3-D Movie/Video Competition Being Held This August
The 3D Movie/Video division of the Stereo (photography) Club of Southern California (SCSC) is pleased to again sponsor their one-of-a-kind event - The 3rD Ever 3D (Stereoscopic) Movie/Video Competition, AKA The 1999 3D International Movie/Video Exhibition. Started three years ago, as a one-time event, the competition quickly turned into an annual affair. The competition was the brainchild of Dr. John E. Hart, the driving force behind the SCSC 3D Movie/Video Division. This special interest group has been meeting for sixteen years. The competition was begun to motivate the members of his club to dust off their various movie/video cameras and produce a new 3D epic. The idea for the competition was an inspiration and has created a worldwide interest. The timing seemed perfect, with all the interest in Liquid Crystal shutter glasses, due to their use with computer games and 3D stereoscopic computer animation. Initially, The SCSC 3D Movie/Video Division had no idea what kind of response the competition would receive. There were several 3D films and videos that had been made over the years by the different members, so they knew there would be at least a few entries. The SCSC 3D Movie/Video Division meets quarterly, so the rules began to be ironed out as much as a year before the competition. The first year news of the competition was mainly by word of mouth, with a little help by the Internet. With twenty entries the first year, there was a limit of one entry by each individual, so the competition would only spotlight the best work of each individual. Submissions will be judged on image quality within the limitations of the format, creativity, 3D effect, editing and story. Pre-screening will be allowed (10-minute rule). Again this year the judges are expected to have a tough time picking the first, second and third place winners, plus the honorable mentions and accepted entries. The SCSC 3D Movie/Video division is proud to have three very notable judges again this year: Bill Warren, (Los Angeles, California) is the author of ""Keep Watching the Skies,"" which has been called ""the most authoritative work on the fantasy cinema"" and ""Set Visits: Interviews with 32 Horror and Science Fiction Filmmakers,"" Mr. Warren is a contributing editor of ""Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide"" and Maltin's ""Family Film Guide."" He has written and contributed to numerous science fiction magazines and books. He was the Hollywood correspondent for the French television series ""Fantasy"" and was the ""sysop"" for the ShowBiz area on Genie, the commercial computer service. He still reviews films for Genie, and for the online service Los Angeles Circles as well. John A. Rupkalvis, (Burbank, California) whose company StereoScope International developed the StereoScopeÆ lenses and optical system in 1972. His system has been used in numerous 3D motion pictures and he has served as a åStereoscopic Consultantx on numerous films, including ""Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn"" (1983), ""Terminator 2 3-D"" (1996) and ""The Creeps"" (1997). Mr. Rupkalvis is a member of The Stereo Club of Southern California (since 1982). Tony Alderson (North Hollywood, California) is a visual effects artist and partner in AI Effects, Inc. He has been a stereographer for some 25 years, and is especially known for his stereo conversions of comics and 2D photos, beginning with ""Battle For A Three Dimensional World"" in 1982. His first motion picture credit was for stereoscopic rotoscope animation on ""Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn"" (1983). More recent credits include the miniseries ""From The Earth To The Moon"" and ""Noah's Ark."" Mr. Alderson is a member of The Stereo Club of Southern California (since 1981) and a past SCSC president (1983-84). SCSC is excited, that again (for the third year), VRex, Inc: ""The 3D Stereoscopic Imaging Company"" (Web site: http://www.vrex.com) will supply one of their fabulous VR-2100 High Brightness 3D Stereoscopic Video Projectors to display the competition's field-sequential videotape entries (the kind you ordinarily have to view with LC Shutter glasses) and to show winning entries. Vrex projectors have the ability to take any NTSC, S-VHS, VHS or computer RGB input and project it onto a screen in spectacular stereoscopic 3D. If the input is field-sequential stereo, the projector converts it to a brilliant, sharp image that has NO FLICKER and can be shown on an aluminum-surfaced screen for viewing with ordinary 45/45 polarized spectacles! The magic that makes this possible is VRex's micro-polarizers, which are applied internally to each raster line, thereby making the left and right views capable of being displayed nearly simultaneously, rather than having to interrupt one image in order to display the other. Other parts of the circuitry convert the input alternating images to a continuous display. An on-screen menu allows you to use a remote control for adjusting such things as input source, picture brightness, contrast, color tint and color saturation, as well as changing the right/left stereo polarity, sound level, bass/treble, plus several other sophisticated onscreen, controllable features. Their projectors are the most brilliant choice in 3D projection when you need super-high brightness for wide-screen presentations. Eligibility for the competition is limited to films or videos produced by the entrant. Only one entry per format per entrant, previous entries are not eligible for this years competition. SCSC is equipped to project the following formats: 16mm Bolex/Elgeet, Super 8, Elmo/Powell, Pulfrich 3D S-VHS (NTSC) or VHS (NTSC) video, anaglyph 3D S-VHS (NTSC) or VHS (NTSC) video, S-VHS (NTSC) or VHS (NTSC) alternate-field video (standard play speed). Please write or call about other formats. The 3rD Ever 3D Movie/Video Competition is Photographic Society of America (PSA) recognized (PSA Web site: http://www.psa-photo.org). The PSA Gold Medal will be awarded to the best of show, the PSA Silver and Bronze medals will go to the 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Again, as in the past VRex, Inc: The Stereoscopic Imaging Company (Web site: http://www.vrex.com) 85 Executive Blvd, Elmsford, New York 10523; (888) VR Surfer, 914 345 8877 or Fax: 914 345 8772, will supply some fabulous prizes. Other companies that have supported our past competitions and are expected to do so in the future include 3DTV Corporation, 1863 Pioneer Parkway. East 303, Springfield, Oregon 97477, 415 680 1678, (Web site: http://www.3dmagic.com); NuVision Technologies, Inc, 1815 NW 169th Place, # 3060, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, 503 614 9100 (Web site: http://www.nuvision3d.com); StereoGraphics Corp, 2171 East Francisco Boulevard, San Rafael, California 94901 415 459 4500 (Web site: http://www.stereographics.com); Reel 3-D Enterprises, PO Box 2368, Culver City, California 90231, 310 837 2368 (Web site: http://www.stereoscopy.com/reel3d); The 3-D Zone, P.O. Box 741159, Los Angeles, California 90004, 213 662 3831 (http://www.ray3dzone.com) and MegageM Digital Media, 1903 Adria Street, Santa Maria, California 93454-1011; 805 349 1104 (Web site: http://www.megagem.com). The judging for the 3rD Ever 3D (Stereoscopic) Movie/Video Competition, AKA The 1999 International 3D Movie/Video Exhibition will commence at Noon on August 7, 1999, at the Longley Way School, 2601 Longley Way at Las Tunas, Arcadia, California 91007 (Web site: http://www.ausd.k12.ca.us/lw). The showing of the winners will follow at the same location on the evening of August 7, 1999. Videos and films will be projected and viewed using regular polarized 3D glasses, available at the showing (or bring your own). For more information, check the competition Web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~campfire/movcomp.html or the SCSC Web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~campfire. Or contact: Lawrence Kaufman 909 736 8918, kaufman3d@earthlink.net or John Hart 626 821 8357, MOVIES3D@aol.com.