AlphaDogs launches Service Station
Digital "Kinko's" for Input and Output
The Hype
August 4, 2004—Burbank, Calif.—
AlphaDogs,
Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the
pack,” today announced the launch of Digital Service Station, a new division
that will provide post-production professionals with the tools and services
needed to complete their projects on time and on budget. Digital Service Station
offers editors a new solution to importing and exporting their material from
tape to hard drive and back to tape. This competitive new alternative to renting
editing equipment or hiring assistants will change the way the industry operates
today.Digital Service Station will serve as a digitizing or export solution
for editors with limited equipment, time and/or budgets. The new division provides
the latest cutting-edge editing equipment—from AVID to Final Cut Pro.
Whether the client wants to come in and digitize their material themselves,
or drop off their tapes and have Digital Service Station’s experts handle
the tasks, their savings in time and money will be significant.
Digital Service Station will offer the following services:
The reality
Digitize to drive and output from drive service as an alternative to renting decks.
Implications Short and long term.
The Service station concept is one of those ideas that were inevitable. It makes more sense to use a capture and digitize facility than hire a deck because there's usually no space for the deck, support equipment may not be included (e.g. Sync Pulse Generators or Black Burst Generator), and there's no guarantee of maintenance. Compared with the convenience of digitizing or capturing in a facility (or even outsourcing the whole job) where the equipment is fully installed with all required outboard equipment and connectors and maintained daily; run by professionals and offered as a service. Think of it as a virtual Editor's Assistant.The Service Station concept parallels the successful Kinkos (and others) model for the print industry where access to "heavy iron" (as that concept evolved and developed) and should be as successful for AlphaDogs. It also means that editors can focus on more profitable and productive approaches than digitizing or capturing, although as an editor DV Guy Philip always likes to view all footage - even the outtakes to know what's available.