Sydney based cinematographer Abraham Joffe is an award winning cinematographer who has built up one of Sydney's most successful wedding and event filmmaking companies - Abraham Joffe Videographers. Recently Joffe and his team made history by filming their first 3D wedding using the services of broadcast equipment sales and rental specialists Videocraft and 3D cameras from Panasonic Broadcast. Joffe explained, “I approached Videocraft with the idea of shooting a wedding in 3D and asked how they would suggest I go about it. After some discussion they recommended using the AG-3DA1 3D camera and then called Panasonic to arrange this. The AG-3DA1 cameras are to be released towards the end of the year and with only two prototype 3DA1 cameras currently in the country, they are incredible sought after so this was no easy task. Fortunately Panasonic were very accommodating and Videocraft were able to get the cameras.” 3D Wedding Shoot - Sydney Australia from Abraham Joffe on Vimeo. The Panasonic AG-3DA1 is a revolutionary twin lens professional 3D camcorder featuring two independent optical systems, automatic left-eye/right-eye image deviation correction within the camera, worldwide recording with 50hz/59.94hz switchable and records to two SDHC memory cards in PH mode AVCHD. Joffe continued, “I had been interested in 3D for some time and was excited about the prospect of shooting a 3D wedding. 3D rigs to date have been cumbersome and challenging to configure and thus did not lend themselves to shooting weddings. A wedding videographer cannot wait to set up the next shot or get in the way at a wedding so we needed something quick, simple to use and flexible. The Panasonic AG-3DA1’s compact size and easy operation suited the wedding shoot perfectly.” Joffe along with team members Edgard Neves and Alfio Stuto had less than 24 hours to get up to speed with Panasonic's professional camera division on how to produce desirable 3D imagery which included learning how to control the ‘conversion point’ - the point at which the 3D element of the picture pops from the screen. Joffe said, “I was extremely impressed with how these cameras performed in the rapidly changing environments the wedding threw at us. They are also incredibly light and portable which makes them superb for moving about and quick setup. 3D does add a further level of complexity to your shoot and there is a lot to get your head around.” The ceremony took place at the historic The Tea Rooms - Gunners Barracks venue in Mosman with the outdoor nuptials held in the early 19th century stone courtyard in the fading light of the day. Joffe’s assistant Edgard Neves had one camera attached to his body on a Steadicam rig allowing him to move about and capture immersive moving shots throughout the day including one particularly impressive sweeping steadicam move as the bride approached the aisle and her waiting groom. At the reception, a 3D TV was setup and various segments of the day were played back to the delight of the guests and the happy couple who put on 3D glasses and watched the footage. Rob Myers from Panasonic Broadcast said, “We are delighted to have been able to help Videocraft and Abraham Joffe in making the first 3D wedding shoot happen. Panasonic Australia is very excited about 3D and the release of the 3DA1 camcorder. Local interest has been very strong with pre orders taken across all areas of the industry from staging companies to networks. Videocraft has been a significant addition to our Broadcast Dealer Network. Their commitment to the industry and customers is highly valued by Panasonic. Their commitment to Panasonic has also been significant recently placing orders for the soon to be released AG-3DA1 3D camcorder for demonstration to their customers.” Abraham Joffe concluded, “Videocraft were great in helping us shoot our first 3D wedding. They also assisted with the post production which was a real bonus. Panasonic’s AG-3DA1 cameras will put 3D technology well within reach of smaller video producers and as a result 3D video production will become more mainstream in the next few years. It is most definitely the future for weddings.” To see footage from the ‘making of’ the 3D wedding shoot go to: www.cinemaexperience.com.au