Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

At HPA Tech Retreat 2021, Supersession Goes Global

22/12/2020

By Debra Kaufman

At last year's HPA Tech Retreat, the Supersession was all about The Lost Lederhosen, a daylong filmmaking experiment focusing on cloud-based technologies, ultimately resulting in an 11-minute short film. Joachim JZ Zell, who developed the concept, wrote the script, gathered the team and produced it, is back for another Supersession at this year's HPA Tech Retreat. In concert with co-producer Mark Chiolis, Zell is producing The Found Lederhosen (working title), which builds on the premise of last year's endeavor of using cloud-based technologies for as many tasks as possible - and even brings back actors Barbara Wilder (as Heidi) and John Baumgaertner (as Festmeister Hans).

But that's where the similarities end. It's a different starting point, says Zell. Last year, the locations were all in Palm Springs and Hollywood. This year, we have filmmakers on different continents, each telling different stories with different actors and different cultural aspects. For this production, the cutting-edge cloud technologies will enable productions on four continents: North America (Hollywood and Mexico City); Europe (London and Vilnius, Lithuania); Australia (Brisbane) and Asia (Dubai and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia). Each filmmaker in each location will create a script of how artists survive the global COVID-19 lockdown, explains Zell. Each location will have different cultural aspects, but global trade, amazingly, helps everyone get their hands on the latest, greatest technology.

Zell and Chiolis first found supervisors for core studio functions, bringing on board Sony/Audio's Adam Levin as audio supervisor and Arjun Ramamurthy as VFX supervisor. Zell took on the role of post production supervisor. After contacting filmmakers around the world, teams from the various locations firmed up. The only guideline was to implement local COVID restrictions and create a story where global COVID lockdown is somehow part of it. Although all the regional films are still in production, Zell drops hints of how different they will all be. In Dubai, the story will be set among the Bedouin; in London, the story focuses on a painter, a singer and a dancer and how they stay motivated. In Mexico City, we see skateboarders navigating the city's empty streets. In addition to these stories, Origin Point, which grew out of RED's in-house production company, will be making a behind-the-scenes documentary with footage from around the globe.

For the Supersession, Zell and Chiolis will highlight different aspects of each production We'll pick the most impressive technology for each site and focus on that, to keep it exciting, says Zell. If a specific product was used on all the productions, it will only be showcased in one of the productions. For each short production, attendees will see a two-minute clip, paired with the documentary footage. But for audience members that want to take a deeper dive, says Zell, each production will have links to see, for example, how every production was edited or handled with VFX. There is an unlimited stream of information we'll make available, he notes.

Each region will create its own cloud-based workflows within the overall framework, but they'll have lots of participating technology vendors to choose from. The winners and honorable mentions of this year's HPA Engineering Awards were invited to participate, which brought EIZO, Eluvio, Moxion, Frame.io, Teradek and Sohonet on board. Other technologies that will be involved in the making of the productions include Blackmagic Design Ursa, RED Komodo, ARRI Alexa, Sony Venice, Evercast, Panavision, Samara, Resolve, Nuke, Colorfront, and Baselight. HPA is about technology, says Zell. All these companies are strong partners and the cloud makes it available to everyone.

For streaming, the productions rely on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Editing solutions are both Avid and Adobe. Teradici and BeBop help interface two machines in the cloud, and Frame.io and Teradek are showing management of remote streaming data, with 5th Kind configuring the streaming workflow in Mexico City. Brisbane used Moxion and QTake to monitor content and process instant dailies.

Working behind the scenes will be local editors, colorists and sound and VFX professionals, with some of them available for remote work for other productions. In Australia, Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS will be the consulting cinematographer as will Steve Yedlin, ASC for Hollywood. Colorist Greg Fisher at Company 3 in London is also involved, as well as Skywalker Sound.

The Supersession itself will be interactive, with attendees able to attend virtual breakfast roundtables and convene in breakout rooms. In referring to the HPA Awards ceremony as a model for how the Supersession will run, Zell notes, the HPA core team does an amazing job to bring us the correct platform to create the most interactive solution possible. He adds that this year's Supersession isn't simply about showing off cloud and remote technologies. In 10 years, hopefully, this period we're going through will be history, he says. But let's document what the situation is that we're in now - how artists survived and how technology made it possible.

The HPA Tech Retreat Supersession will be presented on February 23 and February 24 from 10 am to 1 pm.
LINK: https://hpaonline.com/at-hpa-tech-retreat-2021-supersession-goes-globa...
See more stories from hpa

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

29/01/2026

Extension of Invitation to Submit Proposals for Micro-Budget Film Projects 2026 Deadline to 2 February 2026

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distribut...

29/01/2026

Hitachi Europe Appoints Michele Fracchiolla as President

Michele Fracchiolla Succeeds Andrew Barr as President of EMEA region from April 1, 2026 London, January 29, 2026 Hitachi Europe Ltd. today announces the appoi...

29/01/2026

L3Harris Technologies Reports Strong Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 Results, Initiates 2026 Guidance

MELBOURNE, Fla., January 29, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) reports fu...

29/01/2026

Nielsen Announces 2025 ARTEY Award Winners Following Record-Breaking Year of Streaming

Bluey' Wins Second Consecutive Top Streaming Title of the Year with 45 Billi...

29/01/2026

Report: Performance TV Ties With Social Media in Driving Ad Results

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/01/2026

ISE: NDI and OBSBOT Expand Partnership

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/01/2026

NTCA Asks FCC to Block Nexstar, Tegna Deal

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/01/2026

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for February Open Meeting

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/01/2026

CBS Sports AFC Championship Game Attracts 48.6 Million Viewers

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

29/01/2026

Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents East Coast Premiere of Peter and Leonardo Dugan Piano Concerto

Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents East Coast Premiere of Peter and Leonardo...

29/01/2026

X-Rite Pantone Appoints Cindy Cooperman as Vice President and General Manager of Pantone

X-Rite Pantone Appoints Cindy Cooperman as Vice President and General Manager of...

29/01/2026

Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder

New two-part true crime documentary, OUTBACK TERROR: THE FALCONIO MURDER, aims to shed new light on a case that continues to intrigue on both sides of the world...

29/01/2026

'Love is Blind: Sweden' Returns for a Third Season - Premiering on March 12

Back to All News Love is Blind: Sweden Returns for a Third Season - Premiering ...

29/01/2026

Unmask Bridgerton' Season 4 With Our Complete Coverage Guide

Back to All News Unmask Bridgerton' Season 4 With Our Complete Coverage Guide Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in Season ...

29/01/2026

Extraordinary Crime Mysteries, Mythical Worlds and High-Stakes Psychological Thrillers: Inside Netflix's 2026 Chinese-Language Slate

Back to All News Extraordinary Crime Mysteries, Mythical Worlds and High-Stakes...

29/01/2026

FOX Sports Unveils Historic FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast Schedule

FOX Sports Unveils Historic FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast Schedule Monumental Slate Features 340 Hours of Live First-Run Programming Across FOX Sports Platfo...

29/01/2026

AI Assistants Head into 2026 on a High Note: Comscore Reports Triple-Digit Growth on Mobile

AI Assistants Head into 2026 on a High Note: Comscore Reports Triple-Digit Growt...

29/01/2026

Broadcom confirms Arvato Systems status as a VCSP partner

Broadcom Confirms Arvato Systems' Status as a VCSP Partner Broadcom Partner Program Update Arvato Systems confirmed as authorized VMware Cloud Service Pr...

29/01/2026

Into the Omniverse: Physical AI Open Models and Frameworks Advance Robots and Autonomous Systems

Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...

29/01/2026

Annette Malone appointed as Chief People Officer RT

RT has today announced that Annette Malone has been appointed to the role of Chief People Officer, RT following a public competition. As Chief People Officer...

29/01/2026

GeForce NOW Brings GeForce RTX Gaming to Linux PCs

Get ready to game - the native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs is now available in beta, letting Linux desktops tap directly into GeForce RTX performance from the...

28/01/2026

2026 Sundance Film Festival Reveals Short Film Program Award Winners

Top L-R: The Liars, Jazz Infernal, Living with a Visionary Second Row L-R: Paper Trail, The Baddest Speechwriter of All, Crisis Actor Third Row: The Boys and ...

28/01/2026

3 Easy Ways to Discover Music That Fits Your Moment on Spotify

Music discovery should feel intuitive and personal. That's why we're continuing to give you more control, so you can ask for what you want, shape what y...

28/01/2026

From $11B in 2025 Payouts to What We're Building for Artists in 2026

Today, Charlie Hellman, Spotify's Head of Music, shared the following note on the Spotify for Artists blog that the company paid out more than $11 billion t...

28/01/2026

Sediba Scriptwriting Training Programme - Oudtshoorn Municipality (Second Call)

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the Oudtshoorn Municipality, invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers to apply for the Sediba...

28/01/2026

MVP makes a tactical switch to Calrec Argo M

As demand for more complex live sports coverage grows, Balkan broadcast specialist MVP has upgraded its flagship HD1 progressive OB truck with the installation ...

28/01/2026

Aussies' love of travel sees 12% surge in ad investment according to Nielsen

Airlines, cruise and tour operators double down on ad spend as Australians' prioritise travel Sydney January 28, 2026 - New Nielsen Ad Intel data shows a...

28/01/2026

Daniel Finn Joins LABF in Philanthropy Role

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/01/2026

Tegna Expands Local News Offering with Revamped Mobile App

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/01/2026

Marshall Electronics Unveils CV420 27X UHD Camera at ISE...

Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...

28/01/2026

TVM Selects Grass Valley Technology for OB Truck Refurbis...

Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...

28/01/2026

FOR-A to show cutting edge technology at FOMEX 2026

AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...

28/01/2026

Riedel and Media Tailor Deliver Unified Broadcast and AV...

Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...

28/01/2026

Pebble appoints Paul Nagle-Smith to drive fulfilment

Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...

28/01/2026

TV Azteca Strengthens Disaster Recovery Capabilities with...

Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...

28/01/2026

MVP kicks off major football tournament with a tactical s...

Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...

28/01/2026

Akamai and Yospace Deliver Seamless Personalized Ad Exper...

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...

28/01/2026

Clear-Com Empowers Reykjavik City Theatre with New Upgrad...

The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...

28/01/2026

SES Acknowledges Fitch's Rating Action and Reiterates Deleveraging Plan

Luxembourg, January 26, 2026 - SES S.A. ( SES or the Company ), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Fitch to...

28/01/2026

OpenDrives Announces New Funding, Appoints Trevor Morgan CEO

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/01/2026

AWARN Alliance Backs ATSC Sunset, NextGen TV Security Measures

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/01/2026

More Than Two Dozen Groups Tell FCC to Reject Nexstar-Tegna Deal

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/01/2026

Screen Australia refreshes Market & Audience approach to increase the impact of local content

28 01 2026 - Media release Screen Australia refreshes Market & Audience approach...

28/01/2026

Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonardo Dugan

Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...

28/01/2026

Netflix's 'Kohrra' Season 2 Unveils A Thrilling Whodunnit Trailer Where The Truth Looks Foggier Than It Is!

Back to All News Netflix's Kohrra Season 2 Unveils A Thrilling Whodunnit Tr...

28/01/2026

What Next? Netflix Presents the Latest German-Speaking Series, Films and Non-Fction Highlights, Live in Berlin

Back to All News What Next? Netflix Presents the Latest German-Speaking Series,...