3D puller

Yuka Eto · March 17, 2009

Does anyone know how someone becomes a 3D puller? :huh:

I hear the 3D camera crew is completely different from a "regular" film crew..??

Chris Keth · March 17, 2009

Does anyone know how someone becomes a 3D puller? :huh:
I hear the 3D camera crew is completely different from a "regular" film crew..??

I've never worked on a 3D show but I see no reason why the crew would be completely different.

Satsuki Murashige · March 18, 2009

There was an article about pulling focus and convergence for 3D in the August '08 American Cinematographer, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Apparently, they had two different pullers, one for focus and one for convergence. As far as learning how to do it, I suspect that it's the same as any other job - once you find out the requirements of the job, you do research to familiarize yourself with the gear and understand how it works. It's the same on your first 35mm job, your first Panavision job, your first anamorphic job, your first IMAX job, etc. Shooting 3D for features is still not that common so I'm sure there are a lot of big time 1st ACs who are in the same position as you. Assistants are smart, you'll figure it out!

The 1st AC on "Journey" was Dennis Rogers, he's based in the SF Bay Area and has done several 3D films, not to mention other huge 2D features. You can find his contact info here: http://reeldirectory.com/listings.asp?sect...p;categoryid=43. Why don't you call him and ask him about it? (I don't know him personally, but I gripped one day on a commercial that he was 1st'ing and he seemed very nice, he's a surprisingly young guy for the amount of credits he has).

Chris Keth · March 18, 2009

There was an article about pulling focus and convergence for 3D in the August '08 American Cinematographer, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Apparently, they had two different pullers, one for focus and one for convergence.

Wow, I can't believe that convergence isn't just mechanically linked to focus!

Yuka Eto · March 18, 2009

Thank you both for your replies!

Satsuki: I will def contact Paul Marbury, great resume!

Adrian Sierkowski · March 18, 2009

Chris,

I would think that it'd be more interesting to play with convergence separate, might open some things up creatively, ya know?

Chris Keth · March 18, 2009

Chris,
I would think that it'd be more interesting to play with convergence separate, might open some things up creatively, ya know?

Good point. I hadn't thought about it creatively, only technically where you theoretically want convergence to be at the plane of focus.

Scott Dolan · April 14, 2009

There's a good article In Feb AC mag which kinda helps describe convergence and interocular distance.

http://www.theasc.com/magazine_dynamic/Feb...aline/page2.php

Gunnar Mortensen · April 15, 2009

A Focus Pullers job is very similiar in 2D or 3D. Don't get it twisted with the Stereotographer who sets the convergence and 3D effects. The most important task in 3D for a 1st AC is to make sure that the Shutters are inline and you pull focus on both lenses remotely on a Preston or Cmotion.

Larry Nielsen · April 28, 2009

A Focus Pullers job is very similiar in 2D or 3D. Don't get it twisted with the Stereotographer who sets the convergence and 3D effects. The most important task in 3D for a 1st AC is to make sure that the Shutters are inline and you pull focus on both lenses remotely on a Preston or Cmotion.

I was the 1st AC on "Avatar" in New Zealand, convergence was tied to focus, I had an additional 1st ac who pulled Inter Ocular, at times my I/O puller would override convergence based on the directors wants for a particular shot, and also set the I/O. At points during shooting to control the stereo effect my I/O puller would narrow or lengthen the I/O based on dollie moves, what was in the foreground, and just where I was racking focus to. There is a lot more to running a 3D crew than just pulling focus.

Larry

Satsuki Murashige · April 29, 2009

I was the 1st AC on "Avatar" in New Zealand, convergence was tied to focus, I had an additional 1st ac who pulled Inter Ocular, at times my I/O puller would override convergence based on the directors wants for a particular shot, and also set the I/O. At points during shooting to control the stereo effect my I/O puller would narrow or lengthen the I/O based on dollie moves, what was in the foreground, and just where I was racking focus to. There is a lot more to running a 3D crew than just pulling focus.
Larry

Wow, I love this forum! Thanks for the info, Larry. If I can ask, how did you go about prepping for "Avatar"? I imagine you had to do a lot of research and testing to pull off the shots that were asked of your crew. Also, was your I/O puller a specialized "3D guy", or just a regular 1st AC who was trained for the job? Who was calling the shots on the I/O and convergence? You, VFX, DP? Thanks in advance!