3D TV gets Emmy Nods

Hey All,

We all talk a lot about promoting 3D and pushing the medium in order to popularize the medium and foster more work within 3D. This past Monday I was pleased to see that the Cameron Pace Group, formed by James Cameron and Vicent Pace (CPG), along with ESPN and CBS have been nominated for Emmy awards in sports entertainment broadcasting. In spite of news reports claiming the demise of 3D TV, CPG and ESPN have been gaining traction through their sports broadcasting and have been creating significant television buzz for their coverage of the X Games and PGA tournament coverage in 3D. Now, after securing Emmy nominations, in competition alongside 2D television, CPG is excited about and confident in the future of 3D television. They believe the key to 3D television is to provide productions affordable new technology production which integrates video or film into both 2D and 3D formats. They call this idea "5D." For the X Games, they used 34 cameras with 5 different rig variations suspended as much as 900 feet in the air to get full coverage. For their PGA coverage, 28 cameras and 7 rigs were used.

“Our engineering efforts always focus on ways to enable broadcasters to do more with less,” said Vince Pace, CPG’s co-chairman and CEO. “The X Games were a milestone in demonstrating that 3D innovation can also directly augment 2D production … Our goal at CPG is to enable broadcasters to generate top quality footage under any circumstances, adapting to any approach they select. For this year’s X Games, we were able to do just that.”

CPG and ESPN are very confident in the continuation of the televised medium. Hopefully the exposure and praise will foster increased popularity and prompt other companies to start investing in 3D technology/productions as well so more of us can get work! (That is unless CPG is going to hire all of us...who's crossing their fingers?)

CPG/ESPN/CBS Emmy article: http://good3dtv.com/3d-tv/cameron-pace-group-wins-emmy-nominations-shows-3dtv-isnt-dead-yet/

CPG's 5D tech: http://good3dtv.com/3d-tv/james-caneron-vincent-pace-introduces-5d-tv-tech-claims-better-future-for-3d-tvs/

Oz and Others, Too Much Tech?

(James Franco attempting to steal your soul).

Oz topped the weekend box office results for the 2nd time in a row and of the reviews, the 3D is definitely in the forefront of conversations. In class we talk a lot about good 3D and how to effectively/ineffectively utilize the technology in our projects. The 3D Oz articles over the last few weeks seem to offer both good and bad aspects of 3D, to be debated, and I thought there were some interesting points.

This first article I found discussed the 3D technology of being too extreme and too digitized: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/03/oz-great-and-powerful-3d-hollywood/62920/

The article mainly discusses the digital aesthetic and calls to attention the animated world of The Hobbit in addition to Oz. The author largely pans the new direction 3D, alluding with Jurassic park quote, "In a blind pursuit to top what the other guy just did, they become only concerned with whether they can instead of whether they should." We've had a lot of discussions about the Hobbit's faster frame rate and grand CGI scenes (the troll scenes in particular), in addition to other films', and with 3D features like these currently trending, does it hurt the cinematic quality and experience that live sets and on location productions bring? It highlights an interesting view on how the industry is viewing and evolving 3D film. While I did not agree with a lot of what the writer notes, he definitely makes some good points.

In opposite views on Oz's 3D, there are articles specifically praising the lavish costuming which both critics and audiences say were greatly highlighted by the 3D. The depth of the movie was also apparently very extreme, but in a tolerable and efficient way.

Anyone see Oz over break?

Medicinal Stereoscopy

Hey All,

In stereoscopic news, 3D is becoming a part of microsurgery, and fast! A company called TrueVision has developed a 3D "Visualization and Guidance" platform for microsurgery. The technology was first used last fall on vision correction surgery and now is successfully being utilized for cataract eye surgery. By essentially creating a specialized rig utilizing microscopes, the company's technology allows for traditional surgical recordings to be broadcast in 3D in real time. Doctor's have applauded the technology since the 3D feature allows for an entire surgical staff or teaching unit to see critical depth and surgical details that normally only a single surgeon would be able see (over twice the depth of field). The 3D feed can be broadcasted to any number of 3D capable displays at any location.

While the technology is still very new, the company has noted that it's possible surgical uses within the fields of ophthalmology, neurosurgery, ENT and orthopedics are endless. An interesting use for 3D technology that can help save lives. The company notes that some Doctor's have installed displays in private waiting rooms for families to watch along, although I'm not quite sure I'm ready to stomach that showing.

For more information visit: http://www.truevisionsys.com/