P3D Sea Dream

[Ray Zone <r3dzone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andrew Woods wrote:

>Can it really be the case that although this 3D film (Sea Dream) has
>been in existance 20 years no-one on this list has ever seen it...?

> Does anyone know anything more?

Sea Dream was produced by Murray Lerner and shot originally in the
over-under single strip 35mm "Spacevision" technology of Colonel Robert
Bernier giving an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 (this was the same process used
for Warhol's 3-D Frankenstein).  Sea Dream was originally produced for
Marineland of Florida in 1978 and in the mid 1980's was converted to 70 mm
for continuing exhibition there.

I saw Sea Dream at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California in 1986
where it was projected in 35 mm.  The film itself has alot of excellent
underwater stereocinematography and some nice scenes on a beach with a
frisbee coming through the stereowindow.  This was Murray Lerner's initial
3-D production and with this film he attempted to have all of the
underwater 3-D photography "out of the window" with the fish floating out
in the virtual space of the audience.  While this produces exciting 3-D it
causes alot of "banding" at the left and right edges of the frame since the
stereowindow is continuously violated there.

Meticulous stereophotographers know that one does not mount a stereo slide
with imagery coming through the "window" at the the left and right sides of
the frame.  As a result, alot of expert stereophotographers have a problem
with Sea Dream while the general public continues to enjoy it.  There is
some "forgiveness" in the fact that the wide format of the film makes one
pay most attention to central action on screen.  Most stereo slides are
projected in a  1:1 aspect ratio (and are motionless) where the perimeters
of the 3-D image are much more obvious.

Lerner went on to produce the excellent 3-D film Magic Journeys for the
Walt Disney Company filmed in dual 70 mm in 1982 (with an aspect ratio of
2.20:1) and much greater sensitivity to the demands of the stereowindow.

Sea Dream continues to play in 3-D worldwide in a variety of exhibition venues.

For anyone interested in 3-D motion pictures the RM Hayes book "3-D Movies"
is highly recommended and available through Reel 3-D and Dan Shelley's 3-D
book list.

Regards!

Ray '3-D' Zone

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