Computer Graphics World

July 2009 74 n n n n Stereoscopy he adds. In some cases, the tools are still part of the problem, albeit an entirely fixable one. It's not an accident that most movies being made in stereo 3D are animated features, because there, the director has absolute control— though, as Fly Me to the Moon am- ply illustrated, there's a lot that can still go wrong. One of the most common issues, according to the experts, is busting the parallax budget. In 3D, the dis- tance between the images for the left and right eye and the distance from the screen creates depth back- ward and forward. If something seems to move beyond that depth, the illusion is broken. "You can't break the rules of physics," says Ray Hannisian, stereographer/depth-balancing artist at 3ality. e trick is dependent on the ability to create a similar experience to what we see in reality. e view from the left and right eye have a point of convergence where the view is balanced, and around that area is a field of view that is in focus and makes sense to the brain. Bring an object in too close, and the eyes have to "toe in" too much to focus. Move it too far out and the eyes move apart. Either way, it can be uncomfortable. is is known as retinal disparity, and it is also a problem for cinematographers and audiences: It's uncomfortable. e ability to make objects seem to pop from the screen is a crowd pleaser. It can also break the illusion if an object seems to cross the limits of the screen, which is referred to as an edge violation. Some film- I have talked with 3D guru Lenny Lipton on several occasions, and interviewed him years ago for an article about the use of stereo 3D in CAD. I happened to see him at a conference on stereoscopic movies some months back, and recently chatted with him about the medium on his long commute through the hills and valleys of his newly adopted hometown of Los Ange- les, where he is truly at home. Lenny Lipton wrote the book on stereo 3D—several times. He's been through several "rebirths" of 3D movies, and he's been working diligently in Hollywood to try and ensure that the mo guls don't screw it up this time. Lipton does not wait around to see what will happen next; he invents things and pushes people. His company, Stereo Graphics, concentrated on visualization for scientific and en gineering applications, and he holds significant patents for projection, displays, and glasses in stereographic 3D tech nology. RealD technology acquired StereoGraphics in 2005, and brought Lipton on as the company's CTO. Now he has ventured out on his own as a consultant to help moviemakers create better 3D content. As a consultant, Lipton has been working on many of the latest 3D movies, including Henry Selick's Coraline. He also worked with Selick on The Nightmare Before Christ- mas, which probably gives him more "cred" with his kids than most dads can hope to get. "The big thing about stereographic 3D," Lipton says, "is that it's more fun than 2D." Lipton had just met with John Leonetti, the cinematographer on the upcoming film Piranha 3D, and he's excited about the 3D quality the techni cians were developing for that film. As far as Lipton is concerned, stereoscopic 3D entertain ment content is following a predictable path that's been en abled by technology. "There's no going back. The dominos are falling," he says in his rapidfire delivery that betrays his Brook lyn origins. Lipton observes that CG animated movies was the first genre to give itself up to 3D because there's more control available to the artists. "You can't make an animated movie now and not make it 3D. Horror is next, and the demographic is going up." My Bloody Valentine, for instance, is the first Rrated movie in 3D. "It's happening genre by genre." He doesn't see 3D being limited by any genre; rather, it's more a function of time. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience and Hannah Montana, The Movie were presented in stereo by 3ality. Drive time with Lenny Lipton By Kathleen Maher © Disney Enterprises.

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