Sky pacts with Cameron Pace for 3D Ryder Cup
EXCLUSIVE - BSkyB has teamed with the Cameron Pace Group for their first major venture – the 3D Ryder Cup , held in Medinah Country Club, Illinois later this month writes Adrian Pennington
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The 30-hour production will be co-produced by CPG and Sky Sports separately from the 2D host broadcast produced by NBC and European Tour Golf. Around 26 3D camera positions will be used.
“In this instance it is not 5D largely because of the way it was pulled together rather late. It was difficult for us to add extra cameras to NBC’s existing roster,” explained John Cassy, Director, Sky 3D. “We have worked together with Vince [Pace – co-chair of CPG) for a long time on test shoots and we took the 3D coverage of the US Masters 2011 [which CPG co-produced with CBS Sports] but this is our first major production venture.”
Sky Sports continues to work with CPG rival 3Ality Digital's technology in the UK and owns two dedicated 3D production vans outfitted with 3Ality Digital equipment. It already produces some sports like show-jumping and darts as a combined 2D and 3D operation but not yet its flagship sports like English Premier League football.
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“We are talking about a range of opportunities,” Cassy said in response.
James Cameron, co-chair of CPG, expressed frustration that broadcasters in Europe and the US were not shooting more 3D.
“The irony is that we are doing the hardest things in 3D – visual effects cinema and huge multi-camera broadcast shoots – yet nobody is exploring the easy, low hanging fruit of two camera scripted drama – where the cost delta is negligible. Broadcasters should be taking their highest rated programme and shooting that in 3D to see where the value is. I don’t know why they are not.”
The director has identified China as the key growth market, last month launching a CPG 3D joint venture there.
“We’re talking to the state government, the central government and we’re talking to the major regional broadcasters in China,” he said. “They are in lock-step that they want to accelerate very rapidly into 3D.
They have a sense of their emerging identity as a major economy and 3D is a part of it. They want it and they’ve got a sort of government mandate to do it. We believe we can demonstrate things there that will ripple back into North American and European markets.
We will have access to a virtually virgin market where the audience is predisposed to see 3D as the premium way for them to absorb their entertainment.”
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