SMPTE Fellow Sally Hattori has accepted the position of SMPTE standards vice president, a role in which she is directing and supervising the standards projects of the Society. She previously was SMPTE standards director and is serving the balance of the two-year term begun by her SMPTE colleague Florian Schleich.
”I’ve worked with many amazing female leaders in standards,” said Hattori. “I am humbled and honored to be entrusted with this responsibility, and I feel encouraged and empowered to make positive change that future leaders can take forward.”
Hattori is director of product development at StudioLAB–the creative innovation team within Walt Disney Studios’ technology division–and a science and technology peer group executive for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Prior to joining StudioLAB, she served as executive director of product development for the 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) Advanced Technology and Engineering group, which explored new technologies; developed the requirements and workflow in production, postproduction, and home distribution; and contributed to various technical standards.
Earlier, as a senior software engineer for Sony’s Technology Standards and Strategy group, Hattori took part in technical standards development and activities, working with various technology companies in collaborative partnerships to explore new experiences in the entertainment industry. She earned a 2015 International Standard Development Award for her achievements as co-editor of ISO/IEC 14496-10 (Eighth Edition) Information Technology–Coding of Audio-Visual Objects–Part 10: Advanced Video Coding (AVC) and received numerous Patent Originator of Implemented Innovation Awards for her work at Sony.
“Sally has a great deal of experience with international standards development and has made significant contributions both as a participant and as a leader,” said SMPTE executive director David Grindle. “She understands how standards bodies function, and she works well with colleagues to move standards work forward. In her role as standards vice president, she brings a fresh perspective and forward-looking vision that will help SMPTE deliver standards in a model that benefits both the Society and the larger media technology community.”
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the standards community as a leader,” continued Hattori. “I feel I can bring a different mindset to the work and help the Society have a conversation about new publishing workflows and business models that can bring greater transparency and allow us to make SMPTE standards more open and valuable to the industry as a whole.”
Music Biopics Get Creative At Toronto Film Festival
Many of the expected conventions of music biopics are present in "Piece by Piece," about the producer-turned-pop star Pharrell Williams, and "Better Man," about the British singer Robbie Williams. There's the young artist's urge to break through, fallow creative periods and regrettable chapters of fame-addled excess. But there are a few, little differences. In "Piece by Piece," Pharrell is a Lego. And in "Better Man," Williams is played by a CGI monkey. If the music biopic can sometimes feel a little stale in format, these two movies, both premiering this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, attempt novel remixes. In each film, each Williams recounts his life story as a narrator. But their on-screen selves aren't movie stars who studied to get a part just right, but computer-generated animations living out real superstar fantasies. While neither Williams has much in common as a musician, neither has had a very traditional career. Their films became reflections of their individuality, and, maybe, a way to distinguish themselves in the crowded field of music biopics like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Rocketman." "This is about being who you are, even if it's not something that can be put in a box," Pharrell said in an interview Tuesday alongside director Morgan Neville. Also next to Pharrell: A two-foot-tall Lego sculpture of himself, which was later in the day brought to the film's premiere and given its own seat in the crowd. The experience watching the crowd-pleasing "Piece by Piece," which Focus Features will release Oct. 11, can be pleasantly discombobulating. A wide spectrum of things you never expected to see in Lego form are animated. Virginia Beach (where Pharrell grew up). An album of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life."... Read More