Lightworks to Swim Again? by Patrick Gregston A glimmer of hope was seen for fans of the Lightworks editing system when meetings for users and vendors were held at the Hilton Universal on Thursday, January 21. Mark Pounds of O.L.E. Canada, the distributor of Lightworks systems in Canada, announced that he had signed a memorandum of understanding with Tektronix for the acquisition of "all Lightworks assets, including spare parts, source code and intellectual property." The memorandum calls for completion of a contract to take effect on February 28, 1999. Pounds made it clear that "much can happen in the weeks until then," but stated that he had "no expectations of failure." He also expressed that his intention for the meetings was to "seek input," not raise unrealistic expectations. That said, Pounds outlined a future for Lightworks products in the hands of "a new company, with a new vision, focused on creative editing." The yet-to-be-named entity will be headquartered in Toronto and have offices in Los Angeles and London, where many members of the existing product development team have already signed on to the new effort. While hesitant to be overly specific, Pounds indicated that plans include support for all current Lightworks products, including the original Lightworks, Lightworks Turbo, Heavyworks I and II, and V.I.P. The foundation of the business will be the development of a next-generation machine, based on a "hardware engine with adequate capacity to upgrade functionality" to fulfill market expectations. The product will include the "key features of the Lightworks, including the console, sound scrubbing, interface and control logic." Tektronix will maintain a small interest in the new firm, but will have no management, design or manufacturing control. Pounds indicated that he is in discussions with other "strong partners that possess the capability to provide the engine" for the next platform. Recognizing that both the original Lightworks company and Tektronix provided "examples of failing with not enough money and failing with more than enough money," Pounds added that the new business model will be focused on customer satisfaction. "When our customers - be they editors, owners or vendors - succeed, then the company succeeds," he stated. Acknowledging the current perception of Lightworks in Hollywood, he said, "It astounds me that people can believe that a machine stopped functioning because an article appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. This isn't the perception in the rest of the world, where Lightworks usage remains strong. The great thing about Lightworks is that it elicits passionate response, positively and negatively. People care about the product, and that is good. We have to turn that passion into a sustainable business." Pounds said he felt the way to restore credibility to the product was for the new company to "build a relationship with the community, to talk and listen, and then deliver services and products appropriate to the market demands. If we build a foundation of delivering on our promises and being recognized for keeping our commitments, then we will have credibility. Obviously you can't do that overnight, or in a weekly advertising campaign." Several attendees of the January meetings pointed out that there remain many editors and assistants "who love working on the Lightworks but are afraid to say so." Pounds said he hoped to find a way "to get the closet Lightworks lovers out in the open. I'm here to get your ideas about the product, the market, who we need to convince to give Lightworks another shot, and what will convince them." Response of attendees was cautiously positive. "No one likes being in a one-horse town," commented a representative from a local rental house. Another user stated, "This is the best news I have had in 1999." Pounds added that a formal announcement will be made when the transaction is consummated. He expects to hold further meetings with the community at that time.   Patrick Gregston is a former Guild board member. He can be contacted via email   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter Vol. 20, No. 1 - Jan/Feb 1999   Guild Home | Newsletter Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 1999, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700