“Things are changing in this space; let’s pay attention to it,” declared Universal’s senior VP of technology Jerry Pierce while offering an analytical look at the evolving entertainment landscape and its impact on postproduction during the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) Technology Retreat, held last week in Rancho Mirage. The three-day event was packed with speakers and panel discussions about post issues as they relate to creating and delivering content in this changing world, which included evaluation of platforms from cinema to TV to mobile devices. “There will be no single format,” Pierce asserted. “New devices will require different formats, which causes a postproduction nightmare– or an opportunity.”
Pierce began with a comparative look at the music business. He pointed out that the business shifted from record players in search of higher quality. A format war ensued. “And who won? Ipods,” he said, adding that they are flexible, easy to use and also offer good quality.
He then pointed out that the home video industry is now looking toward better quality, and a format war has started. He added, “So where are we releasing our content? Ipods.” It’s flexible, easy to use, and the quality is good enough, he repeated, adding that the content is both inexpensive and disposable. He then screened a standard definition Saturday Night Live clip that resulted in laughter. He made his point: The audience did not mind that it was not HD.
So Pierce emphasized that consumers will continue to be drawn to new delivery outlets that are easy to set up, maintain and use.
And turning to postproduction, he affirmed, “We will have different formats in this new world…But we have to get multiple formats out at cheaper prices.” He pointed out that some of those formats might be for very limited audiences due to the fragmentation of content delivery outlets. He added that, “metadata and database management will be problems.”
Pierce asked attendees–a sold out crowd of over 400–to think about a question: Before the delivery formats, is there an in-between storage format standard needed? He encouraged postproduction houses to offer feedback into this dialogue.
Afterwards, Pierce’s presentation had participants talking and thinking. For instance, Rainer Knebel, VP of digital intermediate services at Ascent Media Creative Services (the Santa Monica-based parent of companies such as R!OT and Company 3), opined that the industry should have such a standardized storage format. “It will be easier to have exchange between facilities,” he said. “If you don’t have a standard, it will be more difficult.”
During another segment of the program, speakers discussed current standardization efforts occurring on the motion picture side of the business that will impact all of postproduction. Notably, panelists discussed a quest for an image interchange framework to exchange color information.
Jim Houston, representing the Scientific and Technical Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), suggested that the goals include the ability to apply a uniform color management within post pipelines, to provide consistent color across facilities, and eliminate image conversion errors. Standardized color space would reduce conversion errors, he concluded.
Next up was Joshua Pines, VP of imaging at Burbank-based Technicolor Digital Intermediates. Pines, who also serves as vice chair of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) technology committee’s Digital Intermediates subcommittee, reported, “The ASC would like basic color correction data to be interchangeable between color correction systems made by different manufacturers.” With that, he introduced the ASC committee’s initiative to develop and implement a standard “digital color decision list”. He reported that a draft of this work has been distributed to color correction technology vendors in order to move this effort forward.
It was also reported that SMPTE’s Digital Cinema (DC28) committee has an ad hoc group working on a variety of color issues.
Panelist Jeremy Selan of Culver City-based Sony Pictures Imageworks offered the perspective of a visual effects house. He supported the goals of the aforementioned efforts, asserting, “having a common language will make communication between facilities so much easier.”
Moving to sound, Michael Karagosian, chairman of the Cinema Advertising Council (CAC) technology committee, talked with SHOOT about its plan to establish and release guidelines for sound levels for cinema advertising in the U.S. ‘The reason we need to take action is that exhibitors are very sensitive to sounds levels for their audiences,” he explained. “We want to be sure that commercials are never a problem.
“We have recommendations for trailers and movies, “Karagosian continued. “We had something for commercials but it’s not as complete as it needed to be. We are improving that work. I believe we have enough in place that maybe during or after Showest [The National Association of Theater Owners conference that will be held this month] we can make an announcement.”
He added that the CAC would communicate these recommendations to the post houses that service the cinema advertising industry.
Karagosian also revealed that the CAC is working on Source Material Guidelines that will address aspect ratio. He added that this is in draft form and he expected further discussion of the material at Showest.
Digital cinema delivery was heavily covered at HPA. That included a panel discussion examining the potential for 3D stereoscopic motion pictures. This featured case studies on recent financial successes such as Disney’s Chicken Little and Sony Picture’s The Polar Express. The next anticipated 3D release is Sony Pictures’ animated Monster House, which is slated for a July 21, ’06 release.
The common conclusion was that despite a number of attempts dating back to the ’50s, a real opportunity for 3D may have finally arrived. Reasons included that by using emerging digital cinema technology, 3D is less expensive than in the past, the presentation is simpler and improved, and the content is likely to become more readily available.
Glenn Kennel, director of technology development for Texas Instruments DLP Cinema, identified some of the issues for postproduction. For instance, he pointed out that lower light levels would darken the picture, so postproduction will require unique color grading and/or a unique display look up table (LUT).
As for business models, Neil Feldman, who is senior VP of Agoura Hills, Calif.-headquartered In-Three, a company that offers a patented process of converting motion pictures to 3D, believes that stereoscopic films represent an advertising opportunity, but acknowledged that he has not heard of these discussions beginning to happen. “Once the infrastructure is there, advertisers will want to take advantage of it,” he opined. (Feldman is also founder/president of Dallas’ Video Post & Transfer.)
SMALL SCREENS
At the other end of the spectrum, Tom McDonough of Azcar Technologies called mobile TV “the last frontier for convergence” and delivered a presentation about mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs as television content delivery platforms. He emphasized that this marks an opportunity for content providers with new channels and the potential for brand tie-ins.
He also reported that the working target for production of mobile content is a 320×240 resolution and between 20-30 fps.
McDonough outlined trials that are already occurring around the world in Japan, Korea and throughout Europe. In the U.S., two trials are underway from Modeo and MediaFlo. He predicted that ’06 would see continued development from ’05, meaning larger consumer trials and a limited deployment. He predicted that a mass deployment could occur as early as ’07.
When asked about advertising opportunities, McDonough responded, “I do think advertising will be part of this. I’m not sure what it will look like.”
Meanwhile Tom Fletcher, VP of Chicago-based rental house Fletcher Chicago, addressed television advertising during a roundtable discussion titled “The Tipping Point for HD Ads.” The discussion produced some fresh insights, with broadcasters at the table identifying a number of complexities in the distribution of spots that they believe may be contributing to the holdup.
“Each network has different delivery specs,” acknowledged Richard Friedel of Fox. “The reality is [advertisers] are stuck [with requests to] delivering different things to different stations.”
And Del Park, VP of engineering and operations for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Hunt Valley, MD, pointed out that national advertising and local advertising are essentially two different topics. Addressing local advertising, he suggested that many of the standard spot delivery vehicles only accommodate standard definition ads. “It’s a real issue,” he said. “We need to focus on getting an HD distribution system.”
When the subject of costs were raised, Friedel asserted, “We are not charging more for HD; nobody is.”
Despite these obstacles, both believe HD advertising will happen soon. Friedel pointed out that HD is “starting to become mainstream.” And Park reported that HD requests were starting to pick up. He added, “It’s not if; it’s when.”
Meanwhile, broadcasters at the retreat took the time to identify the growing amount of available HD content. For instance CBS started airing Late Show with David Letterman in HD last September, and reported that Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy would go HD next fall. NBC announced that Saturday Night Live went HD this season. Friedel reported that American Idol also went HD this season, as did NASCAR on Fox.
