The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) has enlisted keynote speakers Erik Weaver and John Downey for the Digital Asset Symposium (DAS), which takes place Nov. 18-19 in Portland, Ore., at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower. This year marks the first time that DAS will run simultaneously with AMIA’s Annual Conference, taking place Nov. 18-21.
Weaver will open DAS Wednesday evening with an in-depth look at the future of digital media, and Downey will focus on the future of storage and the cloud in the second keynote following lunch on Thursday.
Weaver is a recognized expert on the intersection of the cloud with media and entertainment, and runs “Project Cloud” for The School of Cinematic Arts’ Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at the University of Southern California (USC). The project unites senior leaders from the six major studios in developing next generation cloud standards, supporting Hollywood organizations and major cloud vendors, and producing proof of concepts. The group encompasses many aspects of the cloud including transport, security, metadata, long-term storage, and formation of an agnostic framework that unites key vendors and studios. Previously, Weaver was CEO of Digital Ribbon, Inc., a very early pioneer in the field of cloud-based computing.
Downey is founder and CEO of NextGen Storage, a company dedicated to accelerating the breadth and market adoption of next-generation, cloud-integrated storage technologies and services. In his role, Downey delivers thought leadership around data storage and data management technologies and their intersection with cloud computing. Prior to launching NextGen Storage, he managed enterprise storage strategies for Amazon Web Services.
Bringing DAS to Portland in conjunction with the annual conference and a half day edition of The Reel Thing Technical Symposium creates a comprehensive, cross-discipline look at media preservation and access. Since 2007, DAS has been a unique forum for a broad range of experts from content creators, technologists, storage specialists, systems designers, and archivists who tackle similar media management challenges.
“Whether you work in archives, entertainment, gaming, law enforcement, education, or beyond, the challenges of handling digital content can be monumental,” said Tom Regal, VP of Pro-Tek Vaults, who serves as DAS program chair. “The race to keep up with evolving technologies – and their impact on workflows, access, security, and content management – is universal. DAS is built around the idea that while our specific focus may be different, all of us working with digital media share core challenges and we can learn from each other.”
Additional speakers and session topics will be announced soon. Past participants have included authorities in the field from the WWE Network, Bandito Bros, Belgium Ministry of Culture, HyperTED, MoMA, John Hopkins University, Los Angeles Police Department, and The Living Archive.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More