ICG president Steven Poster, ASC, suggests that the industry form a DCI-like effort aimed at developing “an end-to-end, device independent color management system that delivers nearly a transparent process to the artist.”
“Without standardized procedures and protocols, the complexity of these systems leave us wide open to various failures with some errors resulting in catastrophic data loss,” he added.
Poster called IIF ACES a “major step toward our Holy Grail.” He also cited the ASC CDL.
Asked about shooting ratios during the Q&A, Lewis Rothenberg, digital imaging technician and ICG National VP, admitted: “I would love the studios to put caps on shooting ratios.”
Testronic Labs CEO Seth Hallen related that in 2011 home entertainment suffered in hardware and content sales. He suggested that part of the problem was the economic environment and in part what he called “consumer burn out.”
Citing FutureSource research, Hallen reported that there were 485 billion video views in 2011, with YouTube making up 45 percent of those. Free online TV and movies represent another 8 percent, and other free content such as MTV is another 46 percent. This means that 1 percent was paid content in 2011. “This represents massive consumer competition for eyeballs,” Hallen said. “This is an indication of what the industry is up against.”
Hallen suggested that growth in connected device ownership will boost online revenues. 60 percent of U.S. phone owners had a smartphone in 2011, and that is expected to grow to 90 percent in next 3-4 years, according to the FutureSource research. “We are moving into a fragmented world when it comes to entertainment access.”
On content: “Packaged delivery is still a very important part of the business, and will continue to be so.” He added that by the end of the year, 1/3 of all U.S. homes are expected have a Blu-ray player, and BD-Live is an important bridge. “Online access is the future.”
DECE’s Jim Taylor — citing rental/VOD, sell-through, subscription, and ad supported models — said, “all of these business models will be part of electronic distribution… I think sell-through will be a tiny part. If initiatives like UltraViolet are able to gain traction, then I think we’ll see the pendulum switch back.”
“We have seen a significant shift to streaming from download.” But Taylor pointed out that ubiquitous streaming requires ubiquitous Internet, and there will be situations when bandwidth won’t be there, especially with the move toward higher resolutions. Taylor suggests that streaming and download will continue to co-exist.
Taylor’s UltraViolet status report: Roughly 100 titles are available from Warners, Sony, Universal and Paramount. A launch is currently underway, focused on streaming. Mid-year developments will “pave the way for download.” “UltraViolet is focused on purchase… I don’t see physical media disappearing anytime soon,” he predicted.
“We are making progress toward ubiquitous access to content,” Taylor said. That effort includes the introduction of DECE’s Common File Format (the spec is publicly available). DECE is additionally working on a Common Streaming Format (CSF).
Taylor: “Nirvana might be that everyone standardizes on CFF… It might also be that UltraViolet becomes the EST option for all services. The ecosystems can interoperate… Do I think we are going to get there? No, I don’t. The question is will we end up with a totally fragmented marketplace. If we can get to at least a semi-fragmented marketplace with more interoperability — that would be a great place to be.”
David Sugg, Warner Bros. Technical Operations, discussed where Warners looks to benefit from the Interoperable Mastering Format. A Warners’ initiative is DETE (Digital End To End), which holds most of the components required to create an IMF package. DETE currently delivers more than 500 different output formats (more than 40 percent qualify as a mezzanine format). Warners is testing DETE and IMF. “For us it is an obvious win,” he explained.
Why does Disney want IMF? The studio’s Mike Krause explained that the studio makes 234 versions of every film including various languages, aspect ratios, etc. “Mastering is expensive,” he pointed out, adding that still 81 percent of the film’s revenue comes from downstream distribution. Adding the various media outlets including airlines, on average Disney is looking at over 35,100 different versions of a single title. “That is a lot of media to keep track of… That’s 35,100 reasons when Disney wants IMF.”
Disney’s Annie Chang, who chairs the SMPTE IMF Working Group, related that ETC@USC started the IMF effort and published an IMF v1.0 document in February 2011. One month later, SMPTE’s IMF work began. SMPTE’s version is very similar to the ETC requirement document. Elements include composition play lists, output profile lists, packages and security.
Chang related that one difference is that the ETC doc includes uncompressed and JPEG2000 codecs; this was modified with a core framework and modular applications that plug into the framework “to allow for specific functionality and allows for future extensibility.”
Some SMPTE IMF documents are in the “finalizing” state for the composition play list and wrapping. Work is still needed in areas such as output profile lists and security.
There will be a testing phase before implementation. The SMPTE effort is moving fast “because the industry really needs this.” To get involved one could join the SMPTE working group or visit the IMF Forum.
Implementors also presented during the session. AmberFin’s Geoff Bowen said the company has a “great interest” in IMF. “Any re-use of existing standards is a good thing … and IMF is reusing everything that it can.” AmberFin is working on tools to migrate existing libraries into IMF assets. It additionally conducted successful IMF interop testing just before HPA, Bowen reported.
“Avid is a big supporter of IMF,” said Avid’s Tim Claman, noting that the company sees it as a way to “complete the transition to file-based workflows.” Avid is working with customers on uses. He urged the HPA Tech Retreat audience to get involved.
“We (vendors) are all working together nicely,” said DVS’ Dan Germain. “We can take packages and move them seamlessly, (when) vendors don’t traditionally like to work together.”
Bob Lambert, in a discussion addressing the future of projection technologies, noted that 14 foot-lamberts are “very hard to do for 3D. It is extremely important that we get the light level up.” He noted that improvements can be made.
“The conversion that needs to take place is not so much technical, but a change in the market,” said Lambert. “The exhibitor that decides to (use solid state lighting) first is a competitive advantage… It needs to be in the hands of exhibitors and others will follow suit.”
Sony’s Peter Lude — wearing his Laser Illuminated Projector Association hat — discussed laser regulatory requirements. He reported that LIPA has completed a regulatory white paper and commissioned a laser testing program.
Barco’s Theo Marescaux related that the company recently conducted a laser demo, aimed at starting to educate the market and prompt industry discussion. “We would like to establish a dialogue,” he said.
Jerry Pierce asserts that the home needs a makeover, that it is getting too complicated. He introduced his solution to what he sees as a key problem — there are too many remotes, and one needs instructions to use a TV.
He suggested that a successful ecosystem must include live TV, allow time shifting, support packaged media, provide streaming, be easy to use, be compatible with existing consumer devices — and can’t cost $1000 extra. Pierce introduced a one button, easy-to-use remote control that he conceived.
What About Apple? Citing the many rumors that Apple will play in this space, he said, “maybe over time they will evolve into the right solution… A question is if they will play with the wider ecosystem.”
Pierce suggested that keys to a successful ecosystem will include an on -screen control, simple pointer, backward compatability with legacy devices and a real browser. He believes the successful solution requires a new (TV) operating system.
He concluded that this is “an idea waiting for someone to take the ball and run with it.”
How do we bring sell-through content to the home? Citing options including DVD, Blu-ray, UltraViolet, iTunes, Netflix, Redbox, etc., Pierce said: “I’m not in marketing, but this will create fear, uncertainty and doubt… No wonder the market has gone down for packaged media.”
On UltraViolet, Pierce commented: “I don’t think customers need to know the DRM. UltraViolet is too complicated.”
Pierce additionally suggested that studios keep the theatrical window valuable, maintain the packaged media window, and make the online delivery of content simple. “Nothing will ever be as profitable as DVD/Blu-ray sales,” he said, suggesting that a subscription model may be the next best thing.
A 4K camera panel featured Stefan Ukas-Bradley, ARRI, Larry Thorpe, Canon; Edgar Shane, JVC; Michael Bergeron, Panasonic; Stuart English, RED; Yasuhiko Mikami, Sony; and Phillip Jantzen, Vision Research. Mark Schubin moderated the session.
ARRI’s Ukas-Bradley: “We feel 2K currently is still a standard for digital projection and in the DI process. 4K is the exception, not the rule. For the time being that is what we optimized our technology for.”
Ukas-Bradley commented about Douglas Trumbull accepting his Oscar statuette at last weekend’s Sci-Tech Awards presentation: “When he spoke about his current project he mentioned higher frame rates and higher contrast… He didn’t mention resolution.”
Schubin pointed out that NHK is skipping 4K and working on an 8K system.
RED’s English: “The numbers may say 2K is good enough. The 4K image to my eye is far superior… There is no need to skip 4K. There are other reasons for high resolution (than display).” He cited framing as an example.
Mikami: “We have more than 10,000 theaters with the 4K projector. There is no reason not to distribute 4K content.”
How can 4K content be delivered to the home? English noted that “RED is working on that problem. It is more difficult than we though it was going to be.” He cited RED Ray, a 4K playback technology.
Schubin noted that ATSC 2.0 “has provisions that could potentially allow 4K broadcasting.”
AMPAS’ Andy Maltz reports that the next round of IIF-ACES industry trials are in preparation and a collaborative development site has been launched.
“The time to get involved is now with this industry-wide testing,” he said.
Every trial project so far has found some issues, and they all were resolved.
He emphasized that the SMPTE standards are on the way. The RRT release candidate will be available March 1.
Dolby and Image Systems are among the companies that are showing IIF-related demos in the HPA Tech Retreat’s demo area.
Related, Maltz noted that there is no defined digital source master and the Academy “really cares about having a digital archiving standard.” The Academy’s SciTech Council recently released “The Digital Dilemma 2.”
The HPA Tech Retreat opened with Mark Schubin’s annual Year in Review. Schubin, an Emmy Award-winning SMPTE Fellow, has been chairing the Tech Retreat for the Hollywood Post Alliance since 1997.
The following are some of the 2011 highlights:
About 69 percent of U.S. households have HDTV (1/3 with two or more sets).
Five of the 10 highest grossing movies of 2011 were 3D. The U.S. box office continues to decline.
YouTube is the top mobile video channel.
While watching television, people use tablets more during programs than commercials.
“Libraries age; we have to become advocates for the library,” urged Sara Duran-Singer, VP studio operations at Disney during an HPA Tech Retreat panel on remastering and restoration.
“In a perfect world we would be scanning everything at 4K,” she said. “The reality is there are budget constraints.”
Duran-Singer noted that Disney has three levels of remastering processes for its library titles, and the highest category of films will be restored and remastered in 4K. She noted that in addition to uses such as Blu-ray and broadcast, Disney has also converted some of these titles to 3D. She cited as examples the 3D conversions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Before-and-after clips of 4K restorations of “Lawrence of Arabia” (from Sony Pictures Entertainment) and “Pollyanna” (from Disney) were screened as part of the session.
“There are tools that make the sum of the storytelling process potentially better,” said Garrett Smith, commenting on the protection of the vision of the filmmakers.
He proposed an API that would “track the filmmakers vision and plug it into the database of the future.”
Ron Burdett, GM, DI restoration and mastering at Technicolor Cahuenga, moderated the session. Lou Levinson and Josh Pines additionally made presentations.
During the wrap-up of the day — dedicated to the topic of “snowflake” workflows — members noted that take-aways include the fact that moving data is a key technical challenge and the iPad is becoming an increasingly important tool in production, perhaps “more popular than the craft service truck.”
Sean Cooney of Warner Bros. introduced an R&D project — dubbed “The Metadata Project” — which is exploring how to efficiently integrate many systems, including scripts, asset management and editorial.
The studio is working with various vendors. Its prototype system relies on API integration and incorporates a cloud component.
It is also developing prototype field apps including “DP Room,” a collaboration with the ASC.
“To create a flexible system that others can plug into — everybody wins,” said Kirsten Thayer, product manager of Final Draft, which is involved in the effort.
“I got tired of writing the same information on set,” said David Stump, ASC. ‘This is finally the tipping point that I hoped we’d get to — turning ‘metapaper’ into metadata.”
He added: “People are going to say ‘how did we ever make movies without this?’”
“Success would be centralizing the data,” allowing filmmakers to focus on the creative process rather than the technology, said Steve Cronan, CEO of 5th Kind.
Summed up Stump of what such a metadata project would mean: “No film is ever finished — but we can abandon them a little closer to finished.”
The 2012 HPA Tech Retreat kicked off today with a full-day session on “snowflake” workflows — the name referring to the fact that is seems no two are alike.
“We are caught up in the blizzard,” said HPA president Leon Silverman. “Nobody in film uttered the word ‘workflow.’ Nobody needed to… Digital cinema led us on the path to these new digital workflows.”
“We need to capture dynamic range, bit depth…and (know) that it can be consistently used without compromise across the entire workflow. So if it never stops snowing there is a way to enjoy the winter.”
Citing the promise of IIF-ACES, Silverman noted that there is still work to be done so that the industry can “embark on the digital age without creating the digital ice age.”
The first speaker of the day was Light Iron CEO Michael Cioni, who noted that with changing IT, the industry needs to avoid complacency and challenge the status quo.
Cioni believes that among the changes are it is no longer “who” you know, rather “what” you know; “rental houses are starting to know more about post than some post houses;” and black boxes and secret sauces are no longer unique selling points.
He suggested that snowflake workflows require a unique approach with one person dedicated to overseeing the entire process. “I believe snowflake workflows are a liberating way to customize…and raise the ceiling,” Cioni said. “Creatives don’t like to feel restricted. Workflow needs to work with them.”
Cioni believes challenges to the current way of working are happening on the camera maker side more so than the post production side of the business. He cited as examples Sony with its F65, but also Peter Jackson’s workflow on “The Hobbit.”
Looking ahead, he introduced some concepts including: Totalcode (“the idea that we take the original idea of timecode and integrate it into the motion picture industry”); Geosync Clocking (“we need a single source”); “Triple-System” Capture (camera, sound and metadata); Tablet Dailies; Improved Fidelity (“I believe we’ll move toward higher sensor technology”) and The Cloud.
Cioni urged service providers to stop retrofitting, and instead create something completely new.
In this 90-second CES video demo, LG showcases its new voice recognition capabilities.
LG’s new Magic Remote, which will come packaged with the company’s new line of Smart TVs, will include the Dragon TV platform from Nuance Communications for voice recognition.
The demo illustrates how a TV viewer can access a Web browser through the app bar, while watching a television program, and search for Pizza Hut via voice command.
Additionally, viewers can use the voice recognition tech for Content Search to access videos from YouTube, Hulu and others.
“We also have our Social Center this year for voice recognition. While you’re sitting on your couch, you can update your Facebook account and/or tweet your friends while you’re watching your football game.”
Fujifilm took this year’s CNET Best of CES award in the Camera category with its new X-Pro 1, the company’s first mirrorless model.
“Targeted at professionals, the camera incorporates several innovations, including a promising new sensor and lovely hybrid viewfinder, all in a sleek retro design,” reports CNET.
Features include: interchangeable XF lens system, proprietary thin X-Mount that minimizes back focus, 16-megapixel X-Trans CMOS sensor, hybrid viewfinder that swaps between optical and electronic, HD video at 1080p (with video output using mini-HDMI).
Also announced: three new lenses — 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4, and 60mm f2.4 macro (with nine more lenses coming soon).
The X-Pro 1 will ship in late February. The body is expected to run around $1,700 and lenses about $650 each.
ICG president Steven Poster, ASC, suggests that the industry form a DCI-like effort aimed at developing “an end-to-end, device independent color management system that delivers nearly a transparent process to the artist.”
