3D, Perchance to See.

I have mixed thoughts about 3D. In theory, I think it’s incredible. I’m all for it. It’s right up my alley. Unfortunately, some things are better in concept than they are in practice. I have seen both good and bad examples of 3D.

When I was eight years old, my parents and I went to Disney World. I saw my first 3D movie there – Captain EO, starring Michael Jackson.

It’s a short science fiction movie – no more than about twenty minutes total. Twenty-two years later, I just watched it again, courtesy of You Tube. It’s available to view for free, in Part 1 & Part 2.

The villain in it is a ruler called Supreme Leader. I remember finding her truly frightening. She’s an odd mix of the Borg Queen and Edward Scissorhands. In fact, I remember snatching off my 3D glasses more than once. The effect was just a bit too real for me. – Twenty-two years down the road, I find her to be melodramatic and hilarious rather than horrifying. Ah, how perception changes with time.

At one point, I remember that “Yogi Bear” was supposed to be broadcast in 3D for a while, right on your TV, with a special pair of glasses that, I think, came with a certain cereal box, or was it TV Guide?

One “lens” was red and the other blue. I remember several pairs of such glasses with various “3D” items over the years. I don’t remember them working well, if at all. – See a picture here.

This was in the days before DVRs and I wasn’t into recording things on VCR at that point. It only came on at 7 A.M., so I never managed to catch it. I doubt the effect could have been very good considering the 3D glasses were provided so cheaply.

A few years ago, I remember a “Spy Kids” movie coming out in “3D.” – I found this to be a very disappointing experience – a complete waste of time and money, in my opinion. In fact, I took the 3D glasses off and found it more tolerable that way. I  didn’t see what was 3D about it so much as simply a minor distortion of the picture.

Several years ago, my parents and I watched a 3D movie about fish at the Imax in Chattanooga. We were all surprised that something that was supposed to be so cool was so boring. The main thing I remember is school after school of fish swimming by. I think I caught a nap during a good portion of it. I overheard several others expressing the same sentiments after the movie was over.

A few years after that, we went back and a similar movie was playing. Initially skeptical, we decided to give it a try after verifying that it was not the same movie. We were pleasantly surprised to find it much more entertaining. The effect was quite enjoyable. We saw another 3D movie there. It was about the space station. Both were very well done.

If you’re interested in how 3D glasses work, check out this link: http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/3dglass.html

A couple of years ago, one of my friends and I went in an antique store while walking around downtown somewhere in Georgia during a festival. I found a true 3D treasure – a device called a stereoscope. I was in love with it instantly. It came with several sample pictures, most of which were in superb shape considering how old they were. – Such an image is called a stereogram.

A stereoscope is a device that you hold and look through. On one end are two slightly different views of the same picture. You just look through and see a 3D picture. – I was shocked at the excellent quality of it. — Needless to say, that nifty old gadget had to go home with me. What a find. – No batteries required.

When I was little, I had a View Master. Thin paper disks are inserted and you look through while pointing it toward light and you can see 3D images — a modern version of the stereoscope mentioned above. 

At some point in the 90′s, Magic Eye 3D images were all the rage. They were tricky, though. Several came in a book. You had to either cross your eyes and slowly uncross them to see the effect or else put your face right up to the picture and very slowly pull it back from your face. – I remember the day I finally got it to work. It was quite the accomplishment. — While it can be annoying at first, the effect is, in fact, worth the bother. It’s pretty cool. – See an example here.

Recently, I read about upcoming  3D televisions and, already available, a 3D camera. Both sound appealing and I would love to try them and judge for myself.

Check out the blog entry “3D and Me, Part One” at the following web site: http://invisiblemikey.wordpress.com/

All of which brings me to the  movie Avatar, currently playing in theatres. I was, to be sure, skeptical of the quality of 3D involved; however, I have been assured by several independent sources (actual people that I know) that it is, in fact, quite stunning. — I plan to see it within the next couple of weeks and hope to have an enjoyable 3D experience to add to my collection.

Well, that’s all folks.

Hope you enjoyed my 3D reminiscing!

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

This blog is also available in the Kindle store at Amazon.com.

http://www.relevantlyrandom.com

COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.

Advertisement