Panasonic Solutions Company announced that Vertical Ascent is developing and producing an original 3D TV series that is being shot with AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D camcorders from Panasonic.
For more information visit: www.panasonic.com ; www.adamjfriedman.com
Unedited press release follows:
Panasonic AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D Camcorders Used by Production Company Vertical Ascent for Cable Exclusive Original 3D Series
SECAUCUS, N.J.–Vertical Ascent (Studio City, CA), a production company founded by award-winning filmmaker, documentarian and music video director Adam Friedman, is developing and producing an original 3D TV series that is being shot with Panasonic AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D camcorders. The series was developed by Vertical Ascent for iN DEMAND to be distributed to U.S. cable systems and offered to consumers for free.
This series is part of iN DEMAND’s drive to create and deliver entertaining and visually stunning original programming in 3D, an exciting new growth area for television. iN DEMAND, which is is the country’s largest distributor of transactional Video On Demand and Pay-Per-View, began providing cable with high-profile Hollywood films in stereoscopic 3D last fall.
Content already shot for this short-form series includes Rhythmic Gymnastics, Chinese Lion Dancing, Bicycle Motocross, Cirque School, Snowboarding and Parkour. Other content, including some high-profile international events, is in development.
Friedman is the producer/director of the project, working with Marty Mullin as Director of Photography and Sean MacGowan as DIT/Editor. Vertical Ascent is renting the 3DA1s, sometimes as many as three per shoot, from the Los Angeles office of Abel Cine Tech.
The iN DEMAND series marks the first major foray into 3D production for Friedman, who won an EMMY® Award for the documentary, Color Me Blue (about the N.Y.P.D.), and whose Rolling Stones’ Emotional Rescue video was part of the Whitney Museum Biennial celebration. “I was interested in tackling content that wasn’t typical of 3D, and in challenging myself creatively,” Friedman said, “I’d never have thought of covering Rhythmic Gymnastics, for instance, until I saw what it looks like in 3D.”
“The 3DA1 is affording us exceptional mobility and agility in capturing kinetic subjects in challenging environments,” he added. “Our locations have ranged from Olympic gymnasiums to ski slopes to L.A. rooftops. We had to lug our gear up several stories of an abandoned building (sans elevator). Try doing that with a beam splitter!”
“We have been blown away with the performance of the 3DA1,” Friedman said. “It’s so small, cost-effective and facilitates bringing a very high level of quality and creativity to the set. The DP can set convergence while he’s shooting and, working with the Panasonic BT-3DLH2550 3D monitor, can quickly effect changes. The end result is that we’re able to move through a lot of shots in a day.”
“We are very excited to be at the forefront as content creators in the new field of 3D for television,” said Emilio Nunez, iN DEMAND’s Vice President, Movies and Original Programming. “Working with Adam and Panasonic has enabled us to push the boundaries far beyond what we could have imagined. From what we have seen so far, the visual results are simply stunning.”
“I really like the 3DA1’s ease of use,” said DP Mullin. “Between me and Sean, we’ve been able to overcome any stereographic issues we’ve encountered. Using the stereo guide on the camcorder and the BT-3DLH2550 monitor, we can identify any challenges and address them on set. While the camcorder has some limitations, considering the fact that the cheapest beam splitter rig is much more expensive and would require a rig tech if not a full-on stereographer, at our budget point the 3DA1 is the best choice.”
“The 3DA1 can go anywhere that one can position oneself, and doesn’t require cumbersome peripheral accessories,” said DIT/Editor MacGowan. “It allows for hand-held shooting, and excels at capturing very low angles (we’ve placed it on the ground). Marty is able to get coverage from extreme positions, with the only requirement being that he can physically climb atop a half-pipe, or hang on the edge of a seven-story building!”
“We’ve modified the 3DA1 with the addition of Zunow optics, which provide a 30% wider angle of view and mitigate the possibility of frame violations. We occasionally encounter frame violations in situations where they are unavoidable, and in these instances we freely break the rule because the quality of the footage is so outstanding.”
MacGowan explained that the production is using dual-system recording, simultaneously capturing to the 3DA1’s SDHC cards as well as to dual AJA Ki Pro recorders (recording 10-bit QuickTime movies for maximal quality). “We have also recorded full stereo 3D directly into a Mac Pro via AJA KONA 3G,” he said. “The edit and finish are handled with a combination of Final Cut Pro and Cineform Neo3D software, plus the AJA KONA 3G and Mac Pro. Any necessary parallax corrections are handled in post using Neo3D.”
“Our circus location work was not easy,” Friedman said. “We had performers on stilts, juggling, hanging off of tissue trapezes– and we were shooting up into rafters. The Parkour shoot was downright dangerous, with the athletes literally leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I look at that Parkour footage, and it’s totally immersive, making me feel alternatively scared, hopeful and happy.”
“I guess that’s the allure of 3D,” he added. “You can’t show something until you can, and then everyone starts to take it for granted. And a versatile acquisition tool like the 3DA1 is only going to speed up that shift in perception.”
For more information about Vertical Ascent, visit www.adamjfriedman.com.
About the AG-3DA1
The AG-3DA1 is the world’s first professional, fully-integrated Full HD 3D camcorder that records to SD card media. The AG-3DA1 will democratize 3D production by giving professional videographers a more affordable, flexible, reliable and easier-to-use tool for capturing immersive content as well as providing a training tool for educators. At less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p in AVCHD. It can record for up to 180 minutes on dual 32GB SD cards in Panasonic’s professional AVCHD PH mode, and offers professional interfaces including dual HD-SDI out, HDMI (version 1.4), two XLR connectors, built-in stereo microphone and twin-lens camera remotes. For more information, visit http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast.
About Panasonic Solutions Company
Panasonic Solutions Company empowers people whose jobs depend on reliable technology. The company delivers collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in government, healthcare, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises. Products and services within the company’s portfolio include Panasonic Toughbook® mobile computing solutions, projectors, professional displays (including both plasma and LCD), and HD and 3D video acquisition and production solutions. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic is known for the reliability and longevity of its products. Panasonic Solutions Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).