ASC Launches New Technology Initiative

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced that it will recommend standards and practices for emerging technologies that affect the art and craft of filmmaking. The initiative is being led by Curtis Clark, ASC, who is chairing a new ASC Technology Committee that includes some 50 cinematographers and technology thought leaders from all sectors of the industry.

"We will cut through the marketing hype about emerging technologies and make informed recommendations that serve both the art of filmmaking and the public interest," says Clark. "ASC has created an open forum where some of the best minds in the industry are meeting and exchanging ideas about the convergence of film, digital and hybrid motion imaging technologies. These dialogues will provide the basis for our recommendations for standards and practices."

Clark says that considerable progress has been made during the past several months. Three sub-committees have been focusing on the evolution of film and digital cameras, digital intermediate, and digital cinema technologies.

Visual effects director of photography David Stump, ASC is chairing the camera sub-committee with support from vice chair Richard Edlund, ASC, which will recommend guidelines for imaging characteristics, including resolution, dynamic range and exposure latitude, and other features that leverage new technologies to enhance both digital and film cameras.

"The photography of motion picture images by a cinematographer on either digital or film media is a creative process that can't be superceded by the increasing sophistication of new motion imaging technology," Clark says. "It requires talent, intuition and skill. We will recommend imaging tools and camera features that provide filmmakers with more creative flexibility and latitude at affordable costs."

Digital effects pioneer Gary Demos, with the support of vice chair Alan Caso, ASC, is leading the effort to recommend guidelines for digital intermediate technology and practices for the purpose of enhancing and preserving the intentions of the cinematographers who created the images.

"Digital intermediate technology extends the role of the cinematographer," says Clark. "We will set guidelines for scanning film and converting it to digital format without compromising image quality. We will suggest a common language that enables cinematographers and colorists to communicate more efficiently, and recommend practices that make their collaborations more effective.

The ASC Technology Committee will also recommend guidelines for recording processed digital picture files onto intermediate film and into digital files at resolutions sufficient to retain the artistic intentions of the cinematographers who were the authors of the images."

Jerry Pierce, senior VP of technology at Universal Studios, heads the digital cinema sub-committee, supported by vice chair Rob Hummel, senior VP at Warner Bros. This sub-committee will recommend standards for digital projection, which will ensure that movies are experienced the way they are intended to be seen and heard. As part of this initiative, Ron Garcia, ASC is overseeing the design and production of suitable test footage that the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) group-formed by the studios-will use for evaluating digital cinema projection systems.

"We are building bridges between the creative community, distributors and exhibitors who share a common interest in enhancing the movie-going experience for audiences in affordable ways," says Clark. "Our goal is to create a dialogue which results in recommendations for standards and practices that serve the art form and the public."

ASC President Richard Crudo says that the Technology Committee is consistent with the historic role the organization has played in the film industry. Fifteen founding members organized ASC in Hollywood in January 1919 for the primary purpose of advancing the art and craft of filmmaking. It was still the dawn of the motion picture industry when films were still silent and black and white.

"The founders of ASC were literally inventing a new language for telling stories with moving images," Crudo says. "They played an active role in defining the needs for new technologies and standards for advancing the art form. We take our heritage very seriously. Curtis Clark is uniquely qualified to lead this initiative. He is a talented filmmaker and leader in the imaginative harnessing of technology."

Clark traveled oversees to earn a degree from the London School of Film. He began his career in England filming documentaries, music videos and dramatic films. Clark returned to the U.S. in 1984, when he collaborated with director Louis Malle on Alamo Bay. Other feature credits include The Draughtsman's Contract, Extremities, Dominick and Eugene, Triumph of the Spirit and Talent for the Game. He has also compiled several hundred commercial credits. In March 1999, Clark founded NeTune Communications in Los Angeles, which pioneered broadband network distribution of digital film dailies and real time video collaboration for editing and visual effects via a private satellite and terrestrial wireless system. Clark was NeTune CEO for several years. He recently decided to return to his first love, cinematography.

There are some 240 cinematographers and visual effects artists in ASC today, with an additional 110 associate members who work in allied sectors of the industry. For more information about the American Society of Cinematographers and the activities of the ASC Technology Committee visit www.theasc.com .

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