Film and Technology
Since we shoot with digital cameras, distribute DCP files, and stream on SVOD platforms electronically, I have come to realize that a movie is now a digital product, and making one is as much an engineering problem as it is an artistic or business one.
I have been involved in both the business and artistic sides of cinema for years. I write film reviews for 33K readers on my Japanese blog. I directed a few short- to mid-length films in college. I worked at movie theaters in Tokyo. Even now, I help out at a few film festivals in Hollywood.
While studying computer science at USC, I gained confidence as an engineer. I also discovered a connection between engineering and the film industry. Now I feel I can finally contribute to the industry I have always dreamed of, with a tangible, solid skill: software engineering, or more specifically, pipeline engineering. It feels great.
As far as I know, pipeline problems look much the same across industries. The job is to make the stream flow more smoothly. How? By learning the specifications of each component and adjusting the data, or whatever else is in the pipeline, to fit each spec.
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The limits we have to deal with are inherent not only in the components themselves, but also in the network, the physical machines, and the clients’ security policies. It is like an obstacle course race. We are not competing against anyone, but there are many hurdles to clear before we reach the goal.
The other side of pipeline engineering is iterating on the stream and continuously improving the pipeline. It is extremely rare for everything to run smoothly on the first test. The improvement can take days or weeks. Patience and staying motivated are key. If you stick with it, you will eventually find peace.
While juggling homework and other responsibilities, I have been enjoying learning and building things in this realm of creative technology. I built a website where users can convert XML files to AAF files, using OpenTimelineIO behind the scenes. I am building a color-mapping website based on ACES. Both OTIO and ACES are open source, and I am looking for ways to contribute to these tools by using them as a developer. Honestly, it is a great way to learn them and to find more things to improve.
https://timelineconverter.uemura1999.com/
The difficulty is that I do not have enough professional experience as a filmmaker. To truly understand the ecosystem of creative technology, making a film and running into technical problems myself would be the best way. Otherwise, I do not even feel I am speaking the same language as filmmakers. My solutions are sometimes not rooted in their reality; they are just armchair arguments. I may need to start shooting again, like I did as a student filmmaker.
Every day, I try to learn something new and be useful to this industry. My survival has only just begun, and I am excited to see how far I can go from here.
