White Plains, NY, 26 September 2011 – The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion?imaging standards and education for the communications, media and entertainment industries, today announced that Chris Dodd, the Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. (MPAA) and former United States Senator, will address attendees at the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exposition to be held 25 – 27 October 2011 in Hollywood.
Dodd will address a SMPTE conference luncheon at 12:45 p.m. on 26 October at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa and will focus on the devastating impact of digital content theft on the workers and businesses in the entertainment industry.
“The movie and the TV industries aren’t just about big studios and stars. More than 2.2 million hardworking, middle?class people in all 50 states depend on the entertainment industry for their jobs. They work behind the scenes in production, and in small businesses like equipment rental, transportation, construction and food service,” Dodd said. “Millions more people work in theaters, video stores, retail, restaurants and other businesses that depend on entertainment. For all of these workers and their families, content theft means declining incomes, lost jobs and reduced health and retirement benefits.”
The 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exposition is the pre?eminent gathering of motion imaging scientists, researchers, engineers, and business decision makers and is emblematic of the leadership role that the Society is taking to drive standards that will accelerate industry expansion and business success. Conference Features Exceptionally Strong Class of Presentations SMPTE officials have cited an exceptionally strong class of presentation for this year’s conference, including those on new multi?platform distribution schemes, including next?generation watermarking; The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
cloud?computing production solutions; new approaches to 3D acquisition, production, distribution, and display; and new and more efficient ways of managing file?based workflows and locating digital media.
A pre?conference SMPTE Symposium, produced in cooperation with the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), will focus on large?sensor imaging revolution that is remaking creative production workflows.
“We are thrilled to have Senator Dodd address the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference,” said SMPTE President Pete Ludé. “Our attendees are on the front lines of creating the technologies that help protect the creative product of the MPAA’s members, let consumers experience in new ways, and form the basis for entirely new business models that will help the industry thrive.”
“Attendees at the 2011 SMPTE Annual Technical Conference have delivered some of the most incredible technologies for creating entertainment programming and I am honored to address this gathering to discuss how we must protect it,” Dodd said. Dodd served in the U.S. Congress representing Connecticut for 36 years – six years in the House of Representatives and thirty years in the U.S. Senate. He was one of the most widely respected legislators during his years in Congress, earning the trust and admiration of both Democrats and Republicans.