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AnnouncementAug 26, 2026

ETC Welcomes Wendy Aylsworth as New Board Chair

Industry veteran and award-winning media executive Wendy Aylsworth — CEO and CTO of Walden Pond technology consultancy — has been named the new chair of ETC’s executive board. Aylsworth has an impressive history developing entertainment technology while serving leadership positions at Warner Bros. and The Walt Disney Company. She also has a distinguished track record providing strategic board guidance for numerous organizations, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Hollywood Professional Association (HPA), American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), among others. As the next chair of ETC’s executive board, Aylsworth replaces Michael Wise, former CTO of Universal Pictures.

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PeopleMay 26, 2026

ETC Remembers Industry Leader Jerry Pierce

The Entertainment Technology Center lost an exceptional friend and Hollywood a true tech visionary when Jerry Pierce passed away April 12. Jerry was a former senior vice president at Universal Studios where he helped guide the transition from film to digital cinema projection. He was instrumental in the advancement of key areas such as DVD, high definition, electronic sell through, and copy protection. Jerry was chairman of the Inter-Society Digital Cinema Forum (ISDCF), which he helped form in 2006, and technical advisor for the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO).

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ResearchMay 21, 2026

This Week in… Artificial Intelligence: 5/21/26

Elon Musk lost a landmark lawsuit against OpenAI when a federal jury and judge found that he waited too long with claims against Sam Altman. The decision clears the way for an OpenAI IPO as major players in the AI sector – including Anthropic and SpaceX – are preparing to go public. Google unveiled a new AI-powered design and image app for Google Workspace called Pics. And AI is making its way to smart TVs. Samsung’s 2026 lineup, for example, expands enhanced AI features across numerous models.

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ProjectsMay 20, 2026

This Week in… Virtual Production: 5/20/26

At the Cannes Film Market, Mandela Pictures and Oceanus Media Global debuted stills from the mystery horror film “Bisikan Desa Gringsing: Whispers of Fatimah” — a three-way co-production between Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia that uses virtual production technology. Creative software developer Foundry unveiled new developments on its Nuke Stage application for end-to-end virtual production, in-camera visual effects, and high-resolution playback. And Beeble’s node-based AI compositing environment Canvas is designed for complex visual effects, post production, and virtual production workflows. These stories and more in this week’s top virtual production news.

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ResearchMay 20, 2026

This Week in… Media Production and AI: 5/20/26

Filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival are making the argument that AI tech should serve filmmakers, rather than replace them, stressing the creative benefits of artificial intelligence. “Hell Grind,” screening at Cannes, is billed as “the world’s first 90-minute sci-fi heist feature film produced entirely using Higgsfield AI.” Cannes also includes a collection of AI-generated shorts created from magazine photos published years ago. And startup TrueShort — which produces AI vertical videos intended for smartphones — has raised $12 million from Khosla Ventures, WndrCo, General Catalyst, and others.

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EventsApr 27, 2026

ETC’s Synthetic Media Summit Charts AI Playbook

ETC@USC hosted its second Synthetic Media Summit on March 6, convening media and technology leaders to identify AI applications and chart a detailed playbook for an AI-augmented future for human creativity. ETC partnered with Carnegie Mellon University, United Talent Agency, and Machine Cinema to deliver this timely, compelling event. While the Summit was closed to the press and presented off the record, we had an opportunity to speak with Yves Bergquist, director of AI in Media at ETC and the event’s organizer, about what’s next for artificial intelligence.

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EventsApr 26, 2026

This Week in… The 2026 NAB Show: 4/26/26

NAB returned to Las Vegas with a focus on broadcasting, content creation, and monetization. While registration numbers were down overall – at 58,000+, according to NAB – it’s worth noting that 48 percent were first-time attendees. Broadcast tech entrepreneur Thomas Riedel’s acquisition of ARRI created buzz on the show floor, while product highlights included the Canon CN30 lens for wildlife, sports, and documentary production; new 100G versions of Blackmagic URSA Cine cameras; and DJI’s highly-anticipated Osmo Pocket 4 camera. We have video highlights from B&H and others.

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ResearchApr 20, 2026

This Week in… Media Production and AI: 4/20/26

Doug Liman’s $70 million “Bitcoin: Killing Satoshi” – starring Gal Gadot, Casey Affleck, Isla Fisher and Pete Davidson – is described as the first studio-quality feature film to feature wall-to-wall AI-generated imagery. The film was shot over 20 days in a simple customized soundstage, while sets and lighting are being generated with AI. And during the recent Semafor World Economy conference, Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela suggested Hollywood studios should plan to produce 50 films with $100 million using AI. These stories and more in this week’s list.

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ResearchApr 20, 2026

This Week in… Artificial Intelligence: 4/20/26

Forbes releases its list of top artificial intelligence companies. Not surprisingly, atop the funding category you’ll find OpenAI ($182.6 billion), Anthropic ($60 billion), and Databricks ($20 billion). In a challenge to Figma, Anthropic launches Claude Design, which converts conversational prompts into prototypes, designs, slideshows and marketing materials. The new AI tool arrives after Anthropic decided its frontier model Claude Mythos Preview was too risky to release to the public, a signal that deployments are becoming more security-driven. These are some of the headlines that caught our attention.

By Rob ScottRead More →

ProjectsApr 16, 2026

This Week in… Virtual Production: 4/16/26

Sony will showcase its new XYN Spatial Capture Solution at NAB in Las Vegas. The solution features XYN Spatial Scan Navi, XYN Spatial Scan, and the XYN Renderer Plugin that works with Unreal Engine and Disguise. Brompton Technology announces the Door G production studio in Rhode Island is embracing Brompton Tessera LED video processors (Door G’s stage also integrates with Unreal Engine). And the NYU Tisch Martin Scorsese VPC has posted a video primer on virtual production. These headlines and more in the latest news on virtual production.

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ResearchApr 2, 2026

This Week in… Artificial Intelligence: 4/2/26

Filmmaker Coerte Voorhees and the estate of Val Kilmer are bringing the popular actor back to cinema with generative AI. ‘South Park’ creators reveal plans for their boutique firm Deep Voodoo and why they believe AI could help launch a new era of creativity in Hollywood. And as AI continues to ramp up across most industries, Johns Hopkins University historians Angus Burgin and Louis Hyman reflect on what we’ve learned from earlier tech revolutions. These are a few of the notable stories that recently caught our attention.

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ProjectsApr 2, 2026

This Week in… Virtual Production: 4/2/26

Village Innovation returns to Marché du Film’s AI for Talent Summit in Cannes with what’s being billed as “the largest virtual production stage ever presented at a film market.” Universal City-based Fuzzy Door Tech discusses use of its ViewScreen’s real-time production visualization tools on the second season of Seth MacFarlane’s hit comedy “Ted.” Garden Studios of Central London launches its most advanced LED volume stage to-date with plans to support virtual production across film and high-end television. These headlines and more in the latest news on virtual production.

By Rob ScottRead More →

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