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The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers^® (SMPTE^®), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced that the 2014 NAB Show's Technology Summit on Cinema: The Future of Motion Imaging and Sound (TSC), produced in partnership with SMPTE, will provide an in-depth global view of the current state and future of filmmaking innovation.

"As the technology that drives the motion-imaging industry evolves, SMPTE's role as a standards developer puts it squarely in the midst of the latest innovations," said Pat Griffis, education vice president at SMPTE. "Building on the Society's unique role in the industry, the TSC offers NAB Show attendees a remarkable opportunity to hear from the leading-edge creatives, engineers, and technologists who are shaping the road ahead."

Over the weekend of April 5-6, the 2014 TSC at NAB Show will bring together a unique cross-section of the most knowledgeable, visionary, and innovative engineering and creative minds to discuss leading-edge technologies and issues that will define the next generation of the movie-going experience.

The first day will feature presentations and a question-and-answer session on the human vision system and the potential impact of improved motion images, followed by the presentation of case studies documenting state-of-the-art workflows for TV and motion-picture postproduction.

Chris Cookson, who has served in senior technology executive roles at Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. and is widely considered a technical visionary in the industry, will take a look ahead with his TSC keynote, "Cinema: Act 2, The Future." This conversation will continue through a subsequent roundtable discussion moderated by Michael Karagosian and will include Matt Cowan, chief engineer, Entertainment Technology Consultants; Rob Hummel, president, Group 47; and Howard Lukk, vice president of production technology at The Walt Disney Studios.

"From Camera to Consumer — the New Post Production" will look at both a movie and a TV workflow to understand the impact of the new world of postproduction. Panelists will include Michael Cioni, CEO at Light Iron; Phil Squyres, senior vice president of technical operations at Sony Pictures Television; and Leon Silverman, general manager, Digital Studio, at The Walt Disney Studios.

Presentations on the creation and implementation of new SMPTE standards, including the Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF) standard, will be followed by an overview and live demonstration of the laser-illuminated projector technology now being deployed in cinema installations.

On day two of the TSC, sessions will focus on "distributive creativity" in the post environment; on how new technologies are being used to enhance storytelling; and on capturing and creating a high dynamic range (HDR) cinema experience. In the latter session, speakers, including the creative team from the short "Telescope," will discuss the visual improvements possible with extended dynamic range, as well as their impact on the creative process.

The TSC will feature a session on "Gravity," which earned seven Oscar^® awards, including best visual effects, sound editing, and cinematography. Participating in the session will be Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki; Harry Bardak, CG sequence supervisor for "Gravity"; and Steven J. Scott, senior supervising digital colorist. They will be joined by moderator David Cohen of Variety magazine. 

A second-screen panel hosted by Disney's Annie Chang will feature an interactive look at the "Disney Second Screen Live: The Nightmare Before Christmas" iPad^® app designed to enhance the viewing experience on the main screen. (The iPad v5.1+ app is available on iTunes^®.) A two-part "Looking in the Crystal Ball" session will cap off the conference. Session leaders will first examine the emergence of an integrated experience of sound and image, and then provide an enticing glimpse into how movies might be photographed and displayed using new methods that seem magical by today's standards.

Additional details and registration for the TSC are available online at www.tsc2014.org. Further information about SMPTE is available online at www.smpte.org. 

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers^® (SMPTE^®)
The Oscar^® and Emmy^® Award-winning Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers^® (SMPTE^®), a professional membership association, is the preeminent leader in the advancement of the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem worldwide. An internationally recognized and accredited organization, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 650 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines. The Society is sustained by more than 6,000 members — motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students — who meet in Sections throughout the world. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.

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