Don’t ask Dent-de-Lion du Midi for the story behind his delightful name; he’ll only share that, he says, “in person, over a very large beer.” In any case, he prefers to go by his nickname, Dandi. But the Swiss native is more than willing to talk about the origins of his company moniker, Lostball. “It always gets a laugh because every golfer has had the experience of losing a ball,” he acknowledges. “And that’s perfect for us because our vision is to create golf art that’s for everyone who loves the game.”

Unlike other golf-centric media companies, Lostball doesn’t offer its customers 10 steps to the perfect swing or green-jacket-winning highlights. Instead, the three-man studio is applying the partners’ expertise in HD film and TV to create a half-dozen Mac-crafted products and services, including a feature-length movie, digital lithography and custom video. Together with business director Scott Clark and technology guru James Burdon, founder and creative director Dandi is driving an art-world aesthetic into the golf marketplace.

“There’s no way we could do what we’re doing without Apple tools. They’re what let me, as an indie media producer, turn myself into Dandi Light and Magic!”

The potential, according to Clark, is huge. “In the U.S., 13 million people are considered core market golfers,” he says. “Golf is a huge part of their lives. They belong to clubs, play every weekend and buy and give all kinds of golf-related décor and gifts.” Now Lostball is offering those fans a selection of golf art — in sharp-as-life HD — that leaves typical gift shop kitsch in the dust.

You Are Here

“Golf images usually fall into two categories,” notes Clark. “One is what I call landscape art — pictures of beautiful greens at famous courses — and the other is portraits of big-name players. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a nice picture of Tiger Woods. But even if it’s a dramatic shot, you look at it and say, ‘That’s a picture of Tiger.’ The artistic quality gets lost in the celebrity factor. We capture the universal, shared emotions of golf by showing real people playing the game, so you can picture yourself in the scene.”

For Lostball, the ultimate you-are-here touch is seeing that picture in crystal-clear HD. “If we were burning DVDs from regular film it wouldn’t be such a big deal,” admits Clark. “But HD raises eyebrows — it’s helping drive our whole concept.”

The nascent HD industry, he adds, is desperate for content. “Networks are actively seeking material from indie producers, and corporate ad dollars are starting to turn toward the HD market. So we’re perfectly positioned to create spin-offs, like ads and TV shows, from our HD golf imagery.”

Dandi Light and Magic

The perfect storm of a content-hungry HD market, sophisticated Apple tools and the zooming popularity of golf puts Dandi (who is, like Clark and Burdon, a passionate golfer) right where he wants to be: at the intersection of sport, art and technology.

“I’ve used Apple since I went digital in 1985,” recounts Dandi. “And there’s no way we could do what we’re doing without Apple tools. They’re what let me, as an indie media producer, turn myself into Dandi Light and Magic! I can work in all different art forms, from photography to film and video, and it’s like having a 100-person crew under my mouse.”

Clark adds, “Apple is helping us advance our vision as entrepreneurs. Because in HD film and TV it’s not only about the whiz-bang special effects guys who are making ‘Batman’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ — it’s also about little guys like us who are doing something different. That’s our dream, and we couldn’t go for it without Apple.”

Next Page: Capturing the Nature of the Game