3D Movie Making: Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen [Paperback]

Bernard Mendiburu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0240811372 | ISBN-13: 978-0240811376 | Edition: 1

Hollywood is going 3D! Join the revolution with this primer to all of the essential skills for live action 3D, from preproduction through distribution.
3D perception and science is presented in an accessible way that provides the principles of Stereoscopic vision you need to make the transition from the 2D world. Tools of the trade are enumerated with an eye on current constraints and what is coming down the pike to smooth the way. Step-by-step instructions detail how 3D processes affect every stage of the production including screenwriting, art direction, principle photography, editing, visual effects and distribution.
The companion DVD includes an array of 2D and 3D images that demonstrate concepts and techniques, 3D movie shorts that showcase alternative techniques, After Effects project files to explore and manipulate for effect, and a resource list of software tools and tutorials that demonstrate techniques.

The DVD is not included with the E-book. Please contact the publisher for access to the DVD content by emailing [e-mail]. 

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Hollywood is going 3D! Join the revolution with this primer to all of the essential skills for live action 3D, from preproduction through distribution. 3D perception and science is presented in an accessible way that provides the principles of Stereoscopic vision you need to make the transition from the 2D world. Tools of the trade are enumerated with an eye on current constraints and what is coming down the pike to smooth the way. Step-by-step instructions detail how 3D processes affect every stage of the production including screenwriting, art direction, principle photography, editing, visual effects and distribution. The companion DVD includes an array of 2D and 3D images that demonstrate concepts and techniques, 3D movie shorts that showcase alternative techniques, After Effects project files to explore and manipulate for effect, and a resource list of software tools and tutorials that demonstrate techniques.

The DVD is not included with the E-book. Please contact the publisher for access to the DVD content by emailing [e-mail]. 

About the Author

Bernard Mendiburu is a stereographer and digital cinema consultant working with feature animation studios in Los Angeles, where his credits include "Meet The Robinsons” and "Monsters vs Aliens”. The author of "3D Movie Making” (Focal Press) he recently joined the 3D@Home Consortium's Advisory Committee on 3D Quality and was an active member of the SMPTE 3D Task Force. Bernard's lectures and workshops on 3D cinema were selected by CalArt's Experimental Animation department and Laika Entertainment (Coraline). In 2009, Bernard presented a paper on 3D Workflows at the SPIE Stereoscopic Display and Applications conference and at the NAB's Digital Cinema Summit, and a two-day long workshop on 3D postproduction the Paris' Dimension3 conference.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (April 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240811372
• ISBN-13: 978-0240811376
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bernard Mendiburu is a stereographer and digital cinema consultant working with feature animation studios in Los Angeles, where his credits includes "Meet The Robinsons" and "Monster vs Aliens". He just published "3D Movie Making, Stereoscopic Digital Cinema from Script to Screen" with focal Press.
His lectures and workshops on 3D cinema were selected by Laika and CalArt's Experimental Animation department. In 2009, Bernard presented a paper on 3D Workflows at the SPIE Stereoscopic Display and Applications conference and at the NAB's Digital Cinema Summit. He gave the Paris' Dimension3 two days workshop on 3D Post Production.
Bernard Mendiburu joined recently the 3D@Home Consortium's Advisory Committee on 3D Quality and was an active member of the SMPTE 3D Task Force.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential text book for anyone working in stereoscopic 3D. April 30, 2009

By Barry B. Sandrew, Ph.D

Format:Paperback

This is certainly the definitive textbook on stereo 3D for both the novice and the professional film maker. In a very concise and understandable manner Bernard Mendiburu explains the fundamentals of the medium as well as technical and creative nuances that differentiate good 3D from bad 3D. This is a book that should be on every professional 3D film maker's bookshelf. The schematics are refreshingly non-threatening pencil sketches that can be used to illustrate stereo 3D concepts to clients, directors and producers who might be new to 3D. The accompanying DVD is loaded with valuable examples and information that include 3D movies and professional 3D demo reels. The DVD is also full of After Effects project folders of real 3D movies that can be used to study, modify and play with. It comes with software including tools, tutorials and Wimmer's stereoscopic player. There are still images that demonstrate the talents of many 3D artists showing autostereoscopic images, color coded images in various formats, 3D conversion examples and various 3D formats. Finally, there is a section on the DVD where you'll find invaluable white papers from companies and individuals that are notable in the 3D field. I've been waiting for a book like this and its release on the threshold of the next revolution in feature film making couldn't be more timely.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Mostly For Live 3D Production December 28, 2011

By Paul K. Mckneely

Format:Paperback

I had great hopes for this book. The author frequently uses his jargon without defining his terms. He writes as though he is talking with the DP or director and he is not letting us in on what he is saying. He leaves the novice out in the cold. I was finished with the book before I noticed that there is a glossary of terms and concepts which should have been melded into the main text. These concepts should not be treated as mere footnotes. They are at the heart of the subject. Furthermore, the main text does not have any annotations to alert the reader to the helpful glossary entries.

I was half way through the book when I read a statement that this book was not written for people who want to record 3D and process it in post for later presentation (Movies!). It is for those who want to do live broadcast 3D events such as concerts and sporting events. The title of this book should have been "3D Live Broadcasting". For live production, the specialized equipment and requirements needed are generally very expensive and irrelevant for those who want to produce 3D cinema and other post-produced presentations. Most live tools are for aiding in making instantaneous decisions and real time image processing that would not be needed in a post-production environment.

The extensive section on camera rigs will probably not be applicable to the average reader. Rigs are basically a way to strap two monoccular video camcorders together to make them act as one stereoscopic camcorder. The bulk of these systems requires considerable manual adjustments that the newer stereoscopic camcorders take care of automatically. The author seems to say that having focus and convergence as independent adjustments is necessary for artistic freedom. But the truth is that it really never makes sense to have the convergence plane at any place other than the focal plane of the cameras or permanently parallel so that the viewer's eyes can do the convergence as Shannon Cassul describes. It is even questionable whether the interoccular distance should ever be anything but that for a human. When this distance is too small, you lose stereoscopy and when it is much greater than a human's then grand landscapes start to appear as though they are miniatures. I tend to agree with the reviewer who wrote that this author often didn't understand what he was talking about. I am more of an engineer than an artist and I think that artists often have trouble communicating with other people because their understanding is frequently insufficient as well as being a bit eccentric.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have book for all interested in 3D stereo techniques .... May 21, 2009

By Michal Husak

Format:Paperback

This book is the first one summarizing the new fully digital approach to the 3D stereoscopic movie making. I is targeted on both professionals working on big Hollywood projects as well as on total beginners. Even I as a professional working on 3D movie making a few years had found in the book a lot of interesting hints how to improve my work. It is clear the author have great practical experiences with 3D and uses them as examples in the book. Suggestions for improvement: replace the hand-drawn schemes in the book by some more clear one, make the book 2x longer and put inside more details about 3D projection technologies and visualization devices as well, put inside at lest the most essential stereoscopic equations ... But generally this book is a MUST BUY for anybody interested in 3D cinema or digital 3D movie and photo making.