The National Association of Broadcasters is the annual powwow of free, over-the-air U.S. ‘casters, but it is just as renowned for its trade show, reputedly the world’s largest electronic audio/video media exhibition. Now, starting with NAB2004 in Las Vegas, the show will give post-production professionals pointers on how to ring those bells and blow those whistles on the newest pieces of gear on display.

The inaugural NAB Post|Production World Conference will feature 160 sessions covering a wide range of post topics, including digital video and film editing, compositing, F/X, 3D animation, web design, DVD authoring, sound design and digital production. The sessions are aimed at users from intermediate to advanced levels and promise to pass on ‘power tips’ that can be applied to future projects. A healthy byproduct of the sessions is the networking opportunities they can also open up.

Systems to be covered include Avid’s Media Composer, Xpress Pro, Xpress DV, DS and NewsCutter, Digidesign Pro Tools, Apple Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro and Logic, Nothing Real’s Shake, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere and Encore, as well as Macromedia Flash, Dreamweaver and Fireworks. Also on the agenda are Discreet combustion and cleaner and BorisFX’s Boris Red and Continuum.

The conference will feature two streams. Inside the Creative Mind will showcase industry leaders demonstrating and discussing the artistic approach toward post, while the business side will be addressed in a separate track aimed at helping digital artists enhance their careers.

The dates for NAB2004 are April 17-21, and sessions run all day Saturday and Sunday and afternoons Monday through Wednesday. The post conference is a new attraction that may help NAB recapture some of the attendees that have stayed home in recent years. (Attendance was reported down 10% following 9/11).

NAB and digital media educator Future Media Concepts are the conference’s producers.

-www.nabshow.com