HD Production Conference Follow-up

This weekend, I was fortunate to attend the HD Production Conference here in Edmonton. I understand nearly 300 attended the 2-day conference in Calgary and around 200 packed the sessions in Edmonton. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces, meet some new ones, and learn about all the new HD productions from Albertans. And the two fantastic lunches were a bonus!

It was a little daunting to see some of the financial figures people were dealing with but since HD is a relatively new media, a higher production cost can be expected. The quality available through HD is outstanding and for those productions that want that clarity, detail, rich colors, and an immersive experience, HD is definitely the way to go.

A few key points surfaced during the various presentations and breakout sessions:

If you've shot on film or continue to shoot on film, you're already working in HD. The resolution provided by film is still one of the highest quality formats available.

With 16x9 HD productions producers, directors, and cinematographers need to think cinematically. With HD, producers and directors are back in the movie business.

The picture is wide...the sound is wide. If you're thinking cinematically, you can't forget the whole experience, which includes sound, hopefully in 5.1 digital audio.

Not only is the picture wide, but deep. Because of the clarity of the HD, viewers are able to see deeper into the picture, showcasing a world not seen in Standard Definition broadcasts.

Expect to see more dramatic recreations of historic events. Archival footage from older film video productions may not hold up to HD's standards. Of course, it depends on the footage and viewers will be forgiving if the story is compelling, but broadcasters are demanding the highest quality material.

Not everything needs to be shot on HD. If your production has a planned short shelf life, there is no need to spend the extra cost to produce in HD.

It was also clear that despite the different format variables, HD will allow for great distribution globally. Expect to see a lot more HD productions surface in 2006 with Albertans forging ahead.

Hopefully I will also have a production to add to the growing list.