In Broadcast September 2012 - 54

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 12 - SEPTEMBER 2012

InFOCUS

2012 - The Year 3D Went Far Beyond Sports
In the wake of a string of successful live 3D productions, Sony’s Mark Grinyer charts the unprecedented growth of 3D programming, its move into alternative content and explains why it is here to stay…
This year has been another landmark year for mainstream 3D production. It’s now cheaper and easier to shoot in 3D than ever before and major UK broadcasters including Sky have looked to 3D to add an extra dimension to their coverage of a whole host of big ticket events – from The Goodwood Festival of Speed to The Isle of Wight Music Festival and beyond. The 3D revolution really kicked off in 2010 when Sony and HBS worked in partnership to provide the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 3D, marking the beginning of the 3D content drive from broadcasters that we are seeing today, as they strive to deliver an experience for viewers at home that takes them to the heart of the action at some of the world’s most prestigious live events. In 2011 broadcasters were still in an experimental phase, testing a broad range of content from live sports to studio 3D productions, and crews focused on integrating closely with existing 2D set ups, bringing in more familiar broadcasting tools like Steadycam, Railcam and Polecam. Yet the development of high quality single lens 3D camcorders, like the Sony PMW-TD300, launched at IBC 2011, brought 2D and 3D productions much closer together, giving camera operators the ability to move freely around studios and venues, revolutionising 3D shooting capabilities and representing a major step towards where we ﬁnd ourselves today.
Mark Grinyer

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Band on stage at the Isle of Wight Festival

Control room at the IOW Festival

Broadcasters and production teams now have the conﬁdence and ability to shoot content with a Sony PMW-TD300 3D camcorder and use the “left eye” images for capturing 2D footage. Sharing feeds like this removes a key barrier to the wider uptake of 3D and means that a broader range of programming – from darts to Parkinson – can receive the 3D treatment. This year the UK witnessed the busiest summer of live events and sport in a generation. Sky and Sony worked together to bring both the Isle of Wight Festival and The Goodwood Festival of Speed into the homes of millions across the country in HighDefinition 3D for the first t i m e e v e r, whilst Sony again delivered Wimbledon in stunning 3D.

Alternative Content
While 3D programming is now well and truly established in the sporting world, a combination of technical innovation and high consumer demand has meant new forms of alternative 3D content is surging, bringing to life viewers favourite music gigs and TV programmes, allowing them to feel at the centre of the action. 3D live production reached a tipping point beyond sporting events this summer when Sony and Sky pioneered one of the UK’s most iconic music festivals, The Isle of Wight Festival live in 3D in what was Sky’s longest ever non sport 3D broadcast. Sky and Sony used a ground-breaking solution to produce compelling 3D content in the face of challenging weather conditions, a vastly scaled site and fast paced action, so that consumers could be a part of the Isle of Wight Festival crowd without having to leave the comfort of their living rooms. Just days later the Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the fastest paced live events in the calendar was also delivered in 3D for the ﬁrst time, taking 3D programming to an entirely new genre. In both productions Sony

combined the high quality 3D image capture from the Sony PMW-TD300 with leading edge SRMASTER m e m o r y - b a s e d t e c h n o l o g y, production teams benefit from the ability to record two content streams simultaneously, enabling them to ﬁlm once and screen in both 2D and 3D. Robin Broomﬁeld, 3D Operations Development Manager at BSkyB commented: “Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Isle of Wight Festival are some of the world’s most prestigious events and we’re proud to be leading the way in bringing the action in stunning 3D to customers. We’re always working to respond to the growing demand for outstanding 3D content and look forward to continuing our relationship with Sony and Telegenic to deliver the most immersive 3D experience possible.” Last year was a landmark year for 3D production but 2012 has really seen 3D come of age and become the natural choice for broadcasters looking to deliver the best, most complete viewing experience. ■
Mark Grinyer is Head of Live Production Business Development – 3D & Sports, Sony Europe
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In Broadcast September 2012

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