Techniques, Technologies, and Best Practices for Motion Picture and Television Production/Post/Exhibition, Image Quality, Color, Workflow. Client work and volunteer work for key industry groups.  Industry education.

 

Motion Picture Industry Leadership

Digital Cinema – Quality

Digital Cinema - Standards

Motion Imaging – Production and Post

Digital Cinema – Distribution and Exhibition

Publications / Speaking / Teaching

Articles Quoting

Articles About/Citing/Referencing

 

Motion Picture Industry Leadership

Founding (2001) – Present ASC Technology Committee

The first time in the ASC’s 85-year history that a non-Member has served on an ASC committee. A principle planner, designer, participant in most ASC Technology Committee activities.  Secretary of Digital Intermediate, Workflow, Advanced Imaging, Camera, Camera Assessment subcommittees. Vice-chair of 3D.

The ASC Technology Committee has provided the industry’s key technical and creative guidance through the introduction of and transition to digital technologies in motion picture production, post, and exhibition.

 

2001 - 2010 Member, United States delegation to the ITU

Member of the US delegation to the International Telecommunications Union – Radiocommunication Sector – Large Screen Digital Imagery (ITU-R TG6/9).  Member of key group developing and implementing strategy to achieve a Hollywood-level, audience satisfying presentation.

Assistant-hosted FCC and State Department Hollywood orientation visit.

Working on behalf of the ASC International Committee, educated cinematography societies worldwide on the coming digital cinema transition and how that system was being determined, defined.  Organized creative community input to ITU-R TG6/9 to prevent HDTV (1920x1080, 8-bit) from becoming the legally-required system for digital system.  This was the first (and probably only) time a non-ASC Member has represented the ASC in this type of capacity.

 

2007 – 2009 ISDCF (InterSociety Digital Cinema Forum), Secretary and Vice-Chair

Group of equipment manufacturers, studios, mastering, distribution, exhibitors coordinating a smooth roll-out of digital cinema.

 

2002-2003 Industry "Blue-Ribbon" Group on Digital Cinema Quality and Test Materials

Convened an industry group to create feature-quality test materials for requirements for digital cinema.  Included ASC President and "name" cinematographers, DCI CTO and Director of Technology, Kodak experts and execs, key SMPTE digital cinema participants, studio representatives.  (Obviated by ASC-DCI StEM.)

 

2001 - 2003  ASC International Committee, Advisor

Educated the ASC and cinematography societies worldwide on the digital cinema transition, technology, standards and organized resistance to an HDTV-for-cinema in international standards (ITU). Included phone, e-mail, overseas presentations, document authorship.

 

Associate Member, American Society of Cinematographers

Active Member, Visual Effects Society

2014 Academy Technical Achievement Award for development of the ASC CDL

2012 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for ASC CDL, featured contributor

 

 

Digital Cinema – Quality

2002 – 2005 Coordination with DCI

Regular coordination with DCI on digital cinema requirements, with a particular emphasis on image quality and in-theater testing. Architect of proposed 2K and 4K Proof-of-Concept play-out systems. Considered for CEO and CTO positions.

 

2003 ASC-DCI Standard Evaluation Material (StEM).  Screen credits: Test Design and Methodology; Scenario (story).

Industry-reference, feature-quality, widely available test movie used to develop and validate requirements for digital cinema projection, distribution, and mastering generally comparable to 35mm. One of the principal motivators, designers, coordinators, and producers. Scouting photos.

 

2002 - 2003 SMPTE DC28 Digital Cinema Test Materials ad hoc group, Co-Chair

 

2002 International Digital Cinema Quality Standards

Member of the United States delegation to the International Telecommunications Union – Radiocommunication Sector – Large Screen Digital Imagery (ITU-R TG6/9).

Assistant-hosted FCC and State Department Hollywood orientation visit.

Working on behalf of the ASC International Committee, educated cinematography societies worldwide on the coming digital cinema transition and how that system was being determined, defined.  Organized creative community input to ITU-R TG6/9 to prevent HDTV (1920x1080, 8-bit) from becoming the legally-required system for digital system.  This was the first (and probably only) time a non-ASC Member has represented the ASC in this type of capacity.

 

Digital Cinema - Standards

2009 – 2010 UHDTV Definition – BT-2020 – Rec. 2020

Industry-reference characterization of the last generation of Sony BVM CRT monitors and also rooms, actually used in post. Used in designing the US’s proposed EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) for BT-2020 UHDTV.

Designed and conducted extensive technical measurement sessions at many of the key/major post facilities in Los Angeles. (Dolby)

 

2002 - 2012 SMPTE DC28 and 21DC Digital Cinema Standards groups, officer

Vice-Chair, Secretary, Co-Chair of working groups and ad hoc groups including Projection, Mastering, Security (KMAH) during the period when those groups did their key work defining and standardizing digital cinema.  Active participant in most SMPTE digital cinema groups (compression, theater systems, exhibition, audio, etc.).

 

Motion Imaging – Production and Post

2003 – Present ASC Color Decision List (ASC CDL), co-author

The ASC CDL, designed by the DI subcommittee of the ASC Technology Committee with a wide group of industry participants, allows passing basic, primary look and color corrections from set to dailies to post and between different facilities, equipment, and software from different manufacturers.

One of the principal designers and co-author of the system, specifications, and release.

The ASC CDL is used in the workflow of 90% of features, 70% of scripted series television, and 99% of visual effects turn over.

2014 Academy Technical Achievement Award for role in design of ASC CDL.

Contributor to 2012 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award to ASC CDL.

 

2010 – Present Academy Color Encoding System (ACES)

The ASC CDL is the primary/reference Look Management Transform in ACES (was Academy Image Interchange Framework (IIF)) wide-gamut, high dynamic range color encoding. The LMT is the primary place in ACES where artistic intent and look can be encoded.  The ASC CDL is the primary portable mechanism used in current workflows.

One of primary people providing technical reference on ASC CDL during ACES development, making sure systems were defined compatibly. One of primary designers of the ACES log and ACESproxy formats required for interoperation during transition to a full industry of equipment that is fully ACES-capable. On-set testing and qualification during development and tuning.

 

2009 – 2010 Dolby PRM Monitor

Small participation in design of the Dolby PRM-4200 monitor. Input on Electro-Optical Transfer Function and lighting-engine circuit design.

 

2006 – 2010 ASC-PGA Camera Assessment Series (CAS)

Library of footage from seven digital cinema and one 35mm film cameras in several scenes demanding a range of motion picture imaging behaviours.  Resource to aid selecting right camera for a show.  200+ person shoot at Universal.

One of the key motivators, designers, participants in this effort. On-set leadership team. Scouting photos.

Screen credit: Committee Secretary.

 

2010 - 2011 Academy – IIF

Assisted the Academy Sci-Tech Council in increasing education and awareness of the IIF/ACES project and encoding.

Post-oriented technical documentation. Proposed more general level educational approaches and documents. (AMPAS Sci-Tech Council)

 

2008 Post Production Workflow

Assisted a mid-sized post facility in analyzing persistent workflow problem.

 

 

Digital Cinema – Distribution and Exhibition

2009 ISDCF 3D Luminance Demo, co-principal organizer, test designer

Demonstration for 500 industry members of practical, in-theater effects of mastering and exhibiting 3D at a range of luminances.  This was the first (and, so far, only) time that most people in the industry have been able to compare and evaluate 3D mastering practices and the cost vs. quality trade-off of what is being installed in theaters.

 

ISDCF – Major studio

 

200x – 200x DTS Security Policies

 

200x – 200x DigiFlicks

 

 

Still Photography

2000 - 2010 Still Photography

Assorted still photography, including a couple US & overseas major publisher book jackets, a couple US and international magazine covers, a celebrity spread in Italian Vogue, Omni Germany, and a  piece of QVC catalogue that ran 14M copies.

 

 

Publications / Speaking / Teaching

2014 International Space Development Conference, speaker

 

2014 Interviewed on Home Theater Geeks webcast. 1 hour, more than 28,000 viewers

 

2013 ASC Master Class, production and post color and workflow, lecturer. Part of team teaching a week-long cinematography intensive for cinematographers from around the world.

 

2006-2013 "American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Technology Committee Progress Report", SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, annual article, co-author

 

2006-2013 "American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Technology Committee Progress Report – Secretary's Comment", SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, article, section author. Author of most special reports/topics.

 

2012 "Digital Cinematography", Visual Effects Society Handbook 2nd ed., chapter, primary author of major revision tracking the accelerated pace of change in production

 

2010 "ASC Color Decision List (ASC CDL)", American Cinematographer Manual, 10th edition, chapter, lead author

 

2010 "Digital Cinematography", Visual Effects Society Handbook 1st ed., chapter, co-author

 

2010 Interviewed on Home Theater Geeks webcast. 1 hour, more than 25,000 viewers

 

2008 "Digital Cinema", SMPTE Professional Development Academy, instructor, 1 ½ hour seminar via web. SMPTE created the definitions and standards for digital cinema. Selected by SMPTE to author and present their first class on digital cinema.

 

2008 "ISDCF Report", NAB Digital Cinema Summit, speaker. 1200 paid attendees

 

2006 "ASC and DCI – initiative for the digital future", IMAGO (European Federation of Cinematography Societies) Digital Cinema Conference, Oslo, Norway, invited keynote

 

2006 "Demo and Guided Tour of the ASC-DCI Standard Evaluation Material (StEM)", IMAGO Digital Cinema Conference, Oslo, Norway, invited keynote

 

2006 "Digital Cinema in the United States", IMAGO Digital Cinema Conference, Oslo, Norway, invited keynote

 

2006 "A Quick Overview of DI", Art Directors Guild Perspective on Technology, chapter, author

 

2006 "Digital Intermediate", Art Directors Guild Art Direction Wiki, web publication, author

 

2002 "American Society of Cinematographers Statement on Digital Cinema Standards", ITU-R TG6/9 (International Telecommunications Union – Radiocommunication Sector – Large Screen Digital Imagery), co-author of ASC position statement. Significant contribution to several other nation’s cinematography societies’ position statements.

 

Articles Quoting

 “Scientific and Technical Academy Awards: Oscar Bids Bittersweet Farewell to Film”, David Cohen, Variety, 2/15/2014

 

"DCI announces digital, 3-D specs", David Cohen, Variety, 4/15/2007

 

"Tomorrow's Technology", Douglas Bankston, American Cinematographer, 12/2006

 

"ASC Tech Committee Report", Carolyn Giardina, Shoot, 10/20/2006

 

"Expectativas em torno da implantação do cinema digital", Carlos Ebert, curta o curta and associação brasileira de cinematografia, 9/7/2003

 

Articles About/Citing/Referencing

“Five SMPTE Members Receive Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical Achievement”, Frank Beacham, TVNewsCheck, 3/4/2014

 

"Post Focus: ASC CDL", Benjamin B, American Cinematographer, 10/2008

 

"Digital Cinema Summit Covers the Full Range", Mary Ann Melody, ProAudio Review, 2/26/2008

 

"Software color code has ASC in pink", Carolyn Giardina, Hollywood Reporter, 6/22/2007

 

"Post to SMPTE: Open Up the DCI Spec. Modern VideoFilm Exec Urges More Flexibility", Bryant Frazer, Film & Video, 4/15/2007

 

"Tomorrow's Technology", Douglas Bankston, American Cinematographer, 12/2006

 

"Oslo Digital Cinema Conference - Workshop", Jean-Jacques Bouhon, Lettre de l'AFC, 7 and 8/2006

 

"the Color-Space Conundrum, Part Two: Digital Workflow", Douglas Bankston, American Cinematographer, 5/2005

 

"ASC gets into digital", Dave McNary, Daily Variety, 5/27/2003