Archive notice: This article was originally published on November 8, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
DP: The video business is looking good, isn’t it?
Hayhurst: Absolutely! We have doubled our video business within two years. The overall market is growing by around ten percent a year. We are very satisfied with the worldwide launch of Production Studio CS3 this summer. We are seeing strong momentum on the Windows side, but the results from the Mac market blew me away. It really took off. Almost 40 percent of the business was on the Mac side.
DP: Production Studio CS3 costs the same for Mac and PC, but the entire suite cannot be used on the Mac. Why?
Hayhurst: The Mac and Windows versions had the same price because it was easier to communicate. OnLocation, for example, can be used under Boot Camp, but Ultra cannot. It is not ideal, but it is not an impossible workflow. We only acquired Ultra recently. But we take the matter very seriously. Ultra will certainly have been ported by CS4. Fundamentally, however, the workflow within CS3 is fantastic. The data can be published directly, whether on DVD or on the web, with just one click.
DP: Which target groups are you focusing on?
Hayhurst: Traditionally, the mid-range market feels addressed, the strong market of videographers. But broadcasters do as well. The BBC has declared CS3 its tool. The broadcast market and professional commercial filmmakers are committing to CS3—what better compliment could there be? Apple is taking a similar route and is successful with it. Avid apparently has a few problems. The CEO is leaving the company. The market is booming, and everyone is both a good partner and a tough competitor.
The full interview can be found in the new DIGITAL PRODUCTION 06:07 on page 14. DP has been available at newsstands since 26 November 2007.
