Editing a 3D Documentary: Scouting for Colorists

As we enter the polishing stages on our first 3D documentary, the hunt is on to find a studio that can take on the task of color correcting months of painstaking work.

It’s essential to any post-production process, but especially crucial to 3D because we’re creating an effect that only reads if stereo pairs match perfectly.

When filming, aberrations in stereo images occur because the mirrors/prisms contained within the beam splitter can change the nature of the light from one moment to the next.

Any slight difference in temperature or exposure of image pairs will confuse the brain, create discomfort, and botch the whole operation. Period.

So my team and I need to be choosy when it comes to colorists. The challenge now is finding a studio that has a system capable of stereo viewing and correction – slim pickings due to 3D’s relative newness.

And of course, one that possesses the expertise to produce the high-quality 3D imaging we are looking for at a price we can work with.

More to come …

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

Editing a 3D Documentary: Review of Panasonic’s 25” BT-3DL 2550

If you want to create a high-quality 3D program, having the best-of-the-best in production equipment is a must – that and a great crew, of course.

So while we’ve been in post-production for our first 3D documentary, our editor Brian Mann and I have been on the hunt for a picture-perfect 3D monitor to QC our cuts.

The latest contender: Panasonic’s 25” BT-3DL 2550, a passive circular-polarized monitor with dual processors.

The Panasonic comes with all the bells and whistles any 3D editor could ask for: pro-connectors, 10 bit 3D LUT for great color accuracy, 3 stereo viewing options including simultaneous, line-by-line, and side-by-side.

But when we brought it in to try it out we ran into an unexpected problem –  the display’s polarizing filter wouldn’t work properly with our RealD glasses. The colour was off – pink tinges galore.

Funny thing was when we turned our 3D glasses sideways it seemed to work. Hmmmm.

We’re not sure whether it’s a proprietary or technology issue. The Panasonic tech support team wasn’t sure either.

So in the end, we chose to send the Panasonic back.

We weren’t up to buying another set of 3D glasses on top of the ones we already had. Panasonic charges $100 per set which, along with the pricier monitor—Panasonic $10 000 vs. JVC $6 600 —is a bit hard to swallow.

We’ll nail down a dual stream monitor soon enough. It’s just going to take a little more digging.

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

Watching a 3D documentary: passive-polarized versus active-shutter technology

The Parallax team and I are always keeping an eye on what electronic companies are doing to get 3D out into the universe.

Because it’s their inventions that will play a key role in determining how many of you get to see our first 3D documentary in its full stereoscopic glory.

As 3D popularity climbs, electronic companies are competing to see who gets to annex that coveted spot on your living room TV stand.

And so begins the format wars, with active-shutter glasses coming up against passive-polarized.

Earlier this year at Consumer Electronics Show, LG, Toshiba and Vizio showcased their upcoming lines of consumer 3DTVs using passive displays.

Their promise: a high quality 3D experience without burning a hole straight through your wallet.

What makes Passive 3DTVs more economical than the consumer lines is their use of lightweight and cheap polarized glasses instead of the costly active-shutter glasses.

Which means you can outfit the whole family and your dog affordably.

Making 3D technology cheaper and more accessible is undoubtedly a good thing – but like most things cheaper does not always mean better.

After Vizio’s debut of their passive screen 3DTV, Consumer Reports did some testing to see how LCD passive displays measure up against Plasma screen models like Panasonic’s top-rated 3DTV.

Turns out Vizio’s passive screens do provide a high quality and comfortable viewing experience, but there are also noticeable losses in resolution, jaggies, and occasional blurring of objects due to the way their screens display 3D images for each eye.

This is probably why Samsung, Sony, Panasonic are still pushing active shutters.

Nevertheless, passive-polarized technology has a great impact on the 3D market.

Light-weight, cheaper glasses make way for cheaper and more compact 3DTV’s—currently Vizio’s smallest consumer model is 42” 3D HDTV with even tinier models rumored on the horizon.

And like 1080p took over the top price bracket in HD dropping 720p prices and enticing consumers into HD converts, passive displays have the potential to influence 3D rollout in precisely the same way.

So in the end affordable passive-polarized displays provide the right nudge to get more people on the 3D train. After that, there’s no going back.

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

Watching a 3D documentary: Blowdown 3D hits the Victoria Film Festival

 3D road trip!

Friday night I packed up and headed over to Vancouver Island for the Victoria Film Festival.

The mission: roll out a 15-minute show and tell about 3D cable TV to the film types.

The gear: 500 pairs of polarized glasses (think big, right?) and our 46-inch JVC HD 3D LCD monitor.

About 70 people showed up to crowd around and check out the latest and greatest in home entertainment.

What I shared with the crowd

How they felt about the experience

The final word: it was great to show some of our 3D documentary material off.

Reactions were mixed, but whether the VFF-goers praised it or panned it, it was clear that my little road trip stirred up a nice dose of stereoscopic buzz.

It’s also clear that our 3D monitor travels exceptionally well strapped to a bike rack … bonus.

On to the next adventure.

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

Watching a 3D documentary: buying the right passive technology monitor

It’s coming up to the year anniversary of Avatar’s release.  A film that changed the way I think about broadcast formats and revolutionized our production house.

Within 12 months we landed our first 3D television production for Blowdown, our ongoing television series on structural implosions.

In that year we built and tested two main 3D systems and several secondary systems.  Of equal challenge was the post work flow in 3D.  The production team worked closely with our edit team and managed to come up with a smooth edit to output work flow.

Early on we adopted the 3D TV passive technology, which means the TV does all the work and we can use inexpensive and readily available glasses – the same ones used at the cinema.

Our latest purchase and the smallest 3D TV is the Panasonic BT-3DL2550.  It’s a 25.5-inch TV – portable and can be used in the field to monitor 3D rushes or as an on-line monitor.  This is a piece of equipment I am really looking forward to using.

The consumer is going adopt 3D at home in the same way when passive shutter 3D TVs come available.  LG is releasing this – the LD920 47-inch TV – eliminating the expensive and awkward battery powered active shutter glasses.

This technology, priced right, will pave the way for consumer friendly 3D tv’s and encourage the adoption of the format.

–Ian Herring, President

Welcome to Parallax 2.0

We’re jumping the gun and ringing in the new before the year-end countdown.  We’ve had an amazing 2010 here and are all still wrapping our heads around the fact that it isn’t June.

I started the year back East in February and battled the blizzards that dumped on Washington, DC.

In April, we managed to catch the last Air Canada flight of Paris before Eyjafjallajokull, the Icelandic volcano closed European airspace.

It was Brazil in August, escaping the heat in Vancouver for “winter” in Salvador.

We shot our first show ever in 3D, a fabulous addition to our Blowdown series.

In November, we began shooting our brand new series at Dover Castle with our host and co-production partner, Dan Snow.  No small triumph for a project more than three years in the making.

So, besides the 60,000 Aeroplan miles I’ve banked this year, what does it all mean?

It means that here at Parallax Film Productions we’re always on a journey.

We’re looking for a new adventure … and we’ve found it in this vast e-universe.

The launch of the new website is pushing us in new directions, opening doors to the possibility that our creativity can be interactive and we can reach out to our audiences in ways that doesn’t always include a broadcaster.

We are stepping out from behind the curtain and redefining the nature of our storytelling by sharing what excites us every day. Whether it’s a new 3D TV or a story from the back pages, it’s all the stuff we strive for:  being excited and engaged.

We hope that you’ll join us.

Connect with us and our community via Facebook or Twitter. Weigh in on YouTube or our website  – we want to hear what you think of our content. Sign up to receive our news. Share your updates. And reserve front row access to the new stuff comes down the pipe.

We’re not sure what this new world has in store for us. But one thing’s certain. It’s going to be quite the ride.

–Ian Herring, President

Fonte Nova Stadium implosion captured in 3D

(Em Português: uma reportagem sobre o documentário em 3D) The implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium – Em Português: uma reportagem sobre o documentário em 3D)

The implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium – the climax of our first 3D documentary production – has happened!

Controlled Demolition Inc. pressed the button at 10:27 a.m. in Salvador, Brazil.

The event was captured by several spectators from outside the 250-metre safety perimeter – stills and some video footage have been posted on Correio*.


Some 700 kilograms of explosives were used to take the structure down.

Ian Herring and the rest of the Parallax Film Productions crew had almost 20 camera systems rolling to capture this explosive event in 3D for the series Blowdown. These units, many custom-made, were positioned outside – and inside – the arena.

It’s the first implosion ever to be shot in stereo for international broadcast.

The Fonte Nova Stadium stood for almost six decades. At a maximum capacity recorded at 110, 438, it was one of the largest stadiums in the world.

It closed its doors amidst tragedy in 2007 after seven people were killed and 40 injured when a section of the upper bowl collapsed.

A new 2014 World Cup facility, the Bahia Arena, is slated to replace it.

Construction is scheduled to begin after the site is cleared.

More to come …

–Nicole Tomlinson

UPDATE: Fonte Nova Stadium implosion captured in 3D

(Em Português: uma reportagem sobre o documentário em 3D)

The Parallax Film Productions crew has uploaded footage from the climax of our first 3D documentary production – the Fonte Nova Stadium implosion in Salvador, Brazil.

There were a few challenges leading up to the event – last-minute rigging as stereographer Sean White positioned some 20 camera systems, many custom made, to capture the explosive demolition in stereo for the series Blowdown:

 

Once the camera units were all in place, the crew moved out of the arena and took position on the other side of the safety perimeter.

And a siren meant to signal the five-minute warning for the implosion continued to go off as the stadium came down – you can hear it as Ian Herring films the demolition with his Lumix:

 

But the overall mission – to capture the first ever implosion in stereo for international broadcast – was an explosive success.

All camera systems were rolling when the arena came down, including several kill cams positioned inside the stadium to capture unprecedented 3D footage ultra close.

Then the crew hustled to get post-Blowdown interviews and dig kill cam footage out of the massive debris pile – success!

Next they took a bit of time to relax before tackling one epic gear pack-up.

They’ll make their way back to Vancouver, Canada tomorrow.

Now we’re adrift in the quasi calm before another stereo storm …

Once the footage arrives back, our post production journey into the third dimension begins.

What a ride.

–Nicole Tomlinson

Shooting a 3D documentary: positioning implosion cams around the Fonte Nova Stadium

The explosive climax of our first 3D documentary production – the implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium in Salvador, Brazil – is just days away.

Close to 20 camera systems will capture this high-profile event in stereo for the explosive demolition series Blowdown when Controlled Demolition Inc. pushes the button on August 29.

The production crew’s challenge: scope out the best places to put these cameras.

Ian Herring and the rest of the team have already nailed down locations for most of the kill cams. These systems will be placed inside the stadium, destined to be annihilated by the implosion as they capture the event ultra close.

Next, they have to decide where to position our perimeter cams.

So they hit the neighbourhood to scout out the best spots.

Stereographer Sean White explores a piece of Salvador …

… and checks out a tentative camera position

The crew also snapped some VFX plate shots of the stadium while they were offsite.

Our compositor, Jakub Kuczynski, will use these stills to create a 3D model of the structure.

This stereoscopic photo-real stadium will stand long after the real venue falls: we’ll use it in the show to orient the audience, share implosion scenarios, reveal explosive demolition details, etc.

T-3 days.

–Nicole Tomlinson

Shooting a 3D documentary: mounting kill cams in the Fonte Nova Stadium

Ian Herring and the rest of the Parallax Film Productions crew are busy shooting our first 3D documentary at the Fonte Nova Stadium in Salvador, Brazil.

They’ve spent the last few days conducting interviews and covering prep for the stadium’s implosion, slated to take place on August 29.

They’re also figuring out where to position some 20 camera systems that will capture the event for the explosive demolition series Blowdown. As far as we know, this will be the first implosion ever filmed in 3D.

Some cameras will be placed outside the structure – some will be placed inside.

Called kill cams, the latter units are custom-designed to capture the implosion from POVs no human being could ever witness safely and store the data so it survives even as the cameras are annihilated by tons of concrete, rebar and debris.

After the implosion, the crew will dig the footage out of the rubble.

Parallax Film Productions has strategically placed cameras inside condemned structures before – such as the Hoyt. S Vandenberg, scuttled off the coast of Florida, the RCA Dome, imploded in Indiana, and Ocean Tower condominium complex, taken down on South Padre Island.

But this kill cam operation has never been attempted in 3D. This time, two cameras on a custom-designed side by side rig will be mounted at each location.

Ian scouts prime spots for these unprecedented systems

 

Crew salvages material from the stadium to mount the kill cams

 

Kill cam footage from the Ocean Tower condominium complex

 

 

Now imagine POVs like these … in stereo.

Seriously. It’s going to rock.

–Nicole Tomlinson