The trials and tribulations of HD production weighed on the minds of more than 150 independent producers, broadcasters, filmmakers, editors and business analysts who compared notes at the Playback Production Innovations Forum held Thursday in Toronto.

Speakers and panelists covered topics such as shooting film vs. digital, multiplatform distribution, HD camera options, and the longevity of HD at the event, produced by Brunico Communications, parent company of Playback and Playback Daily.

Keynote speaker Randall Dark stressed the importance of adopting HD, with an eye on distribution and the international market. ‘You’ve got to find a way to create content with this technology,’ the pioneer HD producer told the nearly 200 delegates, who also spoke of the evolving multi-platform world.

‘There will be a day when I can be creative person and the distributor,’ he said. ‘Content is not king, because you can have the best idea on the planet, but in the future, distribution is key.’

During ‘The ‘True’ HD Landscape’ review, media expert Michael McEwen discussed Canada’s adoption strategy of HD technology, which he says was reasonable… at first. Today he is calling for a more proactive approach from the industry and the CRTC.

‘Canadian strategy was to lag behind U.S. implementation by two years, but we’ve fallen behind,’ he noted. ‘The two-year strategy has become four years, and may become insurmountable without time, attention and money from broadcast and distribution communities.’

The CBC’s Fred Mattocks agreed that HDTV gives broadcasters the platform to deliver a high-quality immersion in the product. ‘It’s all about the quality and experience for the audience,’ he said.

In the ‘Myth of Film vs. Digital’ panel, filmmakers and producers discussed the benefits and drawbacks of shooting in one medium versus the other, and the consensus was that it depended on the project.

‘The more formats we have, the better,’ said cinematographer Luc Montpellier (Away from Her).

‘We have to be able to do it all,’ agreed National Film Board filmmaker Paul Cowan, adding that at the NFB they no longer shoot on film — with rare exceptions — because there’s no room to store all that celluloid. ‘We have an enormous archive of film material,’ he said.

Fellow panelist Stephen Stohn of Epitome Pictures, the makers of teen dramas Degrassi: The Next Generation and Instant Star, told delegates both series are shot in Super 16 because they’re getting a better quality. ‘That’s what we’re sticking with for now,’ he said.

A panel on future innovations agreed that HD is not going anywhere, and that producers have to embrace new technology.

‘HD will continue to infiltrate our lives,’ said High Def Consult cofounder Dale Drewery, adding, ‘I don’t know if content is king or not, but HD is definitely queen.’