News Stories

4th Annual 3D Entertainment Summit(R) to Honor Jeffrey Katzenberg with 3D Visionary Award

8.19.2011

[Press Release]

Conference to Recognize Global Leadership Role of “Godfather of 3D”

Unicomm, a leading event management company, The Bob Dowling Group and Variety announced today that Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG DWA +1.19% , will be the first recipient of the “3D Visionary Award.” The presentation will be made at the 4th Annual 3D Entertainment Summit(R) in association with Variety, scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday, September 20-22, 2011 at the Hollywood & Highland Center, Hollywood, CA. Mr. Katzenberg, a keynote speaker at several previous summits, will address the conference via taped remarks on Wednesday, September 21st at 11:30am PT. 3D and visual effects veteran Phil “Captain 3D” McNally, who has collaborated with Mr. Katzenberg on such films as Puss in Boots, Shrek Forever After, Kung Fu Panda 2, and How to Train Your Dragon, among others, will accept the award in person on Mr. Katzenberg’s behalf.

“No one is more knowledgeable or passionate about the global possibilities of 3D entertainment than Jeffrey,” said Bob Dowling, the Summit’s co-producer. “As we mark our 4th anniversary with a major expansion of our programming and sponsor list, it seems a most propitious time to honor 3D’s greatest advocate and to thank him for being such a huge supporter of the Summit since its inception.”

Extensive footage from the new DreamWorks Animation film, Puss in Boots in 3D, starring Antonio Banderas, (release date November 4, 2011) will be shown at the Summit.

The 3D Entertainment Summit(R) brings together thought leaders from around the globe to analyze 3D in all formats — theatrical, mobile, home entertainment, gaming, advertising, broadcast and alternative content. In addition, the conference will offer expansive footage of 3D entertainment and sports programming from around the globe, much of it never seen in this country, as well as in-depth research analysis and panel sessions to explore and quantify the global 3D footprint. A list of confirmed speakers can be found at: http://www.3d-summit.com .

Co-located this year with the 3D Gaming Summit: 3D Gaming & Beyond(R), the LA Mobile Entertainment Summit(R) presented by Ortsbo.com, Insight Media University, and the 3D@Home User Experience Technical Summit(TM), the 3D Entertainment Summit(R) explores where 3D has been and, more importantly, where it is headed: an unfiltered, in-depth “state-of-the-industry” look at the future of a rapidly evolving global marketplace. Together the three conferences, and co-located industry events during the same week in Hollywood, comprise the most comprehensive array of experts, research and analysis covering the 3D and mobile entertainment sectors. Attendees will gain practical insight into technology developments, market considerations, adoption rates, creative and production strategies, content aggregation, as well as talent and licensing issues.

Read the full press release here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/4th-annual-3d-entertainment-summitr-to-honor-jeffrey-katzenberg-with-3d-visionary-award-2011-08-19?reflink=MW_news_stmp

 

Is it possible for the arts to push digital media?

8.15.2011

[Excerpt from The Beacon Herald (UK)]

We hear a lot about how digital media is affecting newspapers, television, even movies. Is digital media also affecting the performing arts? Or are the performing arts pushing digital media?

Artists and academics are pushing technology in new ways to augment their performances. As early as 2008, the drama department at the University of Waterloo was undertaking a couple such experiments.

In partnership with the University of Central Florida and Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., the University of Waterloo produced a new show with an old story — Alice Experiments in Wonderland. The show featured a high-speed connection (as much as 150Mbit/s), 2D and 3D sets, and simultaneous live theatre in three locations.

Thirty-three cast members in three different locations with different sets and audiences presented a few challenges including DVTS (digital video transport systems) connectivity, echo compression, sound and video transfer issues. But the three universities’ networking departments worked together to use more bandwidth and computing power to successfully broadcast at peak sustained broadband usage during the entire length of the show. Using existing video conferencing technology in a novel way created an opportunity for theatres all around the world to affordably replicate the experience. …

This September, an international community of cultural enthusiasts — including artists, academics, creators and developers — is coming to Stratford to explore how the performing arts are pushing the uses of digital technologies and shaping innovative artistic experiences. Through workshops, seminars and performances integrating digital media technologies, sessions will explore the limitations and challenges of arts and media, but also the opportunities.

…

The Challenging Digital Media: The Performing Arts conference is presented by the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus Sept. 28-30, 2011, in partnership with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the National Arts Centre. For more information, go to challenging digitalmedia.zerista.com.

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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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