About

Being first to market tends to create a leadership position and credibility unequaled by the competition.  Social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are proof that those first to conquer the concept will gain the most momentum.  Software development for emerging component technology is no different.  Graphics Processing Units (GPU) represent the next technological wave for video processing; although it has a steep software developer learning curve (creating high barriers to entry), the benefits to the user are significant and cannot be ignored.

Cinnafilm successfully surmounted this issue in the development of the Pixel Strings™ video processing engine.  Using off-the-shelf GPUs, Pixel Strings™ surpassed the real-time processing barrier on a single workstation for manipulation, optimization and creation of video.  Originally designed to benefit the Media & Entertainment (M&E) market, this patent-pending core technology is directly transferable to a wider range of industries that require fast and accurate processing of images, i.e. Surveillance, Scientific Research, Medical Imaging and Defense Intelligence.

Six years (2003 - 2009) of R&D resources were invested developing the Pixel Strings™ Engine and its companion application Dark Energy™, the latter specifically designed to address the needs of M&E companies.  Both the engine and application are now in their 4th generation, and the company is entering its next phase of growth with a proven product and growing customer base.  Present development efforts are focused on expanding the core functionality of Dark Energy™ to deliver new 3D functionality, and other restorative tool sets and maintain an edge in M&E markets.

Company Overview 

Cinnafilm was originally founded to address the lack of quality software-based tools to convert/re-purpose and improve the image quality of digital media.  Recognizing the power of modern GPUs and the accelerating migration to file-based workflows, Cinnafilm disregarded prevailing industry methods and started from scratch to create what has become the world’s fastest and most accurate GPU-based image processing engine, Pixel Strings™.

When Cinnafilm first offered this powerful image optimization software to the Hollywood market in 2009, sales yielded over $3MM, including installs at fifteen of the top-echelon post-production houses across Europe, Russia, and North America.  All this was accomplished without the company receiving any institutional investment, and it was able to post positive financial results, in spite of operating during the worst industry recession on record.

Cinnafilm’s current market strategy continues to focus on delivering high-end software with features and benefits needed by professional production, postproduction and digital intermediate facilities – at a cost 50%-70% below acquiring currently available and comparable legacy solutions.  Our products offer superior control of image processing and manipulation, with solutions tailored to the novice, intermediate and advanced professional user.

State-of-the-Art GPU Processing Platform

Picture Elements (also called pixels) are the building blocks of digital imagery, and having absolute control over how and when they are displayed is the holy grail of image processing.  By understanding where pixels have been as well as where they are going, content creators, image analysts and end-users can delve deeper into the informational aspects of what they are viewing.  Cinnafilm’s Pixel Strings™ processing engine is arguably the strongest solution for addressing the wide array of common image problems across a broad range of industries, with manipulation of image accuracy down to an unprecedented 1/8th of a pixel.  As mentioned, by using off-the-shelf standard GPUs, the need for dedicated hardware solutions is rendered obsolete.

Modular Application Framework/Plug-Ins

Through the Dark Energy™ modular software platform, Cinnafilm provides real-world solutions for both postproduction and broadcast entities that have embraced next generation (file-based) video workflows.  Allowing users to reformat, reclaim and repurpose digital video faster and more accurately than before, Cinnafilm software enables clients to unlock the value of older, archived material while minimizing production cycles.  New content creators benefit from the ability to prepare video for multi-format delivery while simultaneously normalizing and optimizing images to create cinematic results irrespective of video capture methods.  Modules offered to accomplish this are: texture control, de-grain/re-grain of film-based footage, de-noise of digital footage, unlimited format and standards conversion, artistic and professional retiming, realistic film simulation and single-pass event filter (dustbusting).