| James
Cameron's Aliens of the Deep in IMAX 3-D Opens Jan. 28, 2005
 Academy
Award -winning director James Cameron combines his talents
as a filmmaker with his passion for exploration in all forms
in Aliens of the Deep, an Earthship Production presented
in IMAX 3-D by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. Inspired
by concepts from the field of astrobiology, the study of life
on other worlds, Camera explores the idea that the bizarre
creatures living in the extreme environments found on the
ocean floor might provide a blueprint for what life is like
elsewhere in the universe. The director is joined in the journey
by a team of young marine biologists and NASA researchers
who share his interests and excitement as they consider the
correlation between life under water and the life we may one
day find in outer space.
Aliens of the Deep presents the dramatic and visually
stunning highlights of a series of expeditions to deep ocean
hydrothemal vents, where super-heated, mineral charged water
gives life to some of the strangest animals on earth, six-foot
tall worms with blood-red plumes, blind white crabs and an
astonishing biomass of white shrimp, all competing to find
just the right location in the flow of near-boiling water.
This adventure brings the audience face to face with what
it might be like to travel far into space and encounter life
on other worlds.
Aliens of the Deep was directed by James Cameron
and Steven Quale. The film was produced by Andrew Wight and
James Cameron. Ed W. Marsh served as Creative Producer. Buena
Vista Picture distributes. The film opened in IMAX theatres
on Jan. 28, 2005.
Sharks
Get Make-Over in United Nations Backed 3-D Film
 It
may not exactly be man’s best friend, but the shark
will have its image burnished in a United Nations-backed film
that offers an astonishing, up-close three-dimensional encounter
with nature’s ultimate, yet endangered predator while
delivering a compelling conservation message.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), world famous ocean explorer
Jean-Michel Cousteau and 3-D Entertainment have joined forces
to protect sharks with a new 3-D IMAX Theatre Film, Sharks
3-D, that will have its world premiere screening on Dec.
15 in Las Vegas.
“Despite the existence of various international treaties,
certain shark species have been reduced by nearly 80 per cent
in the past decade alone,” UNEP’s Executive Director
Klaus Toepfer said in a statement. “Today, the priority
is not only to end the steady decline of the shark population,
but to rehabilitate its image among the general public.”
He said the IMAX film “is an ideal means of reaching
a vast audience and changing a great number of people’s
perception of these animals.”
The movie brings the viewer face to face with a multitude
of the world’s great shark species, including the Great
White, Whale Shark and Hammerhead. Audiences will experience
them as they truly are in their natural habitat, not wicked
man-eating creatures, but wild, fascinating, and highly endangered
animals, UNEP said.
“Sharks 3-D sheds new light on the urgent
need to protect these magnificent endangered animals, which
are so essential to the survival of our oceans,” Mr.
Cousteau, President and Chairman of Ocean Futures Society
added. “To inspire and educate people to act responsibly
in order to ensure the preservation of the world’s oceans
is a mission the film and I have long shared.”
Filming required an extensive nine-month shoot totaling 500
dive hours on location in Guadalupe Island, Socorro Island
and the Sea of Cortez, Mexico; Malpelo Island, Columbia; the
Red Sea, Egypt; Sodwana Bay, South Africa; Mozambique Channel;
and Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia.
The Adventures
of Shark Boy and Lava Girl
 The
lovely Kristin Davis (Sex and the City) has joined
the cast of Robert Rodriguez's The Adventures of Shark
Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D.
The Dimension Films project tells the story of a 10-year-old
outcast shunned by classmates and forced to spend summer vacation
alone. With his two imaginary friends (the title characters)
he goes on a mission to prove that dreams can become reality.
Davis and David Arquette play the boy's parents.
The cast also includes newcomers Taylor Dooley, Taylor Lautner
and Cayden Boyd, along with George Lopez.
Dimension is reportedly co-financing the flick with Sony.
Rodriguez is producing with his wife, Elizabeth Avellan, via
their Troublemaker Studios banner.
Star Wars III:
Revenge of the Sith Lenticular Postercard
 Soon,
fans will be able to display their Star Wars excitement with
a brand new line of stickers, temporary tattoos and 3-D posters
from Mello Smello. No surface will be safe from the multitude
of Episode III and classic images available, walls, windshields,
skateboards and skin are all fair game for this great collection
of stellar graphics.
Mello Smello, who takes their name from the innovative Scratch
n' Smell® stickers they launched back in 1980, specializes
in prismatic stickers, temporary tattoos, holiday products
and many other printed activity items.
The Star Wars 3-D lenticular posters should thrill fans with
their unprecedented size and realism. "They create depth
so real that you feel like you can reach right into the picture,"
says Scott Klingelhofer, Creative Director at Mello Smello.
Among the exciting new line of 3-D lenticulars will be an
exclusive Episode III edition that fans can only get from
StarWarsShop.com starting February 1.
This exclusive 10 x 8-inch card the striking new Darth Vader
product banner artwork along with the tilt-motion image of
Obi-Wan and Anakin locked in their climactic duel. These will
be bundled with select new products or available for purchase
separately.
  Star
Wars III: Revenge of the Sith opens in May 2005. After
three long years of relentless fighting, the Clone Wars are
nearly at an end. The Jedi Council dispatches Obi-Wan Kenobi
to bring General Grievous, the deadly leader of the Separatist
droid army, to justice. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Chancellor
Palpatine has grown in power. His sweeping political changes
transform the war-weary Republic into the mighty Galactic
Empire. To his closest ally, Anakin Skywalker, he reveals
the true nature of power and the promised secrets of the Force
in an attempt to lure him to the dark side.
Robots Lenticular
Postercard
 The
animated film Robots is being promoted with a high
quality production lenticular piece made of durable Spectar
copolymer resin materials. The Robots 3-D poster is approximately
eight-by-eight inches.
Twentieth Century Fox and Academy Award® winning director
Chris Wedge, who last joined forces on the blockbuster animated
hit Ice Age, now team to create another visually
spectacular, three-dimensional world, with an all-star, award-winning
cast, in Robots. Beyond the scope, freshness and
vibrancy of an incredible world populated solely by mechanical
beings, Wedge and his team are creating memorable robots,
each with "his" or "her" own distinct
personality. The result is a timeless tale that pushes the
boundaries of animation, while introducing characters rich
with whimsy, heart and soul.
Set on a world populated entirely by robots, Robots
is the story of a young genius, Rodney (Ewan McGregor), who
wants to make robots capable of making the world a better
place, but he finds his dream challenged by a corporate tyrant
and a master inventor, Big Weld (Mel Brooks), while also being
seduced by a sexy corporate robot, Cappy.
Providing vocal talent in addition to McGregor and Brooks
are Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Drew Carey, Amanda Bynes and
Robin Williams. The film is scheduled for release in theatres
on March 11, 2005.
Batman Begins
Lenticular Postercard
 The
movie Batman Begins is being promoted with a high
quality production lenticular postercard made of durable Spectar
copolymer resin materials. The Batman Begins lenticular
poster is approximately 10 inches tall by 7 1/4 inches wide.
The poster switches between a silhouette of The Batman with
a cloudy sky to an image of him in the Batcave surrounded
by hundreds of flying bats.
A new beginning for the Dark Knight, focusing on his younger
days and pitting him against the international nemesis Ra's
Al Ghul, as well as Dr. Jonathan Crane, known to comic fans
as The Scarecrow. This film examines Batman's origin and circumstances
lead him away from Gotham City and off to London, using his
skills as a detective as he tracks down the shady, brilliant
Al Ghul.
Christian Bale .... Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine .... Alfred Pennyworth
Liam Neeson .... Henri Ducard
Morgan Freeman .... Lucius Fox
Gary Oldman .... Lt. James Gordon
Ken Watanabe .... Ra's Al Ghul
Katie Holmes .... Rachel Dawes
Cillian Murphy .... Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow
Tom Wilkinson .... Carmine Falcone
Rutger Hauer .... Richard Earle
Sara Stewart .... Martha Wayne
Richard Brake .... Joe Chill
Gus Lewis .... Young Bruce Wayne
Emma Lockhart .... Young Rachel Dawes
Linus Roache .... Dr. Thomas Wayne
Star
Trek: The Experience Borg Invasion 4-D™ Monorail Train
 To
promote Star Trek: The Experience’s Borg Invasion 4-D™,
the attraction has presented the most unique Las Vegas Monorail
train. Unlike other trains along the new transportation system,
the eye-catching Borg Invasion 4-D train is the only one themed
both inside and out.
The entire train, from floor to ceiling has been “wrapped”
in bold green and black Borg and Star Trek imagery. Throughout
the train’s four cars, there are black seats; green
lighting and a chilling Borg voice instructing the passengers
aboard. The theming provides riders a taste of what they will
encounter at Star Trek: The Experience, terrifying drones
of the Borg collective who attempt to capture and assimilate
guests using 24th century cybernetic technology.
The train was created to promote Borg Invasion 4-D, the newest
attraction at Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Star Trek: The Experience is also home to Klingon Encounter,
as well as The History of the Future Museum and Quark’s
Bar and Restaurant.
“Paramount Parks and Star Trek: The Experience are
proud to present what is surely the most unique and dynamic
Las Vegas Monorail train,” said Elizabeth Williams,
Vice President, Star Trek: The Experience. “We are confident
that our train will increase visibility and awareness of Borg
Invasion 4-D and Star Trek: The Experience.”
The themed interior and exterior advertising wrap was designed
by Rezn8 and installed by Final Film.
Star Trek: The Experience is located at the Las Vegas Hilton.
The Las Vegas Hilton is one of seven stops on the monorail
system.
Borg Invasion 4-D
Borg Invasion 4-D is the newest attraction at Star Trek: The
Experience. Borg Invasion 4-D combines live actors and phenomenal
special effects to create an excitingly realistic Star Trek
experience. As visitors tour a futuristic research facility,
the terrifying drones of the Borg Collective attempt to capture
and assimilate guests using 24th century cybernetic technology.
3-D and 4-D merge in a chilling realization of state-of-the-art
technology to provide an all-immersive tactile experience
for visitors to the attraction.
Stereo
Space Combat 3-D Arcade Game Free Download
 Stereo
Space Combat is an arcade game where you fly your space ship
through an asteroid field defeating enemies and collecting
power-ups.
If you have anaglyphic 3-D glasses (red-blue stereoscopic
glasses) you'll really get into the game as asteroids and
ennemies jump out of your screen and into your face. The game
includes a non-stereoscopic mode for those who don't have
glasses.
System requirements
- A PC running Win9X/NT/2K (266 Mhz or better)
- A hardware-accelerated 3D card which fully supports OpenGL.
(TNT/TNT2/GeForce...)
- A DirectSound 3D Compatible sound card.
- Stereoscopic (red-blue) glasses (recommended for full
effect)
The game was created in 2000 by Lval University computer
science graduate Rejean Poirier from Quebec City, Canada.
"I've been coding OpenGL for a year now and I love writing
small games in my spare time," said Roirier, "This
is my second one and took me two months to write in my spare
time."
NASCAR 3-D Surpasses
$20 Million in IMAX
 Warner
Bros. Pictures' NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX Experience has
achieved a box office milestone, surpassing $20 million in
total gross receipts, IMAX Corporation announced today.
The high-octane film is the second highest grossing documentary
of the year, set box office records for an original IMAX
production when it was released in March 2004, and has played
in more than 100 IMAX theatres around the world, including
engagements in Japan, Australia, and Poland. The movie is
the first original Warner Bros. Pictures' IMAX 3-D production
and has been well received in both commercial and institutional
venues, helping to increase awareness of NASCAR (The National
Association of Stock Car Racing), as well as lead-sponsor
America Online.
"We have been thrilled with the performance of NASCAR
3-D: The IMAX Experience and believe it demonstrates
the long-term earning potential of IMAX releases,"
said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner
Bros. Pictures. "IMAX offers us an attractive platform
to release both digitally re-mastered and original IMAX
movies, and based on our past success, we're underway on another
IMAX 3-D production, Denizens of the Deep (working
title). We look forward to releasing this and other great
films in IMAX's unique format."
"It was a pleasure to work with Warner Bros. Pictures,
NASCAR and America Online on this landmark original IMAX
production," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President
of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're delighted with
the results the film has generated, for IMAX and our
partners,- as well as how it has been received by moviegoers
around the world."
"The fact that the film drew crowds in destinations
as far away as Melbourne, Australia and Warsaw, Poland is
a testament to the broad appeal of NASCAR and the power of
The IMAX Experience," said Sarah Nettinga, director,
film, television and music entertainment, NASCAR Digital Entertainment.
"The success shows why NASCAR values and continues to
develop relationships within the entertainment industry. These
partnerships introduce our sport to mainstream audiences and,
in turn, the projects enjoy the support of NASCAR's 75 million
fans."
"Serving as the lead sponsor of NASCAR 3-D: The
IMAX Experience dovetailed perfectly with a number
of our other sponsorship activities and has helped us drive
awareness of the AOL service across a wide range of consumers,"
commented J.D. Ettore, AOL's Director of National Brand Promotions
and Sponsorships. "We have been very pleased with the
results of this partnership and we're excited the film continues
to attract audiences nearly nine months after its initial
release."
Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX
Experience provides an insider's perspective of America's
number one spectator sport. Through the magic of IMAX
3-D technology, audiences are transported into the driver's
seat as they experience the heart-pumping action on the track,
in the pit and behind the scenes. The film is being presented
on specially designed screens that stretch beyond the audiences'
peripheral view, with crystal clear images and up to 14,000
watts of pulsating digital surround sound.
The Polar Express:
An IMAX 3-D Experience Steams Past $40 Million
Warner Bros. Pictures' The Polar Express: An IMAX 3D
Experience has achieved a box office milestone, surpassing
$40 million in total gross receipts in just 11 weeks of release,
IMAX Corporation. Already the highest grossing IMAX DMR®
(Digitally Re-mastered) release to date, having shattered
the previous record of $14 million in just 22 weeks, the film
continues to fill IMAX theatres well after the end of the
holiday season. The continued strong performance of the film
is a testament to consumer demand for Hollywood blockbusters
in IMAX's format and the box office staying power of The IMAX
Experience®.
"With the success of The Polar Express: An
IMAX 3-D Experience, we have solidified the IMAX theatre network
as a valuable distribution platform for Hollywood event films,"
said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment.
"The box office results, word of mouth and awareness
of the IMAX 3-D release of The Polar Express have
all been truly unprecedented. Customer satisfaction levels
with the IMAX version of Robert Zemeckis' groundbreaking film
have also reached record levels, and lead us to believe the
picture will be a holiday perennial in IMAX theatres."
The strong performance of The Polar Express: An
IMAX 3-D Experience has helped numerous IMAX theatres achieve
box office records and other noteworthy results. Some highlights
include:
- A total of five IMAX theatres showing the film have
now grossed more than $1 million each: Comcast IMAX
3-D Theatre at Jordan's Furniture in Reading, Massachusetts;
bfi London IMAX Cinema; Henry Ford IMAX Theatre
in Dearborn, Michigan; Chicago Navy Pier IMAX Theatre;
and Loews IMAX Theatre Lincoln Square, New York, New
York.
- The film helped the bfi London IMAX Cinema sell
more than 51,000 total tickets during the month of December,
more than any month in its five year history.
- The Mercian Shinagawa IMAX theatre has become the
highest grossing location in Japan for The Polar Express,
with patrons willing to pay nearly 40 percent more to attend
the IMAX 3-D version.
"We are thrilled with the performance of The Polar
Express in IMAX 3-D," said Dan Fellman, President
of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. "It
has helped establish the film as one of the 10 highest grossing
movies of 2004. We are looking forward to carrying this momentum
forward with the highly anticipated Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory, to be released simultaneously in 35mm and IMAX
theatres in July 2005."
Georgia
3-DFest to be held Feb. 12, 2005
 The
second Georgia 3-DFest is coming to Decatur, Georgia, near
Atlanta, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 12, 2005,
at the Holiday Inn Select Conference Center at 130 Clarimont
Drive. Admission is $5 and includes all activities. The event
is sponsored by the Atlanta Stereographic Association.
The event will include a 3-D theater of historical and contemporary
3-D images, workshops on making your own 3-D images on slides
or cards, exhibits of 3-D stereoviews, large format images,
anaglyphs, phantograms, chromographs, lenticulars and medium
format slides.
Some of the participants include
- Bob Aldridge: Authority on 3-D projection
and digital restoration and preservation of 3-D slides;
ISU President 2003-current; former Chairman of The Stereoscopic
Society (England)
- Bert Arps: 3-D landscape and scenic photographer;
craftsman of 3-D accessories and equipment
- Peter Bahouth: Designs viewers, often
incorporating sculptural forms to encourage people to approach
3-D images in public settings; exhibits include Peep Show
(Floataway Café), Flash! Swimsuits and Sports (Jane
Jackson Gallery) and Post No Bills (Atlanta Celebrates Photography
Public Show)
- Ted Baskin: Medium format photographer;
skilled Sputnik 3-D camera repair person
- Al Hess: Leading cave photographer specializing
in elaborate lighting; underwater photographer; co-author
of The Art of Stereo Cave Photography, The Georgia
Underground
- Larry Heyda: Figurine sculpture; designer
of the Breeze Stereo1 digital camera; producer of the Delta
Breeze Stereo designed using the classic 1950s TriDelta
concept for wide format 3-D images
- Dave Horton: Scholar of all forms of
19th century photography; specialist in tax stamps on photographs
- Steve Hughes: Constructs reality through
photography - digital construction and restoration of 19th
century stereo photographs; measurably correct phantograms;
precision mounted slides and stereocards; member of APECIII
and DSEC; NSA 2003 Charleston Committee; NSA 2004 Portland
Committee; NSA 2006 Miami Committee
- Suzanne Hughes: Digital stereo photography;
DSEC member; NSA 2003 Charleston Committee; NSA 2004 Portland
Committee; NSA 2006 Miami Committee
- Mike Griffith: Expert on 19th century
political stereo photographs and early Georgia photographers;
President of ASA 1996-2004; SE Region NSA Regional Director;
Chairperson NSA 2005 Convention; NSA Trade Fair Chair 2003;
Shows: Cotton States Exposition; Historic Charleston; Civil
War Richmond
- Mike Kaplan: Professor Emeritus UT;
founder of View Productions to document and publish great
architecture in 3-D; work documented on View-Master®
reels includes Frank
Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Bruce Goff and others
- Mike McEachern: Leading cave photographer
since 1988; member of the Stereoscopic Society of America,
APEC III, Underground Folio; photographed the Caverns of
Sonora for a View-Master set issued in 2003; currently preparing
Alabama in 3-D for the Berman Museum of Anniston,
Alabama; co-author of The Art of Stereo Cave Photography,
The Georgia Underground
- Bill Moll: President ASA 2004-2005;
Chairman NSA 2003 Charleston and 2006 Miami Conventions;
NSA Convention Workshop Chairman many times; ISU USA country
Representative 2003 to current; ISU Editor 1995-1996
- Larry Moor: Stereo cameras and equipment;
President of ASA 1990-1996; President of NSA 1988 -1996;
NSA Stereo Theater 2003; Shows: Cotton States Exposition;
Historic Charleston; Civil War Richmond; numerous short
subjects
- Paul Talbot: Owner of Rocky Mountain
Memories, a source of 3-D supplies, including medium format
mounts, home of the 3-D encyclopedia; member of APECIII
- John Waldsmith: Leading living authority
on the history of stereocards; prominent dealer in stereo
collectibles; author of Stereo
Views: An Illustrated History and Price Guide,
2nd Edition; cofounder of NSA
- Bill Walton, APSA: Leading Black and
White stereo photographer; specialist in personality photos;
member of Stereoscopic Society of America; Columbus (GA)
stereo project; NSA Board Chairman 1996-current; author
of Back to Basics: Infantry One Station Unit Training in
3-D
- Bonnie Jean Woolger: Chromadepth artist;
author of Time Measure - linoleum block, and zinc plate
etchings
A trade show of vintage and contemporary 3-D images and equipment
includes an auction Saturday evening with a preview starting
at 6 p.m. The auction starts at 7 p.m. Items in the auction
include
- Book Boxed Sets
- Stereoscopic views sold indivdually and in lots
- View-Master® viewers and reels
- Realist 35 viewer
- 35mm 1950s stereo slides
- A group of Holmes viewers
- Tru-Vue Films
- and more.
For more information, visit Georgia3D.com
or contact Bill Moll at WHMoll@aol.com
or 3dfest@Georgia3D.com
or call (706) 859-7726 for details or to reserve a table at
the Trade Fair.
3-D glasses
coming back?
Some think 3D glasses will be the only thing to save
the theatre
by Jacob Heller
Article courtesy of DCCCafe.com
 People’s
home entertainment systems keep on getting better and better.
Now with improved “surround sound” setups, widescreen
LCD or plasma TVs and microwavable popcorn, it seems very
much like a movie theater. So much like a movie theater, that
some believe that going to the movie theater will go out of
style. People would rather just stay at home.
This view was expressed by Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder
of Dreamworks at an open forum at CES. He feels that the home
entertainment technology is just so good that it will replace
the theater entirely. The only thing that theaters can do
to combat a mass loss of sales is to go back to a once failed
endeavor: 3-D glasses.
There could be some truth to Katzenberg’s sentiments.
After all, movie tickets are very expensive, sometimes $9
or above. If you could rent a movie for a third of the price,
drive for less time, pass standing outside in a line, and
enjoy the movie in the comfort of your own home, why not?
It will get even easier soon with the popularization of on-demand
video downloading off the internet through services like Movielink.
In the very near future, you won’t even have to get
off your lazy behind to rent a movie. It’ll be in your
room in less than 20 minutes.
And the technology is getting much better. LCD TVs are one
of the big stories at CES. They are now half the price, bigger
than ever, and provide amazing quality (2 megapixels on a
37-inch screen). If they started making broadcasts or movies
with such amazing detail, it would look far better than the
big-screen.
Given this harsh marketing environment of incredible competition,
movie theaters need something to make themselves unique. One
solution may be to revert to 3-D glasses. Although they may
have failed when tried in the 1970s, the technology has gotten
much better, as has special effects technology, making the
experience all the more believable. If theaters decide on
this route, it would be good news for the digital content
creation industry, because movie producers would employ 3-D
specialists to make the movies work.
But don’t expect the good news anytime soon. Movie
theaters still have a lot of characteristics that distinguish
the medium from home viewing. First, movie producers will
continue to release movies to the widescreen first, wait a
little, and then release it on tape, DVD, and the Internet.
Why? Because a lot of people, for some unknown reason, need
to see movies on opening day, or a few weeks after, and they’re
willing to pay the high prices just to see the latest flicks.
And studios continue to make high profits off of the “must
see what’s new” group of consumers, 3-D glasses
or not.
Movie theaters also offer a neutral meeting ground for people
to go on dates. “Dinner and a movie” has a different
connotation if the movie is at someone’s house.
I guess it goes to show that technology can have a major
effect on the market, but it isn’t everything. Social
factors, not technological ones, will keep the movie theaters
alive and well for a time to come. And, unfortunately for
the Digial Content Creation industry, that probably means
no 3-D glasses.
Jefferson
Stereoptics View-Master® Auctions Feb. 8 and 10, 2005
 One
of the best places to find View-Master® and other 3-D
items for sale is Jefferson Stereoptics regularly held View-Master®
and stereoview auctions conducted by John Saddy. The latest
collection of View-Master® goodies goes on the auction
block on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005, featuring lots 1 through 300.
The second part of the auction concludes on Thursday, Feb.
10, 2005, with lots 301 through 629.
Subscribers receive John's catalog several times a year.
Cost of the subscription pays for printing the catalog and
postage to mail it. Each issue of the printed catalog includes
photos of some of the most sought after 3-D items featured
in each sale.
Some of the items in the February auctions:
- Japanese language View-Master® packets for Batman,
Lassie, Bambi, Donald Duck, 101 Dalmations, Cinderella,
Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker
presents Space Mouse, Gabby Gator and Knothead and Splinter
- Several lots featuring caves
- Twin 35mm Kodachrome copies of View-Master® Movie
Preview Reels of Charge at Feather River, Those Redheads
from Seattle and Dangerous Mission
- Model A viewer View-Master® Christmas advertisement/sales
list
- History of Flight test reels
- Navaco Awnings advertising reels #1 and #2
- Across the Sea of Time in paper folder packaging. (The
reels were ready but the blister packaging was not ready
for the opening day so these paper folders were a last minute,
emergency remedy.)
- University of Southern California S5 packet
- and much more
The auction items are also listed on John's Web site at www3.sympatico.ca/john.saddy.3-D/.
The Web site is easily navigated by topic. Each item is grouped
in areas of interest such as View-Master® packets USA
and Canada or View-Master® packets Television and
Movies and so on. You will need to register on the site
in order to place a bid online.
John grades each item and includes elaborate descriptions,
too. Unlike eBay, sniping is not part of the equation in John's
auctions. Lots are closed with a very liberal waiting period.
Beginning at the closing time, after 10 minutes with no bids
or inquiries, all lots are closed together.
You can contact John via an e-mail link on his Web site to
find out about subscribing to the catalog. Jefferson Stereoptics
is located in London Ontario, Canada.
3DVX
Stereoscopic Video Camera
 21st
Century 3-D announced the 3DVX, a newly developed stereoscopic
3-D motion picture camera. This marks the latest addition
to 21st Century 3D's line of innovative stereoscopic products,
and raises the bar for live action 3-D video recording devices.
With the 3DVX, a cinematographer will be able to hold a 6
CCD progressive scan, digital video camera in the palm of
his/her hand, which is an industry first. The high resolution
stereoscopic viewfinder allows the operator to view shots
in 3-D as they are being photographed and the built-in three-inch
flat LCD screen allows for additional handheld shooting flexibility.
At only 8.5 lbs with tapes and batteries, the 3DVX is the
smallest and lightest professional quality 3-D motion picture
camera ever developed.
Using two entirely discrete channels, the 3DVX records high
quality progressive scan 3-D imagery at 30 frames per second
per eye. Doubling the spatial resolution of traditional interlace
NTSC systems, the full frame progressive format offers 720x480
resolution for each eye view simultaneously. This ensures
the highest possible quality available from standard definition
sources while maintaining compatibility with off the shelf
playback and recording devices as well as computer editing
and special effects software. Left and right eye images are
recorded onto low cost industry standard miniDV tape. The
3DVX features dual on board left and right recorders and is
an entirely self-contained, battery powered unit.
Lightweight and versatile
Many previous 3-D camera systems were limited to recording
on a single tape in a field sequential 3-D format that drastically
reduced resolution and frame rate. In addition, non-simultaneous
image capture introduced a noticeable temporal error into
3-D recordings. These systems provide a half resolution, inaccurately
synchronized, flickering image, or a jagged demultiplexed
image that ultimately diminishes stereoscopic quality.
Other dual channel systems employ much larger cameras with
beam splitters and other optical modifications. These arrangements
increase weight and complexity while making the cameras ergonomically
challenging to operate. By avoiding the use of any additional
optics, the 3DVX maintains maximum portability, ease-of-use
and low light sensitivity.
According to 21st Century 3-D founder and 3DVX inventor
Jason Goodman, "The camera has been field tested extensively.
We have used it in outdoor weather conditions colder than
30 degrees Fahrenheit. We have also put it on a Tyler mount
in a helicopter and hung it out the door at 65 mph. We have
even strapped a car mount on an SUV and bumped and bounced
it through the dirt and mud, monitoring the entire process
via wireless head mounted display. It performed like a pro
and we are excited to bring this breakthrough to the industry."
On location
At the core of the 3DVX lies the highly advanced Panasonic
AG-DVX100A, famous for its 24p operating modes. 21st Century
3-D has taken the DVX100A into the next dimension with several
proprietary modifications. Two DVX100A cameras have been linked
and electronically synchronized for frame accurate stereoscopic
recording; perfect sync is a critical component to recording
accurate stereo 3-D. The high-speed shutters are also locked
allowing stereographers to stop fast action with fully synchronized
electronic shutter speeds up to 1/1000th of a second. Critical
body parts and controls have also been adapted to facilitate
3-D recording.
21st Century 3-D also developed a new wireless 3-D video
tap for the 3DVX. This 2.4ghz device can run for more than
six hours on a full charge. The video tap and its batteries
occupy the space of a small backpack. The unit can easily
be carried by an AC and allows the DP, director and other
viewers to see what the 3DVX sees in real time and in 3-D.
The 3DVX can go anywhere
The system helps eliminate the guess work from the most complex
shots. Using a 3-D head mounted display and advanced wireless
video technology, it allows for field sequential stereo to
be broadcast from the camera directly to the pack. The unit
has a range of approximately 700 feet in unobstructed landscape.
The only drawback, the 3DVX is available for rental only.
View-Master®
part of Sight Seeing Exhibit in Chicago
 The
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs kicked off the New
Year with a new exhibition, Site Seeing: Photographic
Excursions in Tourism, that explores the relationship
between tourism and photography and motion pictures. Featuring
more than 200 photographs and related artifacts drawn exclusively
from the world-renowned collections of photography, motion
pictures, books and cameras at the George Eastman House International
Museum of Photography and Film, the exhibition comes to Chicago
as the first stop on its national tour.
This unique exhibition demonstrates how photography became
the way for people to see and learn about the world. Whether
through actual travel or within the safe confines of one's
home, armed with magazines, photo albums and home movies,
families could explore the world at large and get to know
its vibrant cultures.
The stereograph and View-Master®, viewers that allow
people to travel to far away places at arm-chair length, are
some of the featured artifacts in the exhibit.
Site Seeing: Photographic Excursions in Tourism
was organized by George Eastman House International Museum
of Photography and Film and presented by the Chicago Department
of Cultural Affairs.
Visitors can learn more about the exhibition during several
related programs. On Feb. 26 and 27 at 4 p.m. in the Sidney
R. Yates Gallery, dancers Sheldon B. Smith and Lisa Wymore
will perform in Disappearing Acts, an afternoon of
sly and seductive dance, inspired by the exhibition. On March
10 at 12:15 p.m., independent curator Kenneth C. Burkhart,
will hold a gallery talk, The Armchair Image: Photography
as Travel, in the Sidney R. Yates Gallery.
Viewing hours for Site Seeing: Photographic Excursions
in Tourism are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7
p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Chicago Cultural Center
is closed on holidays.
Exhibitions and related educational programming presented
by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs at the Chicago
Cultural Center are partially supported by a grant from the
Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support
is provided by Fornello Mei. For groups call (312) 744-8032.
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