3D, and more

[undyingking]

We went to see Coraline yesterday -- this was my first encounter with this new-fangled extra dimension, or at least my first encounter with it that didn't involve red / green glasses.

I thought it was quite impressive actually, a heap better than the old methods of rendering 3D. No idea how it works, and I came out of the show with a very stiff neck, but that might not be its fault.

I'm not sure the film really gained much from the extra dimension -- there were plenty of nice 3D effects, but mostly just for decorative purposes. I don't think you would feel cheated if you just saw it in old-style planovision.

As for Coraline itself, I enjoyed it. Not the most wonderful film ever, and plenty of things to find fault with if so motivated, but generally a fun afternoon out. Although I'm glad I wasn't accompanying an 8-year-old, as the certificate suggested -- I suspect they would have woken up with screaming nightmares for several years after. Not because the film is especially gruesome or terrifying -- it isn't -- but because its imagery and forceful plot aspects are very well chosen to key into childhood fears. Nice work!


In less good news, we've just learnt that the BNP are for the first time running candidates in our local elections. With the general mood of disgust against all politicians, they might make some headway. (One of our councillors has written a stern letter to the PM complaining about MPs letting the party down.) The Tories have been trying to make these elections into a referendum on the government, to deflect attention form their woeful record on local issues -- they may find this strategy bites them on the bum, if the BNP end up taking a chunk of their vote. But if they get representation, we will all be the losers...


Back to fun 3D things again, friend Phillip just pointed me at Photosynth, a Microsoft site that assembles your photos into a 3D view which you can navigate around. It needs you to install Silverlight (MS's Flash competitor) if you don't have it already. But worth looking at, because it really is clever at joining the images together, and the navigation interface is neat and works well. Phillip's set is here.

Comments

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

The modern 3d stuff works by each 'lens' being polarized in a different direction (so, say, the right one is polarized vertically & the left horizonally), and then the two versions of the film being projected in the same way. Makes it v diffiilt to pirate by using a camcorder in the cinema!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Aha, I see. That explains why looking at it without the glasses, the 3D bits just looked like a pair of displaced normal images, rather than weird in some unpredictable way.

So if you wore the glasses the wrong way round, wold the 3D effect be inverted, ie. appearing to recede into the screen rather than protrude from it?

[smallbeasts.livejournal.com]

I've heard that reversing the eyes makes viewers very uncomfortable, though I've not experienced it myself. It's an easy mistake in live 3D broadcasts to wire the camera pair back to front, causing just this problem.

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

The parallax would be reversed, so possibly yes. Parallax is proportional to distance from the viewer, which suggests that z-scale would be somewhat affected.

Except that objects would obscure other objects which parallax tells you they are behind. So I doubt it would be that simple.

And on top of what you actually see, the brain attempts to correct "unlikely" 3D scenes. Hence the optical illusion with the inside-out face.

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

Parallax is proportional to distance from the viewer

Or the opposite of that.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

inside-out face

Mm, good point. Sadly I can't afford to spend another £9.30(!) to watch it again with them the other way round.

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

No idea - am planning to go see Coraline in 3D myself soon though, so shall experiment & report back!

You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[phillipfayers.livejournal.com]

Another 3D film that's definately worth seeing is Aliens vs Monsters. Its a film that would still be watchable without the 3D - something that the film makers are going to have to think of for a while as it'll be a while before they can sell 3D versions for the home.

On the pirating front... You can always use a pair of camcorders, each with a polariser.

Re: You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I guess you'd also need to stitch the two images back together? But that technology must be well understood now.

Mm, we meant to see AvM, but it went past at a busy time. Ah well, maybe it'll come round again in the school holidays.

Re: You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

you'd also need to stitch the two images back together?

Well, if you want a 3D result you don't stitch anything: you need to project the two images together using correctly-polarised light for each.

If the pirate wants a 2D result then I doubt there's much point messing about with stitching anything either - just take the camcorder to a regular cinema instead!

Re: You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I was assuming that (a) the 3D version was the only version currently in cinemas, and (b) the pirates were planning to make 2D DVDs for sale to home users, not having a market for a 3D version. But I might be wrong on either or both of those.

Re: You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[metame.livejournal.com]

Also went to see Coraline last night...

I think for a 2D version, just video the 3D film through one of the lenses of the pair of glasses. Both are perfectly OK, in focus, pictures (as I checked by occasionally closing an eye).

And to copy it properly in 3D, I guess just video the 3D film twice - once through *each* lens. Then head home and project them onto your own wall through your two projectors, polarising them on the way out (though I think reflecting off the wall might mess up the polarising so maybe a bit fiddlier). Also I don't know how much a tiny degree of getting out of sync would ruin everything.

Re: You should see Aliens vs Monsters

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, it does sound a bit of a recipe for moiré effects that make your head explode.