JUNE 2010       For the past three years or so I've authored a well-received monthly newsletter distributed to Scharff Weisberg clientele that covers a wide range of topics including company news, technical information and industry commentary. Two and a half years into joining forces with Video Applications, we thought it appropriate to increase my writing responsibilities to include a VAI version of the newsletter, specific to VAI clients and the types of projects that are central to your world. I'm calling the newsletter "Pro/Con" and that's the approach I'll take to examining various issues. These will be coming out every other month and I vow to keep them informative, thought provoking and to the point. If you'd like to subscribe to the Scharff Weisberg newsletter,  please click here.   Sincerely,   Josh Weisberg   President, Scharff Weisberg Inc.    The Third Dimension in Corporate Presentations Pro vs. Con   Fellow technophiles and I have been bombarded with news of 3D innovations recently, thanks to the hype surrounding the release of Avatar in 3D and reports of 3D capable flat-screens being pushed hard at the CES show. In addition, thrill-seeking video gamers are starting to incorporate 3D into PC-based game systems (of course, if they are really seeking thrills, they could simply get off the couch and engage in mountain-biking or a similar real-life activity).  As a counterpoint to the home and cinema 3D hubbub, the corporate presentation market continues to view 3D visual techniques with some skepticism due to concerns about production and presentation, particularly the reluctance to transform participants into paper glasses wearing geekwads. Perhaps the most significant benefit to using 3D visuals in a corporate presentation is the WOW factor, assuming the content properly compliments the visual technique. Despite exposure to the stunning 3D visuals in Avatar, not to mention My Bloody Valentine 3D, audiences are far from jaded and are, in fact, increasingly accepting of 3D visuals. Conversely, the biggest obstacle to utilizing 3D, at least in the traditional model, has been cost and complexity. Historically, 3D production has been expensive, even if the content is purely graphics and animations. It hasn't been easy to present in 3D either, with the requirement of multiple or modified video projectors and specific playback machines. Another major issue for traditional 3D in the corporate presentation environment is that once the video is created, changing it isn't going to be quick and easy, and we all know how corporate clients just love those last minute edit sessions. Balancing the "pro" against the "con", we see that the benefits of visual impact are balanced against the cost, complexity and lack of flexibility. However, those factors relate to the traditional model for 3D production which relies on special cameras, players, projection screens and projectors. What if it were possible to harness the visual impact of 3D yet maintain flexibility and keep within a reasonable budget?   Just introduced by Panasonic, the AG-3DA1 HD 3D camcorder helps answer that question by putting a fully functional live acquisition device in the hands of producers looking to shoot 3D content at a reasonable cost. While this camera is not a bit-for-bit replacement for a 35mm 3D film rig or high-end 1080p 3D camera system, I played with it at NAB and thought it would deliver pretty good 3D performance for most corporate applications. The AG-3DA1 will be available in the fall of 2010. In terms of playback and content manipulation, by utilizing one of the leading-edge media servers, the Pandoras Box made by Coolux, 3D visuals can be created using the same layering techniques used in 2D media composition. With the server configured to feed alternate video frames, two projectors are used with simple polarizing filters. The media programmer can select which objects on which layers are placed at what depth in the 3D field and create animations within the x, y and z axes. Oh, and this can be controlled on-the-fly dynamically for 3D objects as well as 2D objects. And, triggered externally, for even greater flexibility and effects. For example, as part of a 3D corporate presentation, a projected three-dimensional animated logo could be suspended over the audience and, triggered by a presenter's gesture, recede upstage to swap positions with a product shot. To reiterate my central point, the magic here is not in the effects themselves, which could have been produced using traditional technology in the traditional way, but instead with the ease, cost-effectiveness and flexibility that current technology provides.   About 3D Presentation Techniques For further information about 3D presentation techniques and our extensive inventory of Coolux Pandoras Box products, please contact us at sales@videoapps.com and feel free to suggest topics of interest for future posts. WorldStage Inc. is the parent company of Video Applications Inc. and Scharff Weisberg Inc.