Filmmakers, vision scientists and psychologists at York University have secured over $1.4 million to fund the 3D Film Innovation Consortium (3D FLIC), a two-year academic-industry partnership that will expand capacity for 3D film production in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario.
3D FLIC brings together an interdisciplinary team to tackle the challenges involved in improving 3D entertainment technology.
Teams of filmmakers at York, led by Professor Ali Kazimi in the Department of Film, Faculty of Fine Arts, will work with an array of film industry partners and the Canadian Film Centre to develop 3D scenes and films. Vision researchers and psychologists in York’s internationally-recognized Centre for Vision Research, led by Professors Rob Allison in the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Department of Computer Science and Laurie Wilcox in the Faculty of Health’s Department of Psychology, will then use this material to conduct tests exploring how humans perceive and process the images, which the filmmaking teams will use to refine their films.
Researchers plan to address the question of how best to control viewers’ attention when viewing 3D imagery and the role this technique could play in the 3D film narrative.
“Ontario has film crews, technicians, and camera operators with decades of experience, and we need to support and hasten their transition to 3D film to remain competitive,” described Jim Mirkopoulos, vice-president of operations at Cinespace Studios. Cinespace is a longstanding supporter of the Faculty of Fine Arts and one of 3D FLIC’s partner organizations; their standing White House sets in Kleinburg, Ont., will be used as a 3D research studio.
The 3D FLIC team includes:
· The Canadian Film Centre (CFC)
· Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE)
· Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO)
· Cinespace Film Studios
· 3D Camera Company (3DCC)
· Creative Post Inc.
· Starz Animation Toronto
· PS Production Services
· Side Effects Software
· Saw VII Production Canada, Inc.
“This initiative brings York’s outstanding researchers in digital media, 3D film, and vision science together in a most innovative way,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “Building on this unique internal capacity, CONCERT, the York-led Consortium on New Media, Creative and Entertainment Research & Development, has helped to establish our reputation among the GTA’s digital media industry and allowed for successful and sustainable research partnerships between our researchers and local companies. 3D FLIC is one of several exciting media projects we’re launching this year. Of course, research informs our teaching programs; our 3D FLIC members are already discussing new innovations in our curriculum to benefit our students — stay tuned for more to come.”
3D FLIC has a unique funding arrangement with Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) and Ontario Centres of Excellence. OMDC has contributed over $436,000 to help recognize 3D film as a new production paradigm through the project’s innovative partnerships; OCE has allocated over $287,000 to support the project’s scientific and technology development aspects of stereoscopy research. Seven industry partners will provide over $450,000 through in-kind support, with additional institutional support from York University.
OMDC’s portion of this funding is part of a $2.9 million investment made on Feb. 10, 2010 through its Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund to leverage an additional $7.1 million from 94 partners to support a total of 17 projects.
Designed to help Ontario’s entertainment and creative industries invest in smart ways to grow their competitive advantage in the global marketplace, the partnership fund supports projects involving book and magazine publishing, music, film, television, interactive digital media, and commercial theatre. This industrial cluster experienced growth in 2009 and produces $15 billion in revenue and over 200,000 jobs, contributing $12.7 billion to the province’s GDP. In the last four years, the partnerships fund has provided $9.7 million to support 60 projects involving 379 partners and leveraging a total of $23 million in industry matching funds.