Timeline Analog 5: 1991-1996

By John Buck

Timeline Analog 5 (1991-1996) traces the amazing story of editing's evolution from repairing prints to creating stories. Read how Ubillos, Maltz, Warner and Molinari defined a new environment for editors. Explore the stories of FAST, Radius, Final Cut, in-sync and others as they build wondrous new tools for editing. The Analog Series is updated at no extra cost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Apr 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781925330250

John Buck

John Buck es presidente de GovernanceAlive LLC, una organización internacional de formación y consultoría con sede en Washington, DC, Estados Unidos. La firma también ofrece servicios de mediación y facilitación de reuniones. John ha realizado numerosas formaciones de sociocracia y liderado la implementación de muchos proyectos para una gran variedad de organizaciones, incluyendo proyectos de BOSSA nova. Presta servicio en la dirección de varias organizaciones. Realiza tareas de investigación y desarrollo. Por ejemplo, está trabajado con el laboratorio de software avanzado de Fujitsu para desarrollar Weaver, un software que ayuda a que las reuniones vayan mejor, tanto en persona, online y de forma asíncrona. John Buck tiene una amplia experiencia en gestión con gobiernos y corporaciones, incluida la gestión de grandes proyectos de tecnología de la información. Sus clientes están repartidos por todo el mundo e incluyen fabricantes de plásticos, escuelas, colegios y universidades, centros de atención a largo plazo, grupos de covivienda, ONGs, productores de alimentos y empresas de software. Posee un máster en Sociología Cuantitativa de la Universidad de George Washington.

Book preview

Foreword by Randy Ubillos

When I started at SuperMac at the beginning of 1990 it was to work on the firmware for their accelerated video cards. About a year later work began on the first digital video capture and a playback card for the Mac and I saw an opportunity.

Drawing on my experience in high school editing with 3/4" tape decks I started working on an application for assembling digital video clips together. Even though the movies were tiny by today's standards, the potential for non-linear editing on computers was clear.

The subsequent 20 years were filled with continuous leaps in processing speed, storage capacities, and computer size. It's hard to grasp the orders of magnitude in capabilities between a Macintosh IIfx with a 40Mhz processor, 128MB of RAM, and a 160MB hard drive and an iPhone X with 6 processors at 2.4GHz, 3GB of RAM, and 256GB of flash storage (and a stabilized 4k camera at 60Hz).

Dozens of feature films have been produced using consumer grade camcorders and phones. Millions of professional quality videos have been published and watched online via YouTube.

The transformation of video editing from tape and film to digital has been revolutionary. Not just in the technology that makes it possible, but in what it enables.

Today's young storytellers are growing up in a world where the tools to take an idea from concept to reality now fit in their pockets. The breadth and variety of the stories that we get to experience have been forever changed.

I feel lucky to have been able to play a part.

Randy Ubillos, January 2018

Dedication

The Timeline books are dedicated to Adrian Ettlinger (1925- 2013)

Adrian was a brilliant engineer, ground breaking inventor, astute observer and a much loved father during his life and career. In retirement he was a friend, advisor and mentor to me. Adrian is without question the father of nonlinear digital editing and his contributions to the editing field have been recognised by industry bodies and editors alike.

Thank you Adrian, rest in peace.

About the Author

John Buck (left) has been an editor since he needed a way to cut his Super 8 mm camera rushes. Using a splicer and cement, he cut together parodies of TV shows for screening in a home cinema, and eventually graduated to local filmmaker festivals.

After being fired from his first full-time job as a junior advertising agency producer, John struggled to explain his skill set to the employment official. His father advised him to get a job that people can understand what it is that you do.

The manager of a production company saw potential, and offered him a role as an editor on the midnight shift. John turned his Super 8 mm cutting abilities to 3/4, 1 and 2" tape. He edited everything from commercials to auctions. High fashion to sheep teeth.

With a skill that people could understand he left Taimac, and began editing in earnest at local television station TVW-7. With a 6pm deadline, an accommodating boss and a talented senior editor to guide him, Buck became an editor.

He took those skills across the country to a job on the international TV show Beyond 2000 where he helped create award winning programs. Eventually it was time to branch out on his own, but he was unable to afford the Avid that was so mesmerizing at a trade demo.

Backed once again by his parents, he took a chance and bought a Media 100 digital nonlinear editing system.

One unit became two, and three and four. A one man band became a thriving business.

Thanks

This book series would not have been possible without the help of many people. Everyone has my appreciation but a few people deserve an extra shout out.

Candace Machein sent her father's files to make sure Kurt was remembered. Joe Roizen's family did likewise. Tom Werner, Bob Pargee and David Crosthwait shared material that others had trashed while Carter Elliot bundled up pamphlets and drove them to Fedex. Marc Wanamaker shared his amazing Hollywood archive. Egon Grafen discovered archived KEM material, Heidi Heftburger found the best Svilova images, Ekaterina Gracheva did the same with Russian filmmakers. David K Helmly shared his wonderful Premiere, Hitchcock and Radius images.

Bernd Perplies helped with German inventors while Hakan Lindberg shared his images of editing in Sweden, and Christelle Naili sourced the long lost Italian Moritone. Pauline Duclaud-Lacoste ensured her great great grandfather Georges Melies was honored, while Bob Phillips shared his own photos of Jack Mullin and Bing Crosby.

Sumio Yamamoto and Kyoko Takahashi found materials in Toshiba's vaults. Tarek Atrissi designed the book, and Sharleen Chen created the outstanding cover.

Brett Wayn chimed in measured advice. Gene Simon, John Delmont, and Barry Guisinger added humor to their notes just when I needed it. Loran Kary, Glenn Reid, Nick Schlott and Ralf Berger patiently explained the challenges of writing software code.

Steven Cohen reminded me, Editors are people, editing systems are the tools, don't mix that up.

Phil Hodgetts gave good advice, John Maizels opened doors, Ron Barker pushed me to try harder, and Chet Schuler insisted on getting it right. Bruce Rady, Bernie Laramie and Bill Hogan remembered when others forgot.

The ladies at the Jerzy Toeplitz Library inside the AFTRS in Sydney found dozens of books, manuscripts, articles and trade magazines to check facts. The team at Stanford University had everything set for my short visit. Al Alcorn, Steve Wozniak and Steve Mayer replied when their inboxes must be full every day.

The people who invented desktop video Eric Peters, Jeff Bedell, Tyler Peppel, Carl Calabria, Ivan Maltz and Randy Ubillos answered all of my questions, many that they had heard before, with a smile.

They never let me doubt my plan. I have to tip my hat to the text editors, Bob Glover and Gary Buck. They volunteered to read this book over and over, and diligently worked through the raw manuscript, corrected it and made great improvements.

Dave Pretty taught me more about filmmaking, and business at Marketforce in a month, than a college course had in a year. Max Pepper explained the value of a flatbed as we cut dozens of lemonade and burger commercials.

Ross McDonald rescued me from an unemployment office and gave me a job. Drew Gibson taught me the BVE ropes.

My long time friend Dan Flanagan pushed me to apply for a job in broadcast news. It was advice that changed my life. I owe John Rudd a lifetime of thanks for hiring me at TVW7, and giving me the freedom to experiment.

Fellow editors Ray Furness, Nick Glover and Ray Neale guided me in the craft of editing, even when I pretended to know everything. Peter Abbott and Tim Worner encouraged me to hone my editing skills while Steve Christiansen, Jacqua Page, Dave Galloway and Michael Horrocks believed in me, and my editing company.

Laura Gohery helped me turn it into a success.

Bill Orr, Pete Hammar and Ralph Guggenheim were endlessly helpful before the idea of a book even existed, and continued with insight throughout its writing. Ralph's enthusiasm is infectious, Pete's advice forthright.

Despite the fact that Thelma Schoonmaker is one of the most awarded and talented editors ever, she answered my questions as if she were unknown and idle.

Ted Horton and Vincent Zimbardi supported me with editing challenges through my transition from editor to editor/author. Andrew Morris starred in my 8mm movies, listened to my plans, gave me work and remained an unwavering friend throughout.

Donna, Manny, Tillster, Miranda, Elena, Mario, the Colettes and Wild Matt encouraged and humored me.

Bill Warner (above right) changed editing forever. Without Bill there would be no Avid. There would be no book called 'Timeline'. He encouraged me at every turn, welcomed me to his home, selflessly assisted my research, lent me documents and tapes, drove me around Boston, twisted former colleagues' arms to talk, and opened up his heart to the project.

Without reservation. Bill has faced challenges that would humble most, and never gave up. He is an inspiration.

The Bucks, Waddells and Kuehs have been hugely supportive of Timeline. Mum and Dad gave me the freedom to dream.

Tan gave me patience and understanding.

Imperfection

The Timeline books are not meant to be a definitive history of editing, photography, films and filmmaking. There are topics and people missing.

Much of editing's early history was not recorded or was recorded with bias. I have not mentioned all inventors, filmmakers and editors.

I have though, tried to address one issue over all others.

If you are sitting in front of a current Macintosh computer running Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro X or Avid Media Composer, and the question comes to mind:

How did we get here?

Where did these tools come from?

I hope Timeline answers those questions.

If you wonder while you are reading:

Where is this going?

The answer is the opposite.

The Mac with Final Cut Pro X in front of you.

Yes it can be frustrating to read. I get it.

By its very nature, and somewhat ironically, the timeline of editing history is non-linear. It zigs and zags. That's because I did not set out to write the story of, for example, Georges Demeny or Randy Ubillos - and place them in neat chapters. I simply added them, and so many others, to the timeline as they appeared. Random. Hectic.

Oh, and the other elephant in the room.

Despite being an Australian author, versed and schooled in UK English, I have adopted US spellings and grammar for the Timeline series. In general, I have assumed the book style and grammar benchmarks as set by the Chicago Manual of Style. With a few exceptions. If a contributor is quoted or interviewed from the UK or Australia or a country that speaks non-American English, I have kept 'their' spelling.

Especially if the material is from historical text. Colour may remain Colour, not Colour. Acknowledgement doesn't become Aknowledgement. If you spot a mistake, my bad, email me. If it's English vs American English, hang in there.

I invite feedback at all time [e-mail]

Preface

In the spring of 1924, a small Germany company Lyta Cinema Works built the first dedicated editing device. A few months later the American made Moviola went on sale in Hollywood and become a huge success but it was sixty five years before a digital equivalent arrived for professionals.

In the intervening years individuals, and teams imagined tools that could join images together in the blink of an eye.

They trialled technology, experimented with the impossible, quit secure jobs for the unknown, and ran out of money. All the while, they tried to ship the best editing product possible.

For many years their stories went untold.

Hoping to solve an amicable dispute with Boris Yamnitsky, who had just acquired Media 100, I found myself at the local library staring at books that talked about 'how to' edit but not how editing came to be. My casual conversation was now a niggling annoyance.

I turned to the web and found two names listed in submissions to the U.S Patent Office about electronic editing. Adrian Ettlinger and William Warner.

One had created something called the CBS RAVE, and the other, Avid. They graciously took my phone calls, retold stories of electronic editing's rich history, and connected me with lesser known individuals who had created the tools we use today.

Adrian and Bill not only helped, but they actively encouraged me. Bill made time to talk, linked me to others and poured me coffee in his kitchen. Adrian braved the wet streets of Manhattan to tell me, over lunch at the Chiam, about a remarkable period of innovation.

My part-time quest changed again when two key contributors passed away.

Art Schneider and Jack Calaway both made huge contributions to editing, yet their efforts had gone largely unheralded. I decided to record the history of editing because it fades. Timeline zigs and zags from people to places, within companies, across continents. People's lives rarely run from A to B.

Former Xerox scientist David Canfield Smith told me: In any revolution, technological or otherwise, there are interesting characters. In fact, the characters often are the story.

This Edition

1991-1996

This edition Timeline: Analog Five is the fifth in a series designed for students of film and television and small screens everywhere. It was substantially updated in October 2015 to add more of the Media 100 story.

I have recently added a new interview with Kieth Sorenson and David Fung. Email me if you wish to make corrections.

(c) John Buck 2018

Timeline Analog 5

Movies aren't just made on the set. A lot of the actual making happens right here on a Moviola. Here films are salvaged, saved sometimes from disaster, or savaged out of existence. This is the last stop on the long road between the dream in a filmmaker's head and the public when that dream is addressed.

Orson Welles.

26: Don't give up

THE AUGUST COUP

In August 1991 members of the Soviet Union's government tried to take control of the country from Soviet President and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in the August Coup.

Days later Boston's Bayside Expo was home to the seventh Macworld, the twice-annual Macintosh trade show.

The Bayside Expo Center was a convention center located in Dorchester, Massachusetts that started life as a shopping mall in the 1960s. When the mall eventually failed it was converted into a convention center.

With QuickTime set to ship at the end of 1991, Macintosh users were keen to see what third parties could do with the new Apple extension. RasterOps, Gold Disk, Digital F/X, DiVA, and Letraset dueled for the attention of desktop video makers.

John Pavley and Richard Trismen from Letraset were set up in Apple's QuickTime preview room with a technology demonstration of Media Blender. Their video editing program visualized the contents of a QuickTime file as a set of horizontal bar graphs. Pavley recalls:

Many other development teams had come up with the same idea and a standard convention was born.

MediaBlender was aimed at users who wanted an uncomplicated way to edit video. Pavley told the press:

We want to have the easiest and least expensive video program. Nobody knew anything about desktop publishing when it first came out, but now you have secretaries who know about kerning. In a couple of years, they'll know all about scene transitions.

Using loan Mac equipment in a booth funded by Apple, the team from DiVA demonstrated their VideoShop application that allowed users to digitize video, then view and arrange the clips or edit graphics and audio files. Luyen Chou from the Lab for Teaching and Learning was impressed with the UI.

There will be plenty of video editing packages but this will have the advantage of its interface.

SuperMac demonstrated the VideoSpigot digitizer board at MacWorld. Earl Christie observed for tidBITS:

The longest line at the show wrapped around SuperMac's booth where show-goers were posing in front of a blue screen waiting to have their image overlaid onto one of Faneuil Hall Marketplace to create a four-second video postcard on disk. SuperMac accomplished this with the aid of its VideoSpigot card, which digitizes incoming video and stores it in a compressed movie form.

E-Machine's Ken Scott was showing Mac users the QuickView Studio (QVS) editing application.

I knew that QVS was dead in the water when I saw SuperMac's VideoSpigot magazine ad. It showed a faucet turned on full-blast, with very colorful water spilling into a computer positioned below. The tagline was the killer: Pour Video Into Your Macintosh. I hated and admired that ad, both at the same time. I have not bad-mouthed a marketing person since that day.

Jon Pugh wrote for tidBits:

All in all, the VideoSpigot is the ideal home digitizer. It cheaply provides sufficient quality to enable you to completely fill all of your disk space with pointless QuickTime clips. If you are inclined, you can also use Premiere to assemble your clips into an actual QuickTime movie. Go for it.

SuperMac also announced Randy Ubillos' ReelTime software package which he had created to demonstrate the VideoSpigot. Pugh said it was:

...was worth $699 but it would be bundled for free. ReelTime offers 'comprehensive' video-editing capabilities and an easy-to-use interface that features separate windows for record/play, video construction, digital effects and source material. It will let users select input from video sources, as well as graphics, animation, text and sound files; set up special effects between clips, mix audio, preview segments, compile video, and export movies in QuickTime or NTSC format

MacWorld magazine proclaimed:

SuperMac's ReelTime is an example...of just how much the cost of digital video editing on the Macintosh has fallen. ReelTime brings, in effect, the tools of a video-editing suite onto the desktop of a color Mac. In conjunction with a color-digitizing card, it brings video in, allows users to sequence video clips, and adds sophisticated special effects and transitions.

With an optional video-out card and a video encoder, QuickTime movies can be created on the Macintosh and exported to videotape.

Roger Karraker tested ReelTime for MacWeek:

ReelTime, along with Light Source's MovieTime, Diva Corp.'s VideoShop, not only are the vanguard of new video-savvy applications, they are clear evidence that a long-awaited day, digital video on your Macintosh, will arrive this year.

SuperMac's Steve Blank offered insight into the realm of desktop editing that John Molinari later embraced at Media 100. Although the VideoSpigots could play out to tape, Blank believed that the majority of users didn't need to export to tape but instead just needed to integrate their edited videos into internal communications, interactive training, online video help, video mail and teleconferencing. Blank told the press:

...making movies on the Mac becomes as easy as desktop publishing with PageMaker.

Ken Scott recalls ReelTime and QVS.

I do recall admiring ReelTime but noted the QVS app I had created for E-Machines had many more capabilities in the works. I had an A-B (-C-D-E...) roll system working in the lab with full QuickTime support as well as a transition and effects plugin architecture. This is not to say that ReelTime wasn't a good app, it was a very good app and did some things much better than QVS. In the end, the QVS effort was stopped by the execs at E-Machines.

NUBUS or HBUS

SuperMac, Radius, RasterOps, and others competed to sell hardware that extended the capability of Apple's computers. With near saturation in monitors and graphics cards sales, they had shifted focus turned to desktop video and video cards.

But there was an immediate technology bottleneck. Bandwidth.

Ben Jamison, Radius product manager told MacWorld:

One reason the multimedia market has not taken off as some predicted is that video has proven itself an extremely difficult and expensive data type to deal with.

Apple then went public with what appeared to be a way to solve part of the multimedia bottleneck.

Lexington, or Touchstone as it was to be called on release, was a combination of a new architecture, new system software and new hardware that let a Macintosh computer ingest, process and output a video signal to scalable video windows and flicker-free 24-bit signal to composite video.

It was hoped Touchstone could be combined with Apple's upcoming QuickTime system extensions to make digital video more versatile to use and less expensive to produce.

Apple pushed the narrative:

Today, users can pass video across the NuBus, or the Macintosh motherboard, and display it on the monitor using a video card. A video window of 640x480 lines at 30 frames per second is the limit of what the NuBus can handle. Therefore, to manipulate the video in any way such as compressing it and storing it on a hard drive in real time a user would be required to reduce the resolution, make the window smaller or cut the number of frames being displayed.

The engineers had achieved a way to increase the quality of the video image as it was run through image enhancement, compression, digitizing and resizing. The eight subsequent Touchstone patents included work on Apple-designed custom chips and a new architecture called HBus (H stood for high performance).

HBus moved video traffic off NuBus. High bandwidth video information was processed quickly without slowing concurrent operations of the computer.

Touchstone technologies are not necessarily dedicated to one product, a single super video card, but will be used in a wide variety of products in different combinations over the coming months and years.

Additional processors or dedicated daughter boards could be connected through an HBus slot which would sit on the NuBus cards. In a significant move, Apple announced that it was to license Touchstone to third parties rather than keep it in-house.

The decision appeared to signal a move away from hardware compression to a software approach like QuickTime. Spokesperson Patty Tulloch:

Apple is concentrating on system software and platform development, and has chosen to offload resource-intensive NuBus development projects to those third parties that have more incentive to bring them to market.

CEO Barry James Folsom of monitor maker Radius saw:

...Touchstone as the universal common denominator for multimedia developers.

Radius planned to produce 24-bit Touchstone style multimedia boards capable of capturing and outputting 30 fps video with support for 16.7 million colors.

REELTIME

SuperMac had generated consumer interest at the 1991 Boston MacWorld Expo in DiskFit and ReelTime but it was not positioned to sell software-only products. It decided to sell off the two applications. DiskFit was traded back to the original developer Dantz and ReelTime was 'shopped around' to prospective buyers. Steve Blank told the press:

There's a feeding frenzy of companies trying to buy it, but no matter what, we will bundle ReelTime with