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NFB in 3D
About the playlist
While 3D films are making a comeback today, the NFB has been exploring the medium since the 1950s with Norman McLaren's pioneering 35mm stereoscopic animated films Around Is Around and Now is the Time.
Our recent experiments in stereoscopy have merged into a production and R&D project called the NFB StereoLab and now, using Color Code® encoding to adapt some of our work for the web, we bring you the StereoLab online!
The NFB StereoLab is an experimental project exploring stereoscopic cinema. For close to 10 years, we have been using various technologies to create three dimensional images. At the heart of these experiments is SANDDE™ (Stereoscopic Animation Drawing Device), a revolutionary digital animation technology created by IMAX® Corporation which allows artists to create hand-drawn animation in 3D space.
To view the films, you will need Color Code® 3D glasses which you can order from our online store. For best results, view the films in full screen and be sure to let us know what you think.
Selected films
Falling in Love Again (3D)
- This animated short unfolds to Marlene Dietrich's rendition of Falling in Love Again and features a playful take on the popular myths and clichés about love. When two cars traveling in opposite directions careen around sharp curves, the meeting of their occupants promises to be explosive. The collision propels ...
- by Munro Ferguson,
- 2003,
- 2 min 55 s
Drux Flux (3D)
- Part figurative, part abstract, Drux Flux is an animated short comprised of fast-flowing images showing modern people crushed by industry. Inspired by One-Dimensional Man, by philosopher Herbert Marcuse, the filmmaker deconstructs industrial scenes and their terrifying geometry to show the inhumanity of progress.
- by Théodore Ushev,
- 2008,
- 4 min 47 s
Facing Champlain 3D (Clip 1)
-
For Facing Champlain: A Work in 3 Dimensions, the NFB brought together some of Canada's brightest talents, led by writer and director Jean-François Pouliot. This formidable creative team took the framework of 3D stereoscopic film in totally new directions, reinventing the grammar of cinema.
Artist Mélissa Hébert, the fictional ...
- by Jean-François Pouliot,
- 2008,
- 52 s
Facing Champlain 3D (Clip 2)
-
For Facing Champlain: A Work in 3 Dimensions, the NFB brought together some of Canada's brightest talents, led by writer and director Jean-François Pouliot. This formidable creative team took the framework of 3D stereoscopic film in totally new directions, reinventing the grammar of cinema.
Artist Mélissa Hébert, the fictional ...
- by Jean-François Pouliot,
- 2008,
- 2 min 12 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 1 - The Project
- Director Jean-François Pouliot and producer Marc Bertrand explain the project and the inspiration for the stereoscopic film Facing Champlain: a Work in 3 Dimensions.
- by Philippe Tremblay,
- Jason Lee,
- 2008,
- 2 min 8 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 2 - The Beginning
- Producer Marc Bertrand and animator Munro Ferguson tell us about the beginning of the project, explaining the choice to associate live-action shooting and 3D animation for the film Facing Champlain.
- by Philippe Tremblay,
- Jason Lee,
- 2008,
- 1 min 30 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 3 - The Painting
- Director Jean-François Pouliot, actress Pascale Montpetit and animator Theodore Ushev talk about the artist and the painting in the film Facing Champlain.
- by Philippe Tremblay,
- Jason Lee,
- 2008,
- 1 min 59 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 4 - Stereoscopy - Live Action
- Camera designers Marty Mueller and Barbra Pleason-Mueller, stereographer Sean MacLeod Philips, director Jean-François Pouliot and executive producer David Verrall talk about the equipment used to shoot live-action in stereoscopy and the impact that using this technique had on the film Facing Champlain.
- by Philippe Tremblay,
- Jason Lee,
- 2008,
- 2 min 42 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 5 - Stereoscopy - Animation
- Animation director Munro Ferguson and animator Dale Hayward explain how the 3D animation software SANDEE and other 3D animation techniques were used for the film Facing Champlain.
- by Philippe Tremblay,
- Jason Lee,
- 2008,
- 2 min 13 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 6 - Animation Design
- Animation director Munro Ferguson explains some ideas behind the different animation styles used in Facing Champlain. The animators replicate many different styles of paintings, from Champlain's era to the modern day.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 0 min
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 7 - Set Design
- Normand Sarrazin designed the set for the live-action element of Facing Champlain. Working with animators and developing a set for 3D was a new challenge for his team.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 2 min 33 s
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 8 - Digital Effects
- Digital effects expert on the stereoscopic film Facing Champlain, Pierre Plouffe explains the process of integrating the animation and live action effects together in 3D through SANDDE™ technology.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 2 min
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 9 - Soundtrack
- Composer and sound designer Normand Roger needed to create a soundtrack for a film made in multi-dimensions. He combined contemporary and classical music to reflect the different time periods of the film.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 146 min
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 10 - Installation and Final Delivery
- In this chapter of the making-of, we witness the countdown to the Québec City premiere. The screening of this stereoscopic film involved a complicated and laborious process to get things right.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 2 min
Facing Champlain Making of: Chapter 11 - The Premiere
- The 3D stereoscopic film Facing Champlain has its premiere in Québec City. In this chapter, the talented filmmakers and dedicated crew celebrate their hard work together. The film was put together in just a matter of months.
- by Jason Lee,
- Philippe Tremblay,
- 2008,
- 2 min 40 s
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