Computer Graphics World

November 2008 12 n n n n Stereoscopy a milestone: When a film studio releases a so-called tent-pole film—a movie, for example, like Iron Man, Wall-e, Indiana Jones, or e Dark Knight—it lands in ap- proximately 4000 theaters on opening day in the US. So, having 5000 potential 3D- capable theaters has sparked excitement in the major studios. "We anticipate there will be between 2500 and 3000 screens in North Ameri- ca by the first quarter next year," stated John Batter, co-president of production at DreamWorks Animation SKG, speaking at "e Conversation," a forum co-hosted by Scott Kirsner in early October. As for con- tent, such prominent tent-pole filmmakers as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Tim Burton, Robert Zemeckis, and Peter Jack- son have 3D films in the works. In fact, Daley lists on his Web site 21 3D films scheduled for release in 2009—CG features, stop-motion animation, and live action films—including Zemeckis's 3D animation A Christmas Carol, Pixar's Up, Sony Pictures Imageworks' Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Fox's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Focus Features' Cora- line (wide release). Cameron's 3D live-ac- tion science-fiction thriller Avatar opens in December 2009. Spielberg's 3D anima- tion Tintin, produced by Peter Jackson, is scheduled for 2010. Moreover, Disney plans to author and release all its CG films in 3D. So does DreamWorks Animation. "We're looking at the point where there's going to be 3D content coming out every couple of weeks now," says Phil "Captain 3D" McNally, stereoscopic supervisor at DreamWorks Animation. McNally super- vised the conversion of Disney's Chicken Little into 3D at Industrial Light & Magic and was stereoscopic supervisor at Disney for Meet the Robinsons. Fundamental Changes e studios' drive to release 3D films is causing a fundamental change in filmmak- ing that is ripping through the production process. "Every movie we release starting in March 2009 will be authored in 3D," says Batter, alluding to the March re- lease of Monsters vs. Aliens. "We'll conceive in 3D and shoot in 3D. It's the next great frontier." at's the tipping point: Film- makers are now considering ste- reoscopy from the beginning. "Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons were post conversions," says Robert Neuman, stereoscopic supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Stu- dio. "Bolt is the first film in which 3D is part of production. As we're laying out the films and setting out the cameras for 2D, we're building the 3D version." Similarly, at the visual effects studio Sony Pictures Imageworks—where artists created the animated films e Polar Express, Monster House, and Beowulf, all shown in 3D—ste- reo is moving further upstream, according to Rob Engle, senior stereographer and digital effects supervisor. "With Polar and Monster House, it was sort of an afterthought," he says. "We are much more embedded into production from the outset now." Engle finds that this is also true for live- action directors. "Filmmakers are asking us how they can adjust their films for the ste- reoscopic medium," he says. "ey're talk- ing to us about which camera angles and compositions work better. ese conversa- tions didn't happen two years ago." And, that's why the practitioners of stereo- scopy compare stereo 3D today to the intro- duction of color and sound in years past. "If you look at the advances in the histo- ry of cinema, they all had technical hurdles to overcome," says Neuman. "Color had to have an emulsion developed that conveyed the spectrum properly. And, in the earliest color movies, filmmakers were using color more for spectacle than for storytelling. Color was so saturated reviewers said it hurt." Much like color, Neuman explains, 3D had false starts because of the technol- ogy and the spectacle of 3D that seduced early filmmakers: "e studios would go Belgian director Ben Stassen floated the characters in his stereo 3D film Fly Me to the Moon in front of the screen, over the heads of the audience. Stassen created the film exclusively in 3D. Disney's Meet the Robinsons was the second CG animation that the studio converted into stereo 3D.

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