SGO Mistika is a next generation, high-end timeline based editing, compositing, and colour grading mastering solution.

Mistika is a High-End finishing system designed to remove limits and allow total freedom to create and manipulate moving images for any format
  - SD, HDTV, Film, IMAX, multiple projector etc.

Mistika's non-proprietary, open architecture, its intuitive interface and overall system scalability make it the most cost effective choice when you need the power and flexibility to produce and deliver any job in any format.

Mistika is completely configurable in terms of resolution, frame rate, aspect ratio, and interlacing. You can edit and composite in any format and any resolution, on the same timeline in the same project with unlimited layers. All this while retaining the ability to non-destructively modify effects parameters and groupings. Providing an intelligent way of creating templates for complex effects which can be used again in other projects.

Pixelution are the sole UK distributor for Mistika and we have been working closely with SGO for over 12 years. If you would like to arrange a demonstration then please contact us on 01462 433558 or email us here.

Features at a glance:

SD, HD, 3D, Dual-Link, 2K/4K DPX & Cineon

True native RED R3D real time workflow

Integrated Stereoscopic 3D workflow

Real time 4K playback

Dynamic DI and Film Restoration effects

Online Multi-format Editing

A Flexible, Scalable, Unique Mastering solution

Mistika is a High-End finishing system designed to remove traditional limits and allow total freedom to create and manipulate moving images for any format - SD, HDTV, 2k Film, IMAX, multiple projector etc.

Misitika's timeline allows for an infinite number of layers with no dedicated audio, video or effect tracks. Instead editors have the freedom to create an edit or complex composite by stacking multiple layers of clips and effects anywhere in the workspace.

Mistika allows for the non-destructive grouping of clips and effects in a way that helps users organize their projects into manageable pieces. It also provides an intelligent way of creating templates for effects and composites that can be used again in other projects, even at different resolutions.

The Mistika compositing panel uses a tree flow diagram that allows navigation up to any level of the composite. Users can manipulate parameters at any point while seeing the results in real time. Working with this panel users have no need to go back to the timeline.

Mistika provides a complete set of tools, a large range of filters, colour correctors, distortion effects, chroma keyers, vector paint, rotoscoping, morph, warp, title, and many more all as standard. External control interfaces, such as colour grading trackballs, can be used to drive the interface.

All effects in Mistika are combinable, non-destructive and will not require intermediate renders in order to see how they affect each other in complex composite stacks. It fully supports third-party plug-ins based on the OFX standard e.g. Foundry Furnace Suite.

Mistika is completely configurable in terms of resolution, frame rate, aspect ratio, and interlacing. You can edit and composite in any format and resolution on the same timeline while retaining the ability to nondestructively modify effects parameters. Mistika's ability to digitize and colour correct material in native YUV as well as RGB translates into tremendous savings in both disk storage and colour space conversions. In support of Universal Mastering Mistika includes all the necessary conversion tools that will allow clients to finish a project in a master format, such as 2K Film or HD@24P, and deliver in any other standard format such as PAL or NTSC.

Mistika's interface has been designed using well established editing and compositing interface paradigms, as seen in other competing products, without compromising or restricting Mistika's own unique functionality.

Users with experience in other products will have no problems getting their Mistika systems to produce finished projects with only a little practice. Mistika also introduces a proprietary character recognition system called "SCRIBE". It allows users to quickly access common commands and effects using simple strokes and gestures. With time and practice users will find that they can operate Mistika software at great speed with motions and gestures alone!

Mistika´s standard file system allows for full integration and connectivity with 3rd party networks and advanced shared storage solutions like SANs. All format media, such as 2K Film or PAL/NTSC video, can be stored in the same partition that in turn can be accessed by any machine using any operating system (Win2K, WinXP, OSX, etc…) with the correct licence across a standard network.

Mistika can also make use of networked render systems to increase productivity. The "Totem" system uses Linux based machines to increase the overall rendering performance of the front end Mistika workstation. Clips rendered via Totem can be played out even before all the frames are finished.

Given sufficient resources and system bandwidth the Totem rendering systems will allow clients to preview and play out ongoing renders of complex composites in real time. As technology moves forward and faster processors become available clients will find that the Totem cluster rendering engine will revolutionize the concept of working online, in real time, at any resolution! Totem provides a way for your Mistika systems to remain competitive for longer thus reducing the overall system depreciation. Guaranteeing an increased return on your investment.

Using the latest S.A.N. technologies Mistika systems can share media and collaborate on projects whilst maintaining the multiple stream performance of local high speed disk arrays. As an example, while one Mistika system is conforming an EDL, another can be working on a complex composite, while at the same time the Totem cluster can be rending clips in the background - all accessing the same shared storage. No duplicated material, no waiting times for project transfers, just a truly collaborative workflow!

If you would like more information on Mistika please contact us directly. We can discuss any specific details and arrange a personal demonstration at your convenience.

Mistika 3D stereo modes:

Anaglyph colour: (for old style glasses with red and blue/green filters)

Anaglyph "Black & White": (similar to previous mode, but removing chroma information to avoid convergence errors due to phase displacements between colour channels).

Interlaced: For 3D displays requiring each eye image in one field.

Dual Link: Each eye is sent to a different SDI-HD 1920x1080 output signal (the best quality format)

Side by side: Each eye stretched to one half of the image, for 3D displays requiring this format.

Right only / Left only: ( 2D display of the user selected eye)

Checkerboard: The image is subdivided into small squares, alternating pieces of each eye in a checker board pattern. This permits to study local differences in chroma and luminance to fix them easily.

Mix: A mix of both eyes, for general visual comparison.

Difference: Grey-scale or false colour representation of the differences between the two eyes. To study convergence differences and other issues.

- 3D Stereo capture and playout from/to HDCAM-SR and other dual link recording VTRs
In addition, Mistika can automatically encode/decode two YUV 422 10bit signals into one consecutive file, which avoids the double seek times required by two files and provides excellent disk speed performance.

- Collaborate: 3D player for external sequences out of the Mistika storage. You can link DPX, tga, AVI, MXF, and Quicktime files, and other external sequences located in other places and play them to the stereo output without any import or conversion process. In addition, the Mistika advanced pre-read buffering and disk access priorization tools permit to sustain realtime stereo playouts for external files even in the most difficult situations, because it can manage the typical big I/O peaks that usually appear in any shared storage under heavy traffic conditions.

Mistika 3D DVE interface.

Mistika Template effects.

Mistika Chroma Key.

Mistika Compositing.

Mistika Timeline stack.

Mistika Colour Correction.

Mistika Dual Monitor Compositing.

Mistika Dual Monitor Colour Grading.

Mistika Dual Monitor Colour Grading.

Mistika Dual Monitor Colour Grading.

Brief product overview

Mistika is a complete, high-end finishing post production system featuring editing, compositing and colour grading. Each area is seamlessly integrated into a single timeline-based interface, allowing live interaction between all functions. Mistika accepts almost any image resolution from SD to 4K and beyond, in 2D and 3D.

RED Camera based projects

Mistika can decompress and grade from RED camera files in real-time without any importing or cross conversion processes. By working directly from the RED files, Mistika retains access to RED specific meta-data such as exposure, white balance and gamma curve settings, whilst also benefiting from more efficient usage of image storage space. Many other products that claim to support RED files do so by first converting the RED files to their own convenient format. This requires time for cross conversion, more disk space to hold larger files and looses access to the RED meta-data. One of the strongest points of Mistika is its colour correction function that can compete with any stand-alone grading system. Combining this grading power with direct and real-time access to RED files creates an extremely capable and efficient RED based workflow.

Stereoscopic (3D) workflow

Mistika has arguably the most advanced and developed 3D post production tools in the market, which has lead to Sky employing it as their only 3D finishing tool and for facilities companies such as The Framestore to base their 3D strategy upon it. Mistika's advanced features include optical recognition between left and right cameras to aid the rapid correction of inherent stereo problems, such as camera pairs that are not exactly aligned. Mistika also allows its very strong colour grading functions to be applied to both image streams at the same time, or to just the left or right as needs be. Compositing can also be carried out in 3D. Mistika's real-time stereo tools including colour grading, convergence adjustments and camera error correction, as well as some very advanced features such as retrospective adjustment of the cameras interocular distance have left the market stunned by its ability.

System Speed

Mistika has been programmed to make maximum use of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for some years. The result of this is unrivalled speed with many effects not requiring any processing (rendering) whatsoever. Speed benchmarks include: -

- Full colour grading on 4K DPX files without any rendering required.
- Motion estimated slow motion running in real time at up to 2K resolution.
- Real time, full resolution colour grading and convergence operations on stereoscopic material
   at up to 2K per channel.
- Many other real time functions including RED camera based workflows.

Open System

Unlike many of its competitors, Mistika employs an open storage policy. Mistika can provide storage for any other product that allows connection to generic file systems. This allows Mistika to be easily integrated into an existing facility, because files of many different formats can be easily exchanged. With Mistika, it is also possible to develop custom scripts to aid integration and automate common functions.

Why all the hype about Mistika?

Mistika combines any-resolution editing, grading and compositing in one system with no rendering needed whatsoever for many features. Being already capable of advanced stereoscopic and data workflows, including real-time RED file handling, it gives post companies more ability, increased efficiency and a competitive advantage that sets them apart from their rivals.

What sets it apart from other systems out there?

No other single system has the breadth of features that Mistika has. Not only that it has strength in depth. Each feature, like grading, stands comparison with the best dedicated system on the market and each feature seamlessly integrates with another without time consuming or destructive importing and exporting. The other great strength is SPEED. Everyone who sees it in operation is wowed by its ability and the fact that for so many, even complex, operations no rendering is required. On top of this, the system is open, allowing storage to be accessed and shared by other applications and customer scripts to be incorporated.

What about its history and the company behind it?

Mistika is developed by SGO in Madrid . It has over 15 years of development behind it, having evolved from a previously successful system - Jaleo. It is therefore extremely robust and production proven. SGO, unlike some of its competitors whose development has stagnated in the current climate, is aggressively pushing development forward with new tools and workflows, especially in the areas of data workflow (e.g. with r3d files) and stereoscopic 3D.

What's special about RED workflow? - everyone can do that these days.

Sure - many systems can import the r3d files. But Mistika works directly with RED camera files without any importing or rendering. Working directly on the r3d file preserves all 12 bits of information right through the post process. It can take or conform from the original 4K camera files, rescale them to many desired delivery resolutions and colour grade the result in real time in a single process. Mistika also allows access and alterations to the decisions made by the camera operator on a shot-by-shot basis. As Mistika is so fast it remains responsive and usable even when working with 4k files.

What about stereo 3D then - lots of systems doing that too.

Many systems claim to support stereo 3D workflows now, but for most that simply means being able to work on and play out two streams of video. Mistika goes far beyond this with dedicated tools for helping with the specific problems that occur in stereoscopic production. It goes without saying it can grade two streams, either individually or together or both, but then things like being able to alter the interocular distance using advanced optical flow technology take it to another level. Currently this is one of the most active areas of development in Mistika.

Call us on 01462 433558 or email
to book a dedicated
 one on one demo of Mistika