In the wake of the success of Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, virtually every media commentator agrees that the future of the film business is in 3-D. But as the industry attempts to explore the storytelling potential of what is essentially a new medium, the local film industry finds itself facing an adjustment to a new type of production.

A series of initiatives, including Sheridan College’s research project at Pinewood studios, are set to ensure that the GTA becomes a hub for 3-D filmmaking. The latest of these launches with a presentation April 23 at the Cinespace Studios in Toronto: 3D FLIC, a $1.4 million research project out of York University.

“The really interesting things will start to happen when people figure out how to use this technology,” says Nell Tenhaaf, York University’s research lead on the project. She says that the 3D FLIC project brings together partners from academia and various corners of the industry to explore technology, techniques and content. “We’re trying to take on the whole package.”

Tenhaaf agrees that the GTA is well-positioned to become a global hub for this new dimension of filmmaking. She says that many of the project’s partners, including Cinespace film studios, have driving business and jobs as a key goal. “Certainly… that’s what they want, to keep the studios full. We’ve always been a centre for film production,” she says, noting that traditionally Toronto’s attractiveness as a production centre varies from time to time based on the strength of the currency and the status of certain tax advantages. “If you have a solid expertise base, that makes you very attractive.” Setting up that expertise base in 3-D is what this initiative is all about.

Writer: Edward Keenan

Source: Nell Tenthaaf, Associate Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University

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