Virtual Images - The 3-D Company Produces Lenticular 3-D Movie Posters for 20th Century Fox's Release of Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

You have probably seen lenticular 3-D movie posters in your local theatre but have you ever wondered who makes those wonderful images? Most likely, that company is Virtual Images - The 3-D Company. Their latest poster is for the film Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The film is the third installment of the Ice Age film series and will be released in RealD digital 3-D.

The Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs poster features all the familiar characters from the previous Ice Age films looking into the maw of a dinosaur. Virtual Images - The 3-D Company created the 3-D effect from standard artwork provided by the studio, using advanced proprietary software and techniques. The depth and clarity of the poster is amazing and the details become even better when the poster is backlit. This eye-catching quality is part of the cutting edge marketing art from the creative services team at Virtual Images - The 3-D Company. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is another poster currently in theatres also created by Virtual Images - The 3-D Company.

Using a lenticular image is an unique way to market not only 3-D films like Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but 2-D films as well. Virtual Images - The 3-D Company has helped promote some of the most well known and profitable movie titles from the past few years including Transformers, Batman, Star Trek, Harry Potter and Iron Man. Not only does Virtual Images - The 3-D Company produce full-size one-sheet 3-D lenticular movie posters, they also produce an estimated 90 percent of the 3-D lenticular art for DVD packaging.

Virtual Images - The 3-D Company produces one-sheets and posters, lenticular animation, lenticular full-motion video, dynamic large format lenticulars, CD and DVD packaging, magazine inserts, advertising specialities and 3-D glasses.

Virtual Images - The 3-D Company was founded in 1994 by general manager Dave Corey. The company employs 20 people and is headquartered in the Redlands near Los Angeles, California. Virtual Images - The 3-D Company, an IGH Solutions company, has gained a reputation for producing high-quality lenticular and specialty-printed plastics. Their advanced, high-resolution printing capabilities help entertainment marketers, publishers and advertising agencies break through the clutter to reach their customers. Their technologies turn a printed surface into a high-tech, eye-catching piece of marketing art.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ultra 3-D posters are currently in theatres giving an advance look at the 3-D movie. The movie opens nationwide July 1, 2009. For more information about Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs visit www.iceage3.com. Click here to find out more about the services offered by Virtual Images - The 3-D Company.

Virtual Images - The 3-D Company is awarded a 3-D Review Must See 3-D Award™ for the excellent Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs one-sheet lenticular movie poster. Check out the poster while it is still in being displayed in a theatre near you. 3-D Review will continue to bring your more news about new lenticular one-sheets yet to come from this award winning company.

Back to top

3-D Versions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Double Feature

Disney/Pixar has announced that they will be bringing 3-D versions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 to theatres starting Oct. 2, 2009, in a special limited engagement double feature.

President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group Mark Zoradi said, “This fantastic double feature will let moviegoers see two of their all-time favorite films from Pixar Animation Studios in a way that they’ve never seen them before, and all for the price of one movie ticket…We’re also excited that audiences will soon see a whole new chapter when Toy Story 3 in 3-D, directed by Lee Unkrich, comes to theaters on June 18, 2010.

Back to top

Disney's A Christmas Carol 3-D Gets on Track with 3-D Preview on a Train

Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the road with a spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour including a 3-D sneak peek of film footage from the upcoming movie Disney's A Christmas Carol. The tour was annoucned by Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. Set amidst a snowy backdrop-complete with all of the sights and sounds of Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises in each of the 40 cities-the Train Tour is being launched with HP on board as the title and technology sponsor and driven by Amtrak. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.

Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, Disney's A Christmas Carol opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3DTM and in IMAX 3D®.

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour is an incredibly fun way to introduce families across the country to the wonders and spectacle that is Robert Zemeckis' unique and spectacular new holiday film. We are so proud of the movie, and think the 3-D footage is so incredible, we just had to give everyone a chance to see it in Disney Digital 3-D. From Los Angeles to New York , and all points in between, guests are going to have a fabulous time discovering things about the making of this extraordinary film, participating in their own festive fantasies, and getting into the holiday spirit all year round. Disney's A Christmas Carol is great entertainment for moviegoers of all ages, and this is the perfect introduction to a fun and exciting new holiday classic."

Among the highlights of the tour are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of London; artwork, costumes and props from the film; demonstrations of performance capture technology; and a chance to morph your face into one of the film's characters using HP TouchSmart PCs. At each stop along the way, a state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3-D Theatre will be erected, where guests can get a sneak peek of Disney's A Christmas Carol and see other exclusive behind-the-scenes materials from the movie. The latest details about tour stops and scheduled events are available at www.christmascaroltraintour.com.

Featuring four custom-designed vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining demonstrations, and fun activities, the tour will have its inaugural stop at Los Angeles' Union Station over Memorial Day Weekend, from May 22 through May 25. During the next 24 weeks, the train will make 40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. The tour will finish at New York 's Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30 through November 1.

At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a Movie Surfer representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get a chance to appear on Disney Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer's segment! They'll also receive a prize package of exclusive Movie Surfer and Disney's A Christmas Carol gear.

ABC television stations across the country will run local promotions. At each stop, guests will have the chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC and an HP Photosmart wireless printer. Additionally, Disney is working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America organization to provide an early Christmas experience to kids across the country. Disney will present the organization with a donation in the amount of $100,000 at the May 21st launch in Los Angeles to further the organization's efforts of helping kids grow up to be great and will invite Boys and Girls Club kids to be part of the tour when it comes to their town. Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the nation are impacting the lives of 4.8 million young people each year with after-school programs that emphasize education, career exploration, community service, technology skills, financial literacy, the arts and more to help them reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens.

Amtrak locomotives and engineers will lead the four-car Train Tour (plus a private car), across the US , with stops ranging from 1-3 days along the way. Each train station will be themed with holiday decorations and feature artwork from the film, Christmas Carolers, fun activities for the entire family, and snow!

Disney's A Christmas Carol is a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking, performance-capture 3-D motion picture event. Ebeneezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey, revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late. Through the magic of performance-capture technology, Jim Carrey tackles seven roles, including Scrooge and all of the Christmas spirits."

Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour Web site

Map showing stops of Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour

Back to top

Computer Graphics World Magazine April 2009 3-D Issue

The April 2009 issue of Computer Graphics World includes a 3-D cover and articles.

Stereo 3-D is a hot trend, as movies, games and television are embracing this revived medium. In covering the topic, Computer Graphics World decided to not only write about the technique, but to show it, too. So we printed a related feature, the cover and some ads in their April issue in 3-D, providing our readers with a pair of 3-D glasses so they can enjoy the effect.

See a PDF version of the Computer Graphics World 3-D issue here.

Back to top

Humpty Dumpty 3-D Movie Poster Art

This is the sales art poster unveiled at Cannes for the proposed Humpty Dumpty 3-D horror movie.

Back to top

June Events at the 3-D Center of Art and Photography

The program schedule at the 3-D Center of Art and Photography in Portland, Oregon is now more regularized. The center will be opening either a new gallery exhibition or a new Stereo Theatre show each first Thursday.

In the Gallery
May 7 - June 28, 2009
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose in 3-D!
by Abe Fagenson
Boldly colorful stereo acrylic paintings of roses and fanciful abstractions.

In the Stereo Theatre
June 4 - Aug. 2, 2009
Macro Stereo Fotographia
by Imre Zsolnai-Nagy
A digital slide show of close-up 3-D images of nature.

The 3-D Center of Art and Photography is located at 1928 NW Lovejoy in Portland, Oregon. Call (503) 227-6667.

The 3-D Center of Art and Photography has regular monthly Stereo Theatre and 3-D Art Exhibitions. Open Thursday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. First Thursday (Free), 6 to 9 p.m. Admission for adults (over 15) is $5.

Back to top

Classic 3-D House of Wax to Show at The Times Cinema in Milwaukee starting June 5

The Times Cinema in Milwaukee will have an engagement of the classic 1953 House of Wax presented in eye-popping Stereovision 3-D starting June 5 and running through June 11! All seats are $5.

Synopsis
Professor Jarrod (Vincent Price) is an acclaimed sculptor who owns a New York City wax museum at the turn of the century. When his financial partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts), demands more sensational exhibits to increase profits, Jarrod refuses. The vengeful Burke torches the museum, leaving Jarrod for dead-- or so he believes.

House of Wax 3-D is the latest offering by the cinema. It has also screened Night of the Living Dead 3-D and Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D.

The Times Cinema is located at 5906 W. Vliet Street
Washington Heights, Milwaukee.

Back to top

Prototype 3-D Blu-Ray Camcorder from Nikola Knezevic

Last month we showed you a concept HD stereo camcorder from Panasonic. This month comes word of a prototype 3-D Blu-Ray camcorder.

For those who have enjoyed the wonders of Blu-ray video in the comfort of your living room while toying around with the idea of picking up a High Definition camcorder to make your home movies in 1080p resolution, along comes this concept that will definitely blow your mind away - the 3-D Blu-ray camcorder by Nikola Knezevic, sending 3-D recording to a Blu-ray disc directly in high definition without having to go through a conversion process on a computer or any touchups.

Now if only they would put these to mass market production.

Back to top

Hubble Telescope Repair Mission filmed in IMAX 3-D

Filming an IMAX 3-D feature about NASA's last manned mission to make repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope created challenges that even Christopher Nolan's crew never faced on the set of The Dark Knight. Using only eight minutes of film, astronauts had to capture the essence of five long spacewalks using a custom-made IMAX camera as big as a robotic submarine. IMAX director and producer Toni Myers was available to help with the filming.

While Meyers could only provide guidance from Earth, she worked carefully with Shuttle Atlantis pilot Gregory Johnson to turn him into the ideal IMAX astronaut/auteur during the 90-minute day-night cycles as the space shuttle orbited Earth. This included knowing exactly when it was necessary to roll film.

"It's really hard to cherry pick the best shots out of a six-hour spacewalk," Myers says.

Trying to get it right required a special IMAX camera operated remotely from inside the shuttle. Conventional IMAX 3-D cameras capture images from the left and right eye views on two different strips of film, but weight constraints led filmmakers to design a more compact 700-pound camera able shoot both left and right views on a single, mile-long strip of film.

Myers first used such a camera for her 2002 IMAX film Space Station 3-D. Water bags in the camera helped protect the interior film from damage due to space radiation.

Filming both left and right views simultaneously on a single strip also meant adjusting the camera speed because to maintain 24 frames per second, it has to go twice as fast.

Over the course of eight months, Johnson and other astronauts trained with a similar camera during simulated spacewalks in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab. The actual camera sat installed in the cargo bay of the space shuttle Atlantis, where Johnson could control and see its view via a computer screen and by using special software.

Myers had to take a relatively hands-off approach even though she worked out a shooting schedule and plan beforehand with the astronauts. Still, her past experience in working on similar IMAX adventures in space have led her to trust astronaut instincts during filming.

"We always encourage them that if an alien flies by, they're the director and they should take the shot," Myers joked.

Now Myers can only wait until the camera is unloaded to see if her efforts have paid off. The camera is slated for delivery in June after the space shuttle Atlantis gets flown back to Florida from California, following a detour landing at Edwards Air Force Base because of bad weather.

Back to top

UK's Sky News Developing 3-D TV

Sky HD engineers have developed a new system to bring high definition 3-D TV into homes. The solution is a pragmatic one - it can piggyback on the existing Sky HD service. VIDEO

Next year looks like being a tipping point in the development of 3-D entertainment, with many Hollywood producers making films in 3-D and television thought to be not far behind.

3-D screens are increasingly coming on the market, and more are expected to be unveiled next year. BSkyB has revealed that it has developed a system for delivering 3-D pictures to one of the new screens, using an existing HD box and satellite dish.

Like most current systems, the BSkyB solution needs the viewer to wear special 3-D glasses, though in the future even they may no longer be needed.

The rest is down to the production crew, who have to use co-sited two camera rigs to capture the action, and then keep the two pictures together all the way through the production chain.

In the early tests - mostly at sporting events and Sky One show Gladiators - the trial crew have discovered a new grammar for the way 3-D TV is shot and edited.

In recent years, there has been an emphasis on deploying ever more cameras to see every angle, and then combining that with slick, fast cutting to give the production real pace.

In a 3-D world, producers have found this is not required, so shots are allowed to run for longer so viewers can appreciate more detail.

It has also proved best to avoid the kind of 3-D trick shots - where images jump out of the frame - and keep the action tighter for a better picture.

The system Sky has developed is a working prototype, and they admit it is not necessarily the one which will eventually be offered to subscribers.

The movie and TV industry surely will want to avoid the sort of competing standards we witnessed between HD DVD and Blu-ray as High Definition took off.

But Sky's project is one way to get the debate under way about if, when and how 3-D TV takes us to the next dimension in home entertainment.

Back to top

Blu-Ray Disc Association Task Force to Identify Home 3-D Standards

The Blu-ray Disc Association has formed a 3-D task force to formally integrate advanced 3-D technology into the Blu-ray format.

Studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and information technology companies are all represented in the task force. The group will work toward forging a universal 3-D home entertainment specification. A meeting timetable for the task force has not been specified.

Due to its large capacity, Blu-ray has long been talked about as a perfect disc source to house advanced 3-D theatrical projects. The BDA’s task force underscores the industry’s commitment to getting high-quality 3-D to homes.

Today’s lack of 3-D home standards has meant that current theatrical pictures are downgraded to weak anaglyph 3-D imagery when released on Blu-ray or DVD.

Enhancing Blu-ray with 3-D capabilities should additionally prop up the format with advantages over standard-definition DVD. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is already moving toward making 3-D a Blu-ray premium (although currently in anaglyph style). June 30 release Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience will only be available in 3-D on Blu-ray; Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience will roll out on standard DVD.

“Blu-ray Disc is the ideal platform for bringing 3-D technology to mainstream home entertainment,” said the BDA in a statement. “The format has been widely embraced by consumers, and the 1080p picture quality and overall experience have become the standards against which all other high-definition delivery platforms are measured. Blu-ray Disc’s capacity, flexibility and incomparable picture quality coupled with the activities of the BDA’s 3-D task force sets the stage for a 3D home entertainment specification that establishes another industry standard and enables an in-home 3-D consumer experience unmatched by any other delivery mechanism,” said the BDA in the statement.

Back to top

Poe's House of Usher in 3-D

Some news out of the Cannes Film Festival: The Hollywood Reporter says indie production company Green Knight Ventures will soon begin lensing an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher in 3-D.

Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott and Rufus Sewell will star in the film titled The Ushers. Stephen Kay is attached to direct.

Ushers will look at a grown brother and sister who have lived in the same Martha's Vineyard house for a long time but begin to feel trapped there, and who then bring in a real-estate broker to help them resolve their crisis.

Back to top

Pina 3-D: A highly artistic dance film

Some news out of the Cannes Film Festival: The Hollywood Reporter says Palme d'Or winner and digital film enthusiast Wim Wenders' next project is Pina, a collaboration with avant-garde choreographer Pina Bausch on what is being called the first 3-D dance feature.

Shooting is set to begin in September in collaboration with Bausch's dance theater in Wuppertal, Germany.

"Only mainstream 3-D films have been available so far," Neue Road producer Gian-Piero Ringel said. "With Pina, we will offer the first highly artistic 3-D film. We will set a new benchmark for 3-D."

Bausch, whose unique choreography is credited with revolutionizing the language of modern dance, will act as choreographer for the dance performance Wenders plans to capture on film. French cinematographer Alain Derobe will lens the film.

The director's last feature, Palermo Shooting, premiered last year In Competition at Cannes.

Back to top

Dimension 3 Expo is June 2 - 4 near Paris, France

Dimension 3 invites supporters of 3-D from all over the world to gather in Pantin, from June 2 to 4, so they can meet their peers and find out about the latest developments.

The international forum on 3-D images has become a must-attend event for designers, producers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and researchers who have included 3-D in their development strategy. Dimension 3 will provide a comprehensive view of the latest technologies, through various events including conferences, master classes and an exhibition. Dimension 3 is also a celebration of 3-D, with Dimension 3 Festival!

During 3 days, there are some national and international premières.

Coraline 3-D, the beautiful animation feature film of Henry Selick. During the attendees screening welcome Jon Ra Benson, film CG supervisor and now stereographer of the next Universal Pictures 3-D movie.

Wild Ocean 3-D, a spectacular IMAX film directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas also directors of Stomp 3-D. Steve McNicholas will introduce the movie during the attendees screening

Boat Trip, a 10 mn ride for entertainment parcs - A première! Mathijs Geijskes et Ivo Broekhuizen, producers and editors will present their work.

Promenade Digestive, an educational film produced by Nestle Fondation for the Alimentarium Museum (Swiss). The first screening will be held during the Festival!

Tiffauges Château de Gilles de Rais, a film produced by the Vendee General Council with its official first screening on the morning agenda!

Jonas Brothers, The 3-D Concert Experience, a musical event produced by Disney and directed by Bruce Hendricks. This will be the French première. A national release is scheduled for June 17.

Sea Rex, a 12 minute 3-D film from Wow Factor Pictures finished only a few days ago. It will be introduced by the director and producer Pascal Vuong.

Discover most of these programs during the Thursday evening session. More than two hours of 3-D contents with surprises!

The professional workshops are 45-minute presentation sessions offering a closer look into subjects related to 3-D. Providing a place for interactive meetings, the pro workshops complement the exhibition area and gather a maximum of 20 participants, whether professional visitors or conference attendees. These workshops seek to answer a number of problems in the field of 3-D. They are organized in separate rooms and presented by exhibitors or conference speakers.

Dimension 3 2009 takes place from June 2 to 4 at the Centre National de la Danse and at 104 theater - Pantin - Seine Saint-Denis (93).

Back to top

Another cool View-Master® advertising rarity went up for auction in the form of a lighted rotating countertop display with five attached viewers. The item sold for $571.57 with16 bids.

This vintage View-Master® lighted, rotating retail display is 19" tall, 8" wide and 12" deep. It has five Model G View-Master® viewers on a freely rotating drum. There is a sliding piece under one of the View-Master® that allows access to the inside of the drum, where the light bulb is and screws that hold the viewers to the drum. The display uses a 25 watt bulb for illumination. The top and bottom pieces are plastic, attached to the metal frame.

This display was most likely produced somewhere between 1959 and 1977, which is the duration of the Model G viewer's production run.

Each View-Master® contains a different sample reel that is mounted on the screws and cannot be removed without taking the View-Master® apart. Each reel is a sample from a specific View-Master® pack: Cities of the World, Fairy Tales, National Parks, Cities of the USA, TV and Cartoon Reel Pack.

All the viewers work, the reels are in exellent to good condition with a couple a little difficult to advance but do move. This is a very unique display and in very good condition according to the seller.

Where was this discovered? Upon purchasing an existing retail store that had been in business since 1949, the seller found a treasure trove of old stock, advertising, catalogs and decorations. The previous owner never threw anything away...if it couldn't be sold, stick it upstairs. The seller has five rooms floor to ceiling full of items, most in excellent to very good condition.

Editor's note: We've never seen this display before. Who says there is no hidden treasure out there?

A Harvey File Copy of Adventures in 3-D #1 sold for $154.51 with 12 bids. The comic was graded by CGC at 9.4 (Near Mint).

An original 1962 Sawyer's View-Master® display sold $38 for with four bids.

The mailing cardboard box is dated November 1962 and contains three full color streamers, a die-cut full color cardboard 2-sided display card and two molded cardstock mats for running View-Master® ads. This type of manufacturer promotional material was distributed to View-Master® dealers.

The display package is not complete. Several items are listed on the box exterior that are not inside.

The box and some of the contents are water-damaged. This item was found in storage in an old hobby shop.

A Lost World: Jurassic Park lenticular poster sold for $500 with 11 bids. The Lost World: Jurassic Park lenticular advance one-sheet poster was a gift to Stan Winston and his studio from production, this is an example of high impact advertising. This amazing one-sheet advance promotional poster uses lenticular printing technology to create a 3-D effect of the Tyrannosaurus Rex crashing through the poster. The poster was housed in a plug-in light box for display.

Back to top