RTA Media hosts the Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers event on campus
RTA School of Media Professor and board member of the Toronto chapter of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) Richard Grunberg organized an on-campus event for students and faculty along with community members interested in innovative technologies.
SMPTE sets international standards for the film and television industry and is in dire need of young media tech pioneers to continue the path forward. The Society fosters a diverse and engaged membership from both the technology and creative communities, delivering vast educational offerings, technical conferences and exhibitions, informational blog posts, and the renowned SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal.
Grunberg hosted this year's SMPTE event and brought the Dome Productions Pioneer mobile production truck to the Rogers Communication Centre to educate students and staff from around Ontario. Attendees were able to tour the truck, which covers almost every home Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors game.
Students standing outside of the Dome mobile production truck. Courtesy of Rick Grunberg
“Having a prominent keynote speaker amongst the other very well-respected industry presenters brought out one of the largest crowds, and it was an exceptional learning experience for all,” says Grunberg. “Other faculty came out to the truck, such as our new hire and RTA Media Production Program Director, Karen Sebesta (Executive Producer/Producer CBC Sports), to give some amazing lectures on how the mobile truck works in production.”
Engaging emerging professionals
The event’s presenters included Mary Ellen Carlyle (SVP & GM, Dome Productions, Rick Grunberg (SMPTE Education and RTA Media Professor), Ian MacInnis (Founder and President, LetsGoGaming Inc., and Salil Gupta (CTO, Waveform Entertainment).
“I conducted this meeting for a number of reasons, though primarily to engage young media students, including media students from around Ontario, to participate in the technological development of the industry they all hope to serve,” says Grunberg.
Sport Media student Spencer Packalen expressed that the event was an opportunity to explore the various facets of mobile trucks and understand what sporting events entail.
“The Dome Production event was extremely eye-opening, and it was great to see the different areas of a mobile truck. The opportunity to network and interact with industry professionals was a beneficial experience in making new connections,” says Packalen. “Through interacting with different professionals, I developed my knowledge and understanding of the type of work environment in the sports media landscape, specifically the mobile truck crew.”
Rick Grunberg, one of the organizers and presenters of SMPTE, teaches and presents lectures on topics related to virtual production. Courtesy of Brian WIthers
Taylor Gordan, Dome Engineer and RTA alum, speaking to a group of students, faculty, and staff in the Dome mobile production truck. Courtesy of Rick Grunberg
Major takeaways from the Dome Production event
Students had the opportunity to visit the mobile production truck and interact with key industry members during dinner before the formal SMPTE presentations, and were given a one-year membership at no cost.
The event provided space for RTA Media faculty, staff and students to interact with each other, converse about technologies, learn from industry-leading guest speakers and highlight the program to media professionals.
Justin Zhang, another Sport Media student, describes the event as a rewarding experience that allowed students to interact with industry leaders.
“The Dome production truck/SMPTE event and speakers were all extremely relevant for someone trying to break into the TV industry. It was a really educating experience visiting the Dome truck, having Taylor (RTA grad and former tech production student) the engineer speak to us and see industry-standard equipment like their 4K cameras,” says Zhang. “Learning about how virtual production is changing the game, from different industry workflows to new and emerging technologies, the SMPTE event was one to remember.”
Karen Sebesta, RTA faculty member, executive producer and director speaking in the Dome mobile production truck. Courtesy of Rick Grunberg
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