Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/5315
38 Post • December 2009 www.postmagazine.com Studios that have ventured into the 3D stereoscopic business see a lot of potential. More and more newly- produced content is seeing 3D release, including animated features, which has become somewhat of a standard for stereo. Concert films are also a big attraction, and audiences don't seem to mind paying a premium for an experience that can't be duplicated at home... yet. 3D TV sets are coming, and content owners are going to need their archives updated for future revenue streams. ROB HUMMEL CEO of Post Production North America Prime Focus Los Angeles (www.primefocusworld.com) Prime Focus is a large post company in India, with 12 different locations.Two years ago, they acquired fa- cilities in the UK, US and Canada. The studio recently introduced View-D, its proprietary process for convert- ing 2D content into 3D. STRENGTHS: "Prime Focus [is] really blessed with a bright guy in the form of Chris Bond, one of the founders of Prime Focus Vi- sual Effects. Chris had an epiphany a few months ago: a way of con- verting 2D movies to 3D that is exponentially faster than any other process, and also yields a much better 3D version. This 'View-D' process creates objects that appear to have volume. We're optimiz- ing it to get a pipeline where we can do three, four, five feature films at the same time. Suddenly it's not a frightening expense. It's some- thing you can get your arms around." WEAKNESSES: "The only weaknesses I see is if people exhibit 3D in substandard fashion. I believe 3D is currently enjoying its suc- cess because of digital projection. And I am afraid, if they go the film route and see problems that are filmic related, they are going to think it's a 3D problem. I worry about souring audiences on 3D be- cause we are low-balling the approach to stereoscopic projection." OPPORTUNITIES: "We offer a cost effective alternative to stu- dios that want to migrate their 2D libraries and make 3D content available for these television sets that will all be available by Christ- mas of 2010. I am hearing that certain manufacturers want to bun- dle certain titles with their TV sets. So the studios see this as an op- portunity.They feel that three-dimensional versions of classic film ti- tles might help their sales.The general stumbling block has been that it's just as expensive to convert a library title for home video as it is to convert a brand-new movie for theatrical release." THREATS: "Problems with film prints.The need for silver screens for polarized projection." OUTLOOK 2010: "The box office this year is higher than it was last year. When the economy goes down, motion picture entertain- ment does well. I think with the 3D movies, the data suggests that they get higher box office. I don't think Schindler's List needs to be converted to 3D, but Polar Express should be; its 3D IMAX run was exponentially higher than the standard 2D release." JOHN NICOLARD Head of Digital Production FotoKem Digital Film Services Burbank (www.fotokem.com) FotoKem is a full-service facility providing post for feature film, television, advertising, restoration and special venue proj- ects. To date, Fotokem has worked on a number of 3D features, includ- ing Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers 3D concert films from Disney, New Line's Final Destination 4, Bold Films' The Hole, and Michael Jackson's This Is It. STRENGTHS: "3D offers an additional significant creative tool to aid the storytelling process. In addition, 3D offers a unique theatrical viewing experience that cannot be achieved at that quality level in a home viewing environment" WEAKNESSES: "There is currently a limited amount of exhibi- tion venues, and ticket prices are increased for 3D movies. OUTLOOK 3D STEREO By Marc Loftus Prime Focus Visual Effects (formerly Frantic) provided VFX for Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. A new big-screen experience