News Stories

Clubbing: Music in 3D

12.30.2011

[Wired]

After Hollywood made the jump to 3D, the rush was on to give everything an upgrade ( 3D TV! 3D opera! 3D fashion shows!). Clubbing appeared safe — until Novak, a collective of Newcastle-based creatives, launched 3D Disco, a high-tech, globally-touring party.

Clubbers in red-and-cyan shades watch 3D visuals on 3.5m-diagonal screens at eye level around the dancefloor — but with pre-rendered graphics, images can’t react in real time.

Andrew Nixon, a 34-year-old partner at Novak, turned to Unity, the software used in games such as Marvel Super Hero Squad. With Unity, visuals can be altered on the fly. “It’s built to react instantly,” says Nixon. “It’s like playing an instrument live, rather than playing back sections of recorded music. For every beat, say, we could have a circle getting bigger.” If 3D graphics operators can immediately alter the imagery, they can react to the crowd and potentially create new shows with other acts. And to think, people used to take narcotics to have 3D visions in discos.

See the original post here: http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/01/play/music-in-3d

Canal+ to cease 3D broadcasts

12.30.2011

[Broadband TV News]

Canal+ is to end its experimental 3D channel as of January 24, 2012. Reports in the French media indicate the channel had only managed to derive some 30,000 subscribers.

Initially launched in June 2010, the French premium channel had always taken a softly, softly approach to 3D broadcasts, running a single movie and one live event every month. It was also able to draw on 3D content produced in the UK and Spain.

Transmissions were receivable on Canal’s range of PVRs, including Le Cube, as well as IPTV Networks Free and SFR.

Local website Planet CSAT indicated that Canal might return to 3D when it is able to provide subscribers with a better experience.

See the original post here: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/12/30/canal-to-cease-3d-broadcasts/

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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