Legend3D
Company: Legend3D, San Diego, CA
Entry Submitted By: Formula PR
Company Description: Legend3D is the creator of a patented 2D-to-3D conversion technology that enhances filmmakers’ story by creating the highest-quality conversions. Legend3D’s proprietary process integrates technology with artistry, offering filmmakers the flexibility to create an immersive 3D experience. Legend3D has completed conversions for DreamWorks, Disney, and more.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Most Innovative Company of the Year - Up to 2,500 Employees
Nomination Title: Legend3D
Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved since January 1 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
After Avatar was released in December 2009, a boom in 3D movie-making soon
followed. With premium ticket sales on the minds of Hollywood studios,
producers began re-examining their films and the market potential to release in
3D. For filmmakers and directors the 3D format wasn’t simple. To produce a
film in 3D can mean cumbersome rigs and expensive cameras plus an extensive
amount of time needed to create longer, slower shots. As an alternative to
shooting natively in 3D, many production companies sought to find a better
solution for converting 2D films to 3D. Merging his expertise in graphic arts,
image processing and neurophysiology, Dr. Barry Sandrew developed Legend3D’s
patented 2D-to-3D conversion process with his long-time associate, Greg
Passmore. In 1986, the company developed intricate software tools for
colorization which were then later adapted to effectively suit the needs of 3D
conversion in 2005. Legend3D’s conversion technology offers filmmakers,
studios, and brands the incredible flexibility to shoot projects in native 2D,
without any burdens or constraints on their storytelling process. Thanks to its
proven conversion process, pipeline and methodology, Legend3D is now able to
deliver incredibly complex scenes in the highest-quality 3D—a quality which is
indistinguishable from that achieved through native 3D capture.
The emergence of 3D capable televisions, 3D programming and 3D Blu-ray in 2010
has pushed every major studio to focus on converting both new and catalog movies
to 3D—causing the demand for Legend3D’s technology to skyrocket. Using its
proprietary 2D-to-3D conversion technology, Legend3D completed several projects
in 2010 including 25 minutes of many of the most intricate portions of the 3D
adaptation of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, released on March 5, which broke
box office records as the highest opening of any movie in 2010, and the best
ever March-debut. Additionally this year, Legend3D also completed a multi-film
catalog conversion project for DreamWorks Animation in executing the 3D
conversions of Shrek, Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. In December, Legend3D took
home a CONNECT Most Innovative Product (MIP) awards, San Diego’s “Oscars” for
local technology innovation, for its outstanding software technology.
Recently Legend3D has added huge names from the industry to its leadership team
including Rob Hummel, who left competing 3D conversion company Prime Focus to
become Legend3D’s president. Additionally, the company added Oscar-nominated
Scott Squires as a consulting stereo visual effects supervisor in September and
one of Avatar’s visual effects producers, Toni Pace Carstensen, joined as senior
visual effects producer in July.
Led by a management team with expertise in digital entertainment and an
industry-leading group of skilled stereographers, Legend3D has experienced
growth at a rate of more than 700 percent over the last year, adding more than
300 employees in 2010. Of note, Legend3D’s four-person executive team now
collectively holds 12 patents and represents multiple decades of film and
entertainment experience. Currently, Legend3D has offices in San Diego,
California and Patna, India, and a client relations studio in Los Angeles,
California which opened in September 2010.
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
Media Coverage
•3D Focus, Jan. 5,
2011— http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/2011/01/05/shrek-series-converted-to-3d/ —Entire
Shrek Series Converted to 3D
•MarketSaw, Jan. 4,
2011— http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2011/01/legend3d-converts-dreamworks-animations.html—Legend3D
Converts DreamWorks Animation’s SHREK Trilogy to 3D for Home Viewing!
•The Hollywood Reporter, Jan. 4,
2011— http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/legend3d-completes-2d-3d-conversions-68181—Legend3D
Completes 2D-to-3D Conversions of ‘Shrek’ Films
•Reuters, Jan. 4,
2011— http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70353J20110104 —Entire “Shrek”
Franchise Now Offered in 3D
•Variety, Jan. 4, 2011— http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029672 —Legend3D
Converts First 3 ‘Shreks’ to 3D
•3D Focus, Jan. 3,
2011— http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/2011/01/03/2d-3d-conversion-interview-legend-3d-barry-sandrew/ —Interview
with 2D – 3D Conversion Expert Dr. Barry Sandrew from Legend3D
•Entertainment Technology Center, Jan. 3,
2011— http://www.etcenter.org/2011/01/legend3d-converts-first-3-shreks-to-3d/ —Legend3D
Converts First 3 ‘Shreks’ to 3D
•KGTV, Dec. 10, 2010— http://www.10news.com/news/26095642/detail.html —Legend3D
honored by CONNECT for Most Innovative Product
•Variety, Nov. 15, 2010— http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118027522 —Legend3D
Nabs Hummel as Prexy
•Post magazine, Nov. 1,
2010— http://www.postmagazine.com/Publications/Post-Magazine/2010/November-1-2010/Dispelling-the-Myths-2D-to-3D-conversion.aspx —Dispelling
the Myths: 2D to 3D Conversion
•About.com, Oct. 16,
2010— http://hometheater.about.com/od/3dhometheaterfaqs/a/The-State-Of-3d-Interview-With-Dr-Barry-Sandrew-Of-Legend3d.htm —The
State of 3D: Interview with Dr. Barry Sandrew, Founder and COO of Legend3D
•Bloomberg “Bootcamp Report”, Oct. 7,
2010— http://www.bootcamp.com/interview.jsp?interviewId=559 —Movie Colorization
Pioneer Doing Same for 3D Conversion: Dr. Barry Sandrew
•CNET, Sept. 25,
2010— http://www.legend3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Studio-executives-discuss-potential-of-3D.pdfhttp://www.legend3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Studio-executives-discuss-potential-of-3D.pdf —Studio
Executives Discuss potential of 3D
•Film Journal International, Aug. 12,
2010— http://www.legend3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Film-Journal-International-Online-8.12.10.pdf —Into
the Depths: 2D Conversion Companies Meet the Demand for 3D Movies
•Variety, July 22,
2010— http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118022033?refCatId=3764http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118022033?refCatId=3764 —Biz
Brains ponder 3D Experience
•Variety, July 19,
2010— http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021920?refCatId=3764 —‘Avatar’ VFX
Producer Joins Legend3D
•Los Angeles Times, April 25,
2010— http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/25/entertainment/la-ca-3d-20100425http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/25/entertainment/la-ca-3d-20100425 —3-D:
Hollywood’s Latest Hot Trend
•San Diego Union Tribune, March 25,
2010— http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/25/tsunami-in-3-d/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/25/tsunami-in-3-d/ —Tsunami
in 3-D Films
•Xconomy, March 18,
2010— http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2010/05/18/legend-has-it-an-early-leader-in-the-post-avatar-rush-to-convert-2d-films-to-3d/http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2010/05/18/legend-has-it-an-early-leader-in-the-post-avatar-rush-to-convert-2d-films-to-3d/ —Legend
Has It—An Early Lead in the Post-Avatar Rush to Convert 2D Films to 3D
•KGTV, March, 16,
2010— http://www.10news.com/news/22859227/detail.html —Hollywood Recognizes SD
Company’s 3-D Work
Press Releases
•CBS, Jan. 4,
2011— http://finance.bnet.com/bnet/news/read?GUID=16378427 —Legend3D Converts
DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Shrek’ Trilogy to 3D for Home Viewing
•CNBC, Dec. 15, 2010— http://classic.cnbc.com/id/40687517 —Legend3D Takes Home
2010 Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Award at CONNECT’s 23rd Annual MIP Awards
•CNBC, Nov. 16,
2010— http://www.cnbc.com/id/40219322/http://www.cnbc.com/id/40219322/ —Legend3D
Appoints Former Prime Focus CEO as President
•Reuters, Sept. 20,
2010— http://www.legend3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Reuters-Online.pdf —Legend3D
Opens Client Relations Studio in the Heart of Hollywood
•KABC-TV, Sept. 13,
2010— http://www.legend3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ABC-Release.pdf —Legend3D
Adds Industry Pioneer, Scott Squires, as Consulting Stereo VFX Supervisor
•Reuters, July 19,
2010— http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS124954+19-Jul-2010+BW20100719http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS124954+19-Jul-2010+BW20100719 —‘Avatar’
Veteran VFX Producer Joins Legend3D Team
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:
Barry Sandrew, Ph.D., founder, COO/CTO of Legend3D, is a recognized digital
imaging expert and visual effects pioneer with more than 14 visual effects
patents and 23 years of film and TV accomplishments. Sandrew invented the first
all-digital process for colorization and evolved the process in 2001 at
Legend3D. During his career, he has color converted more than 400 films, 70
cartoons and 207 television episodes. In 2005, Sandrew advanced this technology
to develop an approach that adapted Legend3D’s colorization technology into a
time-tested production pipeline to convert native 2D films to 3D. Legend3D is a
leader in the stereo conversion industry.