World 3-D Film Expo II is Sept. 8 - 17, 2006, in Hollywood

SabuCat Productions will try to top their highly successful World 3-D Film Expo of 2003 with World 3-D Film Expo II, this coming Sept. 8 through 17, 2006, at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The 10 day festival will not only be highlighting the sold out shows of 2003 (such as House of Wax, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Robot Monster, The Glass Web and Dial M For Murder), but will also be showing eight new "Golden Era" titles, most of which have never been seen in over 50 years in 3-D. In fact, two of the titles have never been shown in 3-D even in the 1950's! The Expo will be having the World 3-D premieres of Diamond Wizard (1954) and Jivaro (1954). Most of the other six new titles, Sangaree, Those Redheads From Seattle, Taza, Son of Cochise, Devil's Canyon, Wings of the Hawk and Cease Fire have not been seen in 3-D since their original release dates.

None of the films will be shown in the anaglyphic (red/blue) system; like Expo I,, all of the "Golden Age" features and shorts will be shown in 35mm and in "double interlock" Polaroid System, the original method (and still the very best method) for showing these films.

All told, 35 features and over 20 short subjects will unspool at the Expo. In addition to the various feature films, the expo will be premiering several 3-D short subjects, including the long lost cartoon, Popeye, Ace of Space, as well as Hawaiian Nights, Carnival in April, Owl and the Pussycat, and many others.

Other highlights of Expo II

• Opening night Gala, with food and wine, and showing two 3-D premieres: Those Redheads From Seattle and Taza, Son of Cochise.
• The World Polaroid projection premiere of Night of the Living Dead 3-D (2006), with the director, Jeff Broadstreet, in attendance, as well as the stars of the film!
• World premiere of the fully restored, uncut, The Stewardesses (1971) will be shown on Saturday, September 9, as a midnight screening. The star of the film, Christina Hart, will be making her first personal appearance for the film in 35 years!
• A special "All Animation" show, highlighting a dozen animated films from the Golden era of 3-D (and earlier!).
• Shows highlighting Russian and British 3-D short films, most of which have never been seen in the United States.
• Rarities, Part II: One of the key highlights of Expo I was "Rarities"; we've now discovered some more, amazing and historic stereoscopic imagery!
• Cease Fire is the only film (let alone a film in 3-D) ever shot at an actual war: The Korean War, in this case, using actual soldiers as actors. Some of those soldiers (and their families) are planning to attend; it will be the first time the film has been screened in 3-D in over 50 years.
• Paul Morrissey's Frankenstein (1974) will be screened in a brand new restored print!
• Even in the case of films that were run at Expo I, we will have a few "new" surprises. For example, Kiss Me Kate will be screened using the only surviving original dye-transfer ("3-strip") Technicolor print still in existence. Charge at Feather River is a brand new restored print. And for the first time in over 50 years, many of the Golden Age films will screen in widescreen, as they were meant to be seen.

Festival organizer Jeff Joseph says, "Although Expo I was wildly successful, we swore we would never do one again...but then, some film elements were discovered, some studios started to be very helpful, one thing led to another...and here we are."

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Dave Stevens' Sheena 3-D Special #1 Original Art is for sale

Original comic book art is becoming quite collectible. Ten pages of inked stat artwork drawn by Dave Stevens for the May 1985 publication Sheena 3-D Special #1 are being sold on Steven's official Web site.

Stevens did a great deal of retouching and redrawing on the 10 pages. The inked and redrawn stats were used in the production of Blackthorne Publishing's Sheena 3-D Special #1. A-List comics also reprinted the story in Jungle Comics #1.

Stevens has redrawn or added art on every page, for instance, the large Sheena figure on the first page is almost all Dave Stevens. The large female figure (Hawkina) on page 9 (top right panel), is all Dave Stevens. Stevens has drawn her on a seperate paper and pasted the inked drawing onto the stat.

Each stat is 11" x 17".

Sheena 3-D Special #1 cover art is copyright © 1984 Dave Stevens. Sheena is a trademark of Chaplin-Iger Company, Ltd. All other material TM and © 1985 Blackthorne Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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New Star Wars Lenticular Posters from Mello Smello

Retailers for Mello Smello's line of Star Wars 3-D Lenticular posters have several new limited edition designs about to hit stores. The new 8x10 inch posters feature images from several of the Star Wars movies. The 3-D Vividvision posters are some of today's sharpest lenticular posters on the market with great clarity and depth. The new posters are limited to 1,000 copies each and come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

3-D VividVision poster from Episode I The Phantom Menace. Packed 12 per Case . Made in the USA. Limited Edition - Only 1,000 prints made. Includes Certificate of Authenticity.	3-D VividVision poster from the original Star Wars movie Empire Strikes Back. Packed 12 per Case . Made in the USA. Limited Edition - Only 1,000 prints made. Includes Certificate of Authenticity.	3-D VividVision poster from the original Star Wars movie "A New Hope". Packed 12 per Case . Made in the USA. Limited Edition - Only 1,000 prints made. Includes Certificate of Authenticity.	3-D VividVision poster from Episode III "Revenge of the Sith". Packed 12 per Case . Made in the USA. Limited Edition - Only 1,000 prints made. Includes Certificate of Authenticity.

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Prince's Trust 30th Birthday becomes first ever live 3-D TV Broadcast

Not since Jaws 3-D had movie-goers ditching their popcorn and frantically trying to swim out of cinemas has there been anything like it. Heralding a watershed in the history of two-tone specs, the star-studded Prince’s Trust 30th birthday bash became the first ever live TV program to use 3-D technology. The program was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Saturday, May 20, 2006.

The show marked the zenith of the trust’s first ever advertising and public fundraising campaign, combining a live studio show with an open air concert at the Tower of London. Among the acts performing at the event were Annie Lennox, Ozzy Osbourne and Will Young.

It was the first time since the Children In Need Doctor Who Special in 1993 that 3-D technology had been used on British TV and it marks a growing resurgence in the format, which enjoyed its heyday in the 1950s. Since then, it has gone in and out of fashion, with films like 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare failing to live up to expectations.

The format is expected to be the next revolution in home viewing, with Philips planning to launch a 3-D TV in 2008. Researchers in Japan are also aiming to have a TV set which combines 3-D technology with touch and smell technology by 2020. It has only recently become feasible to deal with the high processing and bandwidth requirements needed to transmit high-resolution 3-D content.

But it was a long wait for anyone itching to strap on their goggles and take part in the momentous occasion. It wasn’t until boy rockers McFly appeared, with a cover version Thin Lizzy’s 1970s smash The Boys Are Back In Town, that the glasses could finally be donned. Billed before the event as “stylish spectacles”, and looking anything but, there was always an element of suspicion surrounding the true quality of the experience. According to the trust’s chief executive Martina Milburn, they would provide “a unique opportunity for Ozzy Osbourne to join you in your living room”.

In a Prince's Trust poll held prior to the concert, the nation voted Eurovision finalist Daz Sampson (0.4 per cent) as the person they'd least like to see in 3-D. ITV presenters Ant and Dec proved the most popular choice, followed by pop star Rachel Stevens and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.

The second most unpopular choice was the country's leader, Tony Blair, with 2.9 per cent of the votes. Other celebrities who feature in the poll include George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Ozzy Osbourne and Robbie Williams.

The first publicly shown 3-D movie was L’Arrivée Du Tren in 1903, but it wasn’t until the release of Bwana Devil in 1952 that the golden era of stereoscopic cinema began. Adding to the current renaissance in the format, George Lucas plans to re-release his Star Wars trilogy in 3-D in the near future and Titanic director James Cameron is said to be a massive fan of the 3-D form.

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Superman Returns 7-11 Lenticular Cup

This is a lenticular, moving 3-D large 32 oz. Slurpee cup from 7-11 stores advertising the new Superman Returns motion picture due out June 30, 2006. The cup has many different, changing views when turned at an angle.

The first picture shows two views in one with Superman's cape showing the effect of moving. You can also see the 7-11 logo at the bottom of the cup in this picture.

The second picture shows the Superman logo "S" as large, and covering his arm.

The third picture shows the "S" logo much smaller (when angled, the logo actually gets bigger and smaller).

The fourth picture shows a new Lex Luthor next to a building as well as the Mountain Dew logo at the bottom of the cup with a tag line of "Kryptonite Ice."

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Superman Returns in 3-D

When Clark Kent takes off his glasses, you'll need to put on your 3-D glasses to see the 3-D segment of Superman Returns. In an inteview with Wired magazine, Superman Returns director Bryan Singer described how he decided to do a 3-D version of the film.

"Yeah, it’s a little P. T. Barnum. IMAX has this amazing technology. They took our teaser (preview trailer) and turned it into 3-D IMAX. I was pretty blown away," said Singer.

"There’s this mailbox shot of the Kent farm, and they had the mailbox, the fields, the cloud, the sky, everything had its own separate plane. Very impressive. Based on that demonstration, I thought it would be fun to do this. The idea is that when Clark takes off his glasses in the movie and becomes Superman, the audience puts on their 3-D glasses and watches the scene in 3-D Imax. Hopefully it will be more fun than disruptive," Singer concluded.

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Komamura 3-D Horseman Camera to be Released this Summer

A Komamura Horseman 3-D with stereo lenses. It's apparently due get the whole real-world-release treatment this summer.

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3-D Theatre at the Regional Science Centre and Planetarium in Kozhikode, India by May, 2006

After the rocket launching session for children, the Regional Science Centre and Planetarium (RSC) in Kazhikode, India, is getting ready to enthral the public with another novel program, the 3-D theatre, which will be inaugurated by the end of May.

The films in 3-D format on wildlife, environment and space would educate the people especially children about nature and space through entertainment.

Based on its slogan "education through entertainment," the planetarium has started works in the auditorium to make it suitable for the show.

"This is the age of edutainment. It is advisable to teach children about universe through simple methods," says V S Ramachandran, director of the planetarium.

The planetarium is arranging four shows per day and a seating arrangement for 100 persons are also getting ready, with special techniques, to give a 3-D effect. Visitors will be provided with 3-D goggles by the planetarium.

INitially, three films will be shown, namely Funny Animals, Shark Island and Space Adventure. Each film would be of 20-minute duration and there will be an interval of a few seconds in between the films.

"We will buy new films every six months" says Ramachandran, while expressing confidence over the success of the project. He informed that a science gallery called ‘The hall of human endurance’ is also in the offing at the planetarium.

Planetarium director V S Ramachandran explaining to children about the 3-D theatre, which is slated for inauguration this month-end.

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Prototype 3-D Mobile Handset developed by DDD, Texas Instruments and Ocuity

DDD Group plc, the 3-D software and content company, today announces that DDD Mobile™, the comprehensive 3-D content solution for mobile telephone handsets that allows the presentation of photos, animations and movies in a stereoscopic 3-D format has been successfully delivered on the Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) OMAP™ high-performance, ultra-low power consumption wireless applications processors.

The DDD Mobile software, which resides on the mobile telephone handset, provides a comprehensive 3-D content solution taking full advantage of the powerful features of TI’s OMAP processors that enable a new class of mobile phones that improve entertainment and productivity features and integrate capabilities of cameras, gaming devices, portable video and music players, laptops and PDAs. The availability of DDD Mobile now makes it possible for handset makers to incorporate the latest 3-D ‘glasses-free’ LCD displays within their next generation OMAP processor-based wireless products.

Working in partnership with Oxfordshire-based 3-D optical specialists, Ocuity Ltd., DDD and Ocuity have delivered a 3-D prototype handset based on High Tech Computer Corporation’s (HTC) Faraday™ model that uses the TI OMAP850 processor and Windows Mobile 5. Ocuity enhanced the standard 2-D LCD display by adding their patented Polarisation Activated Microlens™ technology, resulting in a reconfigurable 2-D/3-D display that has class leading image quality, full brightness, and all without requiring the user to wear special glasses.

The prototype handset samples showcase a wide variety of popular genres of present day mobile content including branded wallpapers, videos and animations and include DDD’s real time 2-D to 3-D conversion solution for both photos and video captured using the built-in handset camera.

DDD, TI and Ocuity will now be in a position to publicly demonstrate the high impact 3-D viewing experience delivered by the sample handsets to a wide range of prospective international customers including handset manufacturers, display manufacturers, mobile network operators and mobile content providers.

Markus Tremmel, worldwide manager of Texas Instruments’ Cellular Systems Ecosystem commented, “The addition of stereo 3-D capabilities to TI’s OMAP platform represents an opportunity for operators and handset manufacturers to massively enhance the experience of wireless entertainment for their subscribers. Consumers cannot enjoy 3-D without glasses on any other consumer device. This package, leveraging OMAP processing capability, uniquely differentiates the mobile experience with a visually compelling ‘wow’ factor.”

Paul May, Commercial Director of Ocuity Ltd. explained: “Our Polarisation Activated Microlens technology is easy to manufacture and to add to existing displays. Ocuity’s technology combined with the power of mobile processors like the OMAP and the availability of real-time conversion software from DDD means that the barriers to delivering compelling stereo 3-D entertainment to the handset have been eliminated. Consumers will be blown away.”

Chris Yewdall, Chief Executive of DDD said: “The delivery of DDD Mobile on TI’s OMAP processors and Windows Mobile represents a significant milestone for the company. Since announcing DDD Mobile in mid 2005, we have seen an increased interest from handset makers and network operators to the prospect of offering 3-D enabled handsets. Our partnership with TI and Ocuity allows us to accelerate our marketing activities as we seek to secure further licensees and bring the 3-D mobile experience to consumers worldwide.”

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2007 Stereoscopic Displays and Applications Conference Update

The 18th annual Stereoscopic Displays and Applications (SD&A) conference is scheduled for Jan. 29-21, 2007, in San Jose, California. The Stereoscopic Displays and Applications conference is the largest and longest running technical stereoscopic imaging conference. The conference has a formidable reputation of presenting a wide selection of leading edge stereoscopic imaging research from around the world and collecting together leaders in the field.

This conference will focus on recent advances in stereoscopic imaging, covering topics such as 3-D display hardware, developments in computer software and digital techniques and applications that illustrate the user-interface issues and cost and benefit trade-offs of stereoscopic 3-D displays. In both real-world and computer-generated imaging applications, stereoscopic 3-D display technologies can enhance the user's ability to perceive objects in their correct spatial locations, to move through display space easily and to manipulate objects efficiently and accurately.

The parallel focus on human factors issues and applications requirements is intended to guide future display system development and task-based evaluation of 3-D technologies. The conference will bring together practitioners and researchers from industry and academia to facilitate an exchange of current information on stereoscopic 3-D techniques and applications. Hardware demonstrations of 3-D technologies and applications are strongly encouraged at the conference demonstration session. Facilities for large-screen stereoscopic projection (both still and video) will be available for the presenters.

Call for Papers
The Call for Papers is online at www.stereoscopic.org/2007. Abstracts (500 words) are due July 27, 2006.

Applications of stereoscopic displays. Conference organizers are especially interested in novel applications and in user trials of existing applications. Application areas include scientific visualization, medical imaging, teleoperation, telepresence, industrial inspection, communications, entertainment, broadcast/cable TV, training, CAD/CAM, molecular modeling and advertising.

• Advances in stereoscopic display technologies autostereoscopic displays, super and high-density multiview displays, volumetric displays, stereoscopic projection, mobile 3-D displays and other 3-D displays methods for recording, playback, transmission and processing of stereoscopic video, stereoscopic computer graphics and stereoscopic gaming.
• Digital stereoscopic imaging, stereoscopic computer graphics, image processing and compression of stereoscopic imagery, stereoscopic image synthesis: 2-D to 3-D conversion, depth map generation and multi-viewpoint generation, transmission standards supporting digital stereoscopic images software and hardware issues for computer display of stereoscopic images.
• Stereoscopic 3-D digital cinema
• 3-D image acquisition/generation techniques, single- and multi-lens camera systems, motion parallax, volume projection, graphical construction, stereoscopic computer graphics, and other stereoscopic image generation techniques, guidelines for stereoscopic content development.
• Design and development of stereoscopic display systems for teleoperation, telerobotics, telepresence, telesurgery and augmented reality, Human factors issues in stereoscopic display systems, task performance comparisons between stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic displays
  side-benefits of stereoscopic display techniquesm evaluation methodologies (e.g., depth-acuity measurement) and task-performance testing
  benefits for processing and compression of stereoscopic images, User-interface issues in stereoscopic display system design, perceptual and cognitive guidelines for stereoscopic displays, 3-D remote manipulation and control of viewpoint, ortho-stereo, hyper-stereo, and the geometry of 3-D perceptual space.
• Standards for stereoscopic imaging.

If you are interested in presenting your stereoscopic imaging work at the 2007 SD&A conference, a full list of relevant topics and full submission guidelines are also online at www.stereoscopic.org/2007.

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Rolling Stone #1,000 features 3-D Cover Art

Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner has assembled 154 of his best friends on the bold cover of the 1,000th issue.

The hefty volume has a 3-D lenticular attachment featuring a Sergeant Pepper's-style collage of some of the biggest names in music, film, TV and literature of the past four decades. A few world leaders also made the cut.

Inside, the magazine spotlights its 100 greatest covers, spanning Wenner's 1967 interview with John Lennon in the first issue, through to rapper Kanye West's Jesus Christ pose in issue 993 in February.

The cover cost about $1 million to produce.

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3-D Auction Results

Here are a few 3-D auction results from the past month.

A rarely seen Stereo 50 viewer sold for $531.50 with 19 bids. It is a very rare sequential stereo slide viewer called "Stereo 50". The name comes from the fact that it accepts 50 stereo slides in Realist format (41x101mm). An accessory drum that holds 50 slides sold for $316 with four bids.	A Votra stereo viewer sold for $527.59 with two bids.	A Planox Stéréoscope Magnetique Planox sold for $900.76 with four bids. Wooden table viewer for magazines. Stereo slides 6 x 13 cm, magazines for 20 transparencies. Focusing with rack and pinion movement, oculars adjustable. Height of viewer with storage cabinet is 20 inches.