POST-PRODUCTION n 3D POST-PRODUCTION AROUND EUROPE n UNITED KINGDOM n FRANCE n ITALY n EASTERN EUROPE n GERMANY n SPAIN The power of 3
The European post sector is investing heavily in 3D as it services a range of ambitious international features, smaller local films and other projects. Adrian Pennington explores how Europe is keeping up with the 3D boom — and profiles key 3D post hotspots
T
he European 3D post- production sector is de- veloping steadily, with the leading VFX houses
working on larger stereoscopic pro- ductions in parallel with the 2D work they already complete for the Holly- wood majors. But with only a small number of international features shooting and completing post in Eu- rope, most 3D activity is centred on feature animation or local-language forays into live action. Already trusted by Hollywood for its
craft skills and bolstered by commer- cials and broadcast commissions for BSkyB’s 3D TV channel, London’s Soho is the beating heart of Europe’s 3D post landscape — though other centres are strong, such as Paris for animation work. “The UK is the clear leader in European 3D since it is already a centre of movie-making excellence,” observes Geoff Mills, sales and marketing direc- tor of SGO, maker of the Mistika stereo finishing system. Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: On
Stranger Tides, which shot in London and at Pinewood-Shepperton this year, is farming visual-effects shots to MPC and Cinesite. With Framestore and Double Negative, these shops will continue to carve out a healthy share of future CG- heavy 3D productions destined for Europe. “Stereo requires little change in the workflow from traditional visual effects,” says MPC stereographer Damien Fagnou. “It involves the same depart- ments and people but everyone has been trained to use stereo specific software.”
Investment in 3D 3D post budgets are generally 10%-20% higher than on 2D projects, with the main impact being the need to store and track twice as much data. Investments
SGO’s Mistika stereo finishing system
do need to be made, notably in greater server capacity, 3D monitoring/screen- ing rooms and upgrades to existing compositing and finishing systems such as Nuke, Pablo, Mistika or Film Master. However the outlay is relatively light and does not require outfitting a dedi- cated department. “Most facilities will need to comple-
‘The premium is highest when combining CG
with live action’ William Sargent, Framestore
ment what they are doing in 2D, so when they buy a piece of stereo-capable kit in preparation for future 3D work they can use it on 2D work today,” notes Mills. Post-producers have also created new
positions for in-house stereographers and trained their editors and composi- tors in new techniques. “Stereo is more about getting the right skills in place rather than the technology,” says Julien Meesters, creative director of France’s Mikros Image. Offline editing is essentially the same,
with the edit usually made on one set of rushes. For online, 3D-specific tools and monitoring are necessary for colour cor- rection, image sizing, stabilisation and convergence. Fixing pictures in post has never been cheap but with 3D the conse- quences of failing to deliver an accurate pair of images could send post-produc- tion budgets soaring by 50%. “The more time you need to fix it the
more it costs because the wage bill is the most expensive element,” observes Framestore CEO William Sargent. “Some errors may not even be techni- cally possible to fix, necessitating a reshoot, something which is almost inconceivable for 3D.” That scenario can be averted if pro-
ductions collaborate with a facility’s stereo team in an even more inclusive way than before, especially on effects- heavy projects. “The premium is highest
European 3D special 2010 Screen International 13 n »
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