For over 20 years R&S®Clipster has been a trailblazer in the media landscape. From becoming the world’s first PC workstation with a real-time scaler for 2K, 4K and beyond, R&S®Clipster has forever changed the way we create and view media and has been part of countless, touching cinematic experiences around the globe.
© Richard Hübner, Berlinale, 2023
Proud supporter for over a decade
Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
Founded in 1951, the Berlin International Film Festival is known around the world as one of the top five most prestigious film festivals. For over a decade, Rohde and Schwarz has played a role as a proud supplier and partner of the festival. Since 2012 Rohde & Schwarz contributes to the Berlinale film festival’s digital cinema experience with innovative products: our CLIPSTER mastering station provides quick and reliable turnaround of Digital Cinema Packages for the movie screenings and ensures the material precisely adheres to strict guidelines.
Reliability, speed and efficiency are key in dealing with the complex workflows and extremely tight schedules of the film festival. R&S®Clipster and R&S®SpycerNode help ensure the success of the Berlinale and deliver the magic of flawless sound and image quality to the big screens. The end result is a captivating experience for moviegoers and enhanced workflows for the Berlinale team working behind the scenes.
A 35mm film print of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is pictured on a footage counter and checked during the film preparation prior to screening. © Jenny Leask, 2024 EIFF
A 35mm film print of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is pictured on a footage counter and checked during the film preparation prior to screening. © Jenny Leask, 2024 EIFF
Keeping the flame of independent cinema burning bright
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)
Regarded as the world’s oldest continually running film festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival was established in 1947 and takes place annually in Edinburgh. The film festival showcases both UK and international films spanning a wide variety of genres and lengths. For many years Rohde and Schwarz has supported Filmhouse in hosting EIFF through our contribution of the robust and reliable R&S®CLIPSTER mastering platform. Through this contribution we aim to enrich the film experience for visitors and continuously foster the art of filmmaking and independent cinema.
Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen is Scotland’s leading independent arthouse cinema, and hosts the EIFF annually. Since 2012, the team has relied heavily on R&S®CLIPSTER to create Digital Cinema Packages (DCP). Alongside the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Filmhouse plays host to at least two film festivals a month, from Japanese Anime events to Spanish, Italian and French film festivals, as well as special events, like Africa in Motion. “R&S®CLIPSTER is the one and only tool we trust to get the job done,” says Ally McCrum, Technical Manager at Centre for the Moving Image, Filmhouse Edinburgh.
Ally McCrum laces a 70mm film print on a film projector. © Jenny Leask, 2024 EIFF
Ally McCrum laces a 70mm film print on a film projector. © Jenny Leask, 2024 EIFF
"It gives us speed and quality we can count on every time, for any project"
Running the festivals involves working on a multitude of shorts programs under strict timelines and standards. Filmhouse works on large volumes of tapes – all in different formats, speeds, aspect ratios, sign formats – which is a tricky and time-consuming process involving many changes in between shorts. To streamline the process and ensure quality deliverables, Filmhouse decided to concentrate on producing DCPs in conjunction with quality control.
“We have a small staff handling a large volume of files which need to be checked for quality control and still meet high standards to ensure all venues can handle the files. Naturally it made sense to work with the industry standard, R&S®CLIPSTER. It gives us speed and quality we can count on every time, for any project,” says McCrum.
In recent years Filmhouse has also been using R&S®CLIPSTER for handling accessibility materials such as audio description and captions, making cinema more accessible for hearing impaired people.
Filmhouse is currently being resurrected after a brief hiatus and reorganization between the EIFF, Filmhouse and CMI (Centre for the Moving Image) and continues to use the latest generation of R&S®CLIPSTER along with professional support services from Rohde & Schwarz. “It was a no-brainer to advance to the latest installation of R&S®CLIPSTER. Within three years of using the previous generation, it paid for itself and continues to prove its worth. In the spirit of keeping independent cinema burning bright, we are currently using the R&S®CLIPSTER to generate income as part of our reopening and to help with the refurbishing of our building,” adds McCrum.
© FFMUC 2023
Bringing cinematic masterpieces to life on the big screen
Filmfest München – Germany’s largest summer film festival
With a focus on delivering exceptional cinematic experiences, the Munich International Film Festival screens a wide range of films leading up to the opening of the event each Summer in Munich. The festival has been utilizing R&S®CLIPSTER for over a decade to ensure quality control and DCP encoding of their film screenings. By using CLIPSTER, the festival's technical team can perform thorough quality checks, guaranteeing that every movie is in the right shape before being showcased to an audience. The team screens around 150 movies in full length before they are shown. Recognized as the gold standard in mastering, R&S®CLIPSTER enables the team to identify and resolve any issues, such as subtitle errors, missing frames and audio issues, thus ensuring that the films are presented flawlessly on various projection systems.
© FFMUC 2023
With the festival's tight deadlines and the importance of delivering error-free content, R&S®CLIPSTER capabilities have played a crucial role in maintaining the festival's reputation for excellence. Florian Schneeweiss, Technical Director of Munich International Film Festival, appreciates the peace of mind that comes with using CLIPSTER, knowing that films will be compatible with different screens and projectors, including the latest 4K and Dolby Atmos technologies. “In my experience as a technical director, DCPs from a R&S®CLIPSTER Mastering Workstation will work in every Cinema worldwide. We have never had a bad experience or negative feedback about a film that was mastered with a CLIPSTER. It helps us guarantee the reliability of our work,” says Schneeweiss.
As a long-standing sponsor of the Munich International Film Festival, Rohde & Schwarz CLIPSTER has been instrumental in supporting the festival's technical team. By consistently delivering a flawless performance, R&S®CLIPSTER has enabled the festival to successfully navigate the challenges of film screening and ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for both filmmakers and audiences. “It is our duty to provide exceptional quality to our partners, customers and the audience. R&S®CLIPSTER helps us do that, and it ensures we have happy customers, happy filmmakers and a happy audience” adds Schneeweiss.
The partnership between the Munich International Film Festival and Rohde & Schwarz exemplifies the importance of leveraging advanced technology to guarantee the highest quality standards in film screenings. With R&S®CLIPSTER support, the festival can continue to showcase outstanding films while providing a platform for filmmakers to share their creative visions with the world.
