iZ3D Wins Pioneer Award at World's First Digital 3D Film and Interactive Festival
iZ3D, LLC, designer, marketer and developer, of advanced 3D visualization systems, is announced that it is a winner of the notable Pioneer Award from the world's first digital "3D Film & Interactive Festival" (3DFF). The award was presented in Cocoa Beach, Florida, via "The 3D Film & Interactive Lounge". The event was the first competitive digital 3D stereoscopic film festival in the world. For more information visit http://www.3DFF.org

"For its true pioneering achievements in the world of 3D stereoscopic gaming, I am pleased to present iZ3D with a 3DFF Pioneer Award," stated Chris Crescitelli, 3DFF's Festival Director who went on to comment. "The 3DFF's Pioneer Award is something we give to honor the companies and individual technologists who have paved the way with consumers to get them excited about 3D in the home and in theaters. iZ3d really fits this mold and we are glad to honor them here today."

"iZ3D is honored to receive this award. We believe in 3D and have tried to educate content creators on the benefits of stereoscopic 3D imagery to help tell their story. We support 3DFF's non-profit initiative to acknowledge up and coming independent 3D producers and directors, emerging gaming technologies and other new content creators," remarked Thomas Striegler, CEO of iZ3D, LLC.

3DFF's next big consumer entertainment event will be held in Salt Lake and Park City January 16th-25th 2009 during the film festival season. Through its biannual and touring non-profit festival programs, 3DFF will pay tribute to and honor the many companies, technologists, and content creators, who have in the past and are currently pioneering the future of the 3D stereoscopic motion picture and video game industries.

The award-winning iZ3D monitors feature significant advantages over other 3D display systems. Gamers that want to experience spectacular game graphics will appreciate playing in stereoscopic 3D. Graphic artists have embraced the iZ3D monitor as an essential tool for 3D design. It is difficult to create images in 3D while viewing the design on a flat 2D screen. Movie buffs can now bring the thrill of a 3D movie to their home theater system.

The company developed this technology to create an adjustable 3D environment without eyestrain, spatial disorientation, or headaches. In 3D mode, viewers can see sharp 3D images and video by wearing iZ3D passive polarized glasses. Existing PCs equipped with a dual-output video card powers the display. Specifications include: 1680 x 1050 resolution; up to 170-degree 3D viewing angle; 5ms response time; 700:1 contrast ratio; and 16.7-million colors.

Nat Geo's 'Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure' reaches $30 million at box office
"Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" has become one of the fastest giant-screen films to hit the $30 million mark since its release on Oct. 5, 2007, and is one of the highest grossing original giant-screen films of 2008. The announcement was made on Ctober 20th by Mark Katz, president, Giant Screen Film and Distribution for National Geographic Cinema Ventures.

"We're thrilled with the enthusiastic response Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure has received from audiences around the world. It's a testament to the strength of the story and how beautifully National Geographic captured these characters on screen," said Katz. "We're confident that this film will be enjoyed by audiences for years to come."

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure, narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber, with an original score by longtime musical collaborators Richard Evans, David Rhodes and Peter Gabriel, takes audiences on a remarkable journey into the often overlooked world of the "other dinosaurs," those reptiles that lived beneath the water. Funded in part through a grant from the National Science Foundation, the film delivers a vision of some of Earth's grandest ocean creatures.

The film, produced in both 2-D and 3-D, had the largest day and date release in the history of the giant-screen industry when it debuted in Oct. 2007, becoming the first film to release simultaneously in IMAX® and digital 3D theaters. It is currently licensed in approximately 140 theaters in 20 countries worldwide, with recent or upcoming openings in Barcelona and Madrid Spain; Borre, Denmark; Athens, Greece; Salmiya, Kuwait; and Regina and Sudbury, Canada; and in the U.S. in Tallahassee, Fla.; Lubbock, Texas; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Louisville, Ky. Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure can currently be seen in more than 50 theaters across the U.S.

An audience and critics' favorite, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure was recently honored with awards in the categories of "Best Film," "Best Film for Learning" and "GSCA Marketing - Big Idea," by the Giant Screen Cinema Association. The film has also been awarded the Visual Effects Society's award for Special Venue Project and a Golden Reel award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors Association for Best Sound Editing - Special Venue.

The film is now available in DVD at stores where videos are sold. Also available are Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure companion books for adults and young readers in standard, 3D and pop-up formats; a video game licensed by Destination Software Incorporated, available on Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS™ and Wii™; and a line of licensed plush toys, puzzles and apparel, available at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/store

3D Entertainment Summit Expands Speaker Lineup with James Cameron as a Keynote Speaker and Day Two Luncheon Presenter with 3D Visionary, Vince Pace
Unicomm LLC, and Bob Dowling, former Editor in Chief and Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, announced the expansion of the 3D Entertainment Summit(TM) which will take place at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California, December 1-2, 2008. The event is the first fully dedicated forum bringing the business of 3D Entertainment into focus.

Award winning Director and Producer James Cameron will deliver a special keynote address. Joining Mr. Cameron in discussion will be Vince Pace who, together with Cameron, developed the revolutionary Fusion Camera System allowing for the re-emergence of 3D filmmaking and the advancement of entertainment.

"Stereoscopic 3D is the most exciting evolution in cinema presentation since color and widescreen," stated James Cameron, Director. "The question for film-makers is not 'why 3D?,' since the reasons are obvious, at least to audiences, and the negatives have all been removed. The question should be 'how do I make 3D a part of my art?'"

"The success of current 3D productions continues to validate that a new era in entertainment is here," stated Vince Pace, CEO, PACE. "One that redefines the ultimate experience and advances the future of entertainment across a wide spectrum of categories - everything from films to music to sports to advertising will be a part of this revolution."

In addition, Journey to the Center of the Earth Director Eric Brevig and Producer, Charlotte Huggins will be featured presenters during the Day One lunch and will be interviewed onstage by David Cohen, Associate Editor at Variety.

Cameron, Brevig and Huggins will join previously announced keynote speakers Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer and President of DreamWorks Animation Inc. and David Hill, A.M., Chairman and CEO, Fox Sports Television Group.

The 3D Entertainment Summit management also announced that DOLBY, NEC, PACE and SONY have signed on as Corporate Sponsors. These new sponsors join 3Ality, Avid and REAL D to round out a world-class event that will include educational demonstrations and networking.

"Tomorrow's new entertainment business models must include 3D," stated Bob Dowling, the event's Co-Producer. "As the premier business event for 3D Entertainment we are excited to have these incredible visionaries joining our program. Never before have so many industry experts been together at one event to discuss the coming 3D revolution in entertainment."

The Summit will assemble an estimated 300 - 400 executives from a cross-section of the entertainment industry including film, television, video gaming, content creation, production, technology and distribution.

From movies and theaters to broadcasting in the home, the 3D Entertainment Summit will be the first industry event to educate entertainment executives about content creation, production, and distribution of this exciting and revolutionary technology. Live demonstrations of never before seen content screened on both cinema and 3D television systems will be presented to showcase new production realities as well as new business opportunities.

Attendees will learn how 3D relates to business practices and will hear from a dynamic group of leading experts in 3D who will provide actionable, non-hyped, real and responsible information that will have a positive impact on the entertainment community.

The unique two-day conference format will contain a mix of general sessions and panel sessions presented by a host of industry experts and executives. The highly interactive environment will allow entertainment professionals to gain practical insight into this technology, market size, adoption rates, creative and production strategies, talent & licensing issues, gaining a better sense of how 3D relates to their future.

Additional speakers include: Michael Lewis, Chairman/CEO and Co-Founder, Real D, Joshua Greer, President and Co-Founder, Real D, Sandy Climan, CEO, 3Ality Digital, LLC, Steve Schklair, CEO, 3Ality Digital Systems, John Fithian, President and CEO, NATO, Buzz Hays, Senior Producer, Sony Pictures Imageworks,Chuck Viane, President of Distribution, Disney Pictures, Jim Tharp, President of Distribution, Paramount, Motion Picture Group, Vincent Maza, Solutions Marketing Manager, Avid Technology Inc., David Cohen, Associate Editor, Features,Variety, Charlotte Jones, Senior Analyst, Film and Cinema, Screen Digest, Jeffrey B. Logsdon, Managing Director, Media & Entertainment, BMO Capital Markets, Marty Shindler, CEO, The Shindler Perspective, Inc., Peter Cane, Publisher, Box Office Magazine, Andrew Oliver, Co-Founder & C.T.O., Blitz Games Studios Ltd., Neil Schneider, President, Meant to Be Seen Andrew Fear, Product Manager, SLI and Stereoscopic 3D Solutions, NVIDIA Corporation, Alex Ben Block, Show Business Historian, and Editor-at-Large, The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Marlowe, Digital Media Consultant, Peter Debruge, Associate Editor, Features, Variety, John Nicolard, Head of Digital Production, FotoKem Digital Film Services, Jeff McNall, Cinema Product Manager, Dolby Laboratories, Inc., Andrew Stucker, Director of Sony Electronics Digital Cinema Systems

Media partners promoting the event include, Variety and The Los Angeles Times and LA 411. Supporting media sponsors include Screen Digest, Boxoffice Magazine, DC Cinema Today, Below the Line, Broadcast Equipment Guide, Digital Cinema Buyers Guide and Post Production Buyers Guide, Digital Cinema Report and PR Newswire. Additionally, iHollywoodForum, The Hollywood Post Alliance, and Meant to Be Seen (mtbs3D.com), the foremost authority group on consumer S-3D gaming and entertainment have joined as industry partners to the event.

For more information on the 3D Entertainment Summit, please visit the event website at http://www.3d-summit.com or call 203-878-2577 x106.

Spatial View Releases Pioneering Stereoscopic 3D Editing Software for Users of Adobe After Effects
Spatial View Inc., a leading developer of 3D image processing and display technologies, announced the availability of its new Stereo 3D Editing 2.0 for Adobe(R) After Effects(R) users without the need to alter one's existing design workflows.

"By expanding our portfolio of 3D content creation plug-ins to include After Effects, we will continue to enable artists and directors to easily and readily push their boundaries well into 3D" said Jason King, head of sales at Spatial View.

One company already using the SVI Stereo 3D Editing 2.0 for After Effects(R) to convert existing video clips into 3D is Digital Images in Germany. "It's amazingly easy to convert film clips into high quality 3D video. Impressive depth and pop-out effects can be quickly created for stereoscopic and glasses-free 3D displays from directly within After Effects" remarks Daniel Simon, head of Artwork, Research & Development for Digital Images.

The SVI Stereo 3D Editing 2.0 plug-in enhances the popular Adobe(R) After Effects(R) application with the capability of creating stereoscopic animations and images from compositions within seconds. The striking results can be displayed auto-stereoscopically, and output into several stereo formats usable in post-production workflows.

SVI Stereo 3D Editing 2.0 is easy to use even for those unfamiliar without stereoscopic technology. It is ideal for users looking to produce 3D content that is more captivating and impactful for film and video post-production.

Adobe and After Effects are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

World's first single-chip high-resolution active stereoscopic projector the F10 AS3D is now shipping
Having made its public debut at the InfoComm International exhibition in June, the F10 AS3D projector from Norwegian manufacturer projectiondesign is now shipping.

The world's first single-chip, high-resolution active stereo 3D projector caused a storm when it was unveiled to the world's professional AV community in Las Vegas, and Anders Løkke, International Marketing & Communications Manager, projectiondesign, is delighted that the company has been able to put it into production so quickly.

"We always we felt we had a winner with the F10 AS3D and the reaction at InfoComm showed us we were right. Up until now, the majority of active stereoscopic projectors on the market have tended to be large and cumbersome, not to mention prohibitively expensive. By using our single-chip F10 chassis as the basis for the F10 AS3D, we have succeeded in making active stereo 3D much more affordable, without compromising on performance."

The F10 AS3D operates at a full 120Hz refresh rate from dual-head inputs on DVI or VGA, making it compatible with virtually every dual-head stereoscopic Image Generator on the market. It offers a resolution of 1,400 x 1,050 pixels, and is fully compatible with 1080p inputs. It is also compatible with both IR transmitted and White Light (DLP Link) LCD 3D shutter glasses.

"Customers in demanding scientific applications such as visualization and simulation, not to mention entertainment industry users, have been crying out for a compact active stereo 3D solution," concludes Løkke. "We are confident that the F10 AS3D will be an international best-seller."

TheFoundry releases Ocula stereo imagery plug-ins
The Foundry has released Ocula, a set of plug-in utilities for Nuke 5.1 that assist with editing stereoscopic imagery. The software replicates processes on the left and right channels to help users enhance material. Disparity-mapping algorithms are used to analyze spacial positioning differences and movement between pixels between the left and right cameras. Ocula then applies warping, stretching, or squeezing effects to the areas that need correction.

Artists can also manually adjust the stereo image pairs, with an option to edit channels collectively or individually. The set of plug-ins includes the Interocular Shifter to reduce interaxial separation between cameras; Vertical Aligner to correct camera misalignment; New View to create a single view from a pair of images; Correlate for reducing production time while working with paint or rotoscoping work; and ColourMatch to match the colors between the views.

Ocula is available now as a plug-in for Nuke 5.1, and costs $10,000. Nuke 5.1 is available for $3500. Other rental options and license types are available from The Foundry.

U-DECIDE Initiative Offers Big Prizes for Online Gaming Survey Participants
Meant to Be Seen, the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D gaming has joined with AMD, iZ3D, Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators and Guild Software to create the "U-DECIDE Initiative." By visiting http://www.mtbs3D.com/udecide.shtml gamers can let their voice be heard and have a chance of winning one of 60 great prizes donated by U-DECIDE sponsors. The survey closes January 1, 2009.

"While we are already very excited about stereoscopic 3D gaming, we want to know what gamers think. AMD is pleased to be working with Meant to be Seen and its partners to make this initiative possible," said John Swinimer, Public Relations Manager for AMD.

"The U-DECIDE Initiative" is a special online survey that is completed by both traditional 2D and modern stereoscopic 3D gamers, and is designed to determine what consumers think of 3D display technologies and why. This will be the basis of a formal report that the industry can use to match product goals with the desires of their customers.

Similar to the experience moviegoers get in 3D theaters, gamers use S-3D technology at home for superior game immersion, visual beauty and game enjoyment. In video games, stereoscopic 3D hardware makes explosions fly out of the screen and adds a depth that makes the display look like a window rather than a flat projection. Sample hardware includes iZ3D 3D monitors, TDVision head mounted displays, and a growing selection of 3D HDTVs.

Once completed in the first week of January, there will be a drawing for nearly 60 prizes including ATI Radeon(TM) HD 4800 series GPUs, iZ3D 22" 3D gaming monitors, and console and PC games from Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators, and Guild Software.

"Meant to be Seen is a gamers' community first, and the most important opinion is that of our industry's customers. Anyone who has 2D or 3D game playing experience is qualified to share their view and win prizes," said Neil Schneider, President & CEO of Meant to be Seen.

Preliminary survey results will be revealed at the 3D Entertainment Summit on December 1st, 2008 in Los Angeles.

Game developers are encouraged to earn complementary MTBS Certification to confirm S-3D compatibility with modern solutions. Developers who earn certification also benefit from free promotion on mtbs3D.com.

Leading game developers on record for MTBS certification include Epic Games for Unreal Tournament 3, DarkBasic Professional by The Game Creators, and the Unigine game engine, the first modern game engine to natively support S-3D hardware solutions without a driver. More announcements are pending.

Meant to be Seen is made possible by unrestricted education grants from iZ3D LLC and TDVision Corp. Non-proprietary in nature, MTBS welcomes additional industry involvement to help grow the popularity and effective use of consumer stereoscopic 3D technologies.

Ross Video Now Shipping SoftMetal v4.0 Software
Ross Video is now shipping SoftMetal version 4.0 software, which was launched at IBC 2008.

Version 4.0 is currently shipping at no charge to all current SoftMetal customers.

The key features of SoftMetal v4.0 are: MXF Native Record and Playback Support for HD and SD clips; QuickTime Native SD Playout; Close Captioning Support; Embedded Audio Support, 16 Channels per video input and output; Stereoscopic (3D) Record and Playback; and numerous other enhancements.

Jeff Moore, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said: "Ross has been diligently working to advance our SoftMetal video server software. Now that we are shipping, I am excited for our customers to experience first hand the new features SoftMetal version 4.0 has to offer."

SoftMetai is a line of multi-definition video servers designed for live production and master control applications. SoftMetal excels in its ability to support file-based workflows for video clips and graphics.

Further information is available at http://www.rossvideo.com

SENSIO and JVC Professional sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the first high end 3D Consumer Product
SENSIO Technologies Inc., creator of the SENSIO® 3D technology, and JVC Professional Products Company will join forces to offer the very first high end 3D solution available on the consumer market. That entirely new product will allow consumers to watch high-quality 3D at home by combining two JVC Pro projectors and a media server integrating the SENSIO® 3D decoding technology.

That high end product will allow the viewing of full-resolution 3D content (Full HD: 1080p). With JVC Pro projectors and SENSIO technology, consumers will have access to a solution offering a superior image quality (more true-to-life colors, more brightness, etc.). The product will be developed during 2009 and will be sold and marketed in the United States by JVC Pro.

"SENSIO is recognized as a pioneer in the 3D industry, and JVC Pro is the leading manufacturer in high end home cinema. Combining our two technologies into a single, simple system for the consumer will have broad impact in the marketplace, already thirsty for 3D display." explains Lon Mass, Vice President of marketing for JVC Pro.

"We are honored to collaborate once again with our long-time partner JVC and particularly with its subsidiary JVC Pro with whom we have already collaborated on many occasions. In addition, this is another important milestone reached and we are invariably approaching our ultimate goal of becoming the de facto standard," affirmed Nicholas Routhier, President and Chief Executive Officer for SENSIO.

This initiative came about following the success of the 3D demonstration at the CEDIA Expo 2008 last September, which combined JVC Pro projectors with SENSIO technology. The memorandum of understanding also envisions continued joint promotion efforts between JVC Pro and SENSIO during upcoming tradeshows, such as the 2009 Consumer Electronic Show next January in Las Vegas.

Hong Kong Exhibit showcases survey, mapping services
The Lands Department will hold an exhibition from November 7 to 10 at the Central Library in Hong Kong to introduce the Survey & Mapping Office's products and services.

It will feature displays, photos, demonstrations, talks and games. Visitors can learn about the latest technology and development of survey and mapping instruments, such as the Geospatial Information Hub System, virtual reality model and stereoscopic aerial photographs.

The event will be held in the library's exhibition galleries No. 4 to 5. It will run from 2pm to 8pm tomorrow, from 9am to 8pm on November 8 and 9, and from 9am to 5pm on November 10.