Pre-NAB Panelists Share Insights On Latest Trends And Technology In Post-Production

Artificial Intelligence (or A.I.) is expected to be a hot topic at this year’s NAB End Quote

(1888PressRelease) April 05, 2018 - Burbank based AlphaDogs Post recently hosted their 15th Annual Editors’ Lounge Pre-NAB discussion panel with an analysis of all things post-production. Moderated by Managing Director of Artisans PR, Linda Rosner, panelists included: Terence Curren (Editor/Colorist and Founder of AlphaDogs Post), Mark Raudonis (SVP of Post Production, Bunim/Murray Productions), Kathryn Himoff (Editor, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “House of 1000 Corpses”) and Michael Kammes (Director of Technology, Key Code Media, Host of 5 THINGS).

Panelists agreed that overall it is still viable for post-production professionals to attend the National Association of Broadcasters Show, despite the fact that details about new products can be seen online. As Mark Raudonis pointed out, companies like Avid and Adobe will give attendees a close up look at the latest upgrades in their software tools. “There’s great demos by world renowned artists,” said Raudonis. “As an editor you can see people demonstrating software at the highest level. It’s a great place to get ideas, a great place to learn what’s new and what’s coming up. For that, it’s worthwhile.” In addition to seeing the latest in new technology and software first hand, the panel overwhelmingly agreed that’s it’s a great opportunity for networking with people from around the world that you would likely never get to meet in person otherwise. As Michael Kammes commented, “It’s the annual business card exchange.”

Artificial Intelligence (or A.I.) is expected to be a hot topic at this year’s NAB. While still in its infancy in being used for film and television editing, it’s expected that companies will be making promises on the benefits of what AI will bring to the edit suite in the next couple of years. Panelists had split opinions on A.I. and if it’s truly going to be a job killer. “Things have to evolve when A.I. does come to the cutting room,” said Michael Kammes. “There’s going to be other opportunities for new technology. People will have to learn how to adapt and if they don’t learn to adapt, they are going to be expelled and will have to go do something else.” Also new to NAB this year is the “The A.I. Experiential Zone” that will enable attendees to see how much machine learning is transforming the media and entertainment industry. https://www.nabshow.com/show-floor/attractions-pavilions/ai-experiential-zone

Making the shift to post-production via the cloud still hasn’t become mainstream yet mainly due to problems with data security and poor network latency slowing down the editing process. As this technology continues to advance and improve, it remains to be seen how this will affect careers in film and television editing. While it’s convenient for editors to edit from anywhere, this also opens the door for directors to outsource foreign talent that will work for lower wages. Saving money on the bottom line however, does not always translate to quality work. “I think that editing is a fine art, and that when a director chooses their editor as their partner, it’s a very important role,” said Kathryn Himoff. “In certain circumstances, I’m sure it’s about hiring the cheapest person, but it’s such a very important role with the interchange and dynamic being so strong, I don’t think that can ever go away. That’s not going away just because you’re working remotely.”

The needle hasn’t moved much from last year’s Pre-NAB discussion when it comes to High Dynamic Range (HDR) in post-production. While HDR offers a noticeable improvement with picture quality when compared to HD and 4K, multiple standards make it difficult to implement. Even with the HDR 10 standard and Dolby Vision in place, peak brightness levels (or Nits) are still varied meaning there is little to no consistency in deliverables. “There’s really no standardized alignment on where we are going to put things,” said Terence Curren. “If you put a white title up, where do you put it in terms of Nits? Nobody knows exactly what to do and where to put things. That’s why I say it’s the Tower of Babel right now.” Nonetheless, with Netflix flooding the Hollywood market with content, post facilities are now required to deliver in HDR, which requires an astronomical financial investment to upgrade equipment. Making the move to HDR however, is crucial for post houses to remain successful in coming years.

Additional topics discussed during the evening included cyber security, how to future-proof your career from A.I., women in post-production, Google’s purchase of the Lytro camera, the technology “skills gap” and creative strategies and trends in the industry.

To watch the Pre-NAB discussion panel in its entirety visit: http://www.editorslounge.com/2018.03-pre-nab/2018prenab-pt1.html

The next Editors’ Lounge will be held at AlphaDogs Post Production on Friday, April 27th with a special evening dedicated to Blackmagic Design. http://www.editorslounge.com

About the Editors’ Lounge: The Editors’ Lounge is a hands-on seminar for industry professionals. Each month, scores of professionals in the production and post-production industries exchange ideas, discuss trends and learn about new technologies; allowing editors to have their questions addressed objectively. To learn more visit http://www.editorslounge.com

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