This summer, leading members of the postproduction community went back to school–the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) Summer School, that is.
In doing so, the event underscored the fact that postproduction is moving rapidly toward IT and data-based workflows–and identified a critical need for education in these new areas. It was evident by the fact that this sophomore event drew 166 representatives–beginners and veterans–from leading post houses, manufacturers, and even Hollywood studios. And these attendees willingly spent a sunny July weekend in Southern California to attain this knowledge.
Summer School, which was in session July 15-16 at Hollywood’s Linwood Dunn Theater, featured tutorials designed to keep post professionals up to date on the rapidly changing technologies and processes involved in high definition and data post workflows, as well as offer timely guidance on prevalent issues inherent to the new digital workflow.
This included a focused analysis of the frequently used term “Digital Intermediate,” or DI, which is typically used to describe the process of scanning film and completing all color correction and postproduction in the digital realm to complete a digital master.
HPA president Leon Silverman, who is president of Hollywood-based post house Laser Pacific, asserted that today DI “seems to mean the digital postproduction process.”
And the options are varied. Silverman pointed out that we are seeing cinematography on film, SD and HD video, as well as new digital cinematography cameras capable of recording data. In post, facilities are dealing with multiple formats, aspect ratios, resolutions, file formats and applications–and distribution is equally confusing with film and digital options. As a result, workflow is key on everyone’s minds.
Josh Pines, VP of imaging research and development, Technicolor Digital Intermediates, Burbank, also offered tutorial on the DI process.
In addition, “classes” included 3-D with Matt Cowan, co-founder, Entertainment Technology Consultants, who offered a look at director Robert Rodriguez’s latest The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D. Miramax Films’ VP of postproduction Linda Borgeson explained that this film included sponsorship from McDonald’s, and opined that the growing area of 3-D could represent an attractive new opportunity for advertisers.
Additional topics and speakers included aspect ratio with Rob Hummel, senior VP of production technology, Warner Bros. Technical Operations, Burbank; color issues with Glenn Kennel, director of technology development, Texas Instruments, Burbank; and File Formats with Kevin Braun, VP of Pacific Title and Art, Hollywood.
The Hollywood Post Alliance is a three-year-old trade association serving the Southern California-based postproduction community; Members include Ascent Media Group (parent of such commercial post entities as Company 3, R!OT and Method), Sony, Panasonic and Thomson’s Grass Valley.
