Authoring and premastering
Everyone who even once has seen a film on video knows very well how important the graphical and musical setting is.
AUTHORING is a specific process of preparing the material (which is to be located on the DVD Video, Video CD or Blu-ray) for further production processes.
At the authoring stage the language versions, music, animated menu etc. are created, but above all it is a process of connecting image and sound streams. Here the all features of the disc which will give it its future form are also developed. A processing of the material also means adjustment to the size of media on which it will be pressed.
Amongst others, this stage consists of:
• Compression of images to MPEG format (MPEG2 for DVD and MPEG1 for VCD);
• Multi-channel sound conversion – as required by the customer (5.1 system created from mono and stereo sound);
• Compression of sound to many varied formats (e.g. DD, DTS, DTS-ES, LPCM);
• Creation of graphic framing (animated or static menu);
• Possible recording of voice-over and dubbing or creation of subtitles;
• Connection of all the elements above in accordance with the customer’s order;
• Creation of a Master compliant with DVD Video specification.
• Compression of images to MPEG format (MPEG2 for DVD and MPEG1 for VCD);
• Multi-channel sound conversion – as required by the customer (5.1 system created from mono and stereo sound);
• Compression of sound to many varied formats (e.g. DD, DTS, DTS-ES, LPCM);
• Creation of graphic framing (animated or static menu);
• Possible recording of voice-over and dubbing or creation of subtitles;
• Connection of all the elements above in accordance with the customer’s order;
• Creation of a Master compliant with DVD Video specification.
PREMASTERING - preparation for the duplication of sound material.
The company has its own studio, which is equipped with modern computers and equipment and the most up-to-date software, enabling processing of the sound material handed over to us. As required, GM Records is capable of processing material supplied on all available audio media (DAT tapes, Mini Disc, CD-R discs) and to ensure as required that all material sounds either as modern as possible or contains a “hint of the past”.
GM Records has its own studios (including the only Blu-ray authoring studio among manufacturers in Poland), equipped with specialist software enabling preparation of iconographic material, specialist digital effects, animated graphic frames, the preparation of any language versions or multi-channel sound processing of film material and animated menus.
At GM Records, authoring is performed on equipment specially prepared by SONIC, an American corporation and leader in the field of creating systems for DVD-Video authoring. Thanks to the use of completely professional and modern equipment and software, we offer a product which fulfils all expectations and is completely compliant with the DVD-Video specification, which is a guarantee of the highest recording quality.
GM Records spares no effort in ensuring that all of our products are unique and are pleasing to the eye. For this reason the graphics prepared by us are an integral part of the film. The menu system in our projects is very intuitive. Even people who don’t have a lot of experience in using DVD-Video discs can select the correct language version or find their favourite scene without problem.
Pleasing on the eye – “see what you want to see”
– Graphics as an integral part of the film (layout for the menu, windows with scene selection etc.).
– Interactive menus (static or animated; creation of titles and chapter markings) eases movement around the material contained on the disc. A favourite scene, language versions – we can select intuitively thanks to authoring. Furthermore the film material which is intended for the DVD is divided into titles. Chapter tags are also created (so-called scenes, of which there may be a maximum of 99), so as to ensure access to selected places within the titles.
– The capability to add up to 8 monophonic, stereophonic and multi-channel audio tracks.
– The capability to add 32 tracks with multi-language subtitles, preparation of one DVD version for several countries simultaneously. In cooperation with the best translators and voice-over artists, GM Records creates fully professional language versions devoid of typos and stylistic errors. It’s not a minor thing to develop a film in which the voice-over artist’s voice is an integral element of the action and doesn’t interfere – it is extremely difficult and requires the work of professionals.
– Multi-camera shots – use of video tracks using shots from different cameras which are displayed simultaneously. This uses video tracks from various camera shots which are played in parallel on the same disc. It allows different options for watching the same film, however this option is rarely used on the Polish market. A car chase scene can therefore take on a completely different dimension – we can be witnesses from inside as well as outside the car. The only condition for creating multi-camera shots is that the video materials are of the same parameters.
Pleasant on the ear (audio studio) – “hear what you want to hear”
If the film has only single- or dual-channel sound, then authoring can ensure that it sounds new in 5.1 standard surround-sound. This is an arduous and difficult process, but the quality of the final audio ensures that the listeners feel like they are a part of the action. Furthermore the voice of the voice-over artist, which does not interfere and is an integral element of the action, becomes another actor (cooperation with the very best voice-over artists).
The authoring studio is also the place where protection of the content saved on the discs is added.