The Digital Cinema Summit, which takes place April 22 and 23 in Las Vegas as part of the NAB conference series, announced its two-day schedule.
Day 1 Program:
Produced by SMPTE, the April 22 program centers on digital cinema mastering, distribution and exhibition including d-cinema package creation, 2K and 4K projection technologies, the visual/psychological impact of 3D installation, and the progress of digital cinema installations in theatres worldwide.
* New Projector Technology8:40 am 10:15 am
Digital cinema projectors continue to advance, enriching the movie-viewing experience. In addition to 2K, new technologies have brought 4K exhibition, as well as enhanced color gamut, brightness, contrast range and black levels. Learn about recent innovations in digital projector technologies, about developments on the near horizon and the impact of both on digital cinema exhibition.
Moderator: Peter Lude, svp Solutions Business U.S., Sony ElectronicsPresenters: Brian Claypool, senior product manager, Cinema, Christie Digital Systems; Gary Mandle, senior product manager, Sony Electronic Inc.; Peter Putman, president, ROAM Consulting Inc.; Rod D. Sterling, chief engineer, JVC North America R&D Center, ILA Technology Group
* Opening Keynote10:30 am 11:00 amJohn Fithian president, National Assn. of Theatre Owners
* Equipping Post Facilities forD-Cinema A Practical Guide11:00 am 12:15 pm
How do I equip my facility for digital cinema postproduction? What are the technical requirements and the necessary skills and expertise? How do I alter existing pipelines and workflows to accommodate the production of digital cinema masters and release materials? A practical guide for facilities seeking to enter the digital cinema post-production space and producers who contract for these services.
Moderator: Wendy Aylsworth, vp, Technology, Warner Bros.Presenters: Terry Brown, svp Engineering/cto, Technicolor Content Services; Stuart Monksield, workflow manager, Grass Valley/Thomson; David Schnuelle, director, Image Technology, Dolby Laboratories; Jim Whittlesey, E-film
* 3-D Adding Dimension to Motion Picture Exhibition1:30 pm 3:00 pm
How do 3-D digital cinema technologies enable audiences to see in three dimensions? In what ways do 3-D solutions operate with the human visual system? What upgrades must be made to d-cinema servers and projection systems to support 3-D exhibition? What are some of the new approaches to converting 2-D material for 3-D display? Clips to be displayed from the latest 3-D projects.
Moderator: Edward Hobson, vp, National TeleConsultants Inc.Presenters: Matthew Cowan, chief scientist, Real D; Neil Feldman, svp, In-Three Inc.; Michael Kaye, president/ceo, In-Three Inc.
* The Digital Cinema Rollout Experience to Date3:30 pm 5:00 pm
This session will explore the work to date, what we have learned, and where we go from here. It will bring together a number of experts with hands-on experience with the challenges of d-cinema deployment to discuss problems, solutions, and thoughts for the future, including infrastructure and testing.
Moderator: Peter Symes, Financial vp, SMPTEPresenters: Curt Behlmer, svp, Digital Cinema Operations, Technicolor Digital Cinema; Michael Karagosian, president, MKPE Consulting LLC; David Schnuelle, director, Image Technology, Dolby Laboratories; Allene Hebert, Consultancy and New Projects, Media Pro
Day 2 Program:
Produced by the Entertainment Technology Center at USC, the April 23 program examines how digital technologies are transforming how movies are made. Using case studies, neutral analysis and user experiences, the sessions will look at 3-D production and post-production; new digital cameras; color management software and services; and production and post-production projectors and displays.
* Opening Keynote9:05 am 9:35 amJames Cameron, director
Where will digital cinema take theatrical motion pictures? A window into near and far horizons in digital 3-D from a visionary filmmaker and creative executive in the field.
* 3-D Digital Cinema From All Angles9:35 am 10:45 am
The 3-D stereoscopic screenings of CHICKEN LITTLE and THE POLAR EXPRESS were a hit, but does that mean that digital 3-D has a future? How can filmmakers create an even richer 3-D experience? In this case study, technical and creative experts explore two-camera cinematography, 3-D post-production and integrating VFX into 3-D.
Moderator: Jon Landau, producerPresenters: Geoff Burdick, vp, Production Services & Technology, Lightstorm Ent.; James Cameron; Vince Pace, director of photography and president, Pace Technologies
* Digital Cameras Exposed On the Charts and In the Field11:00 am 12:30 pm
How do you select the right camera for your project, one that has the contrast, resolution and color sensitivity that you need? What image quality does each category and brand capture with its respective sensors and lenses? A non-partisan, basic training about digital cameras followed by a roundtable where cinematographers discuss their photographic needs and reveal how recent models have performed on motion picture shoots.
Presenters: Mark Schubin, Technology Consultant; Thomas Ackerman, ASC, director of photography; Curtis Clark, ASC, director of photography; Daryn Okada, ASC, director of photography; David Stump, ASC, director of photography
* Where Is Digital Cinema Heading & How Do We Get There? A Keynote Dialogue1:30 pm 2:30 pm
Two leaders with two different perspectives discuss the future of the theatre going experience, digital cinema and digital 3-D and what it means for them and their colleagues.
Keynote Speakers: James Cameron; John Fithian, president, National Assn. of Theatre OwnersModerator: Charles C. Koones, president, publisher, The Variety Group
* Color Management Searching for a New Common Language2:30 pm 3:45 pm
Why is it desirable to have a universal language for communicating the color and contrast of digital imagery? What should this open standard look like and what information must it contain? How does the ASCs Color Decision List proposal address communication needs? The session looks at color management software and services, and case studies of recent motion pictures that used these color tools.
Moderator: Jim Houston, color consultantPresenters: Lou Levinson, colorist, Post Logic Studios; Stephen Poster, ASC, director of photography; Peter Postma, Digital/Hybrid sales manager, Eastman Kodak Co.; Yuri Neyman, president, Gamma and Density; Dean Wright, vfx supervisor, Frozenlake Prods.
* Digital Displays In Production and Post4:15 pm 5:30 pm
What are the new projection and flat panel display technologies that are making their way into production and post? What problems occur when you look at footage on different displays? How do you calibrate the plasma, LCD, DLP and D-ILA technologies so that the production, editorial, visual effects, digital intermediate and post teams produce the same imagery? Creative and technical experts examine the life cycle of a movie from a display perspective and look at the projection and display solutions on view at NAB.
Moderator: Glenn Kennel, director of Technology Development, Texas Instruments DLP CinemaPresenters: Curtis Clark, ASC, director of photography; Loren Nielsen, co-founder and principal, Entertainment Technology Consultants; Ron Williams, ceo, Landmark Group
NAB2006 will take place April 22 27 (exhibits open April 24). It is the world's largest electronic media show covering the development, delivery and management of professional video and audio content across all media.
Information about the Digital Cinema Summit is at nabshow.com/digitalcinemasummit.asp. Complete NAB2006 details are available at www.nabshow.com.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), is the leading technical society for the motion imaging industry. SMPTE members are spread throughout 85 countries worldwide. As well, more than 250 sustaining (corporate) members belong to SMPTE, allowing networking and contacts to occur on a larger scale. Touching on every discipline, our members include engineers, technical directors, cameramen, editors, technicians, manufacturers, educators and consultants.
The Entertainment Technology Center at University of Southern California (ETC-USC) is a neutral, non-partisan research organization in the School of Cinema-Television (USC-CNTV) that studies entertainment technology developments that are critical to the creative community; production companies; content owners, distributors and exhibitors; and technology companies. ETC-USC's sponsors include USC-CNTV; Hollywoods major studios: Sony Pictures Ent., Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, Universal Pictures, Viacom/Paramount Studios, The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros.; LucasFilm; Cisco Systems; Deluxe Laboratories; Laser Pacific Media Corp., a Kodak company; Panasonic; and Thomson. For more information, visit www.etcenter.org.
The National Assn. of Broadcasters (www.nab.org) is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
