Cinematography: Easy as 1, 2, 3D

Stereoscopic 3D comes with a particular set of challenges and requirements. Cameras, rigs… what do productions need to take into consideration to create their own 3D solutions? Martin Cayzer, managing director of Panavision Asia Pacific discusses the impact of 3D on cinematography.

3Dis a good thing. Good in many ways, but primarily it’s causing people to slow down, think and plan more. As 3D pushes people into digital capture it also helps identify the strengths and issues that will make or break a good 3D production.
Real time stereo monitoring is critical and key to 3D production. Viewing convergence is also as big factor that needs to be addressed, as is making stereographic and interocular decisions with live images on stereo screens.
With a digital setup these decisions can be made live and on set, something that is much trickier with film. Hence, the vast majority of 3D production will be captured with digital cameras – vast rather than all, as it’s certain that someone will always want to shoot 3D with film cameras.

Stereoscopic 3D is also challenging the most experienced DOPs, some of whom have only ever shot on film and are now being asked to go down the 3D HD route. It’s a big learning curve and one that we are helping more and more DOPs understand, especially where choosing the right equipment for the job is concerned.
DOPs are now having to understand interocular and convergence issues, where there is good convergence and bad convergence and the effect of both on an image.

It has been openly said that there is good 3D and bad 3D, just as there are good VFX and bad VFX, so this is very important to get right. DOPs are now working with and understanding better the role of a stereographer in a similar way to the early days of colour where there was often a colour advisor on set. It’s a whole new language and they are being asked to learn fast.
Some DOPs work closely with the stereographer and director whilst others are choosing to let them handle that part of the shoot themselves. A question being asked on sets is whether stereographers will eventually become stereo directors.