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EXCLUSIVE ANIMFXNZ INTERVIEW WITH REAL D FOUNDER JOSH GREER

SK: How did you decide to develop 3D projectors? Was there a particular impetus in deciding to go in that direction in your career?

JG: At my previous company Walden Media I had the opportunity to meet with James Cameron who was working on two 3-D documentaries at the time, which were Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep. The only issue was there weren't that many great places to see either of the films.

So my partners insisted I go meet with Jim so I went to Lightstorm. I went over and Jim gave me the sermon and I was pretty compelled. I started thinking about reinventing the camera systems to make it really work. I've always felt that the strength is in the creative applications of technology when it comes to how to make things creatively. Tech is great but nothing without new content.

At the same time, it was the beginning of the digital cinema debate so I started thinking about how to put the pieces together because 3-D has the possibility of being such a change on the level of color film or sound. And I thought how do I put all of the pieces together. When I went back to my partners and investors I realized it (3-D) wasn't within the mission of the company and I knew I had to do it.

SK: When did you make this decision and what is the biggest area of growth/change for you in 3D since then?

JG: What's happened in the last 15 years is a change to the entire food chain in how we generate, create, capture, edit, and deliver content. It's not at the same level of 20 years ago or even 5 years ago. The technology changes and especially digital cinema have been very important. But again, it comes down to content waves. With James Cameron, Peter Jackson and Stephen Spielberg spending gobs of money on content that really pushes the limits, it sets the stage for 3-D technology to be able to succeed.

We see a future where all display devices are eventually capable of displaying 3-D. Within the next 3 years we see it coming to every type of display. Even home systems.

SK: How big is the market right now for 3D projectors, and which countries/exhibition chains are leading the push?

JG: Again, the first thing that's most important is the content. Without content it doesn't matter how good the technology is, but more content is coming and that's great for driving the market.

We see 3-D following along the typical distribution channels. I could get into how we parallel the top 10 markets, we're now in 30 countries and have more than 100 exhibition partners for Real D. It's growing incredibly fast.

Once people have seen this experience, they don't want to go back.

SK: What needs to happen for people to experience 3D at home?

JG: We're already seeing a number of CE experiences from already full 3-D ready DLP TVs in Asia, to a number of LCDs with micro polarizing film laid over the top of the TV that give a full experience. The big issue is that over the next few years we need to come together and figure out a standard. We don't want to see another Blu-Ray/HD DVD war.

A few years ago, I was probably the only one talking about 3-D displays. Now the CE companies are seeing it as one of the most important drivers for the next generation of devices and within the home task force, 250 companies have signed up to participate.

Everyone's looking at what's the best way to deliver the experience and there are a lot of groups that want to be in control. You've got SMPTE, to Blu-Ray consortium, to CEA all looking to take the lead. But the important thing is the end user experience and Real-D's focus has always been quality, ease of use, and ubiquity.

SK: What advice would you give to someone trying to get into your profession?

JG: I'm an entrepreneur and the best advice I think I could give is always try starting something where you don't know what you're doing. That way you don't know how hard it is.

On the 3-D side, we've got the technology covered, but the real opportunities are in the creation of 3-D content. I remember when we were starting out. My partner Michael Lewis and I talked about without a platform there was going to be no content. But we decided to focus on the platform knowing that it was compelling and the filmmakers would see the opportunity.

Other areas where 3-D is going to be big are live events, and gaming is going to be very big in the coming years. There are a lot of companies doing things in the 3-D gaming space, but nobody is really talking about it yet.

I see 3-D as a new creative renaissance where 3-D isn't just a button you turn on, it's powerful new tool in your arsenal as a creator. It's also may change the scope of the entire process from the story, to the editing. We see 3-D as something that will get filmmakers rethinking how they are creating their art.

SK: So what about the costs of creating a film in 3-D versus the traditional method?

JG: Sure, it is more expensive. You'll see a 10-50% below the line increase on a major motion picture. The big reason for this is the final posting has to be done twice for a left eye and a right eye. But 3-D films typically outperform 2-D three to one. We have data from over a thousand theaters that basically shows that where a 2-D film would make a dollar, a 3-D film will make three dollars.

This is partially because exhibitors have been able to charge more for the experience and the audience feels it's worth it.

SK: What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

JG: Outside of the big family I'm raising, I'm a big woodworker. I'm typically I'm in my shop trying to not cut off my fingers. In fact I built all of the original Real D prototypes in my shop.

But I do 1-2 fun art pieces a year, but mostly use it as a way to clear my head and re-approach stuff afterwards.

SK: Have you ever been to Wellington?

JG: No and I can't wait. I'm bringing my wife down and we've heard a lot of great things.

SK: Any closing thoughts?

Contact:

Sean Kauppinen
International Digital Entertainment Agency
+1-415-299-2156