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3D image news: markets, content, products, services...
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http://fullres.blogspot.com/2008/06/dimension-3-expo.html
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> Dimension3, a network is born
> Dimension3 expo's which second edition held from 2 to 5 June in Chalon-sur-Saône, in Burgundy (France) confirmed the existence of a awesome network of professionals involved in the development of 3-D.
The international forum on 3-D images has gathered 325 professional visitors coming from from various backgrounds. During 3 days they exchanged with interest about present and future of 3D.
Dimension3 offered suprises , among them : the festival screenings allowed to discover for the first time Wanderlust, Blörk's first 3-D clip, clips from the 3-D versions of Star Wars III and IV ( Thanks to In-Three !)
Dimension3 Expo 2008
· 325 professional visitors
· 3900 viewers discovering the Dimension3 Festival screening
· 4 screening days and 8H00 of content (documentaries, live , clip, features, advertising…)
· 25 exhibitors present in the Dimension3 expo Village
· A european first: International training ( In French & English)
In total, more than 150 companies present over the 3 professional meeting days !
> Orange plays French Open in 3D
> French telco Orange, who has been considering developing a 3D offer for some time now, has just made the first trials during the French Open.
The phone provider has filmed and broadcast matches played on the Suzanne Lenglen court on 26 and 27 May. Viewers interested in taking part in the 3D experience can find polarised glasses and stereoscopic screens at Orange outlets of the Champs-Elysees and Paris Madeleine, or directly on venue at the Roland Garros stadium.
The 3D images will remain accessible through video-on-demand until the end of the French Open…
Philippe Delbary, manager of 3D services at Orange’s Technocentre, will give feedback on this trial on Thursday, 5 June, during the talk given at Dimension3 expo, 3D broadcasting, soon in a home near you!
> Cerberus 3D, the joy of playing in a stereoscopic universe…
> French company Cerberus 3D offers a range of 3D solutions dedicated to the world of digital video games. Its activities are focused on online sales, through its website, HYPERLINK "http://www.cerberus3d.com/"http://www.cerberus3d.com.
According to Cerberus 3D’s founder Édouard Laparre, 3D gaming technologies are undeniably not only working, but also profitable: as he explains, “80% of games on the PC market can be used with 3D visualisation technologies. This high figure owes much to Nvidia graphics cards technology. Nvidia is currently commercially oriented towards a licensing strategy, and consequently this technology is only available on Zalman screens. However, a wide range of display products, such as polarised projectors or VR helmets should be available to gamers as early as September”.
Zalman makes 3D accessible to the public with very appealing prices, offering 19" displays from 530 euros. “The price/quality ratio of these screens, as well as their viewing comfort, are unmatched”, says the CEO of Cerberus 3D. His company offers to build powerful PCs equipped with 3D solutions from various 3D companies as they are released and at affordable prices.
For Edouard Laparre, there is no doubt that stereoscopy is a fully developed market: “In France, there is a market of 6 million occasional gamers over 24”, he comments. This means no less than 6 million people are likely to join the world of 3D!
A Cerberus 3D gaming area will be waiting for you on Dimension3 Experience. You will have the chance to immerse yourself into a dozen online games including World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.
> French expertise on 3D even reaches New Zealand
> Young production French company Cow Prod accomplished a feat getting its 3D system to be used to film Aoraki Mount Cook: The Guardian, a big-budget promotional film presenting Mount Cook and its valley, at the heart of the New Zealand Southern Alps.
The film, produced by Taylormade Medias, Ltd., will be presented in the first 3D cinema theatre in New Zealand, the very country Peter Jackson is preparing his 3D version of Tintin!
“For this project, Taylormade Medias relied on our expertise from the very beginning and investors were considerably reassured by the fact we controlled the entire production chain, from conception to projection, including shooting and post-production,” explains Cow Prod chairman Gallien Chanalet-Quercy.
Filmed in July 2007, this film will have required nearly 6 months for post-production, which was done in France by Cow Prod for video and compositing, and in New Zealand by Animation Research, Ldt. for the opening CGI sequence. The proprietary process used to produce the film’s images, called DRD (Digital Relief Design), is a combination of the most advanced technologies for3D imaging: the result is a spectacular and reliable solution for 3D projection, at a cost close to that of conventional 2D productions.
Directed by Emmy Award winner Mike Single, featuring aerial shots by Alfie Speights (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Vertical Limit…), the budget for Aoraki Mount Cook: The Guardian was nearly a million euros, for a length of 12 minutes. The 120-seat theatre dedicated to the film, officially inaugurated in early May 2008, is the first of its kind in New Zealand and hosts a custom-built double HD screening server.
See Aoraki Mount Cook : The Guardian during Dimension3 Festival on Wednesday, 4 June, as a part of the Documentary/Entertainment screening. Cow Prod’s team will be present on Dimension3 Expo.
> Autodesk, sponsor of Dimension 3 Creative Project!
> Autodesk, world leader on the market of digital design and creation software, supports Dimension 3’s project to award a grant encouraging creativity.
The winner will be presented a licence for Maya, the Autodesk’s leading animation and modelisation software (value €5,575). With this initiative, Autodesk once again reaffirms its commitment to supporting creation…
Cf. rubrique Votre projet
> 3ality Digital brings alternative content to cinema theatres
3ality Digital is one of the world's preeminent digital 3D production and postproduction companies, rooted deeply in research, technology and production. 3ality Digital uses its advanced proprietary technologies in the development and production of feature films, alternative content (e.g. music, sports) and television in the digital 3D format. Through the leadership of 3ality CEO Sandy Climan, the technical know-how of industry pioneer Steve Schklair and the support of David and John Modell (former owners of the Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens), the U23D project took root through the vision of entertainment producers Jon and Peter Shapiro. With breathtaking digital 3D visuals and 5.1 Surround Sound, U23D captures the excitement of a U2 stadium shown in a way never before experienced.
Enjoy the screening of U23D on Dimension 3 expo’s opening night on Monday, 2 June 2008, and hear Steve Schklair on Tuesday, 3 June, during the talk on filming live events and during the Case Study session.
> 3d@home: gathering around home 3D
> The release of the first 3D television sets, along with the 3D capabilities of the Blu-Ray format, have obviously garnered much attention from several of the US market’s main actors. Twenty-two companies, from manufacturers to content creators, have acknowledged that a joint effort towards developing 3D was in everyone’s interest: this led to the creation of American group 3D@home.
The birth of 3D@home was announced during the 2008 edition of the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) forum. The group, whose members include Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Universal Studios, Thomson, IMAX, 3ality, Samsung and Philips, will work on promoting and introducing 3D to homes. “In 2008, millions of 3D-enabled television sets will be purchased by consumers. Sales of DLP, PDP and LCD sets, that can display 3D contents in high definition, should gross more than 2 billion dollars”, commented Chris Chinnock, analyst of the consumer electronics market.
Bernard Mendiburu, stereographer and analyst of 3D cinema for Insight Media (a consulting company created by American group 3D@Home), will explain why the market of 3D television will soon become central, during at Dimension 3 expo, as a part of the talk on 3D display and new visual communication codes.
> Disney, ready for 3D
> From Chicken Little, distributed in 85 american 3D theatres in 2005, to the Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, released in over 600 3D-enabled theatres in early February 2008, the Walt Disney Corporation has come a long way. In the meantime, Disney’s animated feature Meet the Robinsons earned $12,000 per screen in its 3D version on its opening week-end, while the 2D version earned $4,000… With the worldwide number of digital theatres able to screen 3D films estimated at 4,000 in 2009 and eventually reaching 20,000 in the future, Disney is having no second thoughts about 3D production…
 Meet Howard Lukk, Disney's vice-president of production technology, in a filmed interview where he presents his studio’s strategy in terms of 3D.
When Disney films a live show in 3D…
Disney has taken another symbolic step. After successfully releasing several animated 3D feature films, the american studio has decided to tackle an actual live show. For their first 3D filming and post-production project, Disney chose to film sitcom Hannah Montana's young star. The result is Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, a programme that was widely successful in the USA and gives yet another demonstration of the opportunities of 3D images for digital theatres…
This concert was filmed under the supervision of stereographer Vince Pace, using 7 two-camera units – that is, 14 cameras in total, installed on 7 Pace HD Fusion stereo systems, 3 cranes and 2 dollies. The filming was done over three days, totalling over 60 hours of stereoscopic images. The production chain included a data management system to separate right- and left-eye images, as well as a pixel/pixel synchronisation system. Post-production required 9 weeks, from late October to December, 2007, using two Avid DNXHD 36 offline stations, with conform and grading done with Quantel’s Pablo IQ4, Assimilate’s Scratch and Iridas’ Speedgade systems.
3D leads the du box office!
When producing Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, Disney hadn’t taken taken into account frustrated fans who couldn't get tickets for one of the 56 sold-out concerts.
Released in 683 3D-compatible theatres in early February, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour made a historical week-end debut in the US, ranking #1 at the box office and grossing 29 million dollars (nearly 20 million euros).
With an average of $42,460 per theatre, this film was the greatest commercial success made on a Super Bowl week-end!
3D flashback on Toy Story…
Disney studios plan on releasing 3D versions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2; the first is anticipated for October 2009, while the second episode should be released on 12 February, 2010. But what about an actual sequel? Don’t worry, Toy Story 3 will be released in theatres in Spring 2010!
John Lasseter, director of the first two films, will oversee the 3D conversion of Toy Story 1 and 2, which should use the original films’ elements. As for Toy Story 3, it will likely be directed by Pixar veteran Lee Unkrich.
> Khufu : When Dassault make investigations in 3-D…
> Dassault Systèmes and La Géode, the French Imax dome, have joined forces to create the largest real time 3D virtual reality installation in the world. Implementing Dassault Systèmes Virtools solutions, seven computers linked to a network have been harnessed to reconstitute Khufus site in 3 dimensions exactly as it was 4,500 years ago, and to allow free movement inside the pyramid in response to questions asked by the public.
Dimension 3 expo and Dassault invite you to experience this adventure on Thursday, 5 June 2008.
A French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin developed an amazing theory about the Great Pyramid's construction, which got Dassault Systèmes interest and enthusiasm: the company has spent two years examining the claims using scientific 3D tools.
“Because we think that 3D will be one of the premier mediums of the 21st century, we wanted to share this extraordinary human adventure with the widest possible audience. Thus was born the first virtual reality stereoscopic installation that will allow spectators to travel back in time and visit the amazing construction site of the Great Pyramid of Khufu in real-time. We welcome you on board this fantastic journey through time - connecting the future to the past”, explains Mehdi Tayoubi, Dassault Systèmes Marketing and Communication manager.
This project was made possible thanks to Dassault Systèmes´ “Passion for Innovation” programme. This sponsorship programme aims at helping not-for-profit projects by providing support through loaning Dassault Systèmes’ 3D and training software, along with the provision of a specific skills base.
Dassault Systèmes will meet you on Dimension 3 expo during a screening & animation event, on the evening of Thursday, 5 June
2008. In the afternoon you can also witness a presentation by Dassault Systèmes´ Marketing and Communication manager Mehdi Tayoubi, as a part of the conference 3-D real time, augmented reality: the future of entertainment.
> Cinema: 3D is not a gimmick...
> "In 2007, we definitely went beyond the experimental phase of digital cinema, and it no longer is a gimmick!", explained DLP Cinema's business manager Nancy Fares during the 2008 International Digital Forum (Idiff).
With the boom of digital theatres, whose number has gone up 107% in a year, the context is especially favourable to the development of 3D-enabled digital screening equipment: their numbers have gone from 184 in January, 2007, to 872 in January, 2008, a growth of 364%!
In such an positive situation, it isn't necessary to convince DLP Cinema's business manager that 3D will have a huge impact on the world of cinema. A study anticipates 5,000 3D theatres will be open throughout the world by the end of 2009; Jeffrey Katzenberg, founding member of DreamWorks SKG, envisions some 6,000 theatres by March 2009, and plans on completing three feature films by then. The film industry has taken good note of the opportunities offered by 3D: films in 3D gross 2 to 2.5 times more than their 2D version. For instance, Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf, produced by Paramount, yielded $14,865 on average in 3D theatres, and $6,838 in traditional theatres.
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