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Welcome to the third dim3nsion

Rugby in 3D

Hot on the heels of recent high grossing 3D movie releases such as Avatar and Monsters vs Aliens, and Sky’s decision to show weekly football matches in 3D across the UK, both Presteigne Charter and Creative Technology have been welcoming the third dimension into their business.

RBS Six Nations Championship in 3D

Rugby fans had the opportunity to experience the RBS Six Nations Championship in 3D at 40 cinemas around the UK for the England v Wales match held earlier this month, when mobile and broadband provider, O2 and 3D production specialists, Inition, brought audiences the further dimension with a landmark 3D broadcast to the big screens.Complementing side-by-side and beam-splitter 3D camera rigs, Presteigne Charter got close to the action by providing a 3D Steadicam-mounted radio camera. Already renowned for excelling at providing specialist cameras that deliver images wirelessly from inside the tunnel and pitch-side angles, Presteigne Charter provided a compact solution designed to get as near to the game as possible without obscuring the stadium audience’s view.

Match Producer and Inition Director, Andy Millns commented, “The touchline mobile 3D camera position was a first for the sport and one where the drama of the game really played out well for the audience in 3D.” Supplied either as a handheld camera or Steadicam set up in wireless or fibre cable configuration, Presteigne Charter’s solution offers familiar broadcast interface tools, set up and controls, plus interaxial and toe in adjustments utilising a motorised mechanism to create 3D convergence. The reduced size and weight enables the cameras to obtain those unique shots and angles, whilst the familiar set up ensures ease of use and seamless switching of facilities. Presteigne Charter’s Chief Executive Mike Ransome commented, “We were delighted to be involved in this first for the sport and to provide a unique solution to support Inition’s production. Providing products that facilitate the Director’s creative vision is where we have positioned ourselves in order to support the expansion of 3D as a broadcast format”.

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London Fashion Week

Away from such physical action, London Fashion Week has become the first non-sporting event to be broadcast in 3D live around the world. Whilst well known designer brands strutted their way down the catwalk in London’s Chelsea College of Art and Design, specially invited guests to venues in New York, Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and Los Angeles were treated to a unique 3D viewing of a major British label’s runway show, transmitted live in 3D onto projection screens.

The guests, wearing 3D glasses, were able to see the show in real time as if they were in London on the front row of the catwalk. Creative Technology, operating on a global scale, supplied display facilities to all the VIP sites for 3D Production Company Nineteen Fifteen who were commissioned to produce the 3D show. Broadcast live, the presentation also showed behind-the-scenes and red carpet footage. Panasonic PT-DW10000 projectors displaying the footage on to 16’ x 9’ front projection silvered 3D surfaces were provided for each location. The side-by-side signal was compressed to form one HD SDI signal and transmitted live from the London show avoiding any signal delay and thereby providing true 3D in HD. CT added to its previous 3D projection experience during the pre-production period of this event by re-evaluating several of the various technical options available for 3D transmission. Of the two most applicable polarization techniques – linear and circular, circular produced the best results, allowing for wider viewing angles without any loss of perceived 3D depth. Additionally, a full test rig was built including the front silvered 3D surface to test the various technological choices available. Constant research and analysis of various techniques and systems allow CT to continually assess options to provide the most beneficial technique for a particular project. In this case, all projection techniques used by CT had to integrate with those used by Nineteen Fifteen Productions in the creation of the content. Project managing the event for CT, Stuart Young comments: “3D events have certainly gathered quite an interest in recent weeks and CT are proud to be at the forefront of this kind of technology. Providing 3D for this type of high profile show allows those that can’t make the real event have as live a catwalk experience as possible.”

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London Fashion Week CT Germany

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