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Film that is converted well is indistinguishable from film that is shot in stereo or “native” 3D and it is an open secret that most – if not all – 3D films contain converted material whether or not it is acknowledged. By way of example, James Cameron has always been coy about whether Avatar contained converted material but his collaborators have been more forthcoming. In fact, it is increasingly not a discussion about WHETHER to convert or shoot, but HOW MUCH to convert; when locking down a 3D budget. Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean, Judge Dredd, John Tucker, Transformers Dark of The Moon… they have all included conversion material – and for the latter three it has been at least 50% of the content.
One of the reasons most 3D films contain converted material is that shooting in stereo usually means that there is loads of footage to correct in post-production and often the easiest and best solution is to simply convert. Also, converting film well allows for much greater creative and production flexibility; whilst being a lot less expensive.
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Stereo Conversion – as a rough guide allow 5-10% increase on a 2D budget
PROS
i. Cost: it’s cheaper
ii. Shoot as normal but plan for 3D to maximize the effect
iii. Complete range of options. Can shoot on film (see latest Star Trek) with any film camera or use any digital camera
iv. Complete range of camera lenses
v. Complete flexibility to add depth even when using telephoto lenses
vi. In edit, complete flexibility to set the convergence
vii. In post, complete flexibility to set the depth and volume for each and every element in each and every scene.
viii. In post, complete flexibility to add or delete elements
ix. VFX is as per usual
Stereo Conversion – CONS
a. Crowds, rain, snow and smoke, sparks are more difficult to convert, but certainly not impossible.
There is a huge range in quality and price with an array of different workflows so it is important to choose a good company offering sensible prices, who have a great reel.