How do you make the ideal tool for a digital film colourist? Ask a digital film colourist …

The brief

Film postproduction is a highly complex task. Add to that the constant software innovations that multiply the number of creative possibilities available and very soon, the mixing panels used to control the programs can become obsolete. Realising this, Pandora asked us to create a solution that would integrate these new tools with their existing digital film controller, the Pogle Platinum. The new system needed to be both modular and scalable to allow users access to Pandora’s industry-leading technology, both now and in the future.

What we did

Firstly, we teamed up with a group of digital film colourists to understand what it is they do, and what it is they want from a mixing panel. The result of this was a completely redesigned control surface allowing every task to be controlled in the most intuitive way possible. We achieved this firstly by taking the two most important elements of the colourist’s toolkit - the trackballs and the digitiser tablet – and combining them in a central panel. And since most of a colourist’s work is done in a darkened room, we then engineered the feel of each hand-controlled element to be completely unique and specific to its particular function.

Result

The Pandora Pogle Evolution was awarded the Red Dot design award 2003 and the IDSA gold award 2003. “The ergonomic layout, functional sophistication and customisability of this design make the creative control of complex technology intuitive and productive,” said Charles Burnette, IDSA Director.

Client's Comments

"It’s not often that a workplace is made elegant, comfortable and stimulating by the equipment it contains. The ergonomic layout, functional sophistication and customisability of this design make the creative control of complex technology intuitive and productive. "

Charles Burnette, IDSA Director