The Bournemouth Skillset Media Academy is planning a short 5 day season of events on the production, distribution and exhibition of 3D film, television and photography to take place in the week of 15th - 19th November 2010.

This year, 2010, has seen a sudden increase in activity around recording, distributing and exhibiting 3D moving images.  Cinema releases of successful productions AVATAR, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and CLASH OF THE TITANS in 3D versions have been key to this surge of profile.  Meanwhile, 3D television services, such as Sky Sports, are now operating in the UK, initially for live non-theatrical screenings in pubs and clubs (http://3d.sky.com/pubfinder/).  There are also live premium rate sports 3D services being delivered into cinemas.  Much of this activity has been technology-driven but there has also been an underlying incentive for film companies to revive cinema as a premium rate experience and to protect valuable content from piracy.  3D production serves both purposes.

However, the quest to record and deliver realistic 3D images is as old as photography itself, and Victorian entrepreneurs, such as T R Williams of The London Stereoscope Company, produced outstanding examples of 3D photography which have recently been re-visited and revived for publication by Brian May and Elena Vida via http://www.londonstereo.com/.  The London Stereoscope Company website, apart from covering archive issues, also points toward modern techniques in 3D stills photography which are receiving increased attention.  New digital software techniques for stereo pairs, the further development of lenticular cameras and the widespread use of the 3D VuCAM are all part of the story in 2010.

In 3D film production a new single lensed camera has been produced by Sony as a prototype to shoot 3D at 240 fps.  For video production there is a wide range of new 3D camcorder equipment being released by various companies – Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic.  

The Bournemouth Skillset Media Academy is therefore planning a week of events aimed at students, alumni and the interested general public, to explore 3D in photography, in film and in television. 

Leading producers of film and television already agree that ‘this time’, following various false dawns, 3D is very likely to become established in mass entertainment and information media.  Most are already aware that shooting successful and effective 3D images requires considerable planning and adjustment of technique for direction, lighting, editing and on-screen graphics production. 

A recent article in the Royal Television Society’s journal Television entitled Less is More for 3D (Television, RTS, February 2010 Vol 47/2, pages 20–21) was written by Gordon Jamieson in discussion with Gerry O’Sullivan (Director of Strategic Product Design for BSkyB).  The article flagged new guidelines for producers and directors wishing to shoot for 3D which are being developed by BSkyB. 

There are hot-selling books on the market (see 3D Movie Making: Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen by Bernard Mendiburu pub: Elsevier/Focal Press) to assist the budding 3D producer/director planning to engage with what is rapidly becoming a new set of disciplines.

During one week this November we aim to deliver workshops, screenings and special presentations to address production, distribution and exhibition issues which are particular to 3D work.

Mark 15th - 19th November in your diary for 3D Week and bookmark www.bsma.ac.uk to receive news of events as these are confirmed.