Todd Livdahl

Below the Root, Short Film – Walt Disney Studios Responsible for the overall project, budget and hiring of key personal. This short film was created to test out new technologies that focused around Production/Post Production and VFX workflows utilizing 4K, High Dynamic Range and High-Frame Rate content, and the most efficient and cost effective ways to deliver this content back to the studio for review. As well as, how to apply the metadata for this content to be used in any future asset management system and what pitfalls to avoid when doing so. In order to test out these new technologies, we had to setup a “real-life” test scenario and not a lab environment so we can get “real” results.

Designed and developed overall strategy leveraging new emerging technologies for studio productions, which included heading-up and managing the day-to-day production team that defines, tests, and implements new technologies to keep the studio competitive and efficient, while adhering to standards and procedures with security as a top priority.  Partnered with filmmakers and production teams to strategize budget, resources, equipment and crew needed, for pre-production, production and post production processes for live action feature productions.  Designed and implemented production and post-production workflows for live action feature productions.  Managed the budget for the team and the technology budget for feature productions to stay within assigned budgets.  Managed to save feature productions several hundreds of thousands of dollars by building and managing in house equipment and deploying the correct amount of equipment and staff for each production.  Defined the technical support strategy, SLAs, and execution of a growing number of production systems that were deployed into the field, including all upgrade and support of systems, servers, operating systems, hardware & software.  Discussed post mortems with the team and communicated to project stakeholders and executive teams the status, risks, outcomes, and lessons learned ensuring visibility for any future production startups.  Helped with the discussions of archive and library material on what to keep and what not to keep, how to archive material and in what format, and asset management strategies on best ways to be able to search and tag digital assets.  Worked and supervised external vendors (ARRI, Red, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Codex, Avid) to test and define new technologies and workflows for productions, and make sure they are maintaining the SLAs defined in contracts.  Partnered with ABC Lincoln Square Productions on a Virtual Reality 360 short using Immersive 360 player.  Participated in multiple discussions surrounding cloud based storage and technologies with the ETC and the “Production in the Cloud” project.  Arranged and managed film shoots for the purpose of testing new technologies that may be used in the future i.e. (High Frame Rate, High Dynamic Range, 4K workflows, ACES implementation to test out color accuracy and efficiency going between editorial and VFX and back), which established what new technologies we could use and the pitfalls to avoid when applying new technologies to our productions and keeping costs in check. Represented the Studio at the IATSE negotiation meetings to ensure that in this fast changing industry the implications of applying new technologies to productions and union rules were commonly understood.  Remain current with all emerging technologies and trends, keeping customer service as a number one priority.  Received an “Emmy Award” for Outstanding Technical Team for work on ABC’s Disney Parks Christmas Parade.