline. AlphaDogs used a combination of online and offline editing to incorporate numerous effects and graphics, as well as color-correct the project.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.

AlphaDogs is Tough Enough for MTV

2002-11-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Post-production studio selected to design main titles
for MTV and WWE’s Tough Enough third season

AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed work on the main titles for the third season of Tough Enough, a production of MTV and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Tough Enough currently airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on MTV.

AlphaDogs spent nearly a month creating two versions of the main title opening for Tough Enough as well as the show’s bumpers. The result of AlphaDogs’ work is a rapid collage of wrestling action that also highlights the personalities of this season’s contestants. Inspired by the gritty, rough “feel” of the show, AlphaDogs proposed a concept in which images would tear away to reveal the next image.

The lead designer on the project was Russell Frazier, senior animator/designer at AlphaDogs. The finished composites were created in uncompressed video using Adobe® After Effects®.

In the past, members of the AlphaDogs team have worked on other MTV productions, including MTV’s Road Rules, ABC’s Making the Band and MTV’s The Osbournes.

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About AlphaDogs

Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the ﬁrst post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.

AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.

Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.