
The HPA Tech Retreat has announced the latest schedule for the 22nd HPA Tech Retreat. The HPA Tech Retreat takes place February 16 to 19, 2016, in Indian Wells, California.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Palm Springs, yet in close proximity to Los Angeles, the HPA Tech Retreat offers attendees and speakers the opportunity to unplug from their day to day routine, and join an incredible gathering of engineering, technology, creative and business leaders to explore the most compelling topics facing the media and entertainment landscape today. Featuring more than four days of solidly scheduled sessions, demonstrations and events, the HPA Tech Retreat delivers a forward looking perspective on an industry continuing its dynamic and rapid evolution from content creation through multi-platform distribution.
Leon Silverman, President of the HPA, noted, Theres simply nothing like the HPA Tech Retreat - it just needs to be experienced. From the 7:30 a.m. breakfast roundtables to the late night fire pit debates, there is just not another place to catch up on such a broad spectrum of industry trends and technology. And certainty not a better environment for face-to-face encounters with the brains and characters that characterize our industry. As usual we have an informed and eclectic series of sessions, panels, keynotes and presentations - from NASAs deep space imaging and human travel plans, to insights behind the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a look at how filmmaking is becoming increasingly computer generated and synthetic, updates on UHD, HDR, WCG and a whole lot of other acronyms. By the time you leave, youll be able to actually know what they mean!
The HPA Tech Retreat officially kicks off on Tuesday at the HPA Supersession, moderated by HPA President Leon Silverman and Jerry Pierce, HPA Vice President, Snowflake Workflows Are Turning into Distribution Snowstorms! The Supersession is a full day of presentations and experts. The rest of the week, under direction of programming maestro Mark Schubin, conferences, Breakfast Roundtables and in depth sessions are offered. The Innovation Zone, where game changing technology can be explored, is open Tuesday to Thursday, and features nearly 60 companies and services that are shaping the future of how we work. The HPA Tech Retreat includes many opportunities for discussion and conversation at breakfasts, lunches, cocktail receptions and the Welcome Dinner.
Speakers and Sessions
For the complete 2016 HPA Tech Retreat schedule and speakers bios, click HERE. (Please note the final schedule is subject to change.)
Highlights Monday
Charles Poynton Seminar ATSC seminar
Highlights Tuesday
The HPA Supersession: Snowflake Workflows are Turning into Distribution Snowstorms! A day long exploration of the choices that technology offers content creators, distributors, exhibitors and audiences. Speakers include Jerry Pierce, (HPA Vice President) Michael Cioni (Lightiron), Christopher Stefanidis (Walt Disney Studios), Craig Seidel (Movielabs), Bill Kotzman (Google), Chris Fetner (Netflix) and Christian Roberton, (MPC), Chris Edwards (The Third Floor) and Cynthia Slavens (Pixar).
Highlights Wednesday
Jim Burger, Thompson Coburn LLP, returns to the Tech Retreat for his highly anticipated Washington Review DPP and NABA - Mark Harrison, DPP and Clyde Smith, FOX Noted journalist Debra Kaufman moderates a compelling discussion on Virtual Reality. Philip Lelyveld (VR/AR Initiative, USC Entertainment Technology Center), Steve Schklair (3ality/Technica) and Annie Lukowski (Vanishing Point Media). NASA Deep Space Exploration: Technology Challenges for Motion Imagery Acquisition and Distribution. NASA. Rodney Grubbs, NASA Imagery Experts Program Manager and Chairs the NASA Digital Television Working Group. Big Data, Big Dollars for Post in an OTT World: How clients in Over the Top TV distribution are creating a large demand for big data. Steve Wong, (Siemens,) and Christy King, Media Tech Consultant. The Broadcasters Panel - Matthew Goldman, (Ericsson) moderates this highly anticipated discussion with leading broadcasters: Mark Aitken, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Rich Friedel, FOX, Skip Pizzi, NAB, Bob Seidel, CBS, and Mario Vecchi, PBS.
Highlights Thursday
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - A Post Case Study. One of the forces behind The Force Awakens, Co-Producer Ben Rosenblatt will discuss the making of The Force Awakens. How Bad Robot, Lucasfilm and Disney finished this iconic film; shot on film and finished in Film, 2D, 3D, Imax 3D, Dolby Vision EDR 2D and Dolby Vision EDR 3D and mixed for 7.1, Atmos and IMAX made under the tightest security controls of any film in history. The HDR Power Session - coordinated by Annie Chang, Disney - A (short) primer on HDR to level set and then dive into five different panels/groups of presentations: Workflow, Post, HLG and PQ, Consumer Displays and Environments and other deep thoughts on HDR that will generate even more questions! Larry Thorpe and Bill Bennett, ASC, Michael Chambliss, ASC. HDR:What Knobs Should (or Will) Be Presented to Consumers? Masayuki Sugawara, NEC, Charles Poynton Remote Live Production: Boom, Bust, or Big Changes for the Future? Mobile trucks, fly packs, and remote at home productions bring challenges and complications. Moderated by Mark Chiolis, (Grass Valley), experts include George Hoover (NEP), Philip Garvin (Mobile TV Group), Brad Sexton (Live Mobile Group), and Joe Wire (Bexel.)
Your Guide to Next-Gen Cloud Workflows - The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at USC hosts the industrys discussion about tools and production cloud implementation. Moderated by Erik Weaver, Entertainment Technology Center, USC, Jeff Greenwald, HGST, Rashid Desai, Avid and Joshua Kolden, Studio Pyxis A Candid Review of the Industry Transition to IP Infrastructure Moderator: Josh Stinehour, Devoncroft Partne
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