I’m so excited to welcome to the Blog animation director, visual effects artist, and imagineer, Peter Spence. I asked him on the first Stereoscopy Day last year, after being blown away by one of his ‘Pint Size Chat’ stereoviews, if we would introduce his passion for stereoscopy and his amazing work at Putty Studios, and he’s finally here.
By Peter Spence
There’s something curious about magic tricks. They tickle our brains, and leave us in awe and wonder, right up until the moment we discover their secret, at which point they generally transform into nothing more than a clever theatrical routine and a faint feeling of having been duped.
Stereoscopy is a rather unique magic trick. Even though we know the secret in great technical detail of how to assemble stereoscopic imagery, the magic never fades. The technology behind it has been evolving and adapting since Victorian times. Usually superseded by innovation, but often forgotten thanks to the misdirection of a new entertainment trick. But there’s something about seeing an image with depth that keeps bringing us back to the show.
I’ve been fascinated by the creative possibilities of visual illusions all my life. Once reality is no longer a boundary, anything can happen. Having enjoyed a busy career in the film and television visual effects industry, I’ve been in the fortunate position of creating a good deal of movie magic. Animated characters, subtle illusions, epic destruction.
Gone are the days when cinema was the primary source of moving image entertainment. And with an incredible variety of content sources all jumping around waving their arms in the air shouting “pick me!” in an attempt to get noticed, our attention has become a more valuable commodity than ever before.
For me, this is where the illusions of stereoscopic imagery and animation meld together beautifully. As noted by the respected photo historian Denis Pellerin in a recent presentation, once viewers first engage with a stereo image, they lose themselves in the immersiveness far longer than just glancing at a traditional 2D image. They become transfixed in the moment; the depth transporting them into the action. It takes a little extra effort to experience the image depth, but once invested, the viewer stays.
As a creator of animated worlds, I love this reaction. Having spent months, sometimes years developing a world, there is something rather wonderful about seeing full audience engagement. The viewing statistics back this up as well. Viewers of my VR360 film “DO NOT Push The Red Button!” watch for far longer than any of the other 2D videos on my Putty Studios Youtube channel. So when it came to creating a new animated series, incorporating stereoscopic 3D was a priority from the initial concept stage.
“Pint Size Chat” is everything that we love about the English pub and its local characters, in a fly-on-the-wall, short-format animated show. Carl and Harry thought they understood the world outside, but now it’s evolving faster than they are. Their local London pub offers them sanctuary, a pint, and a place to share their confusion.
The series combines animation, motion capture, and digital puppetry. So it’s already a technically advanced show. Presenting it stereoscopically adds not just another viewing dimension, but brings the audience into the pub, alongside our protagonists, enjoying the chat. It adds to the fly-on-the-wall feeling, and is engaging on a whole new level.
Currently being created and distributed independently, the show is designed to be marketed to larger distributors. (World domination plans are being drawn up.) There is a universal appeal with the Great British pub. And with Carl and Harry’s slightly confused and skewed understanding of the world around us, we find it comforting to know that we are not alone.
Sitting beside them, thanks to the illusion of stereoscopy, amused and comforted by their banter, we can once again feel the safety and escapism of a timeless magic trick.
“Pint Size Chat” is now streaming on most social media platforms, and can be found at PintSizeChat.com
For further information, please contact Peter via post@PuttyStudios.com
Peter Spence
Animation, Visual Effects, Imagineering, Tea Drinking.
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