Okay, here’s a question for you: Are we or are we not in the 21st century? If you want to send a letter across the country in a few seconds would use the postal service? Not likely. When shopping for new music, do you look for cassette tapes or do you look online for MP3s? When producing a television commercial are you producing it in 4:3 standard def or 16:9 HD? All right, you get the point.
Let’s face it—the 4:3 TV is going the way of the dinosaur, and consumers are hungry for a full screen 16:9 experience. The numbers prove it. With the majority of DVDs being released in 16:9 or letter box only, HD DVD on the immediate horizon, and a record number of HD and wide-screen TVs being sold (by 2006 world-wide sales of wide format flat screen sets are predicted to be in excess of 19 million per year), consumers are anxious for wide-screen content.
Much has already been said about the advantages of finishing in HD. Take sfx work for example. Most sfx shots require compositing, and these shots can be manipulated with greater ease and more precision in a hi-def workspace. It’s also a lot easier to pull a key in HD, and when zooming or panning, you maintain greater integrity of the image because of the high-resolution environment. This idea, of course, has been a principal reason for shooting on film—starting with more information always yields a superior result. These benefits are visible even when an HD master is down-converted to standard definition. Finally, the additional resolution of HD combined with the larger 16:9 canvas also makes titles and motion graphic treatments appear more dynamic.
Another growing trend, like it or not, is cinematic advertising. A growing number of theaters now use HD projection in pre-screening programs. Cinema giant AMC currently runs 20-minute "pre-show" presentations before features, which include still images, ads and mini-movies. As early as summer 2004, AMC plans to expand its digital projectors into a total of 2,500 locations. For advertisers, this means the same deliverable to both broadcasters and theatrical outlets.
It’s great when clients consult with us early in the process to discuss their spots, because at that point we can discuss finishing options based on creative direction and the end use of their spot. Said Guy Seese, creative director for Cole & Weber/Red Cell, Seattle and Portland, Ore., "I have seen tremendous movement with regard to HD broadcast in the last year. I see a greater value in HD finishing for spots that are going to air nationally, as they are reaching a broad audience."
Posting in HD can be a daunting task if you haven’t done it yet. "The process was new to us, but having finished a campaign in HD, I can say that it isn’t that intimidating," said Dax Estorninos, senior producer for WongDoody, Seattle, adding, "Everyone just loved the results."
As far as the degree of difficulty in HD finishing, the truth is, when you account for the variable frame rates and the multiple formats available for hi-def finishing, you can have up to 18 different formatting options. This can of course be very confusing. But again, that’s nothing a visit to your local post house won’t fix. And we’re sure they’d be more than happy to talk with you about it.