The 2015 HPA Tech Retreat ended February 13 after a dynamic week enjoyed by the largest turnout in the event’s history. This year’s Tech Retreat marked more than 20 years for the annual event, widely considered to be one of the most important and enlightening gatherings of the creative and technology community. The HPA Tech Retreat featured a conference and curated demonstration area focusing on content creation, finishing, distribution and archiving.
Leon Silverman, president of the HPA, noted, “As our industry broadens its scope beyond traditional theatrical and television production and distribution, there are fundamentally new and exciting opportunities and challenges to tackle to make media compelling and accessible across a growing content ecosystem. Technology has been a principal driver of these changes and understanding how to create common approaches, standards and awareness is an important mission of the HPA, especially within SMPTE. The Tech Retreat brings our industry’s most creative and adept technical minds together to share, debate and discuss how the HPA community can help to lead the way and serve as a dynamic forum for this discussion.
During the conference, Silverman announced that the HPA name would be changed to the Hollywood Professional Alliance. The new name takes into account the expanding group of individuals and companies involved in the media and content industry. The character of the organization will remain vibrant and focused, and the new name is an acknowledgement of the widening scope of disciplines, artists and experts to which the organization seeks to represent.
Tech Retreat highlights included:
· The HPA Supersession
· Keynote – Not Your Father’s Post
· Cyber and Content Security: Time for a Strategy Change
· The Creative Panel
· Next Generation of Cinema: New Technologies and Techniques: What they Mean for Filmmakers
· Understanding the New Acquisition
· From Snowflakes to Standards: Maintaining Creative Intent in Evolutionary Times
· Drones for Dummies
· The Annual Broadcasters Update
· Personalized and Immersive Sound
· DDP and IMF
· The Cloud Demystified
· Utilizing Fingerprinting Technology for Shot Matching
· Enhancing the Creative Palette
· Automatic Content Recognition
Among a roster of 100 all-star speakers were:
· Francisco Artes, NSS Labs
· Wendy Aylsworth, Warner Bros.
· Bill Bennett, ASC
· Stephen Beres, HBO
· Michael Cioni, Lightiron
· Kelly Day, Awesomeness TV
· Sara-Duran Singer, Netflix
· John Fithian, National Association of Theater Owners
· Jan Frölich, Stuttgart Media University
· Matthew Goldman, Ericcson
· Ted Harrington, Independent Security Evaluators
· Debra Kaufman, Industry analyst and journalist
· David Keighley – IMAX
· Barbara Lange, SMPTE and HPA
· Carolina Lavatelli, Internet of Trust
· Pete Ludé, Real D
· Andy Maltz, AMPAS
· Theresa Miller, Lionsgate
· Loren Nielsen, Entertainment Technology Consultants
· Bob Seidel, CBS
· Andy Shenkler, Sony DADC New Media Solutions
· Leon Silverman, HPA
· Masayuki Sugawara, NHK
· Larry Thorpe, Canon
· Mario Vecchi, PBS
· Eric Weaver, Entertainment Technology Center at USC
The Demo Room served as a curated area for emerging technologies. This year’s demo room featured an extensive series of products, with over 30 new technologies making their debut amid more than 60 top tier demonstrations making early appearances.
During the Tech Retreat, Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE and HPA, discussed the relationship between HPA and SMPTE, “As HPA and SMPTE move towards consolidation, we will continue to support the independent mission and character of the HPA and its events, including the HPA Tech Retreat. The Tech Retreat continues to grow and evolve and speak to the changing audiences and topics facing our industry and we are proud to be part of what it means to a community.” Lange noted attendees at next year’s HPA Tech Retreat can expect the same unique focus and experience that is part of the Retreat.
Sponsors of the HPA Tech Retreat included Aspera, Avid, Black Magic Design, Christie Digital, Dolby, Fuji, Oracle, Quantum, Sohonet, Sony, and Spectra Logic.
Details for the 2016 HPA Tech Retreat will be announced soon.
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