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The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers^® (SMPTE^®), a leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, will complement the extensive program of technical sessions at the SMPTE 2015 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2015) with a diverse blend of special events, also scheduled for Oct. 26-29 in Hollywood, California.

"This year, the technical conference is bigger and better in so many exciting ways," said Robert Seidel, SMPTE president. "We're offering the most robust array of technical paper presentations yet, as well as noteworthy special events that make for a dynamic four days of information, entertainment, and engagement with the people and technologies driving our industry forward."

SMPTE 2015 launches on Oct. 26 with the daylong SMPTE Symposium: Blending Augmented, Virtual and Physical Worlds for the Ultimate Cinematic Experience: Making It Real. Led by program committee chair Aaron Thibault, vice president of product development at Gearbox Software and Borderlands Games, featuring a keynote by Layla Mah, lead architect of VR and advanced rendering at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The Symposium will give attendees the chance to learn how the new age of content consumption is driving new ways of thinking and innovative storytelling; to meet sought-after content creators and technology leaders in the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) space. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience cutting-edge VR/AR technology for themselves in a hands-on demo room. 

Beginning on Oct. 27, SMPTE 2015 will offer three days of technical sessions. Experts and industry leaders will present on topics including ultra high definition (UHD), including higher frame rate (HFR), high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging, and wider color gamut (WCG) content; the cloud, service-oriented architecture (SOA), enterprise service bus (ESB), and the Framework for Interoperable Media Services (FIMS) project; content distribution, over-the-top (OTT), and video on demand (VOD); cinema of the future; security; and Interoperable Master Format (IMF) and file-based workflows.

In addition to offering technical sessions, SMPTE 2015 will feature expanded high-tech exhibition halls and special events. Events include the previously announced SMPTE Industry Luncheon and Women in Technology Luncheon, the latter presented by SMPTE and Women in Post, a part of the Hollywood Post Alliance^® (HPA^®), as well as the Oktoberfest Reception, Opening Night Reception, the first SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival, Fellows Luncheon, the annual Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner, and the After-Party, featuring the fourth annual "SMPTE Jam."

The Opening Night Reception on Tuesday, Oct. 27, is open to all attendees with a conference pass. The 6 p.m. event will offer hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and the opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry experts and to explore innovative tools and technology from more than 96 vendors. The inaugural SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival follows at 8 p.m., and tickets are available to those who wish to make a donation to the SMPTE Education Fund.

The SMPTE Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, will highlight SMPTE's own talent. The evening's host, Sally-Ann D'Amato, SMPTE director of operations, as well lead singer of the band Mina's Fantasy and a member of the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The event will begin with a cocktail hour and silent auction featuring a vocal performance by SMPTE Manager of Member Relations Roberta Gorman, and items including photographic prints by June Marie Sobrito, executive assistant at SMPTE; glasswork by SMPTE Past President Wendy Aylsworth; and a SMPTE Color Bar^® quilt created by Dottie Szypulski, wife of SMPTE Fellow Ted Szypulski. Open to ticket-holders, the event will recognize 15 newly elevated SMPTE Fellows and 29 award winners, with Laurence Thorpe and Irwin W. Young receiving the Society's highest award, Honorary Membership, and Oscar Byram (O.B.) Hanson (1894-1961) being named to the SMPTE Honor Roll. A band led by SMPTE Member Josef Marc will perform musical numbers throughout the evening. Tickets are available for purchase.

SMPTE 2015 will conclude with the annual Honors & Awards After-Party, featuring the fourth annual SMPTE Jam, which once again will feature a band comprising a diverse group of SMPTE members playing popular hits — and possibly a few original pieces created for the occasion. The After-Party is open to all with a conference badge. No ticket is required.

Further details about SMPTE 2015 and the 2015 Symposium, including registration information and the continually updated program schedule, are available at http://www.smpte2015.org. The website also includes details on purchasing tickets for special events including the SMPTE Industry Luncheon, the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival, and the SMPTE Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner. 

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 a 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 800 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines.

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, sustain the Society. Through the Society's partnership with the Hollywood Post Alliance^®(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 www.smpte.org/join.

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