NewTek LIVE 2006 Tour

On Thursday, March 23rd, I caught up with the NewTek Live 2006 Tour as it came through Nashville. This was their 40th stop on a 4 month cross-continent tour, which includes the US, Canada and Mexico.

While I was there I got to see NewTek's powerful line-up which includes:

NewTek TriCaster which is a portable live presentation appliance for switching cameras, external computers, clip playback, and professional titling with simultaneous output to video, projector, and internet.
NewTek VT[4] LIVE! is an Integrated Production Suite offering component switching, real-time Internet streaming, and uncompressed D1 editing. VT[4] allows for more advanced live and post production than is possible with TriCaster.
LightWave 3D is an Emmy?-winning 3D animation and visual effects system for creation, surfacing, animating, and rendering.
3D Arsenal? is an essential 3D motion graphics system used to map video into stunning animation sequences for busy editors.
The tour is geared towards video producers of all kinds, from live television shows to weddings, educators, and anyone wanting to record and distribute live events. Don Ballance demonstrated all the products and provided solutions that are easy to use and extremely important to this segment of content creators.

After the demonstration, I sat down with Don Ballance to learn more.

So Don, tell me a little bit about yourself and how you found yourself on this whirl-wind tour.
Well, I've pretty much been on the road since returning to NewTek. I was with NewTek for about 8 years. Then my partner, Ralph Messana, and I ventured out on our own and formed Toasterdudes.com. We spent 2 long years of straight development time to create 3D Arsenal and Logo Arsenal. We wanted to make Lightwave easy enough for everyone to use and get professional results quickly.

I couldn't have done it without the loving support of my wife. She was a saint through the whole thing, including working 2 jobs to support our new company. Ralph and I poured all our time into creating 3D Arsenal and Logo Arsenal. We poured 10 years of knowledge and video editing into creating 3D Arsenal. But, upon completion of our new, easy-to-use products, we discovered that it was difficult to get noticed in this industry without a known brand name like NewTek behind it. So we approached NewTek and worked out a win-win situation for everyone.

Why did NewTek decide to do a cross-country tour?
After NewTek acquired ToasterDudes.com, we hit the road to demonstrate all of the products now in the NewTek line-up. All of these products are easy to sell after showing professionals how they work and demonstrating the value they bring to their business. Compared to other products on the market, ours really provide a lot of power for what you pay.

In addition to adding 3D Arsenal to the product line, what else is happening at NewTek?
Lightwave 9 is now in open Beta Test. We encourage all your interested artists to participate! We welcome their feedback and input. They can visit the NewTek website for all the details and requirements to get in on the Beta Test program.

I would also encourage anyone that wants to purchase Lightwave 8 right now to please go ahead. They will be given the opportunity to upgrade for free. So, don't delay in purchasing Lightwave. They don't have to wait on the version 9 release.

4 months is a long tour. How is it going? Are you getting a lot of attendance?
We're almost done and I'm ready to get back home. But, it has been a good experience. The tour has been very well received and attendance has been high. There's a lot of interest in seeing how these products can make the video production easier and less expensive than ever before.

If you want to see example of how VT[4] can be used, you've got to check out www.maniatv.com. It was a site I worked on. It was a lot of fun!

Is there anything you would like to say to the Renderosity Lightwave Community?
One of my trainers once told me, "Lightwave makes crack look like Sanka! Once you use it you're hooked!"

I have to agree. I've been using Lightwave 1.0 since the Amiga 7MHz. I can honestly say that the new features and enhancements that are coming in Lightwave 9 have me more excited than ever!

Can we get a picture of you in your RenderWear?
Absolutely, it would be my pleasure!

Thank you for your time and for meeting with me Don. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to attend the tour. The only problem is that it left me wanting to get lots of new tools from NewTek. Thanks Don!

About NewTek
Headquartered in San Antonio and Texas, NewTek is a provider of video editing, live production, presentation, and visual effects tools which includes TriCaster?, VT[4]?, and LightWave 3D?. The company's products are used on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent projects using NewTek production tools include: Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, ManiaTV!, Battlestar Galactica, Children of Dune, and The Final Cut. Clients using NewTek's video production products include: NBC, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Zoic Studios, FEMA, Yale University Medical School, and McDonald's. Website: http://www.newtek.com
For tour dates and information please visit the NewTek website

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