Guest Post from Director of Photography Jamie Hall

CONTENT MONSTERS  (our production company) is thrilled to have worked with Panasonic in the final testing of their latest and greatest 3D camcorders, including most recently the AG-3DP1 P2 3D camera that’s certain to shake up not only the 3D filmmaking community, but the WORLD!

I was wowed by the amount of attention to detail Panasonic has put into every inch of this camera.  Shooting with Panasonic HDX900 several times a week, I’m very familiar with Panasonic’s shoulder-mount camera recorders and it’s safe to say, the 3DP1 puts every other one of them to SHAME!The 3DP1 utilizes two pairs of 1/3 type, full-HD 2.2 megapixel 3MOS imagers with a 20-bit Digital Signal Processor to acquire full production quality, native 1920 x 1080 resolution images.  I’m talkin’ FULL HD 3D in a proper Panasonic twin-lens system that allows the convergence point to be adjusted and has added functions for automatically correcting horizontal and vertical displacement.  One feature that we found particularly slick was the 3D Assist Function that uses Red, Green, and Yellow digital overlays that indicate where your convergence plane is set to as well as areas of excessive depth or hyper-convergence.

The 3DP1 also has 3D Mode Selection which can be set to Near, Normal or Extra. This feature optimizes the lens convergence angle range for each shooting distance, maximizing the twin-lens zooming capability. Additionally with a minimum convergence distance of around 3 feet and an overall wider field of view, the 3DP1 allows you to get shots that simply aren’t possible on its predecessor,  the 3DA1.

The first Content Monsters 3DP1 project completed is “SKITTLES 3D – Stare The Rainbow.” Andycam (my partner) and I are both huge fans of the Skittles “Taste The Rainbow” campaign. The humor in those spots lines up perfectly with our comedic sensibilities, so we decided to knock one out in PANASONIC 3D!

Shooting “Skittles 3D” with the 3DP1 was a breeze.  We utilized the ND filters, a much needed addition missing from the 3DA1, and shot mostly at a F 2.8 / 4 with all natural light and a single bounce board.  We lined up each shot with the viewing system in “MIXED MODE” so that we were able to see where our convergence was set to. The beauty of the 3DP1 is that it eliminates the need for special computers, mirrored rigs, or the stereographers typically needed to create professional grade, vibrant, captivating stereoscopic imagery. With the Panasonic 3DP1, you dream a shot up in your head, then you go out and create that shot, just you and the camera.  Make no mistake, the 3DP1 has all the advanced functions you’d come to expect from a professional 3D camera system, including remote control focus, iris, and convergence, however, this camera system packs all of that Panasonic professional grade power into a tight package that still manages to be easy to use and somewhat pro-sumer friendly.

In conclusion, stereoscopic production is RAMPING UP and the 3DP1 is leading the way.  Just released, it will undoubtedly become  the go-to camera for any and all 3D reality television, live sports, studio game shows, independent feature films and more.  The combination of its spectacular image quality, easy to use interface and reliable P2 workflow make it the optimal choice for producers, directors, cinematographers and editors looking to achieve maximum 3D BANG for their buck.  STAY GLUED for ALL NEW 3D CONTENT filmed on the Panasonic 3DP1 and 3DA1. It’ll knock your SOCKS CLEAN OFF…CONTENT MONSTERS STYLE!!

Please enjoy SKITTLES 3D – THE STARING CONTEST featuring Kimmy Kim and Frutron from  “HOLLYWOOD IS HARD” on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheContentMonsters.

Jamie Hall is an Emmy-nominated DP with extensive experience in the entertainment industry. He has served as a cinematographer on some of television’s top-rated shows for networks such as FOX, NBC, MTV, BET, A&E, Bravo, E! and many more.