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8.17.2010

The Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California has launched an online portal dedicated to the stereoscopic 3D industry.

The site, 3D.etcenter.org, features news, listings of 3D events, content releases and broadcast information, links to training and education resources, and a database of market research reports. The site covers all things 3D for movies, sports and games.

“The current surge of interest in 3D content and consumer electronics devices has led to a flood of requests to our lab for information about 3D,” said Phil Lelyveld, product manager for ETC@USC’s consumer 3D Experience Project. “With the support of our member companies, we have established an online resource that we hope will become a key source of information for anyone interested in learning about and keeping up with the latest developments in stereoscopic 3D.”

The site is open to the public, though ETC@USC sponsors have access to additional exclusive information and analysis.

Link to the Article
Link to Article-PDF
Direct Link to ETC ResourceCenter

ETC @ USC Announces World’s Most Complete 3D Content Resource

8.17.2010

LOS ANGELES (August 17, 2010) –, In response to industry and media demand, The Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California (ETC@USC) announced today that it has created a living, online resource dedicated to stereoscopic 3D. For the last two years the center’s Consumer 3D Experience Lab has housed a world-class collection of 3D displays and demonstration materials, and has been the site of meetings and conferences related to the emerging art, technology, and business of stereoscopic 3D.

“The current surge of interest in 3D content and consumer electronics devices has led to a flood of requests to our Lab for information about 3D,” said Consumer 3D Experience Project
program manager Phil Lelyveld. “With the support of our member companies, we have established an online resource that we hope will become a key source of information for anyone
interested in learning about and keeping up with the latest developments in stereoscopic 3D.”

The resource center called the “Consumer 3D Experience Project” at http://3D.etcenter.org links to current information related to the rapidly evolving 3D entertainment landscape; which includes movies, sports, and video games. The site provides 3D news, information about upcoming events for 3D professionals, content release and broadcast information, links to training and education resources, and a database of information about market research reports. The information, which is available to all, is updated on a daily basis. The site is a great starting point for industry, press, and consumers interested in 3D.

“Because of our expertise in 3D, our access to research, and the ETC@USC’s Consumer 3D Experience Lab, we are able to not only track the latest news and events on 3D, but also offer
up the history and context for 3D moving into the future,” said David Wertheimer, executive director and CEO at ETC@USC. “Our new consumer 3D project site is one of the top places to go if you are looking for the latest information and pointers to the wealth of resources available on 3D content.”

While the information offered by the Consumer 3D Experience Project is accessible to anyone tracking the developments within this area, sponsors of the Entertainment Technology Center are provided with additional exclusive information and analysis. In addition, the ETC@USC works closely with other leading organizations in this field, such as the CEA, Variety, SMPTE, Sports Video Group, the International 3D Society, NAB, etc. to create influential conferences and events about stereoscopic 3D.

Link to the Resource Center.
Link to the PressRelease-PDF

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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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