3D in Advertising

James Stewart of Geneva Film Co. filming in 3D.

Okay, so this week’s blog entry is a little late but given I am in the middle of directing my first 3D production after line-producing another, I am sure one can understand that I am spread a bit thin.  Add to that the fact that we aren’t currently covering anything in the readings and I was left scratching my head.  I had hoped that “Hugo” would take best picture then I would have been able to talk about the first 3D best picture but alas that was not the case.  Oh Hollywood, I love and loathe thee at times.

Anyway, I have been fumbling around for an idea for this blog entry, when I stumbled upon this article about 3D Advertising written by James Stewart of Geneva Film Co., which is an area of 3D that we have not covered in class.  In fact, like most things in 3D it is only a burgeoning sector of the entertainment industry and it makes sense why little is known about it because let’s face it; at this time, most people don’t understand 3D as of yet.  

James Stewart of Geneva Film Co. says that, “Today, only a few dozen or so 3D commercials currently exist. Out of this batch my company, Geneva Film Co., has produced a good share including cinema 3D spots for Lexus and Sprint. So what gives? What is the hesitation among smaller agencies? Whether speaking at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) or Cannes Lions, I have come to understand that most marketers and agency creatives simply need more information. Once the costs are outlined, an explanation of how 3D actually works is provided, and the storytelling potential revealed, most ad people soon begin to envisage 3D as well within the realm of possibility, and real excitement takes hold.”¹

As we have stated in class, Mr. Stewart pointed out that when you shoot in 3D one is capable of producing a product in 2D and 3D which will enable a wider ad campaign release as the consumers’ transition into 3D.  M. Stewart added, “As far as cost, for live-action 3D production, my estimate is 10 to 25 percent above shooting a typical spot in 2D (or a ‘flattie’). For bigger-budget campaigns, 3D will cost less because you have already invested in higher production value. […] 

Lastly, 3D in advertising yields eye-popping returns in memory retention with audiences exhibiting 92% total recall of an ad. 68% of that number shows a higher likelihood of following through with a purchase of the product advertised – a significant increase over the same commercial in 2D. In studies from multiple independent sources, including ESPN, Xpand and Texas Instruments, the data shows an average increase in viewer retention of 15%. For a nominal increase in production costs, you get a 15% – 20% increase in ad recall. Who doesn’t want that?”¹

My take away here is that there will soon be more available jobs for students, who take the time to be trained in 3D as the demand for such technical experts will only continue to increase as consumers continue to invest in 3D TVs.

Well, those are my thoughts for the week; please, feel free to comment.

Cheers-

Russell McGee

¹ J. Stewart, 3D in Advertising – Bringing the Wow Factor to Campaigns, WWW Document, http://3droundabout.com/2012/02/6491/3d-in-advertising-bringing-the-wow-factor-to-campaigns.html

Does "Pina" live up to the praise from 3D movie critics?

Movie poster from IMDB

When I sat down to watch "Pina" at the Indiana University Cinema, I came full of expectations.

For the past few months, 3D film critics have been lavishing "Pina" with boundless praise, touting it as the film that at last shows the beauty and range of potential of 3D.  Last spring, we filmed in 3D the world-renown tango dancers Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo in their This is Tango Now! show.  The 3D footage from this show is breath-taking and as such, I, too, have been awed by 3D's ability to immerse the audience in the flow of dance.  Our stereographer for This is Tango Now! followed close to the dancers, resulting in footage that reached forward into the audience (from where they usually sit far from the action) and pulled them in beyond the exclusive front row to a distance closer than they've ever sat before.

The IU Cinema lights dimmed, some stranglers trickled in, and I continued to wait and wonder.  Will Pina blow me away?

The answer was a resounding "yes."  One of my close friends is a ballerina and I am trained as a professional ballet supporter.  With each dance performance I watch, I grow slowly in my understanding of the language and story of dance.  For this reason, I already knew I would enjoy watching the dance aspect of "Pina," and in my own feeble way piece together my version of the choreographer's story.

In terms of the 3D, the volume of different urban and natural locations yielded a visual and depth feast.  Most 3D films are shot against green screens.  This allows more control of the depth budget and possible stereowindow violations.  Most 3D films also walk a safe line with the plane of focus set on the main characters, often resulting in a narrower depth budget, a blurred background, and virtually no negative parallax.

But not "Pina."  While the plane of focus was generally set on the main characters, the interaxial distance and consequently the depth budget expanded for deep settings like an old factory and contracted to accommodate shooting in a small room.  Edge violations were minimal and only an occasional lens flare caused discomfort.  Negative parallax was alive and vibrant as the dancers and environment advanced into the theater space toward the audience, making scenes closer and more intimate.

Consider "Pina" a powerful gust of fresh air that will blow away the riff-raff of studio 3D conversions and 3D productions, intending to capitalize on the higher ticket sale potentials.

In general discussions after the film, others have reported the sweet words I have hoped to hear.

"I've always been unsure about 3D but maybe there's something to it."

If you have a gripe against 3D, I'm not surprised.  The usual 3D offerings give an abundance of reasons for complaints.  But "Pina" has come along and echoed into the "Avatar" chorus of what the benefit of 3D can be.  Wim Wenders hit the 3D of "Pina" out of the park and my hope is that more and more audience members will watch Pina's choreography and realize the potential of 3D and dance.  Not only that, "Pina" has renewed my excitement for our filming of Ghi and Merlo's upcoming tango show "Identidad."

Documentary filmmakers may leave with some complaints but as a dance and 3D enthusiast, I came full of expectations that were not only met but exceeded.

-Sophia Parkison

3D Production Design

Gavin Bocquet works with George Lucas.

Today I learned of a new job type in film, I have known for years about Art Direction but until today, I did not know what a Production Designer did in a film production.  I always assumed that it was the Art Director who had the final say when decisions were made about visual storytelling design that relates to coding characters by color, costumes, props, or locations but it is in fact, the Production Designer that has the final say in these matters.  Yes, all of these visual storytelling elements are part of Art Direction and each is invaluable in conveying and crafting story through visuals.

I sometimes take for granted my art background because using distressing to age props/costumes or color as visual metaphor like greens and yellow usually depict sickness or red rage, etc. are elements of visual storytelling that I have been taught and immersed in since I was three years old.  I absolutely love the use of art as a visual moving storytelling art-form and it was the dramatic arts that finally captured my interest as that art-form is the only art that combines all types of art (music, visual, and performance) in one evocative and collaborative process of storytelling.  I realize that there will always be new things to learn, such as the discovery of the Production Designer job type and I may only hope that I will continue to devour and implement new ideas until the day I die.

I digress but let me tie things back to visual storytelling as that is what this post is really about…we have learned that in 3D, “…warm colors or hues tend [to] appear closer, whereas cool hues tend to recede away from the viewer.”¹ In 3D this is yet another way that color may be used to define character and tell story.  As Production Designer Gavin Bocquet states, “Great Production Design is about helping to tell a story as best you can with the creative tools you have at your disposal…Everything is based on reference…We always strive to give the highest level of detail we can. Maybe the demands of HD and 3D put more pressure on us in those areas, but there is nothing wrong in being pushed!”²

In conclusion, whether like in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” where the Production Designer uses a location such as Berlin to show the character’s internal division or color in the costume design of “Three Women” to show how the characters evolve and take on characteristics of the other characters there are many visual cues to be used to convey story.

Well, those are my thoughts for 3D this week.  I hope you find them useful and as always, I look forward to your reflections.

Cheers-

Russell McGee

¹ T. Bernard, Art Lesson: The Principles of Good Design - Space, WWW Document, http://www.bluemoonwebdesign.com/art-lessons-8.asp

² T. Hogg, Constructive Concepts: A conversation with production designer Gavin Bocquet, WWW Document, http://flickeringmyth.blogspot.com/2012/02/constructive-concepts-conversation-with.html

Star Wars Fails to Realize Dimensionalization

I attended the Thursday night midnight screening of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D and I was greeted with the usual costume fare (there was a slave Prince Leia, Jedi with light sabers, and a Storm Trooper).  However, the theatre was nowhere near full to capacity as one would expect for a premiere.  When the weekend gross was in, what I witnessed was reflected in the overall gross of Star Wars’ opening weekend as the film came in fourth with a, “Weekend [of] $23M.”¹  A very sad display for what used to be a huge cash cow but not only does this reflect George Lucas’ neglect of his fan base but the fact was that I may as well have been watching a 2D film as there was hardly any depth added to the film.

Mind, I am in no way commenting on the quality of the storytelling as we all know what problems are inherent to this film; I am only commenting on the quality of the 3D.

I left the theatre asking myself, “Why even bother dimensionalizing the film?”  All of the depth was either at the neutral parallax or so shallow in the positive parallax that when I lifted my 3D glasses I could’ve basically watched the film without the glasses.  The vanishing points were crushed into a flat 2D background and there was only minimal dimensionalization of the foreground objects in the positive parallax.  Overall, I felt that the 3D was left severely wanting.  I’m not sure if Lucas was trying to play it safe since the films were originally shot in 2D and he was trying to minimize the stereo window violations or for some other logic that escapes me but in the end I left the theatre dissatisfied with my 3D viewing experience.

Well, those are my thoughts for the week…if you take my advice I would save my money for some other 3D film other than Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D because you could easily get the same experience at home with your Blu Ray or DVD.

Cheers-

Russell McGee

¹ N. Finke, RECORD-BREAKING WEEKEND! 4 Films Open $20+M: ‘The Vow’ $41M, ‘Safe House’ $39M; ‘Journey 2′ $27M, ‘Star Wars 3D’ $23M, WWW Document, http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/

Lighting for 3D

The area that I decided to focus on this week is lighting for 3D.  The biggest point that resonated with me is that, “infinite focus comes with an infinite amount of light, or close to it.”¹ What this meant to me is that the depth of 3D requires focus and clarity and this detail of depth may only be achieved by utilizing much more illumination than lighting for 2D photography.  The exact ratio of lighting for 3D cinematography is: “3D = Light + Light + Light”².  That is three times the normal light level one would use in 2D cinematography!

I followed up this new incite on light by looking at what cinematographer and editor Tim Dashwood had to share about 3D lighting, “The beamsplitter will […] cause a density and color shift on the reflected camera which will need to be corrected in post."² However, the thing that I found most interesting about his comments was the following, “Creative lighting can be used to help with window violations. For example, if shooting an over-the-shoulder shot I may use some negative fill to darken the foreground person on the side of the window he/she is touching. This can help soften the negative effects of the window violation.”²

In closing, the things that were most striking to me were that you will need three times the light of a 2D production and Tim Dashwood’s remarks about the density and color correction issues caused by the reflected image in a beamsplitter 3D rig.  Hands down, the biggest tip was about the use of creative lighting for an OVS shot to minimize the stereo window violation.  A technique that I am sure may be useful as I continue my journey through the realm of 3D.

I hope you enjoyed my post and look forward to your comments.

Cheers-

Russell McGee

¹ B. Mendiburu, 3D Movie Making, (Focal Press, Burlington, MA, 2009), pp. 113.

² H. McKnight, 3D Lighting, WWW Document, http://www.videomaker.com/article/14936/