Sharks 3D is the most recent nature documentary to get the 3D treatment. An IMAX theater film presented by Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Of course, there are other 3D players too. 3D Ent. recently made Sharks 3D that allowed more flexibility in shooting aquatic 3D, thanks to the Sony HDW750 high-def video cameras and lighter underwater camera housing (Celco provided stereoscopic recording and imaging services).

There is also Cobalt Ent., founded by Steve Schklair, former vp of Digital Domain, a leading 3D production services and technology company in Los Angeles. Its proprietary 3ality Systems camera platforms are the first high resolution digital 3D camera systems to utilize zoom lenses with advanced software image processing, completely integrated electronics, metadata recording and blue tooth enabled digital remotes. The camera is suitable for every type of shot, from long lens sports photography (they shot the 2004 Super Bowl) to extreme close ups, often covering this range in realtime and within a single continuous shot.

“For us digital television is the ultimate device where this is going to play,” Schklair explains. “And if we can bring live events from around the world to digital theaters in stereo, this will be the ancillary use that everyone is talking about. The plan is to shoot stereoscopic films that are composited from bluescreen/greenscreen environments, drive the backgrounds through meta data readouts from all the axes and do a lot of experimentation with how to shoot and record the workflow.”

Then there is In-Three, with its own business plan tied to digital cinema. (IMAX is still researching how and when to convert its own system to digital cinema. In fact, IMAX recently filed a patent infringement claim against In-Three, which responded with its own counter suit. As someone suggested: “This proves this is a real business.”)

Kaye insists that what makes Dimensionalization different from other systems is that the 3D material has no geometric disparities between the left and right eye views, which are normally inherent to original 3D photography and even some 3D CGI. Another key aspect of In-Three’s process is that the left eye view is the original material completely untouched. The right eye view, however, has been converted from that original information. Kaye says he even altered Spielberg’s perception of what looks good in 3D.

Although he has not yet begun work on the Star Wars movies, Kaye says In-Three is busy converting a big year-end tentpole picture. The company is also working with Cameron on Battle Angel, which will be shot in both 3D and 2D and will contain performance capture CGI.

The big question remains: What about the theaters? “I’m confident the theaters will be equipped by 2007,” he adds. “[Star Wars producer] Rick McCallum keeps me informed about rollout progress.”

Bill Desowitz is editor of VFXWorld.