What you'll see again
NAB 2009 will have new attractions, including two pavilions dedicated to showcasing the latest technologies in 3D content creation and developments in mobile technology. Another novelty is the content marketing pavilion, designed to facilitate the exchange of information and innovations between companies.
In addition, attendees will see a special presentation of ultra-high definition television technology developed by Japan's NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories (16 times higher than conventional HD), and other demonstrations organized by the Japanese National Institute of Information Technologies. and Communications (NICT), which highlight the latest discoveries in holographic television and high-definition transmission technologies for 3D.
Among the shows that return this year are the IPTV and a series of spaces that will house representatives from countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom and Italy. The new pavilions at NAB are:
Content Commerce Pavilion: will be held in partnership with VideoNuze and will be located within the Content Center. This area will bring together all members of the content community to facilitate information sharing between companies, explore opportunities, and examine new business models for content distribution. They will be present in this space, among other firms, AFI, Brightcove, Electronic Arts and the studios of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Mobile Solutions Pavilion: The space is organized in partnership with mobile Entertainment Forum and will showcase the latest in mobile technologies, including standards, phones, advertising apps and end-to-end solutions.
3D Pavilion: includes the latest technologies in stereographic and auto-stereographic images. This zone will showcase software tools for professionals looking to create cutting-edge 3D content. It will be the first time that companies such as Phillips 3D Solutions and 3ality Digital participate.
NHK Pavilion: includes a super hi-vision theater and a comprehensive 3D television system, a new development that produces the 3D effect on HDTV without being sensitive to the spectator position. Japan's digital terrestrial television system, ISDB-T, will also be in this room with an innovative app that tests how mobile digital television services can be used as emergency warning systems.
Academic program
The educational component of the fair is made up of more than 600 academic events between general sessions, special events, thematic conferences and supersessions. Here's an overview of what you'll be able to find:
- Content Theater
Innovations in film, television and online and mobile entertainment. Leaders in animation, documentaries and entertainment will examine how this content is created using new tools and technologies. The topics that will be addressed there are: stereoscopic 3D, VFX and animation, broadband, mobile content, and new proposals in content, including natural history, innovations in technology and extreme conditions.
Case Study: Pixar Animation Studios – Stereoscopy at Pixar: will examine Pixar's way of telling stories in 3D. Speakers will be Josh Hollander, stereoscopic product manager, and Bob Whitehill, stereoscopic production supervisor.
Case Study: Jim Henson Company. Real-time Cartoon Making: Kerry Shea, Director of Digital Production, demonstrates Jim Henson's cutting-edge technology that enables real-time cartoons by combining mechanical input technology, motion capture, and a viewfinder.
Case Study: Animal Planet, "The Lion Walks": In this session, predator expert Dave Salmoni will talk about the technology and production techniques that were used for the creation of the documentary "Walk the Lion."
- Supersessions:
Technological applications are reshaping the world and business. With this panorama and the challenges it represents, the National Association of Broadcasters, NAB, organized the academic supersessions that will be held within the framework of the fair.
Two renowned Hollywood directors, Rob Cohen (The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Fast and Furious, and xXx), and Henry Selick (Coraline, Jack's Strange World, and Jim and the Giant Peach) will talk about topics that in the past were considered exclusive to the films, but which are now applicable in HD production for television. Other topics to be discussed are:
Disney and Adobe: Reinventing Borders for Storytelling. How Can Technology Help Tell Stories? By A.D. Albers, chief technology officer of Disney Interactive Media Group, and Shatanu Narayen, president of Adobe.
Independent cinema: a million-dollar look with a budget of a thousand dollars. After the success in 2008, Brian Valente and other experts return to this version of NAB with new tips on how to maximize a production budget and take advantage of new technologies.
Henry Selick: mix of classic and digital techniques for a time experience. Selick will talk about stop motion animation and his experience in producing films like "Coraline."
Cold appliances, hot content: No era has had as many entertainment devices as this one. All these teams are hungry for content to justify their existence. Brian Cooley, editor of CNET Networks, and Peggy Miles, president of Intervox Communications, will inspect these possibilities.
The making of Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar Galactica creator David Eick will present a conference focused on how to launch and produce a franchise on television that breaks the traditional mold of what is seen in other television productions.
Mobile video. Who is going to pay? Who is going to control? What is the content? What is the business model? These are just a few of the questions about video on mobile devices that will be addressed in this space.
Generations: media consumption, habits and preferences. This panel will delve into consumer studies and surveys about who viewers are, what they want and where they are going.
Personalized content: How can broadcasters adapt to a type of consumer looking for more personalized content? Media consultant Jimmy Schaeffler will moderate a panel that will try to find these answers.
Assist, buy and sell
More than 70 new exhibitors will showcase their latest technological innovations during NAB. These companies will join a wide variety of veteran companies in an exhibition space of 850 thousand square meters.
Companies such as Electronic Arts, Phillips 3D Solutions and 3ality Digital will debut in the exhibition, and join the 1,600 companies that attendees will have the opportunity to visit during the show, including 430 international.
The organizers announced that this year Avid Technology, creator of tools for media, will return to the exhibition and there will share space with companies of tradition at the fair such as Sony, Thomson, Panasonic, Canon, Dolby, Evertz, Harris, JVC, Ross Video, Vitec Group, Adobe Systems, Autodesk, Digital Vision AB, Quantel and Vizrt, among others.
