FilmLight launches Baselight Blackboard control surface

At NAB, FilmLight launched the Baselight Blackboard, an optional dedicated control surface for its Baselight colour grading and finishing system.
More intuitive than using solely a pen and tablet or a keyboard and mouse, the Blackboard control surface offers familiar modes of operation to colourists from all backgrounds - whether telecine, lab colour timing or digital grading. FilmLight claim increased operator efficiency with a range of input controls that instantly respond to the colourist's fingertips.
The control surface has also become an integral component in the on-going software development of Baselight with Blackboard perfectly complementing Baselight v2.2. The combination redefines the digital colour-grading suite and results in a powerful real-time toolset that enables migration to a flexible, feature-rich software colour grading solution.
Precision engineered and designed in collaboration with senior colourists, Blackboard addresses the unique challenges of film and telecine-style grading in the nonlinear environment.
Framestore CFC lead colourist, Adam Glasman ('Enduring Love', 'The Jacket', 'Cold Mountain'), who is beta-testing Blackboard, and has been involved in its design from the outset, said: "It's clear that Blackboard has been developed with input from colourists - it has the flexibility that a lot of people feel is missing when they move from hardware systems to software graders."
FilmLight commercial director, Peter Stothart, added: "Grading in a nonlinear environment introduces different challenges to the colourist, and we have developed a surface control device specifically for these conditions - a faster way for Baselight users to get to the features they use most often and a more ergonomic interface with the software".
On display at NAB, Blackboard is planned for release as an option for all Baselight systems in July 2005.
It will also be made available as a bundle with Baselight Four and Baselight Eight. Baselight v2.2 software with support for Blackboard is also scheduled for a July release.
FilmLight Ltd., www.filmlight.ltd.uk
(SP)