Although Howard Lukk, formerly a technology executive at companies including Disney and Pixar, has moved into directing (Toy Story 3), he certainly hasn’t left technical innovation behind. At the SMPTE 2014 HPA Symposium held Monday, he presented a clip from his new short film “Emma,” among the very first such projects produced for viewing via high dynamic range display. High (or “extended”) dynamic range—names and standards haven’t been finalized—refers to image display technology offering greater contrast and wider color gamut than is available using existing products. Lukk was eager to experiment with the possibilities of HDR display, wanting the film to feel “like a Hitchcock matinee.”
“There is so much information,” he says of viewing the movie in HDR, “that you sometimes need to bring down a wall or a background so it doesn’t become distracting.”
This is all new territory for everyone involved and Lukk readily admitted that it could be quite some time before “Emma” or anything else will be available to a wider audience to be viewed in HDR format.