Sony… in 3-D
2:17pm, January 10th
One of the more popular kiosks this year has been the 3-D demonstration. This morning, Sony put on a far more in-depth presentation, taking the audience from the filming of a 3-D movie through to the final product. As one speaker put it, we could be witnessing as big a change in filmed entertainment as the move from black & white to Color.
The first speaker was Steve Schklair, the Founder and CEO of 3ality. He's worked in 3-D for a decade, and was incredibly happy with the progress that is being made in the field. He credited Sony for creating products that have helped bring his vision to life. He rounded out his presentation by showing the crowd a series of 3-D clips, ranging from action sports shots to compelling footage of a U2 concert.
The tandem of Dan Huerta, Vice President of Projection, Sound & Technology for AMC Theaters and Joshua Greer, President of RealD, were the next presenters to take the stage. AMC is using Sony projectors in select theaters, setting them up for high-quality 3-D broadcasts in the future, and RealD is a company that develops hardware, software, and optics for the 3-D experience. RealD also provided the much-improved 3-D glasses (think less cardboard, more Wayfarer) being used throughout the Sony booth. Mr. Greer sung the praises of Sony projectors, specifically noting the polarization scope that enable his team to get twice as much light to the screen, thus making a better 3-D viewing experience.
Mike Fidler, Senior Vice President of Sony Digital Cinema Solutions and Services spoke to what this means for consumers. "This is a huge transformational shift in the way that consumers view entertainment," noting how movie theaters are great environments to experience 3-D and how powerfully 3-D could affect gaming. He then presented a pair of clips, leading off with a 3-D scene from Open Season and then moving into a 3-D clip of Motorstorm Pacific Rift.
Randy Waynick, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Sony Electronics Home Product Division was the final guest. He reflected on the work being done to get 3-D technology to the consumer. He noted the needs for standards to be set, more research and design, and ensuring that products sold to consumers were long-lasting. As he succinctly put it, "it's not right around the corner, but it's not far off."
