PRODUCTION CENTRAL

Gary Adcock gives his commentary on NAB 2024

By Gary Adcock
April 18, 2024

As NAB 2024 wraps, Chicago’s own Content Creator / Producer / Artist, Gary Adcock offers his commentary on the event:

Following up on Vincent Shade’s great photo coverage of NAB 2024, I wanted to point out some of the most influential members of the Chicago Production Community who are bringing the Midwest ethos to NAB. Previous NABs have highlighted a number of Chicago area creatives, like Colette Gabriel from Keslow Camera, Sheila R. Brown from AICP, and Scott Miller from Miller Creative.

During the NAB event, Zoe Borys from the Fuse Technical Group moderated a panel discussion that included Director Gina Crow, Claire Dundee, and Nicole Plaza to discuss the challenges faced during the entirely virtual production of Dark in Berlin. The production team had to recreate the entirety of Berlin on a soundstage outside of Los Angeles.

SmashVirtual’s Andy Jarosz focused on the growing need for Virtual Production by sharing his knowledge and experience in discussions on Cinematography on an LED Volume, When Virtual Production makes sense, and Designing Unreal Engine projects for Film and Television production.

Still, much of the focus in media and entertainment is on the growing use of “AI” tools and how that acceptance will influence the future of production and post. The amount of AI you were bombarded with at NAB depended on your area of focus; a quick search of NAB exhibitors listed 663 companies that were touting some AI product or service.

Some of the other speakers covered how the many AI tools worked; I chose to talk about where AI is headed and how it affects jobs, creativity, and talent. Leading the “Generative AI and the Cinematographer” panel, I was joined by DP and VFX master Dave Stump ASC and Bridgerton DP Alicia Robbins for a thought-provoking session that raised more questions that we answered.

The topic of AI was a popular subject in most of the conversations I had, whether in private or public. People are interested in the ways AI can improve their lives, particularly in taking over mundane tasks rather than creative ones. However, there is a problem with current laws that prevent much of the creative contribution that Generative AI brings from being copyrighted. This creates a dilemma for advertising agencies, marketing departments, and filmmakers who want to utilize these technologies to their advantage. Despite this issue, the potential benefits of AI are still widely recognized.

We will continue to explore the use of AI by filmmakers and creatives, including its theoretical, legal, and practical implications, later this summer at Filmscape Chicago.

GARY ADCOCK

Few exemplify the changing technological landscape in digital cinema more than Gary Adcock. With a unique understanding of on-set technologies and their relationships in post-production has allowed him to act as a guide in the evolving relationship between acquisition, edit, and delivery. Gary is one of the co-authors and tech editor for the original version of the Data Handling Procedures and Best Practices guide used by IATSE Local 600 (Cinematographer’s Guild). Gary has been a speaker on cinematography and the related technologies at events around the world, and has presented on various topics at the National Association of Broadcasters Las Vegas convention continuously since 1999, as well as presenting on a diverse array of subjects at NAB Shanghai, IBC Show, Interbee and Broadcast India. His knowledge and capabilities keep him in demand as both a consultant and technical writer for a wide array of manufacturers and publications. You can follow Gary on Twitter and Instagram as @garyadcock or read his blog at garyadcock.com.