The 38th NSA CONVENTION in Southern California

Come immerse yourself in some spectacular 3D over six action-packed days! This is the place to find cutting-edge stereo theatre, informative workshops, a stereoscopic art exhibition, image competitions, room hopping, a 3D auction, a large trade fair and a technical exhibit of new equipment and displays. Enjoy excursions to unique attractions in Southern California. For a glimpse of past conventions see this 3D Con slide show, courtesy of Susan Pinsky.

Get your convention logo shirts, tote bags, pins, and other swag at our cafepress site. Three different logos in addition to the one to the right, are available, and dozens of items!

Jim Chabin, Friday Afternoon Presenter
Jim Chabin will present an illustrated talk in Stereo Theater on the Status of 3D Worldwide. He will be followed at 4pm by I3DS Lumiere Award recipient Lenny Lipton giving a Keynote Address. Then in the Pacific Ballroom Foyer at 5pm an I3DS hosted reception will take place from 5 to 6 pm.

Lenny Lipton, Friday Afternoon Keynote Speaker
Lenny Lipton, recognized as the father of the electronic stereoscopic display industry, was the lead inventor of the current state-of-the-art technologies that enable today's theatrical filmmakers to project their feature films in 3D. His work is also the basis for much of today's 3-D TV technology. He has 53 patents granted with many others pending. Mr. Lipton also wrote the lyrics to 'Puff, The Magic Dragon.' lennylipton.com

Brian May, Saturday Night Presenter
Brian May presents his "Brief History of 3-D" Saturday night 7/28/12. Earlier in the day, he will sign books at the Trade Fair. Dr. Brian May, guitarist, songwriter, singer, founding member of "Queen," astrophysicist and author, has had a lifelong interest in Victorian 3-D photography. In 2009 he published his third book 'A Village Lost and Found.' He is currently working on his next book 'DIABLERIES - Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell' (working title) expected out next year. A 2005 Planet Rock poll voted May the 7th greatest guitarist of all time. For his work in 3-D see the website: londonstereo.com

Thursday, 2:00 pm: Shooting 2D for a 3D World
A discussion of the key creative and technical issues in shooting 2D for a converted 3D theatrical presentation. Covering helpful tips from script, prep, shoot, vfx production, and conversion. Presented by Aaron Parry, Graham Clark, and Adam Schardein of StereoD.

Aaron Parry, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, StereoD Aaron Parry serves as Chief Creative Officer and Executive Vice President of Stereo D. In his role, Aaron oversees the creative vision of the company, world-wide production, and its' technology development. In his current role at Stereo D, Aaron has executive produced the company's production on many titles such as Green Hornet, Thor, Captain America, John Carter and most recently Titanic 3D and The Avengers, among others. Parry first joined Stereo D as CEO in 2010 and has been instrumental in building the company from 14 artists to its' present staff of over 400 worldwide. Prior to joining Stereo D, Aaron was an Executive Producer and Supervising 3D Producer for Paramount Pictures on Jackass 3D. During his time at Paramount, Aaron and his team led the studio's first major exploration into 3D. The results were designed to help inform the studio's approach to the emerging 3D industry. He also was a producer on The Sponge Bob Squarepants Movie and was Executive Producer on Barnyard The Movie. He has served as an adjudicator for film and animation festivals, as well as lectured around the world on animation and stereoscopic 3D. Aaron holds a Bachelor's Degree from Coe College and attended the Advanced Graduate Studies program at USC. He is a member of the Producer's Guild of America and International 3D Society.

Graham Clark serves as Head of Stereography for Stereo D. In his role, Clark supervises Stereo D's team of stereographers and artists and is a principal on-set liaison with our clients. In this capacity, he has guided the stereography for Stereo D on such titles as "JACKASS 3D," "THOR," "CAPTAIN AMERICA," "TITANIC 3D," "ABE LINCOLN:VAMPIRE HUNTER," and "THE AVENGERS." Prior to joining Stereo D in 2010, Clark worked as CG Supervisor on "BARNYARD THE MOVIE," for Paramount and Omation; as CG Supervisor on Warner Brothers shorts: and as Stereographic Cinematographer at Paramount Pictures. Clark's background also includes work at commercial production companies such as PSYOP (LA and NYC), The Mill (NYC), and Studio Nouveau where he was Senior Pipeline and Animation TD for their work on the "RESIDENT EVIL," videogame. As an educator, Clark has worked at Ryerson University and at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where he was Chair of the Computer Art Department. There he founded 5 undergraduate and graduate programs including the first degree-awarding Game Development programs, as well as the graduate Motion Graphics and Broadcast Design programs. Clark studied fine arts, painting, film, computer arts, media arts, and animation at Pratt Institute, Ryerson University, Sheridan College, SCAD, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Thursday, 8pm, In Conversation: Suzanne Lloyd
During the 1920's Harold Lloyd was the most successful film star in the world. A prolific 3-D photographer, he was a founding member and the first President of the Hollywood Stereoscopic Society. Suzanne Lloyd is the granddaughter of Harold Lloyd and was raised by him at his magnificent estate, Greenacres, in Beverly Hills, California. She was executive producer of the documentary Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius and author of 3-D Hollywood, Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian, and Harold Lloyd's Hollywood Nudes in 3-D! Suzanne Lloyd considers it an honor to preserve and promote Harold Lloyd's legacy for future generations. Suzanne will present a selection of Harold Lloyd's stereo images, and share her memories of her grandfather with 3-D historian Ray Zone.

Thursday, 9:00 pm: Converting 2-D to 3-D
From the famous clock scene in Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last" to current Hollywood blockbusters. Dr. Barry Sandrew discusses the art of 3-D conversion. Barry Sandrew, Ph.D., founder, CCO and CTO of Legend3D, Inc., received his doctorate in neuroscience from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1977. After receiving his doctorate, he worked at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School as a neuroscientist. An entrepreneur at heart and a fiercely independent thinker, Sandrew left his academic and scientific career to start American Film Technologies (AFT), and invent the first all-digital colorization process for colorizing black and white films.

Saturday 4pm, Panel: Behind the 3D of Columbia Pictures - The Amazing Spider-Man
A panel discussion with members of the team responsible for Columbia Pictures' 3D blockbuster THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, based on the Marvel comic books. Join 3D Supervisor Rob Engle, First Unit Stereographer Eric Deren, Second Unit Stereographer Jason Goodman, and Stereo Rig Technician Jeff Amaral for an enlightening discussion moderated by Jon Schnitzer of The Brain Factory. Punctuated by clips from the film, the panel will talk about the technologies and techniques used to shoot the picture in native 3D, and the art and craft of bringing the world of the web-slinging hero to full, three dimensional life on screen.

Rob Engle, Sony Pictures Imageworks, panelist
Ever since supervising the 3D adaptation of Robert Zemeckis' THE POLAR EXPRESS in 2004, Rob Engle has been a leader in the field of 3D filmmaking. With numerous 3D features under his belt as varied as BEOWULF, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, G-FORCE, KENNY CHESNEY: SUMMER IN 3D and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, Rob has a broad experience in stereo photography, conversion, and CG features. His most recent projects include THE SMURFS and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. Visit Rob's IMDB profile for his complete filmography. Rob serves on the Board of Directors of the Visual Effects Society, the Board of Governors of the International 3D Society, and has been recipient of two I3DS Lumiere Awards.

Eric Deren, panelist
Eric Deren has worked on over 50 stereoscopic 3D productions, including 4D ride films for Walt Disney's "Disneyland" theme park, and the Anheuser-Busch theme park "Busch Gardens", as well as trade show and industrial projects for companies as varied as Kia, Parke Davis, IBM, Delta Airlines, and AT&T. Deren was stereoscopic supervisor and stereographer for the indie thriller HIDDEN 3D, the Disney 3D animated feature GNOMEO AND JULIET, and was the first unit stereographer for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, from Columbia Pictures. Deren's VFX and animation company, Dzignlight Studios, executed part of the conversion for the 3D rerelease of James Cameron's TITANIC and is currently under contract with Discovery Channel and the History Channel to produce animation for their top HD shows. Deren does stereoscopic production, VFX, and post production pipeline consulting.

Jason Goodman, panelist
Jason Goodman was born in New York City and educated at NYU's Tisch Film School. Goodman is the founder and CEO of 21st Century 3D and the inventor of the 3DVX and BX3 camera systems. 21st Century 3D has created numerous stereoscopic productions including live action and animation, running the gamut from feature films, concerts, television and commercials to corporate and special venue productions, and is internationally recognized as an industry pioneer in the area of stereoscopic content creation and technology development. Over the past 18 years, 21st Century 3D has designed and built numerous 3D camera systems and developed exclusive technologies including the world's smallest and lightest RAW recording high definition stereoscopic motion picture camera system the 3DVX, and the highly versatile BX3 optical beam splitter. The optical filtration system developed for BX3, which eliminates the polarization issues associated with beamsplitter rigs, is widely regarded as the best in the industry and was recently selected for use on camera systems utilized in shooting THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

Jeff Amaral, panelist
An award winning 3D Filmmaker and Stereographer, Jeff brings both a creative and technical passion to S3D cinema. In addition to over 15 years of feature film production experience, Jeff traveled the world to help make broadcast history as a member of the 3ality Digital Team that launched the first live S3D Broadcasts in 5 countries. As the lead 3D Camera Systems Engineer for the feature film THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and the upcoming Warner Brothers feature THE GREAT GATSBY, Jeff has helped pioneer the use of cutting-edge, 4K stereoscopic imaging technology for cinematic storytelling. Jeff is the Founder and CEO of the digital S3D production company Demand Z Content.

Jon Schnitzer, panel moderator
Jon Schnitzer, co-owner of The Brain Factory, is a visionary director and 3D mastermind who, along with his innovative 3D artists have created immersive 3D experiences for pop culture icons and historic celebrations. For more info, go to: thebrainfactory.com

Special Pre-Recorded Presentation on 3-D in Video Games and Entertainment Sunday Afternoon

Stereography: the Art of 3D
Making 3D can be easy, but making good 3D is hard. This presentation illustrates the art of representing stereoscopic 3D scenes and explains how the 3D parameters interact and can be tuned for specific effects, enabling you to make the most of stereoscopic 3D in your game. Content creation is also covered, describing the key requirements that stereoscopic 3D brings to 3D modelling and graphic design. All 3D principles are displayed in stereoscopic 3D, allowing the audience to experience the results first hand. This presentation by Ian Bickerstaff and Simon Benson, of Sony Computer Entertainment, and Buzz Hays, Studio Chief, True Image Company, Inc., Former SVP, 3D Production Sony Pictures Technologies, Sony Pictures Entertainment, was originally recorded at the Game Developers Conference in March 2012. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Mr. Hays.

Ian Bickerstaff is a 3D specialist at Sony Computer Entertainment. He is responsible for providing stereography support for 3D games on the PlayStation 3. Previously, he worked for 15 years in the simulation industry developing advanced 3D visualisation displays for BAE Systems. He also played a major part in developing the world's first F1 driving simulator for a top motor racing team. He has created a number of stereoscopic demonstration films and holds several 3D patents.

Simon Benson is the senior development manager of the Stereoscopic 3D team at Sony Computer Entertainment. He has worked in the games industry for over 10 years, directly delivering seven titles which went on to sell over 10 million units. For the last 2 years Simon has been dedicated to the global support of stereoscopic gaming on PlayStation 3. He has a strong background in simulation, originating from his time at BAE Systems as a simulation engineer where he worked with stereoscopic displays on a regular basis.

Buzz Hays is involved in a variety of 3D initiatives in both the entertainment and non-entertainment businesses. He is active in the 3D professional community at large, serving as the past chairman of the International 3D Society, which is dedicated to advancing the art and technologies of stereoscopic 3D content and its professional innovators. In 2012, Hays founded the True Image Company which is a full service S3D production, design and research company dedicated to 3D productions for film and television professionals. Buzz is a sought-after speaker and educator for S3D. For the Sony 3D Technology Center, Hays provided a key role in curriculum development and instruction at the Sony 3D Technology Center, dedicated to the creation of good 3D across movies, television, games and other platforms. For the last five years, Hays has been among a few pioneers in the field of 3D production. As a Senior Producer, 3D Stereoscopic Feature Films for Sony Pictures Imageworks, Hays was responsible for overseeing the adaptation of standard release feature films into three- dimensional stereoscopic versions for the IMAX 3D and Real D platforms. Hays' work included adapting Robert Zemeckis' BEOWULF and visual effects production on Walt Disney's G- FORCE. Additional Imageworks projects include the Imagemotion performance-capture animated film MONSTER HOUSE as well as the first CG feature from Sony Pictures Animation, OPEN SEASON. Prior to joining Imageworks, Hays worked for Radium where he executive produced visual effects for numerous music videos and broadcast commercials worldwide. Prior to working at Radium, Hays was executive producer at yU+co where he produced title sequences for films such as CATWOMAN, THE TERMINAL and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. Before that, Hays co-founded TriBeCa Interactive with Robert De Niro. In 1993, Hays co-produced the independent film, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS. Between 1987 and 1993, Hays served as director of engineering at Lucasfilm THX where he was responsible for all research and development efforts including the THX Sound System and Home THX. Hays also oversaw the design, construction and installation of over 600 movie theaters and film dubbing stages worldwide. Hays holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Lighting and Scenic Design from the University of Maine.

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