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Summer Movies – to See in 3D or Not to See in 3D

5.22.2011

[Philip Lelyveld comment: useful insight on theatrical 3D and children]

[By Carey Bryson, About.com Guide]

As I discussed before in my last post about On Stranger Tides, I never was able to decide if I liked the new Pirates movie in 3D or not. The 3D fog in the beginning was a cool effect, but some parts of the movie looked fake because of the 3D. That’s the way it is for me and 3D in general, though. I like the added dimension, but I don’t like the drawbacks — wearing the glasses, lack of detail in the background images, and the dimming effect of the glasses. So it really depends on the movie and how well done the 3D is as to whether or not I think it’s worth the extra money.

In some of the best 3D movies, the 3D actually adds a lot to the movie to the extent that the movie is just not as good in 2D. How to Train Your Dragon and Avatar are examples of excellent 3D that enhances the story and the film. Other films just should never have even tried it. What I found interesting, is that although I have been a 3D fence sitter and haven’t even gotten around to getting a 3D TV to review movies at home yet, I really missed the added dimension when we went to see Rango in theaters. I felt like the movie looked really flat, and I wanted to feel like I was walking around that little desert town with all of the characters.

No matter how we feel as parents, though, most of the 3D movies are kids’ and family movies, so we also have to take into consideration the kids’ preferences. In talking to kids and families, I have found that the older kids are really into 3D. But, little kids generally don’t keep the glasses on, so that becomes a problem for parents. We saw Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D yesterday (in theaters May 26th), and it was the first time my 3-year-old has kept the glasses on for the whole movie. Still, I could tell she was really starting to get bugged by them toward the end.

Coming up in the first month of summer, we have Cars 2, which is Pixar so the 3D will be fabulous.  We also can look forward to a couple of 2D family flicks that will be a lot of fun for kids:Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer and Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

See the original post here: http://kidstvmovies.about.com/b/2011/05/22/summer-movies-to-see-in-3d-or-not-to-see-in-3d.htm

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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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