News Stories

GTVHD covers Phil’s DisplaySearch speaking engagement announcement

8.5.2010

“This year’s agenda reflects the wide array of innovations in the TV ecosystem, including connected, 3D, and LED-backlit LCD TVs, but also the need to address user acceptance, safety, and environmental impacts of the technological advances. With Google joining other industry leaders such as Sony, Corning, Panasonic, Rovi, as well as research from prominent institutions UC Berkeley, USC and NRDC, this year’s event is the must-attend TV conference of the year,” noted Paul Semenza, Senior Vice President at DisplaySearch. Continue reading after the break for a full list of scheduled speakers.

  • Mike Abary, Senior Vice President, Home Division, Sony Electronics Inc.
  • Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Chief Technology Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America
  • David Chechelashvili, Global Retail and Distribution, Xpand Cinema
  • Martin Banks, Professor, UC Berkeley
  • Phil Lelyveld, Entertainment Technology Center, USC
  • John Bayne, Program Director, TV Cover Glass, Corning
  • Willem Sillevis-Smitt, Director Strategic Marketing and Business Management, Phillips Lumileds
  • Noah Horowitz, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi
  • Norm Bogen, Vice President of Digital Entertainment Research, In-Stat
  • Mark Ely, Executive Vice President of Strategy, Sonic Solutions
  • Jim Funk, VP of Business Development, Roku

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My San Antonio Entertainment quotes Phil Lelyveld about future of 3D

7.20.2010

“3-D is going to succeed when it stops being a special effect and just starts being part of the storytelling experience. Which you’re seeing happen very rapidly with movies, in sports … and video games,” says Phil Lelyveld, program manager of the consumer 3-D experience lab at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center in Los Angeles.

Lelyveld says today’s 3-D effects are less in-your-face and more about depth of field. So though objects occasionally burst out, it’s more likely to use perspective to draw you in – such as the lush alien foliage that pulled moviegoers into Avatar or the airborne balloons that crowds gawked at in Up.

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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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