By Randi Altman

The HPA Tech Retreat is a yearly destination for tech heads working in post and production. It’s not a trade show, it’s a conference — one that limits the number of attendees in order to keep that “summer camp” feel. It’s always held in and around Palm Springs, with the most recent gatherings located in Rancho Mirage.

In addition to sessions that often offer a deep dive into a project — this year was Avatar: The Way of Water — there are other set “events” designed to spur conversation. (Here is a link to the session schedule so you can get a feel for what was covered.) There are the breakfast roundtables, where attendees can talk about a specific technology or trends; group lunches, dinners, and cocktails; and the Innovation Zone, which is the only place the Tech Retreat even slightly resembles NAB or IBC or your traditional trade show.

At any moment in time, you can look around and see people — some of whom you might have worked with in another life — sipping coffee, catching up and developing relationships, all while surrounded by pretty mountains and golfers.

This year we reached out to some of the attendees to get their take on what’s become a yearly destination.

Payton List, Director, Production & Post Technology, Fox Entertainment

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
I really enjoyed seeing the presentations of the MovieLabs papers. Observing how the technology and workflows were implemented in real scenarios was helpful. It was also very cool to see that sustainability was a topic people are starting to recognize, along with accessibility and the talent deficit in the industry.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
I had a great time networking with similar minds across the industry, from studios to vendors. We’re all working on the same problems, and by gathering in this space (the HPA Tech Retreat), we have recognized that sharing information and working together in order to solve them is important. Having disparate systems, workflows and technology isn’t going to work for us much longer.

Josh Rizzo, VP, Technical Operations, Sony Pictures Television

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
While the Avatar: The Way of Water deep dive was rich and well-executed, it deserves its own category for highlights.

For the main sessions, it was both daunting and exciting to see 1) the rapid realization of an industry-wide dearth of engineering talent, and 2) the slow realization that AI maybe, kinda, sorta, one day can fill that gap — but only if we find more really smart folks (I think someone said grad students) to create bespoke, entertainment-first expressions of the tools.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
The Innovation Zone is always a favorite. The ability to get one-on-one time with engineers and subject matter experts in such a relaxed and collegiate environment is unparalleled.

Marc Zorn, Content Protection & Production Security, Marvel Studios

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
The Tuesday Supersession is always a highlight. With the focus this year on Avatar: The Way of Water, it’s obvious now that remote collaboration is the way to accomplish a project of this magnitude and complexity.

The absence of a central theme [for the conference] is actually an advantage. The variety of subject matter kept me engaged with every session. From the 34 different roundtables each morning to sessions of just the right length, the Tech Retreat somehow finds that elusive balance.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
The most important reason I come to the Tech Retreat is for the networking. In between the sessions is a meal, a break or some sort of reception. The Tech Retreat is just full of opportunities to meet or reconnect with friends from all over the industry. Hands down, it’s my favorite professional event.

Renard Jenkins, SVP, Production Integration & Creative Technology Services, Warner Bros. Discovery

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
The MovieLabs 2030 Showcase was packed with industry leading tech and processes. Ron Gonsalves’ Year in Review of AI/ML Developments for Media Production was so much fun and so informative. He taught us that ChatGPT has a sense of humor or maybe an inflated ego…it was hard to tell, but very funny.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
I enjoyed the morning roundtables and the Women in Post Luncheon. That panel was so authentic and honest. It showed us how far we have to go, but it also gave us a good glimpse of how far we have come and the incredible effects that betting on women can net.

Neil Coleman, EVP Post Production, 3BMG

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
The deep dive into Avatar was fascinating. I was really blown away by how many versions needed to be created/delivered in such a short amount of time. It was a master class in organization and workflow on a large scale.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
I always find the breakfast roundtables to be of great interest. They’ve consistently been a way to have great conversations about specific areas of interest. That said, as the years progress, they seem to be veering into more of a sales pitch from potential vendors rather than discussion topics for fellow attendees.

Out of the three that I attended, Cloud Workflows for Reality/Nonfiction TV with Steve Marshall from Moxion was a bit helpful, if only to confirm our workflows are current and working well.

Sarah Xu, Associate Project Manager Production & Post Technology, Fox Entertainment

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
The MovieLabs 2030 Panel and Showcase were among the many highlights of the retreat. The retreat presented an opportunity to share innovative ideas and collaborate to work toward a few common goals. The MovieLabs sessions offered a glimpse into the industry’s future, where technology and innovation will increasingly shape the landscape.

From the Royal Opera House’s adoption of a more efficient work process to developing Black Panther in the cloud, the MovieLabs Showcase provided insights into how the industry is adapting to a new way of working and its strategic adoption of new technologies. The productive discussion with technology leaders and the case study showcase offered valuable knowledge on the industry’s progress toward achieving the 2030 Vision as well as a roadmap for future success.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
The networking opportunities were endless. Whether it was chatting during a refreshment break or over a bowl of ice cream, I found it immensely beneficial to be surrounded by professionals in the same industry to connect, build relationships and share ideas that can lead to new collaborations and opportunities. Through these conversations, I also gained a deeper understanding of the latest trends and innovations and walked away with valuable insights and practical solutions that can be applied to both my current work and future projects. Overall, I believe the HPA Tech Retreat continues to foster a strong sense of community within the industry and provide an incredibly enriching experience.

Greg Ciaccio, Senior Director, Post Production Original Content, IMAX

What were some highlights of the show for you in terms of the sessions?
Avatar: The Way of Water, for sure. I loved all the anecdotes and seeing behind the scenes, not to mention the sheer magnitude of effort to produce so many versions to ensure the highest quality images, sound and localization for the widest audience.

Also, I always look forward to Mark Schubin’s presentation and the many cloud success stories that show how remote workflows are bringing the world closer together while leveraging a worldwide talent pool.

What other parts of the Tech Retreat did you enjoy and why?
Always love how everyone’s in one room — no multiple tracts to choose from. The breakfast roundtables are always a good way to increase your knowledge in an intimate way while ensuring you start off nourished.

The Innovation Zone is like a tiny NAB show floor and highly accessible. Last, the hotel is a very relaxing place to hang out with many industry colleagues and friends. A captive setting in only the best way.

Mike Tosti, Director, Production Engineering, IDC LA

The Supersession! They had fantastic talent on-site and remote working to put Avatar together.

Many kudos to Kevin Rosenberger (KDR Designs) and the Christie engineer who setting up a fantastic 3D and 2D screening room in a hotel ballroom. They outdid themselves. I was excited to reconnect with Kevin.

I always enjoy the CES data dump. I never get to go to CES, so I don’t know the themes and weird products they have there. I wish that presentation had gone longer.

The networking and breakfast roundtables are the best part of the retreat, to be honest. The only problem with the roundtables is the tables fill fast. Plus, the font on the sandwich board is too small for us old duffers to read quicky.

The first roundtable I sat in on was about on-set workflows by Avid.

The second one was about security and run by Juan Reyes and Mathew [Gilliat-Smith] from Convergent Risks. That was a nice, lively discussion. They are our security consultants at IDC.

Randi Altman is the founder and editor-in-chief of postPerspective. She has been covering production and post production for more than 25 years.