Other Considerations - Canon XF105 White Paper

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Toe-in convergence or parallel shooting with post-production H.I.T.
One of the most debated topics among stereographers is whether to "toe-in" the cameras to
converge on your subject or simply mount the cameras perfectly parallel and set convergence in
post-production. Converging while shooting requires more time during production but one would
hope less time in production. However "toeing-in" can also create keystoning and object distorion
issues that need to be repaired later. It is recommended for beginners to always shoot perfectly
parallel and adjust vergence in post production.
Bit-Rate and Resolution
It is recommended to always shoot S3D with the highest bit rate possible. In the XF series this is
50mbps. This will avoid compression artifacts that would be considered a disparity. Resolution
should be 1080 for most shots. It is OK to shoot 720p60 if the intended use is overcrank slow motion.
The temporal resolution advantage will outweigh the pixel resolution. However, timecode will not
be output during overcrank (slow motion) or undercrank (fast motion) recording in 720p mode.
CONCLUSION:
This white paper has only scratched the surface of what is involved in the process of
photographing stereoscopic 3D content. There are a few good books and much information
on the internet detailing advanced techniques for shooting, posting and distributing
stereoscopic 3D.
Remember... stereoscopic 3D cinematography is a craft that can takes years to master and is a
craft where even the 'experts' are still learning new techniques. As the popularity of S3D
continues to rise there will by many demands on inexperienced videographers to provide
stereoscopic services. It is important to remember that 2D can look bad, but 3D can feel bad.
The last thing any producer wants is to physically hurt the audience. Therefore, extensive
practice and testing is advised before producing content to be viewed by anyone other than
the stereographer. Trial and error is the best way to learn this particular craft.
Tim Dashwood is the founder of Dashwood Cinema Solutions, a stereoscopic research, development &
consultancy division of his Toronto-based production company Stereo3D Unlimited. Dashwood is an
accomplished director/cinematographer & stereographer and a member of the Canadian Society of
Cinematographers. His diverse range of credits include music videos, commercials, feature films and 3D
productions for Fashion Week, CMT, Discovery Channel and the National Film Board of Canada. He also
consults on and previsualizes fight/stunt action scenes for productions such as Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim vs the World
and Paci c Rim. Dashwood is the creator of the award winning Stereo3D Toolbox plugin suite and Stereo3D CAT
calibration and analysis system.
XF300/305 Whitepaper
Tim Dashwood
©2011 Tim Dashwood.
Stereoscopic 3D
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