3D Technology

A: The definition of the 3D:
3dimensional refers to objects that are rendered visually on paper, film or on screen in three planes (X, Y and Z). In the computer, a 2D drawing program can be used to illustrate a 3D object; however, in order to interactively rotate an object in all axes, it must be created as a 3D drawing in a 3D drawing program. See 3D modeling, 3D animation and 3D graphics. Contrast with 2D.

 

B: The beginnings:

The idea of 3D movies is simple, yet it took lots of effort to shape and perfect. At first, in 1890, the British filmmaker pioneer, William Friese-Greene, ventured into this world. In his trial, “two films were projected side by side on screen. The viewer looked through a stereoscope to converge the two images.” (3D Film) Yet, as it sounds, this was sort of dazzling and always left audiences with headaches.

Many improvements to the idea were made since Greene’s venture and each year the 3D technology seemed to gain more popularity by becoming more developed. Nevertheless, the main point is not only about the technology of making the movie, but it is also about the place in which the movie is to be shown. A movie that adopts such technology always has to be shown in cinemas

Anyhow, things kept on developing steadily till the fifties of the twentieth century   which many describe as the first golden one for 3D movies. During the fifties decade, there was a boom in this industry and the number of movies produced using 3D technology.

C: The present:

The present 3D movies are more developed and different in a number of ways from those in the past.To begin with, the places in which these 3D movies are shown are better equipped; for instance a "special silver screen that retains the polarization as the light reflects back toward the audience." (Shankland, 2007). 

Second of all, the shooting camera itself. Nowadays  only one camera with two lenses is used. Yet, still the same, basic technique remains the same .one facing straight forward in a horizontal orientation, and one facing straight down, in a vertical position. Between them sits a mirror, angled at roughly 45 degrees, that acts as a beam splitter, directing the image to the vertically facing lens and helping to create the 3D effect. While the vertical lens remains stationary, the horizontal one slides from left to right. In doing so, the intensity of the 3D effect varies according to position as the pictures from the two lenses phase in and out. (Covert, n.d)

Right after shooting comes the third and major difference from the past technology; the computer. In the past, no shot scene could be said to be of good or bad quality till the whole movie was put together and shown. Nowadays, on the contrary, with the help of the computer comes the real magic. Each scene or even each fragment of each scene can be viewed and reviewed many times to determine its quality.

The most important equipment in 3D movies world is the glasses. Since our eyes are about two inches ( 5 centimeters)  apart, they see the same image from different angles. Our  brain has the ability to create one clear image. 3D glasses work in two different ways . The first kind is colored glasses,In this system two images are displayed on the screen, one in red and the other on blue; the filters on the glasses allow only one image to enter each eye. The other kind of glasses is  polarized glasses. At Disney World Universal Studios, they prefer using polarized l because they allow color viewing.Each image has a different polarization and the glasses  allow only one image in each eye because they contain glasses with different polarization.

One last thing to be mentioned about the current 3D technology is a bit shocking; "In basic terms, a 3-D film is shot in two frames -- one for the right eye and one for the left eye." (Schiffman, 1008) No wonder they do this, for modern science has affirmed that the right eye views differently from  the left. Put simply, they provide particular views for each eye and let the human mind create the illusion that there is  really  a third dimension.

D: The Future:

As a matter of fact, what's to come in this technology is quite unpredictable. Its potential seems, in one way or another, limitless. The fact that all LCD TV companies are now developing products that support this technology is a proof that it is expected to invade every home.  Furthermore, even cellular phone companies are doing the same by manufacturing devices that have a 3D nativity. Whether one likes it or not, 3D technology is soon expected to be prevalent almost everywhere, and this is why promoting  it by many kinds of industries is becoming wider.