Get ready for a radical change in thinking about theatrical entertainment.
Alternative content is not a new concept, but the next new thing to enter the dialogue are events broadcast live to theaters in 3-D. That could mean fans will head to their local theaters for a group 3-D viewing of the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl, stadium concerts and the like.
And it is closer than many realize.
"I think the public can expect to see a live 3-D broadcast in a theater in 2008," said Vince Pace, founder of 3-D production innovator Pace in Burbank. "(It is) possible today with existing technology."
Pace and others are encouraged to see stakeholders getting involved in these discussions.
"About 12 live events are being discussed; which ones will actually make it is hard to say," Real D president Joshua Greer said.
The issues that need to be overcome include a variety of business and deployment factors.
"It's not the technology that is holding up a live broadcast to the theaters. It's rights and business case -- putting together something that make sense from a financial point of view," 3ality Digital founder and CEO Steve Schklair said. "If you were to do a live sports broadcast, you would want it to be an event of some stature because that is what would bring people to theaters. (But) rights to any events of stature -- the Super Bowl, World Cup -- are pretty well sewn up by the broadcasters. That has to be dealt with."
Schklair added that from a financial standpoint, a 3-D broadcast would involve production and theater costs "and in the middle, two rights-holders -- the league and the broadcasters -- that already have the rights."
Still, Marty Schindler, principal in consulting firm the Schindler Perspective, said, "There are deals to be had, but it requires a lot of effort on a lot of people's parts."
Mike Rokosa, the NBA's vp engineering, brings a different perspective to the discussion. "I don't think rights would be the holdup as much as, right now, the volume (of theaters) that have the connectivity to receive a live signal, which is quite limited," he said.
Alternative content is not a new concept, but the next new thing to enter the dialogue are events broadcast live to theaters in 3-D. That could mean fans will head to their local theaters for a group 3-D viewing of the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl, stadium concerts and the like.
And it is closer than many realize.
"I think the public can expect to see a live 3-D broadcast in a theater in 2008," said Vince Pace, founder of 3-D production innovator Pace in Burbank. "(It is) possible today with existing technology."
Pace and others are encouraged to see stakeholders getting involved in these discussions.
"About 12 live events are being discussed; which ones will actually make it is hard to say," Real D president Joshua Greer said.
The issues that need to be overcome include a variety of business and deployment factors.
"It's not the technology that is holding up a live broadcast to the theaters. It's rights and business case -- putting together something that make sense from a financial point of view," 3ality Digital founder and CEO Steve Schklair said. "If you were to do a live sports broadcast, you would want it to be an event of some stature because that is what would bring people to theaters. (But) rights to any events of stature -- the Super Bowl, World Cup -- are pretty well sewn up by the broadcasters. That has to be dealt with."
Schklair added that from a financial standpoint, a 3-D broadcast would involve production and theater costs "and in the middle, two rights-holders -- the league and the broadcasters -- that already have the rights."
Still, Marty Schindler, principal in consulting firm the Schindler Perspective, said, "There are deals to be had, but it requires a lot of effort on a lot of people's parts."
Mike Rokosa, the NBA's vp engineering, brings a different perspective to the discussion. "I don't think rights would be the holdup as much as, right now, the volume (of theaters) that have the connectivity to receive a live signal, which is quite limited," he said.
- 3/10/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Digital 3-D system provider Real D has developed a technology with the potential to allow a greater number of digital-cinema-equipped theaters to offer the stereoscopic format.
"It will allow us with single projectors to reach much bigger screens," Real D president Joshua Greer said. "Where we've been limited to much smaller screens, we can now reach as high as a 70-foot screen with a single projector. We were typically maxing (out) at about 46 or 47 feet for scope."
The challenge has been the inefficiency of light in 3-D projection. "3-D is about sending images to your left and right eye," Greer said. "We basically divide up the light. Half of the light is conditioned to work for one eye, and half is conditioned to work for the other. Light that has not been passed from one eye to the other has essentially been lost in the past. Now we can be very efficient."
Real D CEO Michael Lewis said the challenge of light has until now resulted in missed opportunities, noting that the problem was keeping 3-D from being a viable option in about 15%-20% of domestic screens -- those being the largest.
"It will allow us with single projectors to reach much bigger screens," Real D president Joshua Greer said. "Where we've been limited to much smaller screens, we can now reach as high as a 70-foot screen with a single projector. We were typically maxing (out) at about 46 or 47 feet for scope."
The challenge has been the inefficiency of light in 3-D projection. "3-D is about sending images to your left and right eye," Greer said. "We basically divide up the light. Half of the light is conditioned to work for one eye, and half is conditioned to work for the other. Light that has not been passed from one eye to the other has essentially been lost in the past. Now we can be very efficient."
Real D CEO Michael Lewis said the challenge of light has until now resulted in missed opportunities, noting that the problem was keeping 3-D from being a viable option in about 15%-20% of domestic screens -- those being the largest.
- 11/13/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Noted cinema technologist Matthew Cowan has been named chief scientific officer at Real D, a Los Angeles-based 3-D exhibition firm. Cowan has worked with top scientists at the firm for the past two years in developing and deploying Real D Cinema systems that were used in the presentation of the Walt Disney Co.'s Chicken Little, among other projects. He will report to Real D CEO Joshua Greer. Cowan has worked with 3-D imaging and digital-cinema technologies for more than 20 years. He helped develop some of the applications that were used in the digital mastering of George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Cowan also serves as chair of the Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers working group of stereoscopic digital cinema, which is helping to establish the technical specs for the broader rollout of digital 3-D cinema. "His deep understanding of the interaction between optics and human perception has allowed Real D to significantly advance the art and science of digital 3-D technologies," Greer said in announcing Cowan's appointment.
ORLANDO -- Walt Disney Pictures' Chicken Little wasn't quite ready for its 3-D close-up Monday at ShowEast, where it was featured during a digital technology seminar. Industrial Light + Magic is digitally remastering sections of Disney's computer animation for projection in 3-D. Said Joshua Greer, CEO of Real D, which is partnered with Disney and Dolby Labs in delivering the new 3-D technology to theaters around the country: "The film is done, but ILM wanted to make it better. They saw it, went back and said 'We can improve this.' I'm bummed because I wanted to show it tonight." Buena Vista Pictures Distribution president Chuck Viane said he told ILM earlier in the production that the audience "needed to be guests in Chicken Little's house, not spectators," to which ILM execs responded, "Are you out of your mind -- 1,400 shots in 14 weeks?" But according to Viane, they "delivered the goods," and the film will be ready by 8 p.m. Thursday, in time for its world premiere Sunday.
- 10/24/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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