Ang Lee, the two-time Oscar Award-winning director of Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain, will be a major keynote presenter for the upcoming, first-ever Light and Sound Interactive (LSI), event organizers announced today.
Lee will be joined by Oscar-nominated film editor Tim Squyres and technical supervisor Ben Gervais. Together, they will present scenes from Lee’s groundbreaking 3D, 120 frame-per-second (fps) feature film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. They will discuss the reasons for shooting in this format and the challenges that came with it.
What began as a desire to minimize the motion blur and strobing inherent in 3D, 24fps filming became an exploration of a new digital filmmaking aesthetic, Lee’s technical team said. Rather than trying to mimic the look of traditional film, his team noted, this technology takes theatrical projection in a new direction. High frame rate photography minimizes motion blur and eliminates strobing, but it also brings a new level of engagement and immersion. Lee’s presentation will take place at the Rochester Riverside Convention CenterExcerpts from Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk will be screened during the day with multiple repeats at Tinseltown in Gates. Seating is limited and registration for the conference is required.
In addition to Lee, Oscar Award-winning visual effects supervisor Rob Legato, who won Oscars for Titanic, Hugo, and The Jungle Book, will be presenting another major keynote on Thursday morning, Sept. 14 at the convention center.
“To have two major Oscar winners, Ang Lee and Rob Legato, participate in our first-ever Light and Sound Interactive event is incredible and speaks volumes about LSI focusing on the right topics, at the right time, and in the right city,” said LSI producer Paul Ballentine, who also serves as executive director of the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences (CEIS) at the University of Rochester. “We are thrilled to have them, and are excited to hear their unique perspectives on the art and science of filmmaking.”
Event organizers also announced that the three-day conference and expo will be free for all who register on line. “One of the primary goals of LSI is to grow the Rochester tech industry, and that requires community participation” Ballentine said. “The registration fee for a conference like this, with the high-quality speakers and special events we have planned, is typically over $1,000. But to help launch LSI as an annual event, we have decided to make this inaugural version free. This is a very large investment by our sponsors in this community’s future.”
The LSI event will focus on light- and sound-based technologies and their applications into some of the fastest growing markets in the world. It will take place Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 12-14, at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester.
LSI will highlight innovations in augmented and virtual reality, interactive media and games, film, audio and music, imaging, displays, healthcare, optics and photonics. Keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, demonstrations, hands-on events, trade show exhibits, networking activities and a career fair will all be part of the mix.
LSI is being co-hosted by the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology with major funding provided by the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation. Platinum sponsors include Corning Inc., the Optical Society of America (OSA), Eastman Kodak Company, and Empire State Development. Gold and silver sponsors include Graywood Companies Inc., Nixon Peabody LLP, Optimax, Navitar, Syntec Optics, Mosaic Microsystems, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, The Pike Company, Nazareth College and Monroe Community College, and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.
