SMPTE 2015 Offers Diverse Programme

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) is to offer an extensive programme of technical sessions at the SMPTE 2015 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2015), in addition to a diverse mix of special events.

"This year, the technical conference is bigger and better in so many exciting ways," said Robert Seidel, SMPTE president. "We're offering the most robust array of technical paper presentations yet, as well as noteworthy special events that make for a dynamic four days of information, entertainment, and engagement with the people and technologies driving our industry forward."

SMPTE 2015 launches on 26 October with the day-long SMPTE Symposium: Blending Augmented, Virtual and Physical Worlds for the Ultimate Cinematic Experience: Making It Real. Led by program committee chair Aaron Thibault, vice president of product development at Gearbox Software and Borderlands Games, featuring a keynote by Layla Mah, lead architect of VR and advanced rendering at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The Symposium will give attendees the chance to learn how the new age of content consumption is driving new ways of thinking and storytelling, and to meet content creators and technology leaders in the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) space. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience cutting-edge VR/AR technology in a hands-on demo room.

Beginning on 27 October, SMPTE 2015 will offer three days of technical sessions. Experts and industry leaders will present on topics including ultra high definition (UHD), including higher frame rate (HFR), high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging, and wider color gamut (WCG) content; the cloud, service-oriented architecture (SOA), enterprise service bus (ESB), and the Framework for Interoperable Media Services (FIMS) project; content distribution, over-the-top (OTT), and video on demand (VOD); cinema of the future; security; and Interoperable Master Format (IMF) and file-based workflows.

In addition to the technical sessions, SMPTE 2015 will feature expanded high-tech exhibition halls and special events. Events include the previously announced SMPTE Industry Luncheon and Women in Technology Luncheon – the latter presented by SMPTE and Women in Post, a part of the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA) – as well as the Oktoberfest Reception, Opening Night Reception, the first SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival, Fellows Luncheon, the annual Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner, and the After-Party, featuring the fourth annual "SMPTE Jam".

The Opening Night Reception on Tuesday 27 October is open to all attendees with a conference pass. The event begins at 6pm and will offer hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and the opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry experts and to explore innovative tools and technology from more than 96 vendors. The SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival follows at 8pm, and tickets are available to those who wish to make a donation to the SMPTE Education Fund.

The SMPTE Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner will tale place at 7pm on Thursday 29 October and hosted by Sally-Ann D'Amato, SMPTE director of operations, as well lead singer of the band Mina's Fantasy and a member of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The event will begin with a cocktail hour and silent auction featuring a vocal performance by SMPTE Manager of Member Relations Roberta Gorman, and items including photographic prints by June Marie Sobrito, executive assistant at SMPTE; glasswork by SMPTE Past President Wendy Aylsworth; and a SMPTE Color Bar quilt created by Dottie Szypulski, wife of SMPTE Fellow Ted Szypulski. Open to ticket-holders, the event will recognize 15 newly elevated SMPTE Fellows and 29 award winners, with Laurence Thorpe and Irwin W. Young receiving the Society's highest award, Honorary Membership, and Oscar Byram (O.B.) Hanson (1894-1961) being named to the SMPTE Honor Roll. A band led by SMPTE Member Josef Marc will perform musical numbers throughout the evening. Tickets are available for purchase.

SMPTE 2015 will conclude with the annual Honors & Awards After-Party, featuring the fourth annual SMPTE Jam, which will feature a band comprising a diverse group of SMPTE members playing popular hits – and possibly a few original pieces created for the occasion. The After-Party is open to all with a conference badge. No ticket is required.

Further details about SMPTE 2015 and the 2015 Symposium, including registration information and the continually updated program schedule, are available at www.smpte2015.org.

The website also includes details on purchasing tickets for the SMPTE Industry Luncheon, the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival, and the SMPTE Honors & Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

Image: George Lucas, Recipient of SMPTE Honorary Membership, at the SMPTE 2014 Awards Ceremony.

www.smpte.org

(JP/LM)