Posted in 3D Content on November 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Wondering who is buying 4k content? What to produce in Ultra-HD?
This is a presentation I gave at the Screen4All / Dimension3 conference in Paris two weeks ago. The first 23 minutes are in French, I speak in English after that.
http://lb.streamakaci.com/screen4all/2014/?id=6
Posted in 3D Content, S3D Technology on November 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I came across this article on Slate.com today. The author claims that a scene of Godard’s latest film, Goodbye to Language, his first in 3D, may contain the best ever 3D gimmick, which attracted spontaneous applause at Cannes earlier this year (where the film won the jury prize). “The scene starts with an image of the couple talking, shot the normal way—a pair of cameras pointed in the same direction. That’s how you make 3-D: With two overlapping movies filmed from slightly different angles, then projected separately (left-camera to left-eye, right-camera to right-eye) so they can be fused inside the viewer’s brain. But when the man and woman start to argue, Godard splits the image tracks: As she walks away from him one camera follows and the other stays behind. Now you see the woman with your left eye and the man with your right, as if they’d wandered into separate movies. The depth illusion breaks in half, replaced by a flickering double-image. It’s the inverse of the classic 3-D thrill, in which your eyes conspire to deceive you. This one does the opposite: It puts your eyes in opposition. They can’t agree, they’re misaligned, like the couple on the screen.”
I encourage you to read the entire article which has some other interesting comments about the state of 3D: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2014/10/adieu_a_langage_jean_luc_godard_s_goodbye_to_language_in_3_d_reviewed.html?wpsrc=fol_tw
Posted in 3D Content on November 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Congratulations, Ryan. The crowdfunding campaign for the 3D short ‘Planet of the Ultraviolets’ reached the funding goal ahead of schedule. Check out the project here.
Posted in 3D Content, 3D Interviews, 3D production on August 5, 2014| 1 Comment »
The 3D market in China has been called the ‘last one standing’. International 3D distributor Torsten Hoffmann (3D Content Hub) sits down with three Chinese experts to talk about the latest developments. Torsten has licensed a large amount of stereoscopic 3D titles to Chinese broadcasters and VOD platforms and has also successfully exported 3D documentaries made in China to the international market place. Yulu Wang is from the international Relationship Department, China Television Artists Association (CTAA) 3D Council, and has been involved the 3D work from 2012, focusing the 3D international Relationships. Jim King was active in the TV broadcasting industry as a distribution manager of foreign satellite TV channels before shifting to the online video markets. He produced the CCTV Internet Spring Festival Gala 2012 in 3D and is now focusing on R&D, holds several patents and is now working as CTO with imcube Technologies. Jingyu Lee is the general manager of mosky4D. This Chinese company is mainly engaged in producing stereo effect movies for Science and Technology Museums, including circular-screen and full-dome documentaries such as Morph.
Torsten: China has become a more important player in the global 3d industry. Why do you think there is more interest in 3D in China than in the West?
Posted in 3D Content on July 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 3D Content on April 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Posted in 3D Content on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
(Prague, Melbourne, Las Vegas/ March 29th 2014)
Press release: Topfun launches large 3D and 4K content offering
Topfun Media a.s., the pioneering operator of Topfun Video on Demand in Czech Republic and Slovakia, announced a strategic cooperation with Australian distributor 3D Content Hub Pty. Ltd. Both companies are announcing a large list of new documentaries, short films and award-winning productions for Topfun’s customers ahead of the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas in early April. 3D Content Hub is a leading global distributor with a large content offering of stereoscopic 3D and native 4K titles.
With this new license agreement Topfun is adding more than 50 hours of high quality 3D and 4k content to its user base. Included in the lineup of films made available for the Czech Republic and Slovakia are the popular wildlife films ‘Alligator Kingdom 3D’ and
Posted in 3D Content on March 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The producers and judges of the 3D Theater session at the 2014 Stereoscopic Displays and Applications conference are pleased to announce the winners of the Best of Show prizes. The purpose of each year’s 3D Theatre session is to showcase the wide range of 3D content that is being produced and exhibited around the world. This year’s show contained a broad selection of 42 entries from independent artists through to major studios.
Drum-roll please – the winners are:
(more…)
Posted in 3D Content on March 13, 2014| 2 Comments »
Kings of Baja 4k
Epic Documentary Captured in 4K, 5K, and 6K to be presented at the 2014 NAB Show
Press Release: La Paz / Atlanta / Melbourne (March 13, 2014) 3DigitalVision and Baja Productions announce the completion of their 4K natural history film Kings of Baja. The ambitious film expedition travelled Baja, Mexico’s, 800-mile long peninsula and surrounding waters to explore the most diverse marine ecosystem on the planet. The UHD version of the film has been signed by 3D Content Hub of Australia for global TV distribution.
The film’s story transports viewers from Baja’s punishing desert to the vibrant Sea of Cortez to extinct underwater volcanoes to kelp forests. Each sequence showcases the unique evolutionary adaptations of the flora and megafauna to survive in their slice of the ecosystem. The featured “kings” of the film include sea lions, devilrays, great white sharks, hammerheads, giant mantas, whale sharks, and gray whales.
Captured in 4K, 5K, and 6K resolution over the course of five years, Kings of Baja is a co-production between 3DigitalVision and Baja Productions. The production team logged 600 hours of dive time and 25,000 miles of boat and land travel. The film’s UHD (more…)
Posted in 3D Content, 3D production, S3D Technology on March 4, 2014| 2 Comments »
Published by Torsten Hoffmann, March 2014.
The first part of this opinionpiece received a lot of views, generated many retweets, was reposted on several other 3D sites and spurred a lively discussion on LinkedIn. I have also received numerous suggestions and direct feedback. Thank you all for that.
Here is the second part of my article in which I try to show that everyone in our industry has contributed to the current 3D crisis.
6. 3D Broadcasters
A. The 3D TV Channels can be accused of being short-sighted. In hindsight we can say that most of the 3D channels were too early. They started broadcasting and investing heavily in (mostly live) content at a time where there were virtually no 3DTVs in the market. Live content is extremely difficult, costly, and commercial suicide because no one ever watches replays of yesterday’s sports game. And two years later, sure enough, the same 3D broadcasters are closing down declaring that “3D is dead”. Both their entries and exits can now be seen as premature. But at least they tried, and spent considerable funds doing so.
3DTV forecasts
B. Even the larger 3D broadcasters backed by big media corporations did not acquire or commission third party content in meaningful volume. Only initially few projects were commissioned to big production companies. In 3D, the learning curve is steep and normally the third and fourth production from a filmmaker turns out really well. Unfortunately, very few producers ever got to this stage. Most independent producers never got a chance to learn and the larger production firms have already moved on (to 4k or ‘back’ to HD). Only a handful of dedicated firms get the majority of 3D production budgets. They produce on the highest level, but this is a small and exclusive club. Hence, the broadcasters missed the opportunity to create a wider production ecosystem.
7. Equipment makers.
3DContentBlog 