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The explosion of 3-D is not just propelling special effects and alien worlds. It's creating new systems of workflow.

What could sound less sensational and cinematic? But a research centre created by Sheridan College is being set up at Pinewood Toronto Studios to study how to organize film production to accommodate the new array of digital 3-D and other technologies. The aim is to make Toronto and other Canadian cities a hub for this technological know-how.

Sheridan professor and institute director John Helliker explains, "You have a story you want to tell. Right now, as things develop, there are mobile phones and IMAX and everything in between. So what are the production technologies and the processes to choose and develop to get that stuff done?"

The workflow is as complicated as the technology. An image is shot with a 3-D camera. The background, often computer rendered, has to co-ordinate with the action. Everything has to be synchronized, edited, colour-corrected, mixed. The aim is to make Canadian companies, particularly given Mississauga-based IMAX's successful track record, well-positioned to adapt to the new 3-D work landscape.

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