Tech Innovation Drives Next Gen Cinema

The technologies emerging and evolving alongside the entertainment industry's near-complete move to digital are not necessarily disruptive innovations in and of themselves, but their impact on the future of the industry may be just that. By Richard Welsh, SMPTE International Governor and CEO at Sundog Media Toolkit.

Some century-old technology, such as 35mm film, has all but disappeared from the projection rooms of cinemas; however, many ageing technologies, such as projector arc lamps, remain. The rapid and continued progression of image capture and reproduction technologies is prompting the greatest wave of change ever experienced in the motion imaging industry.
The rise of digital cinema has redefined the possibilities for enriching the cinema experience, and a variety of innovations provide content creators and distributors new ways to deliver the unrivalled spectacle that distinguishes the cinema experience from all others.
Throughout this year's IBC conference and exhibition in Amsterdam (12-16 September), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) members are participating in sessions that examine the technical advances influencing the art and science of creating, delivering and displaying picture and sound, as well as the creative opportunities that have opened up as a result of such advances in technology.
Within the IBC2014 Big Screen Experience stream, SMPTE experts are participating in sessions that explore the strategy and business considerations associated with the adoption of new technologies; the rollout of a new generation of products and services; and the creation and implementation of new standards and recommended practices.
These sessions cover topics ranging from working with the second screen and on live events, to cloud production, laser projection, and immersive audio.
The professional side of the industry has been pushing to complement the higher resolutions already being embraced by consumers with 'more' pixels, and indeed the new breed of cinema laser projection delivers image improvements such as wider colour gamut and higher dynamic range (HDR), both of which complement higher resolution; there are not only more pixels, but also better pixels.
Peter Ludé, a SMPTE Fellow and the Society's immediate past president, as well as founding chair of the Laser Illuminated Projector Association (LIPA), is guiding a two-part session on laser projectors, in which experts and industry leaders address this technology. The first part session is titled 'Seeing Is Believing', while the second part is 'The Devil Is in the Details'.
Session panels will explore the commercial roll out; safety and regulations; and the finer technical details of colour reproduction, the human visual system, and the laser-specific challenge of 'speckle'.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, a demonstration of the latest in laser projection technology, featuring six Christie 4K-resolution laser projectors, is taking place in the RAI's main auditorium.
Though the popularity of 3D has gone through peaks and valleys since its introduction more than 100 years ago, it still remains a hot topic in cinema. SMPTE Fellow and Standards Director Howard Lukk is hosting a session titled 'Tri-focal Camera Systems – Will Hybrid 3D Prove to Be the Ultimate 3D?', which will reveal how tri-focal camera systems are being used to create 'hybrid' 3D. This allows creatives to shoot action as they typically have for 2D movies, while maintaining the freedom and flexibility to manipulate the 3D depth in postproduction, much as they might in the realm of 3D animation. This subject is important because the success (or lack thereof) of 3D has largely depended on the comfort of the viewing experience.
Leveraging a greater understanding of the science of human vision, techniques such as tri-focal shooting can greatly aid in the creation of 3D content that is more enjoyable to watch, as well as assist in simplifying production processes. IBC2014 delegates will have the opportunity to see the evidence for themselves, as the session is featuring the short film 'Make Believe', shot in Berlin using the tri-focal system that was co-developed by Walt Disney Studios, Fraunhofer HHI, and ARRI.
The application of new technologies in the cinema space will also be explored in sessions that discuss the use and impact of cloud technology. Industry experts are presenting a session titled 'Movie-Making in the Matrix'. This session considers how virtualisation of infrastructure and hardware resources is affecting production and post in the film and broadcast industries and discusses how productions from both typical Hollywood productions, as well as the independent side of the spectrum, make good use of these technologies.
The 'EDCF Global D-Cinema Update' session has become an IBC conference fixture, and this year it brings together many industry leaders behind the continued evolution of digital cinema. If past years are any indication, this session will be a dynamic and fast-paced overview of the latest business and technology developments in digital cinema around the globe.
Naturally, the discussions fueled by IBC2014 panels and presentations will carry forward into other industry events. Among these is the approaching SMPTE 2014 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition in Hollywood, California from 20-23 October (www.smpte.org/smpte2014). Each year, the scope and depth of topics presented is impressive and this year promises to be no exception. In addition to the strong technical sessions, the SMPTE 2014 Symposium will be unique as the Hollywood Post Alliance® (HPA®) is producing it this year.
The topic of the full-day Symposium, taking place on Monday, 20 October, is 'Making Do With More' and will address the workflows involved with producing ultra high definition (UHD) including resolution, contrast, higher frame rates, brightness and even immersive audio. The SMPTE 2014 Symposium is among the first joint efforts of SMPTE and HPA, as the organisations move forward with plans for full consolidation by May 2015, and it highlights the strengths of both organisations.
HPA is well known for its annual Tech Retreat, which takes place in Palm Springs, California in February. The Tech Retreat is always inspiring, as it brings technologists and filmmakers together to address many controversial topics influencing the industry while in a casual atmosphere.
In addition, the success of SMPTE's Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age (ETIA) at Stanford University has the Society bringing a new event to Europe. The SMPTE 2015 Forum is being produced in collaboration with FKTG. Slated for May 2015 in Berlin, the two-day event at the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) will look from a European perspective at how the convergence of connectivity, bandwidth, and media technology improvements will impact production and distribution of media across all platforms, from cinema and broadcast to mobile and interactive new media technologies.
Given the rapid rate of change within the industry, the conversations that take place at events such as these stand to play a pivotal role in assisting those on the technical side, as well as creative content creators, in understanding the trends that are driving the future of media forward.

The article is also available to read via BFV online.

(IT/JP)