The session chaired by AK Das, general manager (India ) Snell and Wilcox, had only two speakers who spoke about newer technologies and their benefits.

Raj Tilak from DVD spoke about digital versatile discs where 25 times more information than conventional CDs can be stored offering nine times faster speed in MPEG II format. Content today was important and by using DVD as a storage option it has become possible to store movies, television series, documentaries, information and even publications of even better fidelity. The high prohibitive cost of DVD players in India due to the tax and duties levied was a road block to introducing this technology, Das said.

Well known director Ketan Mehta spoke about the advancements made in the pre-production, production and post-production scenario in India due to advances in IT-enabled services. Planning, budgeting, scripting and scheduling had seen a transformation due to advances in technology. On the production side, designing had vastly improved and even a storyboard of a film had become a reality. Virtual sets could be created, without the exhorbitant cost involved in production and entire environments with adjustments to colour, texture were possible due to ever improving technology.

In the post-production area, it had become possible to review and transform shoots as desired due to the new non-linear editing technologies available. Computer animation, any manner of visual effects, new technologies in titling and promos, digital color correction interactive stimulative programmes, 3D learning, gaming multimedia corporate presentations were other areas which had seen great improvements and advances with newer technologies available, Mehta said.

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