[photo-3d] Re: Special Screening of Two 3-D Large Format Films

[Lawrence W Kaufman <kaufman3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Abram Klooswyk replied to Phillip Gray's posting:

> >(...) Unless I am mistaken the large format
> >presentations at IMAX theatres are in LCD glasses process.
> LCD would make all the difference, of course.
> However, I did see the 3D Mania film in an Imax theater
> which had a 70 mm copy in ColorCode.
> See also: http://www.nwave.com
> But I suppose we get a review from Southern California!

sergio baldissara wrote:

> I couldn't see the movie (no IMax halls yet in Italy). But I'd like
> to know...

Lawrence replies:

To first clear up a couple points:
1) Not all large format theaters are Imax, in fact the two
films that were at our screening were from nWave Pictures.
The theater did use Imax equipment, so calling large format
theaters Imax is like calling facial tissues Kleenex, acceptable -
but not correct.

2) Most of the large format theaters in Southern California
use the polarized projection with liquid crystal shutter (LCS) glasses,
these are not LCD (liquid crystal display) glasses. One theater
in San Diego is not capable of projecting polarized 3D LF films.
One theater in Los Angeles uses the oversized polarized glasses.
These are much more comfortable, but there is a little ghosting
in the films. The other Five (5) theaters, I believe all use the
shutter/polarized glasses/goggles.

Both the films 3D MANIA: ENCOUNTER IN THE THIRD
DIMENSION and ALIEN ADVENTURE were shown with
dual filmstrips with polarized-LCS goggles. Also shown was
the preview for CYBERWORLD. I have already reviewed
both films for Stereo World Magazine, ALIEN in Vol.26 #2-3 and
E3D in Vol.25 #5. I can email either of these reviews to anyone
who missed them.

The theater is at the Universal City Walk (part of the Loews
theater chain) just outside the Universal Hollywood
Theme Park. Their webpage is:
http://www.loewscineplex.com/locations/ca/index.html
They are now showing both films with two other 3D
LF films for what they call "3D Madness - A Festival of
Four 3D Films". Besides ALIEN And E3D, they are
showing CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: JOURNEY OF MAN and
T-REX: BACK TO THE CRETACEOUS.

Now about the anaglyph version of 3D MANIA:
I saw this new version screened at the Large Format
Cinema Association's conference in May. I must agree with
Abram, that only diehard 3D fans should see this version.
nWave had planned all along to make an anaglyph version of
E3D. Which would enable them to make it available to all
2D and dome LF theaters.

nWave had completed a black and white version (except
for the titles) for viewing with the normal red/cyan filters. At
which point they discovered ColorCode 3-D(r), which uses
amber/blue filters and which Sirius film ApS:
http://www.siriusfilm.dk  is marketing for "Full Color, true
stereoscopic 3-D". The prints and internet images seem to
work very well for this variation of the anaglyph. Even though
my thoughts are "a rose by any other name".

The film version of 3D MANIA, had problems. It was for me
the beginning of Excedrin headache #3D. Without the ColorCode
glasses the screen on the image looked normal with a bright yellow
glow and some blue/purple shadows, much like the website images
at: http://www.nwave.com
The left eye image was the amber one and it seemed to be okay
for viewing. The right eye image was very dark and when viewed
alone, it seemed to only have images that were slightly offset
from the left image and were only shadow images, with very little
detail. I found my right eye was straining to see an image, but there
was not a well-defined one for it to see, so more straining.

For those individuals not as lucky as us to have so many 3D LF
theaters, it is a good idea to make a LF film to play in the 2D LF
theaters. Unfortunately this new anaglyph process doesn't seem
to be the answer.

Thanks for the time,
Lawrence Kaufman, mailto:kaufman3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
NSA Regional Director - S. Calif, S. Nevada, Arizona & Hawaii
NSA 2002 Riverside website: http://www.3dgear.com/NSA
Stereo World website: http://www.stereoview.org
SCSC website: http://home.earthlink.net/~campfire
SCSC eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/3dphoto