What People Think (3)

What do people think about the glasses-free NEO3DO? It depends. Here is where my grand experiment has taken me thus far:

What Educators Think. Every educator I’ve shown this device to likes it, especially the autostereoscopic 3D part. The tablet gets their minds rolling with ideas and possibilities, heretofore unimaginable. The most excited educator was a large-district STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) coordinator. That makes sense. I also demonstrated the NEO3DO to the entire instructional technology leadership team (6 people) from a large urban school district on the east coast. They too liked what they saw.

What non-educators think. I have also been taking time to show the NEO3DO to non-educators. Lawyers, middle school kids, elementary school kids, college students, homemakers, business people, investors, grandmas. Here in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. In each case, it was certainly their first experience with autostereoscopic 3D. They all liked the NEO, but had different interests in terms of how to use it: 3D movies. Look at cute boys in 3D concerts. Glasses-free enjoyment. Just having a low-cost android tablet. Enjoying the untethered freedom of portability. Again, looking at cute boys in 3D. Games du jeur. Making 3D, not just consuming 3D. I'm guessing that such diversity of perceived uses is a positive sign indeed.

San D (2)

As discussed in the previous post, 3D is really taking off in Asian and other emerging markets. Since many of our regular blog readers come from these emerging markets, I thought a thoughtful reminder, presented via a simple mystery, might be beneficial: Can you see anything peculiar in this snapshot of the first showing of Titanic 3D in Shanxi, China? Click on it to enlarge it. 

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Leonard Press, a well-known optometrist, recently observed in his blog that a number of people are watching the film without glasses.  He explains, when “you’re experiencing one of the 3Ds of stereoscopic 3D viewing—discomfort, dizziness, or lack of depth—one way to cope is to simply watch without the 3D glasses – but the experience is clearly not the same and most likely is out of focus due to the effects necessary to create 3D-ness for your movie-going neighbors.”

Again, and this time internationally speaking, our educational challenges remain constant. We know from the research that 3D is not harmful in any way. But some people do experience discomfort, which actually is an indication of underlying vision problems, not necessarily a problem with the 3D. For a complete resource on understanding the role of 3D in vision health and vision screening, see this well-travelled Future-Talk 3D post.

San D (1)

San D is how you say 3D in Mandarin Chinese. You see, that’s important to know these days. It’s because most of the interest in 3D entertainment and 3D TVs these days appears to be in China, followed by Western Europe and key emerging markets (Russia, Latin and South America, and the Middle East). Although TV sales across the world are generally in decline, some sources suggest upwards of 10-20 million 3D TVs will be sold in China this next year. I remember how high the interest was in 3D when I first spoke in Beijing at their first ever 3D Innovation Forum.

In the U.S., things are still different. U.S. sales of 3D TVs are lagging far behind. James Mathers, president of the Digital Cinema Society notes that, although “most major filmmakers have successfully embraced 3D,” 3D-ready TV sales are “abysmal” in the U.S. and “are only expected to reach the cumulative 7 million unit mark by the end of the year.” Norbert Hildebrand of Display Central (check out this website—it offers comprehensive one-stop information about all things 3D) agrees. He suggests that “the U.S. is actually a slow adopter of this new technology compared to other regions, like Europe and China.” I also found it interesting that, during the well-attended 3D Entertainment Summit held in Hollywood in late September, one attendee observed that “Americans seem to have a bias against 3D compared to other countries.”

I continually get that same sense. Even in the education market. But I think the 'resistance' reasons are vastly different for the U.S. education marketplace. Educational 3D is not about 3D TV at all. In education, I think any perceived resistance is due to the tough recession facing schools (hopefully short-lived) and generational issues. By generational issues, I mean to say “kids want it.” Adults—not so much. Kids don’t mind the glasses—adults don’t know any better. For more background on this topic, please revisit my original post on this topic: On Youthful Shoulders. In the meantime, I still see innovators and pioneers in education showing keen interest in 3D. Don’t give up!

Teaching with Depth

Grasping for words. In search of just-the-right language. Looking for richer metaphors. These best describe what has been occupying my think time in recent months. You see, the expression ‘3D’ carries a lot of unwanted baggage. 

For most, the expression ‘3D’ conjures to their minds little more than movies—‘pokey’ entertainment.  Some people immediately associate the term ‘3D’ with architectural drawings (CAD), Google Earth, gaming, or other types of “rendered 3D” objects or scenescapes. Then there’s a well-known film critic, who speaks for many, in suggesting that “‘3D—it just makes me sick.” (He was unaware of the research findings that indicate his discomfort is caused by underlying vision issues, which are easily addressable. But that’s another story.) For many others, ‘3D’ is simply not a part of their generation and therefore not on their radar.

Using the term “stereo 3D” doesn’t seem to help either. Adding that double-fisted adjective merely adds a pinch of technophobe seasoning to the mix. No, I’ve been looking for a kinder, gentler pathway. So far, I have settled on the following:

Teaching and learning with DEPTH is a pleasant way to describe how we use 3D in educational settings. It’s an expression that is, at once, both hopeful and free of the past, largely unwarranted, baggage. So far, it seems to resonate well with educators and educational conference leaders. 

Do you have any similar musings? Other ways to word the notion of the 3D experience? Please post them as a comment below.

3D Vision News

For the first time in history, the Opening General Session for Optometry’s Meeting® in Chicago in the last week of June featured an educational 3D experience led by a number of Hollywood dignitaries. The audience included attending doctors of optometry, students, paraoptometrics, and their families. (For perspective, there are over 60,000 optometrists in the United States alone.)

At the opening session, 3D experts Jim Chabin (president of the International 3D Society), Buzz Hayes (senior vice president and executive stereoscopic 3D producer for Sony 3D Technology Center at Sony Pictures Entertainment), Graham Clark (StereoD, LLC), and Bob Whitehill (stereoscopic supervisor at Pixar Animation Studios) demonstrated and explained the concepts of 3D as it pertains to the entertainment world. They showed 3D clips from films such as “The Lion King,” “Rise of the Guardians,” “Spiderman” and “Titanic”, among others. Many of these clips have never been seen outside their studios. 

Jim Chabin, president
of the International 3D Society

Jim Chabin, the president of the International 3D Society, stated “We ask your help in making sure stereo deficiencies are corrected.” Chabin continued, “We hope amblyopia rates can be reduced and decimated. We hope your practices can provide appropriate diagnoses. You are important partners in 3D; you are the first responders.”

Why was this event so important? Simply stated, the science behind stereoscopic 3D is an essential step to increased understanding of 3D and stereoscopic 3D (S3D) viewing as a safe and appropriate technology for all audiences.  As the popularity of 3D rises, so too will optometry’s responsibility to educate the public and assist the production studios and other 3D developments. As Jim Chabin suggests, optometrists are the nation’s 3D “first responders.” For that reason, this opening session was clearly a landmark educational opportunity.

The Opening General Session was followed by a number of educational sessions focused on the topic of 3D vision/diagnosis/treatment, along with a very comprehensive Saturday symposium on the 3D experience.  During the Saturday symposium, optometric professionals had the opportunity to take a journey through the entire process of 3D, plus experience the first-ever live, heads –up, 3D slit lamp exam demonstration (a diagnostic technology developed by TrueVision). Anthony Lopez, a 3rd year student of optometry was in the audience and was fortunate to be the “first ever optometry student” to experience a slit lamp exam using this new 3D technology. There is clearly a promising role for 3D in the world of optometric diagnosis and treatment. 

3D Olympics

We have definitely come a long way in our collective 3D journey. To corroborate my point, let’s take a reminiscent side trip to the dusty annals of this blog’s past.  During the last Winter Olympics, I posted the following post on Future-Talk 3D, The Olympics in 3D.  3D TV was relatively new then. Yes, the 3D movie avalanche had begun, but its future remained still largely in doubt. The 3D experience was still confusing to me. At that time, I was not sure how to compare stereoscopic 3D with its rendered 3D cousin.

Now brush off the cobwebs and fast forward to the 2012 Summer Olympics. No doubt here. Panasonic is a worldwide Olympic partner and is sponsoring the first Olympic games shot live in 3D. Stereoscopic 3D. You can learn more about this hallmark effort here. Laughingly, my older post represented only a wistful glimmer of what was to come. But I am no longer disappointed. The summer games start soon, so I am revving up my home 3D TV (a Panasonic VIERA 3D TV) to catch the action. Will expanded school and university use of 3D be next on the plate? I think so. 

Opportunity Calls

This is a message primarily for 3D technology companies (hardware and software manufacturers, integrators, and resellers).

The Opportunity

You are invited to participate in a dynamic optometric educational session at the American Optometric Association's annual conference, being held in Chicago on June 30^th, 2012. The details of this opportunity are detailed in the document embedded below, along with contact information.

                                    Open publication - Free publishing - More 3d

The Business Case

There are two distinct benefits associated with this opportunity:

First, this is an opportunity to reach an elite group of consumers and their families. Optometrists are in the top 12.5 percent of households per total money income according to U.S. census data and the AOA’s Income from Optometry survey.

Second, this event also represents an opportunity to make sure doctors of optometry are sharing the message you would like consumers to hear—not only that 3D/S3D viewing is a safe and appropriate technology for all audiences, but that it can also uncover treatable vision problems.

Why It Matters

In 2011, efforts to increase awareness of the health benefits of 3D viewing resulted in more than a billion media impressions. But according to the AOA’s 2011 American Eye-Q® survey, there is still work to be done dispelling myths. Parents still reported some concern about the effects of 3D technology, with:

• 53 percent of respondents, whose children are 18 or younger, believe 3D viewing is harmful to a child's vision or eyes 
• 29 percent feel very concerned that their child may damage their eyes due to prolonged use of computers or hand-held electronic devices 

Don’t miss this chance to ensure your message reaches consumers through the collaborative strength of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and 3D@Home consortium. 

In Méliès Shadow: A Gripping Story, a Hidden Allegory

Hugo (see the previous post) is the tale of a young lad trying to find purpose in his life following the untimely death of his father. But nestled within the plot is a unique story-within-a-story, a look at the budding history of early cinematography.

The view is through the eyes of Georges Méliès, a “special effects” cinematographer who was immensely popular and productive, producing well over 500 films in his day. A performing magician turned cinematographer, Méliès somehow never left behind his gift for magic, invention, and imagination as he pursued making movies. “I was convinced it was a new kind of magic,” he said of cinema.

Now, here’s where DLP-based stereo 3D comes in. This enchanting tale of the inchoate history of cinema creates a softly hidden allegory of today’s emerging 3D educational marketplace. The parallels are striking. Much like early film, 3D today seems like a “new kind of magic” to consumers and schools alike. “Movies are like seeing dreams in the middle of the day.”  I can’t think of a better way to describe 3D in the theater or the classroom. ”It was a gift!” Méliès voiced with delight about moving pictures. I see 3D in the same role—it’s a gift for learning and for healthy vision.

Moreover, viewer reactions to these early films then (and 3D movies or classrooms now) are eerily similar. In Méliès’ day, people responded with the same “it’s like being there” delight and physical reactions. One of the scenes depicted in Hugo involves a famous moment in film-going history, the brief screening of the Lumière brothers' Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat. Here’s a second YouTube version of the same film clip. Frankly, the visual surprise reenacted when the audience in Hugo saw this short video is no different than the reactions repeatedly evidenced in classrooms of elementary school students as 3D asteroids whizz by their heads on a simulated journey to the solar system. And it’s really not much different than the delight and connection demonstrated recently in Colorado and again in Austin by groups of adult K-12 educators at one of my 3D workshops. I guess there is one difference. The surprise and cognitive delight of viewing 3D does not seem to go away over time.

Méliès Shadow 

The similarities between the first years of moving pictures and our early experiences with stereo 3D don’t stop there. We see in both counterparts the struggles of the early years of making quality productions, the challenges of making a living on the basis of selling something as silly as imagination and wonderment, and the highs and lows of convincing others as to the true potential of the tool.

In Hugo, the magnificent and enthralling “world of imagination” created by Georges Méliès and others was driven away when World War I came. “Youth and hope were at an end,” lamented Georges. “The world had no time for magic tricks and movie shows… no one wanted my movies anymore.” “Happy endings only happen in the movies,” he added hurtfully. Due to the lack of demand for movies, he sold his company. Crushed and demoralized he invested all that he had left in a small toy shop. He felt that, in many ways, movies were just a fad. And the fad was over. 

Sometimes I feel the same way about 3D in education. What has become known as our ‘great recession” has hit manufacturer, software designer, and educational customer alike. At times, it seems like the economy has inopportunely slowed one of the most brilliant innovations of our time. Schools and universities that should be investing heavily in 3D learning technologies are instead focusing on keeping staff on the payroll. The critics of 3D are calling it either another fad or a luxury that cannot be afforded during tough times. Although I don’t want to ruin the movie, let me suggest that, in the end, Georges finds fresh legs. And in the 3D educational marketplace, there is reason for hope as well. You see, the educational market is resilient. It will bounce back. No, the message for DLP 3D’s potential in the classroom is not going to wither away. It will soon find fresh legs.

 

In Scorsese’s Shadow

3D again earned a noticeable presence at the 84^th annual Academy Awards. Five awards (for best cinematography, art direction, visual effects, sound mixing, and  sound editing) went to the movie Hugo, the best breakthrough 3D movie I have seen since Avatar. This peculiar and enchanting film, based on the Caldecott award winning book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is even better than Avatar. (That’s also the opinion of James Cameron, Avatar’s director.) The film’s director was Martin Scorsese. I can only suggest you see this film before it leaves the theaters again.

Martin Scorsese embraced the 3D medium with every fiber of creative passion in his possession. But Scorsese’s work also casts a long and meaningful shadow on what we need to see in 3D within education settings.

Many of my friends and relatives recently have stopped going to 3D movies, citing visual dullness, drab conversions, and minimal negative parallax, but this powerful film demonstrates the type of creativity that will certainly bring the doubters back.  Hugo employs 3D for distinct artistic and visual advantage, a remarkable feat. It features extraordinary 3D portal views, the appearance of multiple layers of positive parallax, and positive parallax that is almost as good as negative parallax. During an interview with CbsNews.com, Scorsese spoke of the initial challenges he faced shooting in 3D, saying, "Everything changed every shot. Every shot. The placement of the actor. The nature of the performance...” The same attention to detail will be needed to support the continued development of educational 3D content. For the education market, simple 2D to 3D video conversion will not be sufficient in itself. Running comfortable 3D cartoons for educational customers in exhibit hall booths will not be enough.

And one more thing about Hugo. The movie successfully revives, after an uncomfortable drought, the beauty and importance of negative parallax.  Negative parallax is critically important in educational content. In Hugo, we see bountiful negative parallax: snow… ashes… dogs… tools… pendulums… guitar necks… hurting feet… hat brims… spit… devices… and tools. All with a specific purpose and message to convey.

In planning a party for her godfather, Georges, the spirited Isobel declares in the Hugo film: “We need to have some… panache!” Negative parallax in 3D is like panache. When panache matters, it matters. Educational 3D needs more panache (translated, negative parallax). Think of it in this way: educational customers will come when content has panache. 

Johnny Depp Can't See 3D

You may not know it, but Johnny Depp is unable to see 3D movies.  Read more about that here. But that hasn’t stopped him from producing Hugo, the best breakthrough 3D movie I have seen since Avatar. Directed by the renowned Martin Scorsese, I can only suggest you run (not walk) to a theater and see this movie. 

Many of my friends and relatives recently have stopped going to 3D movies, citing visual dullness, drab conversions, and minimal negative parallax, but this powerful film demonstrates the type of creativity that will certainly bring the doubters back.  This film, based on the Caldecott award winning book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, employs 3D for distinct artistic and visual advantage, a remarkable feat. It features extraordinary 3D portal views, multiple layers of positive parallax, and positive parallax that is almost as good as negative parallax. And one more thing. The movie successfully revives, after an uncomfortable drought, the beauty and importance of negative parallax.  

In the film, one of the lead characters reminisces that movies are “like seeing dreams in the middle of the day.” The artistic use of 3D in this film makes that statement an even truer observation. Incidentally, this movie was so enthralling that the audience sat quietly and listened to the closing score well through the credits. The audience, young and old, was too stunned and enchanted to unseat themselves. (There is some research evidence that 3D visual effects are greatly enhanced by a rich audio experience.)

This movie shows what is possible for the future of 3D, and for the future of 3D in education. I will write about that in a future post. For now, take time to be delighted. See the movie.

Why Language Matters

“I remember sitting on a National Science Foundation panel some years ago, feverishly sorting through 10-12 semi-final proposals in a high-stakes review for a major grant award. As one particular grant came to the head of the queue for a thorough panel discussion, it was clear that the technology-based theme introduced in the grant had been misinterpreted by most of the distinguished panelists crowded into our luxurious hotel conference room. I carefully tried to explain the grant writer’s intent to my peer panelists, but lack of clarity won out. Since the theme was interpreted in completely different ways by the panelists, the result was inevitable: the grant, a quite promising technology proposal, was not recommended for funding.”

This personal experience reflects the challenges we face when we don’t subscribe to a common language—a shared understanding—of the technology we embrace. I believe that this has now become a paramount issue, one vital for claiming the hoped-for footprint of 3D technology in K-16 classrooms.

Over the last year, I’ve often experienced considerable misunderstanding about the term ‘3D’.  Some of the unfortunate negative effects I’ve observed firsthand include:

-         Customers and conference attendees don’t attend sessions offered on the topic

-         Conference organizers obscure 3D presentations by shunting them toward less desirable venues, times, or days—or they deny presentation proposals altogether.

-         National think tanks, committees, publications, or thought leaders offer only the slightest consideration of stereoscopic 3D in their thinking, planning, white papers, or initiatives

-         School technology leaders think it’s just entertainment, so it’s simply not on their radar

The above happen because decision makers (and I’ve talked to so very many) are very busy people, can’t always keep current in our constantly evolving technology landscape, and simply don’t understand what stereo 3D is (or they think S-3D is something that it is not).

If we are hoping to convince school district leaders, persuade a principal, or induce parents to encourage classroom investments in 3D technology, then we need to be sure we have the same thing in mind. If we are planning to sell to schools, persuade distributors to carry and support products, or engage integrators to make it all work, then we need to be speaking the same language. 


But is educational stereoscopic 3D somewhat different from what we think stereo 3D is? I think so. So please check back with us for a concluding blog post, as we offer a startling realization about the nature of S-3D in classrooms. Cue the mystery music…

3D@ISTE: AOA Press Release

Some of the most impactful research in the world of educational 3D is being led by the American Optometric Association. Last week, at the ISTE 2011 conference, the AOA issued a special press release provided below, in its entirety:

Referenced at the bottom of the press release is a heart-warming story, an event which occurred just last week in Florida. When 3D viewing difficulties were identified in a kindergarten-aged child, the resulting comprehensive eye exam led to the discovery of a congenital eye muscle disease that can now be treated five years before it would typically have even been diagnosed.


It is also interesting to reflect on the notion that 3D technologies will likely be required in the treatment of many of the eye disorders now being safely diagnosed through the use of 3D in homes, schools, universities, and cinemas.

Friends in High Places

James Cameron, the well-known director of “Avatar” (the blockbuster 3D sci-fi movie), recently spoke out about the potential of stereoscopic 3D in education.  His thoughts are best conveyed in his own words...

James Cameron Video

A 3D Lagniappe

Question: “What 3D announcement made in March resulted in over half a billion web impressions in just two weeks?”

Answer: The 3D lagniappe.

“Lagniappe” is a Cajun term meaning “a little extra,” or a bonus gift. (For example, if you were to receive a free slice of scrumptious pecan pie after ordering the large-sized crawfish etouffee—that would be a lagniappe. Or if, at the end of a workshop, a presenter gave everyone in the room a practical new tip, immediately usable—that, too, would be a lagniappe.)

This metaphor is absolutely the best way to describe what is currently erupting in the 3D world. In a recent announcement, the American Optometry Association took a significant position on 3D viewing, and this announcement has since reverberated around the globe. The upshot is that viewing 3D is strongly encouraged by the AOA.  Viewing 3D—in theaters, on home television sets, on game consoles, and in our nation’s classrooms—appears to serve as one of the most reliable and effective vision screeners ever offered. It’s apparently far more effective than the standard eye-chart test.

Who could have imagined? It’s an unexpected bonus, a “little extra” gift for 3D-using schools. Although we are seeing very positive results in classrooms that are using 3D, now we have a 3D lagniappe—a tremendous health benefit is now associated with this impactful teaching tool.

Take a look for yourself by checking out these national announcements: 

3D Eye Health and 3D@Home

Special Notes:

1.  In mid-May, I plan to populate this blog with a rich series of posts about the learning results and successes we are now seeing in our pilot 3D classrooms.  The 3D lagniappe above is just your appetizer!

2.  Yes, I’ve been serving on the national AOA team that has been developing a position paper on this topic. Our work is expected to be released sometime in June—so please stay tuned!

Beyond Words

Leaders and educators in the country of Poland were worried that the nation's youngest citizens are forgetting or will never truly understand the horrors of World War II, the suffering of the Polish people during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, or the devastation this war brought to their country. For that reason, we recently witnessed the completion of a huge undertaking: the 3D reconstructive filming of the most destroyed city in World War II, Warsaw.

September 5, 1944 in Warsaw. Public Domain.

I mention this movie, City of Ruins, because it represents perhaps the most moving effort to date to use 3D, a media form that young people are very familiar with, to reach out, to educate, and to replant memories that somehow must never be forgotten.

Tethered 3D Learning

In an early entry in this blog, I introduced the 3D content taxonomy represented in the chart below:

In this post, I originally groused (in reference to 3D movie or movie segments): "There's not much educational value there, except the 'grab' factor. Don't stay fixated here too long." Well, live and learn. I was a bit wrong. At the ISTE 2010 national technology conference in Denver, I spoke with Dr. KJ Brar, who is the president of Designmate (www.designmate.com), perhaps the largest producer of 3D content in the world. After some thoughtful conversations with Dr. Brar, I learned something quite important. Although movie segments are indeed more passive learning experiences than their other cousins on the 3D content taxonomy, they can still play a very important role in 3D learning. When tightly tethered to interactive simulations, 3D movie segments can provide the sound base of knowledge and context that students need in order to fully explore a simulation and firmly understand the concepts being presented. Although 3D movie segments have less value when they stand alone in instruction, in tandem with interactive simulations, movie segments have real value. Now, six months after I spoke with Dr. Brar, his words have borne out in our classrooms. Short video segments are indeed highly effective.

3D is Here

 

One promising projector capability (soon to arrive to a school near you) is the ability to project 3D images inexpensively, and with remarkable quality.  You know, 3D like in the movies—Toy Story, Ice Age, or G-Force.

If you’ve been going to any movies lately, you may have noticed that the 3D theater marketplace has been noticeably increasing. Expanding from just a few titles a year, we’ve seen the commercial release of over twenty 3D films in 2009, and more than fifty in 2010. Interestingly, more than a hundred 3D films are now in planning or production for 2011, queued for release by Hollywood.

To see a picture of Len at the Dicken's Christmas Carol 3D movie, click here.

To see a close up of the newest movie goers' essentials click here.

One 3D film, in particular, seemed to revolutionize the way we think about the scope and possibilities of 3D viewing: the movie AVATAR represented a ground-breaking technological leap for 3D visualization (along with a compelling environmental story).

I am mentioning this movie here, because it marked a milestone in the field of 3D viewing, as well as an excellent external reference or bookmark to the themes we will discuss in the next sections of this blog. See the movie yourself, but see it in 3D:  http://www.avatarmovie.com/