SMPTE, NAB Renew Tech Summit with Future of Cinema Conference

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Mon, 12/28/2015 - 15:38 -- Nick Dager

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers today announced that the newly crafted NAB Show's The Future of Cinema Conference: The Immortal Movie, produced in partnership with SMPTE, will explore how content creators and storytellers combine artistry with motion-imaging technology to thrive today — and especially into the future. Scheduled for April 16-17 during the 2016 NAB Show, the refocused technical conference will examine this topic with an emphasis on the work and inspiration of the industry's newest generation of filmmakers. Registration for the conference opened on December 21.

"With this conference, we'll investigate the limits of what is possible within the cinema environment, look at the new directions being taken by creatives, both established and those early in their careers, and consider how these filmmakers are interfacing with technology to expand their storytelling capabilities," said program chair Richard Welsh, CEO at Sundog Media Toolkit. "Our aim is that when the conference has concluded, we'll have provided attendees — both the creative and technically oriented — with inspiration to consider how they are working now, and whether they can push the boundaries of the art and technology of the motion picture. We want to energize our audience with the new possibilities the science and craft of movie-making is bringing us."

The NAB Show's Future of Cinema Conference will gather the brightest industry minds and talents to discuss the changing nature of storytelling today and into the future as technology evolves, and how the industry will ensure that creative work is preserved in its highest form for generations to come. The two-day conference will feature sessions on forward-looking techniques and challenges related to making content for theatrical release and beyond.

The conference will include sessions on the creative use of high dynamic range, utilizing content captured on 35mm film to feed into high-end digital exhibition formats, the filmmakers and projects testing the limits of cinema, and the next-generation filmmaking efforts of students and recently graduated filmmakers. Further sessions will address questions related to next-generation distribution, HDR mastering and delivery to the home, and the impact of advanced technologies on event cinema. A session focused on diversity will engage panelists and attendees in a discussion of how to build a richer, more expansive, and more dynamic filmmaking community.

"We're very excited about the new brand and focus for the annual cinema summit, produced in partnership with SMPTE," said Chris Brown, executive vice president, conventions and business operations, NAB. "Our aim is to produce a future-oriented, vision-packed event, and The Future of Cinema Conference committee has so far met this goal with an extensive program agenda that delves into topics that are top-of-mind for today's creative and technology professionals."

In addition to Welsh, the program committee includes Abi Corbin, writer and director; Christy King, consultant; Pat Griffis, executive director, technology strategy, at Dolby Laboratories; Bill Hogan, motion picture consultant; Pete Ludé, senior vice president at RealD; Cynthia Slavens, director of post-production at Pixar Animation Studios; Jim Whittlesey, digital cinema consultant; and Chris Witham, director of digital cinema at The Walt Disney Studios.

Conference registration opened December 21 at http://registration.experientevent.com/showNAB161/Default.aspx?Passcode=.... SMPTE members may use code EP01 to take $100 off the NAB nonmember rate for a SMART or Conference Flex Pass registration, or to get a free Exhibits Pass. The offer expires April 1. 

Further information about SMPTE is available at http://www.smpte.org. 

NAB Show http://www.nabshow.com