3D / LARGE FORMAT FILM
FULLDOME VERSUS FLAT SCREEN
With the current trend for fully immersive experiences, many operators are investing in domes. But do these provide a better experience than a fl at screen presentation? Kathleen Whyman asks the experts
MICHAEL DAUT director of show production/marketing, Evans & Sutherland Digital Theater
“T
here’s something amazing about the shape of a dome that draws us into an experience more effortlessly than a fl at
screen. An essential way of qualifying the experience is this: we look at a fl at screen; we look into a dome. It’s nearly impossible to describe the impact of a dome theatre experience, because it’s so immersive. The visuals surround your fi eld of sight
as you’re transported inside a cinematic event. It’s kind of like surround-sound for your eyes. That said, content makes all the difference. Bad content on a dome is no better than bad content on a fl at screen, and frankly, because of a dome’s height- ened immersion, bad content on a dome may feel worse. One of the interesting
facts about 3D is the way it’s achieved. Stereo 3D combines two views of
(Right) Evans & Sutherland’s Experience Aurora show
60
the same scene captured from slightly dif- ferent vantage points, usually separated by the distance between our eyes. This ‘eye separation’ often changes based on what is being captured and how far into the screen or into the audience you want a 3D effect to appear. Because domes wrap imagery around you far more than a fl at screen, the eye separation has to be chosen carefully to avoid eye-strain. This becomes more of a problem for fl at screen 3D fi lms converted to display on the dome, as wide eye separation will become even wider on the dome, and in some cases will be very diffi cult or impossible to watch. We’ve developed a patent-pending
stretching and warping algorithm for map- ping 4:3 giant screen fi lm content onto the surface of a dome with about 70 per cent coverage. This covers more surface area than a typical fi sheye lens on a giant screen fi lm projector with signifi cantly less distortion, especially on the sides and top of the image. This algorithm preserves 3D in these giant screen fi lms, but we need to format fi lms with wide eye separation differently.
Game changer The home theatre indus- try has been more of a game changer than any- one could have predicted. If people can consume
content in their homes, what compelling reason exists for
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them to go to a theatre? Commercial thea- tres need something unique that’s not as readily available for in-home viewing. With a 3D fl at screen, there’s more of
a fi ghting chance to claim some unique- ness and rise above the din of the other home and portable media that’s so readily available in just about any form imaginable. However, with the advent of 3D televisions, who knows how much this will water down the appeal of going to the theatre to see a 3D movie over the next few years. Domes, however, will take a very long
time to penetrate the home theatre market, so they create a unique experience that’s worth paying to go and see. Domes aren’t a current trend – they’ve
existed for centuries in various forms in cathedrals and other architecture all around the world. There’s something about their shape that fascinates us and seems to connect with us on an essential level. I They’re here to stay as a fi xed projection surface in the digital cinema industry.”
AM 2 2011 ©cybertrek 2011
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