The Future of Hollywood

AZUZ: That third dimension is all over the big screen lately. The weekend's number 1 film in the U.S.? 3-D. The biggest money-maker in movie history? That's in 3-D. Out in Hollywood, some filmmakers are going back to school to learn how to make 3-D movies. Kareen Wynter looks at why the method matters.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JAKE SULLY, AVATAR: But we would send them a message...

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: "Avatar's" message is that the future could mean big bucks when it comes to 3-D. Created and shot with 3-D technology, the film is the highest grossing movie of all time, with roughly $400 million coming from 3-D screens alone in the U.S.

SULLY: Outstanding.

WYNTER: With so much money-making potential, hopes are high that this latest 3-D boom doesn't go bust, and there's a movement underway to blaze this trail straight into the future.

WYNTER: Is it fair to call you a 3-D guru? You've been doing this for, since the beginning of time.

BUZZ HAYS, CHAIRMAN, INSTRUCTOR/VICE PRESIDENT, SONY 3-D TECHNOLOGY CENTER: Sure. I mean, yes, but there's a bunch of gurus out there.

WYNTER: Buzz Hayes began working in 3-D before it was cool. He's the lead instructor at Sony Pictures' brand new 3-D Technology Center, where filmmakers are immersed in an intensive, hands-on course on how to actually film in 3-D, a method much different from converting 2-D movies to 3-D. That process drew mixed reviews from critics, where it's used in "Clash of the Titans." But some would say how important is this? Does the audience really see the difference?

HAYES: I think they already are. I mean, based on some recent releases in theaters, I think people are very vocal about the quality of 3-D that they see, both good and bad. So, we just wanted to raise the bar.

WYNTER: And stay above it, says camera director Jack Messitt, who enrolled in the class because he says his future depends on it.

JACK MESSITT, CAMERA OPERATOR: The language of 3-D is really different than the language that we've all learned to utilize in 2-D. With the great increase in 3-D, I don't want to be left behind.

WYNTER: One exec who says he's ahead of the game is Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation. He recently blasted the 2-D to 3-D conversion process, warning that it could turn audiences away.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG, CEO, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION: For the first time in well over a decade, we're actually seeing admissions go up, and 3-D is the reason.

WYNTER: Yes, and they're willing to spend a little bit more for that experience.

KATZENBERG: Well, if you give them something great, and that's the thing we just, I think everybody is being very protective of right now. This is a beautiful golden goose and it's, you know, giving us golden eggs.

WYNTER: And in this golden age of advanced technology where 3-D movies have fired up the box office, industry leaders like Buzz Hayes say the future looks bright. Kareen Wynter, CNN, Culver City, California.

(END VIDEO)

Sony Shows Off 3D Tech Center

David Drzewiecki, a director of photography, shows off beam splitting 3D camera technology.

By : Chris Tribbey | Posted: 05 Feb 2010
ctribbey@questex.com

CULVER CITY, Calif. — It’s not just about making 3D. It’s about making great 3D.

That’s the working theme at the Sony 3D Technology Center at Sony Pictures Studios, which was unveiled Feb. 5. First announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the center offers 3D courses for various professionals, including film directors, cinematographers, live event producers and game developers. Individuals get hands-on training with 3D techniques and equipment to help them produce movies, sports, TV and games.

“This was born out of the belief that making 3D is easy, but making good 3D is hard,” said Chris Cookson, president of Sony Pictures Technologies and chief officer of the center.

Buzz Hayes, SVP of the center, said the mission is to make sure everyone knows how to make high-quality 3D and not put 3D content out there that may sour people on the experience. The March 5 release of Alice in Wonderland will be the eighth 3D film that Sony Pictures Digital Productions’ studio Imageworks will have had its hand in making.

“You can fatigue an audience very quickly if you do it wrong,” Hayes said. “We don’t want the technology in front of the story.”

The training varies depending on the profession. For example, a cinematographer will work more on 3D concepts and pre-visualizations, while a director will work more on storytelling using 3D. For live event training, figuring out where to place the cameras is emphasized.

“I saw the train coming down the tracks,” said Steven Poster, president of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, about the need for the Sony 3D training center. “We have to train our members. The wisdom of creating a program like this … is a real boon to the industry, I think.”

Parts of the program are more physiological than technical, such as reminding filmmakers that the general distance between peoples’ eyes is 2.5 inches. That’s important in helping to determine how far part spacing should be between the two cameras used for 3D content.

“One of our biggest challenges is keeping the shows fresh and interesting, changing the show without changing the game,” said Harry Friedman, executive producer of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.” Those shows were the first in syndication to go high-def, and among the first to try on 3D.

Translating 3D content for the home for the new 3D HDTVs introduced at CES should be easy, Hayes said, since the sizes of the TVs don’t vary much and people generally sit a defined distance from the TV.

Chris Fawcett. VP of Sony Electronics’ home audio and video group, said Sony decided to go with active shutter glasses for its 3D HDTVs — as opposed to passive glasses — because “this is what allows for full, 1080p full HD picture.”

Above all else, the 3D tech center is about making sure the 3D everyone puts out is of the highest quality possible, Hayes said. We live our lives looking at the world in 3D, and there’s no reason our entertainment shouldn’t be the same, he said.

“It seems like the people who complain about it are adults who haven’t experienced it,” he said.