NEWYORKDVD PRODUCES OBAMA SPEECHES DVD

Companion Disc for Barnes & Noble’s ‘Barack Obama –
Words That Inspired a Nation’ Includes Four Historic Speeches

FOR RELEASE ON: APRIL 7, 2009

NEW YORK – NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD development, design and authoring firm, today announced that it has produced the companion DVD for the Barnes & Noble book, ‘Barack Obama – Words That Inspired a Nation: Essential Speeches, 2002 to the Inauguration.’ The release is the first official licensed Book/DVD product to include President Obama’s Inaugural Address, as well as the 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address (‘The Audacity of Hope’); the 2008 Democratic National Convention Acceptance Speech (‘The American Promise’), and the 2008 Presidential Election Victory Speech (‘Change Has Come to America’).

NewYorkDVD founder Brian Brodeur produced the ‘Obama: Essential Speeches’ disc. The title is the fifth Book/DVD project that NewYorkDVD has developed with Barnes & Noble. In 2007, NewYorkDVD produced the ‘Music Essentials: Drums’ DVD as a companion with two practice CDs and a spiral practice book for drum beginners. In 2008, NewYorkDVD also produced the ‘Esteban Complete Guitar Chords Set,’ a CD/DVD/Chord Book for the best-selling Esteban guitar course.

“The ‘Essential Speeches’ DVD is now a premium keepsake; a video version of the commemorative print volume, and the ‘Words That Inspired a Nation’ title offers viewers a companion to one of the most memorable historic occasions in recent years,” said Brodeur. “Working from high-definition footage, the video quality of the speeches is stunning. We wanted to create a work that would be as welcoming and easy to navigate as a book; a friendly video piece that can be enjoyed over and over again.”

NewYorkDVD operates a turnkey studio for expert-level development, interactive design, and disc replication. The company offers clients “a true creative partner in the conception, production, design, and development of high-quality DVD titles.” Among its many accolades, the company won the DVD Association 2006 “Excellence in Music” Award for its work on the Hudson Music title ‘Anatomy of a Drum Solo,’ featuring legendary drummer Neil Peart.

Under Brodeur’s leadership, NewYorkDVD has developed dozens of market-leading releases, including best-selling titles for Rod Stewart, Phish, Frank Zappa and the acclaimed ‘American Film Theater’ series for KINO International.

NewYorkDVD maintains several complete production suites, including several Sonic Solutions workstations, Surround-sound Pro Tools mixing and Final Cut Pro motion graphics/editing stations.

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About NewYorkDVD
NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Columbia/Tristar, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production; from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including Video Technologies Group and Sonic Solutions. NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translation/subtitling, DVD packaging, Adobe Flash development, and full-scale production and post-production services. NewYorkDVD provides competitively priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.
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EDITOR’s NOTE: For a color photograph of screenshots of the ‘Obama: Speeches’ DVD or a headshot of NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

BLU-RAY: MORE THAN A SHINY NEW DISC
How to Leverage the Latest High-Definition Video Platform

The Blu-ray Disc (BD) format achieved the status of next-generation DVD platform in early 2008, besting the Toshiba-led HD-DVD format.  In addition to offering a high-definition video experience, the BD format includes online extensions, through its BD Live, that create a new interactive environment for producers and consumers alike.  The benefits of Blu-ray, which is resident in the Sony PlayStation 3 game system, are inherently multi-platform: this is more than another optical disc format, it is an experience that brings us closer to truly immersive home entertainment.

This panel will demonstrate the unique features of the format, and detailing the techniques that producers need to know in working with this emerging format.

Panelists:
Brian Mackewich, VP/Audio & Video Post Supervisor, Gizmo Enterprises
Brian has been involved in the television, film and professional audio industries for more than twenty years as post-production mixer, film sound designer and post-supervisor. TNT, Miramax, Panasonic, U2 (complete Super Bowl package), IFC, New Wave Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, The Sigma Group, Food Network, Comedy Central, BBC, and Loki Films are all recent clients of Gizmo.

Christopher Ticknor, Manager, Business Development, Sony DADC
Christopher works with a wide variety of clients on behalf of Sony DADC, including Criterion Collection, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Sony, MGM, HBO, CBS, MTV, A&E, PBS, and Universal Studios.  He was a producer at Giant Interactive, and a freelance digital media producer after having served as production manager at Zoetrope Aubry Productions.

Brian V. Murphy, Regional Manager North America, Professional Products Group, Sonic Solutions
Sonic’s products range from the advanced authoring systems used to produce Hollywood DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles to the award-winning Roxio-branded photo, video, music, and digital-media management applications. Sonic’s patented technologies and AuthorScript® media engine are relied upon by leading technology firms to define rich media experiences on a wide array of consumer electronics, mobile devices, set-top players, retail kiosks, and PCs.

Moderator: Brian Brodeur, PGA NMC Board of Delegates; Founder of NewYorkDVD
Brian has been working in the DVD authoring industry since the format’s inception in 1997.  While at DigiRom, he worked with early DVD technology and established one of New York City’s first DVD authoring suites, working closely with major record labels.  In 2001, Brodeur established NewYorkDVD, focusing on music DVD productions, including titles with leading music educational publishers. In 2006, NewYorkDVD was awarded the DVD Association’s Excellence Award for Music DVD development of Neil Peart’s “Anatomy of a Drum Solo” educational title. The double-disc set featured over 6 hours of widescreen footage, animated menus, and multi-angle video.

Thursday, January 29 at 7pm
Media Distributors
645 West 27th Street
www.mediadistributors.com
Wine networking mixer prior to panel

Brian Brodeur produces multi-camera production for CD/DVD release by Barnes and Noble. ‘Esteban’s Complete Chord Book’ features all the basics needed to begin playing guitar – and the package is released with a thorough Chord Book and and audio CD containing over twenty play-along and example audio tracks.

Taping at Dubway Recording Studios in New York City, Brian Brodeur worked with Dan Welch’s New York Video Crews to produce & direct the multi-camera SD shoot. Audio was tracked and mixed using ProTools HD by Keith Rigling, with assistance from Eric Johnson and Jennifer Fabian – and the shoot was beautifully lit by DP Matthew Wachsman.

Along with Brodeur’s on-site direction, NewYorkDVD provided complete post production and DVD development for Barnes and Noble. Standard-Definition editing was completed utilizing Apple’s Final Cut Pro and final DVD encoding and authoring was completed using NewYorkDVD’s state-of-the-art CinemaCraft encoding and Sonic Solutions authoring systems.

Synopsis

Take an in-depth journey through the building blocks of guitar music—chord—in this companion to Esteban’s best-selling guitar course. Whether you want to compose your own music or simply become a more versatile guitarist, this comprehensive chord tutorial will bring your skills to the next level.

• DVD of hands-on instruction from Esteban, including how to position your hands, tune your guitar, easily switch chords, and play such songs as Pachelbel’s Canon and folk ballad “House of the Rising Sun”
• CD of more than a dozen essential chord progressions to get you started, along with major and minor chords to tune against
• 240-page book, featuring easy-to-understand diagrams and photos of 960 chord fingerings
• Bonus Esteban poster with quick-reference chord chart

Biography

Born Stephen Paul in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Esteban began teaching himself to play at age eight. In 1974, after relentlessly pursuing Segovia, he finally achieved his goal of working with the master in Spain. Four years later, Esteban began touring—but after a tragic automobile accident he lost his ability to play for a decade. Finally, through dedication and his love of music, he overcame his injuries. Since then, he has topped the Billboard charts many times and created his own line of affordable guitars.

Disc Features Acclaimed Rush Drummer Nine-Minute Drum Solo

FOR RELEASE ON: MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006

NEW YORK — NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD development, design and authoring firm, today announced that it has received the ‘Excellence in Music DVD’ award by the DVD Association for development for Neil Peart’s “ Anatomy of a Drum Solo‚” which was released by Hudson Music in the fall of 2005. The announcement was made as part of the DVD Excellence Awards presentation at the Spring Digital Hollywood event, at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel on March 29th.

Bernie Mitchell, president of the DVD Association, presented the award to NewYorkDVD CEO, Brian Brodeur (pictured above with Bruce Apar).

Developed for Hudson Music, ‘Anatomy of a Drum Solo’ is a two-disc DVD which features Peart, the acclaimed drummer for rock group Rush, discussing the elements of his nine-minute tour de force solo, which is a highlight of each Rush performance. Brodeur completed the work for long-time client Hudson Music in the fall of 2005. The disc is a must-have for Rush fans as well as drummers, featuring more than three hours of instructional and performance material. “The DVD format is an ideal way for music fans to examine and enjoy multiple elements of the musicians they worship, and it was a treat to work with such a hard-working professional as Neil Peart,” said Brodeur. “I am extremely honored to have been chosen as the recipient of the Excellence in Music DVD award; as a long-time member of the DVD industry, this is a capstone to a career dedicated to the fusion of music and DVD.”

Using the “Der Trommler” drum solo recorded in Frankfurt, Germany in September, 2004, Peart describes the inspiration and conceptual thinking behind his solos. Included are three multi-angles of the Frankfurt solo, two “explorations” — 30-minute-plus improvised workouts on the drums — as well as a never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg, Germany in September, 2004 (“Ich Bin Ein Hamburger”); the Grammy Award-nominated solo “O Baterista‚” (from the “ Rush in Rio”‚ DVD); two full Rush performances (“Tom Sawyer‚” and “Subdivisions‚”) from the Frankfurt, 2004 concert, shot from the point of view of the drum cameras; interviews with Lorne Wheaton, Peart’s drum technician; Paul Northfield, Rush co-producer and engineer; a previously unreleased solo from the 1994 Rush “Counterparts” tour, alternate edits, audio-only bonus tracks, and a photo gallery. “The superb design, treatment of subject matter, and overall technical brilliance of the ‘Anatomy’ disc made it a clearly superior choice for the DVD-A Excellence award,” said Mitchell. “NewYorkDVD’s work with Hudson Music is a tremendous example of the creative choices that music producers can make with DVD.”

“Anatomy of a Drum Solo” is the latest collaboration between NewYorkDVD and Hudson Music, which includes the award-winning “Creative Control‚” with drummer Thomas Lang, “Liquid Drum Theater Featuring Mike Portnoy,” and high-profile live music DVDs, including “Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Concert‚” and the 2004 release, “Steve Gadd Tribute Concert.”

With NewYorkDVD, Brodeur has developed and produced numerous music DVD titles, including Rod Stewart’s “One Night Only” Live at Royal Albert Hall‚ for J Records as well as the “Dog” title from Mike Keneally’s Exowax Recordings label.

NewYorkDVD operates a turnkey studio for expert-level DVD authoring, menu design, and replication. The company offers record label clients – including Warner Music Group, Sony/BMG Music, EMI, and Universal Music Group, as well as leading independent labels “a true creative partner in the conception, production, design, and authoring of high-quality DVD titles.”

Brodeur has developed several innovative concepts for music DVDs, including the first integration of ACID loops into an instructional music DVD, as well as early work with Web-connected DVD functionality.

NewYorkDVD maintains several complete authoring suites, including several Sonic Solutions workstations, Surround-sound Pro Tools mixing and 1:1 Final Cut Pro motion graphics/editing stations.

About NewYorkDVD
NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Columbia/Tristar, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production; from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including Video Technologies Group and Sonic Solutions.
NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translation/subtitling, DVD packaging, Adobe Flash development, and full-scale production and post-production services. NewYorkDVD provides competitively priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.
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EDITOR’s NOTE: For a color photograph of screenshots the ‘Anatomy of a Drum Solo’ DVD or NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, or shots of NewYorkDVD production suites, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

• Two explorations – completely improvised workouts at the drums each over 30 minutes long.

• A never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg Germany in September 2004

• “O Baterista” Neil’s Grammy® Award-nominated solo

• Two full-band Rush performances from Frankfurt ‘04 all shot from the perspective of the drum cameras

BONUS FEATURES:

• Camera Option-during Neil’s performance of “Der Trommler” the viewer can choose between the program edit and two isolated cameras for different views

• Alternate Edits-during parts of Neil’s analysis of “Der Trommler” the viewer can choose between the program edit or an alternate edit with the playing example shown full-screen without Neil’s commentary

• Audio-only tracks “Momo’s Dance Party” and “Pieces of Eight” composed and performed by Neil which can be accessed at various points in the program.

• Interview with Paul Northfield Rush co-producer and engineer and Lorne Wheaton

• Neil’s drum tech Lorne Wheaton setting up and talking about Neil’s drumkit

• Two Rush performances from the perspective of the drum cameras

• Previously unreleased solo from Rush’s 1994 Counterparts tour

• Actors: Neil Peart
• Directors: Matthew Wachsman
• Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region All
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating:
• Studio: Hudson Music / Rounder Records
• DVD Release Date: December 12, 2005
• Run Time: 200 minutes

NewYorkDVD provided dual layer DVD authoring/development, hardware-based MPEG2/AC3 encoding, interactive motion.static menus and DVD-ROM weblink

Buy Here: Neil Peart’s Anatomy of a Drum Solo

BRIAN BRODEUR & NEWYORKDVD HELPS BRINGS POPULAR PBS COOKING SHOW ‘CIAO ITALIA’ TO DVD; LONG-RUNNING SHOW TO DELIVER CATALOGUE OF PROGRAMS ON DVD:

‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Umbria’ and ‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Tuscany’ Are Initial Discs; ‘Ciao Italia’ to Create Larger Series of DVD Catalogue Discs.

FOR RELEASE, DECEMBER, 2004

NEW YORK – NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD development, design and authoring firm, today announced that it has helped bring one of the most popular, and longest-running, PBS shows, ‘Ciao Italia,’ to DVD. ‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Umbria’ and ‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Tuscany’ are the initial discs in a projected series of titles, which will enable long-time and new fans of the show, hosted by Mary Ann Esposito, to learn some of the magic associated with Italian cuisine.

From its initial airing in 1989, ‘Ciao Italia’ – produced by Paul Lally and Mary Ann Esposito in conjunction with Rhode Island Public Television – has created more than 150 half-hour programs that demonstrate the fine art of Italian regional cooking, with accurate recipes, that delivers a breadth of information in an engaging manner.

“We are delighted to offer, for the first time, DVD versions of our shows, for those who want to learn the true way to cook Italian food. As part of our vision of creating an interactive library of cooking programs, we are very pleased with the first two discs, which leverage the capabilities of DVD to the utmost,” said Paul Lally, senior producer of ‘Ciao Italia.’ “Mary Ann Esposito provides an invaluable resource for the preservation of Italian regional cooking, and these DVDs will help introduce new audiences to our show and, we know, some fine Italian food.”

‘Ciao Italia’ is shot on MiniDV digital, with off-line editing performed by Lally in his Durham, New Hampshire studio. Pillar to Post and Rhode Island Public Television performed post-production for the DVDs, which were authored by Brian Brodeur’s team at NewYorkDVD.

“I have known of ‘Ciao Italia’ for years, and saw an opportunity to create a DVD franchise with one of the best-known properties in public television,” said Brodeur, founder and lead producer of NewYorkDVD. “This is an ideal show for DVD, and now we finally have it.”

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Brodeur has worked on numerous instructional DVD titles, mainly through his relationship with Hudson Music, including ‘Getting Started on Drums’ and ‘Getting Started on Electric Guitar.’

‘Ciao Italia’ airs on approximately 130 public television stations in the U.S. and can be seen in syndication, Monday through Friday, on most stations at 2:00 pm.
To order ‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Umbria’ and ‘The Best of Ciao Italia in Tuscany,’ visit the ‘Ciao Italia’ Web site at www.ciaoitalia.com or visit Rhode Island Public Television at www.ripbs.org/ripta.html.

NewYorkDVD, which has won awards in recent years for such titles as Thomas Lang’s ‘Creative Control’ and ‘Liquid Drum Theater Featuring Mike Portnoy,’ offers record label clients – including Warner Music Group, BMG, Sony Music, EMI, and Universal Music Group, as well as leading independent labels – a true creative partner in the conception, production, design, and authoring of high-quality DVD titles.

In addition to its acknowledged excellence in instructional and studio music titles, the company has worked on high-profile live music DVDs, including’ ‘Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Concert’ and the recently released ‘Steve Gadd Tribute Concert.’

Brodeur has developed several innovative concepts for music DVDs, including the first integration of ACID loops into an instructional music DVD, as well as early work with Interactual’s DVD Sync-Link functionality.

Brodeur plans significant expansion of multi-channel DVD production and maintains several complete authoring suites, including several Sonic Solutions Creator workstations, Avid Pro Tools 6.2.3 and 1:1 Final Cut Pro motion graphics stations.

About NewYorkDVD

NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur, has been producing music and multimedia for more than 15 years. He has created award-winning DVDs for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Hal Leonard Publishing, KINO International, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production, from audio/video compression to creative interactive design and stable DVD functionality programming that enhances the user experience. He is a sought-after DVD consultant for leading vendors, including VCA Fusion and Sonic Solutions.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include expert-level encoding and authoring with Sonic Solutions Creator systems, Final Cut Pro, comprehensive graphic design and motion menu development, surround sound mixing, multi-language translations and recording/subtitling. NewYorkDVD provides competitively-priced disc replication services, in small or large quantities, and offers comprehensive warehousing/fulfillment and e-commerce distribution solutions. For more information, visit the Web site at www.NewYorkDVD.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of ‘Ciao Italia’ DVD titles, Mary Ann Esposito, Paul Lally, NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, or shots of NewYorkDVD production suites, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

NEW YORK DVD DELIVERS DRUMMER DAVE WECKL ON DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME
WITH TWO NEW CARL FISCHER DVD INSTRUCTIONAL TITLES

‘A Natural Evolution: How to Develop Technique,’ and ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Practice’ – Demonstrate Master Drummer’s Instructional Tips, Along with Dave Weckl Band Performances

FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2003

NEW YORK, NY — NewYorkDVD, a leading DVD design and authoring firm, today announced that it has delivered the first DVD titles to feature renowned drummer Dave Weckl. The Dave Weckl instructional DVDs, which NewYorkDVD designed and authored for music publisher Carl Fischer, are ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Develop Technique,’ and ‘A Natural Evolution: How to Practice.’
Both titles, available with English Dolby Digital Stereo Audio and Japanese subtitles, feature unique alternate camera angles as well as live concert footage of the Dave Weckl Band from the recently-released Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary Concert DVD. Shot in New York in November, 2002, this footage is featured on a Hudson Music-produced DVD that NewYorkDVD also designed and authored.

“Dave Weckl is a consummate teacher, and is one of the most talented drum professionals in the business. We are very pleased that, with NewYorkDVD, we have captured Dave Weckl on DVD for the first time,” said Alex Teploff, creative director for Carl Fischer. “The video quality, and menu design, are first-rate, and ideally represent Dave Weckl’s talent and instructional knowledge.”

The ‘How to Develop Technique’ title captures Weckl explaining his natural approach to the drums, with thorough demonstrations, using drum pad and drum set. The DVD shows new concepts for stick grip, wrist technique, finger technique, and rebound approach for both hands and feet. The title also features live performances by the All-Star Dave Weckl Band, a special appearance by Freddie Gruber, as well as an interview with Dave Weckl, and information on the new Dave Weckl Signature line of cymbals.

The ‘How to Practice’ title demonstrates Weckl’s warm-up techniques, including hand and feet development, independent practice, and the Swiss triplet. A live performance with a special acoustic group brings this approach to the screen. Bonus footage, including footcam alternate takes, as well as live concert footage from the Ultimate Drummer’s Weekend 2002 Concert in Australia, is included.

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In addition to footage from the Ultimate Drummer’s Weekend 2002 Concert in Australia and the Drummer’s Collective 25th Anniversary concernt, NewYorkDVD used footage from the original Dave Weckl ‘How to Develop Technique’ and ‘How to Practice’ VHS titles, produced by Sandy Feldstein and directed by Sandy Feldstein, Dave Weckl and Vinne Testa, as well as additional footage produced by Sandy Feldstein and directed by Dave Weckl, Sandy Feldstein and Tai Erskine.

“Working with Carl Fischer, we were able to leverage the functionality and interactivity of the DVD medium to bring the viewer closer to understanding where the music comes from. The Dave Weckl titles are an in-depth look at the technique and methods of one of today’s great musicians,” said Brian Brodeur, president of NewYorkDVD. “As a fellow drummer, it’s an honor to develop this title for the many Dave Weckl fans, and aspiring drummers, who will learn from this marvelous player and teacher.”

Both ‘How to Develop Technique’ and ‘How to Practice’ are available at retail stores for $29.95.

About NewYorkDVD

NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur has been producing music and multimedia for over 15 years. He has created award-winning DVD’s for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Hal Leonard Publishing, Music Sales Corporation, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production from audio and video compression, to designing creative interactivity and programming stable DVD functionality that enhances the user experience.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include motion menu design, comprehensive graphic design, expert-level encoding & authoring with Sonic Solutions Creator systems, surround sound mixing, multi-language translations, subtitling, and multi-angle video. In addition, NewYorkDVD is capable of replicating discs in small or large quantities at competitive prices. NewYorkDVD offers clients a full suite of services, including video post-production, comprehensive color correction, motion computer-generated graphics and effects, and creative multi-level videos.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, as well as screen shots from the Dave Weckl DVDs, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or c.pfaff@att.net

FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2003

NEW YORK DVD BRINGS KINO INTERNATIONAL’S AMERICAN FILM THEATRE DVD SERIES TO LIFE

Classic 1970’s Film Adaptations of Great Plays Packaged for DVD With Extensive Bonus Material

NEW YORK, NY — NewYorkDVD, a leading provider of expert DVD authoring services, has assisted in a theatrical comeback that hasn’t been seen in New York since Carol Channing’s celebrated return to ‘Hello, Dolly.’

The recent DVD release of Kino International’s ‘American Film Theatre’ series, a three-part series of 14 film adaptations of classic plays — produced in the 1970’s by Ely Landau and featuring such renowned actors and directors as Lee Marvin, Katherine Hepburn, Glenda Jackson, Ian Holm, Tony Richardson, and John Frankenheimer — is a boon for both theatre-on-film and DVD fans alike. The films, originally released in a limited screening, subscription-ticket-only fashion, have not been seen for almost 30 years, with previously limited releases on VHS. NewYorkDVD provided encoding, authoring, and overall technical direction work for 9 of the 14 titles, including ‘The Maids,’ with Glenda Jackson and Susannah York; ‘The Iceman Cometh,’ with Lee Marvin and Jeff Bridges; ‘The Man in the Glass Booth,’ with Maximillian Schell; ‘Luther,’ with Stacy Keach, and ‘The Homecoming,’ with Ian Holm.

Best known for its collection of classic silent films, including those of Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith, Kino has discovered a rich market for specialty DVDs, with extra features packaged in a way that documents the entire production experience.

“DVD has been great for us; we’ve done bigger and better every step of the way, and it now comprises the majority of our business. It is the perfect format for us,” said Brian Shirey, director of operations for DVD and video, for Kino. “NewYorkDVD was able to work closely with us on all aspects of the DVDs, from how much content to place on each disk, to the compression rate and interactivity. NewYorkDVD was able to provide the kind of service that we needed in order to ensure the highest levels of quality on strict budgets and schedules.”

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With the American Film Theatre series, Shirey worked closely with Ely Landau’s son-in-law, Michael Kantor, a producer with flagship New York PBS affiliate Thirteen WNET-TV, to capture the essence of the series as an entity, including film trailers on 12 of the 14 discs. Shirey also produced interviews on several discs (for example, separate interviews with playwright Edward Albee and cinematographer David Watkins appear on disc for ‘A Delicate Balance’), and several discs feature a promotional film made for American Film Theatre, featuring Ely Landau, from 1974. Each disc features a stills gallery, the “American Film Theatre scrapbook,” an “AFT Cinebill” for each film, and an essay on each film by Michael Feingold, chief theater critic of the Village Voice.

NewYorkDVD’s president, Brian Brodeur, encoded the Kino American Film Theatre titles using a Sonic Solutions Creator system, working from Digital Betacam master tapes. A Berklee College of Music-trained musician, Brodeur worked in the Boston theater circuit for several years before venturing into video production, so his sense of theatrical presentation lended itself well to the Kino American Film Theatre project.

“The Kino series exemplifies what DVD is all about; they had all the elements of a jewel-box presentation. In the case of the American Film Theatre series, it was almost as if you were packaging the material for first viewing. They really understand how to present film on DVD, just as if you were receiving reels of film, with promotional materials, at a cinema,” said Brodeur. “We were able to get a quality level on DVD that is pretty stunning, and Kino’s attention to detail is impeccable. The fact that I’m several blocks away from their office certainly helped during this process. This is a benchmark project for so-called ‘lost films.’”
The Kino American Film Theatre series has been released in three volumes, as box sets and individual titles. The American Film Theatre Box 1, released in May, 2003, includes ‘The Iceman Cometh;’ ‘Rhinoceros;’ ‘Butley;’ ‘The Maids,’ and ‘Luther.’ The American Film Theatre Box 2, released in July, 2003, includes ‘A Delicate Balance;’ ‘The Man in the Glass Booth;’ ‘In Celebration;’ ‘Three Sisters,’ and ‘The Homecoming.’ In September, American Film Theatre Box 3 will be released, which will include ‘Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris;’ ‘Lost in the Stars;’ ‘Galileo,’ and ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come.’

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About Kino International

Kino International was founded in 1977, as a theatrical distribution company specializing in classics and foreign language art films. The company focuses on the distribution of high-quality contemporary world cinema, American independents, and documentaries – usually by up-and-coming directors. Kino began operation with a license to handle theatrical distribution of the Janus Collection, a library containing over 100 important European and Asian art films of the 40s, 50s and 60s, including ‘La Strada,’ ‘The Rules Of The Game,’ and ‘Rashomon.’ Chaplin films, including ‘Modern Times’ and ‘City Lights,’ The Killiam Shows Library, including ‘Son Of The Sheik’ and ‘It,’ The David O. Selznick collection, including ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Notorious,’ the Alexander Korda London Films library including ‘Things To Come’ and ‘The Thief Of Bagdad’ (1940), the Walter Wanger Collection including ‘Stagecoach,’ ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ and even some wide screen epics like ‘El Cid’ and George Stevens’s ‘Giant.’

Kino has more recently released offerings from the CIFEX, Corinth and Mosfilm libraries, enjoying many theatrical reissue successes. Among these were ‘Wages Of Fear’ (with forty minutes of restored material), Tarkovsky’s ‘Solaris,’ Fellini’s ‘La Strada’ and his brilliant ‘8 1/2,’ Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ (with ten minutes of restored material), Volker Schlöndorff’s multi-prize-winning ‘The Tin Drum’ and, most recently, a 50th anniversary reissue of Vittorio De Sica’s ‘The Bicycle Thief.’

About Kino on Video

Kino established its own label, Kino On Video, in 1987. Kino on Video has contributed significantly to the resurrection and distribution of films from the silent era,

130 silent films on video, many through our rewarding association with Film Preservation Associates, headed by film historian David Shepard.
Among the highlights of Kino’s silent catalogue are the five-part series “The Movies Begin”, consisting of 122 films made between 1894 and 1914, the ten-part series “The Art Of Buster Keaton”, released in 1995 and winner of Entertainment Weekly Magazine’s “Best Video of the Year” award, “The Slapstick Encyclopedia”, and more recently, the 1924 version of Peter Pan.

In 1999, Kino issued its first DVD release, a special edition of The Tin Drum with full audio narration by Volker Schlöndorff. Kino now has thirty-eight titles available on DVD, including the entire Buster Keaton collection. Another thirty to forty titles are scheduled for release on DVD in the next twelve months.

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About NewYorkDVD

NewYorkDVD’s principal, Brian Brodeur has been producing music and multimedia for over 15 years. He has created award-winning DVD’s for the corporate, entertainment and instructional markets, including discs for Pfizer, Hal Leonard Publishing, Music Sales Corporation, and Fender Guitars. Mr. Brodeur is an expert in all stages of DVD production from audio and video compression, to designing creative interactivity and programming stable DVD functionality that enhances the user experience.

NewYorkDVD’s extensive capabilities include motion menu design, comprehensive graphic design, expert-level multi-pass encoding, creative authoring, surround sound mixing, multi-language translations, subtitling, and multi-angle video. In addition, NewYorkDVD is capable of replicating discs in small or large quantities at competitive prices. Its alliance with Hudson Music enhances NewYorkDVD’s ability to better serve its clients by offering video post-production, comprehensive color correction, motion computer-generated graphics and effects, and creative multi-level videos.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, as well as Kino American Film Theatre DVD promotional shots, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com

HUDSON MUSIC PRODUCES LIVE SHOOT OF MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE FESTIVAL WEEKEND 2003; NEWYORKDVD TO DEVELOP MULTI-DISC DVD OF EVENT

Multi-Camera, Multi-Track Recording Effort Captures Some of the Leading Drummers,
Percussionists for Leading Drum Magazine’s Annual Performance

FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2003

NEW YORK, NY — Hudson Music, a leading music instruction video producer, and NewYorkDVD, one of New York’s leading providers of DVD development services, have recently completed video production of the Modern Drummer Magazine Festival 2003 for an upcoming DVD title.
The two-day festival, held May 17-18 at Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, featured some of the music industry’s leading drummers and percussionists — including Saturday Night Live band member Shawn Pelton, world music pioneer Airto, rock/fusion veteran Steve Smith, DreamTheater’s Mike Portnoy and Pat Metheny Group’s Antonio Sanchez — both in solo and ensemble performances, in front of a standing-room crowd of industry professionals and drum enthusiasts.
The festival production, a multi-camera shoot, was produced by Paul Siegel and Rob Wallis, principals of Hudson Music, with line direction from Dave Diometti and audio engineering by Sean McLintock Clark Media provided remote truck services for Hudson Music.
Capturing the event, which involved live production of seven consecutive hours on two successive days, required three onstage cameras, both hand-held and locked-down, focusing on multiple angles, including drummers’ feet. A 40-foot camera jib was used to capture live audience shots as well as overhead sweeps of the drummers in action.
“This production was as fast and as flawless as the performances; shot selections were called in clean, rapid-fire succession, enabling us to produce a live cut that will hopefully translate into an explosive DVD title for drummers around the world,” said Siegel. “The sound on this production was pristine; every beat and hit sounds like it would from the audience.”
In addition to the live production, backstage interviews, conversations, setups were captured by Dan Welch from New York Video Crews, using handheld Ikegami cameras. The event was captured using Sony videotape, while live sound was recorded using Panasonic digital consoles and Tascam DTRS recorders.
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“We are the bible of the drum industry and, as such, we like to bring the drumming faithful together for what we believe is the ultimate annual drum festival,” said Rick van Horn, senior editor of Modern Drummer. “This festival was flawlessly produced, and we anticipate a solid DVD title that will give our readers a visceral reproduction of a quality event.”
Highlights of the festival included a surprise appearance by Mike Portnoy’s popular heavy metal band, Dream Theater, as well as a bravura drum and percussion performance by Airto.
“The Modern Drummer team made this an effortlessly fun event for us to play; the production was virtually transparent to us,” said Shawn Pelton, whose band House of Diablo closed the festival.
The DVD title, a multi-disc package, will be authored and developed by NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, working in conjunction with Hudson Music, for a projected 4th quarter 2003 release.
Hudson Music products are available from your local music retailer or Hudson Music at 1-888-796-2992, fax 914-246-5282 or e-mail hudsoninfo@aol.com. Visit Hudson online at www.hudsonmusic.com. For dealer information please contact Hal Leonard Publications, 7777 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213, tel: 414-774-3630, fax: 414-774-3259, www.halleonard.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For a color photograph of Hudson Music or NewYorkDVD executives, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or c.pfaff@att.net

In disc one of this 2-disc set, Steve explains hand and foot technique in ground-breaking detail and gets to the core of what drummers need to know in order to improve their feel and technical skills. In disc two, using examples by an all-star band, Steve explains the evolution of the drumset in U.S. Music — how the drumset was first used in all the major styles of U.S. Music and how closely related all the styles are. Special features include extensive bonus footage including alternate-take drum solos, a brilliant hi hat solo with a hi hat tutorial, alternate band takes, a multi-angle video option, running audio commentary by Steve, a music listening list, and lots more.

• Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating:
• Studio: Hudson Music
• DVD Release Date: October 28, 2002
• Run Time: 278 minutes

New YorkDVD provided Dual Layer DVD Authoring/Development, Menu Design, MPEG2/AC3 encoding and DVD-ROM Weblink creation. Authoring completed using Sonic Solutions hardware encoding from DigiBeta masters edited by Phil Fallo

Buy Here: Steve Smith’s History of the US Beat

NewYorkDVD NEWS
FOR RELEASE 7/21/02

Fifth Annual DVDPro Discus Awards Finalists Announced – NewYorkDVD Nominated for Best Instructional DVD

NewYorkDVD has been nominated as one of three finalists in the fifth annual DVDPro Discus Awards for distinction in DVD creation sponsored by Emedia Magazine. NewYorkDVD was nominated in the category of Best Instructional DVD for its development of the ‘Getting Started on Guitar’ DVD by Fender Guitars.

The Best Instructional category includes both educational and training DVD titles. The category judges the intent of the DVD disc and how effectively the disc uses the interactive and content delivery capabilities of DVD to provide a useful and informative instruction vehicle.

The Discus Award finalists run the gamut from Hollywood blockbusters to corporate promotions to educational titles, representing work from major studios, small production houses, and even college art students.

“This year’s entries reflect the great diversity of DVD development currently afoot,” said EMedia editor Stephen Nathans. “The titles selected as finalists represent the artistry and craft of the most accomplished pros plying the DVD trade today.”

Judges for this year’s competition looked at more than 100 entries in seven categories including Best Interactive Menu Design, Best Additional Features and Best Overall DVD. Winners will be announced in the August issue of EMedia and on August 6 on the magazine’s Web site, www.emedialive.com.

Look for more DVD titles developed by NewYorkDVD – including Hudson Music’s “Making Music – Victor Wooten and Carter Beauford in the Studio”, “Classic Drum Solos 2″, “Buddy Rich At the Top Concert”, and more.

Interview: Brian Brodeur of New York DVD

By Jason Lindsey: Digital Entertainment Editor

Brian Brodeur and his New York DVD production team recently authored the excellent Liquid Drum Theater DVD featuring Mike Portnoy, as well as working with Hudson Music and Fender Guitars to create upcoming DVDs. Brian and his team are pioneering the use of the DVD format in the instructional video field. With their experience they have some interesting views on the where the digital video field is going and what the challenges are today. Read on…

Q: What were some of the technical challenges you encountered during the DVD creation?

A: The making of any DVD poses many technical challenges because it brings together so many diverse assets to make the final product. On any one title, you will be working with still images for menus, composited motion images used in menus, stereo and/or surround sound audio that may be compressed, different video formats and angles, as well as the complex back-end programming that often goes into the navigation and interactivity.

The foremost challenge regarding the Liquid Drum Theater titles was the use of memory on the disc. With so many elements, including multiple video angles, a commentary track, slide show, bonus performance footage, and motion menus, the memory usage and ‘bit-budgeting’ was very important.

I used the Sonic Solutions Creator multi-pass VBR encoding to sufficiently compress the video streams, as well as Dolby AC-3 for the stereo audio streams. When all was said and done, it was a very tight fit. We made the most of the ‘real estate’.

Q: Obviously a lot of fans of the DVD will be interested in what it was like working with Mike Portnoy. Any good stories?

A: Mike is a very nice guy… and a very hard worker. During our time recording his audio commentary, he was busy planning artwork for the most recent Dream Theater release as well as a clinic tour in the Pacific Rim.

People should know that he cares a lot about what he does, and appreciates his fans very much. He is very detailed and knows what he wants. I definitely look forward to the opportunity of working with him again.

Q: What do you see as the future of instructional DVDs? Specifically, what DVD technologies have just been touched upon?

A: Well, the DVD medium (in my opinion) is perfect for the instructional format. Not only can DVDs hold hours of material, but they can present it in very creative, engaging, and intuitive ways. Also, you have the option of multi-language capabilities, which makes it easier to produce one product that can train or inform all over the world.

I foresee DVDs being used to teach medical procedures and mechanical assembly. Using the multi-angle features, a trainee could instantly view an operation or instructional model from any angle. Also, DVDs can be programmed in such a way to rate your training, or at least be modular, so you don’t have to sit through 60 minutes of lecture just to get to the part you need. Using a menu structure, trainees could jump right to the part they need.

I also see surround sound coming into its own soon. I think DVD-Audio will flourish in car stereos, and many producers will start utilizing the advanced features of DVD to entertain their audience to a higher degree.

Q: Obviously there are really two types of formats for DVD : being played through a conventional TV/DVD setup and DVD-ROM on computers. Do you think about DVD-ROM when making DVDs or is that still in its infancy?

A: I definitely think of DVD_ROM functionality when designing DVDs. Most DVDs that we (NewYorkDVD) produce utilize web connectivity. I do NOT use the Interactual Player ‘hot-links’ that many Hollywood titles use. I prefer to use a back-end Flash player that works on many more platforms, including Macintosh, and guarantees more solid functionality.

I think DVD-ROM functionality within DVDs will increase, and eventually we’ll see MPEG2 video streamed right through our browsers. It’s happening now, but it’s just the beginning.

Q: Recently there has been some hi-profile double-sided DVDs released(Terminator Special Edition). What are your thoughts on doing a 2 DVD set or a single DVD that is double-sided? Is it a cost consideration or something else?

A: I often prefer to produce TWO single sided discs rather than ONE double sided disc…. mainly for two reasons. First, I like the label art. The disc looks nicer, and people won’t be confused about which side goes ‘down’ in their player. Second, people may get lazy and not put the disc in the case. We all are guilty of doing that once in a while… and the double sided disc will get scratched very easily, and then you lose a side. This very thing happened to my Blade Runner disc.. I had to go buy a new one to watch the Widescreen version. Price, is usually not the determining factor.

Q: What are some recently released DVDs that you think “Got it right”?

A: There are many factors that go into a classification such as ‘got it right’. The technology and budgets keep getting better and bigger, so many of the most recent popular Hollywood releases look very good. Some of my favorites are Taxi Driver (nice encode), The Graduate (great menu), Last Temptation of Christ (great menu), The Godfather series (nice encode). The list goes on and on. I think Pearl Harbor looked very good also.

I worked on a corporate DVD a few years ago for a company called Meritor. It was used for corporate presentation, and it looked wonderful… a lot of high-end 3D graphics and motion menus. The options for creativity are very wide. I could name many discs that were disappointing… but I won’t name names. You know who you are.

Q: The Comdex trade show this year highlighted several entry level DVD authoring kits designed for the home user. What are your thoughts on DVD authoring in the home and current copy protection technology?

A: I have worked on pro-sumer and consumer authoring packages with companies such as Zapex Technologies and Intec America from as far back as 1998. I think it’s inevitable that DVD technology will arrive in the consumer’s hands, but right now, the level of sophistication available with a $150,000 suite is not available to the average user. BUT, you can count on very very creative things coming from home users.

So far, the home systems I have used (DVDit, Apple DVD Studio Pro, IA DVDAuthorQuick, etc) offer limited functionality and/or utilize only a part of DVD’s full functionality. Eventually, products will arrive that rival the professional authoring systems that we currently use, but by then… we’ll be on to something else. BTW, watch what Apple will be doing.. they recently bought Spruce Technologies – one of the biggest makers of Authoring software.

Q: What upcoming projects can we look forward to?

A: There will be several more titles NewYorkDVD will be producing with Hudson Music, and currently I’m finishing four discs for Music Sales entitled ‘Absolute Beginners’. This series, adapted from the successful British video series, features entry level instruction on Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, and Drums.

Liquid Drum Theater Review featuring Mike Portnoy

NewYorkDVD NEWS
FOR RELEASE 3/12/02

2002 Modern Drummer Magazine Reader’s Poll Winners Announced – NewYorkDVD Titles Win First and Second Place.

Two of the recent titles authored by NewYorkDVD for Hudson Music have won 1st and 2nd place in the Modern Drummer 2002 reader’s poll awards. “Liquid Drum Theater – featuring Mike Portnoy” – is a double DVD set featuring in-studio performances with Mike, including Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment songs. Some features included on this double disc set include multi-camera angle capability, commentary by Mike Portnoy, Photo Gallery, and Bonus Performance footage.

“Classic Drum Solos and Drum Battles” features many drums solos from great Jazz/Big Band drummers. This DVD features commentary by Peter Erskine (Steps Ahead, Weather Report, Steely Dan) – as well as Mac/PC weblink functionality.

Both of these titles were encoded and authored by Brian Brodeur utilizing Sonic Solutions DVD systems.

Look for more titles from Hudson Music developed by NewYorkDVD – including “Making Music – Victor Wooten and Carter Beauford in the studio”, “Classic Jazz Drummers”, “Fender – Getting Started on Guitar – feat. Keith Wyatt, Double DVD set”, and many more….

2002 Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll winners:

Category: EDUCATIONAL VIDEO/DVD 1st Place: MIKE PORTNOY: LIQUID DRUM THEATER DVD (client:Hudson Music; Developed by NewYorkDVD. Compression/authoring/project management by Brian Brodeur. Graphic Menu Design by Jon Ratcliff)

2nd Place: Various Artists: Classic Drum Solos And Drum Battles DVD (client: Hudson Music; Developed by NewYorkDVD. Compression/authoring/project management by Brian Brodeur. Graphic Menu Design by Jon Ratcliff).

For more information about NewYorkDVD, please email Brian Brodeur: brian@newyorkdvd.com or visit www.newyorkdvd.com.

• Builds early reading skills through narrated text, click-on words and a colorful bonus companion book to enjoy away from the computer
• Provides hours of entertainment with click-and-explore animations on every page
• Teaches universal life lessons within a cultural setting
• Beautiful cinema-quality animation
• Dozens of culturally inspired melodies

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Liam Finds a Story: An Irish Folk Tale

Inspired by a centuries-old Irish folk tale, Liam Finds a Story is the tale of a young boy who must search far and wide for an original story in order to save his family from a gluttonous Fairy Witch. Through his adventures, Liam learns the importance of kindness and patience, and discovers that his own life is a story worth telling.

Baba Yaga and the Magic Geese: A Russian Folk Tale

Based on a centuries-old Russian folk tale, Baba Yaga and the Magic Geese is the story of a headstrong girl whose exciting adventures in an enchanted forest teach her the importance of accepting responsibility and keeping promises.

The Princess and the Crab: An Italian Folk Tale

In the classic Italian folk tale The Princess and the Crab, a beautiful Princess must rescue a handsome Prince after an evil fairy has turned him into a magical crab. During a series of challenges to save the Prince, the Princess learns to overcome her own fears.

Imo and the King: An African Folk Tale

Based on a classic African folk tale, Imo and the King is the story of a courageous boy who sets out to become the King’s successor and along the way, learns an important life lesson – all kind acts are rewarded with kindness.

The Little Samurai: A Japanese Folk Tale

Inspired by a classic Japanese folk tale and passed down from generation to generation, The Little Samurai is the story of a young boy who discovers that laughter is the mightiest weapon of all.

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Available for the following platform(s): Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM Windows® and Windows® 95 Native CD-ROM Power Macintosh® compatible and 68K Macintosh® CD-ROM

System Requirements

Windows® CD-ROMRequires Windows 95 with 8 MB RAM or Windows 3.1x with 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended); 486sx/33 MHz; 256-color SVGA graphics; double-speed CD-ROM drive; mouse and hard drive; Windows-compatible sound card Macintosh® CD-ROMRequires Macintosh LC 575, Performa 575, Quadra, Power Macintosh or better; System 7.1 or higher; 6 MB RAM with 3 MB free hard drive; 256-color system; minimum 13″ monitor; double-speed CD-ROM drive.

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