Editor

Digital Media Festival set to explode

New sessions have been announced for the blockbuster Digital Media Festival Melbourne, to be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre from June 1-3, 2004. The event comprises three separate conference streams - the Australian Effects & Animation Festival, DVFest and Digital Imaging - along with a state-of-the-art technology exhibition.
Sydney games developer Perception will outline the challenges of taking one of television's best-known science fiction series and turning it into a compelling next generation gaming experience at the two-day Australian Effects & Animation Festival Melbourne (AEAF), June 1-2, 2004. Perception is creating console games based on the TV series Stargate SG-1, under a deal with MGM Interactive.

At AEAF Melbourne, Perception will join some of the world’s biggest animation and visual effects companies to provide an insiders’ look at the creation of the stunning visuals in today’s film, TV and games. The AEAF Melbourne program already includes the creative and technical talent behind Shrek 2, Master and Commander and the forthcoming Columbia Pictures movie Hellboy, a supernatural action-adventure based on Mike Mignola's acclaimed Dark Horse Comics series of the same name.

Experts in high definition (HD) and non-linear video camcorder technology have been added to the outstanding line-up of industry professionals on the two day DVFEST program, June 2-3, 2004). Presenting an in-depth look at the challenges of HD video, Digital Pictures’ Mike Seymour has won numerous Australian awards including ATV, AWARD, AEAF and PROMAX and has a widely known international reputation having worked and lectured in London, LA, Korea, Venice, Singapore and Switzerland. As such Mike is widely sought for on-set technical supervision and developing new techniques and approaches, such as HD project pipelines and post-production.

To interpret the non-linear camcorder revolution and what it means to professionals working in TV drama, documentary, news and current affairs production, Mal Hamilton is a Sydney-based freelance cameraman with over 30 years of experience in the Australian broadcast and corporate industry. Hamilton has embraced the revolution in formats through Betacam, Digital Betacam, and DVCAM, and will be one of the first to use the XDCAM format in Australia.

The DVFest program includes detailed sessions on digital cinematography, non-linear editing, DVD authoring, audio for video and colour correction among other essential topics for workstation-based digital media production.

A one-day intensive program on digital photography and processing techniques, DIGITAL IMAGING features some of Australia’s finest digital photographers and imaging professionals. The author of Photoshop CS Essential Skills, Mark Galer, will explore the important new features of Photoshop CS, including its enhanced support for the RAW format captured by many leading digital cameras. A commercial photographer for 24 years, Mark Galer is the author of 5 books published by Focal press and currently engaged in teaching the applications and implications of digital imaging on visual communications to undergraduate students at RMIT University.

A comprehensive exhibition of the latest hardware and software for digital content creation will take place with cutting edge technology to be unveiled by the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Apple Computer, Discreet, Avid Technology, Corel and more. Full event programs for AEAF, DVFest and Digital Imaging (Melbourne) are available at the Digital Media Festival Web site at http://www.dmw.com.au/ including updated sessions set to be announced in the May edition of sponsor publication Digital Media World magazine.