Why You Should Attend SMPTE 2020!

Airdate: Wed., 26 Aug 2020 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT   

 

Have you been curious about attending SMPTE’s annual conference?  Have cost, time commitments and other logistics, gotten in the way? We invite you to a live webcast to learn why you should attend SMPTE 2020 – our first remote conference experience! 

On 26 August SMPTE members and program committee co-chairs Kylee Peña and Chris Witmayer. Have shared their personal experiences with the conference over the years and illuminated the reasons why the SMPTE 2020 experience is so valuable to all professional in the media and entertainment industry.

Kylee and Chris have described what to anticipate from a technical perspective, including how the peer-reviewed program content at SMPTE 2020 can help you succeed in your endeavors and provide you with insights into the future of our industry. From technical sessions and keynotes to an on-demand content library, executive and standards sessions, practical training, and thought provoking discussions, the possibilities are endless as you tailor your SMPTE 2020 experience.  Let our program co-chairs provide you with insight that you can use to create a customized learning track with a front row seat to all that SMPTE 2020 has to offer.  

Kylee Peña

Chris Witmayer

Currently at Netflix, Kylee works to manage programs and projects related to the convergence of creativity and technology across imaging and sound technologies. Kylee began her career with a focus on picture editing, spending nearly ten years crafting content for PBS, Disney, and even DogTV before shifting into technical leadership. She earned dozens of credits across major television networks working hands-on with workflows before pivoting toward a studio environment.

She participates in many “extracurricular” activities: Kylee is a Section Manager for SMPTE Hollywood and is serving as co-chair for the 2020 annual technical conference. At Creative COW, she has written dozens of articles, covered multiple NAB Shows, and shone a light on industry issues such as sexism and inclusion alongside technical interviews and recaps. Kylee has been published in the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and has spoken at universities, technical conferences, and educational events such as NAB Show. Outside the industry, she is an assistant to the Management Council and a part of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force for Junior League of Los Angeles, an organization seeking to empower the next generation of women civic leaders.

Kylee holds degrees in Video Production and Applied Computer Science from Indiana University and Purdue University. She is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and holds a certificate in Project Management from Cornell. She was named an Exceptional Woman in Production and Post in 2018.

Kylee particularly enjoys working with young people who are just getting started in post and states that, “...education and mentorship in post is a high priority for me, and I personally focus on raising the profile of women in an industry where they are vastly under-represented.” 

A technology innovator with 17 years of experience in the sports and media industry, Chris is skilled in merging company vision with technology to harness efficiencies across the workforce. Best known for his work at NASCAR, Chris has designed a premier asset management workflow built around an Open Architecture allowing NASCAR to ingest their entire media library dating all the way back to 1913. This ever-growing 15 PB archive has been the backbone of NASCAR Productions, aiding in the creation of content viewed in more than 127 countries and territories across the globe. The speed of the system is second to none having allowed NASCAR to win several Sports Emmy's in the 'Live Event Turnaround' category. 
 
More recently, Chris has restructured the technology for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), a sibling company to NASCAR, with the creation of the 'BOSS' system. With a goal to reduce the amount of paperwork and errors, Chris and his team worked across multiple departments to build a single-pane web application, transforming how teams communicate within the organization. Since its inception, BOSS has been adopted throughout the organization, allowing for better efficiency and accuracy. The system continues to evolve as it is now powering data feeds for authenticated 3rd parties as well as IMSA.COM and the IMSA Mobile application. 
 
Chris is a renowned speaker, having delivered presentations to the Sports Video Group (SVG), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), International Broadcast Convention (IBC), Microsoft Build, Microsoft Ignite, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SPMTE), and The United States Library of Congress. His personal approach to his presentations brings simplicity to complex topics allowing audiences to learn and contribute to the conversation.