Technicolor 3D

[Chris D Walker]

I found this today:

 

Technicolor 3D

 

An 'in-between' for flat 35mm and digital projection that uses a patented lens design, capable of being run on standard 35mm projectors with circular polarisation techniques the same as Real-D and Dolby Digital 3D.

 

They say test audiences find little distinction between this system and 2K projection when screening 'The Final Destination 3D'.

 

Has this just been announced or around for some time? Will this actually be used in theatres in the US and overseas?

 

As always, thanks for any replies.

[Russell Richard Fowler]

As a person who did scores of 3D installations using four different lens /prism / mirror systems during the last peak in the 1980's.........the use of 35mm to augment digital 3D is do...able. There has been a worldwide upgrade / improvement of cinemas in the 1990's in which lamphouse and lens design for 35mm projectors are much better than the 1980's. The cost of Digital 3D installation is several 100% higher than conventional existing 35mm equipment so present 3D screen availability is poor.

 

There is a three to five year window to allow a film based 3D system to be used in addition to Digital 3D.....the low cost compared to Digital would allow it to be a "fast depreciation", almost a disposible, item. Circular polarization versus the 45/45 linear used in the 1980's is not a big deal.........Dolby is an interference color system using a standard (high gain) white screen, so other than cost, Technicolor's proposal targets RealD and other systems which rely on a silver screen. This would also be a good option for move overs to smaller auditoriums on film after a "digital open" for a feature.......due to lack of Digital 3D screens, many films are being dumped due to studio schedules for existing auditoriums.

 

Next month is the next cinema operator's convention - ShowEast in Orlando, Florida....if Technicolor has a system that is easily deployed; it will probably be shown......

Edited September 27, 2009 by Russell Richard Fowler

[Leo Anthony Vale]

An 'in-between' for flat 35mm and digital projection that uses a patented lens design, capable of being run on standard 35mm projectors with circular polarisation techniques the same as Real-D and Dolby Digital 3D.

 

They say test audiences find little distinction between this system and 2K projection when screening 'The Final Destination 3D'.

 

Has this just been announced or around for some time? Will this actually be used in theatres in the US and overseas?

 

This was discussed on Cinematography.com.

It's an over/under system like the ones used in the early 80s.

 

Ray Zone claims technicolor consulted with Chris Condon on the projection lens design.

Here's condon's patent:

 

http://www.google.com/patents?id=_n41AAAAE...don&f=false

 

Here's Ray Zone's comments:

 

"Ray Zone responds:

 

It's an over/under alternate frame 35mm single strip film solution, a throwback to 1980s 3D. Chris Condon consulted with Technicolor on developing single split lens which goes on projector. Masking on port glass. Circular polarizer in lens and glasses (to conform to RealD spec). Still requires silver screen.

 

 

Saw Final Destination 4 in 3D at Burbank AMC with process. Works fine, but all the potential problems with pseudoscopic error (if frames switched - each 2 perfs high in 4 perf area) and possible light loss at corners of frame still present.

 

Meanwhile, Harkness-Hall is working 3 shifts 24/7 to produce silver screens for 3D rollout."

09-21-09

 

The most common problem with the system that was discussed was screen brightness.

You're projecting techniscope size frames, in practice slightly smaller, through polorizing filters.

[K Borowski]

While I am sure that there is something being lost in compressing 35mm to 2-perf, especially with 1.85:1 titles, would the loss be any worse than what I assume would be massive compression in a 2K projector?

 

This isn't my area of expertise. Can anyone say for sure?

 

 

I know that the 2-perf. system has a definite advantage in that it projects both images simultaneously, whereas with digital there is a brief temporal delay between left- and right-eye images.

 

One drawback for the film system, it seems is that it cannot, as some articles say, be played on standard projection screens, but does require the silver screen, at least according to the technicolor spokesman who met with a panel of interested parties.

[Russell Richard Fowler]

All screen companies are busting their tail trying to supply screens. Shipping is a problem since they generally need to be supplied rolled versus folded. I have a former sub-contractor cutting screens to fit at job-sites since due to construction time frame delays some screens have to be "reassigned".

 

Chris Condon....and Lenny Lipton at RealD have been down this road before.

[Dominic Case]

One drawback for the film system, it seems is that it cannot, as some articles say, be played on standard projection screens, but does require the silver screen, at least according to the technicolor spokesman who met with a panel of interested parties.

Absolutely correct. Any polarising system (that includes the RealD digital 3D system as well as the Technicolor film system) relies on a silver reflecting screen to preserve the polarised nature of the light. A plain white screen simply rescrambles it. You might as well play a stereo soundtrack though one speaker!

 

By the way, correcting an earlier post by someone: the Dolby digital 3D system doesn't use polarising filters, so can work on a flat white screen. It relies on what might be called a three-colour anaglyph system - each eye sees a different set of mutually exclusive colours, but each eye sees a full gamut colour image. In effect, one eye sees a narrow-pass set of red, green and blue primaries, while the other eye sees a slightly shorter wavelength set of primaries - slightly more orange, slightly more cyan, slightly more purple. A neat idea, but the glasses are a little more expensive.

[John Sprung]

Absolutely correct. Any polarising system (that includes the RealD digital 3D system as well as the Technicolor film system) relies on a silver reflecting screen to preserve the polarised nature of the light.

 

Yes, and to have sufficient gain to offset the loss from polarization. Which is a pain when you have to go back and forth between 3D and flat shows. I really don't like that high gain screen look. Ideally, if you have a fly loft, you can have both screens.

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Dominic Case]

Yes, and to have sufficient gain to offset the loss from polarization.

Which is fine in the centre seats, but can fall off excessively at the end of the row.

 

Though of course the 3D effect is a little compromised out there too, whatever 3D system you use.