Film Gimp

gosand writes "DesktopLinux.com is running this story about Film Gimp. It is a movie editor based on The Gimp that movie studios have been developing for their own use for a while now. The article is an interview with Robin Rowe about Film Gimp's use, and includes some interesting info about the film industry's use of GNU/Linux desktops. One quote worth noting: 'Studios have become the leading desktop users of Linux. Three hundred Linux desktops at Dreamworks. That's amazing! While the MPAA is campaigning for new restrictions on content, the artists at the studios are using and helping create open source. Having Linux and open source as a crucial part of studio operations may help executives rethink their corporate position on open source and Linux issues.'"

Comments

Open Source Pioneers? Or $$$ Saving?

[TibbonZero]

the artists at the studios are using and helping create open source
It seems to be implying that the studios are doing it out of love, but methinks that they are finding that it's cheaper, and more flexable (their programmers can get their hands on all the code)...
Not that this is a bad thing, just that it's not because they hate MSFT...

Re:Open Source Pioneers? Or $$$ Saving?

[maxwells_deamon]

If they get hooked on open source and start to require it, then we have a 5th column inside to fight any banning of open source by Palladium. Digital editing machines should be the fastest available. They will always want to run on the fastest hardware.

Also it gives a platform inside the media companies which needs to run non-trusted. This means they will have the same headaches as the rest of us when it comes to moving data in and out of the trusted areas.

Finally, if someone needs to leak a Halloween type of document they have a much better chance of being able to do so.

Re:Open Source Pioneers? Or $$$ Saving?

[cjpez]

By the way, I thought we hate the movie industry here, and now we laud them for use of open-source?

Heaven forbid some of us have more complicated opinions than "x sucks" or "y is awesome." And heaven forbid different people who read Slashdot have differing opinions.

Change their minds?

[mla_anderson]

Having Linux and open source as a crucial part of studio operations may help executives rethink their corporate position on open source and Linux issues

Not likely. They're in the movie business to make money, anything their customers use for free is a threat, anything they use for free is more money.

Not a film person, but...

[Lemmy Caution]

Is it strictly correct to call this a movie editor, or should it be called a frame editor or something, since it's not for true editing or compositing (like Avid), but for frame-by-frame clean-up?

The trouble is...

[pmbuko]

There's a difference between movie production studios and other companies/corporations. Studios are extremely "tool-driven" in that the timeliness and quality of their production is extremely dependent upon the quality and flexibility of their tools.

The average corporation, on the other hand, is not as dependent on an extremely flexible desktop computer. All you need is a compter that runs an office suite, and they've already got that in Microsoft.

So the thought that studios might be setting an example for other corporations is a longshot indeed.

Am I missing something?

[Kieckerjan]

While the MPAA is campaigning for new restrictions on content, the artists at the studios are using and helping create open source.

This is highly suggestive. AFAIK Open Source does not equate to being against anti-piracy measures. I am not trying to defend the MPAA here. I am only saying that these are two different things, and mixing them up is bad polics.