Deborah Osborne is a post-production manager with 25 years’ experience on feature films, TV series, and live-to-air programming. She was on the organizing committee for Alberta’s recent High Definition Production: The Definitive HD Seminar, and presented a session there on HD Deliverables. Here she provides a recap of the seminar in anticipation of the CFTPA Prime Time panel High-Def CanCon: Are We Ready?

High Definition Production: The Definitive HD Seminar, designed and coordinated by SAIT Polytechnic and the local industry, recently had a successful run in both Calgary and Edmonton, Jan. 11-12 and Jan. 14-15, respectively. The goal was to offer the Alberta film and TV production community a common and basic understanding of HD and related digital technologies, in order to stay competitive and be HD-ready for the domestic and global markets.

The implementation of HD has begun, and although broadcasters and distributors are struggling with the issue of standards, as well as the many choices and the costs of updating the infrastructure, there is every indication that the shift will be swift. Consumer awareness of HD has grown, pushing the marketplace into a faster rate of adoption. And with consumers craving HD, broadcasters must provide it and producers must deliver it.

Michael McEwen (president, Canadian Digital Television, and moderator of the Prime Time panel) provided a reality check on the status of HD in Canada, the U.S., and the rest of the world. His basic message was, ‘If filmmakers are not up-to-speed on all aspects of producing in HD, the result will be fewer opportunities and incentives for production in Canada.’

To maintain a successful economic model, HD must be at the core of future business strategies in TV production. HD programs are needed for domestic and global markets, and shelf life will only exist for programs produced with highest resolution. Europe is now committing to HD, and Japan has been there for years. The target for analog shutdown in the U.S. is 2009, and although there is no mandate for Canada, the projected year is 2011.

There are no timetables and incentives in place for HD here beyond the marketplace. The government is considering financial help for production awareness programs and additional funding for HDTV production. However, as McEwen noted, ‘If the industry does not become proactive with its own plans, we may not like the alternatives.’

Mark Starowicz, senior exec producer of CBC Television’s documentary production, expressed his excitement about the tremendous opportunity in HD storytelling. His presentation revealed how the widescreen format provides a ‘return to the cinematic narrative’ for both picture and sound.

He spoke about the challenge of finding the balance between the ‘spectacle’ money shots and the other creative possibilities of the larger image. He encouraged us to learn to use the technology to assist in storytelling, not to use it to remind the audience of the technology. ‘HD is a wonderful opportunity to finally work outside the 4 x 3 box,’ he said.

To get the perspective from our neighbors (and often clients) to the south, Harold Protter, senior VP, technology, The WB (which more recently merged with UPN), gave an assessment of the current transition to HD in the U.S. He revealed theirs has been a cautious approach, with the same challenges and struggles Canada is facing.

However, the larger market and greater number of outlets for HD programming available in the U.S. is accelerating HD production and speeding up the transition. He offered that Canada has the opportunity to learn from the U.S.’s successes and mistakes in preparing a more streamlined transition, with the rise of new and emerging technologies for content distribution.

Day one finished with panel discussions involving a broad spectrum of professionals from across Canada, covering aspects of HD production in all genres, including drama, documentary, news, sports, corporate and commercial.

On day two of each seminar, industry professionals headed breakout sessions covering the impact of HD specific to each craft area. Defining what HD is, breaking down how it works, exploring options and achieving overall clarity and understanding speaks to all departments that bring a story to life.

The key to a successful HD production is that everyone understands the entire workflow and how their particular skill or craft influences – and is influenced by – the whole HD pipeline. It will be the people behind the technology who bring HD to the next level in the emerging digital ecology.

During the HD transition period, we must ‘beware the hybrids.’ Hybrids of formats, aspect ratios, archival material, and stock shots – any mixed media integrated with HD footage – present a quality issue. Broadcasters such as Discovery HD Theater have restrictions on how much non-HD footage is allowed in a program, while others are implementing stringent quality control checks of any FX and footage treatments. Some producers must get pre-approval of the post path from the broadcaster.

Case studies illustrated that design departments found success if they approached an HD shoot as they would a 35mm project in terms of quality needed and attention to detail. Testing makeup and wardrobe whenever possible provides a good check of any potential shine or reflective issues, and viewing the proper monitor during the shoot with the director and director of photography is essential.

Some directors expressed their preference for the flexibility of the length of HD tapes compared to motion picture magazines, and greater convenience is on the way with image capture on memory cards.

Meanwhile, the seminar looked at how lighting is especially critical on an HD shoot, as is the importance of understanding camera engineering, depth of field, lenses and composition. Also, camera and sound must be clear on their recording frame rates for compatibility and to facilitate the post workflow.

Working in the digital domain in post offered an additional pass for creative input in color correction. Picture editors must fully understand the various options in HD, and the technology integration issues. The wider image will affect the pace of the picture edit, the amount of sequencing, and the exposition required.

Music and sound is as big as the picture when working in HD. Always in danger of being cut back due to its placement in the workflow, neglecting to take the time with sound and music on an HD production will diminish the widescreen experience.

Everyone present at the seminars agreed that planning is critical when working in HD. Make post- production preproduction. With any project that involves HD, decisions made – or not made – during preproduction can have serious implications on the creative vision and costs.

Some post-production survival guidelines were drawn up: Perform critical reading of all agreements. Understand and list your deliverables, and discuss them with the broadcaster. Work backwards from your delivery elements to create the best workflow for each project. Mirror your post budget and schedule to the agreements and workflow. Detail the post budget as much as possible (no lump sums), and itemize in the order of the overall post process. Never assume anything. Ask questions, share information, communicate and follow up.

In short, if you know where you are going, you will know how to begin and how to get there.

At the end of the day, the most exciting outcome of the seminars was the feeling that if the broadcasters and production community do not fear this technology, but rather embrace and understand it, learn how to plan and prepare for it, Canada can become a leader in HDTV production.

(Additional funding for the Alberta seminars was provided by the Alberta Film Commission, Alberta Human Resources and Employment and Western Economic Diversification Canada.)