Iridas, an industry leader in non-destructive color grading technologies, and Rising Sun Research, a pioneer in calibration tools for digital film, will present the SpeedGrade Seminars on Nov. 5, 2005, at the new DALSA Digital Cinema facility: 6160 Variel Ave., Woodland Hills, California. The cost is $25 per session, which includes a catered lunch and refreshments during the day. For more information, or to register, call 866-825-7999, or visit www.Iridas.com
Cinematographers and colorist will have the opportunity to learn about digital color grading in hands-on training sessions lead by industry expert, Jérôme Sabourin. Rising Sun Researchs cineSpace calibration application is included in both sessions.
The SpeedGrade Seminars will include two sessions: directors of photography, vfx supervisors and Digital Imaging Technicians will have the opportunity to learn about pre-grading and look management, working with SpeedGrade OnSet. The afternoon session will explore SpeedGrade DI, Iridas full-featured color-grading and film finishing application. This will be of interest to colorists, post professionals, cinematographers and others who want to know more about the capabilities of digital color grading.
With the growing use of digital technologies, the role of the DP has extended far beyond what it used to be, said Kees van Oostrum, ASC. An application like SpeedGrade is of paramount importance because it gives us access to all the parts of the filmmaking workflow. You still need to cross a certain threshold in getting behind a computer to do this work, but we should! This technology gives us a front row seat in the process.
We hear a lot about DI and look management, said Jeremy Pollard, vp sales at Rising Sun Research. But many professionals just want the chance to interact with the tools and get a personal experience of how they work and what they can do. Thats what these seminars will provide.
Both sessions will be guided by Jérôme Sabourin, a cinematographer and colorist based in Montreal, who is the leading practitioner of new filmmaking technologies in the thriving Quebec movie industry. He is currently in his second season as director of photography and senior colorist on two of the top three primetime TV dramas in French Canada: MINUIT, LE SOIR and Le NEGOTIATUER.
The SpeedGrade Seminars are presented by Iridas and Rising Sun Research with support from PNY Technologies, NVIDIA and Globalstor.
Munich, Germany-based Iridas (www.iridas.com) first introduced uncompressed realtime playback in 2001. It continues to be the leading developer of resolution-independent playback and non-destructive color grading technologies for film, broadcast, entertainment and scientific research. Iridas SpeedGrade (www.speedgrade.com), FrameCycler, DDS (Digital Daily System) and others applications are used by most major animation and post-production houses, including Warner Bros. Feature Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, The Moving Picture Co., ReelFX, DTS Digital Images (formerly Lowry Digital) and many others.
Rising Sun Research (RSR, www.risingsunresearch.com) is a specialist provider of tools to visual professionals with clients including some of the biggest (and smallest) visual effects companies, digital film labs, educational institutions and film productions in the world. The company was founded in 1999 as a technology spin-off from the boutique visual effects company Rising Sun Pictures and is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Adelaide, Australia.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
