Cameron, Pace Keynote Sets Tone for the Show

With this year's theme of "The Art of Integration," the collaboration of art and technology are front and center as filmmaker James Cameron and acclaimed cinematographer Vince Pace get the 2011 NAB Show off to a resounding start.

The NAB Show Opening begins this morning with opening remarks from NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith who will welcome attendees to the convention and present the Distinguished Service Award to former NAB President Eddie Fritts. The event is sponsored by Blackmagic Design.

Cameron, the creative force behind the two highest grossing motion pictures of all time, and Vince Pace, a world-renowned visual effects visionary and 3D innovator, then take the stage for the keynote address with a look at recent innovations in 3D technology and storytelling, and future implications for the entertainment industry at large. 

Vince Pace

Over the past decade, individually and together Cameron and Pace have been responsible for films earning more than $4.6 billion at the box office including 1997's monumental blockbuster "Titanic," the underwater 3D adventure "Ghosts of the Abyss" (2003), and 2009's groundbreaking 3D hit "Avatar." Their efforts have won them numerous awards from the filmmaking industry.

Cameron landed his first film job in 1980 as art director on Roger Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars." The next year he directed his debut feature "Piranha Part Two: The Spawning."

But his big break came when he wrote and directed his first mega hit, "The Terminator" (1984), which lead to a string of mostly sci-fi hits including "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) and "Aliens" (1986).

After working with Pace, CEO of PACE, on "The Abyss," they collaborated on technology originally called The Reality Camera, which eventually became the FUSION 3D camera system, first used on Cameron's "Ghosts of the Abyss."

Eddie Fritts

Pace is credited with the idea of mounting two HD cameras side-by-side, but dynamically controlling the angle of their lenses to converge at the central object of the 3D image. This results in greater creative flexibility when shooting in 3D, and less eye strain for the audience when watching it. FUSION 3D launched the current era of stereoscopic 3D filmmaking. 

Pace has provided both 3D and 2D camera equipment and post-production facilities to major motion pictures, live sporting events and entertainment concerts around the world.

Their keynote sets the stage for the show's lineup of Super Sessions, General Sessions, the Content Theater and the Content Conference, which offer convention-goers multiple opportunities to see clips and hear stories from top filmmakers; learn how they use the latest tools and techniques in production obstacles; and see how visual effects have become critical to the art of storytelling.

Distinguished Service Award recipient Eddie Fritts served as president and CEO of NAB from 1982–2006.

"For more than two decades, Eddie Fritts carried the banner for free and local broadcasting on Capitol Hill with integrity and distinction," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "Eddie helped put NAB on the map as an advocacy force in Washington, and his accomplishments on behalf of radio and television stations — and the listeners and viewers that we serve — will be felt for decades to come. I'm honored to follow in his footsteps as head of NAB, and we are thrilled to present him with the prestigious Distinguished Service Award."

Fritts rose from radio broadcaster in a small Mississippi market to an industry leader on Capitol Hill where he fought for public policies including the 1992 Cable Act and the regulatory reform contained in the 1996 Communications Act. 

Currently Fritts is head of the political consulting agency, The Fritts Group, in Washington, D.C. 

From  Te Daily NEW  (NAB 2011