July 29, 2015–Hollywood, CA: When award-winning cinematographer Gareth Paul Cox heard that his moody, dramatic 60-second commercial entitled “Nike 5.0 Determination” had been selected for the Cine Gear Expo Film Series he was both surprised and delighted.
“Frankly I had forgotten that I had even entered. So when I was notified that I was selected I was really pleasantly surprised,” said Gareth. “Then when they told me that I had to create a DCP, frankly I was caught off guard—especially since the piece was so short.”
Gareth was later invited to submit his content via a new encoding service provided by one of Cine Gear Expo’s sponsors—AutoDCP(TM). While he was glad of the help, the process initially made him somewhat nervous.
“The process of making DCPs can be a bit nerve wracking. You aren’t doing the process yourself, and you don’t know until you get to the theater if everything is going to work out okay,” said Cox. “When they told me about this process I wasn’t really sure what to expect.”
But once Gareth got online and actually started the process he was pleasantly surprised. He found AutoDCP(TM) was much easier to use and more streamlined than he anticipated.
“I got online on a Friday night and started the upload process, and it’s super straightforward and efficient,” Gareth said. “Within a few hours I got an email saying it was in line to be encoded and shortly after that the work was done and looked good. It helped me manage the naming conventions and handle all the details needed to get this properly configured for the projectionist. It was super easy.”
“Making DCPs super fast and super easy was extremely important to us,” said Production Data Services President and Lead Designer Brian Quandt. “With AutoDCP’s cloud-based technology, we have infinite capacity. That means nobody has to stand in line behind a Spielberg or Cameron–every single filmmaker is first in line to get his or her DCP.”
Although the process was easy, the proof for Gareth was in the pudding. He waited to see how the final product would look in the theater.
“You always hold your breath a bit when your piece comes up,” said Cox. “But AutoDCP did the job beautifully. It looked great and sounded great. The main thing is that everything just worked the way I wanted it to without having to do anything. Then when we saw how well the piece was received, it was just icing on the cake.”
Ultimately Gareth’s spec commercial, featuring a determined athlete overcoming hurdles (literally) won the day. It received top honors in the Music Video/Commercial category at the Festival.
“It was a great night!” said Gareth Cox.
About Production Data Services
Production Data Services creates tools and solutions for the motion picture and television industries. For over 10 years, PDS has provided visualization and image processing tools to over 200 major motion pictures and prime time television shows.
AutoDCP(TM) (created by PDS) is a secure, automatic, cloud-based DCP creation tool used to convert films, trailers and test clips into a DCP or Digital Cinema Package (the format required by many theaters, screening rooms and film festivals to display audiovisual content on their digital projection systems). This award-winning product is used by television studios (to deliver upfronts), film studios (for test screenings as well as final screenings) and film festival participants throughout the world. For more information, please see www.autodcp.com
About Cine Gear Expo
For 20 years, the Cine Gear Exhibition and Seminar Series has brought together artists and technicians alike to share the latest art and craft of the Hollywood Industry. At the west coast event held at the Paramount Lot in Hollywood, attendees from around the world learn about the newest professional techniques and equipment and discuss the latest projects, product innovations and industry news in a casual Hollywood-style atmosphere. The east coast event, Cine Gear Expo New York, is coming up September 24 and 25 and will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. For more information, please see www.cinegearexpo.com
About Gareth Paul Cox
British born and American raised, Gareth Paul Cox has traveled the world shooting narrative, commercial, and documentary projects. He has won multiple awards and recognition for films which have screened at festivals, including SXSW and the shorts corner at Cannes. In addition, he has won multiple Telly awards for his cinematography on commercials and documentaries. Gareth graduated with an MFA in cinematography from the American Film Institute. His style is driven by his passion for visceral experiences. Gareth Paul Cox is a Director of Photography currently based out of Los Angeles. For more information, please see: http://garethpaulcox.com.
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