Rather innovatively the third day on the third (full) week of the third month of each year celebrates the art, science and history of stereoscopic 3-D imagery.
So that makes today (Tuesday 19 March) National 3-D Day!
It was the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, who first uncovered the possibility of 3D way back in the third century BC, when he noted that the right and left eyes view an image slightly differently.
However it wasn’t until 1838 that it was explored in more detail for the first time. This was when English scientist and inventor Sir Charles Wheatstone described the concept of Stereopsis, that being that two different images are projected on the eye’s retinas when one object is seen.
From here the technology snowballed. In 1891 Louis Ducos du Hauron, a French scientist, patented the anaglyph. This was a method of reproducing an image in 3D by separating it into two different colour channels and then wearing 3D glasses with the same colours on opposite eyes.
By the early 20th century, the first 3D film premiered. The film, L’Arrivee du Train, left audiences in a state of shock when a locomotive train appeared to crash into them.
The 1950s and 1960s proved to be a golden age for 3D technology, with a record number of 3D movies being made between 1950 and 1955.
However in the second half of the 20th century, the industry died down for a while. It took the emergence of digital cameras in the early 21st century for filmmakers to explore new possibilities in 3D.
Above: An example of a 3D model produced by a North Kent College student.
In 2004, the animated film Polar Express marked a real turning point for 3D filming. It was released in 2D and 3D formats, and the 3D version of the film took 14 times more money at the box office than the 2D version.
If 3D interests you, then it is something you can study in more detail at North Kent College. We offer a Creative Media – 3D Animation and VR course, which mixes technical and creative skills.
It will also give you access to our hub of 3D printers, graphics tablets, VR headsets and mobile devices for AR.
To find out more visit our Creative Media subject page, where you will find a host of relevant courses you can study.