Sony gives 3D the bootcamp

The BBC, Sony and RealD got together to host a series of Sony three-day 3D Bootcamps in London over the last two weeks, training about 250 people.

They were lead by Buzz Hayes (pictured), Sony's Chief Instructor and Senior VP of its 3D Technology Centre in LA. He is a very experienced 3D producer, working on animated movies, concerts and live action features for Sony and other studios that have post-produced at Sony Imageworks.

One of the best things about the bootcamps is that they are free. They've been running this year at Sony's Culver City studios, where about 300 people have been trained over some 16 weeks (the dedicated facility is a lot smaller than the two Television Centre studios provided by the BBC).

Sony isn't just doing the training out of benevolence, it wants more creative people trained in 3D and producing 3D content people want to watch, to fuel its movie making, buy or use its technology, and to give the consumers who buy its 3D sets something worth watching. "Good 3D is good for the entire production industry," said Hayes. Although, "it's hard to do well."

He focuses on how to tell a story in three dimensions, rather than getting too bogged down in technical minutiae (although there is a fair bit of technical detail too – and very well explained). If you get the chance to take part in one of the bootcamps, it is certainly worthwhile – although there is considerable demand.

If you want to read more about Hayes' advice for 3D wannabes, read the full story in the September issue of TVB Europe magazine.

By David Fox