James Cameron's State of the Union address

[Richard W]

www.dlpcinema.com.


Q&A WITH JAMES CAMERON ON 3D DIGITAL CINEMA

SHOWEST 2005
Courtesy Texas Instruments DLP Cinema

Q. What are the key 3D terms/developments (technical and non-technical) that will impact moviegoers?

Cameron: The recent advances in digital image capture, post-processing and projection have enabled new stereoscopic technologies which were never possible before. When we were shooting 3D on film, the cameras were bulky and unsophisticated, producing stereo images which created a lot of eyestrain.* The new digital camera systems eliminate this. Concurrent advances in digital post-processing of the stereo images allow us to create a nearly perfect 3D visual experience. So 3D film-making has gone through a renaissance in the last 5 years, and a number of major film-makers are now making or planning to make films in stereo. The next big breakthrough will ride on the coat-tales of the rollout of digital cinemas. The new digital projectors, like the 2K DLP Cinema projectors, can be inexpensively upgraded to produce a high quality stereo image. This could enable a true revolution in the way we experience movies. With these new projectors literally thousands of theaters will be able to exhibit bright, clear, powerful 3D movies by A-list film-makers. The sky is the limit for this new market.

Q. What is the best possible 3D presentation environment/experience (i.e. silver screen, active glasses, etc.)?

Cameron: The 2K DLP Cinema projectors can be configured to display 3D in several different ways. For small to medium screens, a single projector can be fitted with an LCD filter which allows viewing with cheap disposable “passive” polarized glasses. This system requires replacement of the matte-white screen with a silvered high-grain screen. (NOTE: 2D movies play fine on these screens, contrary to a popular urban myth among theater owners.) OR you can use “active” LCD glasses and no silver screen. With the lower price point of these LCD glasses manufactured in large numbers, it is likely that this will be nearly a wash in cost. For larger screens, it will require two projectors to produce the light levels required for a good stereo experience. Again, either active or passive systems can be used. In all these cases the 3D will be a very high quality. The highest quality 3D experience would be available with dual 2K projectors running at 48 frames per second. This is possible with current technology.
The only system which is NOT recommended is the anaglyph process which has been used for some recent releases in 35mm. This uses the red/blue glasses and produces a very poor 3D experience.*

Q. Where will 3D advance to in 2005?

Cameron: Over the next two years as 2K DLP Cinema projectors are installed in masse around the country, we will have the opportunity to see hundreds, ultimately thousands of screens converting to 3D. If the content is there to drive it, this will produce a revolution in cinema exhibition. A film like “Polar Express,” which made 30% of its revenue on 2% of its screens in IMAX 3D, will be able to play in 3D on orders of magnitude more screens, with resulting huge increases in profitability. As digital projection becomes ubiquitous in the next 5-7 years, there will be thousands of 3D screens, penetrating every regional market in North America, and Hollywood tent-pole films can regularly be made in this format.

Q. What is the roadmap for mainstream exhibitors to create 3D-capable theaters (i.e. new projectors, glasses, etc.)?

Cameron: SMPTE is currently studying the requirements and specifications for high quality 3D projection using digital cinema projectors. Their preliminary conclusion is that very little change to the DCI specification is required to achieve viable digital 3D projection using the existing technology for the digital cinema rollout. It’s my belief that if we want this to happen, we can make it happen relatively inexpensively, and in a manner which is cash positive on the first 3D mainstream titles, assuming they are high profile films. To that end, I have decided to make my next feature, which is a science fiction epic with lots of action and hopefully high commercial upside, as a 3D film, to help drive the acceptance and deployment of 3D digital cinema.

Exhibitors who are converting to digital, or contemplating doing so, will need to work with the studios producing the first high profile 3D films to determine who will fund the 3D equipment. This will likely also depend on the decisions made about the ownership of the underlying DLP Cinema projectors.

Each digital projection “screen” will have a DLP Cinema projector and a server. For 3D, that server will need to be upgraded to a dual channel server. In addition, that theater will need either a silver screen and LCD fitter for the projector, or a set of reusable LCD glasses. This overall upgrade should cost between 10 and 15 thousand dollars over the base cost of the digital projection unit.

Business models need to be created to determine if ticket prices should be higher in 3D theaters. Initially the 3D movies will also be released in 2D, on both 35mm and digital screens. In digital multiplexes, the same film may even play in 2D and 3D in the same complex. Smarter business minds than mine will need to look at the special marketing issues of 3D, and the relationship between the 2D and 3D releases of a given film (Day and date? Platform in 3D, then go wide in 2D? etc.)

What is clear to me after studying the technical issues for 5 years now, is that there are absolutely no roadblocks to creating a new cinema experience on a wide scale, potentially equivalent in impact to the change from silent to sound, or black and white to color.

I see this “3D Renaissance” as a hedge against erosion of theatrical revenues by piracy and HD home viewing. The 3D experience will only be available in theaters, in the early years until the consumer electronics industry catches up, and pirated content will not be available in 3D.

Q. What is the role of digital projection in optimizing the 3D audience experience?

Cameron: Film projectors are limited in frame rate. 24 frames per second. Digital projectors can run at much higher frame rates – 96 or even 120 frames per second.* This allows a single projector, projecting through a single lens, to project a stereo image. The way it’s done is that the left-eye image is displayed for a 96th of a second, then the right-eye image of the same frame, then the left-eye again, the right again – this is called “double flash” – the double flashing of both left and right eyes. This requires a 96 hertz display rate.* But the upshot is that you can use one projector and one lens to show 3D.* For dual projector systems on the larger screens, the two digital projectors can be synchronized to a very high accuracy, and can be fed out of a dual channel server for perfect synch. This insures that the stereo presentation will always look perfect. 35mm stereo “over-under” projection is dark, not very sharp, and highly susceptible to being “out of frame” causing the left and right eyes to be reversed… which has a catastrophic effect on the viewing experience.* Most people associate the “discomfort” of 3D with the glasses, but it is caused by bad stereo photography, and bad stereo projection. Currently, the only wide scale way to show 3D in theaters is using the anaglyph method, which is horrendous in image quality, and has contributed to the “ghettoization” of 3D.*

With digital 3D projection, we will be entering a new age of cinema. Audiences will be seeing something which was never technically possible before the age of digital cinema – a stunning visual experience which “turbocharges” the viewing of the biggest, must-see movies. The biggest action, visual effects and fantasy movies will soon be shot in 3D. And all-CG animated films can easily be converted to 3D, without additional cost if it is done as they are made. Soon audiences will associate 3D with the highest level of visual content in the market, and seek out that premium experience. The theater owners who do not have this capability will be envious iof those who do.

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March 17, 2005 (Las Vegas) – Today at ShoWest, Texas Instruments DLP Cinema unvield their prototype 3D product. The images were shown on a 48-foot white matte screen, and projected on a Christie CP 2000 DLP Cinema projector with a Dolby surround sound system. Doug Darrow, Business Development Manager for TI DLP Cinema hosted, with filmmakers George Lucas, James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, Robert Rodriguez and Randall Kleiser in attendance.

George Lucas and James Cameron each introduced a collection of clips during the presentation. The first, introduced by Lucas, showcased the 2D to 3D conversion process perfected by In-Three. 2D to 3D conversion clips introduced by Lucas included the speeder chase from “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” Tony Scott’s “Top Gun,” Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch” and the entire first reel of “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.” The 3D conversions were spectacular, but even wearing the streamlined LCD glasses, ghosting occurred. Regardless this minor issue, Lucas feels that this 3D digital conversion actually outshines the original film. According to Lucas, a number of demos have been made to his company over the past 20 years by various companies, but In-Three’s was the first one to meet his standards. Lucas is planning to release his entire Star Wars saga in 3D for the 30th anniversary in 2007.

Lucas has been pushing digital solutions for almost eight years. According to the filmmaker, the more he’s used digital solutions, the more advantages he has encountered and the more possibilities he has discovered. Because 30-40% of films today utilize a digital negative, the preparation of films for digital cinema will be cost efficient. The advantages of a digital presentation are the lack of weave due to sprockets, scratches and tears. Whereas a film print degrades the more it is shown, a digital print retains its pristine condition.

After Lucas, Cameron introduced a selection of clips showcasing how digital 3D projection disregards the way the film was shot. Cameron’s montage consisted of clips from his 3D features “Ghosts of the Abyss” and “Aliens of the Deep,” both filmed with a combination of a 3D digital rig and CGI; Cameron’s “Terminator 2: 3D” from Universal Studios Theme Parks, shot on 5perf/65mm; Robert Rodriguez’ “Spy Kids 3D,” a hybrid of live action and CGI; CGI clips form Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” films (following up Jackson’s appearance in 3D during the Lucas portion of the presentation, where Jackson lends his support to the new technology with his ultimate goal being hobbits in 3D); and Robert Zemeckis’ “The Polar Express,” filmed with performance capture and starring virtual characters. “Ghosts,” “Aliens,” and “Polar” have all been screened in 3D on IMAX screens, but this was the first 3D digital screening of scenes from “Spy Kids” utilizing polarized lenses which allowed for a full-color image and completely impressed its director, Rodriguez.

Cameron noted that we now exist in a production world where all parts of production (filming, post, CGI) are digital, and where, with digital projection, it’s possible for a movie to live its entire existence without seeing a single sprocket. This results in the most perfect 3D image possible. According to Cameron, the specs for 3D projection are outlined in the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) specs (this statement contradicts what Charles Swarz of USC’s Entertainment Technology Center stated at an earlier ShoWest presentation). Cameron said that 3D is currently available only in the IMAX format. He wants 3D to be available in every multiplex, pointing out that the IMAX version of “The Polar Express” grossed $45 million, meaning that 35% of the film’s revenue came from only 2% of its screens. By increasing the number of 3D screens available, distributors and exhibitors can drastically increase profit through offering a premium product. Cameron noted logistical issues regarding distribution still need to be overcome, such as whether 3D will be a day-and-date release with its 2D counterpart or if it will be released a few weeks prior. It’s also not certain if theaters will charge a premium price for the 3D product.

Each filmmaker continues his support of IMAX and IMAX 3D. Cameron noted that, to date, only 16 IMAX films have been released in 3D. He believes that by now IMAX should have thousands of 3D releases, but the venues are not there, much like he believes that by now there should be thousands of venues for digital projection. Additionally Cameron asserted that digital cinema will not act as competition to IMAX, but rather compliment it by providing more product for IMAX 3D. Audiences are looking for a premium theater experience, and all five filmmakers feel that, with its larger screen, IMAX provides that experience.

Lucas, Cameron, Zemeckis, Rodriguez and Kleiser embrace this new 3D technology. Kleiser, who directed “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” for Disney’s theme parks discussed seeing In-Three’s demonstration of 2D to 3D conversion for classic films, including “Gone with the Wind” and his own film “Grease.” As previously mentioned, Lucas is scheduling a 3D conversion of all six Star Wars films for Summer 2007, which Cameron noted would put them up against his own 3D feature, “Battle Angel.” In addition to wanting to convert “From Dusk to Dawn” to 3D, his original desire, Rodriguez has a 3D family film, “Shark Boy and Lava Girl,” scheduled for release this summer, and Zemeckis has two 3D productions in the works. Lucas also mentioned that he wants the fourth Indiana Jones film to be made in 3D, but first must turn Steven Spielberg to the 3D side of The Force.

Article © 2005 Joseph L. Kleiman andAmanda Gardner.