Lightworks
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Lightworks (formerly OLE Limited) was founded at the end of the 1989, by Paul Bamborough, Nick Pollock and Neil Harris.
Using a control interface similar to the industry standard Steenbeck controller they produced a film editing, video editing computer based non-linear editing system. It had a number of (for its time) unique features, such as "sync slip," synchronized varispeed playback with audio scrubbing, synchronized multi-channel playback, and an object-oriented user interface with a dedicated hardware console. Some of these features are still unmatched by other competing systems.
The system went on to win Scientific and Technical Academy Awards and Emmy Awards.
The development team contained former members of the computer games company Magnetic Scrolls and the Computer Film Company, some of whom went on to join the Sohonet media network development team.
Sold to Tektronix in 1994, who were not successful at developing the company's products, and then sold on to the newly formed Lightworks inc in 1999, then owned by Fairlight Japan, and then purchased by Gee Broadcast in 2004. Under new ownership, new product releases have resumed with the release of the Lightworks Touch range and more recently the Alacrity and Softworks ranges for SD & HD editing.
Softworks is the latest product from Lightworks offering the Lightworks User Interface and toolset in a Software only package for Laptops or Office workstations.
Softworks and Alacrity support mixed formats and resolutions in Real Time and allow a project to be output in different resolutions without re-rendering. Alacrity supports dual outputs while the same facility is available for Softworks users as an Option. Lightworks proven support for Film and Networked operations provides great workflow for larger productions. Lightworks remains the best storytelling editing tool.
Integration with Geevs Servers from Gee Broadcast provides a Tapeless Production environment with fast edit while record and edit in place.
Recent successful features edited on Lightworks include Evan Almighty, 28 Days, The Departed and the Aviator(both the last two won Academy Awards for best Editing). More recently Atonement, The Good Shepherd(Robert De Nero)and Sunshine were all edited on Lightworks. Films currently in Production on Lightworks include Revolutionary Road(Sam Mendes), Nutcracker and Mama Mia.
Lightworks has also been used recently in Music video productions(TV and DVD) where the Multicamera operation has simplified production.
Episodic Drama(Soaps), Commercials and Sports highlight editing also form core business areas for Lightworks editors.
Disambiguation: Not to be confused with LightWork Design Ltd., a UK company that sells a rendering (computer graphics) API called LightWorks.
