1. Film Festival Deliverables
running a festival or submitting to a festival..
What you need to know....

2. What is covered
The typical media formats you expect today. (Tapes, files, film, DCP)
How to run a festival cost effectively
What a film producer needs to know (How to take advantage of digital)
What a film festival producer needs to know (Best practices for the digital age)

3. Typical media formats Film - Outdated, no longer preferred
DCP (Digital Cinema Package) - preferred but limited to 24fps for Interop DCPs which is the only widely supported DCP type (Note: SMPTE DCP support is coming this year (we hope))
Tapes (HD and SD, SR/HD/Digibeta-cam, HDV) - Still in common use especially when non 24fps content is involved (Fading fast)
BluRay’s and DVDs common again for non 24fps content (Quality??)
eCinema (Non DCP media files) - Via USB thumb drive, HardDrive or Internet in a plethora of formats from MPEG2, H264, ProRes etc) Other then DCP, this would be the best method. (4:2:2 in 8/10bit)
IP or Internet delivery possible with eCinema

4. Doing a Festival cost effectively
Ask for DCPs. Try to utilise a location that plays SMPTE DCP’s
Otherwise prioritise content,eCinema, BluRay/DVD, Tape (If available)
Play all media files from a single platform, Windows Laptop.
dcpPlayer - DCPs (Inc SMPTE any frame rates) BluRay Drive and software - Any BluRay or DVD eCinema files any format - VLC media player will play all
i7 Laptop with BluRay, dcpPlayer and VLC software
Projector and Audio options

5. What a film producer should aim for
Will always need to make BluRay and DVDs for promotion
DCP still BEST for in Cinema display. Best quality, similar or better then 4:4:4 12 bit (Highest quality ProRes equivalent)
How to get to DCP?
What to Supply (Video files,audio files and subtitles)
Colour Management difficult. Talk to Encoder
Remember DCPs are 1998x1080 or 2048x858, master to suite
Is Encryption needed? If so, becomes much more difficult ($$$)

6. What a film producer should aim for (When doing it on the cheap)
eCinema networks in different regions. For example Australia, New Zealand, India and Nepal.
eCinema cheaper to make and distribute then DCP. (Smaller files, small USB-Hard Drives, small enough to download)
In some regions, eCinema is the only way. For example, non-English, mainly Local content regions.
eCinema can archive 4:2:2 (8 or 10bit) Quality, better then BluRay.
eCinema files can be downloaded over Internet (DCI to big)

7. How to get a DCP, eCinema, BluRay
Open source tools are available but do not recommend to use them unless you really know what your doing
Avoid using bedroom encoders
If possible go to a specialised DCP encoding facility
Good facilities have DCI/eCinema players for testing and quality checks but this would likely ad to the cost (Consider this insurance. Can you risk sending out 50 BAD copies $$)
I cannot stress, if you can afford it, get your content encoded by a company who knows what they are doing (Avoid problems and egg- on-your-face if it goes wrong or does not look 100%)

8. What to supply an encoding facility
TIF image files in 16bit liner color space
Master quality codec files such as ProRes MOV files
Typical colour space such as REC709 (Problematic area)
DPX files are also typical buy make sure you tell the encoder exactly how they are stored. (Colour space can be linear or logarithmic)
Audio files as separate stems meaning a mono 48Hz 24bit audio file per channel, typically 6 channels for 5.1 surround
TALK TO THE ENCODER and see what he can deal with

9. Color Management
This is a very difficult area and is easy to get wrong
Typically this is REC709 (If your doing the typical Video workflow)
Especially important if doing DI using DPX and other more then 8bit color workflow.
If not sure, best to bring in Encoder company to look at your workflow as so they can work out the best method
In general, a good editor or workflow consultant should understand this (Tho I have seen many who do not)

10. Scope or Flat the DCI standard for DCPs are to master to SCOPE or FLAT
SCOPE = (2K) 2048x858 or (4K) 4096x1716 (2.39:1)
FLAT = (2K) 1998x1080 or (4K) 3996x2160 (1.85:1)
FLAT Similar to HD 1920x1080
Common workflow is to use typical HD workflow then do resize of >1998, loose small amount of top and bottom
Any resize has quality issues, you should be aware of this (Ie Avatar used 1920x1080, did you notice)

11. Encryption needed?? We all want to protect our content
DCI supports encryption that requires a KDM or key to be generated for every screen you could possibly want to show the DCP
THIS IS EXPENSIVE - Every key cost $$ to produce
Must go to specialised key management companies like Technicolor or Deluxe (And others)
THIS IS EXPENSIVE and you should only consider this if you have a high profile independent feature or better, otherwise it is probably unjustified
eCinema can also support encryption but this is usually a proprietary solution based on the region and distribution companies

12. Festival Producers, whats best for you
SMPTE-DCPs are now the way to go
SMPTE-DCPs can be made at all frame rates
tools such as dcpPlayer can be used to preview/quality control the content without the need to rent a cinema
All Cinemas doing festivals are Digital now, just need to make sure they are upgraded to SMPTE-DCP
Cinema Owners take note, get SMPTE-DCP upgrades ASAP, available now but check how compatible your equipment is with all frame rates (May need to purchase up-to-date player/projector)

13. Thanks for watching CineTechGeek
James Gardiner