SMPTE Announces Keynote Speaker

SMPTE Announces Keynote Speaker
  • Thomas Gewecke, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Warner Bros. Entertainment, will be the Opening Keynote presenter at the SMPTE 2013 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, taking place October 22-24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. Gewecke will speak on the future of content in an increasingly Internet-based world.

Gewecke is among the technology thought-leaders shaping the motion-imaging industry today. At Warner Bros. Entertainment, he is responsible for driving the studio's worldwide digital growth and managing its global business strategy. Gewecke coordinates the company's digital distribution strategies to maximize the value of Warner Bros.' content across all current and emerging digital exhibition platforms. He also oversees Warner Bros. Technical Operations and Corporate Business Development, as well as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Direct-to-Consumer, Business Development, and Flixster group. Prior to joining Warner Bros. Entertainment, Gewecke was senior vice president of business development in the Digital Services Group for Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Click here to register for SMPTE 2013.

The SMPTE 2013 Symposium will take place on October 21, 2013. This one-day technical Symposium, titled “Next-Gen Image Formats: More, Better, or Faster Pixels?” will provide attendees with an understanding of the technology landscape, separating fact from fiction.


Technical Track

Program Chair, Skip Pizzi, NAB Director of Digital Strategies
Join the experts and discuss the next generation of image formats including discussions on higher frame rates, wider color gamut and increased dynamic range, along with 4K (UHD-1) and 8K (UHD-2) resolutions. Offering a clear picture of the current technology landscape, the Symposium will be valuable to anyone responsible for delivering high-quality imaging in broadcast, Internet, cinema, and broadband applications.

New This Year: Business Track

Led by Chris Chinnock, President/Founder of Insight Media
Focused on the business, investment, and ROI issues associated with broader adoption of 4K/UHD equipment and content in consumer and professional markets, this track will aid senior business executives, decision makers, product planners, and investors in understanding the complex issues involving the roll out of 4K. A series of panel discussions will examine fundamental questions around the timing, positioning, and monetization of investments in the 4K/UHD ecosystem.

Industry experts are invited to submit their opinions on the key business, investment, and monetization issues and their perspective on how to address challenges and take advantage of opportunities. Those interested in becoming a panelist for the Business Track, may submit proposals by email.

4K/UHD Demo Area

A 4K/UHD demonstration area will showcase image processing and scaling engines and their ability to produce 4K/UHD content from lower-resolution sources. By highlighting the exceptional quality of these images, especially when compared with their native 4K/UHD versions, the demonstration will illustrate that content needn't be a hurdle to adoption of 4K/UHD

Last year, the first-ever SMPTE Jam was held as an after-party to the Honors & Award Ceremony and Dinner. It will once again be held following the Honors & Award Ceremony and Dinner in the Hollywood Ballroom of the Loews Hollywood Hotel on Thursday, October 24 from 10pm - 12am.

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