News Stories

ISO Vote on 3D Safety Guidelines Closes Nov. 7

[DisplayDaily]

…  ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is closing a ballot on drafting 3D safety guidelines on November 7. Information on these guidelines can be downloaded here.  …

Hiroyasu Ujike, a researcher at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), is leading the efforts with the ISO. In an email exchange with him, he noted that, “Based on discussions in the WG, I would like to find out and build a common framework for 3D Image Safety, and sharing it as “international guidelines.”

Potential areas of discussion include:

  1. Interocular difference of images, as optical stimuli, in terms of geometrical distortions, luminance, etc.
  2. Binocular parallax and disparity
  3. Enhancement of 2D problems by the stereoscopic presentation
  4. Temporal changes in the above items
  5. Viewing environment and viewing conditions

Read the full story here: http://displaydaily.com/2011/10/26/iso-vote-on-3d-safety-guidelines-closes-nov-7/

"Phantom of the Opera" Was Shot in 3D by Accident

[Stereoscopy News]

Carl Hernz, chief stereographer at Carmichael3D (Florida, USA) made a strage discovery while digging old film stock looking for movies to convert in 2D: he discovered that “Phantom of the Opera” was shot with two side-by-side cameras, but NOT to produce a 3D film. The setup was done to produce two original copies of all takes. As one set of copies was used for local distribution and the other for international distribution, the fact that both films were “sligthly different” never bothered anybody.  …

Carl Hernz said : “We had to even ‘invent’ a manner of matching film rate in some instances to make the stereo sequences match. Add to this that the stereo pairs are sometimes reversed, with one reel that generally consists of the left view to suddenly change to offering the right view and then back (even after right after a title card) and vice versa”. …

See the full story here: http://stereoscopynews.com/hotnews/history/prehistory/1964-qphantom-of-the-operaq-was-shot-in-3d-by-accident.html

See the original source story here: http://www.carmichael3d.com/1/post/2011/10/silent-phantom-classic-originally-filmed-in-3d.html

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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