James Cameron urges BBC to 'muscle in' on 3D

Hollywood director James Cameron has called on the BBC to "muscle in" on 3D production to help drive the emerging broadcast technology forward.

Cameron is working with the corporation on Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, a part CGI, part live-action 3D drama that will combine factual content with the story of a dinosaur family living 70 million years ago.

Cameron | Pace, the joint venture between the Avatar director and 3D technology expert Vince Pace, will provide its Fusion 3D technology for the feature film.

In an interview with Tech Radar at the IBC convention, Cameron said that he hopes Walking with Dinosaurs 3D will show the BBC the possibilities of 3D.

"Walking With Dinosaurs is a theatrical motion picture so it will be in the IMAX in the UK and in digital 3D. We had a very good meeting with the BBC, where we said we could be doing all kinds of things together," said Cameron.

"The BBC has held back a little bit with 3D, whereas Sky has jumped in and ESPN has jumped in. All these broadcasters have varying degrees of excitement for 3D."

In July, the BBC ran a live 3D broadcast of the Wimbledon finals to digital TV platforms. The corporation has also indicated that it will offer 3D coverage of the London 2012 Olympics, but there is a sense that BBC management remain hesitant about investing in 3D.

Cameron said that the BBC should not be so cautious, as the corporation holds the unique position of being able to encourage others to embrace new broadcasting technologies.

"The point I made to the head of BBC was that you can't hold back indefinitely. You have to muscle in on this; you have to learn how to do this," he said.

"This is what broadcasters are starting to wake up to that 3D is going to happen as soon as the cost deltas between the normal 3D productions and 2D productions start to reduce."