News Stories

Will 2011 be the year of 3DTV? (CEA)

5.18.2011

[by Steve Koenig, Director of Industry Analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)]

At CEA we’ve watched the 3DTV market evolving, and what we typically see with new features – and I want to underscore that 3D is a feature of TV and not a new broadcast medium – we typically see an “s-curve” of adoption. A lot of research companies report that we are going to see a linear curve of adoption, but in practice that is not the case. I think 2010 really kicked off the 3DTV market, and 2011 is going to be a little bit more up the s-curve, but 2014 is where we’ll start to reach that mass adoption portion.

Here’s why, and here’s what I think is going to happen: first of all it is really all about content, and it is going to take a few years (although we have a lot of content being generated now) for it to really hit critical mass. We’ve got more 3D games coming, more 3D movies being made available, but it is going to take a few years to hit that critical mass, where the mass market is going to pay attention and we get beyond the scope of the early adopters.

Also, I think that on the manufacturers’ side, I think that it is going to take a few years for this feature to really percolate downstream from the higher-end TVs to the middle ground, and become a feature across a number of sets across a manufacturer’s product line. Also, pricing is going to come down and make these 3D-capable sets more approachable. 

From a technology standpoint, I think that the introduction of passive technology is going to help facilitate more 3D adoption because it removes the need to buy the active shutter glasses – certainly there are trade-offs that the channel and manufacturers will articulate, but this is what our industry is all about: innovation, competition, letting the consumer decide, and I think that the more options consumers have relative to 3D technology and content, the better. By 2013 or 2014 we will hit critical mass and really see a ramp of adoption.

See the original post here: http://www.iptv-news.com/iptv_news/may_2011/cea_in_2011_were_going_to_make_some_giant_strides_towards_the_vision_of_the_connected_home

The Three Musketeers director slams stereo ‘experts’

5.18.2011

 

[by TVB Europe]
Director Paul W.S Anderson (pictured) has slammed the claims made by some stereoscopic specialists for their expertise in 3D filmmaking. The director of The Three Musketeers also says he wants to make all his future productions in the format.
“There are a lot of boffins who set themselves up as experts in 3D when the majority don’t know what they are talking about,” Anderson said. “None of us knew how to work with 3D but we’ve gone from zero to knowing a lot. It’s a question of embracing the technology and being prepared to relearn filmmaking techniques.”
Having completed back to back stereo 3D shoots for Resident Evil: Afterlifeand The Three Musketeers, Anderson says he wants to make all future productions in the format. This includes his next project, Pompeii, a historical disaster movies based on the famous eruption over the Roman town.
“I’m a convert. For 100 years filmmakers have told stories with a flat image. Now there’s the chance to bring that image out into the audience or bring the audience into the picture and for me that’s why for me this is the future of film.”
Constantin Film and Impact Pictures production of The Three Musketeerswrapped principal photography in Germany and posted at Toronto’s Mr X Inc for release this October. The film was shot on eight Arri Alexas and a pair of hi-speed Weisscams, all mounted on PACE rigs.
“When we were planning Resident Evil I talked with John Bruno (Avatar VFX supervisor) who recommended the PACE rigs. At that time they were cutting edge and even though technology has evolved I still believe the PACE system is superior to anything else on the market in terms of its control, the quality of the 3D and ease of use.”
About the choice of Alexa’s Anderson remarks: “I was motivated by using locations that hadn’t been seen on screen before. For example, we shot inside an incredible palace in Bavaria for which we had to use very low voltage lighting to protect the interior. In order to light the scene effectively we used Alexa because it is incredibly sensitive to light and detail.”
He admits that when he started work on Resident Evil: Afterlife neither he nor cinematographer Glen MacPherson were 3D experts.
“Glenn had two other people on his team with stereo knowledge and they trained the entire camera department in three weeks. It was the same in Germany for Musketeers (at Studio Babelsberg) where there’s now an entire crew knowledgeable about 3D having worked on this picture.”
Anderson is no fan of post conversions either. “It’s two and half D, not a fully fledged image and it’s almost impossible to effectively rotoscope around things like people’s hair. The opening scene in Resident Evil: Afterlife was set in a rainstorm. You try post converting that and you have to rotoscope around every single rain drop.”
It may be problematic to shoot action films in 3D because the fast pacing and rapid cuts can throw the audience’s stereo vision.
“If you want to do fast cutting you flatten out the interocular distance so it’s not too extreme when you cut,” Anderson says. “There’s nothing stopping you doing a three frame cut so long as you are aware of the I/O. If you want an extreme stereo effect for action then you block the action and shoot in longer, continuous takes – which is refreshing for action move.”
The Three Musketeers is due for UK release on October 14.

 

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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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