A little about 3D
With the advent of the stunningly successful "Avatar" and a plethora of other 3D titles being released almost on a daily basis to our cinemas you'd be forgiven for asking "why now"? There have been various false dawns for 3D, the last being in the 80s, so what has prompted this current wave? Quite simply; Digital Technology.
Only now have the elements come together which allow not only 3D in cinemas, but also the broadcast of 3D on television. Various broadcasters are now heavily involved, not least of which is SKY, which has launched its 3D channels as of October 2010. Granted we will all have to go out and buy a 3D enabled TV and if you've just upgraded to an HD TV you won't be terribly impressed, but the weight behind 3D this time round seems unstoppable.
Assuming that we want to have a little more vision than Douglas Fairbanks who famously said in 1930 "The process of Color motion picture photography has never been perfected...it would tire and distract the eye, take attention from faces and acting and facial expression, blur and confuse the action.." then although much the same could be levelled at 3D, in time it will become as commonplace as colour is now.
The Process:
So, now that 3D is here to stay, what does this mean in terms of producing 3D commercials and Ad funded content? First of all it goes without saying that a poor idea will always be a poor idea. 3D is a creative aid to engage and immerse the viewer further than can be achieved with 2D. Just as well chosen soundtrack can further our enjoyment, so can 3D. However, unlike a poor soundtrack which might just prove an irritation, bad 3D is physically painful.
The first hurdle for most will be the steep learning curve required to implement the whole 3D production process. Planning is key. From the very start, for a 3D project to have maximum impact & success, Creatives and 3D Production need to work together. Although the workflow from concept to delivery is similar, many aspects of 3D production require specialist input well before that normally required for 2D. It should also be mentioned that this involvement applies to post-production too. More so than ever before, the 3D process requires very close integration across the skillsets.
The Cost:
Various figures have been suggested as to the "add-on" cost for 3D over 2D. Yes, currently, producing 3D is more expensive than 2D. Both the production process and the post-production process involve more people, more kit and more time. To mitigate this add-on cost it is now more important than ever to have a production process of the highest calibre. As with all things new, in time the premium for 3D will reduce. Perhaps obviously, various factors in conjunction with 3D can affect cost; pure live action or pure CG are the least expensive versions of 3D. Conversely, mixing both live action and CG together in the same frame results in a much greater cost. So, to actually put a definitive cost for 3D over 2D is virtually impossible, but for those of you still reading, then currently 3D is between 15-50% more expensive than 2D depending on the factors mentioned above. On the upside if you shoot in 3D you get a 2D version for "free"...
