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PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
SPECIAL SESSION ON 3D IN CINEMA
MAY 21, 2008 (Wednesday)
LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.

Session Co-Chairs
Brian Schowengerdt, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Brian Berkeley, Samsung Electronics, Asan-si, Chungnam-do, Korea

SID is very pleased to present an afternoon of invited presentations by speakers working at the cutting edge of the resurgent 3D cinema industry. The talks will span the full pipeline of the 3D movie process, from content creation (animation and live action), to editing and post production, to stereoscopic theatrical display. Real D will provide stereoscopic projection equipment and viewing glasses for all audience members, enabling the speakers to show illustrative clips from their bodies of work-including U2 3D, Beowulf, Meet the Robinsons, Monster House, Chicken Little, and The Polar Express. See how the characteristics of 3D display technologies shape every aspect of the movie creation process.

Session 1: Wednesday, May 21 / 2:15 pm - 3:35 pm / Concourse 150-152
2:15 pm  Introductory Remarks
2:20 pm  It's Not Real Life: Stereoscopic Content Creation, Phil McNally, Dreamworks Animation
3D movie-making can be thought of as a 3D to 3D conversion process, as 'real life' space is different from the recreated space in a stereoscopic theater or monitor. Creative decisions are shaped by the potential of spatial storytelling pushing against the limitations of the technical processes, the audience's ability to view the content, and the social expectation of 'the movie experience', where the accepted monoscopic camera and editing styles may not be compatible with stereoscopic movie space. How much of this do we understand and how much more needs to be invented?
2:45 pm  Adapting "3D" CG Films for "3D" Presentation: The Technique and Technology, Rob Engle, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks has now produced four stereoscopic films which have been released in film and digital 3D venues. From "The Polar Express: An IMAX 3D Experience" to "Beowulf", this talk will review our past work with an emphasis on how the capabilities and limitations of technology influence the art.
3:10 pm  Stereoscopic Live Action: Content Capture and Post Production, Steve Schklair, 3ality Digital Systems
When shooting live action with two camera heads, it is critical that the captured images be properly coordinated to a fine tolerance in order to ensure a high-quality image when presented on a stereoscopic display. This talk will discuss methods and tools to achieve such coordination throughout filming and post-production, using examples from the production of "U2 3D".
3:35 pm  Break
Session 2: Wednesday, May 21 / 3:55 pm - 5:15 pm / Concourse 150-152
3:55 pm Introductory Remarks
4:00 pm Post Production for Stereoscopic Movies, Norman Rouse, Quantel
Post production of stereoscopic content usually takes place on non-stereoscopic systems working in conventional pipelines that have been adapted for a stereo project. Now, dedicated stereo post production products are coming onto the market for stereo films, broadcasting, special events, and other applications. This talk looks at the latest techniques of stereo post and invites debate on monitoring stereo projects in different environments with different delivery requirements.
4:25 pm Dolby 3D Digital Cinema, Jeff McNall, Dolby Laboratories
Dolby has introduced a revolutionary new technology that is now being used by movie theatres worldwide to present 3D stereoscopic features. It is a unique 3D cinema viewing experience based on color separation technology that doesn't require the use of active shutter glasses or the installation of a silver screen.
4:50 pm 3D Exhibition in the Digital Age: Bringing a New Dimension to Entertainment, Rod Archer, Real D
The digital cinema projector has proven to be the platform on which stereoscopic cinema presentation is at last possible. These projectors solve the first challenge of 3D cinema, presenting two movies at once: the left and right eye views. The final challenge in 3D exhibition is to enable the audience to see these two movies stereoscopically, separating the right and left images into the correct eyes of the audience. There are three fundamental ways to accomplish this separation; with time, color, and polarization. This talk will present practical ways to use each of these methods in public exhibition theaters and explain their benefits and detriments.
Shared Q&A Session: Wednesday, May 21 / 5:15 pm - 6:00 pm / Concourse 150-152