PALM SPRINGS, Calif.—An estimated 300 industry leaders gathered earlier this month in Palm Springs for the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) Annual Technology Retreat, making this year’s event the best attended to date.
The feedback from participants interviewed by SHOOT was incredibly positive, with most noting that the event combined an informative high-level assessment of the industry with valuable networking opportunities. The event provided education on the issues facing the postproduction industry today, including technology’s impact on the field, legal issues that affect content, motion picture delivery, the continued adoption of digital content viewing tools in the home, the DTV transition and the increasing amount of available digital content. It also addressed evolving technologies such as color correction and color management tools, digital cameras, displays and much more.
Attendees came away with topics of interest to their individual businesses. For instance, Gerry Matthews, director of engineering at commercial postproduction house GTN, Oak Park, Mich., observed, "I see more HD work coming from what are traditionally lower cost venues (i.e., training, documentaries); my commercial clients have not embraced HD yet."
Noting that the new HDV format gets consumers into HD for around $3,000, he added, "There will probably be more widespread use of HD by consumers. There’s a huge gap [in price] between low-cost consumer and high-end broadcast technology."
During the retreat, Matthews also explored compression schemes such as Windows Media 9 for Internet distribution. "I’m looking for compression schemes to get to lower bandwidth [requirements]," he said, noting that initially it could be used for review and approval, but further down the road he could imagine using the Internet as a venue to broadcast advertising content.
A session on digital cameras offered a glimpse at developing technologies from companies such as ARRI, which reported progress on the development of its D-20 technology project, first unveiled last fall at IBC. (SHOOT, 9/26/03, p. 1); ARRI has been demonstrating the technology to select customers, and hopes to have a prototype of a digital cinematography camera by year’s end. Other speakers included representatives from Sony, who discussed its Cine Alta camera; Thomson’s Grass Valley, which showed Nike and Xelibri commercials lensed with the Viper Filmstream camera; Panasonic, on VariCam; and Lockheed Martin and DALSA, both of which focused on their developing camera technology.
While the event looked forward, members also took the time to reflect on the past. HPA president Leon Silverman, who is executive VP of Hollywood-based LaserPacific, announced the creation of the J. Michael Brinkman Scholarship and Mentoring Fund, in memory of the much-admired former Panasonic executive.
"This past year, the HPA and our industry lost one of its guiding lights and tireless champions, one of our founding members—Michael Brinkman," Silverman said. "Michael spent his professional life helping others understand technology in the service of the creative endeavor. His contagious enthusiasm and willingness to help others touched many lives."
HPA is accepting monetary and educational donations. Silverman reported that in addition to the money collected thus far, Apple has donated its pro video applications, including Final Cut Pro; and the Entertainment Technology Center, Los Angeles, has donated an internship at its Digital Cinema Lab.
Silverman called the memorial fund "a living effort to perpetuate the life of Michael Brinkman. The intent is to maintain the fund on an ongoing basis to do what Michael did in life—help and teach so many people." He added that as the goal is knowledge and education, working professionals (in addition to students) may apply to help with different aspects of the effort that could further their professional careers.
While the HPA is an organization created for the Southern California post community, Silverman emphasized, "Once a year [at this retreat], we reach out to the world to share the issues that impact everyone in this industry."
Meanwhile, HPA is planning to debut a new retreat this summer aimed at the local community in creative, technical, operational or business roles. The plan is to hold the retreat as a beach-themed event in the Santa Monica area. "We are taking the successful technology retreat format and applying it to the changing workflow of our industry in Southern California," Silverman said. Details of the new event will be revealed in the coming months.
