3D Conversion : Five Game-Changing Innovations

By Madame Margherite

3-D films and animations have been no secret to this generation, but this year 3-D movies are romping our movie theatre box offices. Most of us love these jump-at-you movies on a night out, but are they better than a good old fashioned keep-your-distance flick? Some say that this booming number of 3-D releases this year is due to the studios wanting to encourage a digital conversion of movie theatres to save tons of money on their own end. But many of our small and independent theatres may not be able to keep up with the times and collapse into extinction.

And while this may be true, one must also acknowledge that this conversion may also open many doors in the world of film and media. Animator, Anhwar Foust is in favor of digital and 3-D. In fact he’s currently in production with his first 3-D animated short, A Night in the Kitchen, a tale where old and new kitchen appliances come to life and battle one another for a spot on the counter. Main character Isabella is a young conventional tea pot that faces being replaced by a solar panel tea pot from Go Green Appliances. It’s a tragic predicament indeed, but one that benefits the earth.With an anticipated Christmas release, A Night in the Kitchen is a concept that mirrors today’s technical advances and some of our favorite companies are pushing hard for the change.

1. NFL- During last years Super Bowl two commercials were aired in 3-D and would pop out at viewers who wore their trusty glasses and now in the world of sports there’s talk of delivering football games in 3-D. As it is Americans practically consider Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday- imagine if viewers could feel like they’re on the field from the privacy of their own living rooms.

2. Gucci- Film maker James Cameron simply had to get in on the action, so this year he paired up with Gucci to design a fashionable pair of 3-D glasses so that his audience can watch his first 3-D film, Avatar in style. As one of the largest trend setters in the universe, Gucci has one more conquest under their belt.

3. Sony- Most people have already switched to digital; why not spring a few extra bucks for a 3-D television set? Sony is the first to design a television set that will allow subscribers to watch any 3-D movie, commercial, or show from their homes. It is unclear yet weather or not these sets will require glasses, and if so the question remains, who will pay for them? But one thing is clear, the launch of this pricy but advanced set will certainly encourage the production of more television content.



4. Technicolor- Shooting any form of media in 3-D is a tricky and tedious process. In order to produce that kind of effect, an image must be shot twice at the same exact time. Currently most film makers must use two cameras side by side to master the shots they want. But doubling up on equipment is way too expensive and if not done properly the technique simply won’t work. So Technicolor problem-solvers have developed a special lens that splits images and literally records the same thing twice. These lenses are currently available to select film makers but are expected to go mainstream in the near future. The cost- roughly $6,000 per lens.

5. Star Trek - Paramount Digital Entertainment, Bad Robot Interactive, CBS and Naked Sky
Entertainment today announced that Star Trek®: D-A-C will be available for
Windows PC and PlayStation®Network players in November. On the PC, the game will also be 3D
compatible with the Nvidia® 3D Vision 3D stereoscopic experience. Star Trek:
D-A-C will be available for PC users to download through Valve's Steam
distribution service.

Additionally, while we’re a long way from having the option of experiencing 3-D without glasses, industry professionals are working on it. Some say developing the right type of glass extended on our TV screens may allow us to view 3-D without any accessories.It’s fun to imagine what’s next. But there are some concerns surrounding the rapid spring of interest in the 3-D world. If not shot properly these images can cause viewers to experience eye strain and headaches. One way to prevent uncomfortable movies from making it to the big screen would be to enforce strict regulations and guidelines for film makers to insure that all 3-D media is shot properly.

Another concern in the movie world is that the push for digital conversion, made stronger by the booming 3-D box office sales will force small and medium sized movie theatres to close down. If studios only shoot digitally film prints will become obsolete leaving theatres with the option to either convert from mechanical equipment to digital equipment or drop out. Theatres who can’t afford to upgrade and maintain this new form of projection will be unable to operate and will be forced into extinction.

Since the 50’s we have all loved the realistic effects of 3-D, and perhaps the future holds great entertainment, however holding on to our favorite mom and pop atriums may become increasingly difficult, so please folks… recycle your 3-D glasses.

Peace,
--Marg

Published at: PlanetIllogica.com