Trebas Institute announces 3D Film/TV Production.

By Kalman Szegvary,

Film & TV Production

February 16, 2010

Trebas Institute is excited to announce that we are currently in pre-production of one of the first student films in North America to be shot in true stereoscopic 3D. The title of the film and the genre are being kept under close wraps for now. The film itself will have its first screening at the annual Trebas International Student Film Awards this fall.

The project will incorporate both prototype "3D Mirror-Rig" technology and "Stereoscopic" lenses that have been in the testing phase by myself (filmmaker & professor Kalman Szegvary) with assistance from specialists in the United States. I am excited to be on the forefront of this new technology and appreciate the tremendous support shown by the College from both David P. Leonard (President) and Director Roy Rintoul. I look forward to introducing the world of 3D live- action filmmaking to our students.

It goes without saying that the Trebas Institute is extremely forward thinking and clearly sees that 3D is not going to be just a ‘fad' this time around. For the past four years during the development of some of the equipment that we will be using, there has been much trial and error, however we are excited to say that it can finally be put into play. In meeting experts last year at the 3D Summit at Universal in Los Angeles, including Ray Zone who is considered to be the “ 3D King of Hollywood", and learning some of the tricks of the trade, it has really opened my eyes to how Hollywood envisions the 3D of the future. Recently Ray was involved as the stereographer with the feature film "The Dark Country" which was screened at the Canadian Society of Cinematography (CSC) 3D workshop.

With the advent of 3D television, that will be arriving in the coming year, as well as the huge success of many 3D films, Trebas has recognized the importance of implementing 3D into our Film and TV production program. Our students are looking forward to their 3D training and the effect it will have on their work and vision as directors, cinematographers, producers and editors. Also our post-production workflow is being discussed, designed and tested, so that it will become a total package for our students. They will understand not only the concepts and the techniques of how to shoot 3D, but also how to approach the editing stage with their footage.

This is going to open up a whole new world for the storytellers and filmmakers studying at Trebas Institute. Adding 3D film production to the Film and TV Production and Post-Production Program is an exciting new opportunity for everyone involved.

Please contact the Trebas Institute or email kal@trebas.com for additional information.

Trebas Institute Film & Television Department

Additional Information:

Films produced in 3D are a very unique form of entertainment, not only because of the way in which the audience can see a very real life-like image but also because of the fact that the eyes of the viewer are really in the hands of the filmmakers. It is film with an extra axis. The producers of a live-action 3D film have the power to determine how close or how far an object is, its stereoscopic size, and whether the scene will appear in the frame to be very deep or very shallow. However, with this freedom of illusion within the frame, comes a responsibility that is unknown in the making of flat (two dimensional) films; since the filmmakers are to some extent, controlling the eyes of the audience, care must be taken to ensure that the eyes are not caused to be pushed into erratic positions. I am sure that we have either seen or heard about a 3-D film that caused tremendous “eyestrain”. This should not really be happening if the filmmakers are following proper 3D shooting techniques, using the proper equipment and checking the overlapping of the two images required to create a 3D effect for the viewer, known as the, “convergence”. In general, in order for a person to see things in 3D, each eye must see a slightly different picture. A person automatically sees the real world in 3D, which happens due to the fact that your eyes are spaced apart so each eye has its own slightly different view. A person's brain then puts the two pictures together, to form one 3D image that has depth to it. The convergence or overlapping of those two images happens naturally in the brain, however when we as filmmakers mimic the same task, attempting to deal with this ‘convergence' issue they can destroy the 3D experience quite quickly and this is not a pleasant experience for the viewer.

Having your eyes pushed into erratic positions briefly and handled properly usually doesn't cause too much of a problem. The eyes will simply be exercised in an unconventional way. But exercise can be overdone, as is the case when the 3D is not handled properly and as mentioned, the result can be fatigue and possibly straining of the muscles involved. While this is probably not harmful to the eyes, the audience is not going to enjoy the experience and there is an element of danger involved to the filmmakers. With statements like, “Oh, it's a good movie, but the 3-D was horrible. It made my eyes hurt.” This is the worst kind of publicity for any filmmaker who wants to make 3D pictures in the future. The system that we are putting in place, will involve the study of the way in which ‘convergence' should be handled during production and post-production so as to learn how in which to avoid this ‘eyestrain' on screen in order to prevent, bad 3D.

 

3D FILM NOT JUST A FAD ANYMORE!!!

Chicken Little earned $135.4 million during its domestic run, but that is not the intriguing aspect of its release. Disney's CGI programmers coded the production in such a manner that it could be displayed in 3D utilizing a nascent technology named RealD. This made the movie a curiosity and is one of the reasons it wound up with a strong worldwide box office total of $314.4 million. Disney mimicked this release strategy with a couple of more CGI animation titles, Meet the Robinsons and Bolt. I highly recommend all three titles for their quality, but what is important for the purpose of this discussion is that the former movie earned $169.3 million worldwide while the latter wound up just under Chicken Little's result at $314.0 million. More than anything else, what Disney and exhibitors came to accept is that the new tech worked well enough that the long existing goal of 3D cinema had become a reality.

As with any other situation involving expensive technology, the debate began about who should pay for it. Theater chains such as Regal Cinemas firmly stated that if distributors wanted to introduce such technology to North American audiences, they should be the ones who financed it. Distributors disagreed (natch). They felt that if the individual locations were the ones getting the upgrades, they should be the ones footing the bill. That argument is still a deadlock for the most part, but enough in-roads were made on compromise solutions that the number of RealD equipped theaters increased significantly in just a couple of years. By the time Robert Zemeckis' motion capture project, Beowulf, entered theaters, over a thousand locations were equipped with RealD technology.

The point of no looking back was the release of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert, which was perfectly timed to ride the crest of the Hannah Montana wave. The movie ended a sizzling $31.1 million on its opening weekend despite being exhibited in only 683 locations. The explanation for the record-setting $45,561 per-location average for the February release was that most of the exhibitors for the film were RealD equipped. This meant that exhibitors were charging RealD ticket prices. You've surely noticed by now that those are higher than normal. A lot higher. The average movie ticket in 2008 was $7.18. 3D tickets usually cost double that and there are not always discounts for matinee exhibitions. Obviously, higher ticket pricing means higher movie revenue for the distributor; ergo, all distributors want to be in the business of making RealD movies.

Those of you who read Monday Morning Quarterback throughout 2009 (and if you didn't, you are now my sworn enemy) are aware that we tracked this phenomenon throughout the year. Depending on what qualifies under your definition of a wide release, there were between seven and ten RealD movies released in the period prior to 2009. Other than the disasters that were Fly Me to the Moon, the U2 concert film and the re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas, every 3D title earned at least $65 million domestically. After last summer's Journey to the Center of the Earth seemed to run forever, winding up with $101.7 million after a modest $21.0 million debut, distributors decided it was time to go all-in on 3D.

There were as many 3D releases between January and July of 2009 as there had been in totality since the inception of the technology. Fifteen 3D titles made their debut during the calendar year. Not all of them were successful. You may not have even heard of Battle for Terra or Astro Boy . Judging by their box office, I would be surprised if you did. And Planet 51 , a Sony release no less, didn't do much better. The Jonas Brothers also proved that they were no Hannah Montana. There was even an attempt at making extreme sports more exciting with X Games 3D, but it failed as well. That's five RealD releases that had a combined domestic total of only $80.8 million. If a distributor and exhibitor are spending the money required to utilize 3D technology, they damn sure better be getting a better rate of return than $20 million a release.

The 3D titles that did highlight the technology almost all seemed to blow up, though. The My Bloody Valentine remake demonstrated this. Its trailers heavily emphasized the in your face nature of the slicing and dicing the movie contained. The end result was that this, the first RealD release of over a thousand locations, had a surprising $21.2 million debut. Lionsgate confirmed that the 3D exhibitions were a factor of six (!) more lucrative than the regular ones. Not only were the ticket prices more expensive, the novelty of the movie-going experience had proved to be a draw as well.

The next large scale RealD release was Coraline, the theatrical adaptation of BOP fave Neil Gaiman's instant classic. The marketing for this title also heavily emphasized its 3D nature and the proof was in the pudding. After a modest but pleasantly surprising $16.8 million opening weekend, Coraline showed tremendous legs on the way to a final domestic tally of $75.3 million. This release also demonstrated the tightrope act that exhibitors face in deciding which products to sell at a given location at a given time. Due to the overwhelming success of Hannah Montana the previous year, many RealD equipped locations chose to take away exhibitions from Coraline and give them to the Jonas Brothers Concert Movie. That proved to be a costly mistake. The mega-expensive stadium theaters equipped with RealD technology were almost entirely empty while 2D showings of Coraline quietly plugged along at a cheaper ticket price. If you are going to pull one 3D release in order to display another one, you have to be absolutely certain that the new product will outsell the old product. Otherwise, the revenue losses in terms of opportunity cost are exponentially worse.

The most important moments for 3D up until December involved DreamWorks Animation and Pixar releases. Monsters Vs. Aliens was technically the second title from DreamWorks to feature RealD. It was, however, the first one to be released after they had announced the intention for all future releases from their studio to feature this technology. As such, its success was an imperative and that mission was accomplished. The sweet but bland title wound up only $1.7 million short of $200 million in domestic box office. It is currently the eighth most successful release of the year. Meanwhile, Pixar aka DreamWorks Animation++ also announced that all future releases would utilize RealD. Up was the first Pixar (not Disney) title to utilize the technology. Its box office soared to new heights thanks to the inflated ticket pricing, eventually winding up with $293 million in domestic revenue. That makes it the second most lucrative Pixar release to date. The studio followed Up with a double feature re-release of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in order to highlight next year's release of Toy Story 3. Audiences threw another $30.6 million Pixar's way as a sign of gratitude for this decision.

A pair of other animation houses had tremendous success as well. Ice Age 3 earned a whopping $888 million worldwide for Fox. Sony counterbalanced the disappointment of Planet 51 with the relatively unheralded Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs . The theatrical adaptation of the Judi/Ron Barrett classic quietly accumulated $122.7 million in North America. Securing the animated front to the satisfaction of all of the major animation distributors is probably the most important achievement of 2009 for RealD, Avatar excluded since that will be a later Film Industry Story.

Overall, ten of the 15 major RealD releases of 2009 (not including Toy Story /Toy Story 2) earned at least $50 million domestically. Seven went on to accrue North American revenue in excess of $100 million. If we exclude the curve skewing Battle for Terra and X Games 3D: The Movie, which bombed out with under $2 million in domestic gross, the average 2009 RealD release earned a whopping $123.6 million and that numbers will go up a lot more as Avatar continues its box office ascent. In terms of global revenue, these films averaged a whopping total of $308.8 million, and Avatar will raise that total significantly before its run is finished.

While 2009 has been a coming out party for RealD technology, we are only at the beginning of this age of movie viewing. Intentions have already been announced and standards initially defined for a home television equipped to display the full 3D viewing experience. In addition, 20 releases currently scheduled for 2010 will feature this technology including potential box office heavyweights such as Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel and Toy Story 3. Whether the technology proves to be a staple of the movie going experience or a flash in the pan as it was a few decades ago remains to be seen. For now, what is certain is that RealD releases have earned in excess of $4 billion worldwide in calendar 2009, a mammoth number that should only grow larger in calendar 2010.
--

Best,

Bob Johnston

3D/2D Producer, Technology Strategist, International 3D Media Development

 

2008/2009 Graduation Ceremonies

Our Grad Ceremonies were a huge success again this year. The were held at the "Hart House" at the University of Toronto back on December 2, 2009. Over 60 Graduates received their hard-earned Diplomas.

Our Featured Guest Speaker George Kouronis (Storm Chaser/Adventurer) was a hit with the overflow crowd, offering excellent insites to our Grads for their own careers.

Plans are now underway for this year's Ceremonies as we look forward to a banner year here at Trebas.

 

TREBAS STUDENT BREAKS TOP 16 AT MUCH!!!

If you haven’t been watching Much Music lately you should start today. Much Music has, once again, launched its search for new on-air hosts. There have been over 4000 would-be VJ’s vying to become the next Tim Deegan, Sarah Taylor, or Leah Miller.

From the original Open Call late last February, Much Music has narrowed the field to sixteen talented prospects who will continue to compete until one is the winner. This year’s top sixteen is a dynamic bunch of go-getters hungry for the opportunity to advance to the next level

We at Trebas Institute are proud to support Lyric James in his quest to become VJ 2.0. Lyric’s career began as a model for “Ford For Kids” which was, at the time, the biggest modeling agency in North America. His spirit of adventure led him to study acting at one of Toronto's top performing arts schools. Upon graduation in 2007, Lyric continued to hone his skills as a well-rounded entertainer and has developed a keen eye for both sides of the camera. He portrays himself as an actor first, but also has an in-depth understanding of the art of Filmmaking. Behind the camera his talents include Film and Television Production as well as Post-Production. Lyric has just completed our Film Program here at Trebas Institute and we will be following his career with much excitement and anticipation.

Lyric has his sites set on the prize of becoming the next television personality with Much Music. Please cast your vote for this fresh new, dynamic individual.

Link to his Much Music Page CLICK HERE

TREBAS INSTITUTE GRADUATE WINS 3 GRAMMY AWARDS (February 2009)
Click here to view our ad in Canadian Musician!

Mike Piersante, Recording Engineer/Mixer, a graduate of Trebas Institute,  won two of the most important "GRAMMY" Awards (February, 2009), "Record of the Year" and "Album of the Year". He also won a Grammy for recording B.B. King's latest album Mike was the Engineer/Mixer for the track "Please Read The Letter" from the album "Raising Sand" performed by Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) and Alison Krauss.  This unusual recording and combo of artists was produced by the legendary T. Bone Burnett.

The single track won the GRAMMY for Record of the Year.  The  second GRAMMY Award that the Trebas Audio Engineering graduate, Mike Piersante, won is for recording the album, "Raising Sand". This will not be Mike's first GRAMMY Award since, in 2001,  he was honored with the GRAMMY Award for recording/mixing Alison Krauss & Union Station's motion picture soundtrack and album  "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"  Mike works regularly with T. Bone Burnett at the latter's studio in Los Angeles. Mike has also done music recording and mixing for several other motion pictures including "Across The Universe", "Happy Feet" , "Cold Mountain", and “Walk The Line” for which he won the GRAMMY Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Motion Pictures, Television, or Other Related Media.

One of the first colleges in North America to offer training and education in the music business, the recording arts and sciences, and audio engineering & production, Trebas Institute has been a leader in developing advanced curricula for the industry. Thousands of students have gone through the academic programs at Trebas and many graduates have done extremely well.  However, it is rare for anyone to win the "big prize", the  prestigious GRAMMY Award, or the Juno  Award for outstanding performance or production in Canadian recorded music, which several Trebas grads have won in the past.

Mike Piersante is not the first Trebas graduate to win a GRAMMY.  Jeremy Harding, artist manager/producer/songwriter/ publisher/recording engineer, won the GRAMMY Award for his dancehall reggae recording artist, Sean Paul, a few years ago.  Jeremy graduated from Trebas Institute in 1989 and had a GRAMMY winning hit “Who Am I” with his artist, Beenie Man.

Trebas graduates have won over a dozen GRAMMY Awards over the years, a major accomplishment for a career college that has been around for over 30 years.

"It is the intensity, comprehensiveness, and focus of the courses (towards the needs of the industry) that produce such a high calibre  and quantity of successful graduates," says David P. Leonard, President and Founder of Trebas Institute. "Of course, we're proud of all of our grads for their hard work at the Institute and for their resultant achievements, but it is especially rewarding to hear about our graduates who are recognized by their peers, at the highest level, such as Mike Piersante and Jeremy Harding. I am thrilled to hear this incredible news and I congratulate our graduates for their achievements. When prospective students come to the college for their first interview and ask the Admissions Counsellor whether or not there will be a job for them after they complete their studies, the most honest answer we can give is 'Yes, there's a position for anyone who wants it badly enough, provided you put in the extreme effort required to acquire the knowledge, skills, and professional attitude necessary to succeed; it takes passion, focus, and a modicum of talent in the respective field to succeed'"

Trebas Institute has campuses in Toronto and Montreal, with fulltime, one-year Diploma programs in Audio Engineering & Production and DJ Arts, Entertainment Management, Film & Television Production, and Event & Venue Management." Trebas instructors are working professionals in the industry, which helps to keep the course material "up-to-date" to meet the current and future needs of the music, film, television, and event management industries," says Leonard. For further information concerning details of the Trebas curriculum, instructors, successful graduates, and Trebas special events, check out the Website at www.trebas.com or contact the Admissions Department at either campus.

NEW! Trebas graduate and CARAS Award winner, Nick Jarjour, was interviewed on Global TV on Tuesday January 6, 2009 and mentioned how Trebas contributed to his success to date in the music biz. View it here. (6 minutes).

Trebas Institute announces famed record producer Terry Brown will be the Keynote Speaker at The 2008 Graduation Ceremony held on December 4, 2008. Terry was born and educated in England and learned his craft in four of the top independent studios in London during the 60’s when the British pop scene was exploding. He then moved to Canada at the beginning of the 70’s to further his career as a Producer/Engineer, engineering some huge hits with some notable artists such as Max Webster, Rush, Blue Rodeo, Moist, and Matthew Good. Many successes later Terry continues to be a prominent figure on the International stage.

Juno nominated EMI recording artist "Skye Sweetnam" will be guest lecturing to our first term Entertainment Management and Audio Production students at the Toronto campus on December 10th. Skye has toured the world with the likes of Britney Spears, Dodger, Kalan Porter, and Fefe Dobson. Barely in her 20's Skye has already accomplished more in her young career than most artists achieve in a lifetime. Her business savvy approach to the industry truly makes her wise beyond her years and this will no doubt be a great opportunity for students to draw from her experience. www.skyesweetnam.com

Nicholas Jarjour wins Fred Sherratt Award for Excellence in Canadian Music! Described as the poster child for a new business model, Jarjour is a manager, record executive, producer, published songwriter/composer, accomplished performer, and pioneering entrepreneur in the music world. A graduate of the Trebas Institute Music Business Administration program, he is the school's first alumni to become an invited honorary speaker only two months after finishing the program.

At only 22, "Seven30" as he is known in the music world, is leaving his mark in the industry with a blazing iron stamp. His enthusiasm for embracing different roles within the record label he spearheaded, Seven 30 Entertainment, is unparalleled at his level of industry experience. Furthermore, his natural ability to excel paired with an innate hunger to achieve excellence have translated into all levels of his work, including his production and composition skills which are now in extremely high demand. He has written and produced with Canadian pop-rock artist Jacynthe, pop-rock group Mackenzie 1st, German electro duo Digital Couture, in addition to his own label's r&b /pop vocalist Leila, and Canada's #1 urban trio Natural Born Artist. Most recently, he produced a few singles for Juno award-winning reggae artist Mikey Dangerous.

Including all of the successful undertakings he has under his belt ever since his introduction in the music industry ten years ago at age 11, he still takes greatest pride in his label's flagship artist Leila, whom he also manages.

Leila's success on a national level has been nothing other than phenomenal since joining the team at Seven 30 Entertainment. In a short 10-month period, she has recorded two full-length albums, competed as a Canadian Radio Star finalist, and has been featured on many popular FM radio stations in Montreal. She performed live at the Fashion and Design festival during Grand Prix weekend in the heart of downtown Montreal, where the streets were blocked off due to the overflow of pedestrians and tourists.

Since then, Jarjour has landed Leila various sponsorships including deals with Le Chateau and StyleXChange.

August 2008 will be a defining moment for Jarjour's young professional career, as his beloved Leila will be performing at the prestigious Honeyjams in Toronto, the same showcase that launched multi-platinum female solo acts Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, and Feist.

"Honeyjams is important because there are presently multiple licensing and record deals on the table and we are releasing Leila's Debut EP in the 1st Quarter" says Jarjour. Despite the pressure to succeed, he holds an optimistic approach to the whole adventure. "Success is trying, failure is giving up."

Jarjour prides himself on his versatility, he is also active in film scoring and sound design. As he often likes to point out, a great part of his professional success is due to Trebas. The following is an excerpt from a statement released by Jarjour himself:

“When I discovered Trebas Institute it was exactly the fuel I needed for my vehicle. Trebas gave me the tools I needed to succeed further and carry my career into the next stratosphere. I was a Trebas Student myself not long ago and today I have Trebas students interning for my company and grads working for us! Thank you, Trebas! I will be coming back every year to talk to the students and offer them as many resources as possible.”

 Take that first step today! Click here to request free information from Trebas Institute with no obligation to register!