3ality Digital - New Products w/EPIC & Leica @ NAB

[Lucas Wilson]

Hi all,

We issued a release today on two new products from 3ality Digital that we believe will genuinely change how S3D shooting is approached, and I wanted to share it with my Reduser peeps...

http://bit.ly/IntelleCam_IntelleCal

One of the biggest impediments to small-crew, high-quality S3D... and to large-crew, budget-conscious shows has been the fairly large amount of extra people required as dedicated S3D personnel over and above 2D personnel. With these two products, we have been able to automate convergence and interaxial based on realtime image analysis, and also to allow automatic lens/rig profiling and calibration in under 5 minutes for zooms, about 3 minutes for primes... without a specially required skillset. Fast zooms, quick reframing, focus pulls - all traditionally nightmares for S3D... are pain-free & retain proper geometry without requiring a separate convergence/interaxial puller.

We have had fairly big names in our shop over the past few weeks taking a look, and the universal reaction has been "wow."

I encourage anyone who makes their living off of S3D to come by our booth at NAB and take a look. (you can set up private appointments via our website)

We will have IntelleCam working on one of our Acquisition Systems with a TS-5 and EPICs with 21mm Leicas.

This is the same Acquisition System (with other glass) that is being used on The Amazing Spider-Man and The Hobbit.

Best,

Lucas

 

[Eric Lange]

Hi Lucas,

Stunned silence…

Unfortunately I am up to my neck in immutable deadlines and cannot attend NAB.

The system you describe sounds superb. We’ve been looking for a high precision system to work with other than the much more specialized imaging systems we are developing for slightly different applications. If the precisions and accuracy of the imaging geometry are near to what you describe in a more “mechatronically” controlled and well interfaced set up, then I think you guys will be interested in some of the software we have been developing, and we’d be more than interested in the system you have put together.


Please feel free to PM me some more details when you have time.

Nice one!,

Eric

 

[Kwan Khan]

Nice

 

[Peter Lyons Collister ASC]

I have seen a demo of these new systems and software and Bettina and Gary and the team have done a great job. Wish I could go to NAB

Peter

 

[Lucas Wilson]

Hey Peter - wish you could be here too! We've got the basketball court up... jib arm + about 10 systems... showing IntelleCal, IntelleCam, IntelleMatte... I am completely psyched about this, and the feedback we've received so far has been a combination of "stunned" and "wow."

: )

Lucas

 

[Markus Stone]

Wish I could be there to check it out. Few questions;

Can you override the automatic interaxial settings for creative or technical reasons (eg to reduce miniturisation, or to control parallax on a greenscreen shot where the background hasn't been added yet)? If so, can this be done dynamically during a shot, or can you only adjust parallax limits on the SIP?

I take it all alignment axes of the rig are motorised? If so, how does the rig cope with being powered down for relocation to other parts of the set?

Can you split the focus from the convergence or are they always locked together?

Cheers

Markus Stone
Head of Production
Inition Asia Pacific

 

[PatC]

Lucas this puts convergence pullers out of a job! The tech is amazing, but bummed about losing a position.

 

[Markus Stone]

I think it's been moving in this direction for about 18 months (or more!). Ever since the MPE-200's came out it's been a matter of time before the image analysis was coupled with rig control. I'm not sure it does away with rig techs or stereographers, but convergence pullers have been marked for some time.

I actually think it's a good thing. ANYTHING that makes stereo cheaper and more efficient is a good thing, IMO as more producers will go for it as a format.

That's my 2.01 cents, anyway (the exchange rate being what it is)

Cheers

Markus Stone
Head of Production
Inition Asia Pacific

 

[Markus Lanxinger]

Hi Markus,

Yes, all axes other than the Roll (Rotation) are motorized. Height, Pitch, Back Rails and Front Rails. IA, Convergence. All the settings you do during an alignment get saved onto our SPC (Stereo Platform Controller). Once you shutdown the rig and reboot the last used settings are still there. You can also save unlimited settings on your laptop and upload them to the rig in a couple of seconds.

Focus and Convergence can of course be used separately. No need to lock them together. I've yet to see any good results from doing that. Sure it is "easier" but in the end quality of the stereo should be the main goal. If you prefer focus and convergence to be locked, you can do that as well.


cheers

 

[AnthonyFlores]

Hey Lucas, thanks for this!

Also, I PM'd you ... but I know how easy it is to have your inbox fill up here on Reduser.
Was wondering if you could post or email me pricing on the TS5 -- I'm putting it into
the business plan for my boutique studio and would love to have that info.

Thanks,

Anthony