Forbidden’s Vision: the How

Introduction

The only constant in Technology is constant change.

I named the company Forbidden because it is here to achieve what people in normal companies are not even allowed to attempt. With the freedom to challenge received wisdom, Forbidden’s exceptional team has engineered a huge lead by using technological magic to climb seemingly unassailable summits.

Infrastructure

Isaac Newton, creator of classical mechanics and the greatest ever Englishman, is reputed to have said that if he could see so far, it was because he was standing on the shoulders of giants. Albert Einstein said that the purpose of science is to simplify as far as possible - but no further.

Forbidden has taken both of these ideas to heart: to build on available infrastructure, but not to over simplify by using inappropriate technology.

Here is a sprinkling of the great achievements of humanity, now commoditised enabling technologies, which have helped Forbidden to pioneer cloud video post-production:

The Internet - linking humanity via its machines

Smartphones - pocket supercomputers with cameras and screens

JavaScript - cross platform and accessible base to build software on

Starting with requirements, we look for or create components to meet these requirements. Off the shelf components, while appearing appropriate, are often incapable of meeting the requirements. This is a dangerous trap akin to taking a short cut up a mountain only to find there is no route to the summit.

Forbidden uses everyday technology components, such as JavaScript. We stretch the technology to its limit to make high performance practical applications to a professional standard.

Forbidden’s Architecture

Forbidden’s architecture is unique for a video post-production tool:

Content is stored in the cloud allowing:

access from anywhere on any device

efficiency - parts of content are only accessed if required

Processing is done by the client providing:

instantaneous responses during editing

no waiting for rendering on video transitions and effects

scalable solution with new users bringing their own processing power

Forbidden has added some of its own technology to the cloud video spellbook:

The “Blackbird” video codec for efficient viewing, navigation, clipping and editing

“Transition Tables”, an AI-based non-domain-specific loss free compression technology

The “Back End” cloud infrastructure, which makes the client software look so easy

The “Video Waveform” patented navigation aid

The ingest box, which supports efficient professional cloud proxy workflows

Mobile app technology, including live capture and upload into the editor

The wider team

Finally, as a quoted company, Forbidden Technologies plc has benefited from the support of its thousands of shareholders, both financially and through their use of the Forscene video platform. This instant user base, whose input I appreciate greatly, has been crucial in turning many concepts into working solutions.

Stephen B Streater Founder and Director of R&D Forbidden Technologies plc