Real D Cinema

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
 This article is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion. (April 2009)

RealD Cinema is a digital 3D stereoscopic projection technology which does not require two projectors, unlike some older 3D stereoscopic projection technology. A high-resolution digital projector using Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema technology or Sony 4k projector is used. It can be projected with a single Christie, Barco or NEC DLP Cinema projector (other digital projection technologies would work as well if fitted with the proper equipment) at 48 frames per second, twice as fast as a normal movie.

Contents

[edit] Technology

RealD uses circularly polarized light to produce stereoscopic images. Hence the performance is better than with linearly polarizing systems which suffer from visible double imaging if the head is tilted to the side.[1]

The projector alternately projects the right-eye frame and left-eye frame, and circularly polarizes these frames, clockwise for the right eye and counterclockwise for the left eye. A push-pull electro-optical modulator called a ZScreen is placed immediately in front of the projector lens to switch polarization. The audience wears disposable circularly polarized glasses (see circular dichroism) make sure each eye sees only "its own" picture, even if the head is tilted . The very high framerate, which is 72 frames per second per eye, makes sure the image looks continuous. In RealD Cinema, each frame is projected three times to reduce flicker. The source video is usually only 24 frames per second (which can result in a subtle ghosting and stuttering on horizontal camera movements). A special cinema screen is used to minimize depolarization and to reflect back as much light as possible to counter polarization losses. The result is a 3D picture that seems to extend behind and in front of the screen itself.[2]

[edit] Films featured using RealD

The first film released using this format was 2005's Chicken Little. For this release, the computer-animated film was rerendered in 3D by Industrial Light and Magic and exhibited on RealD Cinema Systems using Dolby Digital Cinema servers.[3]

The 3D version of Chicken Little has so far earned about 2.5 times as much per screen as the flat version. When the movie was first shown in 2005, fewer than 100 theaters around the US were equipped to show the movie in 3D. These statistics are difficult to correlate on their own given the many unknown factors involved.

Also, a stereoscopic 3D version of the film Monster House was released in approximately 200 theaters equipped for RealD Cinema . In October 2006 and again in October 2007 and in 2008 The Nightmare Before Christmas was rereleased in this technique as well.

Meet the Robinsons was released March 30, 2007, in both traditional "flat" and "3D" versions of the film. The film was converted to stereo by Digital Domain. Some estimate over 700 screens for the 3D release of the film. That would make this release the largest up to that date using the RealD system.

Beowulf, directed by Robert Zemeckis, released in November 2007 is another film that uses the RealD 3D technology. Beowulf opened on close to 900 RealD screens. RealD at that point had passed its stated milestone of 1,000 global RealD screens installed for the release of Beowulf.

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert was released on February 1, 2008, and marks another in the Disney stable of 3D films. "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" was only shown on digital 3D screens, 97% of which are RealD 3D screens, and brought in $31 million in its opening weekend, virtually all of which was generated in RealD theaters. (Disney Digital 3D films do not exhibit in IMAX 3D theaters, which utilize an analog technology).

U2 3D, U2's concert film based on the Vertigo Tour, debuted in RealD in 2008. The film was exhibited in both IMAX 3D and RealD Cinema.

New Line Cinema and Walden Media's Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D was released on July 11, 2008, in both 3D and 2D, making it the first live-action film to be released in RealD 3D. Director Eric Brevig used the same cameras that James Cameron used for Ghosts of the Abyss, shown in IMAX 3D[4]

On January 16th, 2009, Lionsgate released My Bloody Valentine 3D, the first horror film and first R-rated film to be projected in Real D 3D.[5] It was released to 1,033 3D screens, the most ever for this format, and 1,501 regular screens. Opening week saw 3D screens outperform 2D screens 6:1.

On February 6th, 2009, Focus Features and LAIKA released Coraline, the first stop motion film to be first filmed originally in 3D.

On March 27th, 2009, Dreamworks released Monsters vs. Aliens. The film opened in 1550 IMAX and 3D theaters, which is a new record for 3D films.

[edit] Future films

On March 12, 2007, DreamWorks Animation announced[6] that beginning with the spring 2009 release of Monsters vs. Aliens, all of their features will be released in theatres in 3D. On April 8, 2008, Disney Feature Animation followed suit, announcing that from the November 11, 2008 release of Bolt, all Disney/Pixar animation features will be released in 3D [7] . Other upcoming releases include 3D conversions of all Pixar's Toy Story films; Robert Zemeckis's A Christmas Carol; and Tim Burton-helmed versions of Alice in Wonderland and his original short Frankenweenie. James Cameron's Avatar is currently scheduled for December 18, 2009. Horrorween 2009 will also be filmed in RealD 3D. 3D legend Chris Condon, and Director Ed Meyer are set to remake The Stewardesses, the most successful 3D film in history, in RealD in 2009. Also, Dante's Inferno is expected to be released as an animation feature in 3D as well as a live action feature in 3D in 2009[1].

[edit] List of RealD released and upcoming films

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Cowan, Matt. "REAL D 3D Theatrical System". European Digital Cinema Forum. http://www.edcf.net/edcf_docs/real-d.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-03-28. 
  2. ^ Cowan, Matt. "Presentations (technical)". RealD Media Room downloadable files. http://www.reald.com/Content/Presentations.aspx. Retrieved on 2009-03-28. 
  3. ^ "A Look at Chicken Little in 3D" July 5, 2005, movieweb.com
  4. ^ "Behind the Scenes of a Next-Gen 3D Film". PC Magazine. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2320526,00.asp. Retrieved on 2008-07-28. 
  5. ^ "Movies". Los Angeles Times. 2009-01-11. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-list-movies11-2009jan11,0,4953295.story. Retrieved on 2009-01-21. 
  6. ^ "DreamWorks going 3-D in 2009". Variety Magazine. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961023.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 
  7. ^ "Disney unveils animation slate". Variety Magazine. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983709.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved on 2008-04-08. 
  8. ^ "DreamWorks going 3-D in 2009". Variety Magazine. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961023.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_D_Cinema"
Personal tools