According to the dictionary, in the film the term 3-D or (3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images of the third dimension, the illusion of depth as seen by the viewer. The technique usually involves filming of two images simultaneously, with two cameras positioned side by side, usually facing each other and filming at 90 degree angle via mirror, in perfect synchronization and with identical technical characteristics.
The first presentation of 3D films before paying the audience took place at the Astor Theatre in New York on June 10, 1915. The programs consist of three one-reelers, the first rural scenes in the USA, the second selection of scenes from famous Player’s Jim, the Penman (US ’15), with John Mason and Marie Doro, and the third travelog of Niagara Falls.The anaglyphic process used was developed by Edwin S. Porter and W.E. Waddell, involved the used of red and green spectacles to create a single image from the twin motion picture images photographed 2 ½ inches apart but unfortunately the experiment did not succeeded. On September 27, 1922, Nat Deverich’s 5-reel melodrama Power of Love (US ’22) was the first 3D feature film. It was cast by Terry O’Neil and Barbara Redford and it was premiered at the Ambassador Hotel Theatre in Los Angeles.
Nozze vagabonde (Italy 1936) by Sante Bonaldo was the first feature length in talkie in 3D. Starring by Leda Gloria and Ermes Zacconi and produced by the Societa Itialiana Stereocinematografica at the Cinee-Caesar Studios, and the 3D cameraman was Anchise Brizzi. On 1947, the first feature-length talkie and color and 3D were produced by Alexander Andreyevsky’s Soyuzdetfilm production. The film was entitled Robinson Cruose (USSR, 1947), casting by Pavel Kadochnikov as Cruose and Y. Lyubimov as Friday. S.P.Ivano developed a “Stereokino” or also known as “radial raster stereoscreens” – a corrugated metal screen with “raster” grooves designed to reflect the twin images separately to the left and right eye, it was also first to successfully dispense with anaglyphic spectacles.
During the production of Robinson Cruose, it encountered a technical problem, it was persuading a wild cat to walk along a thin branch towards the camera, and it took five nights to complete the scene. The effect was fascinating. The animal seemings walk over the heads of the audience and disappear at the far end of the cinema. Warner’s Brother’s House of Wax (US, 1953) was the first 3D feature with stereophonic sound.
It was premiered at the Paramount Theater in New York and used 25 speakers. According to Christian Science Monitor, the cacophony of sound was hurtling relentlessly at one from all directions. Andre de Toth, the director of the film, may have been able to hear the cacophony but was unable to see the 3D effect because he had only one eye. The boom of 3D movies began with the low budget Bwana Devil (1952) was shown over 5,000 theatres all over United States and were equipped with an 3D effect but the trend was short lived, during 1952 to 1955 there were only 45 3D movies has been released but there were also 3D movies produced in other country such as in Japan, Britain, Mexico, Germany, and Hong Kong.
It was only in 1950 wherein Hollywood producers saw television as competition, not realizing it can be a new market to them. In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock’s 3D Dial M for Murder was shown but it was released in flat. But on 1960, Sporadic productions release the first Cinemascope 3D movie entitled September Storm. In 1969, the 3d film Stewardess was the most successful film made.
Different angles on how 3D works:Several set-ups were in use, all designed to deliver two viewpoints to stimulate “Natural Vision” (one of the trademarks).Our brain correlates these two images in order to gauge distance.
The two images were projected over each other through different color or polarizing filters. The audience was equipped with either polarizing glasses, red-green or red-blue ones so each eye picked up the correct image. The colored filters separate the two different images so each image only enters one eye.During the years, almost every major film studio has wanted to imitate the success of the genre pioneered by Pixar (which was recently acquired by Disney) and lately, Dreamworks Animation.
Even the smaller, independently financed studios are producing more 3D animated films. There are numerous 3D films that have been produced over the years and here is the list of the top five most expensive animated 3D films ever made:Polar Express- A film on 2004 based on the children’s book by Chris Van Alsburg. The production cost of this film reach to $170 million.2.
Final Fantasy (The Spirits Within)- On 2001, it was the first film to attempt photo-realistic computer generated human characters. The movie was promoted by Sony Pictures but despite of that the film became the second biggest flop animated film in history. It nearly bankrupting its creator Square pictures. The production cost $137 million.
Many says that the failure of the film was due to the movie was also like the video game, it doesn’t show any difference that will make the movie more believable. Dinosaur- Released on 2000, Dinosaur used live action backgrounds combined with computer and animated effects. The production costs $128 million.
Monsters Inc.- By Pixar, the movie Monsters Inc. opened with the highest ticket sales ever at the time and it was the 6th most popular animated film in history. The production costs $115 million. Treasure Planet- In 2002, the movie Treasure Planet was a rare miss for Disney/Buena Vista. It is also known as one of the biggest box office bombs ever.
The makers of the film used innovative animation combining 2D and 3D computer animation. Despite these innovations the film failed to connect with the audience. The production costs $100 million.The invention of 3D films made the movie industry more exciting, it is also considered the future of cinema.
DreamWorks’s Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg expects that there will be 12 to 18 3D feature films. By early next year, U2’s Latin America Vertigo Tour 200 will be released on January it caters performances of U2 from seven different shows, it also said that the preview of this film have been tested extremely well. Nightmare before Christmas by Disney was also in-line for the 3D films.
References
- Important 3D “Firsts” in the Movies. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://home.earthlink.net/~campfire/movies/firsts.htmlAsk Yahoo.
- How do 3D movies work?. Retrieved December 10, 2007, fromhttp://ask.yahoo.com/20030731.
- htmlMost Expensive 3D Animated Movies, Ever!. Retrieved December 10, 2007 fromhttp://www.your3dsource.com/most-expensive-3d-animated-films.
- html3-D. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://www.thelooniverse.com/movies/west/aspectratio/3D.
- htmlHATCHET. Upcoming 3D Movie Release Schedule Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/11/20/upcoming-3d-movie-releaseschedule/
