Beyond the Spotlight: GSCA Webinar
LED Domes and the Future of Immersive Cinema
In September, the GSCA community came together to experience the future of immersive cinema at the Innovations Spotlight Day in Fort Worth, Texas—an unprecedented gathering that showcased the promise and potential of LED dome technology.
Weeks later, members reconvened virtually for Beyond the Spotlight: LED Domes and the Future of Immersive Cinema, a follow-up webinar designed to reflect on lessons learned and chart the next steps for the industry.
Moderated by Michael Daut (Michael Daut Productions and K2 Studios), the conversation brought together an extraordinary panel of creative and technical leaders: Dan Neafus (IMERSA) • Daniel Ferguson (Cosmic Picture) • Kate McCallum (WORLDS) • Mike Lutz (Lutz Strategies) • Nate Cohen (Nathan Cohen Productions) • Phil Streather (Principal Large Format) • Robin Sip (Mirage 3D) • Ryan Moore (Dome Fest West) • Sean Phillips (MacLeod Enterprises)
Together, they explored what the industry learned from the Fort Worth LED Dome experience—an 8K x 8K self-illuminating surface that produces up to 150 foot-lamberts of brightness (ten times traditional cinema levels) with nearly unlimited contrast. The conversation delved into the creative, technical, and economic implications of this next-generation display technology.
Highlights from the Discussion
- The Fort Worth event was described as a watershed moment where the worlds of giant screen and full dome began to converge, signaling a new era of shared innovation.
- Panelists emphasized that LED domes deliver unprecedented realism and brightness, but also challenge filmmakers to rethink workflows, frame rates, and finishing standards.
- Several speakers noted that the future of immersive cinema will depend on close collaboration between content creators, technologists, and exhibitors.
- The discussion underscored the need to view and test content within dome environments to truly understand motion, framing, and viewer experience—something impossible to replicate on flat monitors or VR headsets.
- The group also stressed the importance of maintaining consistency across venues through standards and guidance, ensuring that creative intent translates faithfully from one dome to another.
As moderator Michael Daut reflected, “It’s rare in our industry when the display technology exceeds the capture technology. We’re in that space now—and figuring it out together.”
GSCA’s Continuing Leadership in Standards
Specifications for Direct View LED (DV/LED) Systems led by Paul Fraser
Throughout the webinar, participants reaffirmed that GSCA has long provided leadership in developing and maintaining technical standards for the industry. Since the early days of digital cinema, the Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS) have helped theaters and producers deliver consistently high-quality presentations.
As attendees observed, the time has come for a new evolution in those standards. The introduction of **Direct View LED—both in flat and dome display forms—**represents a major shift in production and exhibition technology. GSCA’s most recent release, DIGSS 2.0 (2018), guided the transition to digital projection, but the rapid growth of LED technologies calls for a new framework to ensure compatibility, excellence, and efficiency.
Earlier this year, GSCA launched the development of DIGSS 3.0, an expanded standard that will update projection specifications for 2025–2026 and establish the first-ever specifications for Direct View LED (DV/LED) systems.
This major undertaking is led by Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks, on behalf of the GSCA Innovations Committee, supported by a multidisciplinary team of experts spanning technology, production, exhibition, and engineering. Multiple working groups are addressing areas such as mastering workflows, brightness and color calibration, sound integration, display geometry, and content interoperability.
The GSCA is deeply committed to this work and grateful for Paul’s leadership in guiding such a comprehensive and complex initiative. The association will share early drafts and progress reports with members as the project advances and will actively seek feedback from the broader giant screen community.
Stay tuned for updates on this vital effort as GSCA continues its tradition of supporting technical innovation and excellence across the global giant screen industry.
Call for Participation
Developing New Guidance for Filmmakers and Producers
During the webinar, panelists and attendees also identified the urgent need for new guidance for filmmakers and producers creating content for LED and next-generation dome environments.
GSCA will soon begin developing this guidance to support members with best practices on topics such as camera and lens selection, color grading, frame rates, mastering workflows, HDR/HFR considerations, and cross-format adaptation.
If you are a filmmaker, post-production specialist, technologist, or exhibition professional interested in contributing to this effort, we invite you to participate. To get involved, please contact GSCA Executive Director Tammy Barrett at tammy@giantscreencinema.com. Your expertise and input will help ensure this work reflects the diverse experiences and needs of the entire giant screen and immersive cinema community.