SYSTEMS

VTR Beirut, a joint venture between the London-based group VTR plc and Integrated Media Industries SAL, is on the verge of becoming the first and only high-end post facility in the Middle East. Responding to a marked rise in demand for post-production work in the region, it will be ensuring the same top-of-the-line quality, services and creative talent and professionalism as any major European post house -- at significantly lower cost for regional filmmakers. "Thanks to VTR Beirut, the way of thinking in the post business will be revolutionized," said Mr. Youssef Ayoub, managing director of VTR Beirut SAL. "Not only will VTR Beirut serve to improve industry standards, but it could also set off a quality and quantity leap in all types of film-making in the region, including music videos, TV series, documentaries, short and feature films -- not to mention the already booming advertisement business." Equipped with the latest and award-winning technology, VTR Beirut will be providing top of the line color grading, editing, visual effects and 3D animation suites. Its investment in an SGI Onyx 3200 visualization system with a Discreet inferno visual effects system, Silicon Graphics Octane2( visual workstations with Discreet's flame visual effects system and smoke editing/finishing system, and Discreet's infrastructure products backdraft, wire and the stone disk arrays will enable it to deliver time-savings, encourage new ways of working and provide the platform for a new level of creativity. Involved in the integration of the equipment is Firmware, the Discreet Systems reseller in Lebanon and the UAE and Television Systems Limited (TSL), a UK-based independent broadcast systems integrator. SGI visual workstations, visualization systems, and digital media products are designed as platforms for the industry's leading editing, compositing, film mastering and restoration applications. The Silicon Graphics Octane2 visual workstation delivers the world's most advanced desktop visualization. Octane2 combines the ground-breaking VPro 3D graphics system, the industry-leading crossbar architecture, and the latest high-performance MIPS processor in an affordable power desktop package. "The power, performance, and reliability of Octane2 and Onyx 3200 were the key factors in VTR Beirut choosing SGI products," added Mr. Ayoub.