The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the recipients of the organization's prized 2016 HPA Engineering Excellence Awards. The Engineering Excellence Awards were created to spotlight and reward companies and individuals providing services to the professional media content industry for their outstanding technical and creative ingenuity in media, content production, finishing, distribution and/or archiving.

NAB Show returns as the sponsor of the HPA Engineering Excellence Awards, which will be bestowed during the HPA Awards gala on November 17, 2016 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.

The winners of the 2016 HPA Engineering Excellence Award are:

Aspera FASP Stream  A turnkey application software enabling live streaming of broadcast-quality video globally over commodity Internet networks with glitch-free playout and negligible start-up time, reducing the need for expensive satellite-based backhaul, transport and distribution. Using Aspera's FASP bulk data protocol to transport any live video source (local multicast, unicast UDP, TCP, or growing file source) it provides timely arrival of live video and data independent of network round-trip delay and packet loss.

Grass Valley, GV Node Real Time IP Processing and Edge Routing Platform  GV Node is a fundamental building block of a Broadcast Data Center providing deterministic, vertically accurate switching of video signals whether they originate as SDI or IP, such as SMPTE ST 2022-6. GV Node offers integrated processing of video and audio signals and multiviewers for reduced cabling. The modular nature of the GV Node is ideal for distributed architectures and scales from very small to very large systems, especially when combined with COTS IP switches.

RealD Ultimate Screen  RealD Ultimate Screen delivers incredible images in both 2D and 3D formats. Ultimate Screen is a revolutionary, highly sophisticated, scientifically engineered matte-white screen that delivers the ultimate cinema experience for moviegoers.

SGO Mistika  A powerful, flexible and complete DI post-production solution built on years of research, development and production experience, enabling new levels of creative power, performance and workflow efficiency. A Hero Suite, providing editing, VFX, colour grading, text, paint, audio, S3D, full finishing, and more, in a completely scalable, truly interactive, fully real-time, and totally resolution independent post-production system.
 

Joachim Zell, Chair of the Engineering Excellence Awards Committee, commented, "The Engineering Excellence Awards offer us the opportunity to see up close what innovations our colleagues are working on and get an advance look at the impact of their creativity on the future of the industry.  The Engineering Excellence entries often go on to have significant impact on how we work. This year brought incredible submissions that made judging a real challenge. On behalf of the HPA, and the judges, we were impressed with every presentation, and offer sincere congratulations to the winners and to their worthy competitors."

In addition to the Engineering Excellence Awards, the HPA Awards will recognize excellence in 12 craft categories that include color grading, editing, sound, and visual effects. Herb Dow will receive the HPA 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award and Michelle Munson has been named as recipient of The Charles S. Swartz Award.  The winner of the HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the HPA Awards are on sale now, and can be purchased online. For more information about the HPA Awards and the HPA, including sponsorship opportunities, visit the organization's website, hpaonline.com.

The 2016 HPA Awards are sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Avid, Company 3, Deluxe, Dolby, EFilm, Encore, IMAX, NAB Show, Sohonet, and Sony.
 

About the HPA® Awards
The HPA Awards were created to foster awareness and recognize the achievements of the individuals and companies that have contributed to groundbreaking technologies and creative excellence within the professional media content industry, and build involvement in the Hollywood Professional Alliance. The HPA is a partner of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®). Information about the HPA Awards is available at http://www.hpaonline.com. The HPA Awards will be presented with generous support from Foundation Members and sponsors.

About the Hollywood Professional Association
Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) serves the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content. Through their partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), the leader in the advancement of the art, science and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, the HPA continues to extend its support of the community it represents. Information about the HPA is available at www.hpaonline.com.

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®)
Winner of an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) is a global leader in the advancement of the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem. A professional membership association that is internationally recognized and accredited, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. For a century, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 800 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines.  Nearly 7,000 members – motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students – who meet in Sections worldwide, sustain the Society. Through the Society's partnership with Hollywood Professional Association (HPA®), this membership is complemented by the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide the expertise, support, tools, and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television programs, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at http://www.smpte.org/join.