The 2012 Digital Day banner in Los Angeles Theatre 1
See more photos in the gallery below
On Saturday, July 28, 2012, over 500 DGA members and guests gathered at the Guild’s Los Angeles Theater complex for the tenth annual Digital Day symposium to experience some of the new technologies they have at their disposal. In celebration of ten years of educational symposia at the Guild, this year’s event was entitled A Decade of Digital Day... And Counting, and featured an entire day of learning and networking around the creative, technical and business issues emerging from the latest digital technologies.
MIO 3D CEO Sean Fairburn demonstrates 3D Interocular technology.
Cutting Edge Apps
The first panel of the morning, Cutting Edge Apps, is a Digital Day favorite, returned with an exciting lineup of envelope-pushing applications. Following a virtual welcome from DGA Special Projects Committee Chair Jeremy Kagan, DGA Digital Day subcommittee chair Randal Kleiser, and panel moderator, took a moment to pay tribute to the late Ray Bradbury, who was a featured Digital Day special guest in 2005, by screening a segment of Bradbury’s Digital Day speech and was welcomed with a robust round of applause. Cutting Edge Apps featured six presentations. In Prometheus: Creative Color Grading for the 3D Feature, Stephen Nakamura, Director of Feature Films, Company 3, discussed the sophisticated color effects used to create the world of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Choosing 3D Interocular in Post, a lively and engaging presentation by B. Sean Fairburn, CEO of Multiple InterOcular 3-D LLC, gave the audience a first-hand look at 3-D interocular technology which offers the ability to record the same image and/or scene at the same time from two different angles—a feat achieved by solid, fixed mounting points. Changing Facial Performance and Dialog in Post, presented by Edson Williams, Co-Founder and VFX Supervisor, Lola VFX, treated the audience to the highly impressive applications currently in use to achieve dramatic digital cosmetic effects in postproduction. Navigating the Cloud: Development Through Distribution, presented by Brock Domin, Vici Post Operations and Business Development, offered practical solutions for those currently working in cloud-based production, particularly on the delicate subject of dailies. High Res Real Time Virtual Sets for Compositing, presented by Greg Mitchel and Alan Willard of Epic Games, introduced the exciting possibilities of incorporating cutting-edge gaming technology into production compositing. The audience watched as a virtual environment was created and manipulated on screen, bringing the idea of green screen into a fully-immersed digital environment. In Mobile Production Apps for iPhone and iPad, AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee Chair Susan Zwerman unveiled a list of mobile applications currently available that could serve as indispensible tools both on set and off such as ArtemisRemote and PanaScout. Zwerman’s app picks were expounded upon in the DGA Theater 3 presentation An In-Depth Look at Mobile Production for iPhone and iPad, presented by DGA AD/UPM VFX Digital Technology Committee members Zwerman, Brian Frankish, Mark Hansson, Cleve Landsberg, Larry Lerner and Dennis Murphy.
Directors Rodrigo Garcia and Lesli Linka Glatter discuss online programming in What's New in Professional Programming for the Web .
What’s New in Professional Programming for the Web
Presented by the DGA Independent Directors Committee, What’s New in Professional Programming for the Web featured a discussion with the directors and producers of WIGS, the new digital channel featuring world class talent in professional web programming. Launched earlier this year, WIGS premiered on YouTube and, to date, has over 70 million hits. Aimed at a female audience, the web series have featured such high-profile names as Jennifer Garner and Julia Stiles, and offer compelling, short form programming. Contenders such as Hulu and Yahoo are also courting the idea of professional online programming given WIGS’ successful working model. WIGS co-founder, Director Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment, Albert Nobbs) relayed the fascinating genesis of the project, and Steve Shin (Director of Marketing), Effie T. Brown (Producer, Real Women Have Curves), Lesli Linka Glatter (Weeds, Mad Men) discussed the unique production and marketing challenges facing this new platform.
Digital Day subcommittee chair Randal Kleiser with special guest Bernie the Gorillia in the Non-Human Characters, Creating Creatures Physical or Digital panel.
Non-Human Characters: Creating Creatures: Physical or Digital?
After the lunch break, things took a more animated turn with the DGA AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee’s presentation of Non-Human Characters Creating Creatures: Physical or Digital? Moderator Ian Hunter (Co-Founder, Creative Director, New Deal Studios) and Digital Day Subcommittee Chair Randal Kleiser were joined on stage by a furry friend and surprise guest: Bernie the Gorilla from the film Zookeeper. After trading quips (Bernie threatening to take over the panel discussion as he felt he would make a much better moderator) the gorilla’s true identity was revealed as Tom Woodruff, Jr. (Character Effects Designer, Creator and Performer) stepped out of the suit. It was a highly effective illustration of the sophisticated technology that brings non-human characters to life, and opened the session’s discussion on the benefits of physical and digital visual effects by a distinguished panel of experts including David Breaux (Sr. Character Animator, Pixomondo), Alan Scott (Live Action Animatronic Effects Supervisor, Co-Owner Legacy Effects), and Bill Westenhofer (Visual Effects Supervisor, Rhythm & Hues).
The Pros and Cons of On-Set Post panel explored
the benefits and pitfalls of on-set post production.
The Pros and Cons of On-Set Post
Following the animated antics, the audience was once again back in the (virtually) real world with The Pros and Cons of On-Set Post. This session examined the many benefits and pitfalls often involved with on-set post-production. The presentation featured a live, simultaneous on-stage demonstration that showcased how footage is shot, processed, color corrected and distributed during production with the finished material projected in real-time onscreen. Moderated by Michael Cioni (CEO, LIGHT IRON), the panelists included Jonathan Chibnall (Editor, Snitch, White Collar), Gavin Hood (Director, Ender’s Game, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Chris Parker (On-Set Systems Specialist, Sim Digital), Sacha Gervasi (Director, Anvil, The Story of Anvil, Hitchcock).
Beyond HD: Filmmaking with New High Resolution Digital Cameras examined how ultra-sensitive HDRs are changing everything about production.
Beyond HD: Filmmaking with New High Resolution Digital Cameras
Closing out the day was a discussion on a hot topic for many filmmakers working in the industry today: the revolution in high resolution digital filmmaking as ultra-sensitive HDR cameras are changing everything from how the script is realized, to shot design, lighting, and decision making on-set and in post-production. Beyond HD: Filmmaking with New High Resolution Digital Cameras, presented by the International Cinematographers Guild, provided a sobering, frank examination of the myriad benefits of this emerging technology, tempered with straightforward advice from an expert panel that knew the process intimately. David Geffner, Executive Editor of ICG Magazine, served as moderator, inviting panelists Michael Barret (D.P., Ted), Glenn Gainor (Sr. VP in Charge of Physical Production, Screen Gems), and Sam Miller (Director, Luther) to discuss the use of the Sony F65 camera on No Good Deed. Paul Cameron, ASC (D.P., Collateral), and Lisa Rodgers (Post Production Supervisor, Bridesmaids) shared their experience with the RED Epic Camera on Total Recall.
Mark Pederson and Michael Most with conduct a live demo in NY with DGA Sixth Vice President Vince Misiano.
Digital Day Simulcast in New York
DGA Members on the East Coast participated in the Digital Day activities for the first time via a simulcast from Los Angeles in the Guild’s Boardroom in New York.
Two panels were streamed live from Los Angeles; The Independent Directors Committee’s panel, What’s New in Professional Programming for the Web, a discussion about WIGS, the new digital channel, with Directors Rodrigo Garcia and Lesli Linka Glatter, Producer Effie Brown, and Marketing Director Steve Shin, moderated by Director Ian Sanders, and The AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee’s panel, Non-Human Characters Creating Creatures: Physical or Digital?, a look at how non-human characters are created with with Sr. Character Animator David Breaux, Live Action Animatronic Effects Supervisor Alan Scott, VFX Supervisor Bill Westenhofer, and Character Effects Designer Tom Woodruff, Jr., moderated by Ian Hunter, Co-Founder/Creative Director, New Deal Studios.
The live presentations in New York featured a comparison of on-set and traditional post-production by Mark Pederson, CEO/Co-Founder of OFFHOLLYWOOD, and Michael Most, Director of On- Location Services,Technicolor.
DGA members get hands-on demontrations of
the latest devices.
Lobby Exhibit & Demos
In addition to the presentations and panels in DGA Theater 1, there were exhibits and hands-on demonstrations in the DGA lobby, Digital Day participants also had the opportunity to see:
Digital Show and Tell: ARRI, Canon, Clairmont Camera, JVC, RED, Sony
Other Exhibitors: Adobe, Apple, Avid, Cineped, Dolby, Hollywood DI, J.L. FIsher, Let It Cast, LIGHT IRON, MasterImage 3D, Nebtek, Pixspan, Technicolor Creative Bridge, VORTEX Immersion Media
All attendees were invited to a wrap party hosted by Dolby in the atrium at the end of the day.