Fraunhofer IIS, the world’s renowned source for audio and multimedia technologies, today announces that Dr. Siegfried Foessel, head of the department of Moving Picture Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS, has formally been awarded the Fellow grade of membership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) at an induction ceremony at the SMPTE 2013 Annual Technical Conference and Expo. Fellow status is conferred upon individuals who have, by proficiency and contributions, attained an outstanding rank among engineers or executives in the motion picture, television, or related industries.

Foessel was inducted as a SMPTE Fellow for his role in establishing worldwide standards for the digitization of the motion picture industry. With his team, Foessel continues to develop standards and technical specifications for SMPTE and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). He initiated many well-known projects that introduced and evaluated future-oriented innovations for both motion
picture and broadcast systems. This includes his role as the coordinator of the European Worldscreen project, researching layered scheme compression algorithms for digital cinema workflows. All projects addressed the technological, as well as the useroriented side, when developing new systems and solutions.

“At Fraunhofer IIS, we focus on the entire digital cinema workflow, from new production tools on set to solutions for post production, distribution and exhibition. This results in new viewing and sound experiences for cinemagoers,” said Dr. Siegfried Foessel. “With this in mind, it is very important that continued research and developments for digital cinema conform to common, international standards that guarantee new devices and solutions fit within any existing workflow.”

An important milestone for Foessel´s team was the development of the technical specifications and the publication of the international Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) Compliance Test Plan (CTP). Completed in 2007 on behalf of the six major Hollywood studios, the CTP proofed the compatibility of products within the DCI’s Digital Cinema Systems Specifications (DCSS). Fraunhofer IIS also adapted the specifications for Germany, which were developed and published on behalf of the German Federal Film Fund.

In addition to international standards and specifications, Foessel and his team developed special software to further integrate with and enhance the digital cinema workflow. This includes the easyDCP software suite that allows small and midsize post production companies to generate a perfect digital cinema package (DCP) that can be shown in every digital cinema.

In addition, a number of camera innovations, camera electronic developments and solutions for digital film archiving based on JPEG 2000 extend the development portfolio of Fraunhofer IIS’ experts. Currently, the scientists are working on new formats for scalable workflows, as well as focusing on innovations for future trends such as high dynamic range (HDR) and light-field technology.

Foessel is also the executive vice president of the German Fernseh- und Kinotechnische Gesellschaft e.V. (FKTG). He is one of 14 new industry leaders to receive the status of SMPTE Fellow.

Further information is available at: http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/en.