Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5315
pect the rest of the movies that they see to be in 3D going for- ward?' It's become a standard, and I think that's an interesting ques- tion that will be answered in time." THREATS: "A big question is: 'Will audiences continue to sup- por t the additional cost of the 3D experience?' And not just the monetary cost. If you go to a theater, you have to put on glasses and sustain some level of discomfor t. With 3D now, it's minimal. Your eyes adjust very well, but there is an inescapable [discomfor t]. And that will always be true, no matter how good 3D gets. So much has to do with the way 3D is delivered to you. It's the system, and the systems are getting better and better.When you talk about 'threats,' I think that is going to diminish over time." OUTLOOK 2010: "Most people feel 3D is here to stay and is going to become more popular. I am optimistic. I definitely believe in the theatrical experience of seeing a movie in theaters. Even [though] it's easier and easier to get films online, global box office is really strong. I think people continue to validate the theatrical expe- rience. 3D is another level to that. A 3D experience in a theater, on a big screen, is an experience that you really can't replicate to the same effect on a smaller screen. It's not the same. 3D, I think, will heighten the allure." LESLIE EKKER Creative Director Zoic Studios Culver City, CA (www.zoicstudios.com) Zoic Studios has facilities in Los Angeles and Van- couver, and offers editorial, design, film,TV and game services.The studio has contributed visual effects to V and District 9, as well as to commer- cials for Mountain Dew and Nissin Noodle. STRENGTHS: "3D or stereoscopic imaging, as a form of visual communication, brings more than another dimension to our work. It opens the possibility for deeper emotional impact from close-ups and live performance footage. It creates stronger physical responses to action scenes that affect the viewer viscerally because [with high- quality material] the subconscious knowledge that, 'I'm just watching a movie' fades away. "Exhibitors are finding that people are willing to pay higher ticket prices for 3D presentations, at least for the time being, until the novelty wears off. That novelty will remain for some years as creative ar tists and technicians learn to explore the vast potential of this added dimension. Taste, ar t and psychology will inform the best work, while the rest will fall into the seductive old trap of the gimmick. "Advertisers are just beginning to jump onto this speeding train. The earliest stereo ads will begin to appear in theatrical venues and as promotional television/Web pieces in anaglyph [that unfortunate red/cyan color system]. The impact of 3D motion pictures on audi- ences is clear. Advertisers are just beginning to understand the mar- keting potential of that impact." WEAKNESSES: "It will not be the first time 3D arrives as 'The Next Big Thing!' It has returned ever y generation to enter tain us, with predictable results. 'Too expensive,' 'hard to watch', 'not good enough' and 'a gimmick' are all things we've heard, from the street and the office, every time it has returned. This time it will be differ- ent.The difference is technology. "Some aspects of stereo presentation cannot change. The right eye still needs an image that differs from the left in precise and im- por tant ways. The images still need to be projected, transmitted, viewed on surfaces [for now] of many types. These are the baseline requirements.The variables are where technology is making a lasting difference. Innovation is affecting ever y step along the production path. Advances in camera technology are making it easier to build and shoot with twin-camera rigs, and eventually single cameras with adjustable stereo lens systems will become available. New technolo- gies, improved post production pipelines and wider distribution net- works are all opening the path to wider production. "One of the biggest impediments to broad adoption of this new dimension is the presentation of 3D material.The vast major- ity of 3D presentation media still require the viewer to wear glasses of some kind. For many this is a problem. Eyeglass wearers, children, seniors and others with vision problems all chafe at the need for eyewear. Some systems, often used in post production, require expensive shutter glasses to sync with the video screen, while others use polarized glasses that cut the brightness of pro- jected images by a significant degree. Several manufacturers are developing 'Free-View 3D' monitors that do not require the viewer to wear glasses, and some of these are remarkably effective for medium range viewing. "These sets will be coming onto the market soon, but their widespread adoption in homes is a question due to cost, and the dear th of material to watch on them! Digital cable systems, espe- cially those fed by local area fiber, will begin offering 3D fare even- tually, but demand — and homes with 3D screens — will have to be in place before they do. 3D-capable movie houses are multi- plying fast. "In January of this year, about 900 stereo [silver] screens were lit in the US. By the end of this year it will be 3,500. Many more are on the way around the world. Many foreign markets seem even more excited about 3D, perhaps because they missed the disappointment of previous iterations." OPPORTUNITIES: "Many oppor tunities are created from new technologies. 3D gives much more visual information to the viewer, and that information will prove to be of great value to marketers, vi- sual ar tists, musicians, sculptors, dancers, security personnel and, of course, pornographers. "As we bring Free-View 3D screens into our homes and work- places the oppor tunities will multiply. News broadcasts with back- ground screens and foreground banners will expand into the room and behind our walls, allowing the skilled viewer — we will need to re-learn how to watch — to visually select information. Some sys- tems may be able to detect where the viewer's eyes are focusing and deliver viewer-specific information to that set of eyes identified by image recognition software. "Entertainment will become more immersive and involving, elicit- ing a visceral response that will create memorable impressions. Travel and home decorating shows, action movies, personal dramas, live performances and others will be capable of creating compelling experiences for their viewers." THREATS: "Stereo imaging will slowly spread into most image 40 Post • December 2009 www.postmagazine.com OUTLOOK 3 D S t e r e o "Several manufac- turers are developing 'Free-View 3D' moni- tors that do not require the viewer to wear glasses." — Leslie Ekker, Zoic Studios continued on page 46