Iconix had been on my radar as manufacturers of (relatively) affordable, high-quality HD pan-tilt-zoom cameras that are used in broadcast applications such as award shows and sporting events. These have a 2K capture capability, but their fiber back ends would output up to 1080 HD.

Until now, of course. Under the leadership of CEO Bruce Long, who’s had the reins only since October, Iconix has expanded its focus – and that’s putting it rather mildly. A former visual effects supervisor who’s also worked at Technicolor and as the president of the National Lampoon, Long speculates that he’s the only CEO on the showfloor who’s got a movie that he exec-produced in theaters (National Lampoon’s Bag Boy). He’s convinced that one of the ways studios will be able to keep attracting moviegoers to theaters is stereoscopic 3D releases.”

Bringing that attitude to Iconix, Long has set out an extremely ambitious roadmap. In much the way that visual effects supervisors are on set to advise a film production, Long thinks Iconix has a personal on-set role to play on 3D productions. “It’s important to help DP’s shoot the way they’ve always shot, but move them into stereoscopic 3D,” Long says. At NAB Iconix is showing a camera rig comprising two of the company’s flagship HD-RH1 POV cameras and a camera control unit.

Stereoscopic 3D rigs with two Iconix cameras lashed together are just the beginning of it. The company is also showing a 2K “bit bucket” developed with Digital Ordnance and christened ReadyStore. It’s got dual-stream 4:4:4 capabilities to facilitate stereoscopic productions. If that’s not enough, down the road Long plans to move Iconix into long-term archival storage solutions that involve holographic technologies.