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www.postmagazine.com 6 POST JUNE 2018 BITS & PIECES CHICAGO, IL — Rob Bredow, senior vice president, executive creative director and head of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (www.ilm.com), will de- liver the keynote address during this year's 2018 SIGGRAPH show (https:// s2018.siggraph.org) in August at the Vancouver Convention Centre. ILM, a Lucasfilm company based in San Francisco, recently announced the promotion of industry veteran and longtime SIGGRAPH conference contributor Bredow to SVP, executive creative director and head of ILM (see Post's interview with Bredow on his studio's work for Solo: A Star Wars Story, on page 14), after serving as CTO of Lucasfilm since 2016. Bredow joined ILM as a visual effects supervi- sor in 2014, and soon afterward was named vice president of new media and head of Lucasfilm's Advanced Development Group. During his time with Lucasfilm and ILM, Bredow also helped launch its ILMxLAB division in 2015. ILMxLAB combines the talent of Lucasfilm, ILM and Skywalker Sound to create next-generation, im- mersive entertainment experiences. "I have been attending SIGGRAPH since before dinosaurs were a com- monplace occurrence," notes Bredow. "The chance to see the latest innova- tions and meet up with colleagues is an opportunity I look forward to each year. I've been personally so inspired by so many of the keynote address- es at SIGGRAPH — it's an honor to be asked to give the keynote for this year's theme, 'Generations.' I hope to do my part to inspire the next genera- tion of artists, researchers, engineers, educators and storytellers to take in- novative leaps on this creative journey we are on together." He adds, "In some ways, I can trace the start of my job here at ILM back to a meeting I had with John Knoll in 2006 while organizing the SIGGRAPH panel, 'Great Failed Idea's in Production,' in which he graciously shared the challenges he faced on Pirates of the Caribbean. The spirit of learning from our successes and failures, while openly contributing to the advancement of the industry, is one of the tenets of SIGGRAPH that means the most to me." According to Roy C. Anthony, SIGGRAPH 2018 conference chair, "Rob is all about innovation — push- ing through scary new directions while maintaining the leadership of artists and technologists, together stretching the boundaries of the practitioner's space. His proven expertise and brilliance led him to his new role as head of ILM, so, obvious- ly, he's got some serious chops." Bredow is the visual effects super- visor and co-producer on Solo: A Star Wars Story, and served as a creative partner to the filmmakers throughout production — from early story meet- ings to the final frames of visual ef- fects. He leveraged his background in innovative technology to help tell the story of the film, creating grounded images with a unique shooting style. Other credits include VR experiment Trials on Tatooine and films such as Independence Day, Godzilla, Stuart Little, Cast Away and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. ILM'S ROB BREDOW TO DELIVER 2018 SIGGRAPH KEYNOTE LOS ANGELES — James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment will use Sony's new Venice motion picture camera system (sony.com/venice) for principal photography on the upcoming Avatar sequels. The first Avatar movie, released in 2009 and also shot on Sony professional camer- as, shattered box office records with its compelling story, immersive 3D and stunning visuals. These newest entries in the franchise will up the visual ante significantly with enhanced special effects, more elaborate pro- duction requirements and challenging live-action sequences. According to Lightstorm, the Sony Venice cam- era system was the right choice to continue the Avatar storyline and give audiences an entirely new experience. "The Venice camera delivers the most astonishing image I've ever seen," says director James Cameron, "The blacks are rich, deep and velvety, the highlights and source lights are amazingly bright. For the first time, we truly appreciate what the term high dynamic range means." While principal photography on the Avatar sequels using Venice is expected to begin first quarter of 2019, performance capture is currently underway. The process is supported by a variety of additional Sony imaging technologies, including multiple Alpha mirrorless interchangeable lens camer- as, PXW-Z450 and PXW-320 cam- corders, and the compact RX0 camera. The production is also using Sony's F55 and Alpha cameras to record be- hind-the-scenes footage and stills. "I've enjoyed shooting with Sony CineAlta cameras for 19 years, but I'm really looking forward to shooting Avatar 2 and 3 with the new Venice camera," Cameron adds. Sony worked closely with Lightstorm to customize Venice for its specific needs, with regular meet- ings taking place between James Cameron, his production teams and Sony's engineering group. "Our goal in this ongoing co-de- velopment collaboration is to enable Lightstorm to execute their vision and deliver their unique approach to storytelling," says Neal Manowitz, VP of digital imaging at Sony Electronics. "For Avatar, Venice will be put to use in very demanding en- vironments. The camera's full frame sensor gives them complete flexibil- ity and freedom to choose aspect ratios, various bokeh and lenses that match their shooting requirements." The Sony-Lightstorm collaboration began in 1999, resulting in the devel- opment of a unique extension system allowing the camera body to detach from the actual image sensor block. A similar approach has been adopt- ed for Venice, with each sensor and camera body connected by a cable at distances of up to 20 feet with no degradation in image quality. For the upcoming sequels, multiple Venice cameras will be paired in various 3D stereoscopic rigs. Using the new Sony cabling system, the only part of the Venice carried on the rig will be the image sensor optical blocks, significantly reduc- ing on-board camera weight to about three pounds per sensor block. By lowering the weight and improving ergonomics, Cameron and the Lightstorm team will have the ability to shoot with greater flexibility and freedom. "This new extension system is a perfect example of listening to our customers, gathering strong and consistent feedback and then building that input into our product develop- ment," adds Peter Crithary, marketing manager, motion picture cameras, at Sony. "The Avatar sequels will be among the first feature films to use the new Venice Extension, but it also has tremendous potential for wider use with handheld Steadicams, drones and gimbals, and remote mounting in confined places." AVATAR SEQUEL TO SHOOT ON SONY'S VENICE Bredow Sony's Venice camera