Underworld: Awakening, The Darkest Hour stereographer Kasimir Lehto details the 3D entertainment experience

Shooting, editing, and delivering the first ever 3D documentary on explosive demolition for international broadcast has connected us with others who are forging paths into the third dimension.

These brilliant, passionate, innovative filmmakers are redefining entertainment … one project at a time.

One of the people we’ve spoken to is Kasimir Lehto.

Lehto, who found us through an article detailing the production of Blowdown 3D, has been in the stereoscopic filmmaking business since 2005.

In that time, he’s worked as a stereographer/DOP on several 3D productions, including Underworld: Awakening and The Darkest Hour. His latest project, Apartment 1303, is slated for production this fall in Montreal, Canada.

Born in Finland to filmmaker parents, Lehto has been immersed in cinematography his whole life. Here’s what he had to say about the exciting world of 3D:

On entering the third dimension

I got involved six years ago. I noticed all the marks in the air that this would be the next step in the history of cinema in terms of distribution and new kind of form. I foresaw that this is the new area where cinema is evolving. You have to take risk to accomplish something or go forward. I was keen to find new horizons in filmmaking – it was strong intuition so I just went for it.

It inspired me. It allowed me to forget everything I know about cinematography and filmmaking and try to and start to build again on top of a new principle – this new format that brings up creative possibilities and rethinking the cinematic language.

On funding stereoscopic films

We founded a company called Stereoscape to generate works for us in 3D. First we applied for money from different technology research centres, film funds for researching and test-driving 3D. We got quite a lot of money from Finland to research and develop this whole thing – we were government-financed.

On the road to 3D

When we started there wasn’t much knowledge and tricks and technology around so it took like a really long time to figure out. We did a lot of short films and a lot of demo content which we tried to figure out how to shoot 3D, how to place the cameras, how to edit, how to view which took enormous time for us because nobody was really doing it in the small budget level we were doing.

Figuring out everything was kind of a struggle but the was the fun of it, to kind of explore and learn new things, to figure it out and to have it working. Now everything has changed dramatically. Editing software is supporting 3D, there are a lot of different 3D cameras for different price ranges and budgets, there are production services, there is screening, there are 3D TVs.

On 3D’s universal appeal

3D gives the viewer more information. When the viewer receives more information that’s a richer experience and it engages you in a deeper level. My basic ideology is that drama is actually one of the best areas to work in 3D. You are observing the people and the action and the drama between them. When the 3D is added it gives the viewer a richer experience of the character, which makes it more real and more understandable.

I think that 3D is something between the cinema and the theatre. We all know that with the theatre the presentation of the characters is real so the whole context of the story or the subtext is stronger. In drama it’s about emotions and the story. 3D can deliver these characters and situation with a higher level of information like social signals, emotional signals – if all this can be delivered in a stronger level of information that’s always better.

The 2D/3D debate: it’s black and white

You know many times in the past people have asked me why 3D is better than 2D then I’ve asked them “what do you prefer, black and white or colour in films?” And 99 per cent of the time it’s like “colour” and then I ask why. They always the answer is it’s because it feels more realistic. 3D it delivers the content on a more realistic level so in that case the viewer is more encased and he feels what he sees at a stronger level. You feel that you’re being there, you’re part of the whole story or scene, you’re in the room. That’s why 3D is good and why stories can benefit from it.

On the creative process

[As a stereographer] the biggest challenge is to get everybody on board on making a 3D film and telling the story in three dimensions … to start feeding people and to start helping people understand the difference. The optimal ways to block a scene in 3D, how the cutting and editing pace is different, how to incorporate all these things for the method.

[As a DOP] The biggest challenge is to try to give the director as many tools and as many references and experience so that he or she could be able to tell the story in a way that it works great in 3D in a way that 3D wouldn’t disturb his or her method … it would be a fluent experience. So it’s optimizing the storytelling method to match the 3D.

The biggest reward happens every day you look 3D on a big screen. When you screen your dailies or test or whatever it’s always shocking of how amazing it is. And you get more rewards when things are working smoothly and you get great shots and as a cinematographer you can use the camera in a way that is kind of matching how the audience wants to see 3D. Once you get to the kind of method where you can shoot 3D in a 3D way, not within a 2D method, that’s when the 3D starts to flourish.

On stereoscopic success

Try to look at as much 3D as possible. Try to make test shoots and try to explore things and learn from it. You have to learn how the 3D is different from 2D and according to that information you should tune your method to match the features of 3D.

The biggest asset in the set is everybody’s mind. So everybody should, from the whole team, director and DOP, production designer and producer, all the key positions should have experience or knowledge about the 3D so everybody understands what it is and how is it different from the 2D method.

On indie filmmaking and the future of 3D innovation

Indie films are more capable of mobilizing or utilizing this form that’s because they are smaller so they can explore and be more innovative. And since they are small they have to be smart and kind of jump higher than they actually are. There’s more intention of really nailing it and exploring it in ways that it can be really impressive and tell the story. I’m sure the big films will follow but they are so huge it takes more time for them to kind of evolve and arrive.

The last word

I’m quite positive that 3D is here to stay. If we look at how far moving pictures have come in the last 100 years it would be naïve to think that the format would stay in the 2D format. It’s the rule of evolution. Things are going forward – I don’t think there’s any other option for visual media language than to go to the third dimension.

Delivering a 3D documentary: what it takes to make the cut

Charting the course of a creative company means selecting projects that fulfill a collective passion for experimentation with cameras, visuals and story.

In the realm of innovation 3D fits nicely with these criteria …  so naturally we had to try it.

But to pick up a camera and start shooting was out of the question because there was nothing – absolutely nothing within our price range that we could carry around like an HD camera and meet broadcast specs.

We foraged ahead with Blowdown 3D and after six months of R&D, several camera systems, a month of production in Brazil and nine months of post we have finally delivered a truly groundbreaking 3D documentary.  

We met our creative criteria of keeping the 2D and 3D cuts identical and having an engaging, watchable show in both formats.   As well we gained stereography expertise and a full 3D production and post facility.

To succeed we needed to 4 key players in place.  A business partner who made sure capital was available; a broadcast partner who helped off-set some of the costs and commission a 3D version; a DOP to build and operate a 3D system and an editor who took on the head and heart ache of posting in 3D and edit a show, simultaneously.

Each partner went in blind, worked hard and remained unwaveringly committed – always moving forward despite the many, many set-backs.   I cannot overstate the massive technical obstacles that stood in our way – especially in post.   For a year it was one step forward, two back – not a terribly long time in the scheme of things for R&D and execution but the money was burning and we had to deliver.

On a larger scale the 3D film industry is hot … but there’s still a lot to learn. At NAB 2011 nearly every booth had a 3D camera system or monitor on display.   Unfortunately the consensus from my team that attended is that most of the stereo projects being generated are not visually interesting or executed in optimal 3D.

As far as 3D programming goes, the broadcasters are starting safe with lots of natural history. Over the next few years television is going to steadily move towards 3D penetration.  The consumer interest is too great for them too pass up the business opportunity.   But for now, I look forward to just seeing how Blowdown 3D is received around the world.

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

So You Want To Learn 3D? How to bring the stereoscopic dream to life

It’s been a long journey into the realm of 3D documentary filmmaking for myself and the rest of the Parallax team.

A rugged path marked with a few big wins – triumphs earned via epic missions through a series of formidable stereoscopic obstacles.

The good news: we’ve trampled a rough trail … a trail that will hopefully help other enthusiasts avoid getting too thoroughly lost in the enchanted forest that is 3D production.

Our stereographer, Sean White, details some quick and dirty ways to follow us into the third dimension.

Immerse yourself

Learning 3D is a full-time job. A solid foundation of stereo principles is needed if you want to succeed

Research. Take an introductory course. Enlist the help of an experienced stereographer.

Or for true 3D keeners, deconstruct a ready-made system into its basic components. Best way to master the beast. Hands down.

Start small

Our first foray into 3D filmmaking was a modest one involving two $20 cameras purchased on EBay and mounted on a side-by-side rig.

Starting small makes getting bigger the only option.

Experiment

Always think of ways to make your 3D system better. Tinker, take risks, and invent.

Capitalize fully on your mistakes by knowing exactly where you went wrong. Leave no error unturned.

Share your failures and successes with other experimenters. Best way to avoid epic catastrophes.

Keep your eye on the prize

Driving your whole 3D pursuit is the desire for results – not only should you want something properly stereographed but something beautifully stereographed.

Keeping this in mind, never forget to reverse calculate . . . knowing what you want in the end means taking purposeful, well-thought steps to get there.

Alright, that about does it … now it’s time for the good stuff:

Get out there, get dirty, and above all, have fun.

–Ian Herring, President

@ianherring

File 177

Stereographer Sean White films Battle Castle: Dover.

Click here for more photos of the Beamer EX and Parallax crew in action.

Compositing a 3D documentary: How to maximize stereoscopic effects

Now that our first 3D documentary is almost completed, compositor Jakub Kuczynski has time to give the lowdown on some of the challenges he faced editing Blowdown.

Challenge 1: Double-rendering

Because 3D is filmed in stereo pairs rendering for each eye is required. For a compositor with tight deadlines this process can be a painful one.

Challenge 2: Editing in anaglyph

3D compositing in anaglyph can be deceiving because it crushes depth perception.

The tendency is to compensate for this by creating more depth, but sometimes you can overshoot the mark – a discrepancy that becomes obvious when you view the footage on polarized monitors.

An extra step is then needed to make sure sure stereo pairs are aligning perfectly which, of course, means more time and inevitably more stress.

Challenge 3: Finding the happy balance between formats

Until that fine day when everyone is experiencing our documentaries in full stereoscopic glory it’s important to make sure shots work just as well in 2D as they would in 3D. That in itself is an art.

Here’s an example of one of Jakub’s most technically challenging shots – a 3D within 3D effect composited for Blowdown’s episode on the implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium in Brazil:

  And here’s how he brought it all to life:

But, of course, mastering challenges like these come with the rewards of creating 3D VFX everyone can get a kick out of.

–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: 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