News Stories

Oscar Night Is Another Affirmation For 3D Filmmaking

2.24.2012

[Forbes]

When the 84th Academy Awards ceremony kicks off this Sunday, February 26th, at 7pm EST, it will be another in a string of Oscar award shows recognizing a wide variety of 3D films.

While plenty of film reviews and analysis continue to try and pretend 3D is just a flat, faltering fad that’s on the way out, reality continues to tell a different story. And Oscar is obviously listening.  …

Hugo also secured a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, after Toy Story 3 was nominated in the same category in 2009. In 2010, Upreceived a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, so that for three years running there’s been a 3D nominee in a writing category.

Elsewhere among the nominees for Academy Awards, 3D films are likewise well represented. …

Barry Sandrew — Legend3D founder, CCO, and CTO — wrotean excellent blog piece recently about the nature of 3D filmmaking and its role in true storytelling, rather than just being a “gimmick” as so many naysayers like to label it. …

We’ll be covering the Oscars extensively here at Forbes, including live tweeting during the ceremony. Be sure to read all of our reporting the rest of this week on the 84th Academy Awards, and join us on Oscar night for continuous coverage and discussion of the night’s festivities!

See the full story here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2012/02/23/oscar-night-is-another-affirmation-for-3d-filmmaking/

 

Academy Awards: even the desserts are in 3D

2.24.2012

[SlashGear]

At Sunday’s Academy Awards, many of the nominees are films that were made available in 3D. In fact, we could probably be pretty safe in saying that more 3D movies will win Oscars this year than any previous year. And we’re not the only ones who are noticing this. Wolfgang Puck, who is the official chef at the Governors Ball (the biggest after-show party for award show attendees), created what he calls a “3D dessert.”

We know what you’re thinking: what the heck is a 3D dessert? We’re not even sure ourselves, but apparently if you look at the confection while wearing a pair of 3D glasses, it has the illusion of jumping out at you. That’s what Puck says at least. And yes, people who attend the Governors Ball will receive a pair of 3D glasses. Do you need any other affirmation that 3D has taken over Hollywood?

Interestingly enough, while there are certainly enough 3D movies on the Oscar ballot, some of the top nominees like The Descendants and The Artist were notably not shot in 3D. In fact, The Artist is a throwback to very low-tech Hollywood flicks. Nevertheless, there’s no mistaking that 3D is an important part of the industry, and if you don’t believe me, check out the man who engineered 3D desserts, atPopSugar.

See the original post here: http://www.slashgear.com/academy-awards-even-the-desserts-are-in-3d-23215062/

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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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