Sony Unveils Its CLED Verona Displays for Virtual Production

Sony’s Crystal LED displays are designed to enable realistic backgrounds for virtual production. Now, after two years of research and development, Sony Electronics has unveiled its first line of Crystal LED Verona wall displays, purpose-built to meet the needs of virtual production. The result of a tight feedback loop between Hollywood end users and Sony engineers in Tokyo, Verona aimed to solve what were identified as the two biggest issues with virtual production backgrounds: a need for “deeper black-level expression” and “reduced contrast loss caused by light from adjacent LED panels and studio lighting equipment.” Continue reading Sony Unveils Its CLED Verona Displays for Virtual Production

Baylor University 6P Color Project Reveals Business Strategy

Baylor University’s Film & Digital Media Department just introduced a proposed multi-primary color system, dubbed 6P Color. Led by professors Corey Carbonara and Michael Korpi, the core team also includes cinematographer Steven Poster, ASC; Gary Mandle, Jim DeFilippis, Gary Feather and Dr. Mitch Bogdanowicz. On June 3, the team made their case — via streaming platform SMPTE+ — on why the standard RGB three-color triangle would benefit by the addition of new primaries. Baylor University also has a business plan for making the idea a reality. Continue reading Baylor University 6P Color Project Reveals Business Strategy

Experts on the Limits of RGB and Benefits of Multi-Primaries

TMS Consulting president Jim DeFilippis, who co-chaired the 6P Color program with Baylor University senior research scientist Gary Mandle as part of the SMPTE+ Series, moderated a discussion about the limits of the RGB color system. XStream member Gary Feather focused on display technology, noting that manufacturers have solved brightness and resolution issues for displays, but not color gamut. “It’s complex,” he said. “But color gamut has headroom to expand” to offer a better toolset for storytelling. “Let’s take that step to move beyond the [RGB] triangle,” he urged. Continue reading Experts on the Limits of RGB and Benefits of Multi-Primaries

Video: NAB Panel on ETC Film Project and Virtual Production

Last week, NAB and sponsor Grass Valley hosted a day of online sessions covering various “Production in a Pandemic” topics. ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver moderated a compelling panel during which industry experts discussed the methods used to produce the short film “Ripple Effect,” a live-action project testing the limits of virtual production. The production focused on how Previz, Techviz and Safetyviz can help limit crew and cast to create a safer work environment. Video of the panel — “In Harm’s Way: Using Safetyviz to Mitigate Onset Liability” — is now available on the NAB Show site. Continue reading Video: NAB Panel on ETC Film Project and Virtual Production

NAB Panel to Address Virtual Production of ETC Film Project

NAB Show, with sponsor Grass Valley, will offer online sessions September 2 that address topics related to “Production in a Pandemic.” In partnership with the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC, the day’s first session — “In Harm’s Way: Using Safetyviz to Mitigate Onset Liability” (10:00 am PT) — will feature a panel of industry experts discussing the methods used to produce the short film “Ripple Effect.” The project focused on how Previz, Techviz and Safetyviz can help limit crew and cast to create a safer work environment.  Continue reading NAB Panel to Address Virtual Production of ETC Film Project

HPA Tech Retreat: Perceptual Difference Between 4K and 8K

Warner Bros. vice president of technology Michael Zink described the results of a test, conducted with several partners, to resolve questions about the impact of higher resolution displays with larger screen sizes on the user experience. The test did so by assessing the perceptibility of 4K vs. 8K on a consumer 8K TV displays at a typical viewing distance for various types of content. Partners included the ASC, with content from Pixar and Amazon Prime, and LG for its 88-inch 8K OLED TV display. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Perceptual Difference Between 4K and 8K

HPA Tech Retreat: Virtual Production for Mainstream Projects

Virtual production, used in big budget movies such as “The Lion King” and “Jungle Book,” relies on game engine technology to marry CGI backgrounds with live actors in real-time. As such, it’s is a cutting edge production technique. But, noted International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) advanced production technology specialist Michael Chambliss, virtual production can actually be used on more mainstream productions with smaller budgets. He moderated a panel of industry experts with experience in doing just that. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Virtual Production for Mainstream Projects

ACES: New Features, Governance, Timeline, Call to Action

In a packed NAB 2019 Birds of a Feather session, ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) project chair Annie Chang led a meeting to bring attendees up to date on the volunteer group’s latest work. “ACES is a beast,” said Chang, urging attendees to share their feedback and get involved in the various committees. “We need to understand what people need to get it working.” She also mentioned that with SMPTE’s standardized ACES IMF format as an archival format, IMF and ACES are working together. Continue reading ACES: New Features, Governance, Timeline, Call to Action

New Distribution, Preservation Standards for the Digital Age

A modern laptop contains 251 technical interoperability standards, said Erik Weaver, global director of M&E market development at Western Digital. He added that only 20 of them come from Microsoft. The proliferation of standards in a digital era — and the need for interoperability between them — was the topic of a NAB 2019 Birds of a Feather discussion including representatives from five different groups involved with creating and redefining relevant standards: ASC, ETC, MESA, MovieLabs and CineCert. Continue reading New Distribution, Preservation Standards for the Digital Age

NAB Panel to Cover Digital Deliverable & Archive Standards

The move to digital has created major challenges for content creators and owners. As part of the Birds of a Feather program at the NAB Show in Las Vegas next week, Erik Weaver of HGST and an all-star panel representing key industry working groups will discuss “Redefining Deliverable and Preservation Standards for Digital Times.” The panel is scheduled for Monday, April 8, 12:00-1:00 pm in N243. Guests will include Jesse Korosi of SIM Digital, Mary Yurkovic of MESA, Seth Levenson of The Entertainment Technology Center@USC, John Hurst of CineCert, and Craig Seidel of MovieLabs. Continue reading NAB Panel to Cover Digital Deliverable & Archive Standards

HPA Tech Retreat: Managing Images for Consumer Displays

In August last year, Sony debuted a brand new line-up of Bravia Master Series 4K TVs, featuring the Netflix Calibration Mode, a setting that would match streaming Ultra HD 4K HDR content produced by Netflix to the TV’s display characteristics. At the HPA Tech Retreat, International Cinematographers Guild technologist Michael Chambliss moderated a discussion on this proprietary feature — only available on Sony TVs for Netflix content — with participants from Netflix, the UHD Alliance and ICG. Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: Managing Images for Consumer Displays

HPA Tech Retreat: A Look at HDR & the Ambient Light Issue

Sony Pictures chief technology officer Don Eklund presented a look at HDR bias light analysis. Put plainly, the colorist grades the content in a dark room, with the light behind the screen rated at between 5 and 10 nits. But the average viewer watches that same content in a room with windows and lights. “We have a fundamental problem everyone here has experienced, with light leaking in the room through drapes,” said Eklund. “It crushes the blacks and offers colors that were not intended when the images were graded.” Continue reading HPA Tech Retreat: A Look at HDR & the Ambient Light Issue

DP Curtis Clark Awarded Academy Sci-Tech’s Bonner Medal

Cinematographer Curtis Clark, ASC was presented with the John A. Bonner Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science’s annual Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony on February 9. The award, which began in 1977 and is not awarded every year, acknowledges Clark’s “dedicated work in helping to shape the future of motion-picture technology and educate the industry at large.” Sixteen years ago, Curtis founded the ASC Motion Imaging Technology Council (MITC), which he continues to lead. Continue reading DP Curtis Clark Awarded Academy Sci-Tech’s Bonner Medal

ASC and ARRI Break Ground on Planned Educational Center

The American Society of Cinematographers announced its ASC ARRI Educational Center to be built behind its historic Hollywood clubhouse and slated to open in 2019, ASC’s centennial as an organization devoted to educating the next generation of cinematographers. ASC president Kees van Oostrum and ARRI Inc. president/chief executive Glenn Kennel symbolically broke ground at the site yesterday, which will house the print/digital publications staff and serve as a hub for its educational activities. Continue reading ASC and ARRI Break Ground on Planned Educational Center

HPA 2018: Efforts to Ensure That TVs Display Creative Intent

With the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), filmmakers have been assured that the color decisions on set are carried through production and post, all the way to archives. But there’s a missing piece: the TV sets, mobile phones and other devices that display what consumers use to watch it. During a panel at the HPA Tech Retreat, led by the International Cinematographers Guild advanced production technology specialist Michael Chambliss, several industry figures discussed how to make sure that consumers see the images as intended. Continue reading HPA 2018: Efforts to Ensure That TVs Display Creative Intent