The University of Texas at Austin has recruited leading 3-D filmmakers Buzz Hays and Dave Drzewiecki to teach in the UT3D program, the nation’s only comprehensive 3-D production program.
Hays, who will serve as senior lecturer and instructor for the program beginning this fall, has worked in 3-D for more than 30 years on films including “Monster House,” “Open Season,” “G-Force,” “Beowulf,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Prometheus,” “Life of Pi,” “The Great Gatsby,” and the “Men in Black” and “Spider-Man” films. He founded the Sony 3D Technology Center, the leading 3-D industry training program, and he was the founding chairman of the International 3D Society.
“Buzz is perfect to act as lead instructor of UT3D because of his extensive experience and industry contacts,” said Don Howard, UT3D program director and co-chair of the UT3D advisory board. “He has been very successful running similar industry-oriented training programs, but in addition he brings an incredibly broad and insightful perspective regarding 3-D’s potential in new formats and distribution venues.”
Drzewiecki, a 25-year veteran director of photography, cinematographer and stereoscopic 3-D expert, has worked on films including “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” and “Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D.” He has also worked on “Foo Fighters Wasting Light Live 3D” Cinecast and “Black Eyed Peas 3D: Live.”
UT3D is a curriculum in 3-D production techniques for radio-television-film students, designed to complement students’ other production courses. UT3D classes will be taught at the Belo Center for New Media, and ACL Live at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin will be a “working lab” where students will use the facility’s state-of-the-art 3-D and 4K production capabilities.
Radio-television-film graduate Wayne Miller (B.A.,’77), president of live action at the Los Angeles-based 3-D film, television and new media studio SD Entertainment, helped envision the program and will help guide the program as co-chair of the advisory council.
“The UT3D program has the right combination state-of-the-art facilities and first-class instructors who are industry leaders,” Miller said. “It’s also the only 3-D program in the U.S. and one of only three in the world UT3D will be the leader providing students with an understanding and professional training to prepare them for the worldwide 3-D industry.”
Hays and Drzewiecki will teach the program’s introductory classes this fall and the advanced 3-D production class in the spring. Hays will bring in guest lecturers who are leaders in the 3-D industry.
The program will develop internship opportunities in 3-D production for students participating in the program.
UT3D classes will highlight the history, business and production techniques of 3-D and explore the uses of 3-D including in concerts, features, documentaries and recent 3-D innovations, such as “glasses-free” 3-D for television, tablets, cellphones and small display devices.
UT3D was made possible by a grant from the Moody Foundation, a charitable organization that makes grants primarily in Austin and Dallas, with an emphasis on education, social services, children’s needs and community development. The Moody Foundation was created by Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Moody Jr. to benefit in perpetuity present and future generations of Texans.
