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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

mistika 5

Impressive it most definitely is - expensive?
Not when compared to the competition...

I am a user, and have Vesion 5 on beta test (I also consult with SGO, so do keep that in mind!).

There is some info on the Light Illusion website (link in the sig), and I'll happily answer any questions.

What is most impressive is the Stereo 3D tools - especially the ability to alter camera interaxial in post, in user selective zones :thumbup:
 
Mistika is kind of like Piranha: Amazing system no one knows about.

They are possibly the worst at marketing their product and allowing anyone to actually review it which is a shame considering how up to date they are with post trends, stereoscopic and third party sdk integration.

I'm glad Mr. Shaw is putting together a detailed synopsis on it as the company itself has failed to do so for years. They need to be more aggressive and really have decent, interactive visual tutorials showing the interface and what it can do (Autodesk is very good at this with their online flash tutorials). The ones at the SGO site are either broken links or look like they were shot with a phone camera. Brutal.

Why they don't create a trial version of their software like Smoke's 30 day, Quantel's IQ Compass or Avid DS is beyond me. Then one can familiarize themselves with it and see if it works for them. Heck, even a downloadable pdf manual to browse would be nice. If one can't learn it, how is any freelancer going to be able to work on it: Hope that a facility buys one and learn it on company time? Um, no.

Mention these points to SGO if you could Mr. Shaw. I might convince my boss that it has a place in our workflow. He's not going to invest in something he has not heard of no matter how I expound on its virtues.
 
SGO / Mistika had a nice little booth at NAB. One of the best 3D set-ups too, even compared to what the big boys were showing. But they did a poor job of actually showing their product and it was difficult to get real information at the show. It did look like a very nice system though. These guys really need a way to demo their product and they need to step up the marketing effort a bit I think.
 
I have to agree with both those comments - and I think you'll find SGO also fully accept them - and this is part of the reason people like me have become involved with the product.

There is a new US based support operation being built up, with an office in Florida and LA, and will be able to perform full demos, etc. This not yet fully operational, but will be shortly.

In reality, it was a last minute decision to go to NAB, based solely on the reaction of the UK Soho based industry to Mistika, which has been amazing with many systems being installed in the past few months in a lot of the top post house there. As a result the NAB planning was not as slick as it could have been...

I was there, but tied-up with demos in a on-to-one closed room. This did mean we were able to get very specific demos done, with all questions, etc, answered - but obviously to a limited number of customers. It's always difficult to get such a balance right.

This was not ideal I agree - but is a start for SGO, and the company is serious about making real improvements to the information is provides to the industry, as well as continuing to provide the best tools possible - and not just 3D Stereo tools. Remember, the underlying 2D DI tool set is what got me interested in Mistika first!

Keep an eye on the Light Illusion website for more of my own experiences as I gain more hands-on use and perform more real work.

Oh, and stop with the Mr. Shaw bit - make me feel like I've been pulled by the coppers again for misbehaving in my Caterham 7!
 
It is also would be advisable for SGO to be more judicious with the use of the word "unique". In two demo video examples, that I looked on the site, retiming and the ability to key off graded layer were presented as "unique". Nothing could be farther from reality, as Steve knows very well from working with FilmMaster.
 
Ah - marketing - don't you just love it!
I can pick similar holes in just about every manufacturer's blurb - Red, Nucoda, FilmLight, Quantel, included...

But, it's interesting as those two functions are probably the least wide spread amongst the DI systems out these, althoug I agree the SGO description of application and function is not the best.

In the end, personal experience is far more important. And as you say, based on my experience the Mistika application and function is one of the best I've come across. Hence why I've become actively involved in the product as a user...
 
I have looked at IFX products and MISTIKA. It took a long time to track down the demos, but they are great products. The main problem for someone in the freelance market has more to do with market saturation then the product quality itself.

Say I went out and bought a Mistika Station or IFX Piranah, as an investment to myself as a finisher or freelance colorist/compositor. (Just the same way a DP who want's to go freelance by buying a RED camera) I am going to have to address the market to see what the most viable product is.

What skills are going to pay off the most? IFX, SGO or Autodesk? Unfortunately I see postings around the globe for freelance SMOKE/FLAME/LUSTRE. I have never seen anyone who needs help with IFX or SGO products.

This has nothing to do with the quality of a product itself, SGO might run circles around SMOKE, but at the end of the day I have to pick a product that can invest my time into and know those skills will be able to go beyond me as an artist. Stuff like being able to hire freelancers who might help on projects or just name recognition so I can get a producer to trust me.

If I had a closed studio that had tons of work, or a line on 15 features that I would finish, color and composite, and didn't need to worry about the market, yeah, I would buy the best bang for the buck. As someone who has to deal with a lot of market haze and crazyness, I can't see SGO MISTIKA's feature set being able to compensate for its lack of market share.
 
Can't disagree with Alex's thinking - but Autodesk (Discreet) didn't exist initially. They came into a market really controlled by the likes of Quantel... Everyone starts somewhere (or at least tries to).

Will Mistika make progress? So far the interest suggest so...

At the moment the problem with Mistika is sales of the system are running ahead of capable operators. For example I'm at two days freelance training here in the UK tomorrow and Friday as owners here are shouting for operators.

The same will be done in the US, Canada and India as the market progresses.

Also, Mistika really is a different tool-set to the alternatives out there, which really is pulling people in to look at it. Over the years I have repeatedly looked at Piranha - the last time a few months back - and it has never impressed my the way Mistika has.

The reason Mistika really is make serious sales is that as well as very competitive 2D DI tools, Mistika has awesome 3D tools. The 3D tools really are very market leading.
 
Steve.
I know you were or possibly still is involved with Digital Vision. I have seen your demos on FilmMaster. IMHO, FilmMaster has the most complete set of features of any top line color grading systems. Though, I'm not familiar with Mistika's capabilities.
I wonder what are your thoughts on the emerging trend of doing compositing, effects and grading, all on the same box by the same person? It all sounds great in theory and I don't mind once in a while to do a simple composite, retime or even an occasional blemish removal in the DI suite, but...
Specialized devices, like Smoke, Nuke and even AE are designed for the effects work. They're designed specifically for that purpose and are operated by very qualified people, specifically trained for that kind of work.
So, what place do you see for Mistika? Why should people consider purchasing it, especially in light of present market conditions, where one can buy Resolve and Smoke on the Mac for much less and with much bigger user base?
 
jake blackstone said:
Steve.
I know you were or possibly still is involved with Digital Vision. I have seen your demos on FilmMaster. IMHO, FilmMaster has the most complete set of features of any top line color grading systems. Though, I'm not familiar with Mistika's capabilities.
I wonder what are your thoughts on the emerging trend of doing compositing, effects and grading, all on the same box by the same person? It all sounds great in theory and I don't mind once in a while to do a simple composite, retime or even an occasional blemish removal in the DI suite, but...
Specialized devices, like Smoke, Nuke and even AE are designed for the effects work. They're designed specifically for that purpose and are operated by very qualified people, specifically trained for that kind of work.
So, what place do you see for Mistika? Why should people consider purchasing it, especially in light of present market conditions, where one can buy Resolve and Smoke on the Mac for much less and with much bigger user base?
Click to expand...

Good question.
 
jake blackstone said:
Steve.
I know you were or possibly still is involved with Digital Vision. I have seen your demos on FilmMaster. IMHO, FilmMaster has the most complete set of features of any top line color grading systems. Though, I'm not familiar with Mistika's capabilities.
I wonder what are your thoughts on the emerging trend of doing compositing, effects and grading, all on the same box by the same person? It all sounds great in theory and I don't mind once in a while to do a simple composite, retime or even an occasional blemish removal in the DI suite, but...
Specialized devices, like Smoke, Nuke and even AE are designed for the effects work. They're designed specifically for that purpose and are operated by very qualified people, specifically trained for that kind of work.
So, what place do you see for Mistika? Why should people consider purchasing it, especially in light of present market conditions, where one can buy Resolve and Smoke on the Mac for much less and with much bigger user base?
Click to expand...

There is also a colorist who uses Digital Vision Film Master named Keith Shaw, Keith and Steve are of no relation.
 
Alex Hastings said:
There is also a colorist who uses Digital Vision Film Master named Keith Shaw, Keith and Steve are of no relation.
Click to expand...

Ooops, I just checked again and it's Kevin Shaw that's doing the demo videos for D-Vision. So, it's yet another Shaw. My apologies. I wonder, if having Shaw as a last name is a requirement in order to become a colorist:-)
 
jake blackstone said:
Ooops, I just checked again and it's Kevin Shaw that's doing the demo videos for D-Vision. So, it's yet another Shaw. My apologies. I wonder, if having Shaw as a last name is a requirement in order to become a colorist:-)
Click to expand...

Ha ha LOL thats funny. Darn it! I was looking forward to more info.
 
As has been pointed out Kev Shaw has been a Nucoda/Digital Vision demo artist for some time (no relation as stated). However, I have used Film Master, as well as many other 'colour' systems over the years.

But, I've actually been a major user of PabloNeo, and have moved over to Mistika exactly because it offers tools way beyond just colour and at speeds I've never seen before.

To me DI is not colour - its a workflow that enables the operator and client to work together to produce a film/project result that is exactly as the client wants. And often this means I need access to tools that may in the past have been regarded as vfx.

This doesn't mean doing complex multilayer vfx shots within the one system - that's just not good business, or the best use of available resources, but being able to independently colour the separate layers in a vfx composite is a very powerful capability, and far more creative.

I can't count the number of times a client has commented on the additional creative freedom felt being in such an operational environment, and the time and cost savings provided by having vfx tools available.

There is a lot more info on my workflow approach on the Light Illusion website - feel free to have a look.
 
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