Virtual Katy makes it in LA

By ELLEN READ

From Middle Earth to Hollywood.

The local company that revolutionised movie sound editing when working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy has sealed its biggest export deal to date.

Virtual Katy has sold a substantial number of licences for its software technology to a major Hollywood post-production company, Creative Media Partners.

The value of the deal is confidential but chief executive Paul Dixon says it's a six-figure sum and the company's biggest contract in its two-year history.

"The deal is a major milestone for the company, opening up access to Hollywood," Dixon said.

The software automates much of the tedious manual splicing done by sound editors during the post-production process.

The company estimates it can save up to 80 per cent of time spent doing manual updates.

Because it's so much faster, directors and editors can work on a film until right up to its release.

Director Peter Jackson was still editing The Return of the King days before it opened thanks to this technology. It is called Virtual Katy after the hapless employee who used to perform the task by hand.

"Virtual Katy is a unique solution. There's very little competition," Dixon said.

The company hopes the technology will generate $10 million in revenue by 2009.

Virtual Katy creator John McKay is in Los Angeles today to present the product to 150 studio representatives and to train the Creative Media staff on its use.

McKay developed the software in response to the demanding special effects needs of the second LOTR film, The Two Towers.

Virtual Katy