Look through the eyes of a little girl, as she immerses herself in an amazing stereoscopic world.
Brief
Panasonic entrusted us with their new AG-3DA1 stereoscopic camera in order to a shoot a spec commercial for their new 3D plasma flat screen TVs. The commercial was shot in December 2010 in Los Angeles, as part of Affonso Beato’s 3D Cinematography class at the Art Center College of Design.
Idea and Process
Combining traditional Japanese puppetry Bunraku with cutting-edge stereoscopic technology, we travel inside a three-dimensional space, entering various scenarios that represent the diverse entertainment options that 3D television offers.
The inspiration for this project came from Basil Twist’s Dogugaeshi, influenced by the traditional Japanese stage mechanism of the same name.
A team of 20 accomplished puppeteers dressed in black cat suits animated the characters and the background’s moving components by hand. The shoot was great fun, but also a huge technical challenge that required meticulous preparation, so as not to break the stereoscopic parallax.
Here are some videos that inspired us in some way:
“Fútbol matrix” – Schneider
Tyger by Guilherme Marcondes
Beyond the video
PANASONIC are interested in using our video in promotional displays for their flat screen TVs. We have also been approached by THE LOS ANGELES 3D FILM FESTIVAL to use the video as a promotional tool for stereoscopic filmmaking.
Use Anaglyph 3D Glasses. If you don’t have, you can still watch the 2D version below.
Team
Director: Ricardo Uhagon Vivas
Producer: Will Hemminger
Cinematographer: Chris Saul
Puppets by Sam Koji Hale & Sonya Palencia
Production Designer: Julie Chen
Art Director: Ann Hadlock
Prop Master: Eric Fisher
Props: Jom Rivers
Set dressers: Kira Harris and Jennie Cotterill
Editor: Aaron Warzynski
VFX Compositing: Gabe Valente Ferrao
Music: Dennis McCarthy
Sound Mix: Nacho Lopez
Cast: Jessica Tupas
Puppeteers: Eli Presser, Erik Finck, Saeko Igarashi, Jarek Khoilian, Erik Huso and Eduardo Vivas
Make Up: Pauline Noriega
1st Assistant Camera: Brian Williams
2nd Assistant Camera: Axel Lanzenberg
Gaffer: Yev Zhuk
Key Grip: Nik Wendelsdorf
Electric: Ryan McDonald
Special thanks and big high fives to Affonso Beato, Erik Anderson, Belen Ricoy, Christine Fraguela, Anuar Yahya and Ben Lazarus.
