In-Three has been busy significantly speeding up, lowering the cost, and improving both the quality and capability of their proprietary Dimensionalization process for converting 2D content into «perfect 3D».
Today’s issue of The Hollywood Reporter describes one of their latest projects:
‘Dawn of the Dead’ goes 3-D
Romero’s 1978 film adds dimension for theaters
Original article by Carolyn Giardina
May 19, 2008, 01:00 AM
George A. Romero’s «Dawn of the Dead» will be «dimensionalized» to stereoscopic 3-D for a planned theatrical release.
New Amsterdam Entertainment has tapped 3-D company In-Three, which will use its proprietary «dimensionalization» process to turn the 1978 indie horror flick movie into 3-D. The project is expected to be completed within the year.
So far the only legacy 2-D film that has been converted and re-released in digital 3-D is «Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,» which Disney released in October 2006 in 168 theaters, grossing $8.7 million. Disney reissued the film in October and plans to repeat this year and in 2009.
There are slightly more than 1,000 3-D-ready digital screens in the domestic market, and that number is expected to grow.
In-Three uses patented software tools and techniques to create a second camera image from a 2-D image. Each frame is «dimensionalized,» meaning that all objects are moved forward or backward from the screen or in relation to one another so as to achieve the desired dramatic effect.
In-Three «dimensionalized» the «Star Wars» 3-D demo clip that first screened at ShoWest in 2005.
Conversion of legacy material using the process starts at about $50,000 per minute and can reach more than $100,000, depending on the complexity of the imagery in terms of visual effects and other elements.
«We are seeing interest now that people realize there will be sufficient screens to justify the cost,» In-Three’s Neil Feldman said.
Find this article at:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i7c5c16b2d6b9258e9922632042c1a5fd
There was also coverage about this project on Fangoria.com last week:
May 14: Romero’s DAWN returns-in 3-D!
Producer Richard Rubinstein gave Fango the scoop on a wild development concerning an upcoming revival of George A. Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD. Rubinstein, the man responsible for producing many of Romero’s films as well as the 2004 DAWN remake, is planning to rerelease the 1979 zombie epic in true 3-D! In-Three, Inc. of Agoura Hill, CA will be responsible for the «dimensionalization» process.
«When Mike Messina [another producer on the DAWN redux] and I began to investigate using In-Three’s technique, I was very skeptical,» Rubinstein tells Fango. «I couldn’t see how it could be used without re-editing George’s film, which I was not going to do. I was also concerned that converting a 29-year-old movie would not be competitive qualitatively with the new 3-D live-action features being shot today. I was wrong in both cases. George’s DAWN OF THE DEAD can be reformatted into 3-D without any editing, and the image looks spectacular! As it stands now, it will take about a year to complete the conversion of the whole film.» Indeed, In-Three’s work has been hailed by George Lucas, James Cameron and Peter Jackson, among others.
Lucky FANGORIA chief Tony Timpone got a sneak peek at several scenes of the 3-D DAWN in NYC, and came away suitably impressed. «I was blown away by how easily DAWN OF THE DEAD lends itself to 3-D,» he says. «This is not a gimmick. Romero’s film looks better than ever, and the extra dimension adds, well, another vibrant dimension to Romero’s masterpiece. I can’t wait to see the final product when it emerges in 2009. The idea of seeing a spiffed-up DAWN-the original!-on the big screen again is a cause for celebration.»
Rubinstein also has plans to create a direct sequel to the original DAWN (!) and will be producing a new screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s DUNE, to be directed by Peter (THE KINGDOM) Berg. Keep checking this site for further developments on both DAWN projects. –Chris Haberman
http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=6