Film-based 3D Pushes Forward
Technicolor has announced that it has reached an agreement with New York City-based Bow Tie Cinemas to install Technicolor 3D in all Bow Tie locations on 25 of its 150 screens. Technicolor 3D is a new 3D system for 35mm film projectors, enabling exhibitors to equip theatres for high-quality 3D at a fraction of the cost of installing a digital 3D projection system. The company had earlier announced support from multiple major motion picture studios for the release of theatrical content presented in Technicolor 3D, as well as support from Kodak and Fuji. Technicolor’s name used to be under that of owner Thomson, but earlier this year, that order was reversed with Technicolor assuming the top line company name.
Last year, Technicolor bowed its film-based 3D solution, which employs a proprietary "production to projection" system that accommodates 35mm film projectors already in use. A patented state-of-the-art Schneider lens system assembles the left and right eye images as the film runs through the projector, and delivers a 3D-ready image onto a silver screen. The system also optimizes color and light levels, and is usable with screens up to about 40 feet in size. The solution works with circular polarized glasses–identical to the ones used for existing digital 3D cinema–to produce the 3D effect. The silver screen can be used for the projection of both Technicolor 3D as well as digital 3D content.
Technicolor President of Creative Services Joe Berchtold, tells us that one hurdle of film-based 3D is the perception of an "old" technology compared with that of digital projection. However, audience polling conducted by Technicolor at actual screenings suggests "no statistical difference from digital 3D" when judged on satisfaction, quality, and movie recommendation. Berchtold won’t quote screen brightness, but says that systems "operating at spec today" should have no problem equaling the quality of digital 3D, including the stability of the image. The company plans to license the special lens to exhibitors, at a rate of $2,000/film, with a $12,000 cap per year.
We reported recently that another company, Oculus3D, had also developed a film-based 3D projection format. The primary difference between that and the Technicolor system is that the former uses a side-by-side 90-degree rotated image format, whereas the latter uses an over/under horizontal image format. Oculus3D CEO Marty Shindler tells us that his system is "brighter, sharper and steadier" than the competition, and that they are getting 10fL at the screen. He also reports that audiences seeing their process "can’t believe it’s not digital," a sentiment echoed by company co-founder Lenny Lipton.
The Oculus3D system also uses a proprietary lens, currently sourced from multiple optics vendors; some variants use off-the-shelf components, while an optimized solution from one vendor is also being evaluated. The lens will be available to theater owners for a purchase price "in the low to mid $20’s," with quantity discounts, or for lease-to-buy. The company is having ongoing discussions and demos with studio executives, and plans to make an announcement next week about their progress. They are currently giving private demonstrations of their system.
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The 3D steamroller continues to press on. According to Technicolor, 3D is a driver of ticket sales with 3D engagements outperforming 2D by more than 2-to-1 in attendance and even greater in box office. They also say that 90 percent of theatre screens in the U.S. were not able to provide a 3D experience to moviegoers, prior to a film-based 3D solution. Performance aside, the proof may be in the agreements with film studios and services companies; these would give a company a leg up in a competitive market, provided actual deployments occur.
Could 3D film slow digital 3D? Some industry executives say that digital growth couldn’t be slower, but that the digital players will increasingly push the business because of 3D. So digital 3D growth will continue, but with financing still problematic, it will be slow. Currently, studios are increasing capacity for 3D production, but 3D screening is installation limited: 3D box office could even be bigger than its current record-breaking heights with greater 3D projection penetration. If the technical merits hold up to audience scrutiny, 3D film sounds like a no-brainer.
By Aldo Cugnini, DisplayDaily
