History of 3D Cinema

3D movies like Avatar, CEO, and Star Wars have gained popularity. New 3D technology is emerging for games and phones.

3D imaging was first created in the 1840s by Charles Woodson using a stereoscope to converge two images and create the illusion of 3D. The first patent for 3D motion pictures was filed in the 1890s by Will Greene, who proposed a machine that synchronized two strips of film.

Anaglyph films made their first major impact in 1915 when Edwin Porter and William Waddell showed test films to audiences in New York. These films had left and right images superimposed with red and cyan or green tinted images, requiring the audience to wear tinted glasses.

In 1922, William Cassidy and Laurens Heyman developed the tell view method for creating 3D films. This method involved projecting left and right images one after another on a single strip of film, while the audience looked through a viewing machine with synchronized shutters for each eye. The Great Depression slowed down 3D film development until it picked back up in 1936 when Adalynn demonstrated polarized light imaging using two projected images on a silver screen through polarizing filters.

After World War II, the invention of TV threatened cinema. In 1952 and 1953, the golden era of 3D films began with 'Bwana Devil' using polarized method instead of anaglyph. Other notable films during this time were Warner Brothers House of Wax and Kiss Me Kate. The popularity started to decline in the late '50s but saw a resurgence in stereo vision 3D in the '70s and again in IMAX releases during the '80s.

The 3D film trend experienced a decline for several decades after its initial popularity, until James Cameron's release of 'Avatar' in 2009 sparked a huge comeback. This led to many studios embracing the 3D format and re-releasing old films in 3D, with companies like Panasonic, HTC, and Nintendo also joining the trend by creating 3D TVs, games, and phones.