LOS ANGELES — The Hollywood Post Alliance (www.hpaonline.com) will present Leon Silverman with one of the organization’s highest honors on November 12th. The HPA Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual whose contributions have brought about significant change in the field of post production. Silverman will receive the award at the HPA Awards gala in November, scheduled to be held at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.
“It is a delight to honor Leon on this, the 10th anniversary of the HPA Awards,” says Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE and HPA. “The award shines a light on his role in the organization, his significant contributions to the post production industry, and his unfailing support of the vision of so many filmmakers. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Leon as we crafted the formal consolidation of HPA with SMPTE. While he is consistently insightful, what I enjoy most about working with him is the passion he brings to every endeavor, and his championship of the industry that he loves. This award honors Leon’s creativity, focus and dedication to navigating new and sometimes unchartered territories which is an inspiration to us all.”
In 2002, Silverman spearheaded a coalition of post production executives to help launch the Hollywood Post Alliance. Originally envisioned as a place where individuals and companies would share information, build a community voice, and provide education, the HPA quickly established its role as an important trade organization.
Silverman is a Chicago native who arrived in Los Angeles shortly after his college graduation, with a goal and passion to work at the iconic Compact Video. In 1977 he landed a job in their shipping and receiving department, rising through the ranks to eventually lead Compact’s sales and marketing efforts. In 1982, following Compact’s founder, Silverman and several of his colleagues joined Pacific Video, which, through mergers and a public offering, became LaserPacific Media Corporation. His time there was marked by groundbreaking technological innovation in the midst of a changing post production environment that featured the launch of crucial developments in industry workflow, including the beginning of nonlinear editorial, digital compression, the launch of high definition and the growth of digital motion picture finishing. In 2003, LaserPacific was acquired by Eastman Kodak. In 2004, Silverman was named president of LaserPacific Media Corporation and simultaneously served Kodak as a VP of entertainment imaging and the director of strategic business development, entertainment imaging services.
In 2009, Silverman was named general manager, digital studio for the Walt Disney Studios. In that role, he oversees digital studio services, which provides on-lot digital infrastructure, including editorial and sound post production services, digital platform distribution services, and workflow expertise as part of studio operations. He has overseen the construction of a new on-lot portfolio at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank that includes the Digital Studio Center, housed in the Studio’s Production Building, a new editorial center in the Frank G. Wells Building, and one of the industry’s first digital review theaters, equipped with High Dynamic Range (HDR) laser projection capability.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition from the HPA, the organization that is so close to my heart, and from the community that has helped to define my career,” says Silverman. “I am grateful for the many brilliant and generous mentors, colleagues and collaborators who continue to inspire me. I am constantly reminded that what we achieve in our industry, we have achieved by working closely together as a community. To be part of the exhilarating and sometimes daunting backdrop against which we work is an uncommon pleasure and honor itself, and I enjoy every day of the journey. My sincerest thanks to the HPA and to all of those who have helped me my entire life and every day — I so appreciate your support, guidance and recognition. I will treasure this award.”