IDF: Intel and DreamWorks Tackle 3D Movies

Attendees of IDF this year were treated to a demonstration of Intel’s and DreamWorks’ current partnership in 3D movie making

Intel it seems is hard at work pushing for the 3D viewing experience in cinema, and potentially the home, as it demonstrated current capabilities to an audience on Day 2 of IDF. In partnership with DreamWorks, Intel’s newly announced INTRU3D technology will help aid filmmakers and animators by providing them with the tools needed to produce cutting edge 3D films and videos. By 2009, all of DreamWorks’ animated movies will apparently be authored and available in 3D.

Clips from the movie Kung Fu Panda and upcoming movie Monsters vs Aliens, out March 27th, were shown on a large projector screen in 3D to the IDF audience. Though unable to be shown here for obvious reasons, the general description of the 3D viewing experience people described was very cool and very beautiful. While still not a perfect experience, as some mild ghosting was apparently seen in areas of sharp contrast and they still make you wear glasses, it was worlds apart better than the 3D movies of the 1950’s.

There are around 5,500 cinemas already featuring these 3D capabilities, a technology called Real D CINEMA. Though Intel seems intent on pushing this 3D viewing experience into also our homes, schools, and devices, having to still wear glasses to witness the effect may put a damper on that hope. This could be great news for the movie industry though, as it could give consumers a desire once again to head out to cinemas to experience something fun they couldn’t do at home. Innovation, Intel’s help, and some good movies to go along with it could be just what the movie theater industry needs to grow in the coming decades.

For those interested, Real D CINEMA works by using a single projector to project alternating images for both the left and right eye onto a screen. These images have been circularly polarized, with the images intended for the left and right eye polarized oppositely. The audience also wears a pair of circularly polarized glasses, with each lens also polarized oppositely. The projector is of high resolution and has a very high frame rate, for reduced motion blur, flicker, and ghosting. The effect from this is one that gives the image great depth that can be quite astonishing.

More details on Intel’s INTRU3D are not yet available, but could Intel’s Larrabee be playing a part in it all?