3D Entertainment Summit – Day 1: Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentations

Tim here with news from the 4^th Annual 3DEntertainment Summit (9/20/11-9/22/11) where the first day proved to be a great success. Today James Cameron and Vince Pace are featured keynote speakers while Jeffrey Katzenberg will be receiving the 3D Visionary Award. The theme of the conference is “3D is the future now. Don’t get left behind.”

The first day started out with opening remarks from Bob Dowling,Co-Producer and Conference Chairperson of the 3D Entertainment Summit. He thankedthe sponsors of the event, which included Variety, ESPN 3D, RealD, MasterImage, and many others. He pointed out that conversions are getting better and that Lion King 3D is an example, especially with its box office success, and that we have to see the performance of Star Wars and Titanic next year. Also the big directors Spielberg, Scorsese, and Coppola, all have movies coming out soon in 3D.

Next to speak was Charlotte Jones of IHS Screen Digest who had a Keynote/Power Point presentation in 3D. There are 30,000 3D screens globally accounting for 64% of the international box office and 17 million 3DTV’s sets. The total revenue for the entertainment industry is $320 billion, and that encompasses all sorts of forms of media from theatrical movies, television programs, mobile devices,etc. All of which 3D is in the prime position to take a position in each market. North America accounts for 43% of the digital screens worldwide, and 3D is key for the international upgrade to digital. The top 3D territories are China,France, UK, Germany, Russia, Mexico, Spain, and Japan, and China is emerging as a key battleground. Western Europe is leading drive for 3D feature production internationally, and the leading producers are the UK, France, Spain, and there’s also Australia alongside the European giants. Jones says that the international 3D box office is set for a record year. For the split between domestic and international grosses the average split is 67.5%.

There’s an average of 3.1 new 3D releases per month, and that number is increasing steadily. On the technology watch she said that increasing light levels and higher frame rates are what we need to keep our eyes on. The greatest issue with higher frame rates is that not all the digital projectors currently in theaters are capable of showing up to 48 fps.

Jones lead into the 3DTV discussion by mentioning that there are 30 dedicated 3D channels, and France has the highest number, while on the downside Comcast has less than 40 3D movies in its catalog. She claimed that the 2012 Olympics should be a watershed for live 3D broadcast before handing off to Helen Davies (IHS Screen Digest head of video). Davies pointed out that by the end of 2011 65% of US households that are already 3D capable will be 3D ready, with 48% internationally. By 2015 she predicted that 47% of the 137 million 3DTV’s will be passive. Capable means having a 3DTV alone while ready means having the total package of a 3DTV plus a 3D source (like a 3D Blu-ray player or 3D cable/satellite) and of course the 3D glasses.

Davies covered the Blu-ray 3D market, and said that there will be 100 Blu-ray 3D titles by 2011’s year end, which was later upped to 110 by John Revie of Samsung Electronics. Davies informed us that the Blu-ray’s adoption has been slower in the international market than the US, but attributed it to the economy. She talked about gaming devices being the next driving force for 3D in the home, with PCs, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS. However, the adoption is slower than expected with 3D PC gaming remaining a niche. She said that 3D cellphones are in their early days and are early prototypes with little 3D mobile content. Davies said that Apple needs to join, but “we’re not holding our breath.”

Closing the early presentations John Revie talked about what Samsung is doing to push the envelope. He said, “Life is in 3D. Entertainment should be as well.” 3D is gaining momentum and Samsung has sold 3 million units this year with 88% of consumers rating the 3D picture quality positively.

Samsung has developed new 1 oz. Ultra-Light Weight 3D shutter glasses, which I got to try out at the expo part of the conference. They’re amazing and really make shutter glasses comparable to passive glasses in comfort. Revie also said that by 2012 the active shutter glasses standards would be adapted.

CinemaCon 2011: Spoke With Cameron, Landau And Lucas At Luncheon - Prime Focus Update

Hey guys! Exciting day as I was present for the luncheon today at CinemaCon focused on stereoscopic 3D.

I had the pleasure of talking briefly with Jim Cameron and Jon Landau before the session started. Jim introduced me to George Lucas as I had never met him before and let me tell you, if you are going to meet Lucas you can't do any better than a nice intro from Mr. Cameron! Did not get a chance to speak with Katzenberg. Michael Lewis from RealD moderated the panel.

It was a very special day in a number of ways but not the least of which was the content of the event which was worth the trip in my mind. I captured the whole thing on video and will get segments of it up ASAP.

The major points were:

George Lucas:
1. Theaters are here forever.
2. ILM worked with Prime Focus on converting EPISODE I.
3. 3D is like color. He compared 3D to color and digital to sound in that sound and digital has changed everything but color and 3D have improved it. We are at the same stage with digital as we were with celluloid in 1900.
4. EPISODE VII will be in 3D and holographic!!! (Tongue in cheek) - however, we all know that it is coming... :-)
5. The reason he is doing another re-release is simply because there is a new generation of kids out there that own the mvoies, play with the toys and recite the dialogue, yet they don't have their own modern release. This one in 3D is for them.

Jeffrey Katzenberg:
1. Thinks #1 new thing coming in 5 to 10 years is being able to eat a meal at the theater (like ALAMO does today).
2. DWA has new chips on their way (really just scalable parallel processing) that will enable his team to work in REALTIME rather than wait and wait for rendering before being able to see their work and edit.
3. After seeing Zemeckis' POLAR EXPRESS in 3D, that was the moment he decided 3D was for DWA and bet the bank on it.

Jim Cameron:
1. Thinks 48 or 60 frames per second will be the next big thing and I happen to agree. More on this tomorrow!
2. Still against conversion for first run movies in that he believes native 3D is superior (I agree on this!), though he is converting TITANIC. Obviously they aren't going to redo the movie in native 3D!
3. True conversions should take 6 to 8 months, not 6 to 8 weeks and only about 20 movies are worthy enough to be converted.
4. AVATAR 2 and 3 are planned to be shot at higher framerates.

To add some further flavor to this post, I spoke with Bobby Jaffe with Prime Focus last night (and met him today along with his team) about their work on STAR WARS: EPISODE I.

Prime Focus was the sole 3rd party converter on this project and contrary to reports on other websites, the conversion is COMPLETELY done. ILM assisted of course. PF was doing 5 other movies concurrently with EPISODE I, yet completed the work in 16 to 18 weeks (not including 2 months of prep time with ILM and Lucasfilm). This is in contrast to the statement Cameron made today about the time it takes for a good conversion NOT being 6 to 8 weeks, but rather 6-8 months. Obviously 16-18 weeks is over double that smaller time period, but still makes you think if there was enough time to do it justice.

Bobby Jaffe assures me that there was enough time. They certainly have the manpower to accomplish it with 3000 total worldwide employees in LA, London and Mumbai, two thirds of which are in 3D conversion (the other third is in CG effects).

George Lucas himself took a very personal role in the conversion process as he reviewed the reels and progress made through ILM once shipped from Prime Focus.

So why should we be a little more confident about 3D conversions from Prime Focus after the CLASH OF THE TITANS debacle? Well for a number of reasons:
1. Prime Focus' expertise has grown over the past 18 months. Katzenberg mentioned this as well as to how production costs have come down from $15m to $10 to make a 3D movie in his house.
2. Much improved conversion technology. Of course no technology company is going to idly sit by and watch their tech go obsolete and so it is with Prime Focus as well.
3. The Lucasfilm vote of confidence. This is what does it for me, just as it did when DWA endorsed Legend 3D for their conversion projects. Any company that George Lucas chooses to do business with has been vetted and vetted again in order to get the keys to their kingdom, STAR WARS.

Lastly I asked Bobby that if he could name just one scene in EPISODE I that looks the best in converted 3D. Of course he said what I was thinking he would say: The pod racing. Makes sense right? Can't wait to see this thing!!

Conversion has come a long way since I started MarketSaw in early 2006. A VERY long way. I am still with Cameron in that native 3D is still superior to conversion for stereoscopic needs, but let me tell you that I am not hesitant in going to and recommending a 3D conversion for audiences. THE GREEN HORNET was amazingly well done. Not perfect, but well done.

Of course I still have Jim Cameron's framerate discussion tomorrow morning as well! And I hope to speak further with him one on one as well. STAY TUNED!!

Cameron, Lucas & Katzenberg Hosting Filmmaker's Panel @ CinemaCon 2011: Yours Truly Will Be There!!

CinemaCon just got ten times more exciting this year! James Cameron, George Lucas and Jeffrey Katzenberg will be hosting a filmmaker's discussion at CinemaCon 2011 and I will have the privilege of being there! I will be shooting the event (if allowed) and will have the clips up on MarketSaw soon after.

The topic of the discussion will be all aspects of digital cinema, including... stereoscopic 3D! (was there any doubt?)

Of course I will try to get some one on one time with these fine gentlemen for us too!

Cameron will be also discussing framerates later on at the show too. Exciting days ahead!!

In the meantime, enjoy a recent clip of Cameron at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit 2011 (thanks for the link Dimitris):

DWA's Katzenberg Developing Another MADAGASCAR, 5 More PANDAS And 2 To 7 More DRAGONS!

I knew that Dreamworks Animation had plans for more iterations in the MADAGASCAR, KUNG FU PANDA and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON franchises but rarely do you hear such sweeping predictions as to mention a possible 8 total movies for DRAGON or even 6 movies for PANDA!

Katzenberg tells Empire: "Yeah, there’s probably a fourth (MADAGASCAR) there. Kung Fu Panda actually has 6 chapters to it, and we’ve mapped that out over the years. How To Train Your Dragon is at least three: maybe more, but we know there are a least three chapters to that story. There are actually 8 books."

Obviously the box office has to be there for these predictions to come true. As long as the stories remain top notch and fresh, I am all for it. DWA has come a long way in that regard - so has their technical and creative prowess. Stay tuned!!

Oakley Opens Eyes With Designer 3D Eyewear Launch! Coming Before The Holidays...

Great news! Sunglasses manufacturer Oakley announced they are launching a line of optically correct 3D glasses! Oakley is utilizing a curved lens system that allows you to view the entire screen without moving your head; they call it "Panoramic Perception". Supposedly the glasses enhance the alignment and clarity of 3D images and will be available before the holidays this year.

The photo shows Jeffrey Katzenberg of Dreamworks Animation holding a pair of Oakley 3D glasses. I will have more images of the glasses when they are made available.

Here is the full press release:
Oakley, Inc. has announced that it has engineered innovative new 3D eyewear that both complements and optimizes the technology used in the majority of 3D movie theaters around the world. The company’s proprietary frame innovations have been combined with lens technologies that will maximize the 3D experience with an unrivaled level of performance. Taking advantage of Oakley’s new HDO-3D™ technology, premium editions in the new line will be the first 3D eyewear on Earth with optically correct lenses.

“Oakley once again confirms that it’s a truly extraordinary brand,” commented Andrea Guerra, CEO of Luxottica, Oakley’s parent company. “We are very proud of this technological breakthrough, which is the result of our outstanding R&D activities and which we believe will drive the evolution of the whole category.”

“Oakley 3D eyewear will be a milestone in 3D entertainment,” said Oakley CEO Colin Baden. “Through our products and partnerships, Oakley will set the standard for optical performance in 3D.”

Baden continued, “We have been collaborating with key industry partners for some time, including making use of DreamWorks Animation’s facility for testing purposes. Oakley is developing a premium product segment with a range of 3D eyewear offerings, and our R&D has achieved unparalleled visual clarity while extending the wearer’s peripheral viewing angle and providing truer alignment of 3D images. This is in addition to the quality, comfort, durability and precise fit of Oakley frame technology, along with styling that sets the high mark for today’s eyewear designs.”

Baden added, “With shutter-based 3D systems, you’re wearing glasses with added weight because they hold a battery, and it requires recharging. Oakley 3D eyewear utilizes the popular system known as ‘passive polarized’ to let the lenses do the job with no need for a battery.”

“It is inspiring that a company with such a rich heritage of innovation has entered into the 3D entertainment market,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO and Director of DreamWorks Animation. “With all of our work in creating 3D cinematic experiences, we are thrilled that Oakley has advanced the performance of 3D lenses to help audiences get the most out of these films with superior clarity and color,” Katzenberg concluded.

Oakley 3D eyewear will be available prior to the 2010 holiday season. It will initially be sold through premium optical distribution channels in the U.S., followed by a global launch in 2011.

Oakley is pursuing partnerships with manufacturers of home 3D systems that utilize passive polarization. This will allow consumers to use the same eyewear for home and cinema 3D entertainment.

Oakley will provide a range of 3D eyewear designs to address the scope of needs and desires of movie enthusiasts, aficionados and those who will utilize Oakley 3D eyewear for home systems. For its premium editions of this eyewear, the company invented HDO-3D. Oakley High Definition Optics® (HDO®) was developed to give athletes the highest possible levels of clarity and visual performance, and now HDO-3D will do the same for audiences all over the globe as they experience 3D entertainment with a never-before-seen degree of fidelity.

In addition to the first optically correct 3D eyewear in the world, Oakley has achieved the first 3D lenses ever made with high-wrap curvature, essential for maximizing the wearer’s field of vision. A full panoramic view can be experienced without the need to turn one’s head in order to see what is happening at the corners of the theater screen.

The proprietary optical technologies of Oakley 3D lenses are combined with the company’s industry-leading frame innovations. Oakley 3D eyewear is composed of durable yet lightweight materials. The company’s renowned Three-Point Fit retains the lenses in precise optical align ment and keeps the frame comfortably in place without the unbalanced pressure points common with ordinary frames.

Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company’s optical innovations.

I have been waiting for this announcement! Time to start bringing my own 3D glasses to movies...

CES 2010: Panasonic & Samsung Unveil 3DTV Lineups!

Hi, Michael here at CES 2010. 3D is obviously THE big thing at the show this year. I just got out of the Samsung and Panasonic press conferences, and both made 3D a big - if not the biggest - part of their presentations.

left: a banner promoting Samsungs 3D LED TVs.

Samsung:

Samsung brought out Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose Dreamworks Animation is partnering with Samsung (along with Technicolor) to bring out a 3D Blu-ray of Monsters Vs. Aliens later this year. He said that we "stand at a watershed moment for the entire 3D industry." He's certainly right about that!

Samsung plans to introduce a comprehensive lineup of 3DTVs, including full HD, shutter glasses-based 3D-capable LED, Plasma, and LCD TVs. It is also bringing out its own 3D Blu-ray players. It touted its 3D tech as having "the slimmest screens" and "the deepest 3D." The 3D LED's (models 9000, 8000, and 7000) are less than 0.3 inches thick (less than the width of a pencil). Their 3D plasma will be 1.4 inches.

Samsung's tech also includes a processor which will convert 2D to 3D in real time. The speaker said that converted material will help tide us over until there is plenty of S3D content to fill its screens.

Panasonic:

Panasonic unveiled their new 65, 58, 54, and 50 inch 3D, shutter-glasses-based, full HD Viera Plasma televisions. These televisions have been built from the ground up to provide the best possible 1080P-per-eye 3D image. Panasonic has shortened the luminescence time for each pixel using fast-decay phosphors so that there is no crosstalk between frames. The brightness level has been increased to make up for this reduced display time.

Shutter glasses will come packaged with each 3D Viera TV.

Panasonic also announced the PP-BDT350 3D Blu-ray player, which incorporates HDMI 1.4 technology. According to Panasonic, HDMI 1.4 is required for Full HD per-eye 3D viewing.

Jon Landau spoke about the benefits of 3D (and asked everyone to go see Avatar). Watch below:



Tomorrow the main show floor opens. Stay tuned to MarketSaw for the very latest S3D news from CES 2010!

Time Confirms My Estimate Of "Avatar" Budget: $300 Million Plus

**UPDATE: March 20: Time has "corrected" an error on their part: "The original version of this story misstated the cost of the film Avatar as being in excess of $300 million. The correct figure is in excess of $200 million."

Well both versions of their story is true in my books. $300 million plus is still in excess of $200 million lol. We will see what the final tally is. And I can guarantee you it isn't $200 million.

Jim here. WOW! For all you naysayers who said my budget estimates were way out of whack for AVATAR - I have news for ya - just as I calculated - AVATAR is a $300 million PLUS beast of an epic. And it is going to rock your world.

Here is that segment excerpt for you:
"Cameron's Avatar, due in December, could be the thing that forces theaters to convert to digital. Spielberg predicts it will be the biggest 3-D live-action film ever. More than a thousand people have worked on it, at a cost in excess of $300 million, and it represents digital filmmaking's bleeding edge. Cameron wrote the treatment for it in 1995 as a way to push his digital-production company to its limits. ("We can't do this," he recalled his crew saying. "We'll die.") He worked for years to build the tools he needed to realize his vision. The movie pioneers two unrelated technologies--e-motion capture, which uses images from tiny cameras rigged to actors' heads to replicate their expressions, and digital 3-D."

I recommend you read the entire piece over at Time right here.

Oh and here is a sign of the times - the most successful director of all time had this to say about working with 3D: "Every movie I made, up until Tintin, I always kept one eye closed when I've been framing a shot," Spielberg told me. That's because he wanted to see the movie in 2-D, the way moviegoers would. "On Tintin, I have both of my eyes open."

Another great quote from Cameron: "(On 3D viewing) ...is so close to a real experience that it actually triggers memory creation in a way that 2-D viewing doesn't." His own theory is that stereoscopic viewing uses more neurons. That's possible. After watching all that 3-D, I was a bit wiped out. I was also totally entertained."

Man, this movie keeps building and building. What an epic photo of three, 3D visionaries! Is there anyone who is NOT pumped about AVATAR yet? :-) Thanks to Darkoo for bringing this to my attention!

New "Monsters vs. Aliens" Behind The Scenes Featurette AND What You Can Expect...

Jim here. Take a look at this new behind the scenes featurette from MONSTERS VS. ALIENS: "The Future of Filmmaking".

Pay particular attention to the scenes in which Phil McNally and his team are using their handheld, 3D Virtual Camera to experiment and achieve the best viewing angles for the movie's audience.

See how they can simply move the camera and alter the angle of what is being seen on the screen? That is because the software has captured all known angles from which to work from - now that is powerful. James Cameron is doing the same thing - only with live actors! In either case, the director is able to go back in post-production and alter anything he wishes: angles, lenses, depth - it really is amazing.

Let me take the time now to really thank Jeff Katzenberg for the evangelism that he is putting into 3D. Sure he has a large invested interest in the format, but a lot of it is coming from a different place - vision.

When I started MarketSaw back in late 2006, I knew 3D was going to take off and I was surprised that no one else was really reporting on it. I just so happen to love the format (even the old anaglyph glasses) but to have modern technology deliver on the promise of immersive 3D - I had to be a part of it.

So Katzenberg and I have something in common - as does Cameron/Pace and even Zemeckis; a passion and vision for 3D. Mark my words, the movies that you will REALLY want to go see initially are the result of the passionate filmmakers in these first few years. While others catch up, they have been toiling away with the processes and equipment to come up with today's results. It should be mind boggling. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS should be a home run. The 4 P's of marketing are all addressed: Product (Awesome looking movie; seemingly intriguing story), Price (a little extra for 3D but worth it), Place (New 3D theaters are springing up everywhere) and Promotion (Superbowl - need I say more).

But I will add a last P to that mix: Passion. Look for it in the studios and directors and you will stand a better chance of seeing something memorable and not just entertaining. Disney is another good example of a studio jumping with passion into 3D.

As said, Dreamworks Animation is going full out on the marketing for the movie by taking out a Superbowl ad and distributing close to 150 million 3D glasses across the country. Awareness is key and while I may not particularly like how the marketing is being done, the need exists. So my bottom line is: Go Dreamworks!

Oh and Phil, I finally have an image of you to put up on MarketSaw! Reclusive fellow aren't you? :-) Speaking of passion for 3D - Dreamworks Animation is lucky to have you.

Update: Much Higher Quality Anaglyph Glasses ...And Why We Should Be Worried

**SAME DAY UPDATE: I just spoke with someone in the know from Dreamworks Animation and he stated: "There is no plan that I know of to use the colorcode glasses in the theater. MvA will be shown in 3D via Imax, Dolby and RealD. I dont know if there are plans to show it in other ways outside of the US"

- So there is at least one item out of the way - no "colorcode" anaglyph 3D theatrical release of MvsA in North America. That helps a bit.

Apparently much higher quality anaglyph glasses will be used by Dreamworks Animation during the Super Bowl MONSTERS VS. ALIENS commerical - I'll believe it when I see it. It is still color separated. The technology is done through Intel InTru 3D and ColorCode 3-D.

Looks like 125 to 150 million of these glasses will be distributed through 25,000 Pepsi retail locations. That's right 125 to 150 MILLION.

Katzenberg was quoted by AP as saying “...perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history” and that the campaign “involved tens of millions of dollars.”

I am literally stunned. I am also a marketer and let me tell you that if I had that kind of wallet for promotion, it would be totally different. It will certainly get people talking - but it had better be the right KIND of talking for the sake of not just MvsA, but modern 3D.

One of their saving graces is that they are handing out 1950's style 3D glasses and the movie is based during that era - so there is a tie in. But it is a weak one, as many will remember the 1950's 3D as BAD. Certainly not in the same league as modern 3D.

Viewers can "pre-book" their glasses by calling 800-646-2904 to make sure they get them. I called this number today and they won't be ready to take your information for another week however.

Apparently viewers without the glasses will see an almost normal screen while viewing the commercial through this updated tech for anaglyph. But Katzenberg also said it still doesn't come close to the 3D quality that viewers will see when it is released with modern 3D in theaters. I hope this turns out for the best, but I have my sincerest concerns.

Viewers will get on-screen displays telling them how and when to view the 3D content during the Super Bowl. But that's not all. NBC will also be airing a 3D version of "Chuck" featuring a guest appearance by Jerome Bettis the following day. The on-screen messaging will also tell them to "Don't Chuck Your Glasses" in support of viewers reusing them for "Chuck".

See the update above! Now word is leaking that you will be able to use these glasses when you go to your theater to watch MvsA!?! What is that all about? Just a rumor? If it is just a rumor, DWA better get going on some damage control. I am on the horn right now to try and get some answers from some folks over at DWA. Perhaps they will be using this new Intel technology to show the movie on the older 2D screens with no modern digital and/or 3D projector upgrades to help build up the number of actual 3D showings? That is a possibility that makes a bit of sense as the modern 3D rollout has been slowed down with the credit crunch of late. This would allow more theaters to show it in 3D - but a full movie with these glasses? Ouch. And they certainly wouldn't be able to charge a premium price for the anagylph experience. See the update above!

I hope Dreamworks Animation and their partners know what they are doing. There is a heckuva lot of momentum now for 3D and we don't need any steps backward now. If it works, it will work spectacularly. If it fails... well it won't be pretty. The biggest thing they have to get across when this commercial is aired is that this is NOT THE THEATER EXPERIENCE! Even Katzenberg said this. It has to be crystal to viewers. They really have to hold them by the hand and walk them through this and manage expectations. To top it off, viewers will be further entrenched in thinking that this is the new 3D because this is a new anaglyph technology with names like Intel being thrown around - very confusing for some I would imagine. Then they re-use it again for "Chuck"? It sounds VERY risky.

I for one, am definitely hoping they pull it off. It is a massive world-wide audience and will create massive awareness. But they had better know just what that massive awareness will eventually turn out to be!

Jeffrey Katzenberg Keynote Podcast! (3D Summit)

Michael here.  Jeffrey Katzenberg very passionately and convincingly laid out the case for 3-D in his keynote at the 3D Entertainment Summit.  His analysis of the digital and 3-D screen rollout (he keeps a daily updated tally) bodes very well for the future of 3-D.  Some very interesting numbers and predictions.

Listen to Katzenberg's talk below:

He also treated the audience to an extended scene from Monsters Vs. Aliens (the same that was shown back at ShoWest back in March--check out a detailed description of this footage here.)   The quality of the stereo visuals in this scene was incredible, and was a marked improvement over past 3-D CG animated releases in effectively utilizing 3-D to make the viewer feel like part of the battle.  Needless to say, Monsters vs. Aliens will in many ways be the true debut of "ground up" 3-D animated film, in which the movie is designed for 3-D from script and storyboards all the way to the final sound mix and color timing.