Nifty 3D Camera

Here’s a welcome resource for your budding 3D classroom: Phogy, a free 3D parallax camera. 

This app (produced by Vivoti) runs on the Android platform (download here) or the iPhone platform (download there). Short instructions are available on the app, but the English isn’t quite correct, so it may take some re-reading to get started. Nevertheless, a great tool for the classroom. And the price is right.

Special note: The Apple version requires iOS 7.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for the iPhone 5. 

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.

What is eS3D?

As we wrap up our series on the importance of common language, let’s focus on stereoscopic 3D in the world of education (or, eS3D). Confusion about what we mean by educational 3D content is still widespread. In fact, a dozen-or-so talented 3D content producers I have chatted with recently think it is all about 3D movies.

Contrary to the thinking of many industry experts, educational stereo 3D content is not just 3D movie content with an educational purpose.  First, eS3D involves any or all of the six categories of content demonstrated in the taxonomy chart shown below:

Although some big players seem satisfied with plans to roll out content associated with the first category (movies), this is the content least in demand by educators. Second, the kind of eS3D that educators require is generally shorter in length than other 3D content. Third, it involves less rapid movement and is far more static, than the images one sees in movies, games, or 3D sports television. Fourth, eS3D is often interactive in nature. Last, eS3D more richly favors negative parallax over positive parallax in highlighting essential learning. 

Content developers that think otherwise are just barking up the wrong tree. What is your opinion? Please post your thoughts.

New Content Update

The landscape for 3D educational content is constantly improving. In this post we will highlight some of the latest developments.

JTM

JTM Concepts has recently upgraded the graphics on most of their simulations, now featuring a richer, deeper negative parallax experience for the classroom. Teachers will love it. They have also introduced a promising new DNA simulation activity (screen shots shown below).

 

Safari Montage

Safari Montage has recently partnered with Cyber-Science to bring interactive 3D models in both stereo and non-stereo to their already rich media product line. Two premium product lines now partnering--it's a very good sign.

Designmate

Designmate has expanded their animated video product line to include 6,000 topics for the K12 curriculum, including virtual experiments and interactives. For those unfamiliar with this company, they produce highly-focused and studio-quality video shorts. These video segments are typically 4 minutes in length, which is just perfect for the classroom. Designmate currently features more than 200+ stereoscopic topics within the science curriculum. Most importantly, they have aggressively reduced prices and are marketing one of the most cost-effective solutions I have seen. And what a collection!

What Really Matters

In all of my experiences in working with teachers in 3D classrooms—and in all of our collaborative efforts to pursue deep “sense making” about how to best teach with 3D—one thing has become unmistakably clear:

Teachers and students want more negative parallax.

They want images to come out of the screen, into the “audience space,” where students find themselves literally compelled to learn—to focus, to reach out, and to understand.

Understandably, there are many reasons why negative parallax is not that common in available K-16 content. But our scientists, programmers, and software designers must find a way to make this happen. It is certainly striking to view objects in a depth of field, to gaze upon these objects as they frolic in their own world; but it is altogether extraordinary and an entirely transformative experience to have those same learning objects gingerly penetrate and enter, ever so slightly, into our world—the classroom.

Interactive Parallax Quiz

Stereoscopic 3D—Negative Parallax—Positive Parallax. It all seems so technical and confusing. Let’s stop and see if you really understand these concepts by using a few visual metaphors. Take the short quiz below, and see how well you do: