[by Staff, Shoot Online]

Tate USA, a mainstay Santa Monica-based commercial production house headed by founder/executive producer David Tate, has diversified into 3D, launching T-3D, a venture dedicated to producing 3D content for the ad marketplace.
Veteran spot production company executive Michael Romersa and his partner Danny Llewelyn are executive producers of T-3D, which through a relationship with equipment development/rental house the 3D Camera Company (3DCC) gains exclusive North American access to an ensemble of stereographers as well as leading technology. Under the aegis of Bill White and partners William Reeve, CSC, and Lacia Kornylo, the Toronto-based 3DCC has since its founding in 2006 developed a range of specialized stereoscopic image capture equipment for the motion picture entertainment industry. Such equipment, including rigs designed for aerial photography, were deployed for example on a standout scene in the recently released Transformers: Dark of the Moon in which sky divers (mountain flyers in winged suits) literally jump from the Trump Tower and soar through downtown Chicago.
Plans call for 3DCC to have a full-service operation up and running in Los Angeles by sometime in August. Romersa has been tabbed to serve as managing partner of 3DCC’s Southern California shop. In addition to its Toronto headquarters, 3DCC maintains footholds in India through a working relationship with Mumbai-based production house the Prasad Group and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via Abu Dhabi company Anasy Media Productions.
Tate’s T-3D, which opened this week, represents 3DCC’s first major incursion into the advertising arena. Tate USA’s directorial roster–which includes the likes of Jonathan Brown, Steven Antin, Michael Bindlechner, Ohav Flantz, Chris Graham, Matt Humphrey, Enno Jacobsen, Mattieu Mantovani, David Popescu, Rob Bliss, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio, Jonathan Teplitzky, 13 Keys and Status Collective–can thus more readily dovetail into the 3D marketplace, tapping into 3DCC’s stereographers and technological resources. David Tate and Romersa both noted that additional 3D directors could also be brought into T-3D as select spots and longer-form branded projects dictate.

Roster of stereographers
The alluded to stereographers for whom T-3D has exclusivity in the ad world via its deal with 3DCC include William Reeve, John Reeve and Dylan Reade. William Reeve is recognized as a pioneering 3D stereographer with credits that include Saw 3D, Dinosaurs Alive, Legends of Flightand Volcanoes of the Deep Sea. (All but the latter had their 3D production facilitated by 3DCC.) His son John Reeve is a stereographer and camera operator whose body of work spans Queen Elizabeth in 3D, Rescue 3D, Lord of the Dance 3D, The Red Show and Cobu 3D, with 3DCC handling the 3D production for all. And stereographer/3D cameraman Reade has served as a specialist in IMAX 3D production since 1988. His credits include nearly 50 IMAX films such as Legends of Flight 3D (3D production by 3DCC), Born To Be Wild 3D, Under the Sea 3D, and Space Station 3D.
Additionally via 3DCC, T-3D has an exclusive arrangement for ad industry projects with postproduction supervisor Ken MacNeil whose 3D exploits include Saw 3D, concert productions for such artists as Kylie Minogue and Michael Flatley, and TV projects.
Tate USA’s directors can avail themselves of these 3D artisans’ expertise in the planning and execution of spots and branded content. David Tate described stereographers as a cross between such disciplines as that of production designer, cameraman and choreographer. On the production design score, he noted that leading stereographers draw storyboards and design shots meticulously. On the camera front, stereographers discuss and provide expertise on what focal lengths, angles and other lensing considerations will best capture what’s required of a scene. And in a choreographer capacity, stereographers envision how shots should cut together. 
“Stereographers are essential to the process,” assessed Tate. “They can work with directors and DPs, sharing the experience of knowing when to sit back and wait so as to give more impact to the high impact shots. But it goes beyond the images that jump out at your face. There’s a depth and quality in 3D that stereographers help to achieve throughout.”
That depth and quality became evident to Tate when he recently saw Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary exploring the Chauvet caves of Southern France, which contain some of the oldest pictorial creations of humankind. “It’s subject matter that has nothing resembling a high-end action movie–drawings in cave dwellings,” related Tate. “To bring the 3D experience to that subject in a quiet and subtle way was riveting to me and the audience. The experience turned the corner for me in terms of how I now think about 3D and what it can bring to advertising. There aren’t so many action packed products. But there are products that require subtlety in imagery, visual branding. That’s when I realized that I should branch my company out into 3D.”
Facilitating that branching out has been Romersa who at one time maintained the Stoney Road family of companies, including Reactor Films. Dating back to his relationships with Canadian corporation John Labatt Ltd. and The Partners’ Film Company in Toronto on various stateside ventures over the years, Romersa came to know Labatt/Supercorp entertainment exec Syd Kessler. It was through Kessler that Romersa and White recently came together. White has a long track record as a leading camera and production support equipment supplier in Canada via William F. White, a business started by his father in 1963. Upon his dad’s passing, Bill White became involved in the company and eventually took its helm, overseeing the opening of offices across Canada. He wound up selling the business–including the camera department to Panavision–in 2005 and then began investing in 3D technology. 
Romersa and White met late last year, built a rapport, and set out to explore opportunities in the ad industry for 3D. In that pursuit, Romersa sought out Tate whose partner in Tate USA is exec producer Rossi Cannon. “I’ve known David for many years and respected him greatly,” said Romersa. “He’s held the banner high in representing preeminent talent and I asked him if he had an appetite for 3D. Just like that, our deal came together and T-3D was formed.”

Agency appetite
Romersa said that he has touched base with several agencies that are eager to diversify into 3D and sees the market opening up not only in cinema advertising but also in broadcast. “There are two U.S. networks broadcasting exclusively in 3D–including ESPN’s 3D network–and within 18 months there will be more,” related Romersa. “TV sets will become more user friendly, and technology is rolling out that doesn’t require the wearing of glasses. Once that settles in, 3D will be off to the races. With 3D entertainment on the rise, it’s only a matter of time before 3D advertising and related content comes into prominence. We’re looking to be on the ground floor of that.”
White noted that there are 48 3D television networks worldwide, as compared to 15 just six months ago. “It’s a growing marketplace, with 3D-ready TV sets exceeding sales projections by 300 percent the first quarter of this year,” said White. 
Romersa added that agencies can package projects to shoot in both 2D and 3D, with the latter version playing in theaters prior to a major 3D movie or in homes via ESPN’s 3D network which offers a highly desirable sports environment for advertisers. The 2D fare could continue
to run on conventional media outlets as agencies prepare for the future by building their 3D production experience and acumen.
Just prior to the formation of T-3D, Romersa worked on a 3D promo short for the U.S. Navy shot on location in Southern California with 3DCC handling the 3D production and post. This was Romersa’s first job under the 3DCC banner.

Read the original post here: http://www.shootonline.com/go/news-view.rs-web3-1536359-1310488695-2.Tate-USA-Takes-On-New-Dimension-For-Ad-Market–Launches-T-3D.html

Director Rob Minkoff discusses The Lion King’s 3D conversion, his thoughts on motion-capture, Chinese Odyssey, and more

[by Brian Gallagher]

Last month, I got to see one of the greatest animated movies of all time in a way I had never seen it before. Back in May, Disney announced that the 1994 classic The Lion King will be re-released in theaters with a brand new 3D conversion, for a limited two-week run starting on September 16. The Lion King will then make its debut in Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on October 4, along with an eight-disc trilogy set as well. I was invited to a special early screening of The Lion King 3D, and a press day where we were able to speak with some of the filmmakers and artists responsible for this classic, and the new 3D conversion. While I’ll hold off on my reaction to this new 3D experience, I thought I’d share one of the interviews from this press day with directorRob Minkoff.

Rob Minkoff started his filmmaking career at Disney in the 1980s as a character animator and designer on such movies as The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, and The Little Mermaid. He transitioned into directing shortly thereafter, with short films such as Tummy Trouble, Roller Coaster Rabbit, and Mickey’s Audition. He made his feature debut with The Lion King, co-directing with Roger Allers, and now, nearly 20 years later, the director sat down with our assembled press corps to discuss this animated classic and its new 3D look. Rob Minkoff was also joined by Lella Smith, the creative director of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, a sprawling facility in Glendale which houses over 65 million pieces of artwork from Disney films throughout the years. Take a look at what they both had to say below.

Rob Minkoff and Lella Smith

How did it come about to make The Lion King in 3D?

Rob Minkoff: Originally, the idea was to do this for home video. Obviously, 3D is a big subject in the movie business today, and theaters are converting everywhere to be able to present 3D films. There was a sense also, that even with home entertainment and 3D televisions, it might be opportunity to do these films. They’ve done Beauty and the Beast, and now they’ve doneThe Lion King. Beauty and the Beast is going to be released on 3D Blu-ray, but not in theaters. I think that, because this was originally coming through the home video channel, that the theatrical release was sort of a bonus. I think it’s a great idea. It’s sort of an outside-the-box idea. They don’t have a distribution model for this, although it used to be, back when I started at Disney in 1983, there was a standard that they would always distribute the films every seven years in theaters, but this was before video. There was a lot of controversy at the time, with us working in animation, about releasing the films to video, and what that would mean, whether that would be a good thing for the studio or not so good. I remember that we didn’t want to lose the opportunity to bring these films back into theaters, because there’s always aa new generation of kids who haven’t seen the films. When I was a kid, there was always a Disney animated film released, but they were older films from the library. When they decided they would go on video, it was a big experiment and there was a lot of risk involved. The benefit of it was that the films on video were so successful, it created a demand for new films. It created revenue so that new films could be invested. The boom of Disney animation in the late 80s and 90s, was fueled by the success of the older films on video. Before The Little Mermaid in particular, the films weren’t earning as much as they wanted them to earn, and the business of animation wasn’t that healthy. After The Little Mermaid though, it changed and with the additional revenue from video, it really fueled the second golden age.

What’s great about that format too, is when you bring something out of the vault after seven years, and it’s only available for a limited time, it creates this crazy demand. People aren’t going to want to wait another seven years to see it again. It’s a great way to build anticipation.

Rob Minkoff: Yeah. We’ll see how it does theatrically, but if it does well, it might inspire them to do more limited runs for films. What’s unique about Disney Animation, many of the films have this perennial quality about them. They don’t seem like old films, they still seem sort of fresh and relevant.

Were you afraid, at any point, about making this 2D film into a 3D film?

Rob Minkoff: Yeah, sure. The big concern was we didn’t want to do it just to do it, because it’s in fashion. This conversation about 3D has only been going on for a few years, at the most, but after seeing Avatar in the theater, it was incredible. You couldn’t argue that it was an incredible experience and amazing. The enthusiasm for it was high, as long as it was done well. (Stereographer) Robert Neuman, when we first met with him about it, we looked at the movie in 2D and discussed it in 3D. I actually took a 3D class, that was offered by the DGA at Sony. They were talking about some of the component parts of 3D, and why it isn’t a no-brainer to convert a film. The choices you would make in a 2D film, aren’t necessarily the same choices you would make in a 3D film. Then there are choices about how you see the film, if the characters are coming in front of the screen plane or behind it. A lot of choices had to be made. I was veryexcited to see the film completed and on a big screen. It respected the original film, and gave it a cool factor, where you suddenly felt like you were in the world of the movie, which is what movies are trying to do anyway. That’s what you really want. You want the movie to suck you in so that you really feel you’re a part of it.

When you first made The Lion King, did you come to the Archive to look at old sketches, maybe from The Jungle Book?

Rob Minkoff: Absolutely. One of the great things about Disney, is that from the very beginning of the studio, they’ve been saving and keeping all this great, incredible artwork. That sort of sets Disney apart from any other studio.

Lella Smith: A lot of people will ask, ‘Well, what about a scene that wasn’t used?’ We will keep the art from that, so when the bonus material is created for a re-release, especially something like a Diamond Edition, they will come here and look through out and put together story sketches which were taken out of the film. Because we have them here, we can recreate those things.

You mentioned taking that 3D class and the decisions you make in a 2D film compared to a 3D film. Can you give some specific examples of those decisions?

Rob Minkoff: The easiest example to understand is, when you’re shooting a film, one of the most classic things you do is what’s called a “over-the-shoulder,’ you’re shooting someone else over an actor’s back. In a 3D film, depending on where the convergence is, if that person comes forward off the screen plane, a couple of strange things happen, which are not good. Number one is the shoulder is in the foreground, which is what you’re most likely to look at, as opposed to what you’re supposed to look at, which is this person behind him. Secondly, if it goes off the frame, and it’s projected in front of the screen, you get this very strange ghost effect, because you’re seeing a disembodied head or something, which really cannot work in the space. It creates a weird dissonance that doesn’t really help the story. Sometimes, you will prefer that the depth be behind the screen plane, so it looks like you’re looking into a window into the world, instead of things coming in front of that world. When you do choose to put them in front, it should have dramatic effect and be purposeful, as opposed to just everything coming at you. We were very mindful of that. You’ll notice when Simba lies down in the dust, and the dust flies, it does actually fly off the screen, for that moment, and then back towards Rafiki. That’s one of the few moments when that effect is being used.

Lella Smith: I noticed a few people last night reaching out for it (Laughs).

Rob Minkoff: If you think about it, it’s kind of a gimmicky thing, and when 3D is used that way, it’s a gimmick but it’s also an obvious choice. The truth is, you don’t
really want it to come off the screen, except in moments where it really makes sense. That was a big thing. When you think about it, all the things you do in a film, the language of film has evolved over 100 years, to convey certain things and relate to contemporary tastes. If you have a film that is cut very quickly, it’s usually to create a sense of urgency and excitement. If you see that in 3D, it’s quite hard to watch, constantly changing perspectives.

What are your thoughts on Robert Zemeckis‘ motion-capture, since you worked on the Roger Rabbit shorts?

Rob Minkoff: If you look at Avatar, which was done using many of the same techniques, it’s much more successful, aesthetically. it’s not a failure of the technology, the aesthetic is a human-driven thing, and I think that the choices that were made, aesthetically, on those (Robert Zemeckis) films, were not pleasing to me. It’s how the technology is applied. There was a thing done at the Academy theater about live-action and animation and how the lines are being blurred in films today. In fact, I believe the Robert Zemeckis films were having trouble being qualified for animated categories, because it was motion-capture. When they showed an example of how they did the films, they showed Tom Hanks. Robert Zemeckis‘ instructions were to not lose Tom Hanks‘ performance, to capture it. They showed shots of Tom Hanks‘ performance, side-by-side with the animation, the motion-capture version of it, and every ounce of that performance was lost. You see Tom Hanks and say ‘That was great. What he did was great.’ Then you look at the motion-capture and it’s like they didn’t have any of it. Even thoughRobert didn’t want anyone to alter or lose the performance, that happened. I actually enjoyed the filmmaking of Beowulf. I enjoyed the way the camera was used, I enjoyed the way the story was told, but the characters themselves, felt hideous. You’re looking at Anthony Hopkins, but it was like that part in Silence of the Lambs, where the guy dresses up in somebody else’s skin, that’s what it felt like to me. It’s just not alive. The thing you’re trying to create in animation or in any film, really, is this illusion of life. Truthfully, filmmakers are like Doctor Frankenstein, because you’re making life out of bits and pieces and parts and you’re sewing them all together. When you’re done with it, you don’t know if it’s going to look like the Frankenstein monster, which looks like a bunch of horrible parts sewn together, of if it’s going to look like something organic and beautiful and alive. Everyone wants it to look like it’s organic and beautiful and alive, but sometimes it looks like a hideous monster.

Is there anything you can say about Chinese Odyssey? Is that still in development?

Rob Minkoff: We’re in development on it. James V. Hart is writing it and he’s supposed to turn in a draft later this summer. I’m excited to see that. It’s a co-production to be shot in China, an action-adventure fantasy. I’m also working down the street on Mr. Peabody and Sherman, which is from the Jay Ward canon, with Robert Downey Jr. playing Mr. Peabody.

Rob Minkoff‘s animated classic The Lion King will return to theaters with a brand new 3D conversion on September 16 for a two-week limited run. The Lion King will make its high-def debut on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D a few weeks later on October 4. Be sure to check back as we near closer to The Lion King 3D’s release for more interviews with the filmmakers.

The Lion King was released June 15th, 1994 and stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Niketa Calame, Ernie Sabella. The film is directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff.

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