Over 200 members and guests attended the meeting
at the Pasadena Convention Center, which began with a presentation by Martin
Euredjian, MediaReef.com, on the practical aspects of providing streaming media
on the internet. This was followed by a panel discussion with Dennis
Brockenridge, E-Studio Live; Mark Chatinsky, ASC; Tom Kobayashi, EDNet; and Mike
Maples, consultant; who gave accounts of their personal experiences and answered
questions from the audience.
The meeting continued with a lively panel discussion and Q & A session on
"Digital Cinema vs. Film" by Bob Hopkins, Sony High-Definition Center;
John Hora, ASC; Rob Hummel, Technicolor; and Garrett Smith, Paramount. The
relative screen image qualities of D-cinema and film, both subjective and
objective, were debated. It was concluded that a limitation on the
development of D-cinema is lack of a viable business case, particularly when a
number of theater chains are currently in financial difficulties.
Alan Masson - Secretary/Treasurer
The Hollywood Section co-hosted the meeting at
the historic Warner Pacific Theater on Hollywood Blvd., with an audience
comprised of SMPTE members from around the country, who were attending the SMPTE
conference in Pasadena; Hollywood Section members; and invited guests from
Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). The theater is the site of the new
digital cinema lab operated by ETC, an organization founded by USC and sponsored
by various motion picture studios to promote and study cutting-edge technologies
important to the future of the entertainment industry. This event
previewed the opening of the lab and featured presentations by Thomas MacCalla,
ETC; a panel discussion with members of the Technology Advisory Board (TAB) of
ETC; and various demonstration clips of digital cinema. Members were
welcomed with an electrosonic video wall greeting by MacCalla and Jim Korris,
ETC, and treated to traditional movie theater snacks including popcorn, hotdogs,
and sodas.
The meeting began with a brief panel discussion and Q &A session with SMPTE
board members, Robert Kisor, Paramount Pictures; Gavin Schutz, Liberty Livewire
Corp.; and John Mason, Eastman Kodak Co., followed by the introduction of
JohnSittig, Cinerama/Pacific Theaters, who presented a history of the theater
from its original construction as the flagship operaton for Warner Bros. through
its days as a true 3-projector Cinerama house during the 50s and 60s, to its
subsequent dissectioninto a multiplex. MacCalla then introduced TAB panel
members Bill Hausch, Sony Pictures; Brad Hunt, MPAA; Dave Schnuelle, Lucasfilm;
MaryAnn Grasso, NATO; Garrett Smith, Paramount; and Tad Marburg, Warner
Bros. Each spoke briefly on the importance of the lab facility and its
future in helping define the problems and challenges in bringing digital cinema
to reality.
Examples from several digitally mastered films, which included clips from The
Perfect Storm, The Phantom Menace, The Insider, American Beauty, Mission to
Mars, Little Buddha, and Cider House Rules, were shown. Each
clip had been transferred to either a Cintel C-Reality or a Phillips Spirit
telecine. The projection system consisted of a Texas InstrumentsDLP Cinema
projection display in 1280 x 1024/24P, played back from an AVICA Filmstore,
Panasonic D-5, or QuVIS QuBIT. Projection brightness was measured at 12 fL.
Future plans for the digital cinema lab include facilities for side-by-side
digital and conventional film projection. A new Stewart Screen has been
ordered and the sound system is undergoing reconstruction with the assistance of
JBL, Crown, THX, Dolby, Sony, and DTS. Other companies, including SGI,
Sarnoff Labs, Snell & Wilcox, and Strong Film Projector will be providing
equipment to outfit the lab. A grand opening is planned for the first
quarter of 2001.
Phil Squyres - Section Manager