The seven-day programme combined lectures and practical exercises for participants working in camera, sound and postproduction. Directors and producers received a detailed introduction to high definition in a two-day seminar. Hollywood cinematographer Michael Ballhaus led the camera masterclass. Support from more than 40 companies provided 34 HD cameras, twelve editing systems and audio equipment. An HD-equipped helicopter was another highlight.
Knowledge of digital filmmaking was becoming essential for continued work in the industry. High-definition technology was increasingly being established as a production and transmission standard for cinema, television and commercial production. Alongside intensive training in technology and workflows, Hands on HD was intended to explain the wider changes affecting film and television production.
More than 30 lectures and seminars examined the benefits and problems of HD production. Participants travelled from Lower Saxony, Bremen and other German states, as well as Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Turkey and Russia.
Michael Ballhaus led around 20 participants through demanding shoots on the former Expo site in Hanover. Five additional camera classes studied high-definition technology under national and international specialists. The practical exercises used 34 cameras from Sony, Panasonic and Canon, along with cinema-oriented systems including the Sony F23, ARRI D20 and Thomson Viper. Four newly launched Sony F23 cameras were among the workshop highlights.
A camera helicopter equipped with HD hardware from Heliteam provided another practical exercise. Ballhaus noted the technology’s ability to keep the camera stable in flight. Postproduction classes worked in small groups on different systems, applying their functions to material captured by the camera classes. Twelve editing stations from Apple, Avid, Discreet and Quantel gave participants experience with HD footage from the various camera types.
Camera crews and postproduction teams have limited opportunity to exchange information in daily production. The workshop allowed each department to respond to the other’s requirements. Because high definition’s greater resolution reveals more errors, close coordination during acquisition is essential.
A new audio class equipped by Sennheiser covered different sound systems in theory and practice. Audio settings available on HD cameras also demonstrated the growing need for cooperation between departments. Representatives of around 40 companies supplied equipment valued at €13 million and introduced participants to current technology.
