MK2
12-18-2008, 13:41
The Walt Disney Studios has long been a pioneer in technology as it relates to animated films, and that tradition continues with the Disney Digital 3-D™ presentation of “Bolt.” Two previous Disney animated features—“Chicken Little” and “Meet the Robinsons”—were released in 3-D versions, but the 3-D was a post-production conversion process created
outside of the Studio. “Bolt” is Disney’s first animated feature to be conceived and designed for 3-D.
To help the filmmakers take maximum advantage of the medium, a depth script was created to chart out the emotional intensity shot by shot, with each scene assigned a value on a scale of one to ten.
“This represents the first time that Disney has created a 3-D film in-house, and at the same time as the actual film,” explains producer Clark Spencer. “As a result, we can actually influence the storytelling through the 3-D process in terms of what’s happening emotionally in the film.
Rather than over-using the technique, we’re able to do something much more subtle and satisfying to the audience. We really wanted to make sure that the storytelling remained our top priority. During an emotional scene, the actual 3-D is toned down in a way that allows you to relax into the moment. For the big action sequences that completely lend themselves to 3-D, we’re able to go all out. It gives us the right balance.”
To help the filmmakers achieve their goals, they enlisted the expertise of Robert Neuman, stereo supervisor.
“One of the great things about creating the 3-D version of ‘Bolt’ as a follow-on process during production is that it allows us to fully integrate into the regular production pipeline,” says Neuman. “It’s allowed us to achieve the best possible results and make the most immersive version of the movie that we can. We take each scene of the film and place it indepth in the theater in such a way as to really bring the audience into it rather than pulling them out with a distracting gimmick. To get the most out of the 3-D experience you have to keep it comfortable. It’s like a marathon runner. You can’t run at a single clip for the whole time or you won’t get to the finish line. We dial up and down to create a truly immersive experience.”
New advances in digital projection have made the 3-D moviegoing experience much more enjoyable and created opportunities for even more immersive filmmaking. Animation is particularly well suited to the process.
“One of the big advantages of working in 3-D with animation is the fact that there are no physical form factors to worry about with the cameras,” Neuman says. “We can place our cameras anywhere and have virtually no interocular distance between them if we choose. For example, when Bolt is inside the kennel, we can have our camera in a small space with him
without having to worry about the form factor of a stereoscopic camera rig. Also, in animation, the cameras are always perfect and the registration is always spot-on. It’s a huge advantage.”
outside of the Studio. “Bolt” is Disney’s first animated feature to be conceived and designed for 3-D.
To help the filmmakers take maximum advantage of the medium, a depth script was created to chart out the emotional intensity shot by shot, with each scene assigned a value on a scale of one to ten.
“This represents the first time that Disney has created a 3-D film in-house, and at the same time as the actual film,” explains producer Clark Spencer. “As a result, we can actually influence the storytelling through the 3-D process in terms of what’s happening emotionally in the film.
Rather than over-using the technique, we’re able to do something much more subtle and satisfying to the audience. We really wanted to make sure that the storytelling remained our top priority. During an emotional scene, the actual 3-D is toned down in a way that allows you to relax into the moment. For the big action sequences that completely lend themselves to 3-D, we’re able to go all out. It gives us the right balance.”
To help the filmmakers achieve their goals, they enlisted the expertise of Robert Neuman, stereo supervisor.
“One of the great things about creating the 3-D version of ‘Bolt’ as a follow-on process during production is that it allows us to fully integrate into the regular production pipeline,” says Neuman. “It’s allowed us to achieve the best possible results and make the most immersive version of the movie that we can. We take each scene of the film and place it indepth in the theater in such a way as to really bring the audience into it rather than pulling them out with a distracting gimmick. To get the most out of the 3-D experience you have to keep it comfortable. It’s like a marathon runner. You can’t run at a single clip for the whole time or you won’t get to the finish line. We dial up and down to create a truly immersive experience.”
New advances in digital projection have made the 3-D moviegoing experience much more enjoyable and created opportunities for even more immersive filmmaking. Animation is particularly well suited to the process.
“One of the big advantages of working in 3-D with animation is the fact that there are no physical form factors to worry about with the cameras,” Neuman says. “We can place our cameras anywhere and have virtually no interocular distance between them if we choose. For example, when Bolt is inside the kennel, we can have our camera in a small space with him
without having to worry about the form factor of a stereoscopic camera rig. Also, in animation, the cameras are always perfect and the registration is always spot-on. It’s a huge advantage.”