WHITE PLAINS, NY — The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (smpte.org), which helps establish motion-imaging standards, has hired Howard Lukk as the organization’s new director of standards. Over the coming 12 months, Lukk will transition into the position that has been held by Peter Symes for the past eight years. Symes will retire at the end of 2016.
Lukk is a writer and director at independent film production and management company Pannon Entertainment, where he has been working on short films and providing technical consulting and education for clients. His last short film, Emma, was shot and finished in high-dynamic-range.
"Howard's extensive knowledge is matched by his enthusiasm for the standards development process,” says SMPTE executive director Barbara Lange. “His input will be invaluable as we look to improve the infrastructure that supports this important SMPTE activity. I look forward to having him on the team as a staff member, and I am confident that he will add to the Society's momentum in developing the key standards shaping our industry."
In an earlier role as vice president of production systems at The Walt Disney Studios, Lukk oversaw a team responsible for engineering, installation, and maintenance of on-lot and on-set feature film production and post production systems. Responsible for helping to incorporate new technologies into the workflow, he assisted the studios' transition from analog to digital workflows. Lukk also spearheaded theatrical production, post production, and distribution projects focused on digital capture, digital cinema, stereoscopic (3D), file-based workflow, color management, and archive.
During two years as director of media systems at Pixar, Lukk was responsible for managing both the audio/visual engineering as well as the image mastering departments and the work of maintaining the recording, projection, and post production systems and workflows supporting Pixar filmmakers. Before joining Pixar, Lukk held his first role with The Walt Disney Studios. As vice president of production technology for the studios, he focused on integrating a new digital cinema workflow throughout the company's global operations.
"I have always respected and valued SMPTE's work in creating the standards that support interoperability in image, sound, and metadata, and I am excited about becoming even more involved in this process," Lukk says. "The many significant technological changes taking place in our industry give an immediacy to the Society's efforts and open up unprecedented opportunities to make a meaningful impact on the future of media creation, delivery, and consumption."