100 Years of Pacific Title

We are excited to be celebrating the Pacific Title Family’s 100^th anniversary this year! Learn more about our story, how Pacific Title came to be and the family that proudly carries on its legacy.

Pacific Title was founded in 1919 by Leon Schlesinger, who was joined by Larry Glickman in its early years. The company first began as a main and end title curator for movies as well as creating subtitles for silent films. The titles were created by putting all the information on one card, sometimes a piece of hard finished wood.

Pacific Title workers painting main titles on hard finished wood.

 

After nine years of business, Pacific Title created its first well-known title in 1928. The movie was called “The Barker,” and garnered Oscar attention as well as helped Betty Compson snag a Best Actress nomination.

Larry Glickman’s passion for Pacific Title was undeniable. In 1935, he purchased Pacific Title from Leon Schlesinger. After the change in ownership, the company went on to create motion picture titles and opticals for all the major film studios.

Larry Glickman

During these early years, titles were hand-painted on large pieces of glass. Then, as technology progressed, titles were hot pressed onto animation cells using lead typefaces. Eventually, titles were generated on high-end computers as they are today.

 

As technology improved, Pacific Title grew. Larry’s son-in-law, Gordon Hubbard, and son, Jerry Glickman, started working at Pacific Title in 1948. The three worked closely together and it was obvious that family was a core value at Pacific Title, as it still is today.

As time went on, Gordon Hubbard and Jerry Glickman took over the day-to-day tasks of the company when Larry passed away in 1962. Eventually, Gordon took over and ran the day-to-day operations until he retired. When he retired, his wife, Shirley Hubbard, took over.

Pacific Title started Pacific Title Archives in 1978. Pacific Title Archives became a division of Pacific Title and Art Studio. Pacific Title continued to create main titles, opticals and end titles, and Pacific Title Archives managed a storage facility for films, tapes, business records and film libraries in temperature and humidity-controlled warehouses, as it does today.

Main and end titles being created at Pacific Title.

In 1986, Pacific Title started Pacific Title Digital. The division was housed in the Historic Carnation Building on the corner of Wilshire and Highland in Los Angeles.

Pacific Title Digital created digital visual effects for major motion pictures until the sale of the company in 1997.

Peter Hubbard took over the family business after his mother, Shirley Hubbard, passed away in 1989. His sister, Jennifer Hubbard, and brother-in-law, Ken Smith, were also very active in the business, as they still are to this day.

The family sold Pacific Title to an east coast technology company, Safeguard Scientific, in 1997. The ownership of Pacific Title Archives remains in the family.

Today, Pacific Title Archives is still owned and run by the third generation of the Hubbard family! Peter Hubbard is the CEO, Jennifer Hubbard is the Director of Social Media and Ken Smith is the Director of Client services. The entire Pacific Title family thanks everyone for all their support over the last 100 years!

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Pacific Title Archives in the News: StereoVision Lands MULTICOM Worldwide Distribution Contract For Their 11 Feature Film Library Through the Pacific Titles Archives Deal

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA–(Marketwired–Sep 25, 2017)–StereoVision Entertainment, Inc. (OTC PINK: SVSN), a publicly traded Nevada company announced that they’ve received a worldwide distribution contract from MULTICOM http://www.multicom.tv/ for their library of 11 feature films in the Pacific Titles Archives deal. http://www.pacifictitlearchives.com/

“We’ve put together a very favorable distribution deal with MULTICOM for our 11 film library,” said StereoVision’s CEO Jack Honour. “It’s a zero cost to us earnings sharing deal so when anyone makes money, everyone makes money. And it covers all forms of media so after being digitized these films can be for sale everywhere from digital downloads and DVD’s on Amazon.com and youtube.com to cable and PPV TV. The agreement calls for the rights of all 11 films to revert to StereoVision in five years so once digitized these films are evergreen for the Company. With Apple recently spending a billion dollars buying content, and Netflix having spent almost seven billion dollars on content so far, digital content libraries of all kinds continue to gain value.”

“We acquired these 11 films from our majority owned family entertainment subsidiary, Inspirational Vision Media, (IVM) for five million restricted shares of StereoVision’s publicly traded stock which had a market value of $250k at the time of the transaction, and we expect these five million restricted shares to remain as an asset on IVM’s balance sheet,” Honour added. “These 11 films cost approximately $28mil to produce and we have an outside Industry expert valuation of $1,810,000 for six of the films so to date, the Company has done very well with this acquisition. The list of the 11 films in this library can be viewed at http://stereovision.com/information.php.”

StereoVision Entertainment http://stereovision.com Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada StereoVision is a publicly traded Nevada corporation (OTC:SVSN) focused on creating, acquiring, and producing multimedia content with its media subsidiaries, the wholly owned 9 time Emmy Award-winning production company REZN8, http://rezn8.com, the majority-owned family entertainment company, Inspirational Vision Media, http://ivmi.biz, and the majority-owned Florida medical marijuana clinic and industrial hemp corporation MediCannaVision Inc., dba CannaVision. http://cannavisionclinics.com

Safe Harbor Statement: Except for historical information certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and those statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are qualified by other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any statements in this release, whether as a result of future events or otherwise.

Contact: Jack Honour 818-326-6018 info@stereovision.com

What is Media Asset Management?

In the entertainment industry today, efficient media asset management is at the center of being able to monetize your content. The consumer demand for rich media content, specifically audio and video files, and the amount of devices capable of creating and using this content are at an all-time high and there is no sign of this slowing down.

Media asset management is a solutions-based approach to managing and distributing film, tape, and audio content. It is imperative that you work in partnership with a vendor that can provide the right tools combined with unlimited storage and bandwidth capacity to manage, distribute and grant access to these especially large media assets. It is ideal to be in the position to produce and deliver content that assists you in building brand awareness, generating revenue and adding customer value.

As a true leader in media asset management, Pacific Title Archives is able to serve production companies as well as the modern mid-size marketer or small media outlet seeking to drive revenue. We bring you knowledgeable expertise with high levels of customer service to assist you in creating, managing, and distributing your media assets.

When you select a true media asset management partner like Pacific Title Archives, we understand the need for a personalized approach. Pacific Title Archives serves a variety of industries in addition to the film industry and offers a range of services for your digital asset management needs including:

• Climate preservation storage
• Culling and curating
• Film, video, and audio inspection and preservation
• Digital archiving and supply chain services
• Library asset management systems
• Document scanning and imaging
• Industry consultation services
• Online account access

In addition to these services, we also offer unparalleled customer service and a host of other benefits for your secured content:

• Augmented security levels
• Replication
• Referential integrity
• Geographic separation
• Centralized data management

Have you reviewed your media asset management solutions lately? Check out the many services we offer at Pacific Title Archives, and contact us today to learn more about our personalized media asset management solutions.

Pacific Title Archives

Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Media Conversion: Monetize Your Content with PTA

As you continue to ensure that your content is positioned for proper distribution in today’s entertainment market, have you deployed a redundancy strategy? Although it is extremely important that you have selected the proper distribution channel for the monetization of your content, you must ask yourself, do I have the most effective media storage and transfer strategy in place?

In our conversations with our clients, a key area of concern is whether or not they are utilizing the most effective media conversion processes. This discussion is focused on redundancy and evolution. Questions we typically ask include:

• First, are assets properly “backed up”? Is there redundancy?
• Second, are the assets consistently being converted to the most current media type?
• Finally, in addition to affordability, is your vendor a true media asset manager who is providing media conversion to bring your media into the modern era?

At Pacific Title Archives, we know how valuable your content is. We would like to hear from you to discuss how you are managing your treasured assets, your plan for redundancy and subsequent conversion to the media types available.

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Digital Asset Monetization

Effective media asset management is critical to the success of any entertainment entity. You need a cost-effective and reliable solution that is specifically designed to streamline storage and retrieval of your digital media. The goal is to facilitate the effective and efficient management of multimedia information and to achieve an economic benefit and a competitive advantage for clients.

At Pacific Title Archives, we are committed to working with our clients to maximize the return on their media asset investment, and subsequently bring new content and services to market faster.

In addition, Pacific Title Archives focuses on the following categories of digital asset management:

• Brand asset management: Focus on facilitation of content re-purposing.
• Library asset management: Focus on storage and retrieval of infrequently changing media assets, for example in video or photo archiving.
• Production asset management: Focus on managing assets that have been created for a digital media production (video game, feature films, animation, visual-effects shots, etc.).
• Digital supply chain services: Pushing digital content out to digital retailers (e.g. music, videos and games).

Pacific Title Archives is committed to providing an unmatched level of personal service to the motion picture film, television, recording and multimedia entertainment industries. The preservation, care and protection of important video, audio, motion picture film, records, digital media and other media assets remain our primary function and concern.

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Film Still Extremely Relevant

Although the digital world has taken the movie industry by storm, there has been a rare display of unanimity in regards to everyone rallying around the importance of film. As we are all aware, Eastman Kodak movie-film sales have fallen 96% since 2006 and the industry is faced with the possible extinction of the physical material that defined its very existence. In the wake of all of this, it has now been announced that Eastman Kodak has been involved in secret negotiations for the arrangement of a coalition to purchase a fixed quantity of film over the next several years. This announcement is welcome news to all of us who understand and embrace the significance and subsequently the impact of producing movies on film.  Of course, most movies and television shows are now shot digitally and both film and digital video are valid choices; however, the cost of renting cameras and recording equipment for a movie are almost parallel for film and digital. The pure financial differentiator is that digital allows for an expedited post production process. This financial realization has been instrumental in the quicker than expected projected drop in film demand.

This paradigm change in the industry, though, has many executives uncertain as to the use of film and to what extent that digital is used exclusively. The challenge that the proponents of film have to embrace is to justify and simultaneously confirm the long term economic value of making movies on film.  This case can be made from two camps. The first is the unique viability of film. It is the only medium that is still used for preservation of all types of movies over extremely long periods of time. This is even inclusive of movies shot digitally. Digital files have to be regularly transferred; thus, augmenting their risk for damage. This in itself is a financial liability. The second is the coalition of industry heavyweights who are insisting that they have opportunity to shoot on film. Even the average movie-goer is cognizant of the “magic” of film and the underscored grain and color quality that captures every viewer’s attention.

We will all be watching very closely as film looks to slow its revenue decline and repositions itself as a valuable component of film making in today’s world of multiple distribution platforms.

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Internet Video Streaming

As a voluminous number of firms outside of the entertainment industry have come to the business realization that offering cloud services for content providers could be lucrative, competitive clouds are forming frequently. Although firms such as Netflix have been extremely visible as pioneers in internet video streaming, Hulu, Amazon.com, iTunes and YouTube have provisioned ample competition. Moreover, we are starting to find out that big technology firms are commencing their advancement into the cloud market; thus, the industry is conservatively forecasting that the market for video-streaming services will be crowded in the next five years.

The in-depth narrative for the content providers based on the projected influx of big technology companies, is whether or not subscriber growth can increase consistently and subsequently what will the market allow for price increases. The key for the content providers will be rooted in the question of: can the U.S. subscriber base expand at a frenzied rate and, within lock step, can prices be raised during and after the growth if the subscriber base slows down?

As the content provider addresses the business platform issue denoted above, their consistent foundational challenge is how the delivery platform is performing. Do they have a streaming solution or a performance challenge?

One of the methods used to improve streaming media performance and reduce the impact of streaming media delivery on enterprise networks is the development of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which distribute caching content servers between the media servers and the receiving clients. The networks are vital because they lower the stress on networks between the originating server and the clients. Some large networks incorporate thousands of servers worldwide to assist in the movement of content closer to the consumer. It is important to note, though, that large infrastructure build-outs did not lead to agreements in which streaming content delivery providers committed to specific quality of service levels for their clients.

The salient fact here is that quality levels are the driving important component to the clients of the content providers. Questions of customer experience and comparisons between the CDNs are crucial to content providers as they justify expenditures; however, it is a moot point if the CDNs do not move their programming to the customers end device (i.e., smartphone, tablet, desktop, television) without performance issues.

We all can agree that there is and will continue to be a proliferation of cloud providers, especially those from big technology companies, that will attempt to benefit from our insatiable need for content. The challenge will be for the content provider to continually grow the subscriber base while strategizing for an augmentation in pricing, while the base inevitably slows down. In addition, this business paradigm will have to be executed while ensuring that the delivery platform is performing at flawless or near-flawless levels. As this approach is attempted to be carried out by the content provider, we will constantly keep asking for more content. We are just getting started!

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Net Neutrality

As the Internet becomes a primary distribution medium, the world has tremendously changed for content providers. In the past, the distribution channels were solely the silver screen and network television. Now with the proliferation of distribution platforms (mobile), there is not enough content to facilitate the thirst. In addition, whenever we log onto the Internet, we assume that we will be able to access whatever Web site we want, whenever we want to go there. We assume that we can use any feature we like—watching online video, listening to podcasts, searching, e-mailing and instant messaging—anytime we choose. We assume that we can attach devices like wireless routers, game controllers or extra hard drives to make our online experience better. At the crux of all of the aforementioned assumptions is the fact that we assume we have immediate access to the content of our choice.

What makes all these assumptions possible is “Network Neutrality,” the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet. Net Neutrality means that Internet service providers may not discriminate between different kinds of content and applications online. It guarantees a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies. However, that has now changed due to the agreement between Comcast and Netflix. The distribution platforms also provide content and in the end, it is their platform that any content, be it internal and/or competitive, is flowing over.

The distribution channels (cable operators and telephone companies) are in the business, now, of charging fees for unfettered access to Web sites, speed to run applications, and permission to plug in devices. It is their business model to charge Web site operators, application providers and device manufacturers for the right to use their respective networks. The component that has changed Net Neutrality for good is simply that those content providers who do not work in conjunction with the distribution channels will experience obstacles in provisioning smooth content review for their clients. Such examples are that their sites will not load as quickly, and their applications and devices will not work as well.

The distribution channels are looking at implementing a “tiered” Internet. If you pay to get in the top tier, your site and your service will run fast. If you don’t, you’ll be in the slow lane.

At the intersection of the problem is that the Internet was designed as an open medium. The fundamental idea since the Internet’s inception has been that every Web site, every feature and every service should be treated without discrimination. That’s how bloggers can compete with cable news channels and newspapers for readers. This is how up and coming recording artists can build underground audiences before they get their first top-40 single. This is why when you use a search engine, you see a list of the sites that are the closest match to your request—not those that paid the most to reach you.  This battle is just heating up!

Traditionally, distribution channels have built a business model by charging consumers for cable access.

It is indeed a new frontier, but as always content will control the discussion!

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

Corporate Libraries: Storage & Management

Pacific Title Archives works with clients to assist them in the creation and management of their respective evolving corporate library management requirements. This is accomplished through a scalable and hosted enterprise solution.

The expansion of high quality media platforms and delivery distribution requirements are creating an environment where corporations must embrace costs that are naturally outside of their primary business model. Pacific Title Archives provisions a platform that allows for entities to benefit from the same competitive design and infrastructure that major technology firms deploy for their internal and external client base.

The corporate library management model is broken into three components here at Pacific Title Archives.

The first is Asset Management & Preservation.

This is inclusive of the following:

• Digitization and encoding services
• Enterprise-class backup
• Asset identification and cataloging
• Production and editing capabilities

The second is Library Access & Management.

• Web-based library access
• Metadata creation and management
• Scalable and customized process workflow

The third is Distribution & Monetization.

• Transcoding engine
• Multiple delivery formats
• Third party access

We work diligently with the corporation to determine and create an evolutionary and proactive library that is defined by the respective company’s cost-benefit analysis.

The cost-benefit analysis shows how the corporate library services can save money for the company or help the company make a profit. Opportunities for a cost-benefit analysis include: introducing new technologies, outsourcing or bringing services in-house, or implementing new procedures.

Cost-benefit analyses can be organized into hard dollar savings, soft dollar savings, and cost avoidance.  We are committed to creating and managing a library that works best for your specific needs and requirements.

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com

4K Television and Content: The Crossroads

4K Television is coming! The daunting challenge is whether or not it can turn a profit for the content provider.

The major debate surrounding “UltraHD” or 4K television is the timing and practicality of bringing it to consumers’ homes in the immediate future. At this time, savvy broadcasters and video production professionals around the world are preparing various strategies for producing 4K content and distributing it into consumers’ living rooms. The topic where there is no debate is that 3840 pixels × 2160 lines of resolution, or basically four times the pixels of the best 1080p HD sets, makes a better picture. This can lead to the reach of a large segment of consumers while also turning a profit for the content provider, if all goes as strategically planned. The limiting factor, though, is the cost when making a 4K purchase decision. However, the largest hurdle to overcome is the current lack of 4K content.

The consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers recognize the price barrier and have made significant progress towards making 4KTV affordable. In fact, the prices of 4K compatible TV sets are now within reach for many. A 55-inch Sony 4K TV sells for under $5,000 US and a 39-inch, 4K-compatible television from Seiki Digital sells for $699. Citing this reduction in pricing, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) projects shipments of Ultra HD sets to reach 57,000 units—with shipment revenue to earn $314 million—this year alone. By 2015, that number could increase to more than one million units shipped.

Once again, though, to stimulate 4K TV sales, like the early days of HDTV, more content is needed. To make Ultra HD home releases, studios need 4K masters and digital intermediates, whether scanned from 35mm film or shot in digital 4K. The film industry is well positioned to re-release many films in true Ultra HD resolution and to produce native content. Likewise, broadcasters and production facilities have to begin experimenting with the format for their daily programs, including the use of 4K titles and station IDs, virtual sets, weather and other news-related graphics, and native resolution video content.

To this end, some manufacturers have enhanced their platforms and real-time composition of graphics and video to meet the new 4K challenge. It is basically understood that as more TVs penetrate the market, broadcasters will be forced to offer native content in order to stay one step ahead of their competitors. Currently, tools that address the entire content chain, from ingest, editing, and graphics insertion to play-out are under constant development.

Thanks to recent developments, engine broadcasters can continue producing HD content today and then migrate to 4K when ready.

The industry is aware that consumers always want the best and will tune into the channel that has the best content. It is that simple and 4K TV will happen faster than some people think due to this dynamic in the marketplace.

We must note, though, that retail outlets and other forms of digital signage might be the first practical implementation for 4K monitors.

On a final note, the large file sizes of 4K content can be difficult to handle, especially with today’s existing infrastructure. In order to address distribution, the use of next-generation compression schemes (e.g., H.265 HEVC) will certainly help move files along. On the production side, the efficient use of network bandwidth is critical. This is where digital management systems are coming into play. Editors and producers are starting to use proxy video to edit with while the invaluable edit information is stored as metadata. Then, instead of rendering massive 4k files as a finished package, the video and graphics content are played in real-time through the alternative platform engines. This non-conform workflow takes the EDL information from the editors, the graphics from the producers, and puts it all together when triggered from the control room live.

4K’s bandwidth-hungry file sizes make it tough to use the existing distribution infrastructure (whether over the air, via cable/satellite/Telco, Blu-Ray disc or even the Internet). Can it be done technically: sure. Is it practical: far from it. The answer, many agree, is a better form of video compression than the H.264 standard that is widely available today, and 4K native production tools that facilitate the creation of native content.

Contact:
Ken Smith
Director of Client Services
Ken@pacifictitlearchives.com