Often responsible for bringing the most cutting-edge audiovisual techniques crashing into the mainstream, the porn industry could well be set to conquer the world of 3D viewing. Or at least, that's what French porn producer, Marc Dorcel is hoping to do, as the only x-rated producer to go 3D and with all the ambition, resources and determination it takes to actually make it work.
The porn industry has been hit hard by the widespread availability of free porn online and, like any sector in turmoil, industry heavyweights are joining forces, downsizing, finding a niche or disappearing altogether. While some are investing in video on demand services, others are looking towards mobile platforms or settling for the DVD market. But Europe's leading porn director, Marc Dorcel, has gone one better, rolling all these areas of expertise into one unique package. In fact, Dorcel is a pioneer in the field of 3D porn, and his upcoming films are due to be available via VOD services or to download directly onto a PC or a compatible TV. Over 100 different films will be available before the end of the autumn on his web-based Dorcel Vision service, as well as on his VOD cable and satellite channels. Video on demand services today account for 50% of the €20 million turnover generated by Dorcel's firm—a company that holds an 80% share of the porn DVD market in France alone, and which runs around sixty porn studios across Europe.
One thing worth noting is that the Dorcel enterprise has never branched out into Blu-rays, unlike many of its American or Japanese counterparts. Apparently, his prized actresses weren't so keen on seeing every one of their tiniest lumps and bumps highlighted by the unforgiving eyes of high definition. The actresses do, however, find 3D 'strangely amusing'. As the first and, for the moment, only porn producer to launch headfirst into the world of three-dimensional content, Marc Dorcel is sure to make a splash. But once his content starts to flood out into the public domain, he'll also become the largest purveyor of 3D content currently out there. Move over Avatar!
To find out more about this intriguing enterprise, we went to visit Dorcel in his production studios, housed in a converted garage in the south of Paris. Our behind-the-scenes tour was a real eye-opener (in more ways than one), and we saw the kind of quality, professionalism and material investment that's rare in the world of 3D production. We even got to have a sneak peak at some of Dorcel's upcoming 3D releases.
Actress Aleska Diamond was the 'guinea pig' in Dorcel's first promotional video for 3D porn. It's a full Champagne-soaked striptease that plunges you head-first into the action!
Since March, Marc Dorcel has been hard at work (ahem!) filming 3D porn. But this is no seedy back-street set-up we're talking about, as this is high-class, high-quality porn, as much in the artistic side of things (one of the firm's trademarks) as in the technical aspects of production. A film produced by Dorcel has an average budget of €60,000, and budgets have been known to reach as much as €250,000 (the film Casino No Limit was his personal record), compared with an average of just €6,000 further east. For Dorcel, going 3D therefore wasn't just about chucking some existing content into a big digital blender to create some approximative 3D mock-ups, but to produce new content using new techniques and specially designed equipment. To do this, the production teams of Europe's porno king worked hand-in-hand with 3D specialists 3DLized, a firm that has a proven track record working on 3D content for both cinema and TV.
If you've ever seen a three-dimensional film at the cinema, then you may well have already seen the 3DLized's most well-known work, as the strange blue character that explains how your 3D glasses work is used in cinemas across Europe. In fact, we've found this explicative trailer to be the most impressive part of the 3D experience in many of recent 3D releases we've seen on the big screen.
Dorcel and 3DLized joined forces to build a makeshift 3D camcorder, complete with twin lens and all the rest. This impressive and imposing piece of machinery weighs no less than 40 kg (see inset photo) and is carried like a handheld device that Dorcel or his somewhat beefier colleague, Hervé Bodilis, use to capture 3D scenes. Although the company has recently invested in a Panasonic AG-3DA1 professional 3D camera, all of the content that's currently ready to be unleashed has been captured using the DIY device. The hundred-or-so videos already finished aren't full-length movies, but are short films of no more than 30 minutes in length—a maximum time limit imposed by Dorcel given the restrictions associated with this new type of content (namely, the fact you have to wear 3D glasses).
This new member of team Dorcel is essential to the 3D productions at every stage of the process; from designing and preparing scenes, to filming and constant monitoring, to post-production. The stereographer pays great attention to detail, placing decorative objects at specific locations in the set to bring out the different 'layers' of depth. He must also position bodies and their various limbs so that the right bits stick out from the screen (!), as well as prevent the appearance of artefacts. With quality and craftsmanship like this, Dorcel's 3D productions have nothing to envy of Avatar! It does, however, mean that filming a scene takes four or five times as long as with 2D content, according to Dorcel's production team. Scenes are now written and planned in a more structured way with less room for improvisation, and the on-set production teams take their time putting the scenes into action as outlined. First one 'position' is filmed, then filming stops for a few minutes, then the 3D axes are moved, then the actors change position, then a few more minutes of footage is filmed and so forth. It's certainly more laborious and, for the actors especially, it's less flowing and natural than a 2D production. Post-production takes a lot longer too, with teams of editors under strict instructions to start again from scratch if they spot the slightest visual defect. Indeed, several videos have been edited and assembled only to be scrapped and started again, before being tested and recalibrated dozens of times to get a final 3D result that's perfectly flawless.
Although the production teams have had to find time to put together all this new footage in a schedule that already includes two or three film shoots per month, each member of Dorcel's teams, from the actors to the technicians, seem to take pleasure in pampering and perfecting their 3D babies. Plus, as with all the studio's productions, each scene is filmed in its full-on porn version and in a toned-down soft-core version. In fact, 3D soft porn could give rise to some impressive demos and trailers that will be much less shocking for uninitiated viewers. But Marc Dorcel is ready and willing to make a loss with this launch, in the hope that he'll make back his investment further down the line. This was exactly what happened with his standard VOD service—a service that's gained over a million subscribers in Europe in the last 5 years.
He hopes that 40% to 50% of users of the Dorcel Vision 3D video on demand service will consume content in this way. The service will allow fans to download a side-by-side 3D file in several different formats, something that's clearly aimed at attracting users to the VOD service directly via their TV set or set-top box. That's not all though, as Dorcel also has 3D digital TV channels up his sleeve, offering a subscription-based service that's likely to be a bit pricier than standard channels.
Ghislain Faribeault hasn't left anyone in the VOD industry out either, as he's even hoping to get digital TV service providers and ISPs on board to distribute the 3D content even more widely in the home TV market.
And what about TV manufacturers' web-based TV services? The sly smile of the Chief of Operations already says it all, and he confirmed that the studio is in serious negotiations with TV manufacturers, who are currently busy analysing the quality of the firm's 3D content. 'It's the kind of thing that these manufacturers have to analyse several times before they can make a decision, even if it's only to uphold the quality of the brand's reputation. But we know that there's room for our service in a connected TV platform,' he added.
Finally, we were keen to find out which model was currently the team's 3D TV of choice?
'Of all the TVs we've tested our content on so far, our favourite is without a doubt the Panasonic VT20. It's no coincidence that we've picked this model as our benchmark for viewing content and for showcasing our 3D demos. It gives the result that's closest to what we imagine the 3D footage will look like when filming. Some LCD TVs still produce a very good 3D effect, but the Neo PDP really is a cut above.'
The first 3D content from Dorcel's studios should be with us sometime this autumn, so you'd better start polishing your 3D specs.
> 3D TV Reviews
One thing worth noting is that the Dorcel enterprise has never branched out into Blu-rays, unlike many of its American or Japanese counterparts. Apparently, his prized actresses weren't so keen on seeing every one of their tiniest lumps and bumps highlighted by the unforgiving eyes of high definition. The actresses do, however, find 3D 'strangely amusing'. As the first and, for the moment, only porn producer to launch headfirst into the world of three-dimensional content, Marc Dorcel is sure to make a splash. But once his content starts to flood out into the public domain, he'll also become the largest purveyor of 3D content currently out there. Move over Avatar!
To find out more about this intriguing enterprise, we went to visit Dorcel in his production studios, housed in a converted garage in the south of Paris. Our behind-the-scenes tour was a real eye-opener (in more ways than one), and we saw the kind of quality, professionalism and material investment that's rare in the world of 3D production. We even got to have a sneak peak at some of Dorcel's upcoming 3D releases.
My! What a Big Camera You've Got!
Actress Aleska Diamond was the 'guinea pig' in Dorcel's first promotional video for 3D porn. It's a full Champagne-soaked striptease that plunges you head-first into the action!
Since March, Marc Dorcel has been hard at work (ahem!) filming 3D porn. But this is no seedy back-street set-up we're talking about, as this is high-class, high-quality porn, as much in the artistic side of things (one of the firm's trademarks) as in the technical aspects of production. A film produced by Dorcel has an average budget of €60,000, and budgets have been known to reach as much as €250,000 (the film Casino No Limit was his personal record), compared with an average of just €6,000 further east. For Dorcel, going 3D therefore wasn't just about chucking some existing content into a big digital blender to create some approximative 3D mock-ups, but to produce new content using new techniques and specially designed equipment. To do this, the production teams of Europe's porno king worked hand-in-hand with 3D specialists 3DLized, a firm that has a proven track record working on 3D content for both cinema and TV.
If you've ever seen a three-dimensional film at the cinema, then you may well have already seen the 3DLized's most well-known work, as the strange blue character that explains how your 3D glasses work is used in cinemas across Europe. In fact, we've found this explicative trailer to be the most impressive part of the 3D experience in many of recent 3D releases we've seen on the big screen.
Dorcel and 3DLized joined forces to build a makeshift 3D camcorder, complete with twin lens and all the rest. This impressive and imposing piece of machinery weighs no less than 40 kg (see inset photo) and is carried like a handheld device that Dorcel or his somewhat beefier colleague, Hervé Bodilis, use to capture 3D scenes. Although the company has recently invested in a Panasonic AG-3DA1 professional 3D camera, all of the content that's currently ready to be unleashed has been captured using the DIY device. The hundred-or-so videos already finished aren't full-length movies, but are short films of no more than 30 minutes in length—a maximum time limit imposed by Dorcel given the restrictions associated with this new type of content (namely, the fact you have to wear 3D glasses).
3D Porn: Coming in Your Face!
Marc Dorcel's Chief of Operations and New Media, Ghislain Faribeault, told us that 'to start making 3D porn, we've had to adapt our production techniques and our whole concept of what an x-rated film actually is, particularly on the artistic side of things.' Indeed, the lightweight 2D camera (HD or SD) weaving its way in and among erotically entwined bodies is a thing of the past, not for the sake of the cameraman's back, but mainly to ensure the technical feasibility of the 3D effect. The new filming techniques are rather less rock 'n' roll, involving a great deal of static camera angles with scenes and sets that are closely planned and monitored from start to finish. To help adapt to these new working practices, Dorcel's team has even hired a professional stereographer.This new member of team Dorcel is essential to the 3D productions at every stage of the process; from designing and preparing scenes, to filming and constant monitoring, to post-production. The stereographer pays great attention to detail, placing decorative objects at specific locations in the set to bring out the different 'layers' of depth. He must also position bodies and their various limbs so that the right bits stick out from the screen (!), as well as prevent the appearance of artefacts. With quality and craftsmanship like this, Dorcel's 3D productions have nothing to envy of Avatar! It does, however, mean that filming a scene takes four or five times as long as with 2D content, according to Dorcel's production team. Scenes are now written and planned in a more structured way with less room for improvisation, and the on-set production teams take their time putting the scenes into action as outlined. First one 'position' is filmed, then filming stops for a few minutes, then the 3D axes are moved, then the actors change position, then a few more minutes of footage is filmed and so forth. It's certainly more laborious and, for the actors especially, it's less flowing and natural than a 2D production. Post-production takes a lot longer too, with teams of editors under strict instructions to start again from scratch if they spot the slightest visual defect. Indeed, several videos have been edited and assembled only to be scrapped and started again, before being tested and recalibrated dozens of times to get a final 3D result that's perfectly flawless.
Worth the investment?
All of this obviously comes at a price, which Ghislain Faribeault estimates at around €1.5 million. Plus, as yet, this investment is almost entirely at a loss, as the Chief of Operations confirmed, 'a launch like this in a sector like ours isn't intended to create an immediate return on investment. That would be idealistic. However, we are not only the first studio to produce 3D porn, but also the first to adopt 3D in a comprehensive manner, and to offer so much high-quality 3D content'. The investment in time is enormous too.Although the production teams have had to find time to put together all this new footage in a schedule that already includes two or three film shoots per month, each member of Dorcel's teams, from the actors to the technicians, seem to take pleasure in pampering and perfecting their 3D babies. Plus, as with all the studio's productions, each scene is filmed in its full-on porn version and in a toned-down soft-core version. In fact, 3D soft porn could give rise to some impressive demos and trailers that will be much less shocking for uninitiated viewers. But Marc Dorcel is ready and willing to make a loss with this launch, in the hope that he'll make back his investment further down the line. This was exactly what happened with his standard VOD service—a service that's gained over a million subscribers in Europe in the last 5 years.
Dorcel VOD 3D
Marc Dorcel is hoping to conquer the world of 3D via a video on demand service. This should gain him the biggest possible audience by making his content available to the largest number of people. The technical teams of this 'multimedia company; we're much more than just a porn studio,' (Ghislain Faribeault) have decided to make the studio's 3D content available via as many multimedia channels as necessary so as to appeal to all potential 3D viewers. The Dorcel Vision portal will therefore soon also offer 3D content that can be downloaded to a PC and watched using Nvidia 3D Vision or on a 3D TV. 'The aim of the Dorcel Vision VOD service is to reach out to an even bigger audience, and also to allow people with 3D TVs to download content in a format compatible with their TV's built-in media player, so they can enjoy our films on the big screen,' states Ghislain Faribeault.He hopes that 40% to 50% of users of the Dorcel Vision 3D video on demand service will consume content in this way. The service will allow fans to download a side-by-side 3D file in several different formats, something that's clearly aimed at attracting users to the VOD service directly via their TV set or set-top box. That's not all though, as Dorcel also has 3D digital TV channels up his sleeve, offering a subscription-based service that's likely to be a bit pricier than standard channels.
Ghislain Faribeault hasn't left anyone in the VOD industry out either, as he's even hoping to get digital TV service providers and ISPs on board to distribute the 3D content even more widely in the home TV market.
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Finally, we were keen to find out which model was currently the team's 3D TV of choice?
'Of all the TVs we've tested our content on so far, our favourite is without a doubt the Panasonic VT20. It's no coincidence that we've picked this model as our benchmark for viewing content and for showcasing our 3D demos. It gives the result that's closest to what we imagine the 3D footage will look like when filming. Some LCD TVs still produce a very good 3D effect, but the Neo PDP really is a cut above.'
The first 3D content from Dorcel's studios should be with us sometime this autumn, so you'd better start polishing your 3D specs.
> 3D TV Reviews
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