Newsletter from 27/03/2011
FC Bayern München – FC Inter Milano in 3D
FC Bayern München 2-3 FC Internazionale Milano (agg: 3-3, Inter win on away goals) Goran Pandev struck two minutes from time as the holders came from two goals down to book their place in the quarter-finals. And all the action in the Allianz Arena was covered in 3D by Sky Germany. Sky Germany commissioned TopVision to produce the 3D feed of the match and via Plazamedia TopVision was commissioned to produce also the 2D feed. TopVision assigned its HD Ü4 for the production of the 3D coverage and its HD Ü5 for the 2D coverage. The 3D world feed was produced with the signals of eight 3D cameras and four 2D to 3D converted camera signals, while the 2D world feed was created by twenty 2D camera signals and left eye signals from five 3D camera positions.
Sony and Wimbledon serve a 3D Ace!
Sony and The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced their official supplier partnership to bring Wimbledon in 3D to suitably equipped cinemas around the world, offering the perfect opportunity for fans to experience the Championships like never before in a completely new environment, while retaining all the excitement and atmosphere of the famous Centre Court. Sony will produce the men’s semi-finals, finals and women’s finals in High Definition 3D as the official supplier of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. To bring the excitement of 3D tennis to interested 3D cinema chains worldwide, Sony will work with SuperVision Media, their theatrical distribution partners.
Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution
Recognised for utilising the best available resources to create the most captivating, immersive content, California-based Hi-Ground Media, continues to develop a brand that is synonymous with quality integrity. The company provides an unparalleled approach to innovative content creation, by complementing its proven technological infrastructure with a Mistika post production system. Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution depicts the story of five top riders from around the world, competing at the world’s most extreme freestyle mountain biking event. The documentary was captured in the rugged mountains of Utah in a variety of challenging weather conditions, including rain and sand storms. Rigs were mounted with a variety of zoom lenses, including very long zooms and high speed cameras with wide angle lenses.
James Cameron and Vince Pace to Deliver NAB 2011 Keynote Address
Filmmaker James Cameron and acclaimed cinematographer and CEO of PACE, Vince Pace, will deliver the opening keynote address on Monday, April 11 at the 2011 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Cameron, the creative force behind the two highest grossing motion pictures of all time, and Pace, a world-renowned visual effects visionary and 3D innovator, will discuss recent developments and innovations in 3D technology and storytelling and future implications for the entertainment industry at large.
FUSION 3D Captures the "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" 3D Concert Film Story
“There’s a misconception that all 3D is simply about a using a special rig or capturing a wow moment, but that is incorrect,” said Vince Pace, CEO of PACE. “FUSION 3D is all about complementing the storytelling of filmmaking.” FUSION 3D rigs outfitted with a variety of cameras from Sony F35 to Sony F23 and ARRI ALEXA captured Justin Bieber’s live-action concert footage during his first ever Madison Square Garden performance. A FUSION 3D Combo rig equipped with ARRI ALEXA cameras captured the captivating and fun LXD dance piece that plays at the introduction of the film. “This is the first time we had a FUSION 3D Steadicam equipped with a Sony F35 recording with a wireless feed,” said Patrick Campbell, President of PACE. “This allowed the camera operator to shoot freely on stage without being restricted by camera cables. It really allowed the operator to capture images that connected Justin to the thousands of fans at the concert.”
Carmen 3D at NAB 2011
"Carmen 3D" strikes a delicate balance between theatrical music performance and 3D cinema and in the process introduces a new operatic experience. Shot during live performances, "Carmen 3D" captures a night at the opera, from the pre-curtain call tension and backstage preparations to the spectacle of Bizet's drama of love, lust and heartbreak. How was the work of two directors--one stage and libretto and the second motion picture--united into a single vision? How did the filmmakers create the best 3D possible through camera placement and movement, lens choice, etc., while minimizing distractions for the audience? How did the process impact the actors' performances and the work of the various department heads, from makeup to set design? A glimpse into the creation of the first 3D opera photographed for feature film release.
Arqiva Distributes World’s First Live 3D Opera to Cinemas
Arqiva has worked with major rights holder More2Screen to deliver a world first to digital cinema audiences around the UK and Ireland. On 23 February Arqiva’s digital cinema satellite platform distributed the world’s first live opera to cinemas in digital 3D. The English National Opera performance of Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia was directed by Oscar-winning film director Mike Figgis. Arqiva provided on site uplink, satellite capacity on their digital cinema satellite platform on IS905, as well as extensive teleport services, monitoring and helpdesk facilities. This enabled Odeon, Vue, Apollo and Ormonde cinemas to present the performance to appreciative audiences in stunning digital 3D with full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.
EVS Launches XT3, its New 8-Channel Production Server
EVS will introduce the third generation of its XT servers at NAB. The new XT3 production server, which offers eight flexible channels SD/HD and six channels 3D/1080p capabilities, combines EVS’ world-class speed and reliability with the ultimate capability and performance. The XT3 system, available from July 2011, will be unveiled at NAB Show in Las Vegas (10-14 April) at the EVS booth C9508 (Central Hall). The XT3 server is declared as having a significant number of improvements to meet the most demanding live and near-live production requirements. These include more supported audio and video channels, an increase of bitrates per video channel, an introduction of lower scale chassis version, an implementation of new mixes on one channel capabilities, or the recording of up to two triple-speed SuperMotion feeds per server.
Sony Professional Expands its Family of NXCAM Products
Originally announced in November 2010, Sony can now reveal the full specifications of the new NEX-FS100E. The NEX-FS100E is equipped with an “Exmor” Super 35 CMOS Sensor specifically designed for shooting motion pictures ideal for commercials and music videos, as well as action scenes in budget drama for example. This high sensitivity, large format sensor is capable of producing footage with shallow depth of field similar to that of a film camera for a new level of expression. The sensor also features the optimum number of effective pixels for shooting HD moving images. At a high 50fps in all-pixel scan mode, this allows images to be captured with less colour aliasing, jaggedness and rolling shutter than regular DSLR cameras, while providing the sensitivity to shoot at a minimum illumination of 0.28lux (When using a fixed shutter speed of 1/25, auto gain and an iris setting of F1.4). Another advantage of "Exmor" technology is minimal noise when shooting low-light scenes.
BSkyB Increases Stereo 3D Capacity
BSkyB launched Sky 3D, Europe's first 3D TV channel, using the latest technology which included Mistika to create an incredible 3D experience, providing sports programmes, movies and entertainment into people's homes across the country. History was made in January last year, with the world's first live 3D sports broadcast, in which Mistika played a major role in the delivery. BSkyB continues to lead the way in TV entertainment with Sky 3D which is Europe's first 3D channel. Mistika, which had already been placed at the heart of Sky Creative's pipeline, is vital for the creative team to meet high quality and time-sensitive stringent requirements which include editing, colour correction, geometry-alignment and producing material as quickly as possible. The additional Mistika systems will play a crucial function in delivering an even more efficient workflow at BSkyB. One of the new systems is based at Sky Creative to work alongside the existing Mistika, with the other one installed in a different building for ingest and QC of stereo 3D content, demonstrating Mistika's speed and flexibility, between all three systems across two main locations.
3D OBVan Directory
In early April the first directory on 3D Live Production will be released featuring 20 3D/3G OBVans from the Americas, Europe, Japan and Australia. The directory gives a comprehensive overview of available 3D camera rigs, and will feature some of the recent 3D productions. Readers will find a listing of on air 3D broadcasters and case studies about the Hockey Night in Canada and the Ryder Cup. Every registered user of www.live-production.tv who has subscribed to our newsletter and has also opted for “receive prints” will receive her/his copy in April around NAB time.