The , a one-of-a-kind gathering of experts in stereoscopic 3D art and entertainment, takes place in Toronto June 11 to 14. Major figures from the USA, UK, Russia, Germany and Canada will convene at TIFF Bell Lightbox to address and analyze the latest developments in the field.

Speakers include renowned German director , Irish director and U2 stage designer , , co-founder of IMAX and leading international film historian .聽 Minister , will deliver remarks.

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is organized by the (3D FLIC) and researchers from 91亚色, including the . Bridging academia and industry, the event is designed to create dynamic synergies to funnel cutting-edge research into 3D production and best practices, to continue to improve the stereo 3D experience and respond to the growing audience appetite for 3D entertainment across all platforms.

Saturday, June 11
What: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Official opening night of the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference

When: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 5pm (Please arrive 1 hour early for sound feed)

Where:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cinema 2, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto

Remarks:

• Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director
• , Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91亚色
• James Weyman, Manager of Industry Initiatives, Ontario Media Development Corporation
• Awad introduces Ali Kazimi, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91亚色
• Kazimi presents German filmmaker and keynote speaker Wim Wenders

5:30pm Keynote address by Wim Wenders, titled 鈥淥n PINA鈥�

Sunday, June 12
What: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference, remarks by Honourable聽 Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism & Culture.

When: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 10am (Please arrive 1 hour early for sound feed)

Where:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cinema 2, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto

Remarks:

• Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director
• Nell Tenhaaf, Professor of Visual Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91亚色
• Honourable Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Tourism & Culture
• Tenhaaf introduces Bill White, partner, 3D Camera Company

10:30am Mini Keynote Canada鈥檚 lead on the Stereoscopic 3D World Stage

• Dr. Paul Salvini (CTO Side FX Software)
• Dr. Kevin Tuer (MD Canadian Digital Media Network)

For more details, see and a previous .

Artistic Direction and Organization Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director 91亚色; Professor Janine Marchessault, Canada Research Chair in Art, Digital Media and Globalization, 91亚色; and Sanja Obradovic, PHD Candidate Communication and Culture, Ryerson University/91亚色.

By Amy Stewart, publicist, Faculty of Fine Arts

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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If you鈥檙e working in 3D film or aerospace engineering, what impact do the latest developments in brain and vision research have on your industry鈥檚 practices? What if you鈥檙e drafting government policy on air quality control and need expertise in how the latest atmospheric chemistry and physics findings translate into plans and policy?

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at 91亚色 have new options to pursue the research and applied dimensions of these and other questions, thanks to $3.3 million in funding from the (NSERC).

httpv://youtu.be/OtRWua59EPU

The funding, provided through NSERC鈥檚 $29.6聽million investment over six years in the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Grants program, will support two new training programs in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, each valued at $1.65 million over the period.

Students and fellows enrolled in each program will gain experience in basic and applied research, along with the practical and professional skills needed to successfully transition to research careers in the academic, industry or government sectors.

Professor Hugh Wilson in the Faculty of Science & Engineering鈥檚 Department of Biology will lead the Vision Science and Applications program. Based in the internationally-recognized (CVR), the program focuses on vision-based information technologies that require optimal information displays to ensure accurate human interpretation of data are playing an increasingly important role in many economic sectors.

Key applications include:

• 3D digital media (e.g., 3D film, geographical databases, autocad systems)
• Aerospace (e.g., cockpit technologies, search-and-rescue)
• Face and scene analysis technologies (e.g., facial biometrics)
• Visual health and assessment technologies (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), perimetry)

The Vision Science and Applications team includes 25 researchers at seven international universities and 10 partner organizations, including , the and . At 91亚色, a total of 10 professors affiliated with CVR will lend their expertise to the project. The program will enrol four students in its first year and 16 students in each successive year.

Professors and in the Faculty of Science & Engineering鈥檚 Department of Chemistry will lead the Training Program for Integrating Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics from Earth to Space (IACPES) program. Jointly based in 91亚色鈥檚 (CAC) and the Centre for Research in Earth & Space Science (CRESS), the program鈥檚 interdisciplinary focus will give students an integrated understanding of atmospheric chemistry and physics from earth into space.

Key applications include:

• measuring and modelling atmospheric change
• examining air quality and health issues
• monitoring changes in the arctic atmosphere
• detecting sources of greenhouse gases
• measuring Earth鈥檚 changing atmosphere from space
• exploring and understanding other planets鈥� atmospheres
• developing the policy implications of atmospheric science

The IACPES team includes 11 applicants at six universities and 23 collaborators at 10 partner organizations, including , the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the (NOAA) in Boulder, Colo., several industries and two premier research institutes in Germany.聽The program will create 21 places for undergraduate students, master鈥檚 students, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in its first year, with over 200 places created over the successive five years.

httpv://youtu.be/6YlFv0Xd9no

鈥淏y securing two of only 18 projects awarded to universities across Canada, 91亚色 builds on its strong track record in leading large-scale, interdisciplinary collaborative research projects,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥�The programs will provide our innovative research centres 鈥� CVR, CRESS and CAC聽鈥� with a competitive advantage in attracting excellent graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who wish to pursue careers in the applications of vision science or atmospheric chemistry and physics. NSERC鈥檚 CREATE program strengthens the role of universities in training the highly-qualified people needed in today鈥檚 scientific knowledge economy.鈥�

鈥淣SERC鈥檚 CREATE Program helps graduating students become highly sought-after professional researchers in the natural sciences and engineering, both in Canada and abroad,鈥� said Suzanne聽Fortier, president of NSERC. 鈥淭he program not only helps improve the skill set of Canada鈥檚 next-generation of research talent, but it also helps to support their retention in the workforce.鈥�

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

The post NSERC awards 91亚色 research centres $3.3 million appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is organized by the 3D Film Innovation Consortium (3D FLIC), and researchers from 91亚色.

See the for start times, remarks and speakers.

Bridging academia and industry, the event is designed to create dynamic synergies to funnel cutting-edge research into 3D production and best practices, to continue to improve the stereo 3D experience and respond to the growing audience appetite for 3D entertainment across all platforms.

The conference will offer film and TV production companies, 3D practitioners and enthusiasts the opportunity for far-ranging discussions about contemporary challenges and possibilities in stereoscopic 3D. It will feature keynotes, panel discussions and presentations, with screenings and master classes rounding out the program.

Keynote presenters include renowned German director , who will discuss the creation of his 3D documentary , about the influential choreographer Pina Bausch; Irish director and stage designer Catherine Owen, who will share her experiences co-directing U23D, the first film shot in digital 3D; Graeme Ferguson, co-founder of IMAX and one of the filmmakers behinds some of its most successful films, and Thomas Elsaesser, renowned international film historian.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaB5Nc0XNOY&feature=player_embedded

The live-action nature drama Bugs, the science-fiction action blockbuster and , the IMAX exploration of the profound impact of the Hubble Space Telescope on the way we view the universe, will all be screened and聽introduced by their producers.

Panels include Stereography and Cinematography, Producing and Directing Stereo 3D, Expanding the Tool Set: Post-production and visual effects, Shooting for Conversion, Stereoscopic Perception and Cinema, History of Experiments in 3D Film and Photography, and many more.

All panels, presentations, keynotes and screenings will be held at the 350-seat 3D-capable cinema at TIFF Bell Lightbox, giving all speakers the possibility to show footage during their presentations.

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference runs immediately prior to , June 15聽to 19, allowing for synergies and exchanges between the two international events.

The conference is produced and presented by 3D FLIC and 91亚色.聽Presenting partners: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Graphics Animation and New Media (GRAND) NCE, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). Supporting partners: City of Toronto, Canadian Digital Media Network, Goethe Institute Toronto, IMAX, Cinespace Film Studios, 3D Camera Company, Creative Post, Studio SysAdmin and Geneva Films. Additional support from: FilmOntario and Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO). Master classes co-presented by TIFF Bell Lightbox.

A full聽conference pass is $180. Passes for students and seniors are聽$60. A day pass is $75, with student and senior聽day passes priced at $25.聽Tickets for the Wim Wenders master class are $25 each, and $15 for聽students and seniors. Tickets for other master classes are $15 each, with students and seniors tickets priced at $10 per class.

Information and conference registration forms can be found on the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post 91亚色's digital media, vision and computer science expertise driving inaugural 3D conference appeared first on Research & Innovation.

In order to see 3D images properly, our left and right eyes have to view separate images. Because 3D display technology isn鈥檛 perfect, there are times when images intended for one eye become contaminated by images meant for the other. Researchers have uncovered a link between this phenomenon, dubbed 鈥渃rosstalk鈥�, and the amount of depth in the images we see onscreen.

鈥淥ur study found that the more interference from crosstalk, the less depth you鈥檒l see. This reduction in depth can make 3D images appear less realistic,鈥� says Inna Tsirlin, a PhD student in psychology working in 91亚色鈥檚 , part of the .

Right: An image that is undistorted by crosstalk

To minimize such visual distortions, crosstalk should be kept at levels of four per cent or lower, the study recommends. 鈥淔or viewers to see as much depth as intended, 3D displays should ensure that less than four per cent of the left image leaks into the right eye, and vice versa,鈥� Tsirlin says.

Tsirlin and her collaborators conducted experiments using a custom-built display. They introduced precise amounts of crosstalk to a pair of lines presented separately to participants鈥� left and right eyes. The brain combines these 2D images to perceive them as one image in 3D.

Participants were asked to indicate the amount of depth they perceived using a virtual ruler. The study showed that crosstalk was detrimental at even the smallest depths tested, and became more disruptive as depth increased.

鈥淔or example, instead of seeing two objects at ten centimetres apart in depth, you would see them at five centimetres apart if the crosstalk is high enough. We also found that the detrimental effect of crosstalk on the perceived amount of depth is stronger when there is a larger depth range in a 3D image. So, there will be聽more disruption for objects at one millimetre apart than for objects at ten centimetres apart in depth,鈥� says Tsirlin.

Left: The same image showing the distortion caused by crosstalk

Previous research has established that crosstalk causes viewing discomfort, which can include eye strain, headaches and dizziness. Tsirlin says optimizing hardware for a crosstalk level below four per cent may resolve these issues as well.

Tsirlin is supervised by 91亚色 Professors and , who co-authored the study. Their initial findings were recently presented at the international Stereoscopic Displays and Applications 2011 conference in San Francisco.

The research was conducted as part of the (3D FLIC), an interdisciplinary collaboration of scientists, filmmakers and industry partners such as Cinespace Studios, IMAX, Christie Digital and Starz Animation. 3D FLIC is funded by the聽Ontario Media Development Corporation聽(OMDC) and the聽Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

Tsirlin鈥檚 research is supported by a (NSERC) graduate scholarship. She was among the first cohort of students to complete 91亚色鈥檚 Neuroscience Graduate聽Diploma Program.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

The post 91亚色 researchers find clue to achieving more realistic 3D screens appeared first on Research & Innovation.

At the April 23 launch at Toronto鈥檚 , 3D FLIC researchers Professor from 91亚色鈥檚 and Professor from the spoke about the critical importance of collaboration to their respective 3D research in film and psychology.

Right: Launch goers watch a聽2D to 3D conversion demo at the 3D FLIC launch

鈥淏ecause the perception of S3D is personal, opinions are strongly held,鈥� Wilcox said. 鈥淧eople assume that how they see is how everyone sees. This is simply false, and testing is the only way to determine the average human鈥檚 perception of 3D. Our goal is not only to study the issues with rigour, but also to disseminate our research results widely. 3D FLIC鈥檚 mandate is to make our results public, and in doing so highlight the central role that the Ontario film industry is playing in advancing S3D.鈥�

Several 3D FLIC industry partners were on site to give previews and demonstrations of their work. The showcase included the 3D Camera Company鈥檚 new Hawkeye S3D camera with a live 3D footage feed; a demo of 2D to 3D conversion by Communications Research Centre Canada in association with Cinespace Film Studios and Creative Post Inc.; a demo reel from Starz Animation Toronto; and a presentation of Side Effects Software Inc.鈥檚 procedural 3D animation software Houdini, which was used for special effects in blockbusters like and .

Left: From left, Stan Shapson, vice-president, research & innovation at 91亚色; David Choat, vice-president of聽human resources at the Ontario Centres of Excellence; Laura Albanese, parliamentary assistant to the minister of聽culture and MPP for 91亚色 South-Weston; Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of the聽Ontario Media Development Corporation; and Jim Mirkopoulos, vice-president of operations at聽Cinespace Film Studios

Visual arts Professor Nell Tenhaaf, associate dean of research in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Fine Arts and 3D FLIC鈥檚 principal investigator, welcomed representatives from government and granting agencies, including Laura Albanese, parliamentary assistant to the minister of culture and MPP for 91亚色 South-Weston; Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation; and David Choat, vice-president of human resources for the Ontario Centres of Excellence. Over 100 industry delegates were on hand to learn about 3D FLIC鈥檚 unique convergence of academia, industry, art and science. Attendees included longtime S3D industry leaders such as IMAX and RealD, stereographers and filmmakers.

The 3D FLIC research team includes:

• 91亚色鈥檚 in the Faculty of Fine Arts and the interdisciplinary Centre for Vision Research
• Canadian Film Centre Media Lab
• Ontario Centres of Excellence
• Computer Animation Studios of Ontario
• Cinespace Film Studios
• 3D Camera Company
• Creative post Inc.
• Starz Animation Toronto
• PS Production Services Ltd.
• Side Effects Software Inc.
• Saw VII Productions Canada Inc.

For more information, visit the Web site.

By Amy Stewart, publicist, Faculty of Fine Arts.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post 3D FLIC launches into orbit at Cinespace Film Studios appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Filmmakers, vision scientists and psychologists at 91亚色 have secured over $1.4 million to fund the 3D Film Innovation Consortium (3D FLIC), a two-year academic-industry partnership that will expand capacity for 3-D film production in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario.

"The recent success of films like Avatar has changed the perception of 3-D film with the public and the major studios," says Nell Tenhaaf (right), professor and associate dean聽of聽research in聽the Faculty of Fine Arts and the project lead. "As more live-action films, dramas and documentaries get developed in 3-D over the next few years, the GTA must aggressively build its capacity for 3-D film production. 3D FLIC envisions the GTA as a hub for the best quality and most original stereoscopic film production."

3D FLIC brings a uniquely interdisciplinary team to tackle the challenges involved in improving 3-D entertainment technology. Teams of filmmakers at 91亚色, led by Professor Ali Kazimi (right) in the Department of Film, Faculty of Fine Arts, will work with an array of film industry partners and the Canadian Film Centre to develop 3-D scenes and films. Vision researchers and psychologists in 91亚色's internationally-recognized Centre for Vision Research, led by Professors Rob Allison聽 in the Faculty of Science聽& Engineering's Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Laurie Wilcox in the Faculty of Health's Department of Psychology, will then use this material to conduct tests exploring how humans perceive and process the images, which the filmmaking teams will use to refine their films.

This interdisciplinary cycle of research promises to develop practical solutions that will create better post-production technologies and processes for 3-D film production, which will benefit the film industry as a whole.

Left: Rob Allison

Researchers plan to address the question of how best to control viewers' attention when viewing 3D imagery and the role this technique could play in the 3D-film narrative.

"Vergence is a basic mechanism of binocular vision," says Wilcox. "Normally, simultaneously moving both eyes maintains single vision: we cross our eyes to look at near objects (convergence) and move them apart to look at far objects (divergence). This process doesn't happen when viewing conventional 2-D film because both eyes see exactly the same image. But in 3-D film, the illusion of depth allows a viewer to look into the scene and converge their eyes on objects at different depths.

Left: Laurie Wilcox

"We want to know if we can control a viewer's attention by changing how the 3-D images are aligned. Are there techniques that will reduce the discomfort that viewing 3-D images prompts in some individuals? How should 3-D images be constructed to scale differently for display on screens ranging from an IMAX to a television set to a hand-held device?" says Wilcox. "These are some of the questions 3D FLIC will explore."

Collaboration between industry and academia is crucial to the project's success. "Ontario has film crews, technicians and camera operators with decades of experience, and we need to support and hasten their transition to 3-D film to remain competitive," says Jim Mirkopoulos, vice-president of operations at Cinespace Studios. Cinespace is a longstanding supporter of the Faculty of Fine Arts and one of 3D FLIC's partner organizations; their standing White House sets in Kleinburg, Ont., will be used as a 3-D research studio.

The 3D FLIC team includes:

• (CFC)
• (3DCC)
• Production Canada, Inc.

鈥淭his initiative brings 91亚色鈥檚 outstanding researchers in digital media, 3D film, and vision science together in a most innovative way,鈥� says Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淏uilding on this unique internal capacity, CONCERT, the 91亚色-led Consortium on New Media, Creative and Entertainment Research & Development, has helped to establish our reputation among the GTA鈥檚 digital media industry and allowed for successful and sustainable research partnerships between our researchers and local companies. 3D FLIC is one of several exciting media projects we鈥檙e launching this year. Of course, research informs our teaching programs; our 3D FLIC members are already discussing new innovations in our curriculum to benefit our students 鈥� stay tuned for more to come.鈥�

3D FLIC has a unique funding arrangement with (OMDC) and Ontario Centres of Excellence. OMDC has contributed over $436,000 to help recognize 3D film as a new production paradigm through the project鈥檚 innovative partnerships; OCE has allocated over $287,000 to support the project鈥檚 scientific and technology development aspects of stereoscopy research. Seven industry partners will provide over $450,000 through in-kind support, with additional institutional support from 91亚色.

OMDC鈥檚 portion of this funding is part of a $2.9 million investment made on Feb. 10, 2010 through its Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund to leverage an additional $7.1 million from 94 partners to support a total of 17 projects.

Designed to help Ontario鈥檚 entertainment and creative industries invest in smart ways to grow their competitive advantage in the global marketplace, the partnership fund supports projects involving book and magazine publishing, music, film, television, interactive digital media, and commercial theatre. This industrial cluster experienced growth in 2009 and produces $15 billion in revenue and over 200,000 jobs, contributing $12.7 billion to the province鈥檚 GDP. In the last four years, the partnerships fund has provided $9.7 million to support 60 projects involving 379 partners and leveraging a total of $23 million in industry matching funds.

鈥淭he entertainment and creative cluster is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Ontario鈥檚 economy,鈥� said Michael Chan, minister of tourism and culture. 鈥淥ur government is proud of the investments we have made in the culture sector, which are driving economic growth and contributing to a great quality of life for Ontarians.鈥�

For a , visit the OMDC鈥檚 Web site.

(OMDC) is an agency of the that facilitates economic development opportunities for Ontario鈥檚 cultural media industries including book publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing, and music industries.

(OCE) Inc. drives the commercialization of cutting-edge research across key market sectors to build the economy of tomorrow and secure Ontario鈥檚 global competitiveness. In doing this, OCE fosters the training and development of the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and is a key partner with Ontario's industry, universities, colleges, research hospitals, investors and governments. OCE鈥檚 Centres work in communications and information technology, earth and environmental technologies, energy, materials and manufacturing and photonics. OCE is funded by the government of Ontario and is a key partner in delivering Ontario鈥檚 Innovation Agenda. OCE through its Centre for Commercialization of Research (CCR), an initiative supported by the federal government, also acts as a catalyst which allows innovative businesses to grow and achieve sustainable, commercial success and global competitiveness.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer; photos courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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