Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

3D Media

2015; Laval University; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0162

1920-7344

Doris Baltruschat,

3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage

Media content can now be experienced on various “screens,” be it in traditional theater space, at home, or in transit via digital distribution platforms like the Internet and mobile and virtual reality devices. With recent innovations in 3D, media applications now have added another dimension to their digital-convergent universe. However, it may be surprising to learn that stereoscopic imaging and more recent 3D innovations (especially in 3D animation) precede the development of 2D cinema and television. Discovered in 1838, 3D arrived nearly fifty years before conventional cinema made its first mark at the turn of the 20th century. Stereoscopic still images, depicting nature scenes and historic sites, highlight the popularity of this early form of 3D entertainment. In the 1950s, the “golden age” of 3D entertainment arrived with films such as Bwana Devil (1952) and Kiss Me Kate (1953). However, audience fascination with the third dimension soon dimmed due to poor production values, bad scripts, and 3D technology being used mostly for a few surprise effects. 3D cinema experienced a brief revival in the 1980s with blockbuster hits like Jaws 3D (1983), only to fade into the background again for another three decades. This all changed with the arrival of the new generation of 3D films such as Avatar (2010). Indeed, 2010 marked a new era in 3D media with the standardization of 3D technologies and the dramatic increase of 3D movies in the cinema, which were then released on 3D Blu-ray to be enjoyed at home around the 3D television set. To date, 3D has advanced beyond traditional stereoscopic imaging to embrace innovations, especially with regard to 3D capture and display technologies. Additional differences between previous eras of stereoscopic entertainment and the current 3D renaissance is that the technology is now being rolled out across media platforms, from large cinema screens to television sets, game consoles, the Internet, and the mobile phone. Thus, this new era of digital 3D must be seen within the context of 3D entertainment across the field, from increasing 3D film production to event programing (e.g., 2012 Olympics) and the use of new 3D technologies to create virtual online worlds, as in “machinima.” 3D media also play an increasing role in education, the sciences, and the arts. Many books and articles exist on the history and technological evolution of 3D media. However, the implications for aesthetic and narrative development through the use of 3D are only gradually emerging, as are research studies on virtual 3D worlds and their impact on social relations, online communities, organizational development, and society.