Wimbledon in 3D
for
Sony Professional
Brief: To film the Men’s Semi-Finals and the Men’s and Women’s Finals of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships in 3D for SONY, The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and the BBC.
Solution: Given the effectiveness of the 3D production workflow used by CAN at the FIFA World CupTM it was decided to use an evolution of the same workflow incorporating advances made by SONY and CAN’s production experience from the event.
To provide full 3D coverage of the matches CAN used six 3D camera positions around Centre Court. The position of the 3D cameras was slightly lower than the 2D camera positions in order to provide the best 3D effect possible. The combination of the SONY P1 cameras and compact but fully dynamic rigs meant that on the already camera crowded Centre Court, the impact of the additional 3D rigs was minimized.
Based on the production team’s previous live 3D event experience it was decided that to ensure a quality 3D viewing experience the cameras would frame wider to avoid forcing a cut, panning and zooming. Longer duration shots and longer duration but less frequent replays were used. There was also an emphasis on composing shots that included foreground and background layers to provide depth.
Additional content was supplemented by converting feeds from the BBC’s broadcast production using SONY MPE-200 3D processors. This included shots of the London sky line and bird’s eye views of the AELTC from a crane camera. Conversion was also necessary during the prize giving ceremonies as there was no possibility to use a 3D Steadicam on court and so the signal from the 2D Steadicam was converted to 3D.
The coverage was also enhanced by 3D replays from Hawk Eye and 3D graphics and statistics. Hawkeye provided the same system used for the 2D broadcast to the 3D production. It was provided via a dual stream HD SDI (left & right) output generated by 10 fixed HawkEye cameras (five on each side of the court).
As with HawkEye, the graphics coverage by IDS reflected the style of the 2D broadcast but with specially produced 3D graphics. Each graphic was animated to take advantage of 3D and full screen graphics rotated and tilted subtly to produce a perception of depth. A 3D version of the Wimbledon logo was used when breaking between live pictures and replays.
Production of the 3D broadcast took place in NEP Visions Gemini OB facility, comprising of two trucks, the Gemini 1 & 2.
The units were the hub of the 3D operation and housed the convergence operators, working under the direction of the stereographer and the stereo engineer. Six EVS operators managed replay feeds to the director. The EVS machines offered replays and images of a SONY picture stitch application for integration into the live signal, 3D analysis and the feed from the 2D production for conversion into 3D.
Also based within the Gemini 2 truck was a Quantel Pablo Stereo 3D edit suite used to create highlights and promotional for SONY. These films were produced at the end of play each day.
Result: From a production perspective, Wimbledon in 3D was a very successful project. This was attributable to the use of a proven workflow and a great team of 3D experienced professionals from SONY, CAN, NEP Visions, HBS. Many of the production team were part of the successful FIFA World CupTM 3D broadcast team.
The same can be said of the technical solution used which was an evolution of the one developed by SONY for the World Cup and other live 3D events. The fact that the technical aspect of the project was already proven meant that the team could concentrate on the creative production issues and telling of the story of the game.
Technical glitches were remarkably few. The team experienced some frame sync problems early on with the signal leaving the truck however these were easily resolved.
The 3D coverage was well received with critical reviews and enthusiasm for the broadcasts being better than anticipated. An estimated 18,000 viewers watched the BBC’s 3D HD coverage, which given the currently limited number of 3D TV sets in the UK, was impressive.
Feedback and reviews from consumers and journalists was overwhelmingly positive, proving how compelling the 3D coverage was. As well as heightening the televised Wimbledon experience, much of the feedback focused on the fact that viewers felt they could see more of the technical aspects of the game such as the swerve and slice on the ball.
Danielle Nagler, Head of BBC HD & 3D said “It exceeded my expectations: It showed us tennis in a new and different way, giving a perspective which placed viewers court-side. I felt that emphasised the speed and power of the tennis.”
The 3D coverage of Wimbledon and its reception by the public and media reinforced the view that 3D can and does provide a compelling experience to audiences. In what at the time was an early and difficult period for 3D, Wimbledon in 3D proved that given the right event, 3D can make an engaging and exciting difference to the viewing experience.
For a more detailed case study covering the full story on Wimbledon click here.
Topics
3D
Events