Fantastic Week At The Advanced Imaging Society and VR Society Lumiere Awards!

Dignitaries on the red carpet, including Jim Chabin, Ed Bedley Jr., Ivan Reitman, Jon Favreau and Roy Taylor

The Advanced Imaging Society and VR Society held their 8th annual Lumiere awards last week and year after year they always seem to one up the previous! This year was no exception at the completely filled venue at the Stephen J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros. Studios' backlot.

I was blown away by the VR (virtual reality) demonstrations that were set up for attendees to try. Simply amazing content and we've only just begun in the space! Trust me, if you haven't seen some of these cinematic VR experiences - do it. And the Google Tilt Brush was the icing on the cake. Again - you have to experience VR to appreciate it. No amount of hype or traditional media will probably prepare you for it. You just have to try it!

Native 3D Wizards Ben Gervais and Demetri Portelli

On the Advanced Imaging Side of things, I have to make special mention of Ang Lee's BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK. The native 3D team of Demetri Portelli and Ben Gervais continues to lead the world by example with their superlative work in native 3D (shot optically - not converted in post). It is a technological first for cinema with its first ever use of combined 3D, 4K, 120fps framerate, but more importantly - it works. Another masterpiece for Ang Lee. A Lumiere well earned for Demetri and Ben!

Further, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar 3D conversion and visual effects in Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE. You know what I mean don't you? That astral plane projection scene - or the folding city scenes? Jaw dropping! Congratulations to Marvel Studios on your Lumiere.

I'm proud to be a recipient of Lumiere for last year's 40 BELOW AND FALLING (with an amazing crew and team) and honored to vote for this year's group of hopefuls. Let's take a look at the category nominees and winners:

3D Feature – Live Action
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
WINNER: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

Stereography – Live Action
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
WINNER: Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

Packed house at the 2017 Lumieres - Jon Favreau seated at left; Ed Begley Jr. seated at right (Photo credit unknown)

3D Feature – Animated
Finding Dory – Pixar
Ice Age: Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
Kubo and the Two Strings – Focus Features
Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – Sony Pictures
Sing – Universal Pictures
Storks – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount
The Angry Birds Movie – Sony Pictures
The Great Wall – Universal Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
The Secret Life of Pets – Universal Pictures
Trolls – DreamWorks Animation
WINNER: Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Stereography – Animated
Finding Dory – Pixar
Ice Age: Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
WINNER: Kubo and the Two Strings – Focus Features
Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – Sony Pictures
Sing – Universal Pictures
Storks – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The Angry Birds Movie – Sony Pictures
The Great Wall – Universal Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
The Secret Life of Pets – Universal Pictures
Trolls – DreamWorks Animation
Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Outstanding Use of 2D to 3D Conversion
Assassin’s Creed – 20th Century Fox
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange – Marvel Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
WINNER: Rogue One – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek Beyond – Paramount Pictures
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – Paramount Pictures
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.

3D Short
Panda Paws – DreamWorks Animation
Piper – Pixar
The Early Hatchling Gets the Worm – Rovio Entertainment
WINNER: Inner Workings – Walt Disney Animation Studios

High Dynamic Range – Live Action
10 Cloverfield Lane – Paramount Pictures
13 Hours – The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi – Paramount Pictures
Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass – Walt Disney Pictures
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – Warner Bros.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Captain America: Civil War – Marvel Studios & Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Deadpool – 20th Century Fox
Deepwater Horizon – Lionsgate
Doctor Strange – Walt Disney Studios
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
For A Few Bullets – Wanda Pictures
Force 2 – Viacom 18
Hardcore Henry – STX
Independence Day: Resurgence – 20th Century Fox
Inferno – Sony Pictures Entertainment
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back – Paramount
L.O.R.D (Legend of Ravaging Dynasties) – LeVision
La La Land – Lionsgate
WINNER: Live By Night – Warner Bros.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 20th Century Fox
Now You see Me 2 – Lionsgate
Pete’s Dragon – Walt Disney Studios
Star Trek 3: Beyond – Paramount
Suicide Squad – Warner Bros.
The BFG – Walt Disney Studios
The Divergent Series: Allegiant PT.1 – Lionsgate
The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures
The Legend of Tarzan – Warner Bros.
Warcraft – Legendary Pictures & Universal Pictures
X-Men Apocalypse – 20th Century Fox

High Dynamic Range – Animated
WINNER: Finding Dory – Walt Disney Studios
Ice Age Collision Course – 20th Century Fox
Kubo and the Two Strings – Universal Studios
Moana – Walt Disney Studios
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows – Paramount
Zootopia – Walt Disney Studios

Virtual Reality Categories

VR – Gaming
A Chair in the Room: Greenwater – Wolf & Wood
Accounting – Squanchtendo with Crows Crows Crows
Batman: Arkham VR – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Battlezone – Rebellion Developments
Chronos – Gunfire Games
Eve: Valkyrie – CCP Games
WINNER: Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs
Raw Data – Survios
Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions
Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One X-Wing VR Mission – DICE & Criterion Games
The Gallery – Episode 1 Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games
The Lab – Valve Corporation

VR – Film Experience
Fantastic Beasts – Warner Bros., Google, Framestore VR Studio
WINNER: Ghostbusters VR Experience – Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Void
Star Wars: Trial on Tatooine – ILMxLAB
Suicide Squad: Special Ops VR – Warner Bros., Mob Scene & Atlas Entertainment, MPC VR & Legend 3D
The Jungle Book – Through Mowgli’s Eyes Part 1: Trust in Me – Walt Disney Studios & Tangerine Apps
The Martian VR Experience – 20th Century Fox, Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, The Virtual Reality Company

VR – Animation & CGI
Allumette – Penrose Studios
Apollo 11 VR Experience – Immersive VR Education
WINNER: Dear Angelica – Oculus Story Studio
Gnomes and Goblins – Jon Favreau, Wevr, Reality One
Grace – MacInnes Scott
Home: A VR Spacewalk – BBC & REWIND
Pearl – Google Spotlight Series
The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh – Borrowed Light Studios
The Starry Night – Shanghai Media Group
theBlu – Wevr
Volt: Chain City – Vive Studios
Wide Awake President Trump VR Experience – MacInnes Scott

VR – Live Action
A Challenge – Brigantine Films
Cirque du Soleil, KÀ – Felix & Paul Studios
Knives – Adam Cosco
My Brother’s Keeper – PBS Digital Studios
WINNER: Nomads: Sea Gypsies – Felix & Paul Studios
Perspective Ch. 2: The Misdemeanor – Specular Theory & Rose Troche
The Harvest – Chapman University & AMD
The Mule – Dark Corner Studios
Through the Ages: President Obama Celebrates Americas National Parks – Felix & Paul Studios
VR Noir: A Day Before the Night – StartVR

VR – Episodic Content
Gone – Wevr & Skybound
Halcyon – Syfy (produced by Secret Location)
WINNER: Invisible – Doug Liman, 30 Ninjas, Condé Nast Entertainment (CNÉ), Jaunt VR, Samsung

Winner, VR - Documentary: THE CLICK EFFECT

VR – Documentary
A History of Cuban Dance – Lucy Walker
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef – Atlantic Productions & Alchemy VR
Defying the Nazis VR – LIFE VR
Rhinos on the Move – Discovery VR
WINNER: The Click Effect – Annapurna Pictures & Here Be Dragons
The Edge of Space – KonceptVR

VR – Journalism
Calais: The Jungle – Sky News
Chernobyl 30 Years Later – ABC News VR
Defying the Beast – World Vision & Koncept VR
Great Performers: L.A. Noir – New York Times VR
Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story – Nonny de la Peńa & Emblematic Group
Remembering Pearl Harbor – LIFE VR
Struggle for Survival in the Devastated City of Aleppo – CNN
WINNER: Take Flight – New York Times 
“Toxic Tour” 360 – Oil Exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon – Huffington Post RYOT
Valen’s Reef – Vice

VR – Sports
360 Rio 2016 Olympics VR – BBC Sport
Closer (featuring David Beckham) – Sky VR & Sky Sports
Experience the Rio Olympics in Virtual Reality – NBC Olympics & Samsung
WINNER: Follow My Lead: The Story of the 2016 NBA Finals – Oculus & m ss ng p eces
NFL Immersed – Episode 1: Eagles Defensive Line – NFL Immersed & Two Bit Circus
NFL Immersed – Episode 4: Melvin Gordon & the Chargers Game Day Prep – NFL Immersed & Two Bit Circus

VR – Music
WINNER: Joshua Bell VR Experience – Sony PlayStation
Kygo: “Carry Me – The VR Experience” – Sony Music
OneRepublic: “Kids” – MPC Creative
Pentatonix: “Up on the Housetop” – Sony Music
TheWave – TheWaveVR
Waves – Wevr (with Reggie Watts)

VR – Branded
WINNER: 360 VR Tour of the Shinola Factory with Luke Wilson – Reel FX
Absolut Deadmau5 – Absolut
Audi’s VR Car Showroom Experience – Zero Light
Formula E “Leap of Faith” – REWIND
Jack Daniel’s 360 VR Distillery Experience – Jack Daniel’s & The Mill
Jaguar: I-PACE – REWIND (for Imagination & Jaguar Land Rover)
Reimagine, VR Film by Etihad Airways with Nicole Kidman – The Barbarian Group
Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders – The Hollywood Reporter, GBI, POW, Legend VR
The Field Trip to Mars – McCann (for Lockheed Martin) & Framestore
The Nature Conservancy: This is Our Future – MPC Creative

Yours Truly and the amazing Jon Favreau

The 2017 recipient of the annual Harold Lloyd Award for Filmmaking goes to Jon Favreau! And deservedly so. His artful storytelling married to eye opening filmmaking technology has thrilled audiences time and time again. My favorite Favreau film (FavFavFilm?) is definitely CHEF although the original IRON MAN comes very, very close. It was wonderful chatting with him for the first time at the Lumieres!

I want to deeply thank Jim Chabin and his AIS team for their tireless work in pulling off these shows every year. It is an absolute pleasure to attend and cover them! Thank you Jim!!

Looking forward to what 2017 has in store for us in Advanced Imaging and VR! Stay tuned. As MarketSaw enters our 11th year of life, we're going to be making some awesome changes!

I'll leave you now with some poster shots of the cinematic VR content we were able to experience!

Are You Experienced? BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK Premiere's October 14th

Yes, I say "experienced" because Ang Lee's BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK will be something you've never seen before and sets the stage for "the new platinum standard" of modern stereoscopic 3D. This is a game changer and a world's first.

It's not just 3D anymore guys. It's 4K 3D shot at 120 frames per second! From everything I've heard, this is THE way to experience the format. I've seen 3D shot/shown at 48 and 60 frames per second created by James Cameron, but never 120. Apparently, all aspects of the alleged "soap opera" effect disappear at 120 - something I have yet to see.

But the real trick is going to be for the masses to see it in 4K3D @ 120. Most cinemas can go to a maximum of 60 fps, not 120. There will have to be major capital investment by theater owners (new projectors!) in the future to be able to screen movies like BILLY LYNN in the premium format, and I certainly appeal to them to do so earlier rather than later, but it's a foregone conclusion that it won't be anytime soon.

If you will be in New York after the premiere, apparently the theater that is being used for the New York Film Festival premiere of the movie (AMC  Lincoln Square) will keep the dual laser projectors in place for the theatrical run. So there's that.

From FSLC (Film Society Lincoln Center): Lee’s stunning adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel is the story of an Iraq war hero (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who comes home with his fellow members of Bravo Company for a victory tour. This culminates in a halftime show at a Thanksgiving Day football game—a high-intensity media extravaganza summoning memories of the trauma of losing his beloved sergeant in a firefight. Lee’s brave, heartbreaking film goes right to the heart of a great division that haunts this country: between the ideal image of things as they should be and the ongoing reality of things as they are. With a brilliant supporting cast, including Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund with Vin Diesel and Steve Martin.

I know most of the 3D team behind this movie personally and trust me - these guys are at the top of the game, starting with the Stereographer / Stereo Supervisor, Demetri Portelli and Production Systems Supervisor (2D, 3D, All Digital Workflow), Ben Gervais along with 3D Systems Technicians, Brian Cassar and Sandra Lombardi. The team also set up a 3D digital lab and entire DI lab in Ang's office which housed Nathan Shields (Toronto), Daniel George (Toronto), Michael Buck (LA) and Derek Schweickart (LA) who also did LIFE OF PI with Ang.

Production Systems Supervisor Ben Gervais was quoted (Variety) talking about the audiences thus far: "Test subjects that have seen some footage have commented that 40 minutes after seeing battle footage, they're still shaking." Really underscores their accomplishment!

Stereographer Demetri Portelli used Stereotec lightweight rigs with F65 cameras and of course Master Prime lenses (same as he did on LIFE OF PI, 47 RONIN, TS SPIVET). He and Gervais manufactured their own mirrors specifically for this project and they modified the fiber cable on set workflow, to suit the needs of production. They used Panavision Woodland Hills for prep and accessories. The key element was building a complete 4K stereo DI in Ang's office watching 120 FPS which was only made possible by Baselight (a Filmlight color grading system which they also used on HUGO).

Says Portelli: "It is also the first film graded at 120/4K/3D on Christie projectors with the digital master being projected at 28 foot lamberts! As (audiences) will see during the 12 minutes at IBC, and then the whole experience at New York Film Festival - our huge thanks to Christie projectors for their support in getting these images on the screen."

I've talked to Ang Lee as well specifically about 3D and future plans - as usual he's humble, yet obviously an extremely gifted filmmaker. Lee will also receive the IBC International Honor For Excellence (International Broadcasting Convention) next month in Amsterdam.

We are in good hands here. I can't wait to be wowed. My anticipation is through the roof for this movie and I've got to find some way of seeing it in 4K3D @ 120 fps.

NYC road trip anyone? :-)

Ang Lee To Tackle BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK In Native 3D 4K HFR!

(Photo) Jim Dorey. 2013.

When Ang Lee tackles a project he gives it his all and in this case the project is Ben Fountain's novel BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK and he is going to shoot it in native 3D 4K and ultra high frame rate.

When I spoke to Ang awhile back he told me that he's excited to work with 3D and having it available to him for projects - and now that we know what his next 3D project will be, my eyes lit up. 

As Lee did with LIFE OF PI, he will be leaping over new technological and creative barriers. To help him do so he's hired one of the best in Demetri Portelli (HUGO, 47 RONIN, THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET) and his team to handle the stereoscopic 3D. They'll be using Sony F65 cameras and the word is Lee's vision is breathtaking. As if you are really there. Think the D-Day scenes in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN but add in perfect immersive 3D shot in 4K and ultra high frame rate. Of course I'm sure Lee has many more surprises for us! Can't wait for this. 

Here's the storyline courtesy of Variety:
Bravo Company and 19-year-old private Billy Lynn survive a harrowing Iraq battle that is captured by news cameras. They are brought home by the U.S. administration for a promotional tour, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of a Thanksgiving Day football game, all while facing an imminent return to the war. Almost the entire movie takes place during the day of the game, with flashes back to the underlying events and Billy’s heroism. 

This is a filmmaker driven project that is original and you simply know that care will be taken to present it in new and spectacular ways. More info when we get it! 

Source: Variety

TIS3DC 2013: Great Weekend! Toronto Is A World's Hotspot for On Set 3D Tech And Creative Talent

You all know Tim Buttner who is also a regular contributor on MarketSaw - he and I had an amazing time in Toronto last week at the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Convention!

The 2013 edition of the TIS3DC was packed full of surprises for me. I expected to see some familiar faces within the 3D world (and I know a LOT of faces in 3D) but probably not as many as I would see in Los Angeles for example.

I was right initially. It took awhile to acclimatize to the situation - but then it all happened remarkably fast. Conversations. Social drinks. Panels. Screenings. An amazing energy that only a large room full of like minded individuals can muster: A symbiosis of sorts. I quickly became friends with many, many industry professionals and a few really stood out.

I will be the first to admit it, I didn't know about this magnificent cluster of stereographers in Toronto. I don't just mean singular people, their teams are based here as well. And by magnificent I mean it. The stereographer behind HUGO, 47 RONIN and the soon to be released THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET was there: Demetri Portelli. The stereographer behind X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION and THE THREE MUSKETEERS was there: John Harper. The stereographer behind SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D was there: Brent Robinson. And I could go on with more of the local talent but I think you get the picture.

Of course it makes sense in retrospect; Toronto is a major hub of tentpole productions and a very healthy portion of those are 3D. So yes, talent will grow here and I will vouch that it indeed has. These guys are at the top of their game.

Demetri Portelli and Ben Gervais

Take Demetri for example. He gave us a Master Class on how he tackles 3D projects and to underscore just how important his team is to him, he brought in his Camera Systems Engineer Ben Gervais (who I also had the pleasure of speaking with at length). The weekend was more than just an opportunity to see how they pull off a production though. We saw results too with Demetri's latest work THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET and had the added benefit of having master filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet there as well - larger than life - on the big screen via Skype. Let me tell you right now on record, the film is gorgeous. It rivals Scorsese's HUGO in that regard because this is a drama in 3D - and well of course Demetri was the Stereographer on that movie as well.

I think Jay Weissberg of Variety says it best on SPIVET: "Not since “Hugo” has three-dimensionality been used so inventively; unsurprisingly, the films share stereographers in the exceptionally talented Demetri Portelli, whose feel for pictorial planes is miraculous. Rather than seeming cheesy, each element thrown, swept or blown toward the camera induces smiles of surprise."

Yeah, so there's THAT. I haven't seen the whole movie yet but can't wait. What I did see dilated my pupils with excitement. That this level of achievement is arriving in a dramatic setting. I'm here to say as well that I think Demetri Portelli is the world's foremost Stereographer in the dramatic genre today. Yes Brian Gardner did very well with LIFE OF PI, but Portelli has HUGO and SPIVET under his belt now and has branched out into action as well.

Here's an excerpt from Jonathan Holland's review from THR: "...The viewer is bombarded by a jaw-dropping array of enjoyable 3D effects -- motes of prairie dust and scary stuffed animals are among them, but the most satisfying are those which spring from the character’s minds, such as T.S.’s device for dropping an egg without breaking. This has been imagined by both T.S. and by Jeunet with a precision which is then transferred unerringly to the screen by d.p. Thomas Hardmeier and stereographer Demetri Portelli (previously responsible for recreating another young boy’s imagination, that of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo). Larsen’s book is full of T.S.’s devices, designs sketches, and these too are reimagined there, lovingly given motion."

So yes, these guys are talented. World class. I will be speaking to each one of the stereographers listed (and more on other stereo platforms) in a series of interviews on how the standard of native 3D filmmaking is not only maturing - but bringing the whole of cinematography with it. At least ((Whole of cinematography) - (The Wally Pfisters of the world)) > 0. Much greater than zero.

Now about the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference in general. An amazing weekend organized, staffed and executed in a professional and efficient manner. My compliments to Christos Alex. Giotis, the 3D FLIC Project Director that headed up the events. Amazing job! His team was nothing short of stellar as well. I couldn't believe how networked and easy the screening of segments were. It was a breath of fresh air. The volunteers looked and acted like professionals!

Some great 3D companies represented here too - Adam May of Vision3, London (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER) and I are planning an upcoming interview on the 3D scene in the UK. Robert Neuman, the Stereoscopic Department Head at Disney Animation Studios also spoke at the conference. I won't name all the companies that were represented but I hope this gives you a flavor of the conference.

The talent I touched upon above does not do the whole event justice. There were filmmakers here (April Mullen, director of DEAD BEFORE DAWN 3D and Eric Tessier, director of PEE WEE 3D were on my panel as well as financier Alex Farrell from RBC), James Stewart from Geneva Film Co. (They did FOXED! and the 3D mastering for CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS), Catherine Owens, Director of U2 3D - to this day still a benchmark for 3D concert movies. I loved her keynote and her message regarding education for the 3D industry fell on wide open ears. Read more about her recent 3DOO creative partnership here.

The sky is the limit for this conference, situated exactly where it is in one of the world's epicenters of Stereoscopic 3D.

For all of our TIS3DC coverage, click here. Can't wait for the next iteration!

TIS3DC 2013: Jean Pierre-Jeunet Skype Interview & Demetri Portelli and Ben Gervais Workshop

Hello everyone, Tim here, and I've got my next post from the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference (TIS3DC) that covers the Skype interview with Writer, Director, Producer Jean Pierre-Jeanet on The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet and the workshop with his Stereographer Demetri Portelli and 3D Production Systems Engineer Ben Gervais. At the end of this post is a repost of the trailer from our earlier post. Again news on North American distribution on the film will hopefully be coming soon.

First, the 12-minute preview we got of the film, which had unfinished color and needed some additional work, was amazing! This movie looks like it truly is a treat for fans of Jean Pierre-Jeunet. It is going to be a simply magical movie. The young lead actor playing T.S. Spivet (Kyle Catlett) was there in person for the Skype interview as a surprise for Pierre-Jeunet, and his performance in the film is quite incredible. This young man has the potential to be a big star. And although Kyle has seen 3D before, this is his favorite film yet.

Pierre-Jeunet had a stereo view-master growing up, and believes that all his previous films could have been 3D. He thought in 3D for Spivet, from the script and conception all the way through his storyboards. In his storyboards he used shadows as a means to show the 3D and did all he could to show the depth of each shot. He worked hard to avoid bad 3D with Demetri. He had all kinds of specific notes for the 3D in blue coloring to make it easier for the 3D team to know what he was thinking. Pierre-Jeunet simply had to say "3D is not for lazy people." No truer statement has ever been said. As well as Demetri's later statement: "It's important to explore the full depth."

"When I see the film in 3D… WOW! I feel pity that people have to see it in 2D." - Jean Pierre-Jeunet

The movie was shot using the first ARRI ALEXA M on the Cameron | Pace rigs, and Pierre-Jeunet thought that the ARRI RAW is fantastic. He boastfully claimed "film is dead" and that he loves digital, especially because you don't have to reload the camera every 12-minutes. He only died twice because of some of the waiting on 3D: it's not easy and heavy to shoot 3D. Ben Gervais and his team did all they could to make it easier by constructing the 3D Production System on the back of a truck so that they could quickly move around. They did a full week of tests to see what would work in 3D, and Pierre-Jeunet said that "3D is experimental" and that "3D will be free when we don't need glasses." However, what Pierre-Jeunet loved was that 3D uses short lenses, and it's Pierre-Jeunet's style to shoot with short lenses. It was a match made in heaven.

 

They edited the film in 2D, but checked the 3D constantly, and found that they didn't have to change much to make the edit work in 3D. Ben and his team put together every shot on set for Demetri and Pierre-Jeunet to view what had been shot. This was a wonderful way for them to make sure that the 3D worked in each scene, not just for one shot, but all the shots in the scene. It created a great work-flow that helped ensure that they got what they wanted/needed. From talking with Ben it feels as though this is a method that will filter into more productions, which makes me happy to hear.

Without the pre-editing on set there could have been unwanted surprises in post, and for this Pierre-Jeunet was thankful. On a personal note, I spoke with Ben separately and have to say this is an intelligent and hard-working individual, he also worked on Hugo, Pacific Rim, 47 Ronin, and the coming X-Men: Days of Future Past. His pre-editing technique has been used on each of those sets, and it's clearly an important element that makes digital filmmaking trumping film.

Now when it comes to conversion Pierre-Jeunet stressed that he doesn't like 2D to 3D conversion, and mentioned that his favorite 3D films thus far have been Avatar, Hugo, and Life of Pie. He shot for 3D and luckily it came out working great in 2D. Demetri mentioned the importance of trust between the director and the stereographer. Interestingly it was Demetri who sought out Pierre-Jeunet while working on Hugo about how great his style was built for 3D. Demetri emphasized that he learned from the master filmmaker to work with his style to work in 3D. "3D should ebb and flow like music" and it's this philosophy that makes Demetri's stereography so brilliant. He mentioned that "it's good to try lens flares in 3D," and emphasized the importance of being careful. Demetri loved the ARRI RAW for the night shoots because it contained little to no gain, which was great to help with the depth cues. He says that in SPIVET there are good depth cues at night.

During the workshop that Demetri and Ben did on Day 4, they shared a lot of inside information about all the projects they've worked on, including more details from SPIVET. They showed the trailer for 47 Ronin, and as well spoke about that film.

Demetri and Ben are a team, and Demetri mentioned that when he was brought on to one project he asked if he could bring a team, which meant Ben and a few others. The emphasis on the stereo team was an important one. The stereographer needs to be focused on the creative aspect of stereography, while Ben and his team dealt with the technical. It's another unit for a production, but an important one. One on one with them you got the sense of who to ask which question, and the answers were almost always shared by both. Demetri understands so much about the creative use that when he didn't have to worry about the technical, and Ben took care to make the work-flow streamlined, it allowed for both to present the director and director of photography options to make their vision what they want it to be.

They spoke about working on Hugo and working for Scorsese, and some of the challenges they encountered and how they overcame them. What's fascinating is the cables that had to be carried behind the Steadicam operator. They worked with the ARRI ALEXA on that shoot, and it's the preferred camera of these guys. They didn't have negative feelings towards the RED Epic, but they preferred the ALEXA, and I can't help but agree from my experience. The emphasis on data and work-flow in the conference had to deal with higher resolutions, and higher frame rates, and Ben mentioned that the Pablo (download brochure) has it's work cut out dealing with those higher resolutions and frame rates. Even at 24 fps the tools we use in Post-Production are at their limits; it takes a lot for current machines to playback at full resolution and frame rate. This is good and bad. Naturally, you want your post-production tools to handle the work-flow at it's best quality, but at the same time it keeps what you're working on at a low enough resolution for preview so that pirating can't happen. Still when the mobile tools of a production team and post-production team enables them to work at the fullest resolution and the max number of frames for a frame rate, then filmmaking will be at it's finest hour on a tech level.

That brings us back to story. The most important facet of the movie-going experience. Demetri implied that all his stereo techniques are for a single purpose: to aid the story and character development. It can be seen in Hugo, and from the preview of The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet it looks as though the stereography is used in the same way. Yesterday Jeremy Zimmer expressed his opinion that technology has hurt the story-telling, but that there's about to be a shift back towards an emphasis on good story-telling. From what Demetri said, and the why Pierre-Jeunet has talked about his love for the stereo format, the 3D in films are working in unison with the concept of great story-telling. Do the big franchises that the studios put out need better stories? Sure, but at least the individuals on the technology level understand how to use the tools to work in symmetry with the story.

A huge thanks has to be given to Demetri Portelli and Ben Gervais for attending the conference, and as well Jean Pierre-Jeunet for appearing via Skype. Don't forget that in the future he'll be able to do that in 3D! More posts coming soon on the TIS3DC from me…

SPIVET TRAILER:

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Jean-Pierre Jeunet Added To Line-up At Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference Sept 20-23

Amélie director will preview 'The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet' in 3D with a live Q and A with ‘Spivet’ Stereographer Demetri Portelli and 3DFLIC lead filmmaker Ali Kazimi.

TORONTO, CANADA – The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference September 20 – 23, 2013 has added French Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet to the line-up and will feature the North American Sneak Peak screening of 12 minutes from his new 3D film 'The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet'. Jeunet will address the conference live via Skype from Paris and will be joined live on stage by his Canadian Stereographer Demetri Portelli (Hugo, 47 Ronin) to discuss Jeunet’s unique style of 3D storytelling.

For Conference Registration visit: http://www.tis3dc.ca

Based on the bestselling novel The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen, 'The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet' is directed by Academy Award-nominated Jeunet, who also wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborator Guillaume Laurent. The movie is a colorful coming of age story, as a peculiar and brilliant 12-year-old T.S. Spivet runs away from his dysfunctional family's Montana ranch to accept an award from the Smithsonian Institute. The film marks the first time director Jeunet's striking cinematic visions will be exhibited in IMAX 3D.

The film stars two-time Academy Award-nominees Helena Bonham Carter as T.S. Spivet's mom, and Judy Davis as the Smithsonian director. The lead role of T.S. Spivet is portrayed by newcomer Kyle Catlett. The film will be released in Europe by Gaumont in October 2013 and The Weinstein Company in the U.S.

'Spivet' Official Trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqDjJ3P5YME

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is a unique international gathering of creative, scientific and business minds discussing, discovering and inspiring innovation in “Stereoscopic 3D” Cinema. Hosted by 3DFLIC, the 2nd annual event will take place September 20th - 23rd, at TIFF Bell Light Box in Toronto, Canada.

The International Speaker line-up includes:
Catherine Owens (U23D, Sculpting Space), Robert Neuman (Disney), Demetri Portelli (Stereographer - Hugo, 47 Ronin), Graham Clark (Stereo D), Stephen Low (IMAX), Hugh Murray (IMAX), Marty Banks (Berkeley), Andrew Watson (NASA), April Mullen (Dead before Dawn), Eric Tessier (Les Pee Wee 3D), Matt Cowan (Entertainment Technology Consultants Canada Inc.), Drew Fellman (Born to be Wild), Jim Chabin (International 3D Society), Laurie Wilcox (York University), Robert Allison (York University), Ali Kazimi (York University), Buzz Hayes (True Image Company, Inc), Gordon Harris (Christie), Munro Fergusson (Director, NFB), James Stewart (Director - Foxed!) , Jonathan Barker (Flight of the Butterflies 3D), Paul Salvini (Christie), Liane Kotler (TVO Doc Studio), Tony Gunnarsson (IHS Screen Digest), Florian Maier (Stereotec), Bill White (3D International Media Partners), Phillipe Baylaucq (Ora), Julian Pinn (Dolby), Tim Dashwood (Dashwood Cinema Solutions), Peter Lude (SMPTE), Brian Cullen (University of Waterloo), Jeremy Lloyd (Marketing Magazine), Jim Dorey (Editor-in-Chief MarketSaw), Adam May (Vision 3D), Mark Stevens (Redlab), Ken McNeil (Creative Post Inc.), Peter Armstrong (byDeluxe), Ian Herring (Parallax Films), M. Bove (MIT), N. Schneider (MTBS.com), Vincent Chapdelaine-Couture (McGill), Roy Anthony (Christie), Cristin Bargheil (Side Effects Software), Eric Deren (Dzignlight Studios), Ihor Petelycky (Spatial View), Alex Farrell (Director, Media and Entertainment, RBC), Piotr Didyk (MIT), Stephen Palmisano (University Wollongong), Inna Tsirlin (York University), Denise Quesnel (Emily Carr University), Maria Lantin (Emily Carr University), John Helliker (Sheridan College, SIRT), Andrew Hogue (University of Ontario Institute of Technology), Bernhard Riecke (Simon Fraser University)

ABOUT 3DFLIC:
3D FLIC (3D Film Innovation Consortium) is housed at York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts. Bringing together a uniquely interdisciplinary team of scientists, filmmakers and industry leaders, 3D FLIC (3D Film Innovation Consortium) bridges fundamental research in stereoscopic perception with the development of stereoscopic 3D (S3D) film language and production, while building the capacity of the S3D production clusters in the Greater Toronto Area.
For more information about 3D FLIC visit: http://3dflic.ca

I'll be moderating the panel covering the topic: 3D CREATION ON A 2D BUDGET on September 22nd @ 6pm at the TIS3DC. If you can make it - I'd love to talk with you about 3D and filmmaking!

Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference Converges Sept 20-23 With Yours Truly!

I've received and accepted a moderator role at the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference this month from the 20th to the 23rd. The conference is a great influencer in Canada and the world in the S3D industry. This year they are reaching out with special screenings, top line talent complete with an exceptional workshop on Quality in Stereo-3D and a masterclass held by Demetri Portelli (47 RONIN, HUGO).

I'll be helming the 6pm session on September 22st entitled: 3D CREATION ON A 2D BUDGET with panelists April Mullen (DEAD BEFORE DAWN 3D), Eric Tessier (5150 ELM'S WAY) and Alex Farrell (Director, Media and Entertainment, RBC Commercial Markets). This also ties nicely into what I'm doing with my own passion production, DREADLOCK.

I'm really excited about the events! You can find out more and plan to attend right here: http://www.tis3dc.ca/

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is an acclaimed unique international gathering of creative, scientific and business minds discussing, discovering and inspiring innovation in “Stereoscopic 3D” Cinema. Brought together by the 3D Film Innovation Consortium (3D FLIC), the Conference offers the highest quality discussions on the creative, scientific and business challenges and possibilities of Stereoscopic 3D.

The 3D Shorts Programme consists of six Canadian and international short stereoscopic films, animations and videos produced in the last two years. This selection of stereoscopic shorts was specially curated for the 2nd Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference by 3D cinema scholar Sanja Obradovic.

Here are the speakers who will be speaking this year at the conference:

Catherine Owens (U23D, Sculpting Space)
Robert Neuman (Disney)
Demitri Portelli (Stereographer - Hugo, 47 Ronan)
Graham Clark (Stereo D)
Stephen Low (IMAX)
Hugh Murray (IMAX)
Marty Banks (Berkeley),
Andrew Watson (NASA),
April Mullen (Dead before Dawn)
Eric Tessier (Les Pee Wee 3D)
Matt Cowan (Entertainment Technology Consultants Canada Inc.)
Drew Fellman (Born to be Wild)
Jim Chabin, (President International 3D Society)
Laurie Wilcox (York University)
Robert Allison (York University)
Ali Kazimi (York University)
Buzz Hayes (True Image Company, Inc)
Gordon Harris (Christie)
Munro Fergusson (Director, NFB)
James Stewart (Director - Foxed!)
Jonathan Barker (Flight of the Butterflies 3D)
Paul Salvini (Christie)
Liane Kotler (TVO Doc Studio)
Tony Gunnarsson (IHS Screen Digest)
Florian Maier (Stereotec)
Bill White (3D International Media Partners)
Phillipe Baylaucq (Ora)
Julian Pinn (Dolby)
Tim Dashwood (Dashwood Cinema Solutions)
Peter Lude (SMPTE)
Brian Cullen (University of Waterloo)
Jeremy Lloyd (Marketing Magazine)
Jim Dorey (Editor-in-Chief MarketSaw)
Adam May (Vision 3D)
Mark Stevens (Redlab)
Ken McNeil (Creative Post Inc.)
Peter Armstrong (byDeluxe)
Ian Herring (Parallax Films)
M. Bove (MIT),
N. Schneider (MTBS.com)
Vincent Chapdelaine-Couture (McGill)
Roy Anthony (Christie)
Cristin Bargheil (Side Effects Software)
Eric Deren (Dzignlight Studios)
Ihor Petelycky (Spatial View)
Alex Farrell (Director, Media and Entertainment, RBC)
Piotr Didyk (MIT),
Stephen Palmisano (University Wollongong),
Inna Tsirlin (York University)
Denise Quesnel (Emily Carr University)
Maria Lantin (Emily Carr University)
John Helliker (Sheridan College, SIRT)
Andrew Hogue (University of Ontario Institute of Technology)
Bernhard Riecke (Simon Fraser University)


Special thanks to James Stewart of Geneva Films Co. for co-chairing the conference and inviting me to participate.

If you have the opportunity to attend I'd love to see you in person! More on the conference soon...

First Trailer for Jean Pierre Jeunet's THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET In 3D

Tim here with a trailer from the latest movie by acclaimed director Jean Pierre Jeunet (DELICATESSEN, CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, AMELIE and MICMACS). His next film is a 3D family feature titled The Young and Prodigious Spivet and is based on The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larson.

This is a movie that was shot using Cameron | Pace Group 3D Rigs and the ARRI Alexa. After the success of Baz Lurhmann's THE GREAT GATSBY as a dramatic 3D feature this will be a great treat. If any of you have seen Jeunet's previous films you're aware that you're in a for a real treat with him venturing into 3D. He's a true cinematic mastermind, whose every frame is magic to witness on screen. If you haven't seen his previous films the ones listed above are magnificent films to start with.

Here's what stereographer Demetri Portelli said about the director's use of 3D (quote from filmstage.com, where more images from the set are located):

"This is an important film for the 3D industry, Jean-Pierre is a master filmmaker who is shooting very ambitious material on a modest budget. The film stands to prove that extraordinary 3D images can be created of the highest quality with a director who visualizes the story from its inception to be shot in 'native 3D capture.' Jean-Pierre embraced the medium with on-set 3D systems to tell the story of 'T.S. Spivet.' The director will seize many 3D opportunities 'in the moment' as he blocks the scenes and composes his shots. I am amazed at Jeunet's storyboards and how he conceived the film originally in 3D from the script stage. He is playing with the depth space and the timing for his 3D moments."

SYNOPSIS:
A 12-year-old cartographer secretly leaves his family's ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother and travels across the country on board a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute.

Below is the trailer.  

I apologize for the French subtitles, but since this is a trailer for the French speaking countries since they are the only ones with a release date as of yet it's the only one available.

The film stars newcomer Kyle Catlett as the title character T.S. Spivet, and the cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, and Dominique Pinon. Currently there is no North America release date, but it is set to be released in France in October on the 16^th so hopefully it gets a domestic release date soon.