ASC and Avid Technology Co-Host Metadata Summit at NAB Conference
LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2005 — The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and Avid Technology will co-host a Metadata Summit on April 16, at the 2005 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas. Approximately 100 individuals from multiple sectors of the motion picture and television industries are expected to participate in the discussion, which is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at the Alexis Park Hotel.
“The summit is designed to provide a forum where we can share ideas and discuss goals for a standard metadata system that best serves the interests of all sectors of the industry,” says David Stump, ASC. “We have invited cinematographers, editors and other collaborators to participate in this dialogue with technology thought leaders from the studios, postproduction facilities and software and hardware developers.”
Stump chairs the ASC Technology Camera Sub-Committee. Part of their efforts has been to research parameters for a metadata standard designed to make digital media hardware and software systems interchangeable and interoperable. He launched the initiative approximately eight months ago in collaboration with Curtis Clark, ASC, who chairs the organization’s Technology Committee, and Pete Fasciano, Fellow Advanced Development, Co-Founder, Avid Technology. Members of the American Cinema Editors Technology Committee, chaired by Harry Miller, III, ACE, have joined this effort.
“The metadata issue is a vital component of the ASC Technology Committee’s broader agenda, which is analyzing film and digital imaging technologies within the hybrid imaging production workflow,” says Clark. “The objective is to recommend the best practice implementation of solutions that enhance the creative application of cinematographic art in a cost efficient manner.”
Stump notes that with the rapid evolution of digital intermediate technology there is an urgent need for a standard metadata system. He verbally illustrates the need by outlining basic applications for a single visual effects shot.
“You film a scene where a cannonball lands near some soldiers with no physical flame effects,” Stump says. “Instead, separate shots of flames are filmed by a second unit crew. All the film is scanned and the elements are composited as a seamless shot. With header information embedded in a standard metadata file, that same visual effects shot can be accurately recreated at any time in the future. The metadata file would identify elements of the composite shot, including color corrections needed to recreate the original look, and all workflow information from preproduction through distribution.”
Stump also points out that a universal metadata standard would be an incalculably valuable tool for efficient asset management. He explains that metadata files describing all film assets owned by the studio would be stored in a computer database.
“Maybe they’ll need a shot of flames in some future film,” Stump says. “The metadata files will enable the studio to determine if they have something appropriate in their archives. They will be able to find and scan the negative, instead filming another shot of flames. They will also be able to license shots in their library for other purposes.”
Stump says that following the summit at NAB, the ASC Technology Committee will continue to serve as a clearing house for information, and as a forum for discussing ideas and concerns with the goal of recommending standards for a uniform metadata system.
A reservation is necessary to attend the Metadata Summit. Please email delphine@theasc.com or call (323) 969-4333, ext. 106, as space is limited.
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