Journey to the New (3rd) Dimension

About a year ago I was honored with an invitation to join Sony's elite ICE team.  ICE, an acronym for Independent Certified Expert, is a small group of working professionals from across the United States.  Most are specialists in some form of broadcast or cable television, while others are involved in producing corporate or event video.

After providing training, Sony often calls on members of the ICE team to test out preproduction cameras and other gear for the purpose of receiving realistic feedback from those actually using the stuff in the field.
In some cases, our input is incorporated into the final production design of a camera or influences the design of future models.

At dinner, after my first night of training, one of Sony's product managers asked me what I thought about 3D video?

I must admit my response was not very positive.  I thought of 3D as another marketing push to sell more DVDs and players.  Another fad or gimmick.  After all, what possible use could it have in everyday production?

About a month later, my opinion would turn about 180 degrees.  As I have previously written, Sony sent me to St. Louis to document the use of 3D laparoscopic surgery.  There in a darkened operating room, stood a surgeon and an assistant, performing an operation using images appearing in 3D using a microscopic camera inserted into the patient, with the results appearing on a 48" monitor.

The incision was minimal, yet the accuracy achieved was far greater than any 2D image could provide.

Up until this time, my only experience with 3D had been some cheesy horror flicks and Michael Jackson's 3D Captain EO at Disney.   I wanted to know more.

At the NAB trade show in Vegas this year, Robin Berg, a producer/director of several adventure reality shows (and a fellow ICE member) was demonstrating several new Sony 3D cameras and the images were spectacular.

After the show closed to the public, Robin walked me through the camera systems, educating me with knowledge he acquired taking an intense, 3 day, 3D course, at the Sony Studios in Culver City, CA.

I was zapped and immediately starting thinking of ways I could use this technology with my clients.

Now, hold on there Tex. 3D technology is finally coming of age, but, creating bad 3D is very easy.

So now, I'm heading off to Culver City, to learn professional 3D from scratch, from the same folks that have taught feature film and major sports crews the magic.   My goal:   Learn how to make good 3D


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