Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551510
51 SUMMER 2015 / CINEMONTAGE Maltz says another component of ACES, known as the Look Modification Transform (LMT), addresses this concern. The LMT, among other things, enables customizing the starting point for image data by putting a user-defined "default look" into the ACES pipeline before getting to the Display Transform viewing stage, allowing colorists to build customized looks inside ACES. "LMT designers have to pay attention to maintaining the extremely high dynamic range and wide color gamut inherent in ACES, which is a departure from the current practice of working within the reduced dynamic range and gamut of today's display devices," Maltz elaborates in response to concerns that the current LMT solution might not preserve enough dynamic range latitude or color gamut information in archived versions of the content, which might be needed for future versions of current releases. "Doing so is critical for protecting content for future display technologies." Keeping pace with these continually evolving technologies is why Maltz points out that there is every intention to eventually produce an ACES Version 2.0, and a versioning system has already been built into ACES Version 1.0 to accommodate future development. These kinds of issues and other concerns or additional features that user input eventually brings to the fore can get addressed as ACES matures. "But first, the industry needs to establish some stability around ACES 1.0," Maltz points out. "We need some serious adoption before we can get to Version 2.0." And speaking of input, Maltz says the entire industry, including the editorial community, is encouraged to provide input, questions and concerns to a special e-mail address: aces@oscars.org. Additionally, he says, "We are also preparing an end-user community forum to enable filmmaker-to-filmmaker conversations." He urges the editorial community to check out the ACES website for more information and updates on upcoming ACES-related events. f ACES workflow schematic.