Is it possible to create a 3D image live, using a single camera? In a word, no — there are complicated post-production techniques that can make a flat image stereoscopic, but they don’t work in camera. But a company called V3 has spent the last 12 years perfecting a process for adding a compelling sense of depth to 2D images during production by shifting parallax inside a standard lens. In other words, the lens’s perspective on the image shifts subtly, frame by frame or field by field, as the camera rolls. Your brain then interprets those multiple perspectives over time as depth information.
If you watched coverage of the Final Four basketball tournament on CBS this year, you’ve seen V3 footage in action. Now, with systems available for rental at Clairmont Camera, the company is gearing up a full-court press to try and get V3-capable lenses into broadcast trucks from coast to coast. Company founder Chris Mayhew cautions that your mileage may vary — it seems that not everyone's brain processes depth in the footage, and not all footage responds to the process in the same way. (To this editor's eyes, some of the footage pops into startling 3D relief, while the effect is more elusive in other clips.) Watch the clip, below, to see some samples along with Mayhew's audio commentary. Then read F&V’s Q&A to get more detail on the V3 system.
Comments (5) for "How V3 Imaging and CBS Sports Added Depth to the Final Four"
1.
would like to see more on v3, especially from users -- how does CBS like the technology, are they panning to use it more, and if soe where, are other broadcasters using it, very cool technology just need to see and hear more from the users . . .
Posted by d kovach on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 @ 09:21 AM
2.
Good questions. I believe CBS is planning on using this again this fall for some portion of their NFL coverage. I'll see if we can't do a quick follow-up this fall to see what happens with that, and how CBS Sports feels about the V3 effect.
Posted by Bryant Frazer on Thursday, August 23, 2007 @ 09:48 AM
3.
Bryant -- any follow-up on v3 sue for the NFL games?
Posted by dkovach on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 @ 11:51 AM
4.
Bryant -- meant to ask about follow-up for v3 "use" for NFL games, thanks
Posted by dkovach on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 @ 11:52 AM
5.
OK, I'm checking with V3 to see if they can point me to someone at CBS for comment.
Posted by Bryant Frazer on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 @ 12:16 PM
Post your comments below
.gif)
