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Beta Sight: Quantel Pablo 4K with Stereoscopic 3D

Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By John Nicolard, FotoKem

A new dimension in digital intermediate finishing.

The recent upswing in 3D production presented a new set of challenges for FotoKem. We wanted to maintain our level of service and quality while remaining up to date on current technology offerings. So we chose to upgrade several of our Quantel Pablo 4K systems, used for conforming and color correction, with the manufacturers' newly released Stereoscopic 3D option. This technology offered us the opportunity to conform and color-correct while working with and viewing full-resolution stereo streams simultaneously. Another major advance in the stereo 3D software was the ability to adjust stereo strength and convergence in realtime. Previously, work needed to be done one eye at a time, and the stereo 3D results were only viewable after the two eyes had been processed together later — either in the lab or electronically.

The enhancement of our 3D pipeline and the integration of this new software was spearheaded by Bill Schultz, general manager of our Digital Film Services division and an Academy Award winner for Scientific and Technical Achievement. Bill combined the 3D software with the existing Pablo Genetic Engineering platform to maximize pipeline throughput and efficiency.

This pipeline was immediately put to the test on Disney's Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. Directed by Bruce Hendricks, the movie was an opportunity to offer the live-concert experience in 3D to those fans that were unable to obtain tickets to the sold-out shows. Postproduction on this project was to pose some of the stiffest technical, creative, and timescale challenges imaginable for all who were involved.

The film was shot at a concert in Salt Lake City and St. Louis using seven Pace/Cameron Fusion 3D camera systems. The release of the finished film had to coincide with the completion of the live tour, which gave us a mere 11 weeks for the entire postproduction process. Completing a standard 2D picture in this timeframe is daunting, but to finish a 3D project would require a herculean effort from all participants, with strong technology support and a 3D digital-intermediate pipeline that successfully addressed the challenge.

First, 3D conform had to support the creative work of production editorial. The edit was performed by Michael Tronick using one eye of the stereo imagery, editing one song at a time to compile a “best of” shot list. Edit decision lists (EDLs) for each song were then passed on to FotoKem one at a time for conforming from the stereo 3D HDCAM SR camera masters as soon as the edit selections were made. Hendricks and Tronick often viewed conforms that night or the next morning, while new conforms based on their creative changes would follow immediately afterwards.

Two Quantel Pablos linked via Genetic Engineering were used for this process. One Pablo was used for digitizing from the production tapes as well as the initial conform. The project was then shared to a second Pablo. Early on, it became obvious that in addition to the conform, a quick 3D-convergence balancing pass was needed prior to viewing the song with the production. Due to significant 3D convergence shifts at edit points, this 3D-smoothing pass made a more accurate evaluation of Tronick's edit possible. The second Pablo was used for this purpose while the first Pablo was filling conform holes or any glaring production issues requiring initial image repair.

As the edit reached a “latched” stage, we moved toward final color correction, 3D convergence adjustments, titles, and image repair. Color correction involved not only standard scene-to-scene color balancing, but matching the right eye to the left eye as well. This became more challenging because beam splitters were used on some of the 3D rigs. Our Pablo's ability to handle two high-resolution media streams in realtime helped expedite this process.

We used the Pablo's extensive DI toolset to carry out a number of image repair functions as well. The majority of these involved subtleties such as removing a camera flag from one eye of a stereo pair and compositing the analogous information from the other eye. The precision required for such work multiplies in stereo 3D because differences inherent in the image planes as well as slight overlaps or inaccuracies — which would normally be unnoticed in 2D material — can produce odd and very noticeable optical depth effects in stereo 3D. In addition, text was added to identify various people who appear in the film, and we employed the Pablo stereo 3D tools to dynamically converge the text, independent of the background plate, giving greater control over the title placement in 3D space — a big advantage in both time and creative terms.

The introduction of 3D as part of the storytelling process requires additional consideration in post that is crucial in making the final result work for audiences. Items to be addressed include edge effects and frequent changes in the point of stereo convergence at edit points, or in panning and dolly shots. When improperly balanced, this can make unusual, frequent focus-change demands on the human eye, which can lead to an uncomfortable or even nauseating viewing experience.

The new Quantel stereoscopic 3D software provided an invaluable tool. We were able to make realtime convergence adjustments, view them in realtime, and then repeat that process as required until we arrived at the desired 3D balance. This allowed our artists to experiment interactively, and they were able to sculpt the 3D presentation to build up to the main 3D moments. It would have been impossible to achieve the 3D convergence quality required in the timeframe allowed without this tool.

The project was a great example of collaboration at several levels. Everyone — including the director, producer Art Repola, postproduction supervisor Paul LaMori, editorial, visual effects, DI finishing, and sound — was working long hours to make the deadline. It required successful creative interaction between all groups as well as strong technology support from facility engineering and equipment manufacturers. The schedule was met and the film went straight to number one at the U.S. box office on the first weekend of its release, taking in a record $31.5 million in just three days, despite only showing on less than 700 stereo 3D-capable screens. This proves both the popularity and acceptability of this new generation of stereo 3D with audiences, and that brand-new postproduction techniques, skills, and technologies have advanced sufficiently to make stereo 3D postproduction a viable creative and logistical possibility for the first time.

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John Nicolard is head of digital production at FotoKem, a full-service postproduction facility with several locations in Burbank, Calif.

© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.