subject: The 3D Film Advance In Movies [print this page] In just the last couple years, many film studios have begun working on multiple 3D film projects. Film makers have been working with 3D movies since the 1950's when producers first began finding ways to add depth to their motion pictures; modern artists have many more tools, however, than were available 60 years ago. Thanks to special equipment and film making techniques, directors and producers can make their dream for a 3D film into reality and create a totally three dimensional experience for their audiences.
Humans see using stereoscopic vision, combining images taken in from both our eyes to create one total picture, and this is exactly what a 3D film aims to do. To get the right visual effect, 3D movies must be filmed using cameras with two side by side lenses. When a movie is produced entirely using computers, such as Avatar, the 3D effect is achieved by adapting the animation process to incorporate stereoscopic vision. The two videos captured by each lens are projected simultaneously onto the movie screen and, using specially designed glasses, are put together by your brain to create a three dimensional image.
Blue and red 3D glasses were worn for many years whenever a person wanted to watch a 3D film. Each of the two projections of those older 3D movies had been treated with either a red or blue light filter which interacted with your glasses and let your brain decipher the three dimensional effect. Although this created the correct optical illusion, having to use red and blue light reduced the colors that could be used in the films.
Today's 3D movies use polarized light, which is made of light waves that vibrate on one plane. While you just see one image, there are actually two projectors sending out one vertically and one horizontally polarized image during the 3D film. The 3D glasses you wear filter out specific types of light so that only horizontal waves can enter your left eye and only vertical ones can be viewed by your right eye. This basically works as an optical illusion and tricks your brain into seeing two separate images together as one, creating the depth and realism that audiences have come to love in 3D movies.
