NASA, Amazon Web Services And AWS Elemental To Receive HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation

Three organizations have received the Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation by the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA): NASA, Amazon Web Services, and AWS Elemental, an Amazon Web Services Company. The three companies collaborated on the first public Live 4K stream from the International Space Station (ISS). The award was conceived to recognize companies and individuals who have demonstrated excellence, whether in the development of workflow and process or project to support creative storytelling or in technical innovation. This distinctive honor will be presented during the HPA Awards on November 16, 2017 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA.

In 2006, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) achieved a broadcast industry milestone when the agency successfully produced a live high-definition (HD) transmission from space. On April 26, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time (US) at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2017 NAB Show, NASA crossed another threshold in advanced video innovation as it delivered live 4K video from the ISS. The live feed from 250 miles above Earth was encoded using AWS Elemental video processing software on board the ISS and on the ground at Johnson Space Center for delivery by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the cloud to the Las Vegas Convention Center and to viewers globally on multi-screen devices.

According to NASA, the opportunities that live 4K video unlocks for the agency are significant.  In addition to enhancing NASA’s ability to observe, uncover and adapt new knowledge of orbital and deep space, there is the visual impact of “live” versus recorded video. The 4K images can also benefit the work of scientists by helping engineers and payload developers better monitor experiments as well as spacecraft performance and trouble-shooting assistance.

In addition to the Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation, the HPA Awards will recognize excellence in 12 craft categories including color grading, editing, sound and visual effects during the gala on November 16, 2017. Other special awards bestowed that night include the Engineering Excellence Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tickets for the 12th annual HPA Awards are on sale now and can be purchased online at http://www.hpaawards.com. More information about the HPA Awards and the Hollywood Professional Association can be found at www.hpaonline.com.