3D TV FOCUS

April 2012

www.miptv.com an official MIPTV publication

miptv

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3dtV focus SPENCER STEPHENS

SPORT IN 3D

Sony’s chief technical officer

London 2012 is the first 3D Olympics

SEE PAGE 4

SEE PAGE 11

Also inside:

• 3net • Sky 3D • Jim Chabin • BBC in 3D • Wim Wenders’ Pina • High TV • Global Media Consult • Orange • Sony PlayStation • The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute • 3DTV conference programme...

3D Eyes Wide Open on Tues. & Wed. for all MIPTV participants SESSIONS, 3D SCREENINGS & WORKSHOPS - AUDI A, Level 3

Tues. 3 April 09.15 3D Keynotes: Erwin Schmidt, Producer, PINA in 3D & Jim Chabin, International 3D Society 10.20 3DTV State of the Market: IHS Screen Digest 10.45 3D Sports 12.00 3DTV Global Entertainment 14.15 3DTV Broadcasting Revenue Opportunities 15.20 Playstation 3D Games 16.00 3DTV New Media Revenues

Wed. 4 April 10.00-12.30 3DTV Producer Boot Camp Workshop

miptv focus Including speakers from: 3net, Atlantic Productions, BSkyB, Deutsche Telekom, EBU, HIGHTV 3D, Orange, Prime Focus, Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia, Sony

www.miptv.com In partnership with:

April 2012

www.miptv.com MIPTV Special Edition

miptv

®

3dtV focus SPENCER STEPHENS

SPORT IN 3D

Sony’s chief technical officer

London 2012 is the first 3D Olympics

SEE PAGE 00

SEE PAGE 00

Also inside:

• 3net • Sky 3D • Jim Chabin • BBC in 3D • Wim Wenders’ Pina • High TV • Global Media Consult • Orange • Sony PlayStation • The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute • 3DTV conference programme...

Our front cover shows an image from Pina, Wim Wenders’ 3D documentary on choreographer Pina Bausch

COntents Sony: Spencer Stephens and Joe Nakata on 3D production and adoption

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3net: the future looks bright for the 3D channel

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Creativity in 3D: Sky’s John Cassy and Dimension Media’s Jacquie Pepall

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Jim Chabin: MIPTV Keynote speaker and CEO of the International 3D Society

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BBC in 3D: UK public broadcaster focuses on event television

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London 2012: will the Olympics be 3DTV’s Avatar?

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Pina: Wim Wenders’ 3D documentary on Pina Bausch

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miptv 3dtV focus

High TV: aiming for popular appeal

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An official MIPTV publication April 2012

GMC: plans to boost 3DTV distribution

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Director of Publications Paul Zilk Director of Communications Mike Williams

Orange: the 3D Project

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PlayStation: play better in 3D

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Fraunhofer Institute: supporting the development of 3D

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Marie Moinier, Carole Peres Contributing editor Chris Forrester Contributor Clive Bull Sub-Editor Debbie Lincoln Editorial Management Boutique Editions

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PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Co-ordinators Nour Ezzedeen, Emilie Lambert, Amrane Lamiri Production Assistant, Cannes Office Eric Laurent Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France) MANAGEMENT & SALES TEAM Director of the Entertainment Division Anne de Kerckhove Director of the Television Division Laurine Garaude Sales Director Sabine Chemaly Director of Market Development Ted Baracos Conference Director Lucy Smith Marketing Director Stephane Gambetta Programme Directors Karine Bouteiller, Tania Dugaro, Cathie Laven Managing Director (UK / Australia / New Zealand) Peter Rhodes OBE Sales Manager Elizabeth Delaney Vice President Sales and Business Development, Americas Robert Marking Vice President Business Development, North America JP Bommel Sales Executive Panayiota Pagoulatos Sales Managers Paul Barbaro, Nathalie Gastone Regional Sales Director Fabienne Germond Sales Executives Liliane Dacruz, Cyril Szczerbakow Sales Manager Samira Haddi Digital Media Sales Manager Nancy Denole New Media Development Manager Bastien Gave Australia and New Zealand Representative Natalie Apostolou China Representative Anke Redl CIS Representative Alexandra Modestova English Speaking Africa Representative Arnaud de Nanteuil India Representative Anil Wanvari Israel Representative Guy Martinovsky Japan Representative Lily Ono Latin America Representative Elisa Aquino Middle-East Representative Bassil Hajjar Poland Representative Monika Bednarek South Korea Representative Sunny Kim Taiwan Representative Irene Liu Germany Representative (Digital Media Sector) Renate Radke Adam Published by Reed MIDEM, BP 572, 11 rue du Colonel Pierre Avia, 75726 Paris Cedex 15, France. Contents © 2012, Reed MIDEM Market Publications.

Publication registered 2nd quarter 2012.

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SONY

It’s not the effects, it’s the story that counts The novelty of 3D is finally wearing off, and content creators are now understanding its value as part of the story-telling process, says Sony’s Spencer Stephens.

Chris Forrester reports

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PENCER Stephens, chief technical officer at Sony Pictures Technologies, says that 3D production workflows have significantly improved over the past year or two. “Look at the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man, which we shot on the same schedule as if it were a 2D movie. 3D is not nearly as time-consuming, expensive, or intimidating as many have been led to believe.

I think a lot of people still associate 3D with animated or effects-heavy movies, and those sorts of productions are expensive anyway. While 3D can definitely add impact to an epic battle, it can also be used to create an intimate, shared space that increases the bond between the audience and the characters in a drama.”

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Stephens is happy that some of the early novelty value around 3D is now wearing off. “It was precisely that novelty that resulted in a lot of bad 3D. Sony has always advocated for the intelligent application of 3D in ways that serve the fi lmmakers, add to the story, and aren’t gimmicky or uncomfortable for audiences. That’s why the studio partnered with Sony Corporation to create the 3D Technology Center and trained over 3,000 filmmakers on how to plan properly and make good use of 3D to help them tell stories in new ways.”

Stephens quantifies how the past year has changed 3D production, and for the better. “We seem to have seen a shift away from 3D for 3D’s sake, with films like Hugo

“Filmmakers, audiences, and even film critics, are now starting to take 3D more seriously” Spencer Stephens

Spencer Stephens

Milla Jovovich in Sony Pictures’ Resident Evil: Retribution 3D

and Pina harnessing the technology in new ways, to tell different kinds of stories than we have seen in 3D before. In many people’s minds, these films have surpassed Avatar in their innovative use of the technology to heighten the emotional connection between the audience and the characters and this has meant that filmmakers, audiences, and even film critics, are now starting to take 3D more seriously. Perhaps as a result, we are talking about 3D to partners that you really wouldn’t have expected even a year ago.

Sony has considerable TV interests (in its Sony Pictures Television division), and Stephens says producers are increasingly prepared to experiment with 3DTV. “We

recently organised a test shoot on the soap opera Days Of Our Lives, where we simultaneously shot the same episode in 3D and 2D, to test whether a 3D version of the show could be created without additional expense or time commitment. The result was very successful and I believe in future the growth of 3DTV programming will be driven largely by scripted shows — the kind of stories and characters that audiences are already invested in — with 3D acting as a powerful tool to draw the audience in even more and deepen the experience.”

So will production budgets start to rise as a result?

“Proper planning can really make 3D affordable, but the larger issue is how to increase the availability of 3D at home to drive adoption and make it worth producers’ investment,” Stephens says. “Most cable systems could adapt their existing feeds so that 2D feeds go to 2D households and 3D feeds go to 3D households, but to date this hasn’t been done because the traditional networks aren’t simulcasting in 3D yet. If there were more shows in 3D, viewers would be interested in watching them, so Sony Pictures Technologies is partnering with the creative community to demonstrate how 3D content can be easy and affordable to produce, so they will increasingly see it as a viable option for their shows. As with any new entertainment technology in the home, the availability of people’s favourite content is really what drives adoption.”

Stephens stresses Sony’s continued commitment to 3D, helped by growth coming from new markets — China, for example. “Sony is deeply committed to helping the industry understand how to create effective and realistic 3D, so that they can tell amazing stories in 3D. The goal is to provide audiences the best possible 3D experiences and increasing the availability and appeal of 3D content.”

3D ON THE RISE JOE NAKATA looks after Sony’s 3D strategy at its Tokyo corporate head office. He also monitors growth and adoption of 3DTV. “We have seen steady growth of 3D broadcasting in the past year and now there are more than 30 dedicated 3D channels around the world,” he says. “We see pay-TV operators using 3D to offer valueadded premium content and differentiating their services to attract subscribers.”

Nakata is looking forward to seeing London’s 2012 Olympic Games in 3D. And he observes a better understanding, by programme producers, of the use of 3D in story-telling techniques.

“There is still lot of work to be done in getting outside broadcast costs down, and learning how to capture 5D (simultaneous shooting of 2D and 3D). We are also working hard on improving 3D workflow for TV content, especially for drama programming.”

“Don’t forget,” he adds, “movie output in 3D also translates into Blu-ray packaged media as well as on PlayStation 3 devices, while some 3DTV projects work wonderfully well in the cinema. 3D has become a standard feature on new TV sets above 40 inches in size, and also the glasses are becoming much lighter and more comfortable. To offer customers a variety of viewing options, we have also introduced a high quality 3D home projector, and a 3D headmount display which uses OLED.”

Joe Nakata

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MARK RINGWALD is on the Global Entertainment panel at 12.00 on April 3

3NET

3D viewing is on an upward curve The future looks bright for the heavyweight-backed channel boasting a growing audience. Chris Forrester reports

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LL PROGRAMMING on 3net — the channel backed by Discovery, IMAX and Sony Corporation — is in 3D. It launched just over a year ago (Feb 2011) and has made huge progress this past year, available to DirecTV’s 19 million subscriber homes. Mark Ringwald, who heads up 3net’s scheduling and acquisitions efforts, says they continue to see a growing overseas market for their 3D material. “Our content can already be seen on UK’s BSkyB and on Sky Italia.

Every week two new three-minute clips can be seen on Nintendo’s 3DS system in the US with over one million views per month. We’ve also made our content available on a video-on-demand basis in a partnership with Sony for its connected devices and PlayStations.”

3net reached an important milestone at the end of 2011 by broadcasting its 200th hour of original content, not bad for its first year. “It gives 3net the world’s largest library of native, original 3D content,” says Ringwald.

“Since then we have continued to premiere at least one new series a month. In January we launched the original series, Tough Love Garage, about the cantankerous but soft-hearted owner of an auto body shop; Hillbilly Blood: The Hardscrabble Life, which takes a look at the inventive and ‘make do’ life of the people in the backwoods of the Appalachians; and the acquired series from Discovery Networks International, Safari Park Adventures, produced by Renegade Pictures. In April we are si mu lc a st i ng, w ith Animal Planet, an episode of thee channel’s extremely popular series, River Monsters, in 3D as Animal Planet airs the programme in 2D.” For 2012 3net has on its slate a new music series, a mixed martial arts fighting series, as well as 13 new episodes of Dream Defenders, 3net’s kids animation series. “Later in the summer we are looking to premiere our fourhour event Storm Surfers, where experts hunt down and ride the world’s 6I

3DTV Focus I April 2012 I www.miptv.com

biggest waves — and before the end of the year look out for The Human Body, a look inside ourselves as we truly are, in a way never seen before,” Ringwald says.

Production budgets have remained, for the most part, stable this past year, according to Ringwald. “18 months ago the camera and editing solutions were (for the most part) either handmade, a work-around, or a patch to an existing system,” he says. “Since then single body cameras, like the Sony TD300, and editing systems specifically designed for 3D, have become available, improving both workflow and efficiency. After a year-and-a-half of experience we are a lot smarter and so are our production partners, so there are a lot fewer surprises — which always mean more money — along the way.”

And Ringwald reminds those who suggest that 3DTV is just a flash in the pan, that 3D adoption rates continue to outpace the adoption rate of HD. Projections forecast that by 2013, some 45% of new US TVs sold will be 3D, and by 2015 that number reaches 63%, with 73 million 3DTV sets in US homes. That’s Dream Defenders, 3net’s an audience. kids animation series

Storm Surfers, soon to premiere on 3net

“3net… the world’s largest library of native, original 3D content” Mark Ringwald

JOHN CASSY is a panelist on the sessions Sports & Action Spotlight and Global Entertainment at 10.45 and 12.00, respectively, April 3

Kingdom Of Plants with Sir Richard Attenborough

SKY 3D

What is 3D’s killer app?

Sky’s head of 3D John Cassy hails the small independent 3D producers for their creativity; Dimension Media is at the leading edge of 3D production. Chris Forrester and Clive Bull report

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UROPE’s fi rst 3D channel, Sky 3D, continues to go from strength-tostrength with robust plans for the year ahead. The second quarter this year sees the debut of a show based around the world of plants and presented by Sir David Attenborough. Kingdom Of Plants was filmed at London’s Kew Gardens with Dimension Media, using groundbreaking macro-3D photography. “Sir David is then off to the Galapagos Islands for what we hope will be another landmark series around the islands — probably his favourite islands in the world,” says John Cassy, head of Sky 3D. “This kind of unique natural environment is inaccessible to the vast majority of us, so we’re going to be doing a multi-part series on Galapagos in time for Christmas.”

When it comes to the growing amount of 3D content, Cassy is encouraged by the fact that 3D production is no longer the preserve of just the big names. He cites Colonial Pictures as an example of a small independent that’s been producing highstandard 3D programming. “They’re now working on their second 3D project for us. The fi rst one, Treasure Houses Of Britain, did very well indeed and was bought by PBS and DirecTV in “The age-old truths the States. So it doesn’t matter how still remain: What’s big a business you are, you just need to be entrepreneurial and creative.” the story? Who’s in it?

In the search for great 3D content, Why should I care as a Cassy says post-conversion of 2D is viewer?” not the answer: “We’re very much John Cassy committed to pure 3D right now. 3D that is fi lmed with two cameras on properly created rigs with the right cameras and with the right alignment, and we think that delivers by far and away the best 3D picture.” He adds that he’s seeing an increasingly high quality in postconversions but believes while it may be economic for Hollywood studios with global distribution in mind, “it doesn’t work for television yet — but we expect in time that it may become more achievable”.

In it’s short history Sky 3D has made huge advances. Cassy believes production is now focused first and foremost on content and story: “The age-old truths of television still remain such as: What’s the story? Who’s in it? Why should I care as a viewer? Those have to be the foundation of any programme, whether its 2D or 3D. However, when producers are setting out to create a project, if they ask those questions at the start and get good answers, what they then should do is think about the 3D side of it.”

As technology drives creativity, there is no reason not to produce drama or comedy in 3D, according to Dimension Media director of production Jacquie Pepall. www.miptv.com I 3DTV Focus I April 2012 I 7

JACQUIE PEPALL is a panelist on the session Where Are The Broadcasting Revenue Opportunities In 3DTV? at 14.15, April 3

“The difference between where they are now, compared to where they were as recently as a year ago, is a complete quantum. We’re doing matches week-in, week-out.

They’ve had lots of practice and they’re still learning. But you know what? That is what new technologies, new experiences, are about. A lot of us here at Sky find it really exciting because of that. We are raising the standard all the time and we know we can still do more.

Pepall says that she’d love to see more drama and comedy on air in 3D. “One of the somewhat unexplored avenues of 3D is the traditional narrative formats such as drama and sitcom. There is a significant opportunity with these formats to use 3D to enhance the narrative and emotional content of the story. For example, the jokes in a comedy might be better articulated using 3D; equally, 3D can bring an added emotional depth to a scene. We’d love to Jacquie Pepall: “3D can bring an added emotional depth to a scene” see a 3D costume drama.”

3D costs, at least for long-term equipment rental, are “One of the trends we’ve witnessed over the past year is coming down, Pepall says. “We’ve seen movement in that 3D productions are steadily more innovative and ad- both directions. 3D workflows have improved and crews venturous,” Pepall says. “On the whole, we’ve seen more and production teams have become more efficient and creative and experimental techniques such as time-lapse knowledgeable about 3D. So in that sense, 3D budgets and macro photography used in 3D productions, as well and production schedules have decreased. However, as new systems such as body rigs. As 3D facilities and we’ve also seen a wonderful increase in the degree of adtechnology improve, productions are becoming braver venture, difficulty, and ambition associated with 3D proand more inventive.” jects — and breaking new ground She says she’s “exceptionally proud” can require higher budgets.” of the 3DTV productions that has The good news is that “The jokes in a worked on this year, for example: she is finding it eas“David Attenborough’s Kingdom Of comedy might be ier — and necPlants, a series produced by Atlantic essar y — better articulated productions for Sky 3D, is absoluteto secure using 3D” ly stunning; the added depth brought producJacquie Pepall the plants to life in ways we couldn’t tion parthave imagined. Peter Gabriel’s New ner s a nd Blood concert at the Hammersmith co-producApollo, which used remote camera heads, body rigs, and ers. “We’ve found that the comloads of new technology, is a truly experimental and in- plexities of producing 3D, as well novative 3D production. And broadcast live on television as the costs involved, have made it and to sold-out cinemas, Strictly Come Dancing 3D re- more compelling for companies to ceived an overwhelmingly positive response.” partner on productions. Certainly Kingdom Of Plants, shot largely in the UK’s magnificent we’ve found that there is a lot of inRoyal Botanical Gardens at Kew, West London, is be- terest from other companies in geting aired on Sky 3D. “We have a few other exciting docu- ting involved in 3D projects — partmentary and drama projects that will be broadcast later nerships are forming all the time.” this year. In terms of viewer feedback, we’ve found that when the story and the programme concept are good and the 3D is complementary — it’s a win,” Pepall says. “For example, the viewer response to BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing was hugely enthusiastic — it sold out to 21 cinemas in the UK.” Regular live Premiership football continues to take pride of place in the schedule and John Cassy says Sky’s team Sky 3D’s John Cassy: for 3D football has probably produced more 3D than any “We are raising the standard all the time” company in the world — and it’s a fast learning curve: 8I

3DTV Focus I April 2012 I www.miptv.com

JIM CHABIN ’s Keynote Speech, Meet The New TV. How 3D-TV Is Changing Broadcaster’s Perspectives is at 09.15, April 3

INTERNATIONAL 3D SOCIETY

Chabin tells of 3D’s ‘huge progress’ MIPTV Keynote speaker and CEO of the International 3D Society, Jim Chabin, is adamant that the only way is up for 3D production and audiences.

Chris Forrester reports

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IM CHABIN admits to being a proud evangelist for 3D in all its forms. He says that broadcasters have made huge progress in the last 12 months.

“3D channels are continuing to create and amass 3D content as they build their programming schedules,” Chabin says. “The Olympics will broadcast more than a dozen events in 3D, and these broadcasts will be carried on 3D channels worldwide. China has announced that 10 3D channels will be up-and-running within five years — CCTV’s first channel is already on the air. China is also interested in 3D movies to exhibit theatrically. Six million 3D flat-screens were sold in China alone last year.

For producers of 3D content, there will be an increasing number of potential buyers.”

Chabin says he is excited by the growth in the amount of high-quality TV programming. “3D documentaries are recreating the genre. Old footage is being found in archives from WWII, the US Civil War, and other unlikely sources. Documentary work is exciting. Sports are dazzling in 3D. BSkyb and ESPN and others are really accelerating the quality and excitement of sports in 3D. And the live concerts — from Japan, the US and Europe — look beautiful. So we see an across-the-board acceleration of production techniques which boost viewer excitement.”

He adds that 3DTV is increasingly travelling well overseas. “Whether its sports, music, nature, or travel... broadcasters will be able to work with each other to share or coproduce content. Viewers want to see more of everything.”

Chabin says that broadcasters are also getting better with budgets. “They are finding that, by utilising newer, less expensive technology and software, they can produce quite a bit of content at pretty efficient prices,” he says. “This allows them to pull additional funds together to make

International 3D Society’s Jim Chabin really spectacular, eye-popping, programmes. Again, this reminds us of when television moved to colour, or more recently, to HD. We now save on these productions in order to spend more liberally on a programme or series that will catch the attention of the public, the press, and dazzle viewers. So, it’s remarkable that, as different as 3D appears to senior managers, in reality, the same rules apply to making a great 2D network or channel. Costs are coming down. Producers are getting better at creating cost efficient production budgets. And we see a day relatively soon that the cost of producing 3D will be no more than the cost of producing 2D. “The TV industry is very adaptive,” Chabin adds.

“What’s exciting now is that the flat screen makers are advancing user-friendly technology faster than anyone expected. We anticipate new 3D breakthrough technologies in the market within three to five years, when not long ago, people felt the next generation of 3D platforms was 10 years away. With most major-brand flat screens being 3D-ready, consumers are continuing to buy into the technology. Tablets, smartphones and videogames are in this mix, as well.”

“Flat screen makers are advancing user-friendly technology faster than anyone expected” Jim Chabin

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BBC WORLDWIDE

3DTV rises to the big occasions Walking With Dinosaurs, now in 3D

© BBC Worldwide

Event television is the focus of the BBC’s approach to 3D, encompassing science, natural history and music. Clive Bull reports

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O SERMON, director of content strategy, BBC Worldwide, cites the recent securing of rights to live music events such as Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Tour, Alice Cooper’s Night Of Fear and Elbow: Live On Air, as examples of the kind of programming where 3D comes into its own. “We’re talking to a number of production companies about music concerts, natural history and science projects. We’re considered a world-leader in natural history, so that’s an obvious one to develop, but actually we have really strong titles across all those genres, so we’re absolutely looking to expand our 3D slate.”

While not promising a dedicated 3D channel, the BBC’s domestic trials continue with enthusiasm, with the fi rst ever live 3D Olympic Games coverage planned for this Summer. The Strictly Come Dancing final was deemed a great success with the corporation’s highest 3D audience to date. The Wimbledon Tennis singles fi nals were another highlight of last year, and building on that success, Sony Professional Solutions Europe and Wimbledon are making plans for continued 3D coverage in 2012.

As 3D continues to establish itself, Sermon is encouraged that from a content supply perspective, some of the most respected names in the factual production business, like John Downer (Earthflight) and Andrew Cohen (Djinn), are getting behind 3D. “The Cameron Pace Group and Evergreen Films, who are obviously leaders in the field, are partnering with us on Walking With Dinosaurs 3D, and 10 I

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3net have come into Earthflight with us,” she adds. “It’s always a continuous learning curve. We’ve worked with some of the best producers in the business, and we find that they always want to push the boundaries – the steeper the curve, the better. James Cameron is very eloquent on the difference between good 3D and bad 3D. It’s great to collaborate with people who are so passionate about what they do, and who set incredibly high standards.”

For the moment, Sermon considers native 3D to be a priority with the conversion of 2D content not a preferred option. “Our approach has often been to look at three- or six-part series, and then invest further to make a 3D special alongside (those series). That way we’re able to take the elements that will work best in 3D and create a fantastic hour-long special. So we’re achieving economies of scale, and that business model is working for us.” Walking With Dinosaurs 3D was an example of this – a 3D special produced alongside the Walking With Dinosaurs network 2D series.

As for the future, Sermon believes the availability of “great 3D content will be pivotal to driving consumer demand”, and is encouraged by indications that the cost of 3D component parts is becoming low enough for manufacturers to consider it a standard feature in all TVs. She believes it’s more than possible that all televisions will at some point offer 3D, and is also working on place-shifted 3D content for tablets, PCs and smartphones.

“James Cameron is very eloquent on the difference between good 3D and bad 3D” Jo Sermon

BBC Worldwide’s Jo Sermon

3D SPORT

Olympics broadcast will break records Sport, whether the Olympic Games, Premiership football, golf or international tennis, can be a great catalyst for consumer interest in 3DTV. Clive Bull reports

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HE OLYMPIC Games has a reputation for pioneering broadcasting technology. When the Olympics went to London in 1948, the city played host not only to the fi rst post-war Games, but also the first to be televised live. This time around, London 2012 will produce the first HD-3D live broadcast in Olympic history. Manolo Romero, managing director of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) considers it a major milestone for the Games: “We believe this production of the first live 3D Olympic Games will make the London 2012 Olympic Games one of the most significant in the history of broadcasting technology,” he said.

The Olympic Games will be the biggest live event in 3D to date and many believe this global showcase is already prompting a boost in consumer interest.

OBS will be providing more than 200 hours of Olympic content in 3D, which will include highlights packages and live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies and key events such as the 100-metre fi nal. Ironically the UK itself may see a little less 3D footage than some other parts of the world. Sky operates the UK’s only 3D channel but exclusive rights for the Games lie with the BBC. While keen to continue trialing 3D technology the BBC does not have the available spectrum capacity for a

“The first live 3D Olympic Games will make London 2012 one of the most significant in the history of broadcasting technology” Manolo Romero

www.miptv.com I 3DTV Focus I April 2012 I 11

dedicated 3D channel, which would also have to be justified in terms of the license fee. UK viewers will be able to see the opening and closing ceremonies and the 100-metre fi nal live in 3D, in addition to a nightly highlights package. NBC, which won the rights to the Games in the US, has announced it will be airing more than 200 hours of 3D Olympic content covering multiple competitions including athletics, diving, swimming and gymnastics.

While Sky 3D is not a rights holder, its head John Cassy is enthusiastic about the impact of the Games. “2012 is a very important year for 3D and one of the big opportunities is London 2012. We’d love to see the Olympics in 3D and it looks like there’ll be quite extensive coverage, which is great news.” Cassy believes the timing of the Games means they coincide perfectly with a major shift in technology. “The other major boost this year is that increasingly, the vast majority of new [larger] TVs are coming 3D-ready as standard. If you look at some of the forecasts, they’re going to really fly in the UK.” Cassy says viewers like “big events” and the “feeling of immersion” that sports can bring, so it’s no surprise that Premiership football continues to be one of Sky’s biggest 3D hits.

In Germany and Italy, Sky also launched its 3D platforms with sporting fi xtures, and ESPN, too, is enthusiastically delivering a variety of sports in 3D. Tennis has also proved popular, and Sony’s ongoing partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club will continue to bring 3D coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships to viewers in the UK and around the world. Sony marketing director, David Bush, says: “This will be another year of positive development. There will be some important triggers like the Olympics, and Wimbledon will go to more broadcasters for more days.”

Against this background, and with price points for 3D sets hitting a new low, London 2012 looks like being the catalyst the 3D industry was waiting for.

But it hasn’t actually happened yet, and the technological task that faces those involved is massive, and daunting.

The groundbreaking 3D coverage of London 2012 will present a number of challenges for Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS). The ambitious plans will provide 3D programming on an unprecedented scale and will be produced featuring a mixture of live and ENG coverage. OBS is deploying a production team consisting of up to three fully equipped OB vans and six separate ENG crews. There will be a 3D operations centre in the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) where the signals will be received and distributed to Pool participants.

From there a daily highlights programme will be produced as part of the 3D transmission.

OBS says one of the main challenges will be to secure the correct locations for both the live and the ENG venues.

It is in the nature of 3D that the cameras need to be relatively low and close to the athletes. There is restricted space within the compounds and this has also proved a 12 I

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OLYMPIC 3D HIGHLIGHTS FEED IN ADDITION to the live 3D programming, OBS will also be providing a highlights feed of selected events using 3D ENG units.

A ‘turnkey’ 3D channel with English commentary will start at approximately 09.00 local time and will broadcast for up to 16 hours a day for the duration of the Games. So far the provisional schedule for the highlights feed includes basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, equestrian, handball, judo, tennis, volleyball and wrestling (Greco-Roman and freestyle). ENG coverage of cycling, both track and BMX, may feature as well.

A daily hour-long highlights programme will also be offered, which will combine selections from the live 3D coverage with moments collected by ENG crews from other venues.

challenge when accommodating the 3D operation, so the choice of events for 3D has needed careful consideration.

For live coverage there will be up to 11 3D cameras per venue and the tentative schedule includes the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletics, gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic and trampoline) and synchronised diving.

There may also be live coverage of the canoe/kayak slalom and aquatics, including swimming, synchronised swimming, diving and water polo.

Another challenge for OBS is the co-ordination of 3D OBS managing director Manolo and 2D operations. 3D resources at a venue will vary, deRomero pending on whether it is live coverage or ENG. At live venues the plan is to operate a 3D OB Van separate to the 2D operation, with up to 10 true 3D cameras, converted 3D graphics and a true 3D Olympic Transition Device (replaying graphics) and introductory graphic sequences. This will allow a totally separate 3D signal to be produced. For the non-live venues a single 3D camera will be deployed in a range of positions and the feed sent back to the IBC to be ed“2012 is a very ited for the daily summary package. important year for Not all the shooting will be with true 3D cam3D and one of the eras. There will also be a limited number of 2D cameras converted, along with the clean feed. big opportunities The intention is that around 75-80% of the covis London 2012” erage will come from true 3D cameras. The conJohn Cassy verted camera content will be integrated where appropriate to tell the editorial story.

PINA 3D

Dancing into the third dimension Chris Forrester talks to MIPTV keynoter Erwin Schmidt about his production role on the Wim Wenders-directed documentary about choreographer Pina Bausch, Pina 3D, and the team’s new 3D series for TV

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INA 3D, the Wim Wenders-directed documentary film about the life and work of avant-garde choreographer Pina Bausch, has been a huge critical and financial success. The movie earned almost €500,000 on its opening weekend in Germany alone, and marks Wenders’ biggest success since Buena Vista Social Club (1999) was Oscar-nominated.

“Pina was conceived, produced, shot and post-produced as a 3D film, and the most important decision taken at the very beginning of the production was to never compromise the 3D version in favour of 2D,” says Erwin Schmidt, 3D producer on Pina and a MIPTV Keynote speaker. Even without having done 3D before we felt this was the only possible approach — and the fi nal result confi rms our assumption. 3D needs to be treated as its own cinematic

language, as an extension of the existing vocabulary, and should not be reduced to a pure visual effect — then it is able to deliver an experience that is beyond the spectacular, then it enriches and expands the experience of the viewer in a way a flat screen could never do.”

Pina was captured in three blocks during 2009 and 2010, at a time when no standardised technology was available.

“The rigs were custom-made by the stereographer Alain Derobe, and the workflows were established after an extensive period of testing, trial and error,” Schmidt says.

“Of course certain scenes were more difficult to shoot than others. But the big challenges were all faced before the start of principal photography, when we developed the set of tools necessary for the project and acquired the necessary experience to dare this endeavour.” www.miptv.com I 3DTV Focus I April 2012 I 13

ERWIN SCHMIDT ‘s Keynote Speech Meet The New TV. How 3D-TV Is Changing Broadcaster’s Perspectives at 09.15, April 3

Schmidt explains that fast movements can create a much stronger shuttering or stroboscope effect in 3D than in 2D. “And the dancers often moved very fast. We experimented a lot with different shutter speeds in camera, and smart-motion blur effects in post-production, to come to a satisfying result. The best solution for this would have been a higher frame rate, of course, but that is still not an industry standard.” Schmidt says the end-result showed that this intense pre-production experimentation meant the actual shoot went pretty smoothly.

“The question about the most suitable genres for 3D is often discussed — and rarely answered satisfactorily. For instance, 3D has not yet been used in regular storytelling, with talking actors, with dramatic action — as opposed to spectacular action, of which we have seen enough by now.

For me, some of the most intense scenes in Pina are the silent portraits of the dancers, those very real bodies that And for Schmidt and his team Pina is certainly not a oneI still want to watch and study forever. There is a whole off. “We are currently producing a 3DTV series consisting of 10 films (26 mins each), directed by 10 established universe to be discovered with people in 3D.” Schmidt says that even though some 3D producers have European filmmakers, each fi lm featuring an outstandfocused on factual content, he believes there’s much ing European building, exploring the soul more to be explored in terms of documentary produc- of the building and its role as a mirror and tion. “The extra costs very much depend on the nature of echo of our society. Wim Wenders is the “I find it surprising the project, the length of the shoot, the number of loca- executive producer of the series and will that most 3D projects tions, whether it is fiction or documentary ... There seems direct one of the fi lms. The French stereto be a hesitation among producers to associate 3D with ography team from Pina is again on board, are directed by fi lms of lower budget, 2m and less, since the higher a as well as the post-production team. With established budget is, the lower the percentage of the extra cost of 10 internationally-awarded filmmakers filmmakers” 3D becomes. Generally, if there is more equipment in- involved, all with a different style and apErwin Schmidt volved, a larger crew, a more complex post-production proach, we also see the series as a great and more deliveries, the budget has to increase. In terms possibility to further develop the 3D lanof shooting days, a project can be shot equally as fast in guage and push the visual boundaries.”

3D as in 2D. Here, at least, there is no considerable extra He adds that his TV project received incost involved. One fact is that 3D production costs today stant and very positive feedback. “It seems to be something many TV commissioning are lower now than 2009 and 2010 editors have a particular interwhen we shot Pina.” est in, since it is a ground-breakSchmidt explains the reasons for ing 3D television programme the reduction in cost: “There has with a pan-European concept been a huge technological deand a subject very suitable for velopment in the past two-to3D … Obviously, 3D television three years. There is now a wide has not yet experienced a breakrange of solutions, and a largthrough similar to that of the er number of trained crew membig screen. But we are very conbers available. On the other hand, fident that there will soon be a the creative and the technologisufficient household penetration cal developments have not gone with 3DTV sets, and a satisfyhand-in-hand. After a 3D boom in ing amount of 3D programming the aftermath of Avatar, creative available, which again will lead development slowed down and esto more TV sets, which will lead pecially the younger generations to more programmes. ARTE, of filmmakers have seemed to shy our main partner for the series, is away from this new field. I find very committed in this field and it surprising that most 3D prois again backing our cutting-edge jects are directed by established Pina 3D producer Erwin Schmidt new technologies.” filmmakers.”

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3DTV Focus I April 2012 I www.miptv.com

ERIC KLEIN is on the Global Entertainment panel at 12.00 on April 3

HIGH TV

High TV aims for popular appeal Eric Klein

Steering away from co-productions High TV looks to the strengths of its own production capability. By Chris Forrester

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RIC Klein, CEO at High TV, says he is such as cookery shows, fitness, travel, extreme looking to add availability far wider than sports, and fashion. the current distribution in Europe, India, “For several years we have trained and develAsia and Middle East, for his channel. “We fi nd oped our production facilities and crews to facili3DTV distribution to be a time-sensitive issue and tate the requirements of the channel. High TV is feel the need to deploy the channel to as many ter- a self-sufficient channel and does not rely on conritories as possible thus standardising 3DTV as a tent providers; rather we produce about 90% of regular offering. High TV is also retaining more our material in-house.” qualified 3D professionals to produce high qual- Klein believes that 3D production costs are about ity 3D content.” the same now as last year. “Most productions in 3D Klein says High TV has no specific focus on a spe- can also be sold in HD, therefore the extra budget cific programming genre. “We feel we have to ap- will be amortised through a longer shelf life.” peal to as wide a demographic audience as pos- High TV doesn’t involve itself in co-productions, sible. Everyone has to fi nd something appealing instead focusing on its own productions where on this 3DTV channel. We enhanced our sports it can retain global rights. “Although there are and motoring programmes as some wonderful TV producwell as producing an in-depth ers and story-tellers, producprogramme about A frica ers skilled in 3D are hard to HIGH TV 3D BROADCASTS VIA SIX SATELLITES: where our crew lived among fi nd. 3D requires experience • Astra 23.5 East tribes for six months docuand knowledge, which as in • Thor 6 menting their daily lives. We all fields of life follows years • Hispasat 1E covered many hidden gems of productions in this format.

• Yahlive 1A • Measat 3A around the world and made The post-production work• Hellas Sat 2 it accessible in this new diflows are different, as well as mension. We collaborated the camerawork.”

HIGH TV IS AVAILABLE ON THESE PLATFORMS: with Canal Digital and sent Klein adds that High TV is • Canal Digital Norway a film crew to cover destiheavily investing in 3D. “We • Canal Digital Denmark nations chosen by their own have every intention of con• Canal Digital Finland survey. We ended up covertinuing to do so in the com• Canal Digital Sweden • DNA Finland ing the World Snowboarding ing years. We see 3D as a • Anvia Finland championships. necessity and are willing to • Etisalat UAE “A 3D schedule should not endure the costs of stand• Silknet • UPC Romania rely just on blockbusters. 3D ardising this phenomenal en• First Media Indonesia has to give not only the experitertainment dimension. We • Shenzen Cable ence and look and feel of 3D, are making every effort to From April 15 High TV will launch on a but it should also work with grow, stay relevant and most further six European platforms regular cable programming importantly, interesting.”

“We feel we have to appeal to as wide a demographic audience as possible” Eric Klein

www.miptv.com I 3DTV Focus I April 2012 I 15

Burma Myanmar 3D

GMC

GMC plans to boost 3DTV distribution Global Media Consult is busy growing its specialist 3D catalogue. Chris Forrester meets GMC’s managing partner Torsten Hoffman

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HIS time last year Australia’s Global Media Consult’s (GMC) Torsten Hoffman attended MIPTV with about a dozen hours of native 3D wildlife documentary material in its 3D Content Hub development and distribution arm. That figure has grown significantly, and Hoffman says the 3D production qualities have also improved, with natural history by far the most sought-after genre. ”We now have about 60 hours of wildlife, travel, animation, music, and entertainment titles in stereoscopic 3D. This includes an award-winning film, Burma Myanmar 3D, featuring stunning aerial views of Burma; action sports filmed with point-of-view (POV) 3D; and of course, Fireants 3D, using spectacular macro-3D where we’ll see the tiny insects filling the whole screen,” Hoffman says.

“We have sold titles to about 20 territories. In 2012, we see buyers starting to take a bit more risk and acquire more unique concepts and creative topics. I predict that the number of territories will increase moderately, while the number of buyers per territory will increase dramatically. We have just launched our 3D Content Hub, and our approach is to find the best distributors in each market. We strongly feel that the 2D distribution model is flawed and we are taking this open approach, maximising cash-flow back to the producers. Our upcoming 3D projects include docs about falconry, cute meerkats, supermachines, more travel and dance titles, and a major global production about motor sports with the Luxury Racing team.” Hoffman says the company is also venturing into concerts, short fi lms and indie feature fi lms based on a number of discussions with producers. “We have also launched our own 3D Blu-ray label and are looking for interesting 3D films to publish,” he adds.

Hoffman says that GMC is increasingly being approached

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3DTV Focus I April 2012 I www.miptv.com

by producers, and welcomes their suggestions. “However, I would like to see more unique and daring or risky ideas.

So instead of making a 3D version of a traditional documentary that we have seen many times in 2D, we need to answer the question ‘why 3D?’.”

Hoffman admits that the 3D Content Hub, as its name implies, has little experience of 2D. “In fact, I think the 2D distribution business is a completely separate industry — which is still a hundred times larger, I might add.

We want to be the leaders in this small market. And importantly, 3D production costs are decreasing quickly, while ability to monetise increases.

“Typically we get involved after the project is fi nished and the producers want to monetise globally. One of my goals this year at MIPTV is to connect to the co-production and financing experts, an area which we haven’t been exposed to in the past. Currently I have about 15 3D projects on the table that all lack funding.”

Hoffman says his 3D Content Hub will continue to specialise in 3D with the aim of signing up more compelling 3D content, growing distribution by finding more local distributors and agents, and monetising directly via its VOD and Blu-ray operations. “We want to be the go-to destination for producers that want to maximise their global income from their native 3D films, and the best source for customers looking for 3D content of highquality and large volume.”

GMC managing partner TORSTEN HOFFMAN is a speaker on the panel Where Are The New Media Revenue Opportunities In 3DTV? at 15.45, on April 3

“I would like to see more unique and daring or risky ideas” Torsten Hoffman

GMC managing partner Torsten Hoffman

MICK HOCKING’s Keynote Speech Playstation 3D Games Presentation at 15.30, April 3

SONY GAMING

GHISLAINE LE RHUN-GAUTIER is on the Sports & Action Spotlight at 10.45 on April 3

ORANGE

3D: the gaming experience

3D: the Orange experience Ghislaine Le Rhun-Gautier

Mick Hocking

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HILE broadcasters focus their eyes on television, gameplayers are hugely loyal to their Sony 3D PlayStation consoles. New 3D developments, like David Cage’s breathtak ing K ara concept, which uses the French-developed Quantic Dream processing engine, brings a spectacular life-like realism to games.

And gaming is big business. Game developers have latched onto the financial benefits of 3D — forgamers, and industry analysts are predicting further strong growth as broadband network speeds improve and the potential for multiple player (through options like the PlayStation Network) and social networking expands the overall market.

What the complete industry is tapping into is gamers’ complete

love-affair with his or her favourite game. The hype and media interest that revolves around a new release or updated game is amazing, and builds up a much anticipation as Hollywood’s latest blockbuster.

Mick Hocking, vice-president, Studio Group at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, will be presenting Sony’s latest thoughts, and plans for this fast-growing segment at a MIPTV 3D conference on April 3.

So according to Hocking, does 3D make for a better gaming experience? “It doesn’t make [you] a better games player, but if you can see something more clearly and understand something more naturally, whether it’s speed distance or scale, you can respond better to that. So we’ve found that people do get better scores in 3D.”

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HISLAINE Le RhunGautier heads up Orange TV’s 3D Project. With a proud pedigree already of carrying high-profile events such as the Roland Garros tennis championship, she looks forward to a busy year ahead.

L e R hun- Gautier says that Orange TV’s 3D coverage has matured considerably over the past year or two. “For the Roland Garros 2008 tournament we tinkered with just two 3D cameras.

Now we have binocular 3D cameras and there are an increasing number of 3D experts available.”

Orange TV’s 3D transmissions have also expanded. “We shot a multi-screen live concert with the band Skip The Use and put it on our 3D channel, as well as the Dailymotion 3D website. This was the first live 3D concert broadcast

on the Web. We also transmitted a full day of 3D programming with ARTE on February 19. We have also acquired a wonderful documentary series La Plus Grand Foret Du Monde, looking at French forests around the World including French Guyana, La Reunion and French Polynesia.

We also acquired Fox’s National Geographic catalogue in 3D.” This year’s main OB focus remains Roland Garros, as well as working with France Television’s London Olympic Games coverage in 3D. Le Rhun-Gautier says it is much easier now to fi nd 3D content. “As costs fall it allows and encourages new talent to enter the world of 3D.” She adds: “We remain committed because we consider 3D as part of our innovation strategy towards our partners in the industry.”

www.miptv.com I 3DTV Focus I April 2012 I 17

FRAUNHOFER CENTER

Taking care of technicalities Take-up of 3DTVs is faster than with HD. Now the challenge is to find ways to reduce 3D production costs, 3D Innovation Center’s Kathleen Schroeter tells Chris Forrester

German hip-hop band Die Fantastischen 4

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HE WORLD-famous Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute’s Fraunhofer 3D Innovation Center in Berlin is working hard on the technical and production aspects of 3D. For MIPTV they have produced a hands-on 3DTV Producer Boot Camp (April 4, 10.00).

Kathleen Schroeter, executive manager, 3D Innovation Center, has helped showcase a number of productions.

“We created some content ourselves or in co-operation with partners,” she says. “The most exciting examples are a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, a live transmission of a concert of the German hip-hop band Die Fantastischen 4 to 90 movie theatres in five countries, a live-to-tape 3D production of a pop concert (Marina & The Diamonds) in co-operation with the French/German TV station ARTE and an image film on research activities of the Fraunhofer Society.”

A key task of the Center is to work to make 3D production cheaper and simpler. Schroeter says that although considerable 3D progress has been made this past year, the introduction of 3D services remains slow. “On the one hand there is a lack of 3D content and on the other hand the production of 3D is still too expensive for TV.” But the Center is missioned to imoprove this situation. ”We are fully com- content at comparable prices as HD content. One of our mitted to 3D. It is just at its beginning, there is so much targets is the development of fully-automatic 3D camerto develop, both on the technical and as, which do not need a stereographer, on the business sectors.” She adds: “We but which can be used by cameramen as have founded the 3D Innovation Center with 2D cameras.”

“One of our in Berlin to support these developments, She also sees the initial hype of 3D fadtargets is the together with our partners, and to create ing away as viewers — and filmgoers — a successful 3D market.” become more demanding. “The big 3D development of Schroeter says that production and hype is over, people are becoming more fully automatic equipment costs still have to come realistic. But this is not only negative, 3D cameras” down. “This is the challenge for the next because the 3D projects planned right Kathleen Schroeter few years: to develop production equipnow are maybe more serious than two ment which allows the production of 3D years ago.”

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The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

4K is just the beginning While others claim to be 4K ready, Sony is already there. We continue to drive the industry with thousands of projection systems installed worldwide, delivering stunning 4K imagery and captivating, lifelike 3D. But that is just the beginning. Sony is also a leader in the deployment of turnkey international VPF programs with flexible financing.

Added to which, we provide digital signage solutions for concessions, box office and lobbies, plus exciting alternative content, digital surveillance and a sophisticated NOC to monitor your systems. All of which is backed with global support.

When it comes to investing in the future of exhibition, all eyes are on Sony 4K. www.pro.sony.eu/dcinema

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