HPA Tech Retreat: A Look into Next Generation Cinema Tech By Debra Kaufman
February 12, 2015
What Next Generation Cinema technologies and techniques mean for filmmakers was the focus of the six mini-panels that made up a single session at the HPA Tech Retreat in Indian Wells on Wednesday. Topics addressed included Extended Color Gamut; Pairing the Mathematics of Motion and Frame Rate with Artistic Vision; Laser Projection and Higher Dynamic Range; Next-Generation Cinema Technology Test Material; Beyond the Screen; and Suspending Disbelief: When and How to Use New Tools and Techniques.
Extended Color Gamut
Matt Cowan of Entertainment Technology Consultants and Jan Fr hlich of Stuttgart Media University looked at extended color gamut. Cowan showed slides comparing P3, Rec 709 and 2020 color spaces. Color patches showed the increased saturation of 2020 color space, in particular with cyan and magenta.
Fr hlich showed footage from a carnival scene shot in Stuttgart and timed for 2020 color gamut, noting that very few people have seen such footage. Does this help me to tell a story? he asked. Even if it's more saturated than reality, it somehow tells the story. I personally think 2020 is an interesting addition to the palette.
Motion and Frame Rate
Cinematographer Bill Bennett, ASC and Tessive's Tony Davis examined how to pair motion and frame rate with artistic vision. Bennett primarily shoots TV commercials, mostly automotive, and Davis noted how motion blur is important in how the footage works frame-to-frame.
Any canvas should start clean, said Davis. For the time dimension, three things define that canvas: frame rate; how real-world action is captured by the camera and represented in a single frame; and how the projector converts each frame back into the continuous signal it represents.
He described judder (acquisition aliasing that happens in the camera), strobing (which is reconstruction aliasing, and happens at the projector) and blurry motion (which is low frame rate).
The camera shutter function is the key to fixing judder, he said. If we soften the shutter function, it gives much more control. Once you go to a soft shutter, you have an infinite variety, which is a new palette you can work with.
A new method of controlling the shutter function - without additional hardware - would be to acquire at high-frame rate (120fps or higher), 360-degree shutter; the Tessive Time Filter software does this, taking ACES, ARRI Raw and other inputs.
The higher the frame rate input, the smoother the function can be, he said. But it works pretty well at 120fps.
Laser Projection and Higher Dynamic Range
RealD's Pete Lud looked at laser projection and higher dynamic range. Current display technologies cannot emulate the range of light in the real world, he said. He noted that there is no clear industry definition of HDR, although perhaps 18 to 20 f-stops is there.
High Dynamic Range requires brighter highlights and blacker blacks. How do we achieve that? Lud stated that a laser-illuminated projector could triple the brightness and improve brightness efficacy, saving energy. Changes to the motion picture screen can also help. Current screen manufacturing still relies on spraying chemical elements on a vinyl screen; a new manufacturing process deposits a very thin coat of aluminum on PCP.
You end up with a surface that can be engineered for specific gain, reflectivity and total integrated scatter, with 91 percent efficacy, unlike current conventional screens with 52 percent reflective efficacy, he said.
On-screen blacks depend on a variety of issues including the projection lens; auditorium ambient light level; and auditorium contrast, said Lud . One unexpected issue is the reflection from the auditorium seats, walls and people back on the screen.
Adding up all the factors, a typical theater measures a contrast of 354:1. Improvements and a future system can bring that up to 700:1 contrast. But true 1,000,000:1 is really hard, said Lud . You need a bright projector, really dark content and an empty theater.
Cinema Tech Test Material
Entertainment Technology Consultants' Garrett Smith and cinematographer/author Dave Stump, ASC - both on the AMPAS Working Group - focused on next-generation cinema technology test material.
As the creative palette of storytelling expands, the Academy Science and Technology Council decided to create test materials to investigate the parameters of HFR, HDR, High Density Brightness and wider shutter angles. Titled The Affair, the scripted technical exploration was directed by Howard Lukk with Stump as cinematographer, and most branches of the Academy were involved.
A motion control rig precisely repeated the same camera moves at all frame rates. The dolly pace was set to stress 24p judder. We shot on a single ARRI Alexa at 2K in 24, 30, 48, 60, 72 and 120fps, and at a variety of shutter angles, said Stump. We also shot the same frame rates and angles on two Sony F65 4K cameras using a 3ality 3D rig with a custom IRND filter on one camera to achieve two different exposures 6 stops apart.
We plan to create more test materials, but we want to hear what all of you have learned from the material, said Smith. We want to foster community interaction. Speak up and reach us through the Academy.
Beyond the Screen
Frank Tees of Moving Image Technologies addressed technologies that help drive theater attendance, specifically immersive seating options including motion, vibration, ticklers/pokers, wind, water and bass extension. He noted passive seating technologies that offer varying levels of vibration via bolt-on or built-in transducers, and active seating technologies that enable the filmmaker to express creative intent.
That complements today's current and emerging immersive technology, he said. It&#
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
HPA Tech Retreat: A Look into Next Generation Cinema Tech By Debra Kaufman
