WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—SMPTE has announced that Lawrence Sher, ASC, will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 SMPTE Media Technology Summit (MTS), Oct. 21-24 in Hollywood, Calif. Sher is an award-winning cinematographer and director with over 30 years of experience. He has shot more than 35 features and is the founder/CEO of ShotDeck, a vast digital image library that has become the go-to research tool for creatives across all fields.
The keynote session will feature Carolyn Giardina, senior entertainment technology and crafts editor at Variety and Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP+), who will lead a conversation with Sher about his film career and ShotDeck's impact on the film industry.
"Lawrence has been a creative force behind several of my favorite films," said Marc Zorn, content protection and production security at Marvel Studios and 2024 MTS co-chair. "I can't wait to get a glimpse into his process and the technology choices he makes when working on a project."
Sher recently completed the upcoming "Joker Folie à Deux," the sequel to "Joker," which earned him the Golden Frog at the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland, as well as Oscar and BAFTA nominations. Sher's filmography includes "The Bride," "The Hangover" trilogy, "Garden State," and "Due Date." He has also directed the film "Father Figures" and television shows including the Peacock comedy "Rutherford Falls." He launched ShotDeck in 2021 to help filmmakers and educators find reference material for research and inspiration.
Giardina has been honored with the American Cinema Editors' Robert Wise Award for journalistic contributions to film editing; the International Cinematographers Guild's Technicolor William A. Fraker Award for journalistic contributions to cinematography; and the Advanced Imaging Society's Distinguished Leadership Lumiere Award. She has covered and moderated many events, including previous SMPTE Summits and events.
The 2024 SMPTE MTS is the Society's annual technical conference that brings together global industry leaders to share their latest research findings and offer solutions to industry issues while providing a space for professionals to network and learn. Attendees will have access to both peer-reviewed technical sessions and presentations and panels on the industry's most pressing issues, the Emerging Technology sessions in the Solutions Hub, and all the new features of this year's conference, including the Tech Trek.
To register for MTS, visit https://summit.smpte.org/2024
