WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—David Grindle has only been on the job as the new executive director of SMPTE for several months now but he’s eager to connect with his colleagues at the association’s Media Technology Summit later this month. One of his first public duties, though, was attending the IBC Show, an event of which SMPTE has been a long time sponsor. 

“It was fabulous,” he said. “There was so much pent up energy of not being able to see each other after three years—I think we’re all really tired of the whole ‘Brady Bunch’ way of doing business, we want to be working face to face. But what was also really cool about IBC is you saw three years of innovation and incubation that people were bringing out and it was really exciting.”

Grindle, who succeeds Barbara Lange as executive director, comes to SMPTE with a rich background in the performing arts, having led the U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology for more than a decade. With both organizations consisting mostly of technicians involved in the visual arts, he knows how important SMPTE is to the media and entertainment technology community.

“It’s refreshing to see the passion of the staff for the work that our people do,” he said. “We’ve got our hardcore standards people, hardcore student chapter people, and people who are ready to see where SMPTE’s going next. And all of them have this fabulous passion. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s really nice because it’s an energy to ride on. You know you don’t have to come in and be the cheerleader; you get to be the person who can help harness an energy rather than create it.”

A Standard Approach
As executive director of the main standards organization for film and TV technology, Grindle is well aware of the importance of standards in an industry with an international focus. “Less than a year after SMPTE was founded, the first standards were produced,” he said. “And those are becoming more important in a world that’s becoming more software based, because as we’ve seen with digital cinema, the industry transcends borders. 

“So how do we support the work that’s going on in SMPTE and partner with so many other organizations in the media space, to really keep things moving forward? Ultimately, what has made the explosion happen in our industries is the interoperability and that comes from people trusting SMPTE.”

In an environment where tech conglomerates can deploy a protocol that can become standardized in a short period of time simply because they can, Grindle says that—although SMPTE standards process is slower in comparison—that doesn’t make it any less vital. 

“We need to better educate people on what the standards process is—it’s governed by the ISO and by ANSI—because we want them to be standards that are accepted worldwide,” he said. “And those take a little more time. But part of taking time means being open about the process and letting people know what’s going on.”

Recruiting a young(er) and more diverse workforce in the M&E tech industry is also top of mind for Grindle. “We have work to do as a society and as an industry—there are perceptions that need to be changed, but there are also overtures that need to be made. We need to do our part to be a more welcoming space. And it’s not necessarily about diversity, it’s about inclusion. Inclusion means that your ideas are actually listened to. And your point of view matters.”

Getting Back Together in 2022
SMPTE’s Annual Technical Conference is now the SMPTE Media Technology Summit and will be the society’s first in-person annual meeting in three years. With about 50 exhibitors and an education agenda focused on virtual production, 5G and IP and the opportunity to honor industry luminaries including Director Ang Lee and TV engineering pioneer Charles Jablonski, among others, Grindle’s excited about meeting his new colleagues, updating them on SMPTE’s On-Set Virtual Production Initiative (RIS-OSVP), and joining them on a field trip to several Hollywood studios.

“What’s better than a field trip?” he asked. “One of the really exciting things at this year’s Media Technology Summit is that you can expand your knowledge with a full-day Virtual Production educational track. It gives our members a more immediate and meaningful way to engage with the technology they learn about during the event.”

Putting the theory presented in educational session into practices, the educational track will feature three focus areas: “The Virtual Art Department in Action,” “Volume Control Tools on the LED Stage,” and “Cinematography and new Creative Capture Workflows.” 

Attendees will get the unusual opportunity to see virtual production technology come alive as they shadow production designers, virtual production technicians, and DPs. Working with real content and tools of the trade, these professionals will show how to perform critical tasks such as melding virtual and practical art elements, calibrating an LED wall, testing lenses and cameras, managing the volume renders, and exploring effective camera blocking.

Keynoting the Summit is Ana Herruzo, an architect, interactive designer, and educator working at the leading edge of emerging and computational media. Herruzo’s presentation, “Enhancing Creative Disciplines Through Emerging Computational Media Tools,” will focus on multiple immersive experiences and interactive environments and their ideation and production pipelines, which rely on emerging computational media tools including real-time graphics, computer vision, machine learning algorithms, and new XR tools.

“The timing, format and content of the Summit will give creatives and technologists a fantastic opportunity to dig into the many amazing advances the industry has made over the past several years and to engage with the technologies transforming the way we tell stories today,” concluded Grindle. “I can’t wait!” l

The SMPTE Media Technology Summit takes place Oct. 24-27 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Calif. To register, visit smpte.org/summit2022.

AMSTERDAM—Virtual reality and achieving interoperability among the newest TV broadcast/production IP technologies will dominate sessions and the exhibition show floor at IBC 2016, Sept. 8–13 at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre.

This year’s IBC “will look at the technical and business aspects of working with VR, and harmonizing IP products and platforms so that they can work together,” said IBC CEO Mike Crimp. “In both instances, IBC 2016 will focus on the technical aspects of these areas, and also consider how their implementation will disrupt and change the broadcasters who adopt them.”

A VIRTUAL FUTURE ZONE

By far the biggest IBC VR event will be in the IBC exhibition floor’s Future Zone. There delegates can see Argon360 demonstrate how to shoot and “video-stitch” to create 360 degree VR wraparound videos in real-time within the cameras themselves; rather than having to do the work afterwards in post-production.

Meanwhile, LiveLike will demo its VR social media app that allows its users to “see an avatar of a person and talk to them as if they were next to you,” said LiveLike founder and CEO Andre Lorenceau. At last year’s IBC Future Zone, LiveLike demonstrated how using wide angle lenses to shoot sporting events in 170 degrees allows TV broadcasters to create live VR streams for viewers. LiveLike has since done VR test shoots at 2016 French Open tennis tournament to prove its approach.

In addition to allowing delegates to get up-close to VR, the Future Zone will also feature cutting-edge technology to test Motion Impossible’s 360° Evo remotely-controlled 360-degree camera motion and stabilization control system. Also on hand will be high-brightness HDR displays, a prototype technology for converting standard dynamic range video to HDR, and BBC R&D’s Cook-Along-Kitchen-Experience (CAKE) interactive cooking show that adjusts the content shown in real-time, in response to the viewer’s cook-along efforts.

IP INTEROPERABILITY ZONE

The transition to IP is one of the biggest challenges facing broadcasters and media companies today, with fears over limited interoperability between vendor IP systems and a lack of recognized standards being front-and center among their concerns. To address these issues, IBC will demonstrate practical and proven interoperability with an exciting new demonstration area launching at this year’s show. Located in Hall 8, the IP interoperability zone will feature dedicated demonstrations showcasing interoperability and will provide space for IBC 2016 delegates to discuss the pros and cons of IP workflows with a large number of exhibitors.

This zone also will focus on the work of the JT-NM (Joint Task Force on Networked Media: a combined initiative of AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF) and the AES on a common roadmap for IP interoperability, presented in cooperation with the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) and the IABM. Central to the IBC IP zone will be a live TV production studio that will be built using technologies from the JT-NM roadmap that Belgian broadcaster VRT has been using daily on-air all this summer as part of the LiveIP Project, a collaboration between VRT, the European Broadcasting Union and LiveIP’s 12 technology partners.

“By creating a dedicated zone at this year’s IBC, we are delighted to show what has been achieved and the standards around which everyone can group,” said Crimp. “I look forward to seeing what has been achieved.”

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

Speakers at IBC 2016 will include a keynote address by Lord David Puttnam, film producer whose credits include “The Mission,” “The Killing Fields,” “Local Hero,” “Chariots of Fire,” “Midnight Express,” “Bugsy,” and “Memphis Belle” and which have collectively garnered 10 Oscars, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme D’Or at Cannes.

Keynotes at the 2016 IBC Show include noted filmmakers Lord David Puttnam and Ang Lee (above).

Now chair of the Irish online company Atticus Education, Lord Puttnam will provide his insights on the growth of Facebook and YouTube; how cutting-edge technology is affecting creativity, and the impact of the U.K. Brexit vote on Europe’s creative sector. “Meanwhile, we are very much looking forward to a keynote address by ‘Life of Pi’ filmmaker Ang Lee, as part of our IBC Big Screen Experience sessions,” Crimp said.

The “IBC Hackfest,” will return, with 100 developers brainstorming for 36 hours nonstop to tackle topics such as how VR will change classroom education, and what home entertainment will look like in the future. This year’s Leaders’ Summit will feature 150 media and electronic entertainment executives looking at “Transformational Leadership in the Digital Age,” and the annual IBC Awards will also be presented on Sunday, Sept. 11.

The myriad technical sessions, zones and keynotes are major highlights for the annual IBC Show, but Crimp says the personal networking opportunities make the show stand out.

“Helping business connections happen is where IBC really shines,” he said. “It is the reason people come here from around the world every year, after being exposed to the latest technology at NAB a few months earlier. Most of all, delegates will be able to meet together here to do business; whether on the convention or show floor, or afterwards at the many parties and social events that occur at IBC. After all, we are in Amsterdam, one of the world’s great cities!”

For more details on IBC 2016, visit www.ibc.org.

LONDON—Director Ang Lee is going to need to clear some more space on his mantle, as the two-time Oscar-winning director has been announced as the recipient of IBC’s highest accolade, the IBC2016 International Honor for Excellence.

Ang Lee

“The International Honor for Excellence goes to an individual who has made a significant and valuable contribution to our industry, combining technology and creativity to achieve remarkable ends,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “It is hugely appropriate we make this award to Ang Lee, a director who has harnessed technology in the service of great storytelling.”

The Taiwan-born director is best known as the director of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Life of Pi;” he won his two Academy Awards for the latter two films, with “Life of Pi” being the first 3D film to win the Best Director award. Lee’s new film, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” is set to come out in November.

“In the past few years, I have come strongly to believe that new technology will upgrade filmmaking in terms of storytelling,” Lee said. “In my upcoming film, ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,’ the use of high frame rate and high dynamic range will provide, I hope, a unique opportunity to feel the realities of war and peace through the protagonist’s eyes.

Lee joins previous International Honor for Excellence winners like his fellow directors James Cameron Sir Peter Jackson and Sir David Attenborough, as well as Olympic Broadcasting Services.

The IBC Awards Ceremony will take place on Sept. 11. Lee will also present a keynote address during the conference on Sept. 12.

IBC 2016 is set to take place in Amsterdam from Sept. 8-13. For more information, visit www.ibc.org.

LONDON—Director Ang Lee is to deliver a Keynote address at the IBC2016 Conference in Amsterdam.

Ang Lee

Lee, who directed “Life of Pi”and “Brokeback Mountain,” will speak on 12 September as part of the IBC Big Screen Experience.

The IBC Big Screen Experience is at the heart of the IBC2016 Conference, where more than 300 speakers are expected to attend to share insights on key issues at the heart of the entertainment, media and technology sector under the headline conference theme: Transformation in the “Digital Era: Leadership, Strategy and Creativity in Media and Entertainment.”

Julian Pinn, executive producer, IBC Big Screen Experience said, “There is no finer keynote presenter for this year’s IBC Big Screen Experience than Ang Lee and we are very honored to be hosting him.

“For over two decades, Ang Lee has shown true mastery in utilizing cutting-edge science and cinematographic techniques towards his creation of some of the very finest works of cinematic story-telling art.”

Ang Lee’s Keynote will set in the context of his latest work, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” The revolutionary new cinematographic technique utilized is said to ‘unlock a new level of story-telling power and emotional connection with the on-screen characters’ and offer greater control over ‘preserving artistic integrity’ over the increasing range of delivery formats both within cinema and to the wider electronic entertainment market.

The director previously spoke about the work on his new film back in April as part of the 2016 NAB Show.

This year’s conference includes a new stream, Audiences and Advertising, which will seek to explore many of the changes and trends taking place with how people access and consume content and how all that content is paid for.

Registration for the Conference is currently open, with early-bird discounted rates available until 15 July.

This story originally appeared on TV Technology's sister publication TVBEurope. 

LAS VEGAS—Oscar-winning director Ang Lee has already dazzles audiences with his films “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Life of Pi,” but his latest film may do so in an entirely new way. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” uses 4K, 3D and 120 frames per second visuals to tell its story, and according to the filmmaker, may be the first step in a new technological evolution.

Ang Lee

“This is really the beginning of a… quest for new storytelling,” Lee said April 16 at the Future of Cinema Conference that kicked of the 2016 NAB Show. “Now, I see something new [technologically], I want to get into it. The more I see, the more questions I have.

To read more about what Lee had to say about these new formats, check out the story on Broadcasting & Cable.

WASHINGTON—It’ll be lights, camera, action for the 2016 NAB Show as the annual conference will kick off proceedings with Oscar-winning director Ang Lee making a presentation at the “Future of Cinema Conference.” Produced in partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Lee will give a keynote at the conference on the future of filmmaking and provide an exclusive sneak peek of his upcoming movie “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” which was shot in 4K, 3D, 120 frames per second resolution and HDR.

Ang Lee

Lee, who is best known for directing “Life of Pi” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” will make his presentation with members of his “Billy Lynn” production crew, including editor Tim Squyres, production system supervisor Ben Gervais, stereographer Demetri Portelli, and Scot Barbour, vice president of production technology for Sony Pictures Entertainment. The panel will discuss the technology and possible future of working in 120 fps 4K 3D format.

“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” is an adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel of the same name, about an infantryman who partakes in a halftime show on Thanksgiving before being redeployed to Iraq. The film stars Joe Alwyn, Vin Diesel, Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund and Steve Martin and is slated for a Nov. 11 release date.

“The Future of Cinema Conference: The Immortal Movie” will take place April 16-17. Lee will give his presentation on April 16 at 2:15 p.m.

The 2016 NAB Show runs from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.