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How to Calculate Angles for 3D Movie Projection

Even the most riveting films are restrained by their spatial limitations, viewable only on a two-dimensional screen. Three-dimensional cinema has introduced an entirely new way of viewing movies on the silver screen. While 3D cinema is not altogether new, recent advances in technology have brought a new crop of 3D movies into theaters -- and with them, novel technical challenges. The nature of 3D movie projection requires precise measurement of the angles involved in order to properly display the image. Unlike conventional screens, 3D screens have a distinct "gain," or relative brightness, which must be factored into the equation.

Things You'll Need

  • Light meter
  • Polarizer
  • Tripod
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the light meter on the tripod and position the tripod at the location of the projector you will use.

    • 2

      Attach the polarizer to the light meter.

    • 3

      Direct the light meter at the center of the screen. Turn on and set to the highest brightness level.

    • 4

      Rotate the polarizer by 10 degrees to the right and left of the center point.

    • 5

      Read and record both the transmission and extinction numbers as reported by the polarizer. This value is termed the "S/N ratio."

    • 6

      Calculate the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the distance from the projector and the width of the screen by multiplying the square of the distance and adding it to the square of one-half the screen length, then finding the square root of the sum.

    • 7

      Divide the result in Step 5 (the S/N ratio) by the result in Step 6. This is the proper angle for 3D projection.

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