2019 Women in Cinema – Celluloid Junkie

The New York Times Review of Books today highlights “When Women Take the Baton“, an article about the challenges in one segment of entertainment that we don’t often hear about – and repeatedly the stated goal is not to be known as an excellent or expert female conductor, but rather to be an expert.

In the star-studded side of the cinema world we have learned this year about people who are objecting to disproportionate salaries and unwanted hurdles of all kinds. 

Anecdotally, on the tech side of the exhibition side of the business, the digital transition has reduced the number of projectionists and along with that a significant number of female experts who were in that group. Not a majority by any means, but all over the world it was not odd to install for and train at least one woman per facility. Of course, now, it is one projectionist per several facilities. Alas.

And so, we get to Celluloid Junkies yearly noble effort to highlight the fact that there are a lot more people of the female persuasion making it possible for movies to be shown at facilities around the world, not in the hidden corners of some tech hallway, but in the corridors of power. 

Still a long way to go, as seen by the efforts that SMPTE and AES have made to promote and assist young women (and actually young people in general to some degree in this industry nearly chock full of old-ish men) get into the STEM fields. At last night’s SMPTE meeting they even promoted an ‘A’ into that – artists with a technical event are invited to their next event promoting the STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math.

And so, Celluloid Junkie’s Top 50 Women In Global Cinema – 2019

…and the background article: Celebrating Top Women in Global Cinema for the Fourth Year

By the way, Susie Beiersdorf who was highlighted recently for the Ken Mason Inter-Society Award that she will receive at CinemaCon is also on the CJ’s Top 50 Global Women List

2019 Women in Cinema – Celluloid Junkie

The New York Times Review of Books today highlights “When Women Take the Baton“, an article about the challenges in one segment of entertainment that we don’t often hear about – and repeatedly the stated goal is not to be known as an excellent or expert female conductor, but rather to be an expert.

In the star-studded side of the cinema world we have learned this year about people who are objecting to disproportionate salaries and unwanted hurdles of all kinds. 

Anecdotally, on the tech side of the exhibition side of the business, the digital transition has reduced the number of projectionists and along with that a significant number of female experts who were in that group. Not a majority by any means, but all over the world it was not odd to install for and train at least one woman per facility. Of course, now, it is one projectionist per several facilities. Alas.

And so, we get to Celluloid Junkies yearly noble effort to highlight the fact that there are a lot more people of the female persuasion making it possible for movies to be shown at facilities around the world, not in the hidden corners of some tech hallway, but in the corridors of power. 

Still a long way to go, as seen by the efforts that SMPTE and AES have made to promote and assist young women (and actually young people in general to some degree in this industry nearly chock full of old-ish men) get into the STEM fields. At last night’s SMPTE meeting they even promoted an ‘A’ into that – artists with a technical event are invited to their next event promoting the STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math.

And so, Celluloid Junkie’s Top 50 Women In Global Cinema – 2019

…and the background article: Celebrating Top Women in Global Cinema for the Fourth Year

By the way, Susie Beiersdorf who was highlighted recently for the Ken Mason Inter-Society Award that she will receive at CinemaCon is also on the CJ’s Top 50 Global Women List

Susie Beiersdorf and “that rarest of commodities”

The Ken Mason Inter-Society Award recipient for 2019 will be awarded at CinemaCon to Susie Beiersdorf, by Paul Holliman, President of The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation (and also Vice President, Sales & Non-Theatrical Distribution at Disney.)

“…outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience…” is the background phrase for this award, and there are plenty of people who will attest to the background work that Susie has contributed over many years.

But her big boss (Jack Kline, Chairman, President and CEO of Christie) proclaimed a nice summation: “In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Susie Beiersdorf has always devoted that rarest of commodities—her personal time—to advance technologies and drive initiatives to enhance the motion picture experience.” 

Update: Photo added 5April, following ceremony:

Susie Biersdorf accepts InterSociety Mason Award at CinemaCon 2019

Susie Beiersdorf and “that rarest of commodities”

The Ken Mason Inter-Society Award recipient for 2019 will be awarded at CinemaCon to Susie Beiersdorf, by Paul Holliman, President of The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation (and also Vice President, Sales & Non-Theatrical Distribution at Disney.)

“…outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience…” is the background phrase for this award, and there are plenty of people who will attest to the background work that Susie has contributed over many years.

But her big boss (Jack Kline, Chairman, President and CEO of Christie) proclaimed a nice summation: “In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Susie Beiersdorf has always devoted that rarest of commodities—her personal time—to advance technologies and drive initiatives to enhance the motion picture experience.” 

Update: Photo added 5April, following ceremony:

Susie Biersdorf accepts InterSociety Mason Award at CinemaCon 2019

Be Aware: Open Source Considerations

Modern Cinema technology rotates around Open Source code: JPEG, TIFF, AES encryption, the intra- and interwebz tech, among many other tools. 

One of the great aspects is that everyone gets to peek at the code so that if anything untoward is allowed in that it can be caught by the group and changed. This article extols that and other benefits and points out the weakness.  …and calls for some solutions. 

OpenSource Heartbleed Problem

 The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable?The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable?

Be Aware: Open Source Considerations

Modern Cinema technology rotates around Open Source code: JPEG, TIFF, AES encryption, the intra- and interwebz tech, among many other tools. 

One of the great aspects is that everyone gets to peek at the code so that if anything untoward is allowed in that it can be caught by the group and changed. This article extols that and other benefits and points out the weakness.  …and calls for some solutions. 

OpenSource Heartbleed Problem

 The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable?The Internet Was Built on the Free Labor of Open Source Developers. Is That Sustainable?

Nominations Open for Celluloid Junkie’s Top Women in Global Cinema 2019

As Celluloid Junkie gets its nomination list on for this years Top Women in Global Cinema 2019 recognition fest, (https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/nominations-open-for-celluloid-junkies-top-women-in-global-cinema-2019/), and coming off of another year that SMPTE pushes hard on the technical side of Women in Cinema, we note an interesting article on the subject.

If you think women in tech is just a pipeline problem, you haven’t been paying attention comes in strong with data data data about ‘natural bias’ (among other problems) and some good news in the end. …and things that can be done more better in the future.

Nominations Open for Celluloid Junkie’s Top Women in Global Cinema 2019

As Celluloid Junkie gets its nomination list on for this years Top Women in Global Cinema 2019 recognition fest, (https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/nominations-open-for-celluloid-junkies-top-women-in-global-cinema-2019/), and coming off of another year that SMPTE pushes hard on the technical side of Women in Cinema, we note an interesting article on the subject.

If you think women in tech is just a pipeline problem, you haven’t been paying attention comes in strong with data data data about ‘natural bias’ (among other problems) and some good news in the end. …and things that can be done more better in the future.

OLED Screens with Audio – Not Cinema…Yet

It would certainly avoid a lot of problems if they could modularize the mid and high frequency bands to spread them over the picture. What a lot of trouble Samsung is going through and still not getting it great. Listenable, as long as you know who is talking and have a good sense of disbelief. 

And that is what LG announced today: LG’s G8 uses its OLED screen for audio too

 

Sony Launches Branded Premium Large-Format Theater System

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/sony-launches-branded-premium-large-format-theater-system-1186263

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/lg-display-crystal-sound/   2017 Jan announcement

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/sony-upgrades-its-4k-line-with-dolby-vision-and-oled/  2017 Jan announcement Sony

OLED Screens with Audio – Not Cinema…Yet

It would certainly avoid a lot of problems if they could modularize the mid and high frequency bands to spread them over the picture. What a lot of trouble Samsung is going through and still not getting it great. Listenable, as long as you know who is talking and have a good sense of disbelief. 

And that is what LG announced today: LG’s G8 uses its OLED screen for audio too

 

Sony Launches Branded Premium Large-Format Theater System

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/sony-launches-branded-premium-large-format-theater-system-1186263

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/lg-display-crystal-sound/   2017 Jan announcement

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/04/sony-upgrades-its-4k-line-with-dolby-vision-and-oled/  2017 Jan announcement Sony

Presume Your Passwords Are Known – Update

Put in a username or email (as username) that you use. It will tell you in Green that no pwnage has been found. Or, in Red, that there are X number of breeches and Y number of times that it was found in the glossaries of the dark web.

It isn’t obvious that there is more explicate information than just these 2 piece of overview data. Roll down a bit and you’ll find good information about where to go next. Where to go next is the sites like LinkedIn and Adobe and others which have been broken into. Disqus is another likely one. 

But, guess what. Perhaps it is time to go through and change everything…because as good as the pwned database is, they haven’t yet filled it with two other data breaches that are larger than imaginable. We may as well imagine that everything is breached and start again with a fresh approach. 

 Update: Chrome, the browser from Google, has a new extension that will tell you if you have just used a password that is on their list of breached passwords. …in real time~! …built into Chrome~! See the Wired article: A NEW GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSION WILL DETECT YOUR UNSAFE PASSWORDSA NEW GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSION WILL DETECT YOUR UNSAFE PASSWORDS

Presume Your Passwords Are Known – Update

Put in a username or email (as username) that you use. It will tell you in Green that no pwnage has been found. Or, in Red, that there are X number of breeches and Y number of times that it was found in the glossaries of the dark web.

It isn’t obvious that there is more explicate information than just these 2 piece of overview data. Roll down a bit and you’ll find good information about where to go next. Where to go next is the sites like LinkedIn and Adobe and others which have been broken into. Disqus is another likely one. 

But, guess what. Perhaps it is time to go through and change everything…because as good as the pwned database is, they haven’t yet filled it with two other data breaches that are larger than imaginable. We may as well imagine that everything is breached and start again with a fresh approach. 

 Update: Chrome, the browser from Google, has a new extension that will tell you if you have just used a password that is on their list of breached passwords. …in real time~! …built into Chrome~! See the Wired article: A NEW GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSION WILL DETECT YOUR UNSAFE PASSWORDSA NEW GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSION WILL DETECT YOUR UNSAFE PASSWORDS

Update – Ludé on Light Field Displays

There are a few things to notice as Mr. Ludé gets past the basics and into the meat of the matter. For example, at just before minute 24 he starts talking about how – in the future – these huge amounts of data representations for light might be handled. First is reference to the order of magnitude for storage and manipulation, and second is the evolution of the devices that what we now call game engines to handle this information.

What he would have said if he had the time and were disposed to more exposition and basics is how much data manipulation is currently done in a typical animated or CGI scene that vectors leaves moving and creeks getting exposed to the light that the leaves just allowed to touch the water or reflect off some stone near the water. Current 2D 2K technology doesn’t really allow all that is required to do a great job, so algorithms are used to constrain the scene to some practical/compromised number of layers that the director is willing to let go by.

4K is still around the bend for all but the biggest budgets, but, given what was possible 10 years ago for that technology and the push to make animations for the coming 8K Tokyo Olympics, one can imagine that there will be constant money to keep increasing capabilities. 

Another thing to notice is how people who are close to the bleeding edge of video technology had interesting basic questions – even errors in fact – that Mr. Ludé was able to not only answer but give example about. 

Light Wave Technology. Not coming to homes or theaters soon, and not holograms – which is an entire discussion in itself – but certainly in the future.

Update: Orders of magnitude…

Pete stated about 15 minutes in that the size of the LEDs probably wouldn’t be getting smaller than the 1 micron size of the smallest bacteria since we are getting down to the size of the wavelength of light. Although we have learned that there is no limit to the way that technology can always go past “won’t/can’t get any faster/smaller/more powerful”, we must leave that for the future to decide. One or two breakthroughs in quantum computers and/or making microwaves manipulate light and we are off to who-knows-land.

But, how small is micro____? And how does that relate to a micron? Since we were kids, the name of these smaller than small terms have been tossed in the air and re-arranged by the ISO. The greek letter ‘mu’ is the chosen one – and ‘μ’ is the symbol and in usage it is micrometere (if you follow the ISO) or micrometer in English speaking countries. But ‘micrometer’ is also used in English as the name of a measuring tool, so, be aware. By the way, mu is also seen in italic, like this: ‘μ‘, but technically that is the old and no-longer-used symbol. …oh, and in Greek the word μικρός (mikrós), means “small”. …oh, and add 3 zeros and that is ‘nano’ size.

Here is Pete’s slide:

 

Bacteria can indeed be that small, but not usually smaller – they generally range 1 – 10 

Update – Ludé on Light Field Displays

There are a few things to notice as Mr. Ludé gets past the basics and into the meat of the matter. For example, at just before minute 24 he starts talking about how – in the future – these huge amounts of data representations for light might be handled. First is reference to the order of magnitude for storage and manipulation, and second is the evolution of the devices that what we now call game engines to handle this information.

What he would have said if he had the time and were disposed to more exposition and basics is how much data manipulation is currently done in a typical animated or CGI scene that vectors leaves moving and creeks getting exposed to the light that the leaves just allowed to touch the water or reflect off some stone near the water. Current 2D 2K technology doesn’t really allow all that is required to do a great job, so algorithms are used to constrain the scene to some practical/compromised number of layers that the director is willing to let go by.

4K is still around the bend for all but the biggest budgets, but, given what was possible 10 years ago for that technology and the push to make animations for the coming 8K Tokyo Olympics, one can imagine that there will be constant money to keep increasing capabilities. 

Another thing to notice is how people who are close to the bleeding edge of video technology had interesting basic questions – even errors in fact – that Mr. Ludé was able to not only answer but give example about. 

Light Wave Technology. Not coming to homes or theaters soon, and not holograms – which is an entire discussion in itself – but certainly in the future.

Update: Orders of magnitude…

Pete stated about 15 minutes in that the size of the LEDs probably wouldn’t be getting smaller than the 1 micron size of the smallest bacteria since we are getting down to the size of the wavelength of light. Although we have learned that there is no limit to the way that technology can always go past “won’t/can’t get any faster/smaller/more powerful”, we must leave that for the future to decide. One or two breakthroughs in quantum computers and/or making microwaves manipulate light and we are off to who-knows-land.

But, how small is micro____? And how does that relate to a micron? Since we were kids, the name of these smaller than small terms have been tossed in the air and re-arranged by the ISO. The greek letter ‘mu’ is the chosen one – and ‘μ’ is the symbol and in usage it is micrometere (if you follow the ISO) or micrometer in English speaking countries. But ‘micrometer’ is also used in English as the name of a measuring tool, so, be aware. By the way, mu is also seen in italic, like this: ‘μ‘, but technically that is the old and no-longer-used symbol. …oh, and in Greek the word μικρός (mikrós), means “small”. …oh, and add 3 zeros and that is ‘nano’ size.

Here is Pete’s slide:

 

Bacteria can indeed be that small, but not usually smaller – they generally range 1 – 10 

Comments on the Celluloid Junkie Predictions 2019

2019Predictions Celluloid Junkie
Celluloid Junkie Predictions Issue 2019

Meanwhile, niches such as IMAX took much longer to get to 1,000 screens, and the great advance of DolbyVision is still only shown on hundreds of screens. (The great advance of Atmos is in the thousands, while Auro and DTS:X are less than 100 combined.)

So, hopefully that gives a sense of the spectacular end of the business…not unlike post houses which would order the latest from Ampex or Sony at NAB many months before delivery even knowing that a year later their competition could order the same thing for half what they would be paying. Such is technology. LED walls have some advantage, but they have a lot of hurdles to still overcome.

…Like Tangents In Rain