This blog normally deals with 3D graphics for set top boxes and DTVs. However, its hard to ignore another type of 3D - 3D video. Avatar was rightly passed over at the Oscars but still remains one of the biggest cinema events of all time thanks, almost entirely, to its 3D technology. Its not the first time Hollywood has been excited by 3D movies of course. The fifties were full of 3D movies.
For a year now I've kept silent and watched how 3d movies developed and its becoming clear that now, almost one hundred years after the first 3D movie (and nearly 60 after the first by a Hollywood studio), that 3D is here to stay this time.
The two major objections to 3D movies are:
1. Its a tiny proportion of all movies out there and so its a gimmick only, there is not enough source material to justify the average consumer upgrading.
2. You have to wear glasses or watch silly lenticular lensed screens. The natural, confortable viewing experience is not available.
Point 1 assumes that 3D is only available with new movies. That a massive VoD catalogue is unavailable for 3D source material. Though its true, it is no longer technically impossible. It is now possible using obscure and carefully guarded trade secrets to back fit 3D to existing 2D movies. Examples of this are quite shocking:
- The new Alice in Wonderland was filmed in 2D and the 3D effect was added in post processing!
- There exist examples of real time 2d to 3d conversion.
- There are companies in Hollywood who specialise in this kind of post processing such as In-Three Inc who were responsible for Alice in Wonderland.
- Major directors have announced intent to convert movies to 3D in post processing including Titanic, Matrix and rumour has it, Star Wars.
So thats issue 1 - a large catalogue of 3d titles taken care of. In time at least. Computer vision and 3d graphics techniques combine to give us a moment in history that enables 3d movies.
Issue 2 is glasses. In case you missed it, Engadget ran an article about i3d and their new 3d screen with no glasses. Not only does it do real time upo conversion from 2D to 3D, it also does not require 3D glasses to view the resulting 3D.
How it works, is still a mystery. When it will be available even more so. The point is though, it can be done. For the first time in cinema history.So the two major issues have technological solutions and now its a matter of volume v cost. Hollywood so much wants all this to succeed that there is now a sense of inevitability about 3d movies.
3d is here to stay this time.
