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

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.

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:

 

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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.