| 3D is back! This is not your father's 3D. This is a | | | | Stereoscopic and true 3D would be more like a |
| technologically advanced 3D that once you see it you | | | | hologram that is standing in front of you and I don't |
| WILL want to see more! It seems like everywhere we | | | | mean the CNN kind. I was hooked even then! |
| look 3D movies, TV shows in 3D, even 3D for your | | | | After that 3D came and went showing up in several |
| iPhone!!! | | | | incarnations during the 50's, 60's, 70's & the 80's. |
| But, there are as many questions as there are 3D | | | | Titles like House of Wax (1953), Robot Monster (1953), |
| applications. How does 3D work? What makes it | | | | Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), Dial M for |
| different from 3D that came out before? What are all | | | | Murder (1954) , Flesh for Frankenstein (a.k.a. Andy |
| those different glasses? Can I watch 3D without | | | | Warhol's Frankenstein) (1973), Jaws 3D(1983) and |
| glasses? | | | | Captain EO (1986) to name a few. |
| First, a little history. The first 3D started millions of | | | | Now fast forward to November 2008 and the first |
| years ago with man. Yes, we all see things in 3D. All | | | | 3DX Festival takes place in Singapore. Some of the |
| humans have binocular vision. What that means is that | | | | top luminaries from around the world attended the |
| we have two eyes separated by a space of 2-3 | | | | 3DX Festival to promote 3D media, including: Jeffrey |
| inches. This enables us to perceive depth and see the | | | | Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation; Mark |
| world in 3D. This separation causes each eye to see | | | | Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture |
| the world from a slightly different perspective. The | | | | Group; Jon Landau, James Cameron's producer on his |
| brain combines these two images into one. It | | | | new 3 D movie, Avatar; and other directors who are |
| comprehends the spatial differences and uses them to | | | | all involved in 3D projects: Robert Zemeckis, James |
| calculate distance. This is how we sense depth and | | | | Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Geroge Lucas, and Peter |
| distance. | | | | Jackson. |
| A simple way to understand this principle is to hold | | | | There are different types, or flavors, of 3D. Some put |
| your thumb up at arms length and cover one eye with | | | | 3D technology into glasses while others put it into a |
| your hand. Then try putting your hand over the other | | | | monitor or tech application. Computers or even the |
| eye. As you switch between open eyes you should | | | | iphone can handle 3D but require some additional |
| see your thumb "jumping" back and forth against the | | | | active components , such as software and |
| background. | | | | applications that are just now being created. |
| Stereoscopy was invented in 1838. There is a lot of | | | | The first time 3D technology was created it used the |
| debate about the first 3D film but "L'arrivée du | | | | traditional red and blue glasses. This is called anaglyph |
| train" filmed in 1903 by the Lumière brothers. | | | | and is very cheap in both cost and performance. |
| They were the inventors of cinema and it is often | | | | Fortunately, with the rise of technology advancement |
| referred to as the first stereoscopic movie ever made. | | | | we have many better ways of displaying 3D media. |
| When it was released, audiences panicked because | | | | Polarized glasses is another common type of 3D |
| they thought the train was about to crash right into | | | | glasses. These are the 3D glasses that you will get at |
| them! The funny thing about it is that it was probably | | | | IMAX or in other 3D movie theaters. Although they |
| on of the first remakes. The film was remade from | | | | work better than the old type red and blue glasses, this |
| the original that came out in 1895! And you wonder | | | | methods requires two projectors in the theater and |
| why Hollywood keeps remaking films. It's practically | | | | additional layers to the monitor for the technology to |
| born to it! | | | | work properly. The onetime theater set-up expense |
| If you are like me then you probably experienced 3D | | | | and additional cost for the polarized glasses may |
| for the first time in your life with that old Viewmaster | | | | make this method less appealing. |
| viewer. You stuck that funny round thingy with the little | | | | 3D screens with no glasses is here today. There are |
| slides on it into your Viewmaster, plastered your eyes | | | | different ways that the 3D screen technology is built. |
| to the two eyepieces and tilted towards the living | | | | One way is using multiple screen layers like the |
| room table lamp. Suddenly, you were transported to a | | | | polarized glasses mentioned above, which is expensive |
| million places where you felt you could reach out and | | | | but you do not need specialized glasses to view the |
| touch things in 3 dimensions. Never mind that it is really | | | | 3D on the screen. |