NAB 2004 has joined forces with the Entertainment Technology Center at USC to present a next generation Digital Cinema Summit on April 18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, highlighted by a case study of the digital tools used on the upcoming VAN HELSING.

The schedule is as follows:

WHAT DO CINEMATOGRAPHERS NEED? (9:30 am - 10:00 am)

Technology exists to serve creative needs. Cinematographers use subtleties in colors, darkness and light and textures to set moods and evoke emotional responses from audiences. What capabilities do they want in digital tools to assure the integrity of the visual nuances in the images they create? How can they obtain the same predictability and accuracy from digital tools as they do from film?

Moderator: Steve Poster, ASC

Panelists:
Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC
Michael Goi, ASC
Daryn Okada, ASC
Gil Hubbs, ASC
Allen Daviau, ASC

THE NEW GENERATION OF DIGITAL CAMERAS (10:00 am -10:40 am)

An examination of today's digital cameras and the new cameras set for release, and a look at where the technology is headed.

Moderator: David Stump, ASC

Panelists:
Jeff Kreines, founder and inventor, Kinetta; Coosada, Alabama
Mark Chiolis, sr marketing manager; Thomson Grass Valley, Burbank,
California
Steven A. Stough, technical director and chief engineer, Intelligence
Systems Organization; Lockheed Martin; San Jose, California
Michael Koppetz, sr engineer, Research and Development Arriflex
John Coghill, general manager, Digital Cinema; Dalsa Digital Cinema;
Waterloo, Canada
Alfred Piffl, co-founder, P+S Technik; Munich, Germany
Yasu Mikami, marketing manager, Movie and TV Production; Sony Electronics
Inc., Culver City, California
Michael A. Bergeron, system camera engineer, Panasonic Broadcast, Secaucus,
NJ

ESTABLISHING THE LOOK (10:40 am - 11:20 am)
This panel opens the curtain on "look management." Where is the look created, on set or in post? How is it communicated through the pipeline? How does digital post provide new creative flexibility? What is the impact of increasing use of DVD and HD dailies?

Moderator: Leon Silverman, exec vp, Laser Pacific Media Corp.

Panelists:
Josh Pine,: vp of Imaging Research and Development, Technicolor Digital Intermediates
Bill Feightner, exec vp/technology; eFilm, Los Angeles
Daryn Okada, ASC
David Stroud, product manager, Filmlight
Peter Postma, systems engineer, Kodak
Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC

CASE STUDY 1 - VAN HELSING (11:20 am - 12:15 pm)
A detailed look at how digital tools are being used on set and in the post-production of VAN HELSING, a May 7 release. The speakers will address look management, digital mastering, visual effects and more, demonstrating the practical application of ideas addressed in the morning sessions.

Speakers: Bob Ducsay, producer/editor; Allen Daviau, ASC, director of photography; and Steve Scott, digital intermediate colorist

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE: THE NEW WORKFLOW (1:15 pm - 1:45 pm)
The new workflow is a hybrid process because it must accommodate both film and digital. What will the new production roadmap look like? How will digital tools change workflow on set and in post? Which jobs will disappear and what will replace them?

Speaker: Phil Feiner: president, Pacific Title & Art Studio

THE ROLE OF THE CUTTING ROOM IN THE NEW DIGITAL
POSTPRODUCTION PROCESS (1:45 pm - 2:15 pm)
How is the cutting room changing, now that creative editorial, HD previews and conforms and film cutting all happen at the same time? How do new desktop tools such as Avid and Final Cut Pro, and editing at higher resolutions, impact the process? Why are editors increasingly using vfx software as a cutting tool?

Moderator: Sheigh Crabtree, features editor/technology reporter, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Panelists:
Bruce Markoe, exec vp, Feature Post Production; MGM Pictures
Norman Hollyn, visiting associate professor, Editing Track Head; USC School of Cinema-Television; Los Angeles