(original content compiled by contributors on the wikipedia website and a book authored by zheng cirino. Updated jan 2016)

​Anthony Cruze (AKA 2GreenDollars) is an Australian DJ, Television Producer, Music Producer, and Technology Pioneer born in Melbourne, Australia and shares time between Los Angeles, California, Brazil, and Melbourne, Australia.

His most notable achievements have been in innovating and pioneering digital audio and Recordable DVD Technology.

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He produced the first commercially broadcasted audio recording remixed entirely without leaving the digital domain (Michael Jackson‘s “Can’t Let Her Get Away”), and is noted for first demonstrating the ability to be able to record, edit, and author digital video in real-time direct to DVD without the need for a complete (start-finish) re-compression of the source material. He invented the technology behind in-place compressed video editing. The demonstration of the technology was first shown by Cruze at Bill Gates‘ Launch of the Windows XP operating system, with hardware by Pinnacle Systems.

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In a press conference held by The Recordable DVD Council on 12 November 2001 at COMDEX, Cruze mentioned of such real time technology being commonplace in the living room of every household in years to come in both DVD Recording and Digital non-tape based cameras. A view that the coalition of 83 RDVDC members, including Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC, Sony and Pioneer shared and developed into consumer devices.

The contribution that Cruze (as Anthony Chidiac) made to the industry is the main principle behind Professional Digital Audio Editing and the functionality of DVD Recorders and Digital Video Cameras available today.

Cruze as nom de plume of “2GreenDollars” was involved with the launch of Michael Jacksons “This Is It” for Sony Pictures and the “Michael” Album by Sony Music Entertainment.  

 

He is currently producing two TV shows - "Turn It Up" and "Supastar DJ", and has released an album with Sheila E and a host of superstars.

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Pioneering Live Webcasts

 

The first Live Real-Time public webcast of synchronized MPEG video and audio – a broadcast of a Parliamentary Session by the State of Victoria, Australia, was an innovation pioneered by Cruze as a consultant for E-Cast, a business owned by ISIS Communications. The Live Webcast streamed onto the internet on 2 May 2000. The Live Webcast covered the Hon. Steve Bracks first parliamentary budget speech and was viewed by over 500 people simultaneously.[7] The significance of the milestone was that Cruze encoded a single video stream with multiple sub-streams to cater for differing bandwidths at the intended viewers computer without user intervention. The Live feed from Parliament House streamed in its encoded form to a master web host 5 miles away. The entire process and resultant delivery of the stream and its bandwidth variants all occurred live and in real-time. Shortly thereafter, the technology, technique, hardware and software used became widely and freely available to other governmental authorities. The webcast Technology, hardware and software pioneered by Cruze and the E-Cast Team continues to be a predominant form of delivery of governmental debates and other live video material worldwide today. Other services such as YouTube and Ustream later embraced and enhanced this technology to deliver varied content from consumers to consumers, turning Cruzes’ concept of synchronized video/audio delivery over the internet using live streaming technologies into one that is a widely accepted form of content delivery worldwide. E-Cast, ISIS Communications and its technology was acquired by AAV and in 2006 became part of the Staging Connections Group.  It is argued that Princes’ “Fashion show” webcast occurred a week prior to cruzes concept, however, the fashion show event was not broadcast live and in real time.

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Pioneering Real-Time DVD Authoring Technology

 

On 11 November 2001, he Pioneered Real-Time DVD authoring using Windows XP and was invited to encode and burn the first DVD during Bill Gates‘ COMDEX keynote speech by demonstrating his systems Real Time ability. Cruze Recorded a live performance of a band his company had managed (Bonacci and Wood) as the content matter for the First DVD produced in Real Time.

The resultant DVD of the warm up band to Gates’ keynote speech played back on the large projection screens to the audience of 17,000 at the MGM Grand Arena as Gates on the conclusion of his keynote speech. Within an hour, thousands of copies were freely available to keynote attendees and at the Rimage stand throughout the following week at the trade show.

The technology used a standard Intel Pentium 4 PC with a Pinnacle DV2000 Device, and for the first time the end to end Recording, Editing, and Burning Technology was made available to the Public as a bundled package complete with software, hardware, and a 2.4x DVD-R Burner from Pioneer for under US$2,000. The pioneering technology prototype used in the event exists in Victoria, Australia.

The then Minister for State and Regional Development and a former Premier of Victoria, The Hon. John Brumby, commented about the technological achievement in “Connecting Victoria”, a publication authored by Multimedia Victoria.

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Progressing the Internet Café

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From 2003-2006, Cruze initiated a three year project in Reservoir, Victoria, to research and develop a new concept that progresses the internet cafe from a place where mainly tourists frequent into an integrated venue that caters for both tourists and the general public looking to socialize and use technology at the same time. The venues name was “o3 convergence cafe”. The importance of this project Cruze owned and managed was that it pioneered technology he invented.  The concept converged DVD authoring and Analog Video Restoration right from the desktop machine, and showcased Multiplayer online gaming that allowed players to place a monetary bet on outcomes, whether they played at the venue itself or alternatively became an online opponent anywhere in the world via the internet. The o3 Convergence Cafe concept was the only Australian finalist in a global competition run by Yahoo to find the world’s internet cafe of the year.  The venue was the birthplace for network multiplayer gaming with the game: "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" with up to 150 onsite and offsite gamers playing at the same time. 

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Turn It Up! (TV)

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Cruze produced a syndicated Music TV show called Turn It Up!. The program was the first non-animation series that utilized both cutting edge technology and techniques only known at the time to be done in animation studios.

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Turn It Up! was the first Music TV show to be aired on multiple commercial networks around Australasia and Europe in the 1990s that exposed American R&B Music Talent to a new generation of viewers. Four of its shows had a viewership of 88 million from a broadcast footprint believed to be greater than 1.2 billion people. Turn It Up was the first music TV show that attained an equivalent global viewership since American Bandstand in the 1990s, and was the first music show streamed online as a webcast in August 2000. Another first: Turn It Up was produced and edited entirely in the digital domain, with the original format masters intact, surviving through bushfires.

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Turn It Up! began production as a Music TV Show formerly called “Rhythm NATion” (the NAT standing for Northern Access Television) and was first broadcast on the 7th October 1994 on C31 Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia, the show being introduced by the then budding show host Rove McManus. It was dropped by Northern Access Television and picked up by SKA-TV (St.Kilda Access) after the initial 3×30 minute Pilots. It then gradually gained popularity as more TV stations rebroadcast the show, as the content initially was freely available to syndicated partners. The show progressed through Channel 31 and its affiliates to Optus Vision, and in its second series was initially relayed to 22 countries through South East Asia by Australia Television and relayed again through Inmarsat throughout Europe. The resultant Satellite feeds rebroadcasted to Major Commercial Terrestrial TV Stations in over 39 countries from Hong Kong, through to Dubai and the United Kingdom, by the end of the second series.

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Repeats of its series are known to be aired on various television stations around the world as late as 2004, where the series was known to be replayed in its entirety in Adelaide, Australia, nearly ten years after its first broadcast.

 

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Michael Jackson and This Is It (Theatrical Release)

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Following the death of Michael Jackson Cruze was invited to L.A. Live for the launch of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, a movie on the rehearsals of Michael Jacksons Upcoming UK Tour before he passed. Cruze performed a Audio/Visual Medley live and in real time of some of Michael Jacksons well-known and obscure hits. The live performance of the mixing of these tracks is now labelled the “This Is It Medley”, after the event. It was the first time that a demonstration showcasing the simultaneous mixing of four audio/visual sources to create a musical anthology of Michael Jackson was displayed. Cruze paid homage to the artist that provided his first major opportunity in the Music Industry that changed the way people listen to music today. Each year he returns to L.A. Live on 25 June to play live and in real-time, a new version of the audio-visual medley he first played in 2009.

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Chk Chk Boom and Album- Cover Note: Re-Re Covered

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On 11 May 2011, as "2Greendollars", he released the first single entitled “Chk Chk Boom” from his upcoming album entitiled “Cover Note Re-ReCovered”.  The song uses samples from President Barack Obama‘s presidential speeches and Will Smith‘s “Boom Shake the Room!” (as Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) and is labelled by the artist as a “celebratory” song.

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The second and third tracks of the upcoming album were released globally on all digital music services June 11th 2011 and are covers of “Hotel California” and “Ain’t No Sunshine“, with vocals performed by Chris Fatouros.

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Early life

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Cruze is the youngest son of a two sibling family of parents Alfred and Mirella, who migrated from Egypt to Australia in the 1960s. His family Heritage is Italian, Greek Cypriot, and Northern Lebanese. His parents left Egypt fearing religious persecution as they are practicing Maronite Catholics.

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Cruze grew up in a middle class suburb; Bundoora, Australia. His father was an entrepreneur, owned a BP Service Station on Holmes Street, Brunswick and later became an Employee at TAA after cancer surgery resulted in amputation of his right leg above the knee. His mother worked as a cutter and tailor in a clothing factory. Cruzes’ Father tragically died in June 2005 of a Myocardial infarction while filling up at a gas station.

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Cruzes’ first inspiration to create electronic technology began as early as 1977, where at age 7 he received his first electronic kit for his birthday. The AM Radio kit was devoid of a battery to power the amplifier circuitry of the device. Cruze cleverly modified the design to utilize power out of the airwaves, eliminating any point of resistance in its circuitry, and used a crystal earpiece to listen to AM radio without the need for any source of power to tune and amplify the audio from the transmissions.

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At a recent reunion of the Primary School he attended (Grimshaw Primary School in Bundoora), former students recalled Cruze in 1977 teaming up with then best friend Rob Hall and making “robots” out of cardboard boxes, light switches, light bulbs, a tape recorder, loudspeaker, and car batteries. Cruze claims that he “only did it to get out of class, to demonstrate the technology to other students in the school”. Cruze and Hall made several robots, increasing in their complexity from a few flashing lights and a squeaky voice played back on cassette tape to fully automated flashing, vibrating objects with a robotic voice, the final work being “fedelici the talking robot” that featured automated flashing lights using the sound made by the cassette recorder voice, produced by Cruze.

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Encouraging his fascination of Electronic Technology, Cruze's late Father bought him to his place of employment at TAA where Snr. worked as a Cargo Clerk. Cruze was often found in the electronic engineering section of his father’s employer where he learned about Base Numbers and Binary Programming from other TAA Employee Engineers. His Father bought him an Atari 2600 Game Machine in 1978 after taking him on his first trip to the United States to see his american relatives. After successfully “clocking” games such as “Space Invaders” and “PacMan” – Cruze became fascinated with the Atari technology platform itself, and wrote away to the Sunnyvale based Manufacturer requesting the schematic diagram to the unit. The Manufacturer of the unit did not know that the requestor was an eight-year-old child. Shortly thereafter, Atari sent Cruze a broad schematic of the unit by mail and a complimentary “Basic” Cartridge. Cruze bought a soldering iron and breadboard, and began modifying the machine by wiring the breadboard and a cassette microphone into the unit. Once the modification was complete, he first recorded a half second of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” song. Cruze used the Gaming Machines memory and the Basic Cartridge to program and “sample” Jackson’s classic hit. He then programmed the Joystick button to trigger the sample at call. In 1979, Cruze was contributing to the birth of the concept of digital audio, the device and concept behind “sampling”, being an Atari 2600 Games Machine.

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In his High School Years, Cruze was aspiring to become a Computer Systems Analyst as his Sister then worked at Ansett in their I.T. Department as a Tape Librarian. His work experience at his sister’s place of employment continued to strengthen Cruzes’ intent to succeed in his chosen profession.

In 1986, only weeks after his work experience, Cruze teamed with classmates and then budding DJ’s Bruno Bortignon and Luciano Traficante and introduced his “sample” technology to the team’s mobile DJ concept. The trio were successful in gaining “gigs” at the Veneto Club in Bulleen, Australia, and at regular School “Disco’s” held quarterly for the school at the then new theatrette complex at Bundoora Secondary College. The school discos were sellouts, as they promoted and highlighted new technology at the time; xenon lighting and laser technology as examples of such.

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Since discovering the DJ art form and Girls, Cruze’s career diverted. Cruze had Part-Time Employment to supplant his budding DJ career and his McDonalds employer Barry Fitzgerald gave Cruze his first cash injection into his venture – a record voucher. At 16 Cruze no longer aspired to become a Computer Systems Analyst.

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After graduating High School and on the day he turned 18, his career took him internationally to Singapore, China, Japan, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and London in a capacity as a D.J. and an audio-visual engineer. He designed, consulted in the construction of, and eventually became the “initiating DJ” for new Nightclubs around the world.

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Discography (2011)

Album information

Cover Note, Recovered
•Released: 11 November 2011
•Chart positions: #47 US, Reverbnation #1

Album information

Chk Chk Boom!
•Released: 11 November 2011
•Music Video
•Koffee Mix
•DJ Mix

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DJ Remixes

 

1991 Bingo Boys How To Dance Ozmixx DJ And Radio promo Vinyl
1992 Michael Jackson ‘Cant Let Her Get Away‘ Promo only DJ and Radio promo
1992 Shanice I Love Your Smile Ozmixx Vinyl/CD
1992 Janet Jackson Megamix Ozmixx Vinyl/CD
1992 The Village People YMCA (remix) Ozmixx Vinyl/CD
1993 East 17 Its Alright Ozmixx Vinyl/CD
1993 Peter Andre Funky Junky/Gimme Little Sign Megamix Mushroom Vinyl/CD
1994 Girlfriend Take it from me Ozmixx/BMG Vinyl/CD
1994 Janet Jackson Because of Love/Megamix Ozmixx Vinyl/CD
1996 Pretty Poison Better Better Be Good To Me Svengali CD
1996 Malik Dial M For Murder Svengali CD

1998 George Michael Father Figure (dance remix) Sony Music CD

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Other Production

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Megamedley – Michael Jackson

That’s the way love goes – Janet Jackson

Locomotion  (Cruise Mix) – Kylie Minogue

Megamedley – Black Box

One Track Mind – T.B.T.B.T.

Touch of Class – Touch Of Class

Total Control – Seymour Willis Green

Late In The Evening – Paul Simon

Sex Bomb – Tom Jones

Sing It Back – Moloko

Easier Affair - George Michael

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Notable Club Performances/Guest Appearances

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Australia

Melbourne: Co. at Crown, Metro, Chasers, Underground, Grainstore Tavern, Billboard, Waltzing Matilda Hotel, Fame, Cadillac Bar, Hippodrome, Palace.

Country Victoria – Hot Gossip (Ballarat, Bendigo), Dawsons (Ballarat), Basement (Albury), Ritz (Albury)

Queensland – Valentinos (Mackay), Rumours (Cairns), Playpen (Cairns), Ribbons @ Hilton Hotel (Cairns).

Perth: Club Berlin.

Adelaide: The Wall. Gigis (hahndorf)

Darwin: Discovery Nightclub, MGM Grand

Tasmania: Cadillac Bar (Hobart)

International

New York: Limelight, Tunnel, Palladium

Los Angeles: LA Live (Conga Room), Glam Slam, Roxbury (Sunset blvd), Mayan Theatre, Red Onion, Disneyland (Videopolis)

Las Vegas: Studio 54

Singapore: Fire

Shanghai: The Reading Room, Obama, World Expo

Japan: Club Alex (Utsunomiya), King Xmhu (Sapporo)

Bangkok – NASA

Macau: MGM Macau

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Television Production Credits

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1994 Rhythm NATion (Ten Episodes)  6 October 8:30pm Channel 31 30,000-78,000

1995 “Top Ten” Countdown – Feature Digital Editing“Best Of” editBloopersPilot (Intro)- ABC-TV
1995 Turn It Up (3 Episodes) Quincy Jones, Mary J. Blige, Paula Abdul, The Corrs, DJ Bobo 7 March OptusVision/ABC TV 1,300,000-81,500,000

1995 Episode 2 – Roller Coaster Episode 2 Credit Roll Episode 2 – Host BreakEpisode 2 Host Break – Moomba
1995 Slammin (Music Video) Past II Present February Worldwide from Music Label

 

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​External links:​
 

•Official website
•Anthony Cruze at the Internet Movie Database
•Music Video “Chk Chk Boom”
•Sample – Michael Jackson “Can’t Let Her Get Away” Audio
•Sample – Shanice “I Love Your Smile” Audio
•FOX-FM DJ Show, Circa 2000
•National Nine News Report (Headline) – Channel 9, September 2001
•TODAY Show (Channel Nine) news report, September 2001
•Release commenting about beginning of webcasting from Parliament
•Webcast announcement
•Debate – Hansard Paper with transcript of first ever Parliamentary Webcast, 11 May 2000
•Connecting Victoria Magazine, Page 1 Headline Photo, Page 7 Article

 

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References:

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1.↑ “Pinnacle Systems Technology Creates DVD of Gates’ COMDEX Opening Act”. 13 November 2001. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pinnacle-systems-technology-creates-dvd-of-gates-comdex-opening-act-74226322.html. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
2.↑ Riminton, Hugh. “Nightline – NEWS (Gates Invitation to go to Las Vegas) (youtube clip)”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trsW0MbI-vY. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
3.↑ “2GreenDollars on the official Michael Jackson website.”. http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/users/2greendollars. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
4.↑ “”chk chk boom” by 2greendollars”. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chk-chk-boom-electro-latin/id440239260. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
5.↑ Fidler, Paul (July 2007). “Mixx-FM/ACE Radio Network Interview with Chris and Paul”.
6.↑ Mitchell, Stan (September 2001). “3AW Interview, Bonacci & Wood and Anthony Cruze”.
7.↑ “Hansard Transcript – Parliament of Victoria, 2000. (First Webcast)”. http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/downloadhansard/pdf/assembly/Autumn%202000/Assembly%20Parlynet%20Extract%2011%20May%202000%20from%20Book%207.pdf%7CParliamentary.
8.↑ “Company Record for ISIS Communications”. http://www.delisted.com.au/Company/4401. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
9.↑ Cochrane, Nathan (September 2001). “XP A Windows of Opportunity”. The Age. http://www.santosbonacci.com/img/press/media_xpArticle.gif.
10.↑ “Article on vunet on Gates Gig”. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2116537/bill-books-buskers-comdex-boogie. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
11.↑ Cochrane, Nathan (September 2001). “Mall Buskers head for Bill Gates’ Vegas Gig”. The Age. http://www.santos.net.au/img/press/media_mallbuskersArticle.jpg. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
12.↑ “Media Line News (Gates DVD Announcement – RDVDC)”. 12 December 2009. http://www.medialinenews.com/issues/2001/december/news1201_09.shtml. Retrieved 21 Sep 2010.
13.↑ Raik-Allen, Georgie (9 December 2003). “Flight of fancy takes off for cafe’s owners”. Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/08/1070732142471.html?from=storyrhs. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
14.↑ Adele (Ms Megabyte), Yvonne. “o3 Cafe report (Dave and Kim TV Show, Ten Network)”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exuqTN5hhUk. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
15.↑ Cruze, Anthony. “Photo of Jetseat area of o3 Cafe”. http://www.world66.com/australiaandpacific/australia/victoria/reservoir. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
16.↑ Raik-Allen, Georgie (9 December 2003). “o3 Concept”. The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/08/1070732142471.html. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
17.↑ “Turn it Up (Music TV)”. Turn It Up!. http://wapedia.mobi/en/Turn_It_Up!_%28Music_TV%29. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
18.↑ “How Hollywood changed on October 27th 2009″. CNN inews. 9 November 2009. http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-353204. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
19.↑ “Michael Jackson: Remembered”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvr42uvT3E0. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
20.↑ “chk chk boom music video”. 2GreenDollars. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiJDVGFgGKc. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
21.↑ “2Greendollars Bio – Co @ Crown”. http://www.coatcrown.com.au/bandsacts/profile/2Greendollars/. Retrieved 20 May 2011.