3D Stereography requires a unique artistic skill that is currently in high demand in the film industry. The stereographer is responsible for the artistic and technical execution of placing 3D depth in every frame.
Demetri Portelli has earned high praise from industry leaders for his skills in 3D, and is at the forefront of the 3D movement that is continuously creating more jobs at all production levels, raising box office revenues, and pushing the emergence of new companies that develop and implement 3D technology.
For fourteen years, Demetri was a professional cameraman and camera technician. From there, Demetri's talent and skill with the camera brought him to 3D stereography and he became very well known to the 3D film industry. He joined Martin Scorsese's team to bring to life the classical story of Hugo. While on set, Scorsese would tell Demetri, "it's your job not to miss any 3D opportunities." Larry McConkey, the Steadicam operator on set, offered praise for Demetri's reliable consistency while flawlessly pulling the interocular and convergence during live filming. James Cameron himself commented on Hugo, saying, "it is the best 3D film ever made."
Demetri himself remains humble, simply stating that the "stereographer is a new job, one that people weren't sure needed to exist on a film set ... you protect [the cinematographer's] work…complementing his vision and style ... Since Avatar, serious filmmakers recognize that in order to make a quality 3D cinema experience, they must capture live." Demetri won the Best Live Action Stereography Award for his work on Hugo, as well as Best 3D Moment and Best 3D Film from the International 3D Society. Hugo won five Academy Awards, including the cinematography award, where Demetri played a huge role.
Currently, Demetri is the stereographer/stereo supervisor on the upcoming film The Selected Works of TS Spivet, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie). In a recent article, Variety Magazine has named him a key player in this work. He has also been busy on set with director Carl Rinsch and cinematographer John Matheison, BSC, for the soon to be released film 47 Ronin.
Demetri feels that consistency and workmanship in 3D imaging provides choice and opportunity to the filmmaker. He says, "there's a sweet spot to be found in creating and finding the right 3D depth," that it's not mathematical, and only comes from trying different techniques through hands-on experimentation.