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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Digital Cinema Forum   » Is digital 3D possible at a drive-in? (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Is digital 3D possible at a drive-in?
James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

- posted 07-27-2010 02:44 AM      Profile for James Westbrook   Email James Westbrook   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One of my fellow managers and I were knocking this around Monday night.
We came up with several potential problems:
1. Screen surfaces. The Spud Drive-in in Idaho recently went digital 2D with a screen surface which is best described as "quilt-like". I would think the owners, who claimed they are going to be able to run 3D in the future, would have to use Dolby 3D as that format does not require silver screens. Or does that really matter here?
If they chose this format, they will have fun getting the 3D glasses back from the customers.
2. Windshields. They are all different. Some people will have better 3D results than others. Some will have to watch the movie outside of their vehicles.
3. That picture is gonna be dark.
I'm wondering what some of the more knowledgeable techs think.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

- posted 07-27-2010 03:41 AM      Profile for Monte L Fullmer   Email Monte L Fullmer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
If they chose this format, they will have fun getting the 3D glasses back from the customers.

That picture is gonna be dark.

they could capture dr. licenses in exhange for glasses rental. Then, return the glasses for their licenses.

They're running a BARCO out there and if they got the big one, that unit can run a 7k bulb in it.

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Stephen Furley
Film God

Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002

- posted 07-27-2010 03:44 AM      Profile for Stephen Furley   Email Stephen Furley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: James Westbrook
One of my fellow managers and I were knocking this around Monday night.
We came up with several potential problems:
1. Screen surfaces. The Spud Drive-in in Idaho recently went digital 2D with a screen surface which is best described as "quilt-like". I would think the owners, who claimed they are going to be able to run 3D in the future, would have to use Dolby 3D as that format does not require silver screens. Or does that really matter here?
If they chose this format, they will have fun getting the 3D glasses back from the customers.
Dolby 3-D does not rely on polarised light, and so should, in theory, work with whatever this screen surface is, but it also has a higher light loss than most other systems. Given the difficulty in getting enough light on a drive in screen even for a 2-D show, I think this would be a serious issue here.

quote: James Westbrook
2. Windshields. They are all different. Some people will have better 3D results than others. Some will have to watch the movie outside of their vehicles.
Stresses in materials affect polarisation of light, they can be dectected by viewing between crossed polaroids, so toughened glass would be a problem with these systems; I'm not sure about laminated. With Dolby tinted windshields might be a problem, and of course would lose even more light.

quote: James Westbrook
3. That picture is gonna be dark.
I'm wondering what some of the more knowledgeable techs think.
Very dark, I think. The newer digital projectors do seem to put more light on the screen per Watt than 35mm but I think it's going to be very difficult to get a reasonable looking picture.

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

- posted 07-27-2010 04:26 AM      Profile for James Westbrook   Email James Westbrook   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Monte,
Driver's licenses. Of course. I forgot about that.
That resolves the glasses return...drive-ins probably had to do that with the plug-in in-car heaters they rented out years and years ago in the winter time...
Stephen,
We are both thinking along the same lines regarding windshields, especially with the tinting, laminations, curving...the customer would likely have to leave their vehicle to get a decent 3D effect.
I'm just not seeing digital 3D being viable at a drive-in. 7K lamp, 2 projectors stacked...even with that there are just too many obstacles to proper 3D presentation.
What about some other type of outdoor venue? The "movies in a grassy park on some inflatable screen" type of event? That would eliminate the windshield...

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Tom Bert
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 134
From: Belgium
Registered: Apr 2010

- posted 07-27-2010 09:25 AM      Profile for Tom Bert   Email Tom Bert   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
"especially with the tinting, laminations, curving"

I think the only difference between digital Dolby 3D in a drive-in and "standard" 2D in a drive-in will be the tinting. If curving of laminations would have an effect, it would be the same in non-3D setups.

Tinting in front car windows is always gentle (I suppose the law doesn't allow you driving with e.g. purple haze ;-)): impact on Dolby filter should be minimal... at least not perceivable

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

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From: prospect ky usa
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- posted 07-27-2010 09:57 AM      Profile for Louis Bornwasser   Author's Homepage   Email Louis Bornwasser   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think this was covered best at the UDITOA meeting last year. Everything mentioned above was also mentioned there.

I think the tempered glass on windshields is a major problem, since it prohibits 3D in-a-car. Likewise, the light losses (of any 3D process) effectively eliminates any 3D before late night. (Notice that most if not all 3D is oriented towards kids.)

The Dolby process fixes the screen problem, but creats another since it is very inefficient.

Maybe someone should do this as a test (at no risk to the theatre owner.) Louis

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

- posted 07-30-2010 11:07 AM      Profile for Mark Hajducki   Email Mark Hajducki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: James Westbrook
What about some other type of outdoor venue? The "movies in a grassy park on some inflatable screen" type of event? That would eliminate the windshield...
This would only work in a formal, ticketed admission situation (where people can collect/return glasses), not for a more informal drop in show (funded by sponsorship etc.)

Again Dolby (or active glasses) would have to be used unless somebody can make a very robust silver screen (capable withstanding outdoor usage, and being folded up for transport).

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Scott Norwood
Film God

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From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 07-30-2010 01:32 PM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Does polarized 3D work on rear-projection screens? If so, that may be an option for a "movies-in-the-park" show.

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Cameron Glendinning
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia
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- posted 07-31-2010 07:39 PM      Profile for Cameron Glendinning   Email Cameron Glendinning   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Outdoor 3D has already been done on the inflatable screen in New York a few weeks ago, the artical mentions Real D

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
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- posted 08-01-2010 01:30 AM      Profile for James Westbrook   Email James Westbrook   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
To quote Jamie and Adam, we now know it's possible.
(Jamie and Adam are the Mythbusters, by the way.)

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

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From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
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- posted 08-02-2010 02:13 AM      Profile for Jack Ondracek   Author's Homepage   Email Jack Ondracek   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Cameron Glendinning
Outdoor 3D has already been done on the inflatable screen in New York a few weeks ago, the artical mentions Real D
OK... but was the audience outside, or sitting in their cars? As Louis indicates, the problem isn't whether outdoor 3D can be done, but what a car's windshield would do to the polarization. Unless you're in California, most drive-ins might have a problem with that.

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

- posted 08-02-2010 02:42 AM      Profile for James Westbrook   Email James Westbrook   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Louis also pointed out that the 3D movie would have to start really late at a drive-in, which would relegate it to horror fare as opposed to kid movies.
It may be doable on paper and by theory, and possible in a park, but the car windshields, almost all being different, some cleaner than others, some tinted more than others, would have the likelihood of causing grief amongst customers (and staff.)

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Tom Bert
Expert Film Handler

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From: Belgium
Registered: Apr 2010

- posted 08-02-2010 05:10 AM      Profile for Tom Bert   Email Tom Bert   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
"Does polarized 3D work on rear-projection screens? If so, that may be an option for a "movies-in-the-park" show. "

I've never seen polarised 3D in rear-projection; typically time-sequential (Xpand) is used.

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Ian Parfrey
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From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E
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- posted 08-02-2010 05:41 AM      Profile for Ian Parfrey   Email Ian Parfrey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
With the screen sizes, throws and screen/patron distances involved, and assuming a reasonably bright post polariser image would not be of sufficient size to give a worthwhile 3D effect anyway.
3D works in a hardtop because of the much shorter viewing distance to the screen and the corresponding wider field of view that is covered which "immerses" the viewer in the action and 3D effects.

This just doesn't happen in the majority of Drive In Theatres.

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Todd McCracken
Master Film Handler

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From: Northridge, CA, USA
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- posted 08-02-2010 07:23 AM      Profile for Todd McCracken     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes it would work, however I think that it wont be until laser projectors come into their own when you will see a return to outdoor venues in numbers.

I cant wait [Smile]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_video_projector

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