Digital Cinema, One DP's Perspective

http://www.digitalcinemasociety.org/CurrentNewsletter.php

James Mathers, President and Co-founder, The Digital Cinema Society

Coming At You In Stereoscopic 3D!!!

For almost 60 years 3D seems to have been coming in waves, causing a stir then receding back into near oblivion. The latest wave started forming in 2005 with the release of “Chicken Little” and kept building in 2008 after the success of the Hannah Montana concert film and the growing buzz around Avatar. Now James Cameron’s 3D science fiction epic has led US weekend box office to it’s highest mark ever, Consumer Electronics manufacturers are selling 3D capable home theater displays, the Blu-ray Disc Association has finally settled on a 3D spec, DirectTV has launched a 3D channel, and Discovery, Sony and IMAX are set to launch dedicated 3D TV networks. I think it’s safe to say this 3D wave has turned into a tsunami that will change the entertainment industry landscape forever.

I had an audience a few years back with “The King of the World,” when I was introduced to Mr. Cameron by our mutual friend and 3D aficionado, Lewis Abernathy. At the time, I had to admit that the techniques he was describing sounded pretty weird. Motion capturing his Actor’s performances, then completely creating the physical forms of the characters and the photorealistic backgrounds after the fact, and in 3D. I wasn’t the only one with doubts; when budget estimates exceeded $300 million there were fears he would have trouble quickly recouping such a large investment with so few 3-D capable screens available. Early trailer previews provoked reviewers to come up with disparaging headlines like "Dances With Smurfs" and "Smurfa-Hontas,” or asking if it might “sink like the Titanic?” Now critics are singing his praises once more and the American Film Institute has lauded his technical advances as “an achievement that will have profound effects on the future of the art form.”

Although new technology is enabling constant improvements in 3D quality and ease of use, as far as production and post are concerned, there are still added complexities, which equate to higher costs. It has been estimated that going 3D can add about 20% to a studio picture’s budget. However, “Avatar” continues to rule the box office for a third straight week, so far earning over $350 million in North America, and over $1 BILLION worldwide! If there was a 20% overhead for going 3D, that was probably about $60 million and easily recouped in the first weekend’s domestic take, even if you only counted 3D showings.

Everyone expected “Avatar” to reign the box office on it’s opening weekend, and a drop of less than 50% is considered enviable; but the decline the second week was only 12% , and that was with only about 1500 screens in the US, far fewer 3D enabled theaters than were originally planned. In a shot in the arm for Imax theaters, it has also set box office records with $66.4 million of "Avatar's" global total coming in via Imax venues.

Heretofore, the best 3D exhibition systems have depended on digital projection, and due to the ailing economy and scarcity of credit to finance the digital cinema rollout, numbers were far fewer than were projected back when “Avatar” was just a glimmer in Cameron’s eye. New systems allowing good quality 3D projection from a single 35mm film projector have been announced and will soon come to market, which may prove to be an attractive option for many theater owners still trying to amortize their investment in film projectors, but not wanting to miss out on the 3D cash cow. Besides drawing larger audiences, 3D is an experience for which Exhibitors can charge a premium. And even though it looks like 3D in the home will gain wide spread acceptance, it is still something that can best be appreciated on the large screen, ultimately helping to drag butts off the couch and back to movie theaters.

Wheather at home or in a theater, for event entertainment like sports or concert coverage, it seems a no-brainer. 3-D can really make you feel like you’re right there and participating. And the promise of live broadcast is now possible, almost infinitely extending the audience for a live event. The live 3D broadcast of the December NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens was hailed as one of the decade's best innovations by Sports Illustrated magazine. In anticipation of a new demand, our friends at Panasonic, Sony, JVC and others are eagerly bringing 3D HDTVs to market. Manufacturer LG plans to sell half a million 3D-ready TVs in time for the next World Cup, which will be broadcast in 3D later this year, and some 3.4 million capable sets by the end of 2011.

We haven’t even begun to discuss the obvious enhancements 3D can bring to the world of Computing and Gaming. Software sales have been down, and the Gaming industry has been looking for a savior. 3D is a great way to dress up aging franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Halo, and Street Fighters, and will also be able to offer social networking sites an interesting new facet...are you ready for Facebook in 3D?

Filmmakers are naturally excited by another tool in their storytelling arsenal, and don’t want to waste the opportunity to enhance their filmic communication in this way. Far more than just the shock value of things jumping out from the screen, these techniques can subtly draw audiences into the content for a more immersive experience. But knowing how to employ these techniques to enhance the narrative without causing eyestrain or a sick stomach will take education. I know I’ve been trying to bone up on my 3D education, even though I have had some experience with 3D in what seems like a former life. If I told you how long ago it was I would give away how old I really am, but it was shooting tests for a Lilly Tomlin movie at Paramount for which they ultimately decided 3D was not viable. We used a single camera 35mm system from the Grandfather of 3D, Chris Condon and the First AC was Ron Vidor, SOC, who is now a well known Cinematographer/Steadicam Operator who probably hasn’t assisted in several decades.

At any rate, my limited 3D experience was a long time ago, and I felt like I really needed to catch up. I scoured the internet to find lots of info, perhaps too much, and plenty of people who have vested commercial interests and are willing to pass themselves off as 3D experts. I have gotten a lot of valuable insights from a book by DCS member Bernard Mendiburu entitled “3D Movie Making -- Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen.” In clear, understandable language, he explains concepts and gives practical advice about the entire process. This is crucial because each and every step of the movie production cycle will be affected by 3D from screenwriting, art direction, principal photography, editing, visual effects all the way out to distribution and exhibition. The book includes a companion DVD with anaglyph glasses, and an array of 2D and 3D imagery to visually illustrate his points step by step along the journey. A sizable excerpt is available, and the book is for sale at the Focal Press website: http://www.focalpress.com/Content.aspx?id=14952

The fact is that 3D is here to stay and in keeping with our mission, the Digital Cinema Society is about to embark on a major 3D professional educational initiative, to be known as The DCS 3D Academy. We are fortunate to count some of the top filmmaking, technology, and business leaders in the Entertainment Industry among our membership including some of most respected experts in the area of Stereoscopic 3D. We are now reaching out to these distinguished members, and many have already stepped forward to help us put together a program to train in, and objectively examine all solutions, services, and technologies without favoring any one brand, service, or format over another.  DCS Advisory Board member Marty Shindler, (iShindler.com, Oculus3D), has graciously agreed to help organize our efforts, along with Stereographers Lenny Lipton and Sean Fairburn. We envision a series of coordinated seminars to take place in the greater Los Angeles area starting this spring.  As is our usual practice, the events will be recorded for later streaming from our website to share with members all over the globe.  We plan to cover everything from preproduction, content creation, post, distribution, exhibition, and even the Dimensionalization® process. 

In keeping with the DCS nonprofit ethic, tuition will be minimal or nonexistent, and corporate sponsorship will be sought only to the extent necessary to cover our out of pocket expenses. Stay tuned for more details as they develop, and get ready...DCS is Coming At You In Stereoscopic 3D.