To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Amazing Spider-Man Ticket
Final Verdict: It's not that the 3D in The Amazing Spider-Man is especially bad, it's just so much less than you would be right to expect, given how much they bragged about shooting in 3D and how much money went into this expensive 3D reboot. So many people have wondered why it was necessary to make another Spider-Man movie so soon after the original trilogy, and Sony has argued that the 3D adds all kinds of new depth to the character. Sorry to say, that's the opposite of true. You can easily save your cash and avoid this 3D ticket.
Read the full review here: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/3D-Or-3D-Buy-Right-Amazing-Spider-Man-Ticket-31690.html
ViewMaster Lives Again with Sanwa Stereoscopic 3D Viewer
The Sanwa Stereoscopic YouTube viewer is eeriely reminiscent of the old ViewMaster, except this one is designed to work with your iPhone to provide you with a 3D viewing experience on the go.
See the full story here: http://www.mobilemag.com/2012/06/29/viewmaster-lives-again-with-sanwa-stereoscopic-3d-viewer/
University of Tokyo builds a soap bubble 3D screen, guarantees your display stays squeaky clean (video)
There are waterfall screens, but what if you'd like your display to be a little more... pristine? Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a display that hits soap bubbles with ultrasonic sound to change the surface. At a minimum, it can change how light glances off the soap film to produce the image. It gets truly creative when taking advantage of the soap's properties: a single screen is enough to alter the texture of a 2D image, and multiple screens in tandem can create what amounts to a slightly sticky hologram. As the soap is made out of sturdy colloids rather than the easily-burst mixture we all knew as kids, users won't have to worry about an overly touch-happy colleague popping a business presentation.
See the full story and VIDEO here: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/university-of-tokyo-builds-a-soap-bubble-3d-screen/
Israeli real estate market embraces 3D
The skyrocketing available apartments drive more people to buy houses in buildings that are yet to built. This kind of investment is usually more profitable for the customer, and it helps the contractors maintain cash flow during construction works.
When purchasing an apartment ahead of time, many customers encounter the problem of imagining their new home before it is actually built. A model apartment is still the most common measure to showcase a house, but furnishing, designing and maintaining the model apartment is often very costly.
Using new three-dimensional imaging technologies can help illustrate projects in design, architecture and landscape planning. The 3D film technology became widely known with the movie "Avatar". Now, the technology is harnessed for the real estate market as well, offering a high-tech solution for architectural imaging.
Read the full story here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4245887,00.html
Interview: The Future of 3-D Is Coming, and 3ality Technica’s Ted Kenney Is At The Forefront
Sorry, 3D detractors: the format is here to stay, and in a big way. From movies, to TV, to gaming, 3D is part of the entertainment landscape, and will continue to move to the forefront - possibly even someday dwarfing traditional 2D entertainment. At the head of that movement is 3ality Technica, a company that not only shot films like Prometheus, Amazing Spider-Man, andThe Hobbit; but also loan out 3-D equipment to other companies and teaches filmmakers how to shoot in 3-D, so the tech can get more heavily used, and the technology stretched even further.
A key man in that company? Ted Kenney, the former Real World producer who went on to produce and direct concert films like U23D, Black Eyed Peas 3D, and Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D, which hits theaters on July 5th. Though he’s now become a major part of 3ality, and a major proponent of 3D, there was a time when using 3D wasn’t even on his radar. Talking to Kenney on the phone, he told us that he was asked to shoot “a band” in 3D in South America... It wasn’t until he agreed to the job that he was told it was U2, and he’d be shooting in four cities with only a few weeks of prep time. ...
Read the full interview here: http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/06/29/interview-3ality-technicas-ted-kenney/
Sony offers 3D products on 3Day loan
[Philip Lelyveld comment: Sony started this program last year in Australia.]
Sony has begun offering free three-day loans of selected 3D products from 12 Sony Centres around the country.
It's strictly BYO TV, but Sony will lend you a 3D still or video camera, 3D movies, or 3D PlayStation games. The initial lineup includes the 3D Handycam HDR-TD10 camcorder, Alpha NEX C3 camera, Cyber-shot WX7S still camera, and the 3D Bloggie camera, but the company plans to expand the range over time.
"The Sony 3D Library is there to help people make the most of their 3D TV by offering any 3D TV owner the opportunity to create 3D memories they can touch and the chance to trial a 3D product before buying it. Personal footage is the latest content that can be experienced in 3D, as well as 3D movies and 3D games," said Neil Stow, retail marketing manager, Sony Centre.
See the original post here: http://itwire.com.au/your-it-news/entertainment/52686-sony-offers-3d-products-on-3day-loan
Intellectual Ventures is soliciting holographic display + capture ideas
from the LinkedIn Holography group
Folks,
The firm Intellectual Ventures ( www.intven.com ) is a well-known licensor, developer, and aggregator of patents in a variety of fields. From time to time, they solicit ideas from top-notch inventors. I have been asked to spread the word that IV released a Request for Invention ("RFI") pertaining to holographic 3-D display, capture, and processing.
The boundaries of what IV means by "holographic" is explained in their RFI; essentially, there is a bias towards systems that employ diffraction. However, interesting high-quality non-diffractive autostereo displays are also being considered.
Contact: Hui Huang ("HH") Chang - hhchang [-at-] intven.com
If you're interested, your experience will probably be reviewed by the IV team. I am under the impression that the sign of a successful next step is that you might be asked to enter into an agreement, regarding how compensation (payment) works.
I will post a similar note in the Non-Glasses 3-D Displays group soon.
-gregg
Why 3D movies are a waste of Money
The problem: studios have been too conservative, and have been reluctant to go too deep with the 3D, resulting in a 3D movie that doesn't satisfy anyone. Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality, said that 3D films can use about 4 percent of the screen's width for its depth, with 2 percent providing a decent effect. Most live-action films now shoot at a depth of about a half percent, which barely registers with viewers.
Read the full interview here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57455593-93/why-3d-movies-are-a-waste-of-money/
For Pixar, 3D is a lesser priority
Pixar built Hollywood's most consistent animation shop by balancing interest from families and adults. But that brand strength doesn't always translate to 3D success: Last weekend, "Brave" yielded a 3D share of only 34% for its domestic B.O. tally -- a new low for stereo toons.
That result can only stoke Hollywood's concerns about the format's place in animation, once seen as the vanguard of the 3D revival. While the gap between 3D toons and their live-action counterparts widens and execs seek to understand why foreign auds spark to the format more than Americans, they're faced with a more ominous question: Are animated 3D films becoming an exception, or signaling a deepening domestic erosion? ...
Domestic 3D shares don't tell the whole story, however: The majority of global 3D box office comes from international markets still hungry for it, particularly China and Russia. "Brave," for instance, was released only in 3D in China, and it scored a 79% share from the format in Russia. Overall, 3D contributed 73% of "Brave's" international B.O. haul to date, from territories that also included Australia. ...
Read the full story here: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055956
‘Dial M for Murder’ in 3D to Hit Blu-Ray
Last week, fans of Sir Alfred finally got the news they'd been waiting for -- all of Hitchcock's Universal classics are finally coming to Blu-ray. Now we've received word that two of the Master's Warner Brothers favorites -- Strangers on a Train and Dial M for Murder will also go Blu, the latter in 3D, as it was originally released in theaters. Details after the jump.
Here's the official press release concerning the Blu-ray release of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Trainand Dial M for Murder. "Dial M for Murder, Alfred Hitchock's suspense classic, was among the first films that helped Warner Bros. introduce 3D in U.S. theatres in the early '50s. Now, thanks to advanced Blu-ray™ technology and the tireless efforts of Warner Bros.' Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) division, Warner Home Video has meticulously and painstakingly restored the original 3D presentation, and, when Dial M for Murder Blu-ray 3D debuts October 9, audiences will finally be able to see the film in their homes as it was originally meant to be seen. A 2D version will also be included for those who have yet to upgrade TVs and players to 3D. Dial M for Murder Blu-ray 3D will be priced at $35.99 SRP, and the order due date is September 4."
"Originally designed to lure audiences away from their TV sets, 3D utilized a "left-eye/right-eye" dual projection process and polarized glasses, the basis for what is seen today. However, with the advent of CinemaScope ("the miracle you can see without glasses") and the higher costs associated with 3D, the fad was fading by the time Dial M for Murder was released in theatres. As a result, most 1954 moviegoers only saw the film projected in 2D, and it wasn't until the early 1980s that a classic 3D film revival allowed Dial M for Murder to be briefly seen theatrically, albeit in a "faux 3D" 70 mm composite print.
"To ready Dial M for Murder for this current release, MPI's work included a 4K scan of the original camera negative, and a full restoration of the two "eyes," as well as convergence fixes to ensure perfect alignment.
"Said Jeff Baker, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog, ...
Full story here: http://www.fearnet.com/news/b26760_hitchcocks_strangers_on_train_dial_m.html