Shannon Benna, an independent producer and creative director specializing in emerging technologies and entertainment media production, has become Hollywood’s “First Female Feature Film Stereographer” through her work on Global Asylum’s upcoming 3D feature film “A Haunting In Salem.” With credits that span traditional film, TV, and interactive content production, Ms. Benna served as On-Set Stereographer during the entire production of that project.
Recently released on BluRay, “A Haunting in Salem” is a horror film based around the historic events of the Salem witch trials of 1692. Global Asylum felt the storyline lent itself to being enhanced by stereoscopic 3D, and chose to capture the movie in native 3D, rather than converting it after the fact. Shot on Red Ones and using the DV4 beam-splitter provided by InterVideo, the feature’s principal photography, helmed by DP Alexander Yellen, maintained a tight schedule, covering up to 28 set ups per day. As On-Set Stereographer, Ms. Benna was in charge of stereoscopic equipment, camera and rig alignment, depth budget, and depth score. She also served as the film’s overall stereoscopic production consultant.
An experienced filmmaker, Ms. Benna said, “I was amazed by the efficiency and cohesive teamwork behind ‘A Haunting in Salem’. This production team managed to shoot a full length, 3D feature in only 12 days. I was skeptical about making the schedule, especially with a full sized rig, but once we got the feel of our system down, we had almost no problems. Everyone was very receptive to making adjustments to enhance the stereo effect. It was great fun to work in such a collaborative environment!”
According to the film’s director, Shane Van Dyke, “Working with Shannon was an absolute pleasure and an invaluable learning experience. Having never worked with 3D myself, I was able to gain a whole new understanding of the process and the fundamentals that go along with it.”
In addition to her consulting work on behalf of various 3D productions, Ms. Benna is also launching a “Women in 3D” industry organization to help synergize the community. She said, “I truly love working in 3D, and I want to make the 3D Women’s community a very global one. So far, I have ‘rounded up’ more than 60 ‘Stereo Sisters’ currently working in the 3D space. I believe in the magic of 3D—it changes one’s perspective, and I feel proof of that by working within the 3D community every day. A woman turned me on to 3D and I’d like to share and nurture that tradition of fellowship and support through mentorship. I want to encourage women everywhere to explore technology and perception through the 3D medium.”
