Pierre Spengler, Producer, looks through camera on the set of Dracula Returns

Zoran Perisic, the man who made Superman fly, has completed a 3D demo film to demonstrate the unique advantages of Z3D: his newly-patented, format-independent, single camera stereoscopic system. Shot under normal production conditions, including multi-camera set-ups and visual effects, Dracula Returns proves that a 3D sequence can be cut together in much the same way as a regular movie, utilising a cinematic approach to tell the story.

Some years ago, the Oscar®- and BAFTA-winning producer, director, screenwriter and VFX supervisor directed the 35mm documentary In Search of the Real Dracula released in the UK as a support programme for Sam Peckinpah's The Iron Cross. During his extensive research into the real Vlad Dracula Basarab, he discovered an interesting medieval hero who was more akin to the knights of the Arthurian legends than the blood-sucking vampire inspired by Bram Stoker.

Perisic was encouraged to return to Romania by Producer Pierre Spengler, who had a connection with Castel Studios in Bucharest. During his visit, Perisic explored the back lot and was impressed by a vast castle ruin set. But several months later, armed with his newly-written screenplay, he discovered that the set had been removed to make way for another production. His only alternative was to use a small chamber - a quarter the size of the original set - in a disused fortress on the outskirts of Bucharest. "I had to shoot the action more closely than I'd planned, and shooting that close in 3D can be a daunting prospect," admits Perisic, who wanted to give the audience the feeling of being "inside a scene, instead of watching it from the outside."

Zoran Perisic on the set of Dracula Returns

Perisic's Z3D optical unit incorporates two viewpoints for stereoscopic imaging which are placed 66mm apart in front of the camera lens: the average distance between the eyes of an adult. "This inter-ocular distance assures realistic, distortion-free 3D images and natural depth perception on viewing" says Perisic. The other elements that affect the quality of a 3D shot are the convergence between the two viewpoints and an angle of view wide enough to maintain a realistic reproduction of the stereo scene with a stereoscopic cone that matches the shape of a typical cinema."

"The Z3D system splits the frame along the horizontal centre line with the left and right images lying along the split line in a toe-to-toe or head-to-head configuration; the 3D format is determined by the imaging frame," Perisic explains. "On a 35mm 4-perf frame, each stereoscopic image occupies a 2-perf wide image area, as in the case of Techniscope or Super-Techniscope. On an 8-perf frame pull-down such as VistaVision at 90°, the split produces two standard 35mm frames - 4-perf for each eye."

Zoran Perisic on the set of Dracula Returns

For Dracula Returns, Perisic chose the most widely used format of 4-perf pull-down, toe-to-toe configuration and an aspect ratio of 2.4:1, which is compatible with Panavision anamorphic. "A film shot with a 2-perf pull-down, such as Techniscope, produces excellent results when blown up to 4-perf anamorphic and consequently one shot in Z3D could also be released as 2D Anamorphic," states the director.

With his trusty Mitchell Mk II on a specially-designed gear head and an ARRIFLEX 2C on a regular friction head, Perisic ensured the operators could view in 3D by fitting stereo viewfinders. "That way, all the calculations and guesswork for convergence positioning are eliminated. What you see is what you get!" he exclaims. "I was impressed and pleasantly surprised at how quickly A and B camera operators Liviu Pojoni and Ionut Perianu took to the Z3D system." Perisic also equipped each camera with a colour video assist tap which displays the entire ground glass image from both eyes onto a television monitor. A hand-held 3D video viewer provided stereoscopic viewing of the images for other crew members and proved particularly useful for playback.

Perisic chose KODAK VISION2 250D 5205 for his project. "With a wide contrast range and 250 ASA daylight rating, it was the most appropriate stock. I was able to capture all the shadow detail as well as a good depth of field, which is of critical importance in 3D." In the only interior scene, Perisic used full blues on the lights rather than tungsten stock.

Using contra-jour lighting whenever possible meant that the scenes had to be shot with the position of the sun in mind. "But fortunately I didn't have to convince the director that this would be best for the picture as I was doing that job myself," he muses. "With the exception of one day in the fortress and a couple of inserts, I used only natural light. I also made extensive use of large reflectors to feed sunlight into the scene and reduce the contrast ratio. It added a magical feel to the dappled light in the woods."

Roxana Iancu and Aurel Dicu in front of reflector screens

Perisic explains his lighting approach: "Apart from a well-saturated negative, I make it a practice to shoot a grey scale along with the slate wherever possible. It can be of great help to the grader but, more importantly, it gives me a reference against which to judge all the other variables that affect the look of the printed image. Comparing the printer lights against this constant reference avoids any guesswork. I can't stress enough the importance of a grey scale for judging colour balance; yes, colour! This is even more important when shooting various elements filmed in different locations and at different times that are intended for compositing into the same scene. When it comes to printing dailies, I prefer one light prints graded to the grey scale. In scanning to digital, the grey scale should be the starting point for grading. It also serves as a cross-reference for checking the accuracy of the electronic display systems."

Kodak Cinelabs Romania processed Dracula Returns and made one light prints of selected takes so that Perisic could view the dailies at Castel Studios on a large screen in 3D with the Z3D projector. "Everyone at Kodak Cinelabs Romania was very helpful and I can't thank them enough," he says. Abis Studio Bucharest handled the telecine work, while Hyper Image in Los Angeles undertook digital effects post-production. "As both left and right images are essentially on the same frame, it makes post-production that much easier for editing and digital effects," says Perisic. "With a Z3D projection attachment and a digital projector, the editing and visual effects can be projected directly from the computer and viewed in 3D during post-production. The final demo will be printed on film for theatrical projection using a Z3D projection unit and will also be transferred for digital projection in Real D."

Producer Pierre Spengler and Perisic go back to 1983 when "Zoran gave me a flying Superman and he got an Oscar®," grins Spengler. "Three years ago he approached me about developing his revolutionary Z3D system. We opted for Kodak film because we were already innovating by shooting in the Z3D technique and we knew it would be the most stable."

"Dracula Returns is the first film ever shot with the 3D technique and the results are absolutely flabbergasting. I've never seen a system that's so realistic. Most others have some sort of distortion which is often used as clever sublimation, but Z3D gives the 3D view as you see it in real life. It adapts to any camera and only uses one lens and one film stock, which represents a huge saving in itself. The Z3D viewfinder allowed us to see the 3D effect on set rather than having to print the takes and wait to see the results. It's a real breakthrough and I've learnt from the experience that the system works!"

Rob Brousseau, Creative Director at Hyper Image adds: "Under Zoran's direction we handled the final picture assembly and created numerous visual effects to match the technical aspects of the 3D system. The frames were different enough to make the compositing and animation a challenging yet rewarding process. Once the animators and artists got their heads around the dual image process, it became fairly intuitive to know what would work and what wouldn't."

With front-projection 3D compositing a very real ambition, Perisic is currently concentrating on production. He is also seeking a licensee for his Z3D system.