Ray Hannisian's Page

I bought my first 3D camera in London in 1976. Eventually, I disposed of all of my other camera equipment in its favor.

For years I thought about how I might make the pictures move. In 1993, I completed a working prototype Hi-8 3D video camera and recording system, and immediately began to experiment.

My first works included:

Skiing in Aspen, Colorado
Close-up experiments
"Pumping Iron"
Hot air ballooning
Mountain and Desert Scenery
Dance performance (on-stage)

In November of 1994, I took my still and video cameras to the Caribbean, to document a "Windjammer Cruise" in the Windward and Leeward Islands.

Then, in late 1994-'95, I set out to document a journey through Mexico and Guatemala.

Footage from that trip includes:

(Mexico), Seascapes and landscapes (jungle flora and fauna), local arts and crafts (displayed and being made), guitar building, a Huichol Indian Shaman (Peyote ceremony), a Mexican carnival and fireworks, Mayan ruins (some from the air), Ballet Folklorico, marketplaces, Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Indians.

(Guatemala), the Tikal ruins, the marketplaces of Antigua and Chichicastenango, and the home workshop of a family of weavers in Momostenango.

(3D slides from this journey may be seen on my portfolio page "A Year on the Road".)

From July of 1996 to July of 1997, I acted as "Director of 3D Photo and Video Content" for VRex, Inc., developing several projects in various media, for distribution with the company's "VR Surfer" liquid crystal shutter glasses, stereoscopic projectors and "Cyber-book" computer screens, as well as CD-ROMs, and polarized "CLC" ink products.

In 1998, I returned to independent production as "Ray3D".

In January and Februay of '98, I consulted on a project to create 3D video projection onstage at The Jim Stafford Theater in Branson, Missouri. Our initial experiments utilized 3-chip cameras and Betacam SP dual-stream capture and projection. The results were combined with live performers. With a screen measuring 16 feet high 32 feet wide, this makes The Stafford Theater the home of the largest rear-screen 3D theater in North America.

In May of '98, I produced a video demonstration program for DTI's "Virtual Window", an "auto-stereoscopic" (3D without glasses) LCD computer/video display screen.

In May of '99, I presented examples of my 3D video content at the "MediArTech" "Virtuality & Interactivity II" exhibition in Florence, Italy.

From August through December of 1999, I produced several video demos for "Isee3D". These include: "Road Altlanta" auto racing (with in-car cameras), a roller-coaster ride at "Six Flags/Elitch Gardens, Denver, CO, a Baltimore Orioles/N.Y. Yankees baseball game at Camden Yard, the lights of Las Vegas and the building and testing of a "Formula Atlantic" racing car in Brentwood and Button Willow, CA. Isee3D is developing an Internet delivery system to provide real-time streaming 3D video coverage of sports, entertainment and special events, directly to your home computer.

During the Ski season ('00-'01), I shot video for The Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen. This led to the creation of a new video entitled "Not Your Average Ski Movie".

Starting in the Fall of 2002, I began a project with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts "Media Center", creating a series of 33 stereoscopic video documentaries about the lives of Colorado notables and artists. To learn more, visit my page about "The Touchstone Project".

During the Fall and Winter of 2004-'05, I collaborated with "Denver Center Media" and "The Colorado Historical Society" to create a 3D presentation for the "Ancient Voices" exhibit at the Colorado Historical Museum in Denver. The stereoscopic video content was displayed on "auto-stereoscopic" screens from "Dimension Technologies Inc.".

In the Fall/Winter of '05, I consulted on the creation of a high definiton animation project for Bristol Meyers Squib. The project was produced by "Shout Out Communications, Inc.", (NY,NY), with graphics from "Digital Magic Animation, LLC", (NY,NY), The final presentation took place at a pharmaceutical convention in San Diego, CA.

In the first quarter of 2006 I consulted on and provided projection equipment for the creation of a 3D theater in Argentina for the energy company "IMPSA".

In addition, I have been improving and upgrading my camera system from analog to digital, and from interlaced to full "dual capture". A newly designed "twin high definiton" capture system is currently in development. I have also been developing several new formats for delivering my still and moving 3D images via computer products, including CD-ROM, DVD and streaming media formats, and through projection.

In the Winter of 2006, I was invited to participate in the post production stereoscopic "depth balancing" of the "U2-3D Vertigo Tour", dual stream, uncompressed 1080P concert movie, which was released in IMAX and digital stereo theaters around the world, in early 2008. This movie was previewed at the 2007 "Cannes Film Festival" to great reviews. It premiered at the "Sundance Film Festival", in January of 2008.

The U2 movie was produced by "3ality Digital", with offices in Burbank, California. As a result of this collaboration, I became "lead stereographer" and "stereoscopic depth balancing artist" for 3ality Digital from 2006- 201l.

Additional 3ality projects, for which I was stereographer and depth balancing artist, include: “CHUCK”, “SOBE Super Bowl commercial”, NFL, BCS, NHL, IPL and NASCAR, (football, hockey, cricket and auto racing, broadcast live to 3D theaters and over 3D broadcast channels), “The Caretaker 3D”, “Choices”, (a school PSA project), “Kenny Chesney 3D”, and the “Phil Driscoll Concert” in Trier, Germany.

In 2009, I was asked to participate in "The 3D @ Home Consortium ", a panel of 3D specialists to help define the parameters of "good 3D" as it applies to both theatrical releases and for the quickly evolving home entertainment center market.

Even though they spelled my name wrong, "The Caretaker 3D", on which I was stereographer, won the "Dimmy Award" for short feature at June 2010's "Dimension3 Expo" in Paris.

From 2010 - 2011 I was stereogrpher for Demo content for numerous clients, including Samsung and Panasonic.

In 2011 I was stereographer on the feature film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D", to be released within the next few months.

In 2012, I acted as "3D Consultant" for Panasonic during the shooting of Katy Perry's new 3D "Wide Awake" music video. See: Behind the Scenes

I recently presented seminars in Belgium and Japan, and will speak in October at "CineCast Expo" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the subject of: "How does it Work? How Can I use it? Creating, managing and optimizing our 3D illusion in camera and in POST."

I am currently exploring the effectiveness of 3D in an educational context.

For further updates about my current activities, and my professional resume as Stereographer, 3D Consultant and "S3D" Trainer, click here.

In addition to my interest in 3D photography and video, I am a musician and published composer, with credits in film, television and theater. I currently have a work in progress which is a "Virtual Reality Ballet". It combines dancers, landscapes, and computer generated graphics and environments with an original musical score.

I envision the creation of an entirely new art-form, combining three dimensional displays and projections with elements of live music, theater and dance.

For further details about me or my work, contact me via E-Mail.

(Watch this web-site for links to a gallery of sample images from these projects.)

Additional 3D sites

Ray Hannisian

Stereographer / 3D Consultant / S3D Trainer

Ray3D - Stereoscopic Imaging

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All materials on this site Copyright© Ray Hannisian 1995-'2012