Back to the 3D Movies: Avatar

Just a short note on the wonderful world of the 3D cinema. Avatar hit the screens in December 2009. Even if the story didn't dazzle everyone, they were amazed by the visual effects.

But like after any given party, there comes the hangover...

3D cinema

Do I even have to mention it: 3D cinema is here to stay. As one of the topics on the previous blog post about 3D content, here is a wider exploration on 3D cinema.

Here in Finland the new era of 3D cinema started a bit over a year ago with footage from U2's previous world tour with a film called U23D and the visually magnificent Journey to the Center of the Earth (click here to see the trailer). Currently Up 3D entertains the younger audiences in about 20 cinemas where 3D viewing is available in Finland - that might not sound like much to you but it's more than in any other Nordic country, so it makes us Finns very proud!

3D cinema is a topical issue, see e.g. how Kevin Smith discusses 3D cinema on YouTube. Topical, yes, even if the whole thing was already invented in the 50's: the firstever 3D film was Bwana Devil in 1952. Back then the idea also was that 3D would come and save the cinema. Sounds familiar, eh? With DVD's and Blu-Ray's and home cinema equipment turning out ever more popular and the technologies used becoming more advanced, the cinema needs something "new" to attract the crowds to enjoy the BIG screen. Is 3D the answer?

Planar's 3D products are originally designed for use by professionals in photogrammetry and for geospatial applications. Read more about the 3D monitors, which Planar offers and which could be useful in post production stages of creating 3D cinema.

StereoMirror at NAB

Planar showed footage from the 3D movie, Coraline (http://coraline.com/), produced by LAIKA (http://www.laika.com/) at the recent NAB convention held in Las Vegas.

Folks watched the opening scene of Coraline’s family moving into their Pink Palace Apartment and the amazing mouse circus scene that took place in “the other world.” The content was shown using “RV” image and sequence viewer from Tweak Software (http://www.tweakfilms.com/). The StereoMirror technology is an excellent tool for 3D modeling, stereoscopic photography and 3D post production work, among other applications.

What movies do you think would be "other worldly" in 3D? Do you have an application need for a stereo 3D display?

3D Goes Hollywood

Get out those awesome 3D viewing glasses! The 3D movie craze is alive and well at a theater near you. There are 30 movies that will soon be leaping off a screen near you, including the soon-to-be released Coraline.

Planar is expanding its StereoMirror display opportunities into the entertainment arena and looking at options in the post-production sector of the movie industry. The StereoMirror display can be used in real time on the movie set to allow the film director to review scenes in a 3D format as they are shot - just like the audience will view it at the theater!

Have you caught any of the newly released 3D movies? 3D movies are showing in an IMAX 3D cinema or REAL D cinema near you.

Tell us about your 3D movie, game and concert viewing experiences!

3D Football

Looks like 3ality Digital is working hard again to make 3D media production a little more mainstream. First it was the U2 concert, now the NFL. The Wall Street Journal covers the proof of concept production. Here's an excerpt.

"The several hundred guests at the three participating theaters Dec. 4 will include representatives from the NFL's broadcasting partners and from consumer-electronics companies. The event will be closed to the general public. Burbank, Calif.-based 3ality Digital LLC will shoot the game with special cameras and transmit it to a satellite. Thomson SA's Technicolor Digital Cinema is providing the satellite services and digital downlink to each theater, and Real D 3D Inc. will power the display in the theaters."

Image source: 3ality Digital.

What other types of media would work well in 3D?