The Big Picture - A Sea Change Greater Than Sound

By Nick Dager December 15, 2007 Issue #118

The advent of digital stereoscopic 3D movies promises to be the biggest advancement in motion picture production and exhibition history and will have an even greater impact on the overall theatrical experience than the introduction of synchronized sound.

Live action horror films will be more chilling, thrillers more intense and the possibilities for comedy in 3D seem limitless. The realization of this promise will not come easily because, as with sound, filmmakers will have to master an entirely new way of seeing and hearing. New technologies and techniques will have to be developed. New acting styles will emerge. There will be missteps along the way but eventually there will be a true cinema Renaissance.

It all begins now. Many of the major Hollywood studios have released 3D movies and more are on the way. Meanwhile, smaller production companies have recognized the potential of 3D and are actively working on movies. One such company is StereoVision Entertainment.

Located in Van Nuys, California, StereoVision Entertainment describes itself as a vertically integrated media company with interests in film, television, and music production properties. According to its Web site “StereoVision's business is driven through the production and acquisition of cutting-edge entertainment media assets.”

Entrepreneur Jack Honour founded StereoVision, a public company because, although he had no previous background in entertainment, he recognizes the potential of the 3D market and hopes to capitalize. He wanted an experienced entertainment executive to run the production side and hired Doug Schwartz, whose most famous credit is as the creator of the hit TV series Baywatch.

Digital Cinema Report interviewed Schwartz about StereoVision and the future of 3D.

Digital Cinema Report: Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background.

Doug Schwartz: My name is Doug Schwartz and I have been a professional television executive producer, writer, and director for the past thirty-plus years.

Out of all the shows that I’ve created, Baywatch is the most successful. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Baywatch was the most watched series in the history of TV. The show sold to 158 countries in forty-seven different languages and aired on every continent except for Antarctica. It had a global audience of 1.3 billion people.

I became involved with StereoVision Entertainment when Jack Honour, the CEO of StereoVision, who expressed interest in the rights to a Baywatch 3D movie, approached me. While in discussion with Jack, Steven Spielberg heard about talks of a Baywatch movie and wanted to buy the rights because it was both his and his kids’ favorite TV show. When Steven Spielberg makes you an offer, you take it.

Throughout these negotiations, I was incredibly impressed with Jack Honour and his vision for StereoVision Entertainment, which is to exclusively develop low-cost, high-end 3D movies using new digital polarized technology. Jack was looking for someone to run the company who had Hollywood connections and offered me the opportunity to come aboard StereoVision’s management team, which I joined as chief production officer.

DCR: You’ve announced plans to produce feature films in 3D. What kinds of films will you make?

DS: We have developed a slate of movies for production that cover all the genres: family, comedy, action, and teen humor. Our first film will be Aubrey Blaze Piranha, a creature 3D horror movie that will be filmed in Puerto Rico, and will begin production in January of 2008 for a fall 2009 release. The 3D effects are amazing. The piranhas literally jump out of the screen and seem like they are going to attack the audience! 3D movies will truly give moviegoers an interactive experience.

DCR: How many films are you planning on producing?

DS: Our goal is to produce twelve-to-fifteen 3D feature films over the next three-to-five years. We hope to fill the voids left between the big studios’ tent-pole blockbuster releases. StereoVision will provide content for theaters that are equipped to show 3D when they are sitting idle and will provide “summer popcorn movies” year-round. Our movies are being produced using the same technology as the blockbusters. We have signed an agreement with Cameron/Fusion Pace 3D camera system, which is being used to film [James Cameron’s] movie Avatar.

DCR: What will the budget ranges be?

DS: Our budget range will be ten-to-twenty million dollars.

DCR: Will you shoot simultaneously for 2D?

DS: All 3D movies are always shot “flat” as well, with the 2D version used for thee eventual DVD release. That means, the only way to see a movie in 3D is in theaters, which is why the industry is so excited about this new generation of 3D technology’s prospects for bringing people back to the big screen.

DCR: Does it concern you that relatively few theatres are currently capable of running 3D?

DS: There are currently over 1,200 3D theater screens in the world, most of them in the U.S., and that number is expected to more than double by next summer. This dramatic growth should continue into the foreseeable future: by late 2009 there will be over five thousand 3D screens, and by late 2010, over ten thousand. So, if anything, the numbers are on our side.

http://www.digitalcinemareport.com/thebigpicture_118.html