LAS VEGAS - Emmy- and Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor Robert Legato will present the keynote at the 2017 NAB Show's "The Future of Cinema Conference: The Intersection of Technology, Art, & Commerce in Cinema.” Produced in partnership with SMPTE, the conference will take place April 22nd and 23rd at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Legato has been nominated for four Academy Awards and has won three. His first win was for his VFX work on Titanic, his second was for his work on Hugo, and his third came this year for his work on The Jungle Book. In 1996, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Achievement in Special Effects for Apollo 13, for which he also garnered his first Academy Award nomination. Prior to his work in film, he was a visual effects supervisor for Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 to 1992, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993. His work on the Star Trek franchise earned him three Emmy Award nominations and two wins.
Legato will present "Jungle Book, Photorealism, and the Bright Future of Filmmaking" on the second day of the two-day conference, which also will feature sessions delving into how technical innovation, artistic intent, and evolving consumption and business models will interact to shape the future of cinema. With computer simulations becoming so accurate that it is often difficult for even the most seasoned pros to distinguish the difference between an effect and the real thing, drawing from his experiences working on acclaimed titles, Legato will explore the distinction between visual effects and traditional cinematic disciplines, such as direction, cinematography, production, and design.
"The Future of Cinema Conference" will feature sessions on forward-looking techniques and challenges related to making content for theatrical release and beyond. Complete conference details are available at www.nabshow.com/attend/future-of-cinema-conference, and SMPTE members may use code EP02 to take $100 off.