|
 |
Making movies in 3D
Learn more about the technology used in the making of James Cameron's Aliens of the Deep
Why in 3D?
"There are six billion people on the planet," says Cameron, "and they're all not going to get into a submersible and go down to the bottom of the ocean to see these amazing creatures. So, we shot it in 3D, with high-definition cameras, so we could put it up on the big screen, and audiences around the world can share in the experience.
"And-honestly-it's a more satisfying experience in 3-D, because our camera can tilt and pan and look around; it can follow something that goes swimming by. In the submersible, all you have is the porthole," Cameron adds. "Sure, it's exciting to be down there, but you get to see the magic of this world better on an IMAX screen and in 3D."
The special cameras
Cameron filmed the adventure with his Reality Camera System (RCS), the revolutionary 3D camera system first used to film Cameron's expedition to the Titanic for Ghosts of the Abyss. The lightweight RCS embraces digital technology and allows Cameron to shoot for hours at a time and go where no large-format camera could go before due to its size-breaking the two primary impediments to large-format filmmaking.
Cameron was able to get up close and personal with the marine life using a "bot" or ROV (Remote-Operated Vehicle), which could go where the larger submersibles couldn't. The director's brother, Mike Cameron, designed the bot, nicknamed Jake, which was first tested inside the wreck of the Titanic in Ghosts of the Abyss.
The RCS was codeveloped by Vincent Pace, director of photography on the film. He worked as Directory of Photography on Ghosts of the Abyss, the first IMAX film to be shot using digital cameras. He subsequently developed the macro optics which have allowed the revolutionary deep-ocean 3D photography of animals seen in Aliens of the Deep. He is now finishing engineering on the second generation of the Reality Camera System, called RCS-2, in preparation for a major feature film to be directed by James Cameron in 3D.
How do IMAX movies work?
 IMAX films are 3D because they are actually two films being shown at the same time, each filmed from slightly different angles. You never consciously see the two images that are projected onto the screen, though, because your brain puts them together to show you the combined three-dimensional picture. The polarised glasses you have to wear when watching an IMAX film feed one image into one eye and the other image into the other eye. This happens because they are polarised differently to keep the two images separate until they reach your brain.
IMAX is a registered trade mark of the IMAX Corporation.
|
|
 |
This issue
Check out Flipside Extra for more info on what's in the current issue.
Fun & Games
Send an ecard, do a quiz and find out about events near you.
Have Your Say
Tell us what you think! Polls and readers' letters.
|
 |
|
