Today (Tuesday 17 March) marks National 3D Day, celebrated on the third day of the third full week in the third month each year, a clever nod to the 3D theme itself!
This unique day honours the art, science and innovation behind stereoscopic 3D imagery, a field that dates back further than you might expect. It was the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid who, way back in the 3rd century BC, observed that our two eyes perceive images from slightly different angles, laying the foundation for 3D vision.
The concept was explored more deeply in 1838, when English scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone described the phenomenon of Stereopsis, the idea that the brain combines two slightly different images from each eye to create depth perception.
In 1891, French inventor Louis Ducos du Hauron patented the anaglyph, a technique for displaying two colour-separated images that could be viewed in 3D using glasses with coloured lenses, one for each eye.
By the early 1900s, 3D reached cinema screens for the first time. A short film titled L’Arrivee du Train shocked audiences when a steam train appeared to come hurtling out of the screen.
The 1950s and 1960s became a golden era for 3D cinema, with an explosion of 3D movies being released, particularly between 1950 and 1955. The popularity faded somewhat in later decades, but made a strong comeback with digital technology in the early 2000s.
A major milestone came in 2004, with the release of The Polar Express in both 2D and 3D formats. The 3D version made 14 times more at the box office than the 2D version—marking a turning point in 3D filmmaking.
If you are interested in 3D technology you might want to consider taking a Creative Media or Creative Digital Design course at North Kent College, all designed to help you forge a career in the industry you choose.
To find out more visit the Creative Digital Design or Creative Media subjects page of the North Kent College website.