Belleville's Loyalist College is the first college in Ontario to offer a 3D video production program, beginning in September.

The television industry is moving towards offering increasingly more content in 3D. There are more and more full-time 3D channels being launched, such as Discovery and ESPN, and a slew of 3DTVs are now hitting the consumer market. Even the CBC is experimenting with 3D, having shown two games in this past season's Hockey Night in Canada in 3D.

"Broadcasters need content and so graduates of our program will be able to move into this field having had 14 weeks of intensive training in the field," says Professor Cathy Goddard. "They are poised to join pioneers in this emerging industry."

Loyalist's 14-week accelerated postgraduate program will introduce students to the significant difference between shooting and editing in 2D and 3D. Building on skills learned at the undergraduate level, students will use state-of-the-art 3D equipment to produce short- format productions that will inform their professional practice. Graduates of the program will learn the necessary techniques required and gain experience in this field as the industry increasingly moves from 2D to 3D.

3D video production has many technical and aesthetic differences than 2D production.

"There is a real risk of making viewers sick if done poorly," says Goddard. "[Our training] will focus on using the technology to help make the viewing experience comfortable, as well as leveraging it to tell stories in more compelling ways."

Similarly, the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre, an initiative of Sheridan College, is ramping up its training in stereoscopic 3D and virtual production technologies for Ontario's professional content production community - another indication that many in the industry are seeing 3D as the way of the future.

Learn more about Loyalist's new program at http://loyalist3d.com.