Eye catchy Ad‘s, music videos, films, the power to grab your attention, create a world of imagination, beauty and extraordinary visuals with quality that‘s unbeatable. How does all this happen? Who does all this? What do they use to create imagination and ideas? So, many questions. Ever thought of the hard work and mystery behind all the glamour and effects? Lets look at what happens behind the scenes and where it all starts.

Well?Post-Production is where it all happens. Visual effects and lots more that adds to creative ideas and make an impact on our thoughts and minds. The technicality behind every creative input comes through technology developed to give life to every idea.

The SYSTEM:

It‘s very important to understand the tools that we are using to create thoughts and ideas. We talk about "SMOKE" a high end editing software that is a combination of Editing and Visual effects tools. Smoke, a product of one of the worlds leading software development companies for media and entertainment AutoDesk-Discreet? is a resolution independent, non linear digital editing system for both video and film production that offers a level of efficiency previously unknown in the traditional editing suite.

Smoke, is very well developed and designed to handle projects from short format work such as commercials, promos and show openings to long format documentaries, episodic work and corporate videos ranging from low resolution to high definition films. It offers the option of multi track, multi layered timeline based system in which visual effects can directly be done on the timeline.

It provides effects like text overlay, rotoscope and retouching of the clips and enhancing the quality and look and feel of the video clips. Smoke is a true finishing tool providing extremely robust creative toolset when combined with the right talent and creativity. Smoke gives the freedom of directly importing your rough edits from any editing suite into smoke as it is and give various effects like colour correction, chroma keying, add text effects, advanced dissolves, wipes and lots more hence called as an online editing system resulting in quick decision making with high percentage of accuracy from the viewers angle.

SMOKE in India:

With approximately more than 200 smoke machines in India, the market still demands more smoke machines hence the demand for professionally trained smoke operators. This is also due to the ever-growing demand and competition in the quality of films, advertisements, music videos etc. With the growth of out sourced work coming into India, the demand for smoke has gone up since the desired quality can be achieved and efficiency can be maintained.

SMOKE training:

Zee Institute of Media Arts an educational division of the Zee Network is offering training in Smoke. This course is open to industry professionals with experience in editing/visual effects and students with knowledge of compositing/ editing basics. ZIMA is India‘s first AutoDesk? certified SMOKE training center with certified trainer from AutoDesk?.

For more information on training in Smoke please visit our website www.zimainstitue.com or call us at 91-22-2630 2937/8.

Bangalore: Ittiam Systems today announced that the company has once again emerged as the world‘s most preferred provider of digital signal processing (DSP) based intellectual property (IP) in the DSP Professionals Survey 2005, conducted by Forward Concepts, U.S.A. The company tops both in software and hardware categories. Ittiam had also been the number one choice in the first ever DSP IP survey conducted by Forward Concepts in 2004.

Ittiam Systems Private Limited, headquartered in Bangalore, is a technology product company singularly focused on digital signal processing systems in media and communication. The company operates through its network of offices and representatives around the world.

Forward Concepts is a premier market research company specializing in DSP and related segments. It is highly regarded for its understanding and analysis of markets for DSP in the semiconductor and in the end equipment industries. In 2003 Forward Concepts initiated a survey for the now well-established DSP IP market.Since then its report has become an
established reference of IP providers in this segment for both software and hardware categories.

"Winning a world-wide recognition is at anytime difficult - especially in this highly competitive technology market", commented Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts."Winning it second time in a row truly reflects the under-lying strength and continuity of excellence of the company", he said.

According to Srini Rajam, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ittiam Systems, "This recognition reflects the great confidence of our customers in the performance of our DSP IP and quality of our support. Our highly customer focused teams are making this possible".

2005 have been significant for Ittiam. In this year the company broadened its technology penetration through an increasing number of end products in the market bearing its intellectual property and through tradeshows the world over, leading edge products based on Ittiam‘s IP was showcased by their partners and customers. 2005 is also the year when the company was
selected for Red Herring‘s First Ever Asia 100 list.

MUMBAI: Mauj Telecom is celebrating the season of love by bringing six mobile games based on some of the most celebrated love stories. These games include all time classics like Heer Ranjha, Laila Majnu, Salim Anarkali, Romeo Juliet, Rapunzel and Sassi Punnu.

Mauj Telecom has also announced the launch of special sms based services for the occasion of Valentine like I love you message in 11 languages, love meter, love test, love messages, find a date for lonely hearts, Classic love tones, love images, & love horoscopes.

Value added services are becoming increasingly popular of late. Themes such as cricket, Bollywood, festivals, are getting increasingly featured on mobile phones in the form of ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and, of course, games. Mauj Telecom has developed these services keeping in mind the tastes and preferences of the evolving youth. These Value added services are being targeted at youth in India and also the South Asian diaspora worldwide

Says Mr. Arun Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, Mauj Telecom, "As a youth mobile content brand, we are constantly looking at innovative ways of celebrating festivals and connecting with the youth. These special services specially introduced for Valentine‘s will help them find a stronger and more durable way of expressing."

Mauj‘s games and special sms based services for Valentine‘s Day are now live and available, and can be accessed at wap.mauj.com or by smsing VAL to 7007 on all operators. These games are compatible with all Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola handsets.

Description of Games:

1. Salim Anarkali
Prince Salim and Anarkali are in love. However, Akbar does not approve of this relationship and has sentenced Anarkali to death. The player has to save Anarkali from getting entombed.

2. Laila Majnu
The challenge for the player in this eternal love story is to help get Majnu his Laila. The player has to help Majnu collect Hearts, Roses, Letters and deliver them to his beloved.

3. Heer Ranjha
In this legendary love story, the player has to eliminate the goons who stand in the way of the lovers and unite them.

4. Sassi Punnu
This is an everlasting folk tale carved in the history of Sindh. Sassi, a charming girl, finds her love in Punnu, a handsome prince from Mekran. They get separated in tragic situations, and the player has to help them find their love again.

5.Rapunzel
Rapunzel is a beautiful Princess with sweet voice and very long hair. Rapunzel is withheld in a tower by the enchantress. Its now upto the young handsome Prince to climb up the tower top using the hair clips tied to the Princess Rapunzel‘s hair and rescue her. Be quick to reach the top as the screen keeps rolling up. Controls: Key Action 2- move up,4- move left,6- move right,1- move left diagonally ie bigger leap,3- move right diagonally ie bigger leap.

6. Romeo Juliet
Romeo pines for his beloved. This beautiful mobile game of young love is an enduring testimony to the ineffable dynamics of young love. Play the classic Romeo Juliet game on your mobile. Just as rose by any other name would smell as sweet, Love of Romeo Juliet is eternal. Come, death, and welcome ! Romeo Juliet wills it so.