Re: New 3D Movies (long)

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

George Themelis lectures:

>So lets not wish for another wave of popularity.  Lets be content with 
>what we see today, i.e. a constant growth and slow recognition of 3-d.  
>Let's ask for a 3-D IMAX theater in our city but not ask for every 
>ordinary movie to be shot in 3-d.  

I'd like to start out by saying that I fully agree with much of what
George says, but I'd like to point out some side-effects of past fads 
that I have been involved with that have benefitted the longtime,
pre-fad afficianados.

1. Citizen Band (CB) radio

I became involved with CB in high school, before most people had heard
of it.  Made a lot of nice friends on the air.  Then it suddenly got
media attention, people were making movies about it (e.g. "Smokey and
the Bandit"), and soon everybody had one.  The band became all but
worthless, as all the newcomers knew nothing of the rules and ettiquette.
(Yes, there are a lot of parallels with the Internet.)  Eventually the
fad died, and the old-timers that stayed through it went back to
pretty much the way things had been.

However, a few good things came out of it:  the license fee was abolished,
and eventually the license requirement itself; the number of channels was
increased from 27 to 40.  The equipment standards were raised by the FCC
to help avaoid interference, and the price of a good transceiver dropped
from hundreds of dollars to under $100.  Digitally synthesized tuning
replaced the need for buying a pair of expensive crystals for each channel,
etc.  Some of these things would NEVER have happened (e.g. the channel
expansion and economies of scale), or would have happend much more
slowly, without the boom.

2. Homebrewing

I got into homebrewing in the mid-80's, again before the huge growth
of that hobby.  Mail-order was pretty much the rule for obtaining
supplies (sound familiar?).  Equipment was primitive, and do-it-yourself
was typical.  Then the hobby exploded in popularity.

Homebrew supply stores began opening in strip malls (imaging, being able
to decide to brew a batch, go out and buy supplies, and then brew, ALL
IN THE SAME DAY).  Manufacturers found they had a market for counterflow
chillers, stainless steel brewkettles, bottle fillers, etc.  The interest in
high-quality beer with FLAVOR spurred a concurrent growth in small-
volume commercial brewers and "craft" brewing.  Brew pubs became
commonplace.  The variety and number of craft-brewed beers on the
market is at an all-time high.

So, what could be the potential benefits of another 3D fad?

Well, how about another wave of 3D cameras, this time modern 90's-style
cameras with autofocus, through-the-lens metering, auto-winding, auto-
exposure, made of modern space-age materials and at a non-wallet-busting
price?  George may love his Realist brick, but I'd swap mine for SLR-
type features in a second.  I'd love to be able to buy 3D supplies at
any camera store.  I'd sure like to have the option of developer-mounted
3D slides with the assurance that they will come back properly mounted,
because they're servicing tens of thousands of other customers just like
me, who will go elsewhere if their quality is not up-to-snuff, rather
than the captive market they have now that they'd just as soon lose.

Even after the fad wanes, which it inexorably will, there will be long
term benefits to those who choose to stay with the format.  If nothing
else, there will be a whole new crop of 3D cameras on the used market.
George could buy all the Realists he ever wanted at $10-$15 each.

--

On the subject of IMAX theatres, I have some personal interest.  The
Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA has recently broken ground
for their permanent quarters, which will include an OMNIMAX theatre.
Susan, my wife and fellow 3Der, is Grants Manager at the Tech.  I asked
her if there were any plans for including 3D capabilities.  The following
is her reply:

:The Tech's OMNIMAX theater is designed to accommodate a second projector  
:for 3D movies. Since the additional cost would be about $1 million, there  
:are no plans to do this at this time. Once we are operational, there will  
:be the additional cost of lost revenue during the retrofit (you don't  
:just plug the thing into the wall outlet).  

:(If you are still inspired to go off and raise an extra $1 million for us,  
:we should probably discuss it first. ;) 
 
:Susan Wageman
:Grants Manager                    suewageman@xxxxxxxxxxx 
:The Tech Museum of Innovation     (408) 279-7178 
:145 West San Carlos Street        fax (408) 279-7149 
:San Jose, CA  95113  USA          http://www.thetech.org 

So it seems that getting a 3D IMAX in every town is no trivial thing,
either.  If anyone wants to sponsor the 3D setup at the Tech, please
give Susan a call.

        -Greg


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