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.

Shooting a 3D documentary: video and details from the Fonte Nova Stadium

Ian’s arrived in Salvador, Brazil and hit the Fonte Nova Stadium demolition site where we’re shooting our first 3D documentary.

And he’s rolling.

The awesome view of Salvador, Brazil as he flew in:

 

Wow.

Yesterday it was all about B roll, as stereographer Sean White trained others on 3D capturing techniques.

Here are some videos on-site – you really get a feel for how massive and messy this stadium is:

Crew climbs up stairs (and around random demo debris) carrying stereoscopic gear

 

Sean details Parallax Film’s custom-made mini beam splitter, which houses two Canon 7Ds

 

Other field notes:

The crew captured a lot of B roll – establishing shots (very Roman Colosseum – no individual seats in this stadium!), columns, Controlled Demolition Inc. President Mark Loizeaux inspects the stadium’s concrete/rebar composition.

Next mission: establishing shots of Salvador.

–Nicole Tomlinson

Shooting a 3D documentary: Ian leaving for Salvador, Brazil

It’s go time. I’ve been running around the last few days getting everything organized so I can join the crew to shoot our first 3D documentary.

I leave for Salvador, Brazil tomorrow to capture Blowdown in 3D – the prep and implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium to make way for a new facility for the 2014 World Cup.

The Parallax Film team’s been down there for a week now. They’ve set up our HQ and shot some material – enough to get their feet dusty.

The next few weeks leading up to the August 29 implosion will be a great field experiment.

As the demolition story unfolds, so will the nuances of the equipment we’ve rigged to capture the first implosion ever shot in 3D.

I know what it will be like down there – field realities will set in, and days will be overflowing.

So writer Nicole Tomlinson will manage the blog in my stead.

I’ll feed her shoot info whenever I can as we review story material, and she’ll post here.

Ciao for now.

Shooting a 3D documentary: Ian leaving for Salvador, Brazil

It’s go time. I’ve been running around the last few days getting everything organized so I can join the crew to shoot our first 3D documentary.

I leave for Salvador, Brazil tomorrow to capture Blowdown in 3D – the prep and implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium to make way for a new facility for the 2014 World Cup.

The Parallax Film team’s been down there for a week now. They’ve set up our HQ and shot some material – enough to get their feet dusty.

The next few weeks leading up to the August 29 implosion will be a great field experiment.

As the demolition story unfolds, so will the nuances of the equipment we’ve rigged to capture the first implosion ever shot in 3D.

I know what it will be like down there – field realities will set in, and days will be overflowing.

So writer Nicole Tomlinson will manage the blog in my stead.

I’ll feed her shoot info whenever I can as we review story material, and she’ll post here.

Ciao for now.  

Shooting a 3D documentary: organizing data in the field

Our crew’s all settled in Salvador, Brazil and are in the early days of filming our first 3D documentary. This time’s alloOur crew’s all settled in Salvador, Brazil and are in the early days of filming our first 3D documentary.

This time’s allowing them to test our gear in the field and get a few interviews/story points in the can before the prep and implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium gets really intense.

They’re also getting used to filming our first tapeless show – for the explosive demolition series Blowdown – and the data management that comes with this shift.

When our 3D technician, Rory Lambert, gets CF cards with footage from the cameras, he needs to name each file.

This name must include the type of camera, type of rig, date, sequence number and if the footage is from the left or right eye.

To do this he plugs the CF card reader and the G RAID mini into a field laptop, and uses ShotPut Pro to transfer the footage from one to the other.

Then he uses Adobe Bridge and runs an automatic script to rename all the files in the folder on the G RAID mini so they match the folder they’re living in.

This means he doesn’t have to rename them manually – it also means he won’t make any mistakes.

The footage is organized before it even leaves the demolition site.

And if we decide to reevaluate our labeling convention during the shoot, we can always go back and rename files retroactively using this system.

Shooting a 3D documentary: organizing data in the field

Our crew’s all settled in Salvador, Brazil and are in the early days of filming our first 3D documentary. This time’s alloOur crew’s all settled in Salvador, Brazil and are in the early days of filming our first 3D documentary.

This time’s allowing them to test our gear in the field and get a few interviews/story points in the can before the prep and implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium gets really intense.

They’re also getting used to filming our first tapeless show – for the explosive demolition series Blowdown – and the data management that comes with this shift.

When our 3D technician, Rory Lambert, gets CF cards with footage from the cameras, he needs to name each file.

This name must include the type of camera, type of rig, date, sequence number and if the footage is from the left or right eye.

To do this he plugs the CF card reader and the G RAID mini into a field laptop, and uses ShotPut Pro to transfer the footage from one to the other.

Then he uses Adobe Bridge and runs an automatic script to rename all the files in the folder on the G RAID mini so they match the folder they’re living in.

This means he doesn’t have to rename them manually – it also means he won’t make any mistakes.

The footage is organized before it even leaves the demolition site.

And if we decide to reevaluate our labeling convention during the shoot, we can always go back and rename files retroactively using this system.  

Shooting a 3D documentary: differentiating left from right

In the world of 3D filmmaking, keeping left and right straight can be a mega pain. We discovered just how confusing it can get while prepping to shoot

We discovered just how confusing it can get while prepping to shoot our first 3D documentary.

From cameras to lenses to batteries to cables to monitor ports, we struggled to keep everything straight in-house.

So avoiding this headache in the field – the implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium in Salvador, Brazil – seemed difficult at best, impossible at worst.

With so much at stake for this groundbreaking episode of the explosive demolition series Blowdown, we seriously needed a system.

So we colour-coded everything.

Left is red, right is blue … and it doesn’t end with the gear.

We’re also colour-coding our data files so the editor can instantly recognize which footage corresponds to which eye.

Now when there are excavators crunching, drills grinding, and chaos everywhere, the crew will have one less thing to wrap their heads around.

Shooting a 3D documentary: differentiating left from right

In the world of 3D filmmaking, keeping left and right straight can be a mega pain. We discovered just how confusing it can get while prepping to shoot

We discovered just how confusing it can get while prepping to shoot our first 3D documentary.

From cameras to lenses to batteries to cables to monitor ports, we struggled to keep everything straight in-house.

So avoiding this headache in the field – the implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium in Salvador, Brazil – seemed difficult at best, impossible at worst.

With so much at stake for this groundbreaking episode of the explosive demolition series Blowdown, we seriously needed a system.

So we colour-coded everything.

Left is red, right is blue … and it doesn’t end with the gear.

We’re also colour-coding our data files so the editor can instantly recognize which footage corresponds to which eye.

Now when there are excavators crunching, drills grinding, and chaos everywhere, the crew will have one less thing to wrap their heads around. 

Shooting a 3D documentary: stereo kill cams

One of the types of cameras we’ll use to shoot our first 3D documentary will be kill cams.Though some of our systems will be used the entire month we’re down in Salvador, Brazil filming prep and implosion of the Fonte Nova Stadium for the explosive demolition series Blowdown, these six units won’t be called on until shot day.

Here’s how it works: we’ll mount them in various locations in the stadium right before the implosion – based on story points and/or high-octane visual potential.

After Controlled Demolition Inc. pushes the button, these cameras (12 in all) will go down with the structure – and hopefully capture gold before they’re annihilated.

Here are two kill cam shots from a previous show – the implosion of Ocean Tower condominiums, on South Padre Island, Texas, late last year:

 

 

Our stereographer, Sean White, will rig twice the number of kill cams, fixed on  on a side by side rig, to capture these moments in stereo.