DPLenticular at Drupa 2008 with 3-D Format Products

DPLenticular will present a range of 3-D print products, including large format, at this year's Drupa 2008.

The Irish 3-D software specialist, formerly known as LPC Europe, will showcase its Lenstar products for offset and digital printing, including the 40LPI product range, which offers volume productions of posters in larger sizes with a 3D or flip effect.

Lenstar sheets are made to preset tolerances on a consistent basis, and enable printers to interlace an image and then print directly on the gloss surface of the lenticular sheets.

However, the company is not just targeting larger formats, there is a possibility of using lenticular products for point-of-purchase design, packaging, in direct mail and on promotional and card formats.

Daniel Pierret, founder and managing director of DPLenticular, said,"We are very excited at the prospect of Drupa 2008.

"With more than 10 years experience in Europe, DPLenticular is well positioned to gain new market share in the promotional and advertising sector as the need for brand owners to promote their products with innovative solutions, such as 3-D and animation pictures, continues to grow."

Back to top

Karl Urban to Star in Relentless 3-D

Karl Urban has joined the worldwide trend of appearing in movies shot in 3-D.

The Wellington-born actor has the lead role in a $25 million 3-D action movie to be shot in Puerto Rico in September.

Urban, who recently completed the role of Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek XI, will star in Relentless, directed by Demian Lichtenstein.

Variety magazine said Lichtenstein decided to shoot the film in 3-D after shadowing James Cameron in Wellington, while the Titanic director was shooting his next film Avatar in 3-D.

Relentless tells the story of four extreme sports professionals who survive a plane crash in the Amazon jungle only to be hunted by homicidal natives.

Back to top

Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Film Added to Disney Digital Releases

The Jonas Brothers are returning to the 3-D arena, this time headlining a digital feature for Disney that will include footage from their upcoming Burning Up concert tour.

The three siblings, who are signed to Hollywood Records and have appeared on several Disney Channel programs, appeared in this year's Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour. That Disney Digital 3-D feature opened at No. 1 at the domestic boxoffice in February and went on to gross $65 million.

Bruce Hendricks, who helmed the Hannah Montana film, will direct the Jonas Brothers movie, with Art Repola reprising his role as producer. Also producing are Phil McIntyre, Kevin Jonas Sr., Johnny Wright and Alan Sacks.

The Burning Up tour kicks off July 4 in Toronto, with special guest Demi Lovato. The film will be shot in 3-D and include footage from their live shows as well as behind-the-scenes documentary material.

There are no fewer than 10 digital 3-D titles slated for a 2009 release, including six from Disney. Slightly more than 1,000 3-D ready digital screens are currently installed in North America.

Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonasstar in the upcoming Disney Channel original movie Camp Rock and in the Disney Channel series J.O.N.A.S! debuting in the fall. Their self-titled debut album, released in August, has gone platinum.

Back to top

New Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D Poster

Here is a look at the new poster for Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D.

Back to top

A new Dolby promotional brochure for this year’s ShoWest lists the movie Transformers 2 under 2009’s 3-D features, alongside the very well known 3-D flicks like AVATAR and Tintin.

Back to top

Mitsubishi is currently developing a Blu-ray player that can convert 2-D images into a 3-D viewing experience, on-the-fly. While 3-D movies have been around for decades, they have never made it in to the mainstream, mostly because films are required to be shot for 3-D.

What Mitsubishi is attempting to do, is convert your existing 2-D library to stunning 3-D on-the-fly, and deliver that technology early next year. The technology works with current DLP displays, and any other TV, which can output at which can output at 120Hz (120fps). The image is converted to 3-D, and then output to your TV as two separate 60fps feeds, which are then output from your display by alternating feeds.

While no working product was available at the demonstration, the aggressive launch date suggests that Mitsubishi has had at least some success in the lab.

Back to top

Disney's home video division reports it will include 3-D glasses with each Blu-ray disk of Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, but it gave few details about the first 3-D release in the high-definition format.

Although it said that four pairs of glasses would be included in the package, it did not indicate what sort of glasses these would be.

Some writers have suggested that they would resemble the primitive red/green glasses of the '50s that many folks complained gave them headaches. Neither was there any indication whether the glasses would add to the wholesale price of the disks or how much it would cost to buy additional pairs.

Back to top

Swiss Team Makes 3-D Film about Iran

A group of Swiss filmmakers are making a three-dimensional documentary film about the cultural and architectural attractions of Iran.

The Swiss team will visit Iran's historical cities to film examples of the country's unique Islamic-Iranian architecture such as Naqsh-e-Jahan Square in Isfahan and Persepolis in Shiraz.

The 20-minute documentary will also portray the historical and modern sites in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The first three-dimensional documentary about Iran will be released in Persian, English, French and Arabic.

Back to top

Disney's Toy Story Mania Ride features 3-D glasses and Giant View-Master® Reels

Disney Park guests in Florida now have the chance to wear 3-D glasses aboard spinning vehicles that travel through virtual environments based on classic carnival midway games. Ride vehicles will seat up to eight and will record each guest's score as points are acquired with toy cannons firing ammo at virtual targets. The ride is scheduled to open at Disneyland California on June 17, 2008.

Similar technology has been used in various park's Buzz Lightyear attractions and Tokyo Disneyland's Monsters Inc.: Ride n' Go Seek interactive dark rides. The queue will feature a huge Mr. Potato Head audio-animatronic figure that will interact with the public.

Two giant View-Master® reels are included featuring Disneyland's Tomorrowland and Peter Pan images.

Where to find it
Disney's California Adventure: The space beneath and behind the California Screamin' roller coaster in Paradise Pier, formerly occupied by themed midway games and abandoned food service locations. The area is designed to resemble a Victorian-era seaside carnival.

Disney's Hollywood Studios: The former soundstages used for the park's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! attraction on Mickey Avenue. The facade, as well as the surrounding area, resembles Pixar Animation Studios' campus in Emeryville, California.

Back to top

Rare 3-D Dalek Image Stolen from Exhibition

The recognizable sight of the enemy from TV series Doctor Who was taken from its stand at an art exhibition at Guildford's Spectrum leisure centre in Surrey, England, in early May.

It was one of nine images on display at an exhibition put on by 3-D artist John Bozac.

The theft, on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3, was captured on the centre’s CCTV system but the culprit has not been found.

Bozac explained: “I have only ever done six images of this so it’s incredibly rare. They must have known what they wanted because they didn’t take anything else.”

The exhibition began on April 24 and also features some of Bozac’s other images, including racing driver Michael Schumacher and the 1966 World Cup winning England team.

Bozac said,“I suppose it was taken because it’s a Doctor Who image and that’s quite popular at the moment.

“A lot of work is involved and we put it up all for show, some of these images are usually only seen in galleries. It just a shame that after all the trouble you go to put it up for show, somebody probably chooses to go and take it.”

A spokesman for the Guildford Spectrum urged anybody who had seen the rare image to get in contact with Bozac.

“We will be working with John to ensure the piece is returned to him,” the spokesman said.

Back to top

George Romero's 1978 Dawn of the Dead Getting 3-D Re-Release

Source: Hollywood Reporter by Alex Billington

George A. Romero's classic 1978 zombie flick Dawn of the Dead is being "dimensionalized" into stereoscopic 3-D for a theatrical re-release sometime within the next 12 months. In-Three Inc. will use its proprietary conversion technique to turn the film into 3-D, a process that costs upwards of $50,000 to $100,000 per minute. The Nightmare Before Christmas has been the only other movie to similarly be converted from its original 2-D format into 3-D. With around 1,000 3-D-ready digital screens in the U.S., this conversion may become a huge success when it eventually hits theaters.

In-Three's Neil Feldman justifies the idea, saying, "we are seeing interest now that people realize there will be sufficient screens to justify the cost." In-Three uses patented software tools and techniques to create a second camera image from a 2-D image. Each frame is "dimensionalized," meaning that all objects are moved forward or backward from the screen or in relation to one another so as to achieve the desired dramatic effect. Dawn of the Dead's conversion is expected to be completed within the year.

The idea of Romero's Dawn of the Dead being used as the frontrunner for proving how entertaining classic films can be in 3-D couldn't be a more perfect choice. There are a lot of great scenes that will be cool to see in 3-D and using horror to show how great 3-D looks is a smart idea. As long as In-Three's dimensionalization process is detailed enough that the 3-D doesn't come out looking simple.

Back to top

Harry Potter 3-D Trading Card Set from Artbox Entertainment

A new set of 75 3-D collector cards from Artbox Entertainment covering the first five Harry Potter films will go on sale soon, including some cards autographed by Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle) and Charles Hughes (Young Peter Pettigrew).

The following cards are to be included in the set:

Autograph Cards
1. Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter
2. Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
3. Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley
4. Christian Coulson – Tom Riddle
5. Charles Hughes – Young Peter Pettigrew
6. James Walters – Young Sirius Black
7. William Melling - Nigel
8. Hugh Mitchell – Colin Creevy
9. Alfred Enoch – Dean Thomas
couple more pending approval
(Other than Christian Coulson, these all appear to be OOTP autos.)

Costume Cards
1. Daniel Radcliffe
2. Emma Watson
3. Gryffindor Student
4. Slytherin Student Double
5. Gryffindor Student Double
6. Harry Potter Double

Prop Cards
1. Draco Malfoy’s Lantern
2. Hedwig’s Cage
3. Quidditch Beater
4. Quidditch Quaffle and Bludgers
5. Books from Professor McGonagall’s Class
6. Bone used to resurrect Voldemort (GOF)
7. Books from Professor Lockhart’s Office (COS)
8. Buckbeak's Chain
9. O.W.L. Exams (OOTP)
10. Harry’s Hospital Sheets
and a couple more pending approval.

Case Incentives (4)
1. Ci1 (2 case) – Pixie Cage (COS)
2. Ci2 (5 case) – pending approval
3. Ci3 (10 case) – Detention Quills (OOTP)
4. Ci4 (25 case) – Professor Lupin Wand

Back to top

Andrew Woods Answers How 3-D Movies are Made

Stereoscopic Displays and Applications co-chair Andrew Woods was recently interviewed for the Australian TV program Can We Help? to answer the question "How are 3-D movies made?" The segment below is available from YouTube.

Back to top

Stereoscopic Displays and Applications Call for Papers

Organizers of the Stereoscopic Displays and Applications are currently seeking papers for the January 2009 Stereoscopic Displays and Applications conference - the 20th Anniversary conference.

Please consider presenting your work at the leading stereoscopic imaging conference worldwide. A wide range of topics related to stereoscopic imaging are accepted. If you know of some recent interesting work, please suggest that the work be presented at SD&A. More information is available in the call for papers available from the SD&A Web site at www.stereoscopic.org/2008.

Your 500 word abstract is due by June 16, 2008.

Back to top

Stereoscopic 3-D Head Tracking with the Wii Remote

Johnny Lee's YouTube movie about VR Head tracking with the Wii Remote inspired the video below showing that Lee's concept could actually be shown in stereoscopic 3-D. The segment below is available from YouTube.

Back to top

A View-Master® countertop display featuring A Day at the Circus sold for $229.06 with two bids. This is a very nice, attractive, colorful and very old View-Master® display sign for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Enjoy A Day at the Circus. The sign is not dated but advertises packet # CPX “A Day at the Circus” is copyrighted 1952. Along the bottom of the sign it has in fine print; “Display 25” and “ ® Sawyer’s Inc., Portland, Oregon. Litho in U.S.A.”. Overall dimensions are 10 ¾” x 16”.

The seller described the item in detail. Although overall condition is very good, the sign has three weak spots where the projecting cardboard has been slightly bent, two at the clown’s neck and where the drumstick appears at the top of the drum. These areas have not been folded hard or broken, rather just jostled and bent enough to ripple the surface of the cardboard. They have not broken off and have not been repaired but are just weak areas that need to be protected from any further bending. The upper drumstick and the lower of the two bends on the neck have slightly broken through the surface paper of the front but are really only visible when examined in reflected light at an angle. The lower right corner has been bumped a few times so that it is somewhat “soft”. There is light general wear, evidence of slight moisture staining visible in photo at top of drum, some slight dust soiling and little, if any, sun fading. The colors still appear quite strong and vivid. The rear support fold-out has been used.

A Schmidt Beer 3-D Lenticular produced by the Paul Hesse Studio sold for $311 with four bids. This is an 11 X 14" glass lenticular of the highest quality. This is a bona fide Paul Hesse studio original, made by Harvey Prever, the man who created all the lenticulars for the Paul Hesse studio. It is in near mint condition. A light-box frame is also available for this lenticular but was not included in the auction.

The seller described the item and the history of the lenticular being produced in the following way. This lenticular is a beautiful piece originally produced as a store display probably in the 1950's. In this lenticular the glass of beer comes right off the screen as does the plant in the upper right corner. There is a great deal of depth which only this kind of lenticular can deliver.

The Paul Hesse Studio lenticulars that were made for product advertising are the most rare lenticulars from that studio. The lenticulars made for 3-D movies were continually produced for many years while the product lenticulars were only manufactured for a short time.

The Paul Hesse Studio
The Lenticulars from the Paul Hesse studio are the "Rembrandts" of lenticulars. They were all made by hand in a painstaking process that has been lost with the death of Harvey Prever.

During the 1950's, the Paul Hesse Studio created the incredible lenticulars from the 3-D movies of that era. The studio also produced various lenticulars for products such as beer, whiskey, cigarettes, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Corsets, Bras and others. All the lenticulars this studio produced were head and shoulders above anything else being produced at the time or even today.

These glass lenticulars are not currently produced anywhere in the world that I know of. The techniques used to make these have been lost. In a recent Ebay auction one of the Paul Hesse Studio lenticulars sold for over $1,000.

Beware of Fakes
After the death of Harvey Prever, a worthy attempt was made to produce the Paul Hesse Studio lenticulars using the original Harvey Prever negatives. Although this was a gallant try, the results were very unsatisfactory both in picture quality and in 3-D quality. The production of these lenticulars continued for a while but are no longer being produced. There is a big difference between these and the authentic original lenticulars hand-produced by Harvey Prever. The fake lenticulars have been sold in the past on Ebay and may continue to surface.

Even someone who is unfamiliar with lenticulars would be able to tell the difference between a Harvey Prever original and one of the fake lenticulars if they were placed side by side. There is so much difference in quality.

A pair of Coca-Cola promotional 3-D viewers with slides sold for $50 with nine bids. One viewer is a Sawyer's View-master® stereo set with light attachment and seven Coca-Cola promotional View-master® discs. The reels include Coca-Cola service station, small food stores, Christmas sales aid, bottle sales dept, at work, carton rack and customers.

The second and more unusual set is a Craftsman Guild Finder plastic 3-D viewer with 14 Coke promo slide cards. 12 of the Coke bottling process and two of Coke bottling plant employees working.

Back to top