Prime Focus is looking to build a new post production workflow designed to convert 2D into 3D programming destined for broadcast, writes Adrian Pennington.
Currently the cost to post convert 2D material into stereo 3D is prohibitive outside of feature film budgets because the work is so labour intensive.
Prices range up to £80,000 per minute of converted footage, even if work is farmed out to places in India with lower wage bills.
“Post conversion is a high end VFX process that involves stereography and huge amounts of manpower,” explains Matt Bristowe, senior producer, Prime Focus. “There is a huge demand for it. We are speaking to major channels and broadcasters about conversion and investing a lot in R&D to find ways to create a faster, cheaper conversion pipeline for broadcast.”
Bristowe said he expected developments within a year to 18 months.
“If it takes a week to convert a shot for a feature film we aim to bring that down to three or even two days by introducing automation to some elements of the process while maintaining quality.”
Ascent 142 (now owned by Deluxe) has also conducted conversion tests for UK broadcasters.
Prime Focus recently completed the full 3D conversion of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Picture credit: Phil Bray
2010 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Walden Media, LLC
