International Image, GTE and BCT.TELUS Partner for Film System

International Image, GTE Communications Corp. and BCT.TELUS have developed a intranet system to test and demonstrate commercially viable broadband services for the entertainment industry.

This marks the first such
collaboration between telecommunications partners GTE and BCT.TELUS and a
new move for Hollywood to speed daily film rushes’ review and editing.
As part of first phase of development, International Image, GTE and
BCT.TELUS are designing compatible connectivity services between Vancouver
and Los Angeles.

This fiber-optic network will provide entertainment
companies, like MGM, with scaleable bandwidth connections to support services
such as digital dailies and remote editing between multiple locations. As
GTE’s (GTE) partner International Image is lending their industry expertise and
serving as the technical portal to the entertainment industry, bringing the
participation of entertainment companies like MGM to the project.

MGM’s
Vancouver-based production of Stargate SGI is the first to benefit from
digital dailies delivery. Originating from MGM’s post production service
provider — Rainmaker Entertainment in Vancouver — dailies from the upcoming
season of “Stargate SGI” will be delivered in real-time and above real-time
to International Image in Los Angeles. Remote editing and collaborative
workflow between both cities will also be tested during the production of
“Stargate SGI.”

Using BCT.TELUS ATM-switched network facilities from Vancouver to Seattle,
and GTE’s network from Seattle to Los Angeles, the project will encompass
point to point MPEG2 video streaming and data file transfers at bit rates
varying from 5 to 155 megabits per second. The project will also
determine the quality of service at constant and variable bit rates.