Digital Qualification and Submission Rules
Informal Notes or “What do these rules mean for me, the filmmaker?”
Most of the Academy’s Award categories allow for eligibility for award consideration by means of digital presentation, as outlined in “Rule Two—Eligibility” in the Academy’s “Rules for Distinguished Achievements During 2009.”
Here is the language (in bold type) in Rule Two (section 2, paragraph b) that applies to digital presentation: “All eligible motion pictures, unless otherwise noted, must be publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48- frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels, source image format conforming to SMPTE 428-1-2006 D-Cinema—Image Characteristics; image compression (if used) conforming to ISO/IEC 15444-1 (JPEG 2000), and image and sound file formats suitable for exhibition in commercial Digital Cinema sites. The audio in a typical Digital Cinema DCP is 5.1 channels of discrete audio and that is the preferred audio configuration. The minimum for a non-mono configuration of the audio shall be three channels as Left, Center, Right (a Left/Right configuration is not acceptable in a theatrical environment). The audio data shall be formatted in conformance with SMPTE 428-2-2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master- Audio Characteristics and SMPTE 428-3-2006- D-Cinema Distribution Master Audio Channel Mapping and Channel Labeling. …”
Well, then. What, indeed, does this mean for filmmakers?
The first thing that you, the filmmaker, will need is what is now called a Digital Cinema Package, commonly abbreviated as DCP. The SMPTE and ISO/IEC documents mentioned in the general rule are in fact international standards that define the technical characteristics of the DCP. As a practical matter, you can rely on specialized digital cinema mastering facilities to provide you with a DCP that will comply with these standards. Your original image capture can be whatever you want (film, digital video, CGI, and so on), but ultimately you will need individual, “one per frame” digital image files for the compression step of the mastering process. Once you choose a mastering facility (see below), you may discuss with them the most efficient and cost-effective method of conversion for your project. Your finished DCP will be provided to you on a computer HDD (hard disk drive)—typically a USB drive or a universal CRU drive.
OK. I have a DCP. What next?
For your qualification screenings, as defined in Rule Two and the special rules for the various categories, you will need to find a commercial theater equipped with a digital cinema projector that meets the requirements outlined in Rule Two, as well as a digital cinema server that will play the SMPTE DCP you have received from your mastering facility.
In practice, there are only two types of digital cinema projectors that are acceptable for your qualification screenings. The first type uses DLP Digital Cinema technology licensed by Texas Instruments to projector manufacturers. Be sure your cinema has a true DLP Digital Cinema projector, one that has a pixel count of 2048 x 1080, and not one of the industrial grade DLP projectors that typically have pixel counts of 1920 x 1024 with reduced color and other image performance characteristics.
The second type of projector is the Sony SXRD Ultra HiRes Cinema “4K” series intended for digital cinema applications.
There are several companies who manufacture digital cinema servers that meet the applicable SMPTE specifications, and will play DCPs that are mastered according to these specifications. These companies include (in alphabetical order) Dolby Laboratories, Doremi, DTS, GDC, Kodak, Qube, QuVis, and XDC. Be sure the server system in your cinema can play a SMPTE DCP as defined in Rule Two above. If you are not sure, you may confirm with the manufacturer that the server you plan to use is “compliant” with the applicable SMPTE digital cinema specifications.
Well, that was easy—I think. I’ve heard about encrypted DCPs and KDMs. What do these terms mean for me?
Encrypted DCPs will not be accepted.
I’ve completed my qualification screenings. What do I need to submit to the Academy?
For the categories of animated films, documentaries and short films, you will need to submit a copy of your DCP, as supplied to you by your mastering facility. (If your film is qualifying in other categories, you do not need to submit a physical copy of the film until it is nominated.) As noted above, this will be a computer hard drive—typically a USB drive. Please include only one version of one film per hard drive. The encoding format of your DCP should be JPEG2K/Interop. The image size for 1.85 aspect ratio should be 1998 x 1080. For a 2.39 aspect ration, image size should be 2048 x 858. Please specify the Target Color Gamut Data (TCGD). We prefer X’Y’Z’
Your DCP must play on a Dolby Showplayer DSP 100.
Please remember that your hard drive will become the property of the Academy, and will not be returned to you.
Where can I find a mastering facility to make my DCP?
Included with these notes is a list of companies in the Los Angeles area who can provide complete DCP mastering and packaging services. Please note that this is by no means a comprehensive list, and inclusion on this list does not imply Academy endorsement.
There are DCP mastering facilities worldwide. If you wish to master your project in New York or London, for example, please ask the companies on the attached list to refer you to an appropriate facility in the city of your choice. The Academy is not responsible for fixing badly transferred data.
Digital content is fragile. Please ship carefully
Helpful links
www.dcimovies.com/specification/index.tt2
www.dcinematoday.com
