Stereoscopic 3D initiatives in Singapore:

Singapore may be a tiny country – but anything it is sets it’s mind to, gets done with precision and dedication. The latest vision being promoted by the government, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA) in keeping with it’s intelligent nation 2015 (in2015 ) project, is to make Singapore the Digital Media hub for Asia and the region.

Both the IDA and MDA are completely aware of sweeping trends occurring in the world of MEDIA. From latest trends in social media, to stereoscopic 3D. There are many initiatives underway to encourage companies based in Singapore to produce – or – “create” content in Stereoscopic 3D. Such production companies stand to benefit from government grants to complete their projects – foresight that many other governments seem to have missed out on.

While it is attractive for movie production companies or production houses to capitalize on this generous platform offered by the Singapore government, what is being done to educate the next generation of movie makers, animators and visual effects artists within the country? – This is what Real Vision Consultancy with the assistance of Polytechnics and Universities in Singapore aims to address.

Singapore Media Graduates “think” in 3D:

One of the biggest mental blocs that established Cinematographers face, is the ability to “un-learn” years of what was taught in Film school, and having to start with a fresh slate when learning about stereoscopic 3D movie making. To put this bold statement into some context – the word “film” itself, strictly speaking is a misnomer. Everything is now Digital.

The next generation of animators, movie makers and students of Design, have to think in the 3rd Dimension – to use 3D as a new “medium” in story telling, and not as some Cinematographers will say – 3D is another tool to tell a story.

Stereoscopic 3D is not just for movie-makers, even though it has been popularly connected to movies, thanks to the current wave of 3D blockbuster films. Stereoscopic 3D is equally important to art departments in Advertising Agencies, who now realize that typography rules, design elements and the use of 3D as a medium can have a more powerful psychological effect on the minds of audiences, and is yet different enough in the way it needs to be exploited, than established rules of design and story telling that are done with 2D methods. Some other markets, while not connected to media and movie making but already using stereo 3D, are listed in the presentation at the end of this article

First Stereoscopic 3D Workshop at a Singapore Polytechnic:

Real Vision Consultancy, based in the UAE was invited to do a series of awareness seminars in Singapore, starting with a well received and attended conference by Egg Story Digital Arts School. This conference had industry leading speakers in Stereoscopic 3D movie making, such as Dr. Peter Hillman – R&D at Weta Digital (the effects house behind Avatar), along with industry experts from Spain and the US to name a few.

Following that, the first 2 week Stereoscopic 3D Workshop in a Polytechnic in Singapore (to the best of our knowledge) was successfully conducted at Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Interactive Design and Media (SIDM). The motivation of students, who elected to attend the workshop, while they were on term holiday, was encouraging and testament to the drive that the younger generation in Singapore has toward excelling in the field of Media and Digital innovation.

This Stereo 3D workshop “graduating” class has already begun to think in 3D – and have now actively taken the lead in further developing their knowledge base and skills.

Stereoscopic 3D in Media: relevant to  Games Design, Animation, Visual FX and movie making:

The School of Interactive Design and Media (SIDM) at Nanyang Polytechnic offers courses in Visual FX, and also houses one of the prestigious Sony Playstation game development centers in the region. Courses are offered in games design as well as 3D animation and modelling.

The lecturers and faculty have shown a keen interest to learn more of how Stereoscopic 3D can tie all these various courses together, using techniques in Virtual Cinematography as was evidenced again in cutting edge “hybrid movies” such as Avatar. The use of high powered gaming engines, design rules of stereoscopic 3D, digital asset creation and 3D animation will be used more frequently by the next generation of Cinematographers when creating movies and console games that contain cinematic “cut sequences” as well as gameplay.