17 May: INSIGHT OUT at Cannes Film Festival
Presentation of MEDIA-funded training courses on Sunday, 17 May.
If you happen to be at the Cannes Film Festival, we would be very happy to meet you there! The MEDIA Desk France has kindly invited us to join their “Choose the right training!” event. On Sunday, 17 May 2009, INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy and other training providers in the area of script-writing and production will present their training programmes. IO Programme director Prof. Martin Steyer (re-recording mixer for Resident Evil 1, Last King of Scotland) and Jennifer Hoffmann will be available for questions about new technologies and INSIGHT OUT.
Choose the right training
- Workshop on training session funded by MEDIA
- Cannes – 17 May 2009 from 3pm to 5pm
- Location: Village International Pantiero – Terrasse commune
Film France – Région Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur - Click for further info.
If you are not able to attend this session, but would still like to meet us in Cannes, feel free to send us an 
email
INSIGHT OUT 2009 successfully completed!
INSIGHT OUT 2009 offered a look into the digital future of film and TV production in 2D and 3D. From 23 to 27 March, 50 participants from 20 countries came to Potsdam-Babelsberg to learn from renowned and award-winning experts.
Focus Topic 3D Production
HFF was very proud to welcome the leading experts on producing 3D content in Babelsberg last week.
Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality, provided insight into the production of live action 3D content using 3ality productions as examples, such as the concert film U2 3D as well as 3D live broadcasts of American football/NFL games. He gave interesting insights into how camera work has to be adjusted for 3D and what the impact on budgets is.
Robert Neuman, stereoscopic supervisor at Disney Animation, explained what he calls the "grammar of 3D movies": how to use "depth scripts" to relate stereoscopic depth to the audience' emotional involvement with a specific scene. Disney's latest animation movie Bolt served as a case study.
Brian Van't Hul, VFX supervisor, illustrated with plenty of footage the complex set up for Coraline, a stop-motion puppet animation to be released in Europe in the coming months. Instead of shooting with two cameras simultaneously, a single camera was shifted from left to right (using motion control) to capture both views of the 3D image. That obviously only works with puppets holding still for multiple exposures...
Chris Ralph and Hubert Henle of Dolby Laboratories introduced participants to mastering and distribution processes for digital 3D cinema releases.
The lectures by these renowned experts were complemented by a practical, hands-on stereo 3D workshop led by Josef Kluger and Florian Kaltwasser of KUKFilm Produktion, Munich.
The German research consortium PRIME gave an overview on future technical and commercial developments regarding 3D. 3DTV already looms on the horizon, but technical standards for production and distribution are still missing. The PRIME experts emphasised that for a breakthrough of 3D in home entertainment, so-called autostereoscopic displays are required, which can be used without 3D glasses. Although the first displays of this type are already available, they are not yet ready for the mass market.
50 Participants from 20 Countries
50 participants came to Potsdam-Babelsberg to learn what's new in digital production and 3D. What makes INSIGHT OUT unique is the mixture of film and broadcasting professionals attending this symposium every year: young and experienced professionals, producers, directors, film school teachers, DoPs, animators and post-production specialists alike from 20 different countries. The 50 participants came from Bulgaria, China/Hong Kong, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Another highlight at this edition of INSIGHT OUT were the Short & Digital Hands-on Workshops. 5 workshops were also offered last week: for the INSIGHT OUT participants and on a second day for film and broadcasting professionals from Berlin-Brandenburg. With the workshops on the second day fully booked and a lot of positive feedback, we are encouraged to offer them again next year.
2D Digital Production
Although 3D was an important topic at INSIGHT OUT 2009, the production reality for the vast majority of European film and broadcasting professionals is still 2D. Therefore a selection of innovative 2D case studies was presented at the 2009 edition of INSIGHT OUT.
The Polish biopic Popieluzko was released in mid-February and has already had over 1 million visitors in Poland alone. It was a particular pleasure for the organisors of INSIGHT OUT to welcome director Rafal Wieczynski and producer Julita Swiercz Wieczynska as trainers following visit to Potsdam as participants in 2007. Rafal, Julita and their Polish colleagues explained the solution of handling more than 20 terrabyte of data for the movie’s 4K digital intermediate process.
Jordan's first movie in 50 years Captain Abu Raed served as a case study for an entirely digital production pipeline. Author and director Amin Matalqa, supported by DI consultant Claudia Meglin and colourist Mark Read, spoke about the rationale for choosing to shoot digitally rather than on 35mm. He highlighted the challenges in production resulting from this decision and explained some of his creative choices regarding light and colouring.
Series producer Jonathan Renouf and DoP Keith Partridge provided insight into the current state-of-the-art for HDTV productions using the BBC series Earth - Power of the Planet as an example. With shoots in very hostile environments (never before climbed mountains, glaciers etc.), they put the HD equipment to an extreme test. Jonathan and Keith offered the producer's and a technical perspective on this production.
High-End Digital Cinema I - tape-based
Using a Sony F35 which recorded onto HD Cam SR tapes, participants could shoot on a real set. Florian Rettich, independent HD consultant and DIT, explained the entire workflow with data ingest and editing done on Apple Final Cut Pro and finishing touches put to the footage using Autodesk Lustre.
High-End Digital Cinema II – file-based
A workflow based on RAW-data was put together for this workshop led by Miguel Ferros, freelance specialist for file-based workflows. An ARRI D21 was equipped with anamorphic lenses and the images were recorded on a Codex digital recorder. This was directly connected to an Avid Media Composer on set with finishing carried out on a Digital Vision Filmmaster.
Independent Digital Cinema / Documentary
Ansgar Krützmann of CinePostproduction Geyer Berlin introduced participants to working with RAW-data captured on a Red camera and post-production entirely done in Apple Final Cut Studio. This workshop received a lot of attention from young & aspiring filmmakers.
HDTV Series Production
Ulrich Mors, an expert with decades of experience in the broadcasting industry, presented a production pipeline particularly suited to producing for HDTV: a Sony PDW700 camera recording on professional disk and üost-production on a combination of Avid Media Composer and DS.
Stereoscopic 3D
Josef Kluger and Florian Kaltwasser of KUKFilm Produktion introduced participants to producing in stereo 3D. One Megacine Fieldrecorder captured both streams from two Panasonic 3700 cameras, which were set up in a P+S Technik 3D rig. Patrick Palmer of Iridas showed participants how to handle the stereo images in post-production with the OneBox allowing for editing, grading etc. on set. This hands-on 3D workshop was the first of its kind in Germany's capital region.
Apply now for Short & Digital: hands-on workshops!
On Thursday, March 26th , five practical workshops of this year's INSIGHT OUT will also be open to film & TV professionals, who do not attend to the INSIGHT OUT symposium.
To get an insight into digital workflows, apply now! Simply fill in the short form on our website! The Short & Digital Workshops are an opportunity to test high-end and low budget digital production pipelines for cinema and TV. State-of-the-art equipment is set up in HFF "Konrad Wolf" and experienced instructors help you to understand the importance of colour management, metadata etc.
Further information on the workshops can be found here. Simply complete this short online form.
Lecture Digital Image Fine-Tuning and Restoration // Mike Inchalik
New image processing techniques are available to remove the increasing array of artifacts from original capture, conceal the artifacts created in post-production and mask the artifacts introduced in compression.
Advancements in noise and grain reduction and in the ability to improve apparent resolution can deliver extraordinary cinematic images, create better blow-ups, and produce stunning Blu-ray discs. Mike Inchalik, President of Lowry Digital Images, will discuss in his lecture these recent advancements and display a series of "before-and-after" images to demonstrate some of the capabilities of today’s digital image processing tools.
Sound Case Study: Waltz with Bashir
Lars Ginzel worked as re-recording mixer on Waltz with Bashir and Noemi Hampel made the film's sound design.
Using sound files from the original production, they will be demonstrating how the complex sound scapes of this film have been built. Lars has won the German Film Award in Gold for the sound design of Requiem, and worked on many German and international co-productions movies as re-recording mixer. Noemi has worked on films such as Krabat, Anonyma and Last King of Scotland as sound editor, recordist and sound designer. Lars and Noemi are both graduates of HFF "Konrad Wolf". This lecture will be held at Elektrofilm, Berlin.
Traditionally, we organise visits to post-production houses in Berlin as part of the programme. This year, our partners for these visits have been particularly active in offering case studies with different focus topics as part of the visits. The 4 post-production companies that will be visited are:
- Elektrofilm, focus on sound
- cine plus, focus on digital workflows
- CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin, focus on Red workflow
- riseFX, focus on VFX.
cine plus, CinePostProduction and RiseFX will also be having very interesting case studies, which will be announced shortly.
HDTV Case Study: the BBC's "Earth - Power of the Planet" // Jonathan Renouf and Keith Partridge
Earth: Power of the Planet was a highly successful, BAFTA nominated series exploring the story of our planet, made by the BBC with National Geographic and ZDF as co-producers.
It featured high quality cinematography, ground breaking CGI and a charismatic presenter. In this presentation, series producer Jonathan Renouf and director of photography Keith Partridge will discuss how the series was made, the problems they faced, and the novel solutions that emerged. Subjects covered will include the choice of cameras (no less than 8 formats were used), the challenges of location shooting, CGI, post production workflow and dealing with co-producers.
Overview on Digital Film, HDTV and Digital Production Workflows
Claudia Meglin (D/IS) and Mark Read (USA) will be holding the opening lecture on Monday. They have a tough challenge: to summarise the developments in digital production, D-cinema and high definition TV in 90 minutes.
But we know that they are the best people for the job. Claudia and Mark are well known experts in Production & PostProduction; advising Film Production Clients and Solution Providers alike, for almost 2 decades. Besides that, they have also gained an excellent reputation for their instructional work at workshops, conferences, seminars and film schools. To list just a few of their combined film credits: Captian Abu Raed, Clint Eastwood's Changeling, Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima and many more.
The Third Dimension of Digital Cinema
2009 is viewed by many as the year that could bring the break through for stereo 3D. 15 movies have been scheduled for release this year, including potential blockbusters such as Paramount’s Monster vs. Alien, Disney’s Up, Twentieth Century’s Ice Age 3 and most notably James Cameron’s Avatar. Always being at the vanguard of developments in digital production technologies, the production of stereoscopic 3D movies is at the centre this year’s INSIGHT OUT lecture programme.
We are delighted that the following renowned experts have agreed to share their knowledge with our participants of how to get the third dimension into the movies.
Robert Neuman, stereoscopic supervisor with Disney Feature Animation, will present a start-to-finish case study for Bolt. The lecture delves into the principles that apply to live action and animated 3D films alike. It will highlight how the added dimension of 3D depth can be integrated into the filmmaking process as a creative element. The aesthetics and comfort factors associated with stereoscopic 3D will be discussed, as well as the techniques and production pipeline used in making the film.
Steve Schklair, founder of 3ality, is considered to be one of the leading specialists on stereo 3D production. 3ality were one of the producers of the critically acclaimed U2 3D. In his lecture, he will talk about the shooting and post-production of live action in stereo 3D, using one of his recent projects as a case study.
The presentation of 3D digital images imposes new challenges for mastering and distribution of Digital Cinema content. Richard Welsh from Dolby Laboratories Inc. discusses some of these challenges based on an overview of the availble theatrical 3D presentation systems. The focus of his lecture will be requirements for the mastering process of 3D content, 3D subtitling, and the opportunities to use theatrical 3D presentation systems for non-feature content such as life transmission, games, and interactive entertainment.
A joint lecture by the PRIME research consortium will offer a glimpse into the future of 3D production, such as panoramic 3D installations.
Euromed II Final Conference
INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy participated in the final conference of the European Union's Euromed Audiovisual II programme. IO had benefitted from Euromed-funding in 2006 and 2007, so that each year 25 filmmakers from the Southern Mediterranean countries were invited to Potsdam to take part in the INSIGHT OUT symposium. Here is a brief and selective list of some of the key points from the conference:
- A total of 15 million Euros was available for Euromed II. The programme supported projects in the fields of film development, distribution, promotion, exhibition, training and networking. It has achieved substantial and tangible results, i.e.
- 130 films received support in terms of distribution, promotion or exhibition,
- a database of Southern Mediterranean film professionals was set up containing 1700 records,
- a total of 40 sessions were organised by the training & development projects which were atttended by 728 professionals from the region etc.
- Only two of the total of 12 funded projects are able to continue in some form beyond the Euromed II programme: Medscreen continues with their distribution & promotion support and the further expansion of the Arab cinema directory. And INSIGHT OUT offers scholarships for film professionals from the region again in 2009 to attend the annual workshop in Potsdam thanks to the support by the European Broadcasting Union.
- Getting films made and getting audiences to see these films is an incredibly difficult task in the majority of MEDA countries. Further support is needed and so all speakers agreed that a new Euromed programme is required. Consultations are taking place at European level. However, at this point in time, it is unclear whether the EU Commission will decide on the set up of another Euromed programme in 2009.
- The Euromed Reflection group has developed a comprehensive proposal for a strategy for the development of a Euro-Mediterranean Audiovisual Cooperation. At the heart of the proposed strategy lies the creation of a "Medimage" fund that will support the production and distribution of film projects in cooperation between at least 2 Mediterranean and 1 European partners.
- Looking at digital technologies, very little is at all available yet in the region in terms of high defition or digital cinema standard. Although technology was hardly talked about at the conference, from our point of view this is an important issued to consider also in the development of a new Euromed programme in order to narrow the technical gap between the MEDA countries and Europe, the USA and Asia.
(Cairo, 10-11/11/2008)
INSIGHT OUT Workshop in Beirut
42 students of St. Joseph University attended the Digital Cinema Workshop given by INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy in Beirut.
Interesting discussions ensued at the end of the introductions. The students were particularly keen on the practical workshop using 3 Panasonic HVX 200 cameras, which was given by experienced DoP David Serge.
Although video is widely used by film-makers in the region, digital cinema (2K and higher image quality) and HDTV standards are rarely met. This is also partly due to the fact that no digitale cinema screens are yet available and none of the TV channels in the region have a HDTV strategy or rollout plan yet. Besides the hands-on workshop, the following presentations / lectures were given during the workshop:
- Introduction to Digital Cinema - by Ursula Reber
- HD and Digital Cinema in the Arab World - by Elie Yazbek
- Example and review of post-production workflow for the Lebanese documentary "The One Man Village" using the HDCam format - by Riad Chebli
If you are interested in these presentations, feel free to contact INSIGHT OUT and we can forward them to you be e-mail.
Thanks again to the organisors from Beirut DC for inviting the INSIGHT OUT team to Beirut and for letting us participate in their excellent festival!
(Beirut, 20/11/2008)
INSIGHT OUT @ Beirut Cinema Days
We are delighted to have been invited by Beirut DC to give a workshop on digital production methods during the Beirut Cinema Days (Ayam Beirut al Cinema’iya 08). This is the first overseas edition of INSIGHT OUT and we are grateful to the organisors for inviting us. On 20 October 2008, four former INSIGHT OUT participants will be holding lectures and a hands-on workshop at this festival for Arab film-makers. During the 5th edition of Ayam Beirut more than 60 films will be screened from 17 until 26 October.
The INSIGHT OUT lecture and workshop will be given for independent Arab film-makers and film students. Ursula Reber (Germany), Elie Yazbek and Riad Chebli (both from Lebanon) will introduce recent developments in digital cinema & HDTV internationally and in the Southern Mediterranean. This will be followed by a practical camera workshop held by David Serge (Malta) using the Panasonic HVX 200.
Riad Chebli (Lebanon) currently works as a teacher in visual effects and animation as well as head of technical studios at "Institut d'Etudes Scéniques, Audiovisuelles et Cinématographiques" at the Université Saint-Joseph. Riad is also a founding and board member of the "Lebanese Cinema Foundation". As a freelance artist in visual effects, editing and sound engineering, he has worked on numerous commercials and films shot in HD, 35mm and 16mm. (INSIGHT OUT 2006)
Ursula Reber (Germany) is a documentary film producer and graduate economist specialising on digital cinema developments. She began her career as a production coordinator and unit manager on several feature films, television series and commercials. In June 2007 she was hired by CinePostproduction GmbH Berlin to coordinate as Digital Cinema Manager the set-up of the posthouse’s first DCP mastering station at their Berlin facility. Before joining CinePostproduction, she held the post of project leader for licence supplies at Epsilon Motion Pictures GmbH, part of the Kinowelt Group (Leipzig). Her published work on the economics of digital cinema in Europe examined the foundations for its roll-out in Germany. (INSIGHT OUT 2006)
David Serge (Malta) is a cinematographer with more than three years experience in shooting in high definition and extensive experience in VFX and post-production. He has worked on films such as Clarion’s Ball, Blackbeard and Munich. In 2004 he co-founded his production company The Bigger Picture, which specialises in cinematic shooting of commercials, docu-dramas and short films. His short films have placed first four times at the Malta Cine Circle National Film Competition and he has been the first Maltese in 33 years to win the Gold Knight Award at the Malta Cine Circle International Film Competition. (INSIGHT OUT 2008)
Elie Yazbek (Lebanon) is a documentary film director, cinematographer and editor, who has written and directed several films and plays (in French and Arabic). Among his plays are Orage d'été (2001, which was produced at the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles à Paris). He is also the author of several audiovisual installations, such as Ah les beaux jours de la guerre and Who is Elie Yazbek ?. Questions of identity and memory are at the core of his documentaries and other works. His last two films (I was a militia man and The Lebanese war never happened, still in production) are both shot in HD. Elie also teaches editing and digital video directing at "Institut d'Etudes Scéniques, Audiovisuelles et Cinématographiques" at the Université Saint-Joseph of Beirut. (INSIGHT OUT 2007)
Very special thanks are due to Elie, on whose initiative we have been invited to Beirut!
For further information on the festival and participation in the INSIGHT OUT / Digital Cinema workshop, please contact the festival directly.
INSIGHT OUT @ Film Festival Locarno
“Spotting the Right Training”
Potsdam, 04/06/2008. Together with other highly recommendable training initiatives, INSIGHT OUT will be presenting its 2009 programme at the Locarno International Film Festival on Saturday, August 9, 2008. The event will be held at Hotel Belvedere at 2.30 pm. You are cordially invited for presentations, snacks and drinks on the hotel terrace!
Mini-Lecture by INSIGHT OUT Experts Claudia Meglin and Mark Read
For anybody interested in the latest developments of digital production methods, INSIGHT OUT experts Claudia Meglin and Mark Read will provide an inside-view on production & co-production, from script to distribution, based on digital work flows. They will use two examples of projects to illustrate how digital production work flows can succeed in regions with an under-developed film sector: “Captain Abu Raed “ (Jordan/USA)– Winner Sundance Audience Award and “Country Wedding” (Iceland).
Joint Presentation by 10 MEDIA-funded Training Programmes
MEDIA Antenna Berlin-Brandenburg and MEDIA Desk Suisse, together with MEDIA Antenna Torino, have organised this information event at this year’s festival in collaboration with the Industry Office of the Locarno International Film Festival 2008. A selection of advanced training programmes will be presented:
- BERLINALE TALENT CAMPUS,
- the ATELIERS DU CINÉMA EUROPÉEN (ACE) management programme,
- PRODUCTION VALUE,
- EUROPEAN AUDIOVISUAL ENTREPRENUERS (EAVE)
- ESSENTIAL LEGAL FRAME WORK (ELF);
- EUROPEAN SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY (ESODOC),
- SCRIPT & PITCH und SOURCES2;
- the fellowship programme NIPKOW;
- and INSIGHT OUT / HFF ACADEMY of course…
Following brief presentations by each training programme, two lectures will be given by experts from the areas of new media and documentary film: Claudia Meglin and Mark Read’s above mentioned lecture will be followed by Hugh Purcell, former managing editor of the documentary department for BBC, who will speak on “New Formats in Documentary Film”. As a film director, he has been honoured with a British Academy Award, among others.
When & Where
The event will be held at Hotel Belvedere at 2.30 pm on Saturday, August 9, 2008. The deadline for registration is August 6. 2008. For further information and registration, please contact: info@mediadesk.ch.
Prof. Martin Steyer, programme director, and Jennifer Hoffmann, programme manager INSIGHT OUT, would be very pleased to meet you at the Locarno event!
INSIGHT OUT 2008
The digital revolution in slow motion!
Potsdam, 17/03/2008. Over six days, 51 filmmakers, directors, producers and postproduction experts from 26 countries came together for the international symposium INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy 2008 from March 10 to 15, 2008 in Potsdam-Babelsberg. There were discussions at the Academy for Film and Television „Konrad Wolf“ (HFF) with top-notch media professionals about the new working processes for digital film production and their experiences with high-definition formats for D-Cinema and HDTV. The link to practical experience was provided with the first ever staging of a HD Expo.
The trainers and participants of INSIGHT OUT 2008 concluded that the comprehensive digitalisation of film production is irreversible, has developed less rapidly than had been expected still only a few years ago. The digital revolution in the film industry is progressing step-by-step and is far from over, The range of digital technology such as digital film cameras, storage media, colour correction software and the associated hardware is constantly growing. The consequence is a much greater complexity in the working processes which require a great technical understanding from the filmmaker. The quesitons "Which formats and technology are the most suitable for my next project? What would the appropriate optimal data-based workflow look like?" were to the fore for the participants of this year's INSIGHT OUT.
Answers to these questions were offered by the HD Expo which was held within the framework of INSIGHT OUT. A complete high-definition digital production chain was presented publicly for the first time in the Berlin-Brandenburg region on March 11 and 12 as part of a "hands-on" presentation. 180 filmmakers from Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany and abroad came together in the Babelsberg film school in a manufacturer-neutral setting to try out digital film technology to the value of 2.5 million Euros. The exhibition included a set with six digital cameras, a storage area network as well as digital editing and colour correction systems.
Ulrich Sparrer (HFF "Konrad Wolf"), responsible for the technical design of HD Expo: „Just presenting the products is nothing new. We wanted to create a big playground for digital technology for interested filmmakers where they could play through digital production processes from beginning to end with the systems of different manufacturers.“
The whole spectrum of possibilities offered by digital production methods were illustrated in INSIGHT OUT's programme of lectures: Gerald Gutschmidt of Industrial Light and Magic described the lavish production of the digital effects for „Transformers“. How low-budget productions can also profit from digital technology was explained by Stefan Grandinetti, HFF graduate and the first German DoP to work with the Red One digital camera: „The Red One is a genuine revolution for me. Unlike other cameras, it is very reasonable cost-wise and offers an alternative to the classical 35mm workflow through a simple data processing and storage.“
INSIGHT OUT has since established itself as a networking platform and contact point for all those filmmakers in Europe who are interested in digital technology. This year, an online forum was launched for the professional exchange between participants and trainers – one of the first prominent users was the former INSIGHT OUT lecturer and triple Oscar-winner Jim Rygiel. INSIGHT OUT participants, HD Expo exhibitors and the Berlin-Brandenburg media industry also had an opportunity to meet and make contacts at the Matchmaking Dinner initiated by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.
The symposium INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy was held this year for the fourth time. Under the banner of „Just do it in HD!“, the training programme with renowned speakers of the international production scene was geared to participants from Europe, the Southern Mediterranean region and Asia.
INSIGHT OUT is organised by the Academy for Film & Television (HFF) "Konrad Wolf" and supported by the EU via the MEDIA Programme. The partners for the international HFF Academy INSIGHT OUT are Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg GmbH and European Broadcasting Union, as well as leading companies as sponsors.
This time round, the planning of the programme was in the hands of the HFF's vice-president Prof. Martin Steyer, who also spoke about sound in the digital age, and Prof. Ulrich Weinberg of the Hasso Plattner Institut, who served in addition as the chairman for the concluding Film School Day.
The HFF "Konrad Wolf" is the oldest and largest training institution of its kind in Germany with its 550 students in 11 courses of studies. The artistic and practical training is conducted on the highest level thanks to the latest technology and experienced teaching staff - intensive contacts link the HFF on a national and international level with numerous academies, universities and research institutions in the field of film and television.
Gerald Gutschmidt
Transformers at IO 2008!
Potsdam, 13/02/08. Gerald Gutschmidt, CGI-Artist at Industrial Light & Magic, confirmed his attendance at INSIGHT OUT. He will be holding a lecture about the VFX work on Transformers, which was "a gigantic task" even by the standards of ILM, as he says. The presentation gives insight to the applied work flow from onset data acquisition to final product. Recent advances in pipeline, tools and techniques are showcased through various shot breakdowns.
HD Case Study from Norway
NRK drama series at INSIGHT OUT
Potsdam, 11/02/08. It was confirmed today, that several of the production crew members of Sky Blue will be joining INSIGHT OUT as speakers. Sky Blue is a 16-part series by Norwegian National Broadcaster NRK shot under very difficult climatic and geographic conditions high up in the North of Norway. One of the producers, DoP Helge Semb, who designed the work flow for this file-based HD shoot, and the post-production supervisor will all be coming to Potsdam.
Mike Christmann
confirmed as speaker at IO 2008!
Mike is a partner at "FLYING EYE Management Consultants for Media Investments" where he is in charge of digital film & post production, workflow design for digital media, technology and strategy. He has exentensive experience in the film and broadcasting industry and has worked on movie projects such as Babel and Black Dahlia. Mike is a "veteran" INSIGHT OUT speaker, having held his famous 120-slides-in-90-minutes lecture for the first time in 2005. In fact, this lecture is INSIGHT OUT in a nutshell and provides an excellent and comprehensive overview of digital technology and workflow.
David Tart
Lectures about Animation: Work Flow in a Digital Studio
Potsdam, 13/12/2007. David confirmed today that he will be holding a lecture about work flow in a digital studio. With the particular focus of INSIGHT OUT's programme on digital work flow, the organisors are delighted that such an experienced animator as David, who has worked on Finding Nemo and Robots, will be examining these issues from an animator's perspective.
[EDIT 15/01/08: Unfortunately, David had to cancel his participation due to a scheduling conflict. We hope to see him in 2009!]
Nik Powell
NFTS Director and well-known UK producer to join INSIGHT OUT!
Nik accepted our invitation to hold a presentation during the IO 2008 film school special. The National Film and Television School in London has significantly invested in digital equipment over the past years, so it will be very interesting to find out what the NFTS approach has been to this investment and how they have adapted the school's curricula to digital production methods.
Nik is one of the UK's top film producers. He embarked on an entrepreneurial career in the 1960s, when he set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson. His long partnership with Stephen Woolley, with whom he founded Palace Pictures and Scala Productions, brought an unrivalled slate of award-winning features to the screen, including Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. Nik's films have garnered many awards and nominations, including an Oscar, several Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe. His more recent films include Little Voice, Calendar Girls and, most recently, Ladies in Lavender starring Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.
Since becoming Director of the NFTS in September 2003, Nik has introduced several innovative new programmes, keeping the School at the leading edge of film and TV education in the UK.
Digital Pre-Production
Manfred Büttner as speaker in 2008 confirmed!
Potsdam, 21/11/2007. Manfred Büttner will be joining INSIGHT OUT for the fourth time as a trainer. He will be holding a lecture on digital preproduction and thanks to his expertise in vfx, he has plenty of practical advise to offer on how you can use the pre-production phase to full advantage by using storyboarding and previsualisation very early on.
Manfred has worked as VFX supervisor on many international feature film projects, such as Run, Lola, Run, Whale Rider, Oliver Twist, The Counterfeiters, The Three Investigators and many more.
Virtual Studio & Motion Control
Joe Lewis confirmed as speaker at IO 2008.
Potsdam, 20/11/2007. Joe Lewis of General Lift Llc. has confirmed today, that he will be coming to Babelsberg again for INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy 2008. Joe is a renowned expert on motion control and has worked on Lord of the Rings, Hollow Man (for which he designed and built the first underwater motion control system), King Kong and I, Robot. Earlier this year, he was in Babelsberg for several weeks working on the Wachowski brothers production of Speed Racer, so he will certainly have many new case studies to present at INSIGHT OUT.
Most inspired!
New INSIGHT OUT website noted for beautiful design
Potsdam, 26/10/2007. Since the relaunch of the INSIGHT OUT website two weeks ago, it has been featured by a number of sites for its beautiful new design.
That makes us just a little bit proud. We hope you like the new site, too!
INSIGHT OUT 2007
DVD-Documentation available now
Potsdam, 13/08/2007. 27 hours of theory and practical information about D-Cinema, HDTV and how to use the new digital tools in film-making: Every lecture held at INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy 2007 is burned on this DVD. It also features bonus material such as interviews, fotos and every presentation for download. Participants, trainers, sponsors and all members of the CILECT association of film schools will receive a copy of the DVD in the next few days by post. If you would also like to get a copy, please contact the organisers.
EU funding for INSIGHT OUT
Get the big picture again in 2008!
Potsdam, 17/07/2007. The EU decided positively on HFF’s application for funding for INSIGHT OUT 2008. The organisers received confirmation today, that the first stage of the application process was successfully taken. INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy will benefit from the EU’s MEDIA programme for the fourth time since the inaugural workshop took place in 2005. MEDIA supports the European audiovisual industry in the areas of development, production, distribution and training.
EBU and HFF Cooperation
Fully Paid Scholarships Launched to Upskill Film & TV Professionals from the Southern Mediterranean in Digital Filmmaking
Potsdam, 09/07/2007. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Film and Television University “Konrad Wolf” Potsdam (HFF) announced today that they will sponsor several professionals from the film and broadcasting industries to participate in INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy 2008.
HDTV & D-Cinema training for the Southern Mediterranean
Film and broadcasting professionals from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey can apply for the EBU Scholarships for the Southern Mediterranean Rim for the INSIGHT OUT symposium 2008 by contacting the INSIGHT OUT office. The scholarships encompass all seminar costs, travel expenses and accommodation during the workshop.
The introduction of digital production tools is transforming traditional workflows in film and TV production. However, for professionals from the Southern Mediterranean countries, there are hardly any affordable training programmes to learn about these new digital production methods. In 2006 and 2007, INSIGHT OUT / HFF Academy offered workshops for a total of 50 professionals from those countries thanks to funding from the European Union’s Euromed Audiovisual II Programme. Due to the programme’s guidelines, this funding is no longer available. It is unclear, whether the EU will continue to fund Euromed Audiovisual II beyond the end of the programme in 2008.
INSIGHT OUT Programme Director Prof. Ulrich Weinberg says: “Thanks to the generous support and commitment from EBU, we are delighted that we can continue to invite professionals from the Southern Mediterranean to INSIGHT OUT, who were a great enrichment for the last two conferences.”
EBU: the largest worldwide network of broadcasters
The Geneva-based EBU is the largest professional association of national broadcasters in the world. It serves 721 active members in 52 countries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle-East and 5146 associate members in 3029 countries around the world. On behalf of its members, the EBU negotiates broadcasting rights for major sports events, owns and operates the Eurovision and Euroradio networks, organises programme exchanges, is the centre for co-productions and acquisitions, and provides a full range of other operational, commercial, technical, legal and strategic services.
