Directors, cinematographers and other industry professionals can get a hands-on course in 3D cinematography, storytelling, and even 3D terminology such as interocular in a 3D training course starting early next month (March) at the new Sony 3D Technology Center.
The Tech Center was first publicly announced by Sony chairman Sir Howard Stringer at last month’s CES in Las Vegas.
During a media preview on Friday (Feb. 5), tech center senior VP Buzz Hays and chief officer Chris Cookson explained some of the many challenges of creating 3D properly so as not to strain the eyes of viewers (see video below), and director of photography Dave Drzewiecki demonstrated a 3ality Digital “beam splitter” camera system with a remote control to adjust the spacing between the lenses of the two cameras with one mounted atop the other (click here to see 3ality Digital video).
(Story continues below the following video highlight of the Sony 3D Tech Center media preview.)
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Hays also noted that 3D TV was particularly important and offered many opportunities with a relatively fixed format compared with the myriad variables of cinema. Hays said Sony recently shot the Sony Open golf tournament in Hawai’i in 3D and “Wheel of Fortune” executive producer Harry Friedman showed some early test footage for a planned 3D version of the syndicated game show and sister “Jeopardy!” (click here to see Sony 3D TV video.)
USC Dean of Cinematic Arts Elizabeth Daley and International Cinematographers Guild president Steven Poster praised the new Sony school that is designed to embrace all ideas, technologies, and industry artists and workers to ensure a successful introduction of 3D.
Cookson said the studio was concerned that consumers’ first experience with 3D be a good one or it will be difficult to woo them back and win them over.
— By Scott Hettrick