Committees

Event Planning Committee

The Event Planning Committee replaces and combines the responsibilities of the Conference Committee and Professional Development Committee.

1. Continually reviews need and composition of GSCA events, develops technical requirements for hosting events, receives event bids and makes recommendations to the board.
2. Creates event theming and determines best avenues for marketing GSCA events.
3. Determines criteria for and organizes all aspects of film submissions and the GSCA Achievement Awards Presentation.
4. Develops event programming content, including panels, sessions and keynote speakers, to increase the understanding of the educational giant screen experience.
5. Stays abreast of members’ professional development needs by continually reviewing event surveys for feedback.
6. Establishes potential professional development programming possibilities beyond GSCA events.

Industry Development Committee

The Committee’s mandate is to plan and activate strategic initiatives that seek growth for the giant screen industry and to develop opportunities for each of its sectors. In 2021, our mandate takes on the urgency of addressing the challenges to the GS industry brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are organized into special interest groups or task forces, and each committee meeting will be a workshop. We have a lot of work to do! We welcome the talents and ideas that so many of our colleagues can bring to our projects. We will be setting goals and project priorities and tracking our progress. We believe that meeting participation, and our productivity overall, will be better if we keep the group size to a modest number. Also, this is not a committee to monitor as a passive bystander. If you are not able to regularly attend or you are not inclined to be active on committee meetings, or not able to join one of the task forces or special interest groups that will have work to do between meetings, then this won't be a good fit for you.

Our 2021 priorities:

1. Research

• Develop accurate and highly useful data and fact-based insights on the GS industry’s metrics and performance. The Research Task Force will lead this, mindful of budget constraints.

2. Business Model

• Explore and facilitate testing by members of new approaches. The “product” aspect of the GS business model will be one of several focus areas, led by the new Content Special Interest Group, which replaces and builds on the Alternative Content SIG. Discussions of "alternative" content will be in the context of balancing it with the core GS documentary. Current members who are GS producers and distributors are more than welcome to join these discussions. Our meetings will explore other focus areas too, each with their own working sub-group.

3. Domes

• The unique needs of dome theaters will be translated into programs that benefit them and their content suppliers. This will be led by the Giant Dome Special Interest Group.

4. Targeted External Communications Projects

• Engage CEO’s and their senior leadership teams at theater member organizations, to develop a deeper understanding of their perspective of the value of the GS theater and its content to the host institution, and to use this understanding to craft communications and events for them.
• Strategize new communications initiatives that raise the profile and distinctive attributes of member theaters and the GS content, with consumers.

Industry Development Committee Co-Chairs

• Caroline Borgudd, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Cosmonova
• Tammy Barrett, GSCA staff liaison

Sub-Group Leaders

• Research Task Force: TBD
• Content Special Interest Group, TBD
• Giant Dome Interest Group, Heather Farnworth, Ontario Science Centre
• Targeted External Communications Group, TBD

Committee Members

• Tim Archer, Masters Digital
• Shauna Badheka, MacGillivray Freeman Films
• Janine Baker, nWave  Pictures Distribution
• Diane Carlson, Giant Screen Cinema Consulting
• Darren Durocher, TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
• Heather Farnworth, Ontario Science Centre
• Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks
• Kelly Germain, GSCA
• Sandra Itkoff, IMAX Corporation
• Mark Katz, D3D Cinema/Giant Screen Films
• Patricia Keighley, IMAX Corporation
• Don Kempf, D3D Cinema/Giant Screen Films
• Dani LeBlanc, Museum of Science, Boston
• Brad Lisle, Foxfire Interactive
• Meghan MacGillivray, MacGillivray Freeman Films
• Alex Mifflin, SK Films
• Tyler Mifflin, SK Films
• Richard Morrison, IMAX Melbourne
• Mary Nucci, PhD, Rutgers
• Alan Nursall, TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
• Jim Remar, Cosmosphere
• Gordon Stalans, Tennessee Aquarium

Member Services Committee

Formerly the Marketing and Member Services Committee.

Giant Screen Innovations Committee

1. Creates programs and guidelines to encourage best technical practices for giant screen exhibitors and filmmakers while being dedicated to developing filmmakers and new content creators.
2. Coordinates technical sessions at GSCA events, providing an ongoing forum for the presentation of technical issues of interest to GSCA members.
3. Provides input to Events Committee on technical requirements for GSCA events.
4. Establishes recommended technical guidelines for giant screen exhibitors and seeks to develop standard test materials for evaluating performance of giant screen cinemas.
5. Creates an online reference database of tools used by giant screen filmmakers—including cameras, film stocks, and post-production processes—in the interest of helping giant screen filmmakers produce the highest quality images possible for presentation on the giant screen.
6. Continually reviews qualifications for the Certified Giant Screen® program and makes recommendations to Member Services Committee so programs remain relevant and are updated as industry standards progress.

Giant Screen Innovations Committee Co-Chairs

• Michael Daut, Michael Daut Productions
• Christian Fry, CVF Productions
• Tammy Barrett, GSCA staff liaison

​Committee Members

• Tim Archer, Masters Digital
• Janine Baker, nWave Pictures Distribution
• Jonathan Bird, Oceanic Research Group
• Doug Boyer, Christie
• Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks
• Kelly Germain, GSCA
• Dave Gioia, Saint Louis Science Center
• James Hyder, LF Examiner
• David Keighley, IMAX Corporation
• Patricia Keighley, IMAX Corporation
• William Kleinart, Tillinghast Reid Worldwide
• Tyler Mifflin, SK Films
• Amy Quisenberry, Orlando Science Center
• Christian Straub, FotoKem
• Alvis Wales

Ethical Obligation of Committee Members

1. When at any GSCA board, committee, work team or group meeting, the GSCA interest is paramount.
2. Committee members should not enter into conflicts of interest in financial matters.
3. Follow communication steps outlined in board, committee, work team and group meetings that are in the interest of GSCA.
4. To promote the free exchange of ideas, the general business of the GSCA board and opinions expressed by the board members should be kept confidential.

Committee Member Qualifications

Committee members must:

• be a current member of GSCA.
• have a broad knowledge and understanding of the giant screen industry.
• be willing to champion and promote the association and industry to others.
• have excellent communication, interpersonal and decision-making skills.
• be passionate and open minded.
• be able to meet in-person once per year at the Conference. Note: Costs associated with participating in committee meetings (airfare, ground transportation, lodging, telephone, etc.) will be the responsibility of the committee member.
• be able to participate in conference calls on a regular basis as determined by committee chairs.
• There may be additional criteria. Please see our committee descriptions above for that information.