| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | DCM |
| Categories | cinema |
Sam Sheppard is an international film consultant specialising in script to screen workflows, post production supervision and stereo 3D with a minor in film-making in general. Sam was originally trained in New Zealand where he worked in post at Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production and on set for such films as The Lovely Bones and Avatar. As well as working internationally as a technical specialist for SGO’s Mistika, training and advising in digital workflows for 2D and 3D production, Sam is also a founding partner of Silverscreen Pictures.
Sam Sheppard, Mistika Product Application Specialist, SGO UK Ltd.
Why do you find 3D so exciting?
I find Stereo 3D (S3D) exciting to work on as it adds more options to the range of techniques available to tell the story, and telling the story is always the most important part of filmmaking.
What do you think a 3D film offers the audience over 2D?
Initially 3D was there as a gimmick to entertain the audience with the novelty of the effect. Today I would argue that high quality S3D is more about adding to a film's ability to immerse its audience in the story taking place before them. By all means there are times when 3D for 3D's sake is fun, and relevant, particularly in action films. However more and more S3D is becoming like the audio mix or the colour grade of the movie - an important part of the film but subtle and nuanced so as to add to the viewing experience on a subconscious level, rather than overpowering other aspects of the film itself.
What film genres do you think make the best use of 3D?
The easy answer here is of course Action. Both 3D and Action have their roots in spectacle and so complement each other in this regard. In reality though it's not really about genre as it is also about subject matter and staging. Life of Pi is a very interesting 3D film, in that the majority of the action takes place on a small boat stranded in the ocean. However, thanks to some clever artistic thought, the 3D compliments the story perfectly.
With the right creative mind-set, any genre of film can take advantage of what 3D has to offer. Documentary and Sport are two subjects that have proven to be very popular with audiences of the UK's 3D channels.
Are 3D filmmakers targeting particular audiences of film genres?
Of course. Just look at all the Marvel Superhero movies. Sci Fi fans love it. And, I have to say, it is material that lends itself well to S3D. Interestingly, it's also an excellent example of how 3D is evolving. The first films Marvel released in 3D had many issues, both creatively and technically, but as each film came out you could clearly see the lessons that they were learning and how they were improving their work.
James Cameron said “3D shows you a window into reality; the higher frame rate takes the glass out of the window.” Who do you think is leading the way in 3D and why?
There are so many people leading the way. For shooting live action 3D there are companies like 3Ality who are training technicians and developing equipment to make 3D easier and faster to shoot. In post production I would look to facilities like Park Road Post Production in New Zealand. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was one of the most technically challenging films ever attempted. Each eye was shot at 5K resolution at 48 frames per second in 16 bit. Double that because it’s S3D and you can imagine that the media management alone was an incredible feat.
To cater to these extraordinary technical requirements while still delivering the highest quality Park Road built a bleeding edge infrastructure that ignored the traditional separation between Production and Post Production and developed a dynamic workflow from Day #1 of the shoot that ran seamlessly from Dailies all the way through to the final deliverables. Definitely one of most futuristic and elegant pipelines I’ve ever seen.
I would say that the UK, US and New Zealand are the countries that are producing the most high quality and enjoyable 3D. And the more that S3D is being shot the more filmmakers are experimenting with the medium and learning from it.
What are your tips for getting started in 3D production or conversion?
Use the right people. 3D is not hard to learn but, like anything, the level of experience of those working on a production will be reflected in the end result. Too often productions try to save money by cutting costs on the front end only to discover that they've shot material that will cost a lot to fix in post. 3D is not scary though and the same rules that apply to 2D productions apply to 3D as well. First among these is that the more planning that's done in pre-production the better (and more inexpensive) your final product will be. Simply add an experienced stereographer/3D supervisor to your team in pre-production and watch your headaches melt away; and after your first 3D project you'll be an expert yourself.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brought the most realistic Big Screen experience ever with 48 frame per second technology. What does the higher frame rate technology bring?
High Frame Rate (HFR) is simply a technique that makes the viewing experience more comfortable for the audience. The main advantages can be seen during sequences that feature fast motion or camera movements. Simply put - it makes fast dynamic scenes easier to watch as it reduces effects like motion blur that are the result of shooting at slower frame rates. For shots that involve fast moving elements and camera movement I find that the result is a much more comfortable viewing experience and I look forward to this technique becoming more common in 2D as well as 3D films.
What is coming next in 3D technology? Where do you see the medium going? What can audiences expect in the future?
So many places. In television-land development is under way to make 'glass-less' 3D monitors. They already exist but are not yet up to the standard that we need to replace the glasses dependant screens at present. Creatively we're now seeing 3D films coming out that are no longer restricted to the action genre, The Life of Pi being an excellent example of this. Documentary is also becoming increasingly popular - Sir David Attenborough wants all of his future work to be shot in 3D now that he's gotten a taste for it. His S3D documentaries The Bachelor King, Galapagos and Kingdom of Plants have either been nominated or won numerous awards; and London-based post production company Onsight, who post all of Sir David’s projects, won an Innovation Award at IBC with SGO, in partnership with Sky 3D and Atlantic Productions, for their extraordinary work on Sir David’s dinosaur documentary Flying Monsters.
James Cameron is of course planning bigger and better for Avatar 2 and technology continues to advance to make 3D easier to make with better results in less time and for less money. For filmmakers there's never been a better time to shot 3D.