Ready for 4K? Is Your Storage?

Fact: 4K video requires over 4X more storage than HD video.

Download the “Digital Archiving in the Media and Entertainment Industry” resource kit to see how Oracle can help you better understand and solve your digital media archiving challenges.

Join Oracle at NAB Show and learn how Oracle is building digital archives for leading broadcast and digital media organizations to handle the video formats of today and tomorrow. 

Oracle’s specialized media team will be in booth SL13909 to demonstrate how you can maximize digital archive access and lower storage costs for HD, 3D, 2K and 4K+ video assets with the world’s most scalable and highest capacity digital archiving solutions. 

In the Spotlight today is the 10th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF), showcasing some of the best and brightest short films of the year. Drawing extraordinary talent and stories from around the globe, HSFF annually showcases more than 340 short films, webisodes, music videos, documentaries, and more -- all from within the heart of the entertainment capital of the world. With competitive screenings unfolding at Hollywood's famed TCL Chinese Theatres, HSFF is an ideal place for indie filmmakers to rub elbows with industry players, right in their own backyard.

This year's HSFF will include screenings, daily networking events, panels, and seminars every single day for 10 days. Not only can you attend one of the biggest short film celebrations in the world when you come to HollyShorts, but there's a chance you'll meet and network with Award winning Hollywood luminaries, celebrities and next gen artists. A short list of festival alumni includes James Caan, Paul Haggis, David Lynch, Josh Brolin, Jessica Biel, David Arquette, Jane Lynch, Neil LaBute, Eli Roth, Ben Lyons, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jason Biggs, John Dahl, Darren Lew, Malcolm Barrett, Demi Moore, Kirsten Dunst, Scott Porter, Matthew Modine, Matthew Libatique, David Rodriguez, Chadwick Boseman, Joel David Moore, Carter Smith, Zachary Quinto, Joe Carnahan, Jamie Linden, David Dastmalchian, Mary Pat Bentel, Nicholas McCarthy, and many more.

HSFF also doles out exciting prizes in a wide variety of categories, including $40,000 USD in post production services from Company 3 for Best Short, Best Director, Best Music Video, Best Commercial, and Best Cinematography. There's also a $10,000 Best VFX prize courtesy of Method Studios, a Future Filmmaker Award courtesy of Panavision, $10,000 camera packages courtesy of Martini Crew Booking for Best Student and Best Female Director, Best 3D, Best Drama, Best Animation, Best Editing, and more. Last year's overall fest winner received an all expense paid trip to New Zealand courtesy of Starnow. Offering over $100,000 in production and post-production prizes, as well as a scholarship of up to $40,000 sponsored by Latino Art Beat for the inaugural Youth Category winner, HSFF is primed to help launch talented filmmakers to new heights and to invest in the creation of exciting new projects.

   

UPCOMING DEADLINE
April 11, 2014 - Regular Deadline

MISSION AND OBJECTIVE
HSFF showcases some of the best and brightest filmmakers from all across the globe with projects that run 30 minutes or less in runtime.

MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Select HSFF award-winning projects will receive distribution opportunities from festival partners and will enjoy access to some of the top talent agencies and management companies in Hollywood. They'll also be unveiled on more than 238 screens across the country, from NYC to Atlanta and Chicago to L.A.

This year marks the second HollyShorts Film Conference & Market, presented by Method Studios, a special co-located event taking place at the Roosevelt Hotel. This event features a slew of high-level panels, speaking engagements, seminars, and workshops tackling the most important issues facing the entertainment industry. The gathering features the major studios, networks, agencies and influential speakers. Last year's participants included such companies as Fox, Lionsgate, FEARnet, Electus, Machinima, Route 1 Films, Gersh, Cartoon Network, and Vuguru, to name a few.

MAINE INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
Waterville, Maine - USA
July 11 to 20, 2014
Upcoming Deadline: April 7, 2014

The 17th Annual Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) brings together independent, international, and Maine-made films and screens them in two of the region's most exciting and stately venues: the Railroad Square Cinema and the historic Waterville Opera House. Awash with intimate Q&As, lively receptions, scintillating panel discussions, and countless networking opportunities, MIFF brings film lovers together with filmmakers for an unforgettable dialogue and celebration.

In previous years, guests of the festival have spanned the gamut of entertainment and have included Terrence Malick, Ed Harris, Jonathan Demme, Lili Taylor, Peter Fonda, Malcolm McDowell, and three-time Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker (The Departed, Raging Bull). In 2001, filmmaker David Gordon Green attended MIFF with his first feature-length project, George Washington. Now he's best known for the raucous comedy Pineapple Express.

Winning films at MIFF are decided upon by audience vote -- and all filmmakers participating in the festival benefit from complimentary lodging, gift bags, nightly happy hours, and some of the best films on the festival circuit. Submit your film to MIFF today, and come experience a celebration the Boston Globe Magazine has called "the best-curated film event in New England."





SF SHORTS: SAN FRANCISCO
INT'L FESTIVAL OF SHORT FILMS
San Francisco, California - USA
October 16 to 18, 2014
Upcoming Deadline: April 12, 2014

The 9th Annual SF Shorts: San Francisco International Festival of Short Films prides itself as an "anti-niche festival" and champions a broad variety of themes and talents by programming diverse short-form projects alongside one another. Fueled by enthusiastic audiences and by a wide array of great stories, SF Shorts programs exclusively from its pool of submitted entries.

In addition to more than $17,000 USD in cash and prizes, SF Shorts offers significant travel stipends to those filmmakers who visit from afar. The result is a festival with unbeatable hospitality from beginning to end -- and a celebration that offers eight different honors presented by judges, festival staff, and audience members.

At SF Shorts, great talents do not go unrecognized, and wildly diverse films and filmmakers are tossed together to create bright sparks. SF Weekly has praised SF Shorts for its films of "concentrated inspiration, breathtaking craft, and unabashed entertainment value." Submit your short today, and find out what this unique celebration has to offer!





WILLIAMSBURG INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
New York, New York - USA
September 18 to 21, 2014
Upcoming Deadline: April 12, 2014

The 5th Annual Williamsburg International Film Festival (WILLiFEST) spotlights independent filmmakers from every corner of the globe and offers a New York City celebration packed with screenings, panels, concerts, networking opportunities, and after-parties that extend well into the night. Voted among the "Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals" by MovieMaker Magazine, WILLiFEST welcomes narrative and documentary feature films and shorts, as well as animated and family fare, film soundtracks, screenplays and commercials.

Created by and for artists, WILLiFEST features numerous red carpet premieres and stellar ambience, all aiming to provide each screening with the prestige and attention to detail that it deserves. East Coast filmmakers will also benefit from year-round networking opportunities sure to accelerate promising careers.

WILLiFEST has regularly hosted filmmakers from China, Canada, Scotland, Korea, Switzerland, and beyond. It also helped launch the short film God of Love to Oscar gold and secure distribution for a handful of features. Submit your film or screenplay to WILLiFEST today, and see what it can do for you!





BLUE PLUM
ANIMATION FESTIVAL
Johnson City, Tennessee - USA
June 6 to 7, 2014
Upcoming Deadline: April 14, 2014

The 10th Annual Blue Plum Animation Festival operates as part of the Blue Plum Arts & Music Festival and showcases outstanding short-form animated projects that can be enjoyed by all ages. With a special focus on young audiences, Blue Plum welcomes animated tales from both student and professional artists and offers numerous attractions for little ones. The fun all takes place in Johnson City, Tennessee, a community that embodies the warmth and hospitality so often associated with Southern charm.

Blue Plum offers a variety of cash prizes, in both professional and student competitions, doled out in the forms of Student Animator's Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and Audience Choice Awards. Films are evaluated on the basis of artistic merit, strength of storytelling, and technical proficiency. All participating filmmakers receive comments and scores from festival judges, as well as copies of the judging metrics used throughout the competition.

As Blue Plum is a family-oriented event, all submitted material must no include excessive violence or obscenities. If you have an innovative and fun animated film that kids can enjoy alongside Mom and Dad, Blue Plum is a great place to get it seen and celebrated. Submit your work today!

    March 26, 2014
News for broadcast and electronic media leaders SIGN UP|FORWARD|ARCHIVE|ADVERTISE
Top Story Report: WTOP is No. 1 radio station for ad revenue once again
Hubbard's WTOP in Washington, D.C., for the fourth year in a row generated the most ad revenue among U.S. radio stations in 2013, BIA/Kelsey is reporting. WTOP tallied $63.5 million, followed by two Clear Channel stations, KIIS in Los Angeles with $61.6 million and WHTZ in New York with $51 million. CBS Radio owned five out of the top 10 revenue-generating stations. AllAccess.com (3/26), Radio Ink (3/25) Share:  Business & Industry Report FCC's Wheeler, Pai put forth competing JSA claims at House hearing
The Federal Communications Commission's plan to sharply curtail joint-sales agreements could boost minority station ownership by making outlets less costly to own, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said during a House panel hearing. Republican FCC member Ajit Pai disagreed during the hearing, arguing that JSA limits would have the opposite effect on ownership diversity and could lead to small-market stations shutting down. "To me, it strains credulity to suggest you could take away those efficiencies ... and hope to have diversity embodied in this industry," Pai said. "It's simply not going to happen, given the current economic environment." TVNewsCheck (free registration) (3/25), Broadcasting & Cable (3/25) Share:  Aereo says "there is no plan" if it loses Supreme Court case
It's all or nothing for Aereo -- the streaming service won't continue to exist if the Supreme Court finds it in violation of broadcast networks' copyrights, according to Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia. "There is no plan," Kanojia said about what the company would do if it loses the case. "If we don't succeed, despite our best efforts and the good law being on our side, it would be a tragedy. But it is what it is." FierceCable (3/25) Share:  Technology Media storage platforms will be on display at NAB Show
Media storage platforms and recording devices from a range of providers will be on display at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Interest in storage solutions is rising amid greater use of cloud-based and 4K technology, Susan Ashworth writes. This article provides a roundup of the storage and recording technology to be featured at the show. TV Technology (3/25)

2nd Screen Sunday 2nd Screen Sunday returns to NAB Show, the world’s largest electronic media show, on the afternoon of April 6, 2014 at Encore Hotel in Las Vegas for an afternoon of thought leadership from the innovative pioneers of 2nd screen technologies. Following up on last year’s sold-out NAB Show event,  2nd Screen Sunday focuses on real-world, case studies about how both broadcasters and brands are monetizing the 2nd screen through advertising and commerce. You may purchase an individual pass to this Workshop or attend as part of your SMART or Conference Flex Pass. Featured Presenters: Keynote: Mike Park, Twitter 

Scott Brown, Nielsen 

John Dixon, Comcast 

Bill Reiter, Fox Sports 1

Fisrt Row: Ian Aaron, ConnecTV; Trey Courtney, Mood Media; Thomas Dodson, OVGuide.com; Guy Finley (not pictured), MESA / 2nd Screen Society; Field Garthwaite, IRIS.TV; Balaji Gopinath, Turner Broadcasting; Brent Horowitz, BrightRoll; Sreekanth Kannepalli, Microsoft Second Row: Sandy Khaund (not pictured), Turner Broadcasting; Christy King, UFC; Will Law, Akamai; Andy Liu, BuddyTV; Jeremy Lockhorn, Razorfish; Neal Modi, Revenue and Operations Kargo; Kelly Moulton, Never.no; Chuck Parker (not pictured), 2nd Screen Society Third Row: Rachel Payne, FEM Inc; Brian Ring, Ring Digital LLC; Scott Rosenberg, Roku; Miles Weaver, Piksel; Ben Weinberger, Digitalsmiths; Ron Yerkes (not pictured), Turner; Evan Young, TiVo Here’s What They’re Speaking About

• How to Handle the UX Challenge of Living Room and On the Go
• Video Ad Monetization with a Companion or Viewing Experience
• Next Gen Living Room: Finding and Viewing Your Content on the Big Screen
• Finding and Viewing Your 2nd Screen Content on the Big Screen
• Proven Ways of Engagement: Stats, Quizzes and Bonus Content

More 2nd Screen Sessions at NAB Show:  To attend the below Sessions, a Session 3-Pack, SMART or Conference Flex Pass is required. Second Screen and the Cinema: Real-World Case Studies Sunday, April 6  This session will explore two theatrical second screen case studies – The Little Mermaid and Nightmare Before Christmas from The Walt Disney Studios. The session audience will also get a chance to try out the second screen experience with a short demo, so bring your iPads and feel free to download the app here. Moderator: Chris Witham, The Walt Disney Studios; Panelists: Kumari Bakhru, The Walt Disney Studios; Sean Madden, The Walt Disney Studios; Scot Bradford, Deluxe Digital Studios Creative  Integrated First and Second Screen Experiences Monday, April 7  The session will explore the early efforts of providing an integrated experience between first and second screen applications, as well as discussing the real opportunity to offer a consumer experience, where consumers can use the tablet for an attractive interaction experience. Presenter: Michael Lantz, Accendo Second Screen Audio Management Monday, April 7  This paper will discuss some of the specific challenges and solutions, including how mobile and tablet listening environments and reproduction equipment differ from typical home consumption of linear broadcast, how to augment existing loudness management processes to account for second screen devices, and how to provide a greater amount of perceived consistency and quality while reducing end customer complaints. Presenter: Mike Daskalopoulos, Linear Acoustic