'Immortals' rethought three dimensional process

Stereographers devoted to giving pic's figures "human volume" throughout conversion. three dimensional or otherwise three dimensional? This is the question facing lots of filmmakers because they weigh the additional costs of shooting in three dimensional or transforming 2D footage to three dimensional from the potential box office upside of the three dimensional release. "Immortals," the Tarsem-helmed, vfx-heavy saga that opens Friday, faced no such dilemma. It had been planned from the beginning like a three dimensional movie. But after shooting a number of moments in three dimensional in early stages, the producers elected to accept conversion route, both to enhance production efficiencies and also to manage costs. Additionally they required steps to prevent a few of the issues of alteration which have bedeviled earlier films, that have been belittled for his or her headache-inducing images and pop-up-book appearance. "We did an intensive analysis whether it might be easier to shoot in three dimensional in order to convert," stated Tucker Tooley, the film's professional producer and co-prexy of Relativity Media, which created the Universal release. One factor encouraging conversion was Tarsem's speed like a director. "He's go, go, go, so when he's working fast, he will get another energy and puts the entire film together in the mind," stated longtime collaborator and d.p. Brendan Galvin. "Some say it requires 10% longer to shoot in three dimensional. I believe there's a great deal more difference." Another reason was financial. "We managed to save money by shooting in 2D and transforming to three dimensional in publish," stated Tooley. The majority of the conversion was handled through the Mumbai facility of Prime Focus, where stereographer David Stump spent several weeks supervisory the job. "Shooting three dimensional might have needed more cameras and technology, and might have permitted less configurations daily, with extra supplies waiting neighborhood for that fight moments," stated Stump. "It might have encounter serious money -- greater than transforming it. We did tests for Tarsem so he often see what it really would seem like, and that he signed off. We devoted to giving the figures 'human volume' so that they wouldn't seem like flat card board cutouts, and also to achieve roundness within their faces." Actually, a small amount of "Immortals" moments were shot in three dimensional -- including material meant for a teaser trailer that wound up as being a utilized in the film itself -- however the huge most of the footage was taken in 2D. "I am not to imply I wouldn't shoot three dimensional," stated Galvin. "I can tell situations where that might be better. But about this particular film, using the elements we'd, it had not been what you want.Inch "Immortals," which cost almost $85 million, shot in 62 days on the soundstage in Montreal using Panavision Genesis digital camera models. "Conversion is a superb tool should you start knowing that,Inch stated Tooley. "It labored because we designed everything for that conversion." To help boost the film's three dimensional display, "Immortals" has been provided inside a greater-brightness version through technology from Real D and Master Image to pay for that darkening effect of three dimensional glasses. Reservations & Signings Mirisch Agency signed editors Serta Lebental ("Cowboys & Aliens") and Neil Mandelberg (Lifetime's "Girl Fight") and reserved production designers Tom Duffield on Allen Hughes' "Damaged City," Sean Haworth on Gavin Hood's "Ender's Game," Patrizia Von Brandenstein on David Mamet's untitled Phil Spector project and Stuart Wurtzel on David Frankel's "Great Hope Springs" vfx producers Karen Murphy on Bill Condon's "Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 2" and Eric Robertson on Ray Charles' "The Dictator" editors Stuart Baird on Mike Mendes' "Skyfall," Conrad Aficionado on Rupert Sanders' "Snow Whitened and also the Huntsman," Lisa Churgin on Jason Moore's "Pitch Perfect," Kevin Stitt on Christopher McQuarrie's "One Shot," Barbara Tulliver on Mamet's Spector project and Steven Weisberg on "Great Hope Springs." Dattner Dispoto reserved d.p.'s Claudio Miranda on Frederick Kosinski's untitled Tom Cruise project, Declan Quinn on Mira Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," Eric Maddison on Jacob Gentry's "Synchronicity," Ottar Gudnason on Kaspar Barfoed's "The Amounts Station," Trevor Forrest on Menhaj Huda's "Comedown," Fernando Arguelles on the&E's "Breakout Nobleman," Malik Sayeed on Cinemax pilot "Da Brick," and Mark Williams on HBO's "Eastbound and Lower" and production designer Eve Stewart on Tom Hooper's "L'ensemble des Miserables." Innovative Artists reserved editors Shaun Canavan on Malik Bader's "Crush," Maysie Hoy on Tyler Perry's "Counselor,Inch Shaun Werner on Showtime's "Shameless" and Kate Healey on AMC's "The Killing" line producers Avram "Butch" Kaplan Salim Akil's "Sparkle," Daniel Sollinger on Tim Holland's "Killing Frank" and Kelly Manners on USA's "Necessary Roughness" d.p. Keith Dunkerley on David Armstron'g "Pawn" production designers Nathan Amondson on Ariel Vroman's "Iceman," Stefania Cella on Franck Khalfoun's "Maniac" and Cece p Stefano on Fox's "Touch." Contact Peter Caranicas at peter.caranicas@variety.com