The HD Future is Now

For
Randall Dark's viewpoint on digital postproduction and the role of HD,
click here.

Edward Nassour

Within the realm of video postproduction, the recent emergence of
24p high definition has opened up new vistas that were literally
inconceivable just a decade ago. For the first time, we have the
ability to archive material digitally onto a high-quality format that
will translate perfectly to any current medium, as well as carry
forward to whatever format the future demands.

Posting in 1080p from either film or digital origination insures
that providers comply with networks requiring 480i or 480p, 720p, or
1080i delivery. A 1080p master converts perfectly to the PAL (625)
format, thus ensuring a high-quality dub for foreign delivery. In the
coming year, consumers will see true high-definition 1080i DVD players
and discs emerging at local retailers. By having a 1080p master,
studios are therefore assured of providing ready-made content for that
market.

The highest form of the current HD broadcast standard is 1080i. Very
soon, however, most American networks will be broadcasting their
primetime series digitally either in 480p, 720p, or 1080i. CBS has been
broadcasting 1080i for several seasons, and was the first network to do
so, back in 1998 when the network aired an episode of Chicago
Hope — the first primetime drama series produced and aired in
1080.

Since then, the costs involved in utilizing 1080p in postproduction
have dropped. It's now possible to structure deals with video post
companies, where the additional prices are a fraction of what they
would have been as recently as a year ago. I believe the chief reason
for this can be attributed to competitive pricing from facilities.

In the area of acquisition, 24p delivers film-quality images at a
fraction of the cost of film. Even considering current limitations
imposed by digital acquisition, the format still provides enough
creative control for all but the most demanding applications in
television production. Remember, the technology is new, and improving
rapidly. In my view, it's only a matter of time before digital high
definition will totally eclipse film as both an acquisition and
theatrical presentation format.

In television production, 24p cameras have made inroads into
multi-camera series at a pace that most would have questioned just a
couple of years ago. Along with providing incredible savings in post,
their rental costs have lowered to where they are now often less than
film cameras.

Today, the use of 24p digital cameras in lieu of film for hour-long
episodic series has been somewhat hampered by perceived exposure
limitations of the digital cameras. One way around this is to vary
lighting methods. There have been many tests where lighting adjustment
has produced results comparable to film. Tests have shown that 24p's
contrast ratio has limits when compared with film, especially on the
upper end, but 24p cameras are more than two stops more light-sensitive
on the bottom end of the scale, thus reducing the amount of light
needed on set.

Less light means more comfort for the actors, as well as reduced
costs for set lighting. This has another benefit — the limiting
of depth-of-field. Digital imaging chips are smaller than the area of a
35mm film frame, hence the increased focusing ability of 24p cameras.
Today, many creative people desiring limited depth-of-field complain
that 24p cameras lack the focus restrictions of film cameras, but
reducing the light reduces depth-of-field. (I wonder what Orson Welles
and Gregg Toland would have said about this?)

My biggest complaint with current 24p acquisition is the lack of a
true variable frame-rate camera. In this regard, current 24p cameras
lag far behind their film counterparts. One manufacturer (Panasonic)
has delivered a camera that will shoot at 60 fps, but it only works in
the 720p format. There will be 1080p digital cameras arriving on the
scene in short order with this function, however.

I therefore believe that time is running out for the continued
utilization of film for both television and movie production. It's only
a matter of time before the rapidly ascending medium of electronic
technology will eventually replace it. The gap is closing faster than I
ever thought possible. There will eventually be a 4K camera, doubling
the resolution of current 24p versions.

This proverbial Pandora's box of electronic technology, with its
seemingly uninterrupted flow of innovations, will eventually relegate
the world of what were sacrosanct standards into nothing more than a
procession of fleeting antiques.

Edward Nassour is senior VP of Postproduction for Twentieth
Century Fox Television. He currently oversees post on such series
as Judging Amy, The Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and
Reba.