News Stories

ETC and Hollywood Studios’ request for industry feedback covered by Businessinsider, Ameritrade, Congoo and others

8.31.2010

The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC (ETC@USC), www.etcenter.org, announced that it is seeking broad multi-industry feedback for the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) draft specification. Over the last year, the ETC@USC has hosted the IMF project seeking to develop a voluntary specification for an interoperable set of master files (and associated metadata) to enable the interchange and automated creation of downstream distribution packages within the motion picture and television production and post-production industries. The participants in the IMF project, which include Disney, Fox, NBC/Universal, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Bros., will create a specification that can be proposed to SMPTE with the intention of initiating a formal standards-setting process. The goal is to create an interoperable, high-quality set of master files suitable for a variety of distribution packages that can be used to output an arbitrary number of versions for varying screen sizes, resolutions, bit rates, codecs, service providers, etc.

For more information, email: info@etcenter.org.

For more information contact:
Shana Starr / Jason Kirshner
LFPR (for ETC@USC) 949.502.7750 x 209/210 Email Contact

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Christie Previews 4K at IBC

8.30.2010

World’s First Demo of DLP® in 4K: Christie®, the leader in digital cinema projection, will present a pre-launch demo of its new Solaria™ Series 4K DLP Cinema® projector line for digital cinema at IBC2010 in Amsterdam, September 10-14. Taking the lead with the world’s first demo of a DLP Cinema solution in 4K, the new Christie CP4230 features the enhanced 4K DLP Cinema chip from Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE: TXN) and is designed to be compliant with the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) specification. It is the most robust and cost-effective 4K solution available today, based on time-tested, highly reliable DLP Cinema technology.

Built on extensive experience with over 14,000 digital cinema installations worldwide, Christie’s 4K solution incorporates the proven design concepts of the world’s best selling digital cinema projector line, the Christie CP2000. The projectors are the only DLP Cinema solution with the Christie 4K+4 advantage, which includes: Christie Brilliant3D™ technology for high performance 3D, Christie Pixel Track™ technology for perfect image quality, simple maintenance procedures, and the lowest cost of operation in the industry. For those looking to upgrade their existing systems, Christie also offers more options than any other manufacturer for fast conversion including the “15 minutes to 4K” upgrade process.

“Christie is continuously investing in new product innovations to offer our customers the widest possible choice for their audiences,” comments Craig Sholder, vice president, Entertainment Solutions, Christie. “We understand how important it is for exhibitors to safeguard their long-term technology investment, particularly as more 4K content comes on the market. Our experience with the 1.2” DLP Cinema chip has given us an advantage over the competition on developing premium 2K and 4K technology to keep pace with the digital cinema rollout.”

Christie is scheduled to launch the Christie 4K Solaria Series this fall with shipments beginning in early 2011. Pricing for Christie 4K digital cinema projectors is anticipated to be 35% above 2K projector pricing. Development of Christie 4K solutions for markets beyond cinema will be based on market demand.

link to original post at Business Wire

Aug 30, 2010

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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