Essay Introduction

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Introduction

3D media has changed the way people view and think in all different aspects of today’s society. Many different areas of industry incorporate the visual effect to bring another layer of excitement to the medium. It is widely used in the film industry and now television. Also 3D effects have been acknowledged in gaming, cards, posters and other advertising areas.

   Different technologies have been used to create 3D images, the first beginning with red and blue images on one plain and the user having 3D glasses that consisted of one red lens and one blue lens. Each eye would see its own colour and the brain would give the illusion of 3D images. 

   The first 3D film was released in America in April 1953. It was called ‘Man in the Dark’. New York Times reporter Crowther called it “a conspicuously low-grade melodrama” and the visual impact was “merely used for a few little slaps at the eyeballs, beyond which it isn't evident at all”. The technology was not a success six decades ago and had an extensive lighting problem in which Crowther stated, “when looked at through the dark glasses, it can barely be seen”.

   Comic books saw their introduction to 3D with Batman. The comic would be printed with red and blue images on each page and it would be bought with the red and blue 3D glasses which the consumer would have to cut out and fold.

   Over the decades technology has developed and a new system for viewing 3D became more beneficial and user-friendly. This was the introduction of RealD in 2003. As with old fashioned 3D, the film is recorded using two camera lenses sat side by side. But in the cinema, the two reels of film from these cameras are projected through different polarized filters. So images destined for viewers' left eyes are polarized on a horizontal plane, whereas images destined for their right eyes are polarized on a vertical plane. The user’s glasses use the same polarizing filters to separate out the two images again; giving each eye sees a slightly different perspective. This modern way of using 3D is now being used within today’s society, whether at the cinema, at home on the TV or elsewhere. The blue and red lens method is now very much outdated and has been replaced by polarizing technology.

  Similar technology to RealD is evident in almost all 3D today, including the newly made ‘Sky 3D’, a channel dedicated to the technology.  3D Blu-Ray Discs which play a HD quality video incorporating a 3D perspective. Also even a prototype of a 3D car dashboard showing the car interface in 3 dimensions. This report will investigate whether this technology is necessary in today’s society and if it can be sustained.

Within this paper the researcher will be investigating several areas of 3D media to answer a hypothesis:

3D media is the obvious logical progression in order to enhance people’s viewing.

The hypothesis will be addressed in several areas of investigation. The aims of the research will be:

·         To find out the public’s views on 3D media and identify any patterns within the results

·         Identify any problems the viewing format poses, including the technology used and whilst viewing

·         To find out the economics of 3D in the industry and conclude whether it is productive

·         To examine any effects 3D media has in the current economic climate

Using both quantitative and qualitative data within the research, the researcher will evaluate the aims of the report and conclude giving an answer to the stated hypothesis.