HD heats up: this format is seeing acceptance an a compelling, cost-effective medium that can deliver the same emotional impact as film

Post, Dec, 2004 by Claudia Kienzle

HD has been steadily gaining acceptance for acquisition, post production, and distribution for television and feature films. But our experts say that HD is now at a point where it could really take off in 2005. HD usage is exploding due to impressive advancements in HD image capture, remarkable color grading in post production, and its compelling cost-efficiency compared to 35mm film. As HD's superior picture and sound promote its worldwide acceptance for HDTV, HD-DVDs and digital cinema, there is increasing demand for post production services, such as digital intermediates, HD mastering and digital film dailies.

RANDALL DARK

Co-Founder/President

HD Vision Studios

Los Angeles, CA

(www.hdvstudios.tv)

STRENGTHS: "We're beginning to see the impact that HD is having on broadcast, digital cinema, point of purchase, medical, the military, and more. And, many television pilots and independent films are rapidly shifting from 35mm film to HD production because it enables them to create a film look very cost-effectively by eliminating the up-front costs of film production--the raw stock, film processing, and dailies production. Rather than having to reload film every 10 minutes, HD tape lets you shoot for 50 minutes without stopping to reload, which keeps the production moving along without costly delays."

WEAKNESSES: "There is the lack of understanding of just how far HD technology has come in the last two years. This is a huge issue. Because HD has been around for so many years, people who looked into it early in its evolution may have dismissed it as unfriendly, costly, or lacking the bells and whistles of an end-to-end solution. But in the last two to three years, tremendous strides have been made to eliminate problems like compression artifacts, and ensure high-quality color correction, down conversion, and other services essential to HD production. HD is now a compelling, cost-effective medium for telling stories with the same emotional impact film delivers."

OPPORTUNITIES: "As HDTV evolves, the need for content produced in native HD will also grow. While a 4:3 SDTV documentary about African wildlife is interesting, people will want to revisit this subject in HDTV because the high-resolution, widescreen picture will have an incredible impact on the viewing experience. Another huge opportunity will be HD-DVDs. In terms of a new growth market, HD-DVDs will be staggering, with ample business opportunities for this industry."

THREATS: "In light of rapid improvements in HD's image quality and price/performance, as a businessperson, you have to plan your capital expenses for new equipment such that your rate of return makes sense. Also, as more productions choose HD over film for acquisition, it will pose a threat to companies offering film dailies, although we will see a growing demand for digital dailies."

OUTLOOK FOR 2005: "With many high-profile events being televised in HDTV, HDTV set manufacturers can't fill the orders fast enough. In 2005 we will finally reach the tipping point where so many consumers have HDTVs in their homes that demand for original HDTV content will explode."

KEEFE BOERNER

Visual Effects Producer

For Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez

Austin, TX

STRENGTHS: "For director Robert Rodriguez, for whom I've worked since the first Spy Kids movie, HD accelerates and enhances the movie production process. While there's typically a lag time between shooting 35mm film and seeing the dailies, the HD medium is immediate. Robert can tape a rehearsal and immediately play it back for his actors to discuss what he wants them to do differently. Our last three features. Spy Kids 2, Spy Kids 3D and Once Upon a Time in Mexico were among the first ever shot in HD. Since they were visual effects-intensive, HD was beneficial because our footage was already in digital form when we left the set, and ready to hand off to editors and artists to begin working on."

WEAKNESSES: "One of the weaknesses of HD is already on its way to being resolved. Some pioneering HD camcorder formats used a lot of compression to get such large images onto a small tape. As a result, important color information that would have been useful in post was discarded. But, with the new Sony HD-SR camera, we're now capturing images in RGB 4:4:4 resolution onto a record deck, which gives us more color bandwidth, luminance, and picture information, and even allows us more latitude to dip into the super blacks and super whites."

OPPORTUNITIES: "Since we're shooting Robert's latest movie, The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl on HD rather than film, we don't have to ship the film out to Los Angeles and wait a week for it to be processed, transferred to tape, then shipped back to us. With HD, Robert can jump onto an Avid and start editing his HD footage while his vision for it is fresh in his mind. Because it's saving time and streamlining the production and post process, it's also saving us money."

THREATS: "Decentralization is probably the biggest challenge to this industry. We no longer have to be in Hollywood, or send our footage there, to make a movie. Here in Austin, we've developed a relationship with 501 Post, a local post facility that expanded from its core commercial work into HD digital intermediates to support our needs. While Los Angeles or New York still have the largest pool of top talent and resources, the fact that HD is enabling high-end video post houses to enter the realm of motion picture work will likely allow more directors, like Robert, to work away from those traditional film centers."