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Monsters vs. Aliens: DreamWorks' Katzenberg shows DVICE 3D filmmaking has arrived
When DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg invited us to see the tech behind his studio's Monsters vs. Aliens debuting in theaters today, we didn't think we'd be impressed by the 3D movie. We've been highly skeptical of the 3D push on the part of DreamWorks and several other Hollywood studios lately, and we called it "a gimmick" and "an attempt of movie studios to extract even more money out of the hands of moviegoers."
After seeing the 3D film in an advance screening for the press, we still think 3D movies are a gimmick and an extra profit center for studios, but you know what? We were also blown away with 3D. That's right, this movie has changed our minds about the much-hyped 3D moviemaking and screening process. Even though you still have to wear the glasses that are blue on one eye and red on the other, it's an astounding effect that's improved drastically over previous iterations.
Hit the jump for our detailed impressions of the new 3D.
From the first moment of the film, when a guy smacks a paddleball right into our faces, we knew we were watching something special. We fully realized this 3D effect had worked its magic on us when a character in Monsters vs. Aliens was pictured standing in the foreground, but we thought someone in the audience had stood up in front of us. For an instant, we had forgotten the movie was in 3D and felt immersed in the action. No more cross-eyed weirdness — even though we were watching an animated movie, this felt real. It was the most impressive 3-D imagery we've ever seen.
The tech to make such a flick is equally impressive. DreamWorks artists told us there were over 9,000 processor cores used to render Monsters vs. Aliens, using 45.6 million hours of computer time to get the work done, with 15 million hours spent on just one character (Bob, for those who have seen the flick). They told us the shot where the alien mother ship was destroyed took up 6TB alone. And for that 3D projection, it all had to be created twice, once for the right eye, and another for the left.
Although the DreamWorks Animation artists get their work done on a vast campus that we toured today, the data processing for the film was done in a 3,500-square-foot data center (which they wouldn't let us photograph), packed with hundreds of blade computers running the Unix-based Linux operating system. Keeping it all cool and running 24/7 is an achievement in itself, for which DreamWorks engineers say the U.S. Department of Energy commended them for their uncanny efficiency.
Monsters vs. Aliens was created in Intel-driven Intru3D (pronounced "in true 3D"), and displayed to the press in the DreamWorks screening room using Dolby 3D Digital Cinema. No question about it — these were ideal conditions. DreamWorks also demonstrated the technique on a 42-inch LCD display in the theater lobby, with equally convincing results.
What a show! This 3D technology has arrived, and for those who love child-like animated features, Monsters vs. Aliens is worth seeing, even at those inflated 3D prices. Even if you don't care for that genre of film, you'll want to see this new approach to 3D moviemaking for yourself. It's a breakthrough that convinced us that 3D movies have finally arrived.
By Antao at 6:14 AM ON 03/27/09
If you watched the movie on a theater, I bet the glasses had transparent polarized lenses.
Colored lenses (anaglyph) are only used when watching on regular TV screens.
By Anonymous at 10:41 AM ON 03/27/09
coloured lenses don't work on me, since I have colour vision deficiency, and for me red is a really dark colour. when I put coloured glasses on, I almost don't see out of my left eye.
Considering that 10% of males a colour vision deficiency, a lot of people could have similar problems to me.
By Lexomatic at 9:39 PM ON 03/29/09
Specifically, the movie was *authored* with the Intel InTru(tm) 3D environment, but is being *projected* with technology by RealD. RealD makes products with several techniques, but the one in wide cinema deployment uses circular polarization (no color tint) at 6x overspeed (requiring a digital projector at 144 fps) (so no flicker).
Given the wide confusion on this point, DVICE may want to put a parenthetical explanation on every article mentioning 3D cinema. Then maybe people won't say "yuck" based on a misperception, and can judget the new tech on its own merits.
By Anonymous at 11:14 AM ON 04/02/09
"Even though you still have to wear the glasses that are blue on one eye and red on the other..."
That is completely inaccurate and I would think DVICE would know better. Anaglyphic (red/blue) 3D is pretty rare these days. As Antao pointed out, the only place you're likely to see it is on a television.
In theaters, you're going to find some variation of 3D technology that uses clear polarized lenses, rather than the old school, headache-inducing red/blue lenses.
By Charlie White at 1:23 PM ON 04/02/09
@anonymous: while I'm impressed with your technical knowledge, I was there, and put on a pair of glasses that were blue in one eye and red in the other. However rare you say that is, it's what was used in the DreamWorks screening room that night.
By anonymous at 11:19 PM ON 04/02/09
> Even though you still have to wear the glasses that are blue on one eye and red on the other...
That's bullcrap. DVICE: you lie, and you suck.
I don't care if they gave you red/blue glasses. There is NO WAY those are going to be used. There is NO WAY red/blue filters are going to give you a realistic 3D effect. The company was probably trying to fool you by hiding LCD shutters behind red/blue filters, so you wouldn't be able to give away any intellectual property rights.
By quoll at 10:51 AM ON 04/03/09
I took my 5yo son (he's quite big, and is the size of an average 7yo) to watch this last weekend. The theater gave everyone one-size-fits-all glasses which don't even come close to staying on him. We had to get a refund and watch it in 2D instead.
If these films are aimed at kids, then why aren't they providing the ability for kids to watch them?
By Charlie White at 7:21 PM ON 04/06/09
@anonymous: you're apparently not familiar with the Dolby 3D Digital Cinema glasses. They are not clear polarized lenses, nor are they "LCD shutters behind red/blue filters." They cost around $60 apiece, so you probably won't see them in theaters. And yes, they do look red in one eye and a bluish/green cyan color in the other. See this picture for yourself (sorry, it's a pdf). http://www.dolby.com/uploadedFiles/zz-_Shared_Assets/English_PDFs/Professional/Dolby_3D_Digital_Cinema.pdf
By 3DInformer at 4:53 PM ON 04/14/09
@ charlie and @ anonymous: The Dolby 3D Glasses are high-performance, eco-friendly passive glasses that use color interference technology licensed from INFITEC. The glasses deliver a full spectrum that sync with a color filter wheel in the projector alternating LR eye to give the 3D effect. If you look through them they may have a RGB effect but they are not anaglyph.
The Dolby 3D system is used in about 1000 commercial theatres globally and do not cost the exhibitor $60 a pair but $27.50 see here: http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/news/digital-cinema/e3i26351dac86d890151dcc8c3bd1478660
They recently announced a buy one get one free promo in time for UP: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS131897+01-Apr-2009+BW20090401
With that said, what I find interesting is all the promo DW has been doing with RealD but as DVICE points out they use the Dolby 3D system in its studio screening room.
By Captain3D at 2:49 PM ON 04/15/09
Hi All
I am Phil McNally the Stereoscopic Supervisor at Dreamworks Animation. Monster vs Aliens has never been screened with glasses "that are blue on one eye and red on the other".
We have several screening rooms at DWA the main theater uses the Dolby 3D system. Other rooms use the Reald system. Both systems provide full color 3D to each eye.
The confusion may come from the way Dolby glasses encode the light. If you look at the shadow of light passing through the lenses the shadows can display a red/green tint but looking through the glasses while watching the movie you do not see the color problems associated with the 80's stlye 3D red/cyan paper glasses.
So to be absolutely clear. Monsters vs Aliens is only projected using full color 3D systems which include Reald, Dolby, Imax digital, Imax film, Xpand (shutter glasses)
and they all look fantastic ;-)
cheers...phil
By Charlie White at 11:47 PM ON 04/15/09
@Captain3D: Thanks for your info! I stand corrected. I'm sorry. I got that wrong, and I've corrected the post to reflect that there are indeed no blue and red lenses in the 3D glasses.
Those lenses cast some odd colors and shadows, and I appreciate your explanation of how they really work.
And you're right, the movie's colors were accurate, and the 3D experience was magnificent. It was much better than any I've ever seen.
By Captain3D at 3:34 AM ON 04/16/09
Thanks Charlie. Glad you enjoyed the show
phil
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Captain3D:
Thanks Charlie. Glad you enjoyed the show phil...More »