Shooting A Fanfilm In 3D.....

[K'riq Sa]

Hi I was just wondering if anyone here has shot, or is knowledgable, in shooting in the 3D medium? We have researched most of the stuff on the web and started assembling the equipment to shoot the "Starfleet Rangers", my fanfilm in 3D. We are using 2 matching Canons HD cameras.

you can go here to check out my rig...
http://starfleetmngmt.proboards38.com/index.cgi?board=technology






K'riq Sa

 

[FalTorPan]

I meant to comment on this, but never got around to it.

This seems very cool. Are you modeling your efforts for the 3D aspect of the movie after some other project, or is this a "strange, new world" from your perspective? In any case, this looks like a fun challenge!

 

[K'riq Sa]

Well after seeing the new U2 Movie in 3D I can see that this is the way to go for this type of genre. Shooting it in 3D gives me access to many options one is being able to show it on the web in 3D. And also once shot in 3D the original footage can now be totally manipulated in software and can be exported to other high-end 3d systems like Reel 3D or others, and being shot in high def, I can export it to the IMax.... ok that's reaching, but hey it could happen...


here is a shot of the latest rig...

k'riq the undisciplined

 

[flcat]

Good luck

 

[Dave Berry]

Hey,
Pretty ambitious to shoot in 3D. Congrats. I took a look at some of the specs for your rig and you're on the right track. Best advice I can give you is slate every take or sync the timecode on the cameras so you can match the shots in post. It would be best to sync timecode then it'll make your life in editing easier. To clarify, you can cut the whole episode with the footage from one camera (so you don't have to cut in 3d) and then link up the B cam stuff easily by matching timecodes. Don't know if your rig can do that.

Another thign to watch out for will be focus. You want to make sure that both your cameras are focused on the same plane so make sure you get them out of automatic and set them to the same focal distance. The same applies for lenses. I may be reiterating things you already have found out but I can tell you these are the major things to look out for. Basically both cameras must be the same at all times (focal length, focus distance, color settings). The more time you take to make sure all of that is good on set the less headache you'll have in post.

Best advice is TEST TEST TEST. You'll probably have to figure out the best workflow for your show and your rig but before you go shooting anythign from the script get some testing done so you know the limitations of the rig and the workflow. Take it all the way through to the end of post. Maybe even try green screen (for a challenge) make sure to render the backgrounds stereoscopically as well. I could go on but hopefully I've covered some of the basics.

There's actually a really good article in the American Cinematographer Magazine covering the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth (shot in 3d) higlighting what gear they used and how to managed their work flow. I'd advise ordering the backissue (August 2008). It could really help you out with a real world, professional, reference.

http://ascmag.com/store/product.php?productid=16309

Hope this helps.

 

[K'riq Sa]

Great advice Dave. this is definitely one of those slate every shot productions and attention to details is very important. that is why i love working with professionals, i am constantly learning and getting better as well. I know it will be very tricky shooting in 3D and it may, if not done correctly leave me with a stiff, plodding, one trick pony mess. If you can see by some of my other work I love moving camera's weird angled shots, rack focused, jib arm dolly shots. But with 3d I have to see what kind of camera effect this has on the 3D effect. The Canons have time-code as well, and I have matching professional grade, wide angle and telephoto lens, with adaptor rings. I'm thinking about some kind of matt box configuration for the unit, but that may be too much, we'll see. I have a really good DP, John Rhode ( http://crosslight.tv/jRhodePres.shtml ), and his First AC is Brian Hanish my stand-in DP, and resident 3D expert. He and I are designing the 3D Rig and will have the final prototype piece milled at the local college where my friend teaches the CNC class. Yeah, we get that magazine in my office LA and at the rental house I work out of, luckly, only when i feel like working...
http://crosslight.tv/
look under the camera to see the list that i have at my disposal, both film and video, and that’s besides the ones i own personally.


Here is a music video I worked on a while back, that had effects shots up the wazoo..
http://music.aol.com/video/u-do-it-for-me/algebra/tag/singer/1676173

and here is some of the behind the scene footage I shot during the production…
http://66.39.114.178/Movies/AlgebraMovie1a.mov

and some of my old stuff at
www.savitchfilmspresents.com

And my personal production company
www.imachinefilms.com

and the thriller tv series i am currently working on, and feverishly trying to finish up two new episodes in post (two pick up shots are in the works for it) for a DVD release. here is a promo cut of the pilot...
http://66.39.114.178/Movies/SavitchPresents-Sm.mov

on another note, we just shot the beginning of this month on another army production, (america's real army hero series, we do their Hero bio movies) We flew to North Carolina to shoot the bio of the second female in history to receive the Silver Star w/valor in combat.
http://www.americasarmy.com/realheroes/

ms. brown’s stuff is not up yet but here is a gallery of behind the scene shots i took (fun, fun, fun, i got to fake blowing up a hummer, then setting another on fire, i love my job)...….

​

http://66.39.114.178/ArmyJobPix/



and in that vein here are some behind the scene shots of the "Discovery Channel: Cosmic Collisions" we did a week ago…
http://66.39.114.178/Discovery/

and here is a cool finished piece I worked on a few months back, Terry Rossio who wrote "Shrek", "Pirates of the Caribbean Black Pearl", and a shitload of others directed this piece using two Red Cameras.
http://crosslight.tv/Movies/Turbo-date-Potion.shtml


enjoy...









k'riq the uninretainable

 

[FalTorPan]

Impressive stuff!

 

[K'riq Sa]

thanks....

one guess who this is....






k'riq the unincaressable

 

[K'riq Sa]

O.T. - still off topic.....

the rangers series is my first foray back out into the fray, since my last 2 projects have gone to waste because i was partnered will ill fated sirens, they sing a pretty song, and everything is amazingly gorgous and the colors are rich and vibrant, but inevitably you always end up crashing into the rocks. i tend to be more like dirty harry now, and i only fly solo...

​

the last project was the full length pilot episode of a comedy named, "Sports Page" starring carl lewis (the olympic runner). i wrote directed, co-produced for the now defunct UNP network, who took this project down to the grave with them, shortly after it had been delivered by me and was in their posthouse, since they footed the bill, it was pretty much considered one of their assets in the meltdown. Done in two days of shooting, with four different, full company moves, the first in a beautiful, small, out of the way rural town call piru, ca. then on to filmore at the train station, and back to LA, to a clinic on sunset in echo park and then finally to the running track at USC.


my last feature which i shot in 4 days, 120 pages, 90 minutes, 4 locations, a musical number, a fight scene, and two people find each other and fall in love, was called "interview with an internet junkie"...

my favorite was this scene of a character called "Nurse Betty", modeled after Frau Braukker in "young frankenstien", and here interaction with an airhead alien abductee, it was hilariously funny and here is just one example. this is the scene shot from one camera angle (i always shoot the same scene from at least 4-6 different camera angles minimum, plus the wide, medium, and ecu's). you unfortunately don't get too see the scene in it's final cut version this time, maybe one day.

http://66.39.114.178/sAVITCH/Outtake.mov

unfortunately this poor child is caught up in a bloody custody battle, and last i checked i wasn't talking to my previous production partner. (sometime situations, are best to just walk away from, no matter how painful and tragic the loss) ...

one of my favorite to actually work on is the "Way of the Master" (www.wayofthemaster.com) evangelical series, with kirk cameron. they are getting ready to ramp up production for their next season. it's shown on most religious channels, tbn etc.. i love this show because they use incredible scenerios to get their message across, and we shoot everywhere from a wild west town near Vazquez Rocks, to the Mojave Airport and do all kinds of wild outragous stuff, some of which i get to come up with. here is a clip of kirk saying hi for me, to some of my friends who had asked about him...

http://66.39.114.178/DATA/HiRick.mov





k'riq the unindistingushable