Any FCP filters or plugins to turn 2D into 3D?

Everything is going 3D. A lot of the movies are being converted from 2D to 3D. I understand from reading the American Cinematographer magazine April issue that a few of the blockbusters that are making billions of dollars now were shot to 2D and converted to 3D, such as Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans. (I know some of AVATAR was shot in 3D and the rest in 2D.)

1) So which filters and how do you create simple 3D in FCP?
2) What plug-ins can you recommend for good looking 3D?
3) Do you recommend all movies to be turned into 3D?
4) Is Blu-ray the only way to distribute 3D in DVD form?

Thanks for your help.

-- Vic

Vic, there isn't a plugin that just makes 2D into 3D. This is a hugely expensive process. If it was as simple as a plugin, then THE PRINCE OF PERSIA, that was shot in 2D, would have done this to make the film 3D.

And just because you CAN do 3D doesn't mean you SHOULD. 3D needs to be reserved for those films that will benefit from it. Simple dramas and comedies, most action films, heck, most ANYTHING would be best in 2D. Only big movies like AVATAR and CLASH OF THE TITANS...movies meant to be more of an experience than actually GOOD...benefit from this.

People tend to think that making something 3D instantly makes it better. Sorry, it won't. ANd people won't flock to see SEX IN THE CITY 2 because it is in 3D (why the HELL is it in 3D?). They want to see...whatever it is that attracts people to that series. The Manchurian Candidate, 12 ANGRY MEN, Shawshank Redemption, My Cousin Vinny...great films that would be ruined by 3D. 3D is distracting...you are paying more attention to the "Wow, I can see the distance between things, and whoa, look at that VIEW!" rather than the story. How else do you think AVATAR and CLASH OF THE TITANS did well? If people actually paid attention to the story then the movies would bomb.

Don't ruin your films with 3D. Unless you have one with great vistas and cool effects and little story...one that would benefit from 3D. 3D is a craze that hit in the 50s for a while, and it will hit now for a while. But it will go away. And 3D TV will take off like the Edsel.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Wait, there is a plugin. Not out yet, but still in beta...

[www.stereo3dtoolbox.com]

Bear in mind that if you do this, you now need a capture card capable of outputting 3D, and a 3D HDTV. Again, a fad that will die out rather quickly. While this year at NAB it was all about 3D, next year we'll see 1/10th of the interest in it...exhibits demonstrating it. It'll be for features only, and only a select few.

Did you read how after watching a 3D movie, your senses are completely messed up, and you are more prone to getting into accidents?

[www.reuters.com]


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

I'm a little reluctant to bring it up, since I strongly disagree with the very first sentence of Vic's post. But you don't need a special output or monitor to preview 3D. Avid, and Final Cut with the right set of add ons, will output either an interlaced or anaglyph image which you can watch with the appropriate headgear.

That said, 3D is amazingly hard to do well, and if it's done less-than-perfectly it will literally physically harm your audience. Leave 3D to the professionals.

You're the greatest, Shane.
Thanks for the admonitions. I didn't realize there are risks to 3D!
Anyway, I'm going to download the beta version of the software and test it out. It seems it will work as a plugin with my FCP 5.04 & OS 10.4.11 G5.

I'm aware that there are easy ways of doing 3D, but I wasn't sure about the complications. I knew they existed. That's why I posted this question here, and I'm glad, you answered, Jeff.

Quote
Jeff Harrell wrote: Final Cut with the right set of add ons, will output either an interlaced or anaglyph image which you can watch with the appropriate headgear.

Thanks Jeff.

Quote
filmman wrote: Anyway, I'm going to download the beta version of the software and test it out. It seems it will work as a plugin with my FCP 5.04 & OS 10.4.11 G5.

Whoops! filmman was wrong; it takes a FCP 6 or 7 that can run this plugin.

Back to square one: how do you do 3D in FCP 5.04, using filters and plugins for the non-Intel FCP Studio 5.04 and the G5 dual processor computer. Thanks a bunch!

You don't.

Sorry Vic, you can't do the new and cool things (although I still argue that it isn't cool) unless you have the current hardware/software that supports it.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Thanks for responding Shane. I agree, it ain't cool to do 3D.

I'm moving on to 4D :-) ... I actually read something about it, but don't remember what it is. I'm going to invent the plugin for 4D so it works on FCP 5.04 software.

But joking aside, there are some movies -- as you know -- that should be done in 3D. Although, my wife showed me a small article in today's Sunday LA Times newspaper that talked about the damage bad 3D can do to one. So what you said is corroborated again. Some theaters aren't providing the gray screen but using the white screens, which apparently are the culprit. Also something about the left eye and the right eye alternately seeing one image at a time -- darker display and jittery images.

I think that there is a 3D process that is done by polarizing filters -- another way of doing 3D, and polarizing filters should be okay to use. I remember using polarizing glasses to watch a 3D movie a long, long time ago. I don't remember what it was.

Isn't there hologram 3D technology as well?

There are also all these 3D TV commercials. They show a stingray floating in someone's living room. LOL. What's all that about?

>They show a stingray floating in someone's living room. LOL. What's all that about?

Stingrays?



www.strypesinpost.com

strypes, the commercial for Samsung 3D TV shows fish (I think it's a sting ray) that comes out of the TV screen a floats into some living room.

Are 3D TVs going to show us big 3D effects like that?

Why don't you ask the manufacturers instead of a Final Cut Pro Troubleshooting forum?

[www.samsung.com]

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

spaseebah, gaspadin morelli for the info. LOL I enjoyed the Samsung website.

The Samsung TV converts 2D movie to 3D movies on the fly; I don't even have to make my movies into 3D! I was quoted by a Chinese company $1.6 million to convert a 2D movie into 3D. But I think that's a bit more involved -- I don't know anymore; the technology is moving faster than my Mojo.LOL

Samsung TV promo

There is the image I was telling you about, strypes.

Your image is too large and has been removed. Please do not post images larger that 800 pixels wide. If you have an image more than 800 pixels across, post a link to it.

Thank you.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

oh, ok. i will do that next time

just wanted to know if these 3D TVs were different in the way they do 3D

it seems that they're not using green and red gels for the glasses but polarising glasses

polarizers should not produce headaches and such -- right?

Kind of off-topic, but here's a good introductory article about this stuff...

Why I Hate 3D by Roger Ebert

Of course, there are lots of more technical articles about this stuff in American Cinematographer and other sources...


-Dave

P.S. - I can only imagine seeing ads on 3D TV (native or with glasses)... mostly likely they will have products jumping out at you, as if most ads aren't bad enough already... no thanks...

Quote

polarizers should not produce headaches and such -- right?

It actually depends a lot on the individual and also how the 3D material is put together - badly shot, synced or footage that doesn't converge properly can cause all kinds of nasty feelings.

3D is such a massively complex filming and post technique!

---

Regarding 3D displays:

I felt the Samsung and more so the JVC 3D TVs were the best consumer screens I saw at NAB. I Actually seriously disliked the Panasonic 3D and was giving my girlfriend and I serious eye-strain.

This is may well be because the footage was not properly shot/posted; so when I get the chance I will revisit the Pany shop and check the new 3D demo-reel.

---

"here's a good introductory article"

When an article starts...

"Why I Hate 3-D (and You Should Too)
I'm not opposed to 3-D as an option. I'm opposed to it as a way of life."

...then you should realise immediately that this is not an "introductory article" but rather it is a rant that is probably from a Journalist trying to get attention.

Roger Ebert's article actually doesn't do anything more than pick up on a few misconceptions and blow up the issues related to bad eye-sight (or mental health) or poorly aligned screens.

Number 3 for instance is totally wrong and Avatar uses many different DoF's.

These screenshots show the shallow DoF in Avatar:
[www.filmofilia.com]
[meimi132.files.wordpress.com]

Avatar when viewed on Real-D doesn't suffer from any of the issues or film-making gripes mentioned in the article - on IMAX however I had a very different experience but thats because the IMAX projection was not set up correctly.


Roger does however pick up quite well on the fact that ultimately IT IS another money mill - well thats capitalism guys! If it wasn't then we'd all be in the fields or hunting for food rather than sitting here on the Mac conversing over the wires! Get used to it and get over it. But obviously keep an eye on it so they don't get out of hand!

Number 9 - What a load of tosh! Trying to make the list of technical advances sound like a bad thing? Hack! Let's break down his idiocy right here (for those reading in emotionally inhibited browsers the following will be presented in HTMLSarcasm5 where available):

"SOUND" - yes I wholeheartedly agree that sound was a gimmick lets go back to Chaplin...

"COLOR" - I'm one of the "1 in 10" men that can't see colour properly so the industry should not cater for those that can see 3D errr I mean colour...

"WIDESCREEN" - Ok HTMLSarcasm5 code error 367 - sorry I can't actually say anything to this as this guy has now gone too far and needs to be on controlled medication.

"CINERAMA" - Ok I'll agree this was a knee-jerk reaction to TV but it pushed boundaries of film and on the curved screen (I was lucky enough to see a Cinerama film as a kid) was really cool.

"3-D" - SHUT UP COLORBLIND MAN

"STEREOPHONIC SOUND" - Give me a break PLEASE....

"AND NOW 3-D AGAIN" - I give up...


Let us get back on track and away from Tabloid Journalists who run their "money-mill" on scaremongering and sensationalising (damn hypocrites).

So when I read "here's a good introductory article" I think Dave meant to say...


"If you want a basic overview of the terminology et al, have a read of Tim Dashwood's article on 3D in the SuperMag..."

You can download the 315 page beast for free here: [supermeet.com]

Page 188 Shooting Stereoscopic 3D ? A Beginners Guide by Tim Dashwood


PS: I'm not colourblind at all in fact I have perfect vision (luckily) that was just sarcasm... no really it was... and I do agree with Roger Ebert that faux3D or 2D-3D is usually awful! Do it right or don't do it at all!



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Noise Industries has a 3D plug in from a company called Dashwood Cinema Solutions Stereo 3D. I have never tried to use it but it is there.
Steve Douglas

steve-sharksdelight