The movie, which unites new research into visual perception with the practical aspects of 3D filmmaking, is part of an attempt to boost the local film economy and improve the 3D viewing experience – with less nausea, eye strain and headaches.

The computer-generated animation portions were created by Starz (which did the 3D animation for the Disney feature ). The live-action set was shot by 91��ɫ professor using a LiDAR device (light detection and ranging, or laser radar) to create a 3D map of the set. The information was integrated into the software with the animated images to ensure accurate placement of the birds against the backdrop and to study depth perception.

Kazimi, whose background is in documentary filmmaking, is cautious about the kind of sweeping generalizations being thrown around about 3D film language, but he believes it heralds fundamental changes in film storytelling, especially in slowing down the pace of films. "There's a lot more visual information for the viewer to absorb and you need to provide the time," he says.

His 91��ɫ colleague, psychologist , is studying how people see 3D, including issues of ghosting, image disparity and motion that can make the experience unsatisfying. Simple things such as screen size and even where you sit in the theatre make a big difference. By sitting at the middle, or toward the back, the viewer can enjoy the most comfortable experience. Seats on the aisles, she suggests, "should probably be discounted."

Complicating 3D experience is the issue of "vection" or the illusion of self- motion which can occur while watching 3D. For some, it may create motion sickness.

Lovebirds will get its world premiere at the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference, June 11-14 at the Toronto International Film Festival Bell Lightbox.

The 3D FLIC project is led by Professor Nell Tenhaaf; the includes filmmakers, vision scientists, psychologists and industry partners.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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In order to see 3D images properly, our left and right eyes have to view separate images. Because 3D display technology isn’t 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 “crosstalk”, and the amount of depth in the images we see onscreen.

“Our study found that the more interference from crosstalk, the less depth you’ll see. This reduction in depth can make 3D images appear less realistic,” says Inna Tsirlin, a PhD student in psychology working in 91��ɫ’s , 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. “For 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,” 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’ 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.

“For 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 more disruption for objects at one millimetre apart than for objects at ten centimetres apart in depth,” 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��ɫ 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 Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

Tsirlin’s research is supported by a (NSERC) graduate scholarship. She was among the first cohort of students to complete 91��ɫ’s Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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At the April 23 launch at Toronto’s , 3D FLIC researchers Professor from 91��ɫ’s 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 2D to 3D conversion demo at the 3D FLIC launch

“Because the perception of S3D is personal, opinions are strongly held,” Wilcox said. “People assume that how they see is how everyone sees. This is simply false, and testing is the only way to determine the average human’s perception of 3D. Our goal is not only to study the issues with rigour, but also to disseminate our research results widely. 3D FLIC’s 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.”

Several 3D FLIC industry partners were on site to give previews and demonstrations of their work. The showcase included the 3D Camera Company’s 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.’s 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��ɫ; David Choat, vice-president of human resources at the Ontario Centres of Excellence; Laura Albanese, parliamentary assistant to the minister of culture and MPP for 91��ɫ South-Weston; Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation; and Jim Mirkopoulos, vice-president of operations at Cinespace Film Studios

Visual arts Professor Nell Tenhaaf, associate dean of research in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Fine Arts and 3D FLIC’s principal investigator, welcomed representatives from government and granting agencies, including Laura Albanese, parliamentary assistant to the minister of culture and MPP for 91��ɫ 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’s 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��ɫ’s 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– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Filmmakers, vision scientists and psychologists at 91��ɫ 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 of research in 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��ɫ, 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��ɫ's internationally-recognized Centre for Vision Research, led by Professors Rob Allison  in the Faculty of Science & 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.

“This initiative brings 91��ɫ’s outstanding researchers in digital media, 3D film, and vision science together in a most innovative way,” says Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “Building on this unique internal capacity, CONCERT, the 91��ɫ-led Consortium on New Media, Creative and Entertainment Research & Development, has helped to establish our reputation among the GTA’s 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’re 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 — stay tuned for more to come.”

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’s innovative partnerships; OCE has allocated over $287,000 to support the project’s 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��ɫ.

OMDC’s 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’s 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’s 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.

“The entertainment and creative cluster is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Ontario’s economy,” said Michael Chan, minister of tourism and culture. “Our 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.”

For a , visit the OMDC’s Web site.

(OMDC) is an agency of the that facilitates economic development opportunities for Ontario’s 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’s 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’s 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’s 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 – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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