Filmmaker Symposium Sessions
Tuesday, March 12 at 4:00 pm AMC CityWalk IMAX Theater
Innovations Session
Camera Assessment Test
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut, Session Leader
· James Neihouse, ASC · Sean Phillips, ASC |
In July 2023, the GSCA Innovations Committee conducted a test to show the strengths of six higher-than-6K-resolution cameras to show filmmakers how each performs in challenging situations. Under the direction of GSCA Innovations Committee Co-Chair Michael Daut and with renowned cinematographer James Neihouse, ASC, serving as director of photography using a wide variety of cameras, lenses, shooting situations, and locations, this test will provide invaluable information to filmmakers as they decide which equipment to use for different types of shoots. This is a follow-up to the camera tests conducted in 2014 for the Bring Back Our Wide Shots (BBOWS) presentation, 2017 for the Saving Our Aspect Ratio (SOAR) presentation, and the 2018 8K Digital Camera Comparison. |
Composition for the Giant Screen
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut, Session Leader
· Jonathan Bird · James Neihouse |
What is unique about the way shots are composed for the giant screen? Why don’t conventional compositions from TV and Film work properly on the giant screen canvas? In this session we will present examples of what works great and not so well on this unique canvas, and we will explore the reasons why. |
3D Techniques for the Giant Screen
| Presenters | Description |
| · Christian Fry, Session Leader
· Jonathan Bird · Sean Phillips · Phil Streather |
3D has largely faded from popularity in conventional cinemas; however, in the giant screen world, 3D is still alive and well. In this session we will explore different ways to use 3D effectively on the giant screen, and we will discuss philosophies behind varied applications of 3D on the screen. |
Reception and Demonstration sponsored by CINITY
6:15 pm
Bus departs from Universal CityWalk to Harmony Gold Theater
Harmony Gold Theater information
6:45 pm
Reception sponsored by CINITY
Further Description Coming Soon
7:30 pm
Presenters: Bian Wei, General Manager, China Film CINITY Co., Ltd.
The CINITY system uses a pair (one per projector) of recently developed Cinema IMB that can deliver a true 4K@120Hz DCP with the CINITY system. The projector is compatible with standard IMB’s but no other solution can deliver 4K@120.
Further Description Coming Soon
9:00 pm
Bus returns to Hilton CityWalk
Wednesday, March 13 at 8:00 am
AMC CityWalk IMAX Theater
WOW Moments from Giant Screen Films
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut, Session Leader
· Christian Fry, Session Leader · Wendy MacKeigan · Don Kempf · Greg MacGillivray · James Neihouse, ASC |
What are your favorite giant screen scenes, and why do you remember them? This curated, in-theater session will feature some of the most memorable and inspiring clips on the giant screen, followed by Q&A with filmmakers and distributors as they share how these scenes were captured and what makes them so special. WOW Moments featured: The Dream is Alive, Everest, Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants, Rocky Mountain Express |
Anatomy of a Digital Intermediate (DI)
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut, Session Leader
· Nate Cohen · Tony Maher · Phil Streather |
A Digital Intermediate (DI) is a bit of a confusing name that doesn’t really represent what it is. A DI session transforms the raw camera files into the finished visuals that have a consistent look and feel the director wants. To get there, a colorist massages every aspect of the picture, and for the giant screen, takes into consideration specific techniques to make the images sing on screens that can be over 60’ wide and over 5 stories tall. In this session we will see different approaches to the Di workflow and the individual steps that get us to the final look of the on-screen images. |
Audio for Giant Screen Films
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut
· Brian Eimer · Christian Fry · David Keighley |
A discussion about creating immersive soundtracks for large format films. The discussion will touch on best practices and some techniques used to achieve this. Brian Eimer, sound designer, will share some of the approaches he uses to achieve an immersive soundtrack |
Hilton Universal CityWalk
Making a Giant Screen Film: Topic and Subject
| Session Leaders | Description |
| · Myles Connolly
· Christian Fry · Michael Daut
|
The best giant screen films are more than just big, beautiful images. It’s the stories we tell with those images that inspire and resonate with audiences. But what makes storytelling on the giant screen unique? How do filmmakers approach scriptwriting? How is shooting, editing, and scoring different from other media? Which topics and genres have worked, which ones haven’t, and which ones should be considered? And how does new technology, like drones and motion capture, affect storytelling? Veteran filmmakers will share how they use cameras, writing, editing, music, sound, and other technology to tell a story that audiences remember and that can even inspire action.
In this session you’ll hear from the veterans—producers, distributors, and exhibitors—on what they’ve learned throughout their careers in the industry. They’ll share their understanding of and relationship with the audience, their own successes and failures, and advice on what it takes to have longevity in the industry. |
Budgeting for Giant Screen Films
| Presenters | Description |
| · Myles Connolly, Session Leader
· Christian Fry · Lily Brand · Susan Todd |
In this session, we will look at the decisions that determine what a budget should be for a giant screen film. There are so many factors that play into this that there is no one-size-fits-all budget. We will unravel the elements that can cause your budgets to go up or down and help you see how to put your project on the path for financial success. |
Lunch and Tabletop Trade Show
12:30 PM – 2:30 PM at the Hilton Universal CityWalk
Enjoy lunch, provided by GSCA, learn more about the tools of the trade, and have a chat with industry vendors during this mini trade show.
Tabletop Tradeshow
Funding Giant Screen Films
| Presenters | Description |
| · Christian Fry, Session Leader
· Kevin Clark, PhD · David Gross · Shaun MacGillivray · Michael Dalton Smith · Susan Todd |
Peter Jackson once said, “No matter the project, you will never have enough time or enough money.” In this session we will look at ways filmmakers find funding for their projects from sources that do not have to be paid back. These “Angel” investments often come with strings attached, and some have more strings than others. We will learn what to look for and what to avoid as you seek funding for your projects. |
Shooting and Production
| Presenters | Description |
| · Phil Streather, Session Leader
· Jonathan Bird · Michael Dalton-Smith · Sean Phillips, ASC · Susan Todd |
Giant screen films are lauded for their premier images and sound, but how do filmmakers achieve that immersive, you-are-there quality? This session will give you a peek inside the giant screen technical toolbox. We’ll examine creative approaches to capture, lens options, shooting native 3D vs. converting in post, formatting for the dome, and more to ensure films exceed audience expectations and keep them coming back for the giant screen experience. |
Distribution and Marketing
| Presenters | Description |
| · Christian Fry, Session Leader
· Patty Collins · Amber Hawtin · Don Kempf |
Once you have completed your film you will need to find a way to get it into theaters. Distribution in the giant screen world is very different from television and feature film distribution. In this session we will look at how this process works and the questions you should ask before choosing a distributor to represent your film. |
Embracing the Immersive Future
| Presenters | Description |
| · Michael Daut, Session Leader
· Dani LeBlanc · Dan Neafus · Kate McCallum · Dan Tell · Ryan Wyatt |
Currently giant screen technical specs live around 4K resolution and 24 fps. There are some exciting exceptions, especially in the immersive dome world. The advent of LED domes and the impact of the MSG Sphere on the cultural Zeitgeist has changed audience expectations and the ways they consume entertainment outside the home. In this session, we will look at the potential future of the technology and the new types of immersive content that are now available and coming quickly on the horizon. |
Reception
5:30 pm Hilton Universal Hotel Sierra Courtyard
Join the GSCA for cocktails and share learnings from the Filmmaker Symposium!