This is the second part of a blog following-on from Vision+Media’s 3D: The Future is NOW Visionary Session. To return to Part I please click here.
In terms of content, Brain Lenz warned content creators that 3D is not a rescue tool; if a piece of broadcast content is not high enough quality in 2D, nor will it be in 3D. Conversely not all broadcast content intended for 2D, even if of substantial quality, will translate well into 3D. In fact producing for 3D requires a whole new approach to direction and cinematography. 3D is much more demanding on the eye and as such, poorly considered 3D content will result in eye-strain and discomfort amongst audiences. Brian Lenz explained that one of the key reasons for shifting depth-of-field and quick cuts in TV and filmmaking is to compensate for a flat screen display’s inability to replicate the depth that our eyes are accustomed to in the real world. With the application of 3D techniques which can replicate this depth, at least in part, Brian Lenz went on to advise that directors and cinematographers need to ‘manage their depth budget’ when applying 3D techniques to TV and filmmaking. I believe that this is why one of the most enjoyable clips to watch in Sky’s 3D showreel, in my opinion, was a tennis match. From also testing a couple of Sony’s 3D Playstation 3 titles (Motorstorm: Apocalypse and WipEout), Games, I believe, do not suffer from this issue quite so much. This is likely due to the fact that the viewer is an active participant in the narrative of a game and can therefore control the cinematography of the scene, as it were, as opposed to being a passive recipient of Film or TV broadcast.
Finally, in terms of affordability, what was interesting across the speakers’ presentations was the different strategies adopted by businesses to monetize their 3D content. Brian Lenz began his presentation by pointing out that innovation drives the entertainment industry not only in terms of technology but also in terms of business models: ‘Moving pictures’ created the cinema box office model, television created the ad-funded model, and cable and satellite created the subscription television model. Technological innovation such as the shifts from silent to ‘talkies’, from black-and-white to colour, and from analogue to digital helped to accelerate the growth of the industry, and the shift from 2D to 3D could be the next major advancement in entertainment technology. However as 3D content is going to be delivered through multiple channels (cinema, DVD/Blu-ray, broadcast TV and games), it will be monetised according to the channel/platform. This is fairly simple. What I find interesting is that 3D content is considered as premium content at the cinema where ticket prices for a 3D film are higher than for a non-3D film, however Sony announced that they would not charge more for 3D games. This is presumably because Sony are using their 3D games as a driver for consumers to purchase their range of Bravia 3D-ready TV sets. However Sky will be monetising their 3D programming as premium content either through the higher end of their subscription packages or as pay-per-view programmes (particularly films and sporting events) however delivery of their content will also rely on the investment of a 3D-ready TV set.
In my opinion, consumers are not going to invest in 3D-ready TV sets only to then be expected to pay for premium 3D content, particularly if they have recently invested in HD-ready, but not 3D-ready sets. Therefore Sony’s strategy seems to make much more sense by providing added value. The danger is that Sony may be required to rethink their strategy in 4 or 5 years time if ownership of 3D-ready TV sets reaches critical mass, by which time their audience may have become used to 3D-games-as-standard, but their developers may be struggling to invest the addition capital required to provide high quality 3D games without the necessary return.
Whether as a consumer or creator of digital entertainment content you believe or not that 3D is here to stay, the likes of Sony and Sky are investing heavily in the provision of high quality 3D content, and they are by no means alone; Microsoft and LG are working together to bring 3D to the Xbox 360, ESPN have launched a 3D service, and of course there is the significant investment in digital/3D cinema screens in the UK. So believe it or not, we may indeed be approaching the tipping point before an explosion of 3D content in the UK.
Videos of each of the speakers can be viewed on the Vision+Media Vimeo Channel or downloaded as a podcast from iTunes.