Outlook 2004: the future is now

24 tech executives and producers predict which tools could make next year your best yet.

by Steven Klapow, Beth Marchant, Rock Stamberg

We posed this rather broad question to executives at major equipment and software manufacturers, knowing that their unique perspectives would form a template of what 2004 will mean for you both inside the studio and out in the field. We also gathered input from producers, each a specialist in a particular type of media, by asking them to answer the same question from experience. We didn't want them to wade through the dim mists of the future in search of emerging technology that had no bearing on the work they do now, but rather to single out the tool or technique that has helped them turn a corner in terms of quality, productivity and even revenue. So what's next? We think the answers that follow will help you get a clear, practical picture of what tomorrow looks like for the working producer.

"With the introduction of the new 2K DLP projector, directors can finally realize the images he created in his mind, perfectly displayed to his audience every time. In the past 17 years of using high definition to create content, the weakest link has constantly been image display. The amount of picture information captured in the content-creation process has always been unrealized when the final images were shown. Those days are now over. Not only can we use the 2K projector for end-product display but it can also be used throughout the entire creative process. Dailies can be viewed perfectly and instantly. During digital color timing, the creative team can finalize the look in post and know it will look exactly the same in a theater, even after hundreds of showings. No fading of color, no scratches and no dirt. 2K DLP will be known for putting the final nail in the film canister."

Randall Paris Dark
President and Director
HD Vision Studios


excerpt from AV Video Multimedia Producer