A 2d 3d Imax evening

[P3D Robert Cruickshank <robcruic@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The other night the  Toronto section of the Society Of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers had their meeting in the Cinesphere, and got to hear
all about Imax 3D.  Speakers were:
Bill Shaw( Imax ) -3d overview and Cameras
Ken Baker (Imax) -3d optics and projectors
Steve read (Imax) 3d screens and physics
Samuel zhou (Imax) 3d digital imaging
James Porteous (Dome Audio Video and Effects) 3d sound
The talks were for the most part interesting, although there wasn't time
to really go into depth on ony one topic, so the evening could really have
been called "3d 101". Still, it was interesting to see photos of the
prototype and production Imax 3D cameras and projectors (The projector
uses two 15kw lamphouses, each capable of igniting a 2x4 if it weren't for
the cold mirrors..) Sadly, all of this was in 2d- the cinesphere is not
set up for 3d. Following the talks was a screening of L5- First Fuzzy
Ducklings in Space in, yup, 2d. I must say that it was visually impressive
even flat, although the techno-optimism  makes Star Trek look like
Brave New World. (The other day I gave my friend a 1961 Life Magazine for
his birthday, and we were vastly amused by some of those great old "your
future in space " paintings- you know the ones- big *pods* with great big
numbers and checkerboards painted on them...I guess the vision is not
quite dead, although the paint job of the L5 city was really lame compared
to that great old 60's art. The only giant numbers painted on the side of
anything were seen in the live action space shuttle footage. 
Oh well.  Now I think I really must get myself to an Imax 3d theatre and
see it properly.  
  




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Rob Cruickshank                   robcruic@xxxxxxxxxxxx                  



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