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2011 Blu-ray 3D release schedule – from www.blu-ray.com

8.19.2011

August 02, 2011
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3D (2010)• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D (2009)• The Final Destination 3D (2009)

August 09, 2011
• Mars Needs Moms 3D (2011)

August 16, 2011
• Priest 3D (2011)• Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)

August 30, 2011
• Rio 3D (2011)• The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D (1993)September 13, 2011
• Thor 3D (2011) – Combo

September 20, 2011
• 3D Safari Africa

September 30, 2011
• Transformers Trilogy (2007-2011)
October 04, 2011
• The Lion King 3D (1994)• Beauty and the Beast 3D (1991)• The Lion King Trilogy (1994-2004)• A Haunting in Salem 3D (2011)

October 18, 2011
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D (2011)

October 25, 2011
• Green Lantern 3D (2011)
November 01, 2011
• Toy Story 3 3D (2010)• Toy Story 2 3D (1999)• Toy Story 3D Trilogy (1995-2010) – Toy Story 3D, Toy Story 2 3D, Toy Story 3 3D• Toy Story 3D (1995) – PIXAR

November 08, 2011
• Cars 2 3D (2011)• Meet the Robinsons 3D (2007)• G-FORCE 3D (2009)• Chicken Little 3D (2005)• Bolt 3D (2008)

November 11, 2011
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 3D (2011)
[No December releases lists]

[Copied from http://www.blu-ray.com/3d/releasedates.php?year=2011&month=8]

Review: Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D

8.14.2011

[Excerpts from Wired]

Please take note that this particular Blu-ray disc will display in 2D without the required hardware. To watch this movie in Blu-ray 3D, you will need a 3D-capable television that comes with active-shutter glasses (LC shutter glasses) and a 3D-capable Blu-ray player.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D is a fantasy of color, movement and sound that depict the stages of human development from birth to maturity in a kind of visual parable.  …

I thought the 3D effects of the film were quite understated throughout the action sequences. The most thrilling 3D effect that I experienced was when the boy meets the clowns in the forest. In this scene, the clowns swing from trapezes in the Redwoods. When the camera is filming from above or from underneath the trapezes, you feel the 3D depth-effects of twisting and turning, the ones you’re looking for in a 3D film (of a circus troupe anyway). But Cirque du Soleil Journey of Man is not great for it’s 3D effects, most of which are understated and subtle. The reason this is a great Blu-ray disc is that the artistry on the screen is really a prodigious quality. It’s more than a circus act, it’s a cultural presentation that blends like a kaleidoscope: a fantastic soundtrack of Benoît Jutras, wonderful scenic backdrops and a prodigious cast of artist-acrobats, whose performances will thrill all of the family, even the two year olds.

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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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