3D experience a home theatre possibility
Commentary by Justin Dean
Issue date: 1/21/10 Section: Student Life
As with every New Year there comes the possibility of hits, misses, and complete flops from the entertainment industry. What makes this year different is the exodus of 3D from the box office to the home theater.
3D technology itself isn't anything new and the idea behind it is pretty straightforward. Take two separate images, offset them slightly and recombine them using a pair of glasses to trick the brain into creating a 3D effect. What is changing is the reduced cost, more artist familiarity and increasing infrastructure of theaters that can accommodate 3D films.
The technology is so promising that last year, Dreamworks Animation announced that every subsequent movie it would make would be in 3D. However, 3D computer animation isn't where the revolution potential lies. It lies in the Fusion Camera System, developed by director James Cameron and cinematographer Vince Pace. It captures images the same way as a human eye does and the camera's handiwork can be seen in Cameron's latest blockbuster, "Avatar" (for which half of the rumored 300 million dollar budget went directly into the camera's development).
Having seen "Avatar," I can say the difference between the latest 3D technology and older, more jump-out-of-the-screen 3D, lies in immersing the viewer. "Avatar's" cinematography adds a greater depth of field and makes it feel like you are viewing the events on screen through the eyes of someone in the action, rather than a person watching a screen.
The one drawback that 3D holds for the film industry is increased sloppy production work. One would be hard pressed to find a movie today that doesn't contain some kind of computer-generated effect. Historically, effects were only additions to a good script; now it seems the other way around.
In any case, it seems inevitable that 3D will advance to become the new film standard, but movies don't stop at the theater. Enter Sony and Mitsubishi, two of the world's largest electronics manufactures. Both companies have announced that by the end of 2010, their newest line of televisions will be capable of reproducing 3D images. Considering that Sony was the pioneer of the Blu-Ray technology, the high definition alternative and soon to be replacement of DVDs, the company's venture into 3D should be an indication that this isn't going to be another fad.
If that wasn't enough to silence critics, even ESPN is toying with the idea of broadcasting sporting events in 3D, so by the end of the year, football could be presented in 3D. The only thing that is really holding 3D back as far as cable television goes, is that it requires twice the bandwidth capacity. Considering how much of a hassle it was for the Federal Communications Commission to finally make the mandatory switch over to an all-digital signal, it may be some time before a feasible 3D package becomes available for purchase through Comcast.
3D technology itself isn't anything new and the idea behind it is pretty straightforward. Take two separate images, offset them slightly and recombine them using a pair of glasses to trick the brain into creating a 3D effect. What is changing is the reduced cost, more artist familiarity and increasing infrastructure of theaters that can accommodate 3D films.
The technology is so promising that last year, Dreamworks Animation announced that every subsequent movie it would make would be in 3D. However, 3D computer animation isn't where the revolution potential lies. It lies in the Fusion Camera System, developed by director James Cameron and cinematographer Vince Pace. It captures images the same way as a human eye does and the camera's handiwork can be seen in Cameron's latest blockbuster, "Avatar" (for which half of the rumored 300 million dollar budget went directly into the camera's development).
Having seen "Avatar," I can say the difference between the latest 3D technology and older, more jump-out-of-the-screen 3D, lies in immersing the viewer. "Avatar's" cinematography adds a greater depth of field and makes it feel like you are viewing the events on screen through the eyes of someone in the action, rather than a person watching a screen.
The one drawback that 3D holds for the film industry is increased sloppy production work. One would be hard pressed to find a movie today that doesn't contain some kind of computer-generated effect. Historically, effects were only additions to a good script; now it seems the other way around.
In any case, it seems inevitable that 3D will advance to become the new film standard, but movies don't stop at the theater. Enter Sony and Mitsubishi, two of the world's largest electronics manufactures. Both companies have announced that by the end of 2010, their newest line of televisions will be capable of reproducing 3D images. Considering that Sony was the pioneer of the Blu-Ray technology, the high definition alternative and soon to be replacement of DVDs, the company's venture into 3D should be an indication that this isn't going to be another fad.
If that wasn't enough to silence critics, even ESPN is toying with the idea of broadcasting sporting events in 3D, so by the end of the year, football could be presented in 3D. The only thing that is really holding 3D back as far as cable television goes, is that it requires twice the bandwidth capacity. Considering how much of a hassle it was for the Federal Communications Commission to finally make the mandatory switch over to an all-digital signal, it may be some time before a feasible 3D package becomes available for purchase through Comcast.
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