KEYWORDS: Cameras, 3D image processing, Cinematography, 3D displays, 3D acquisition, Light sources and illumination, Virtual reality, Image resolution, Stereoscopy, Visualization
While there have been numerous studies concerning human perception in stereoscopic environments, rules of
thumb for cinematography in stereoscopy have not yet been well-established. To that aim, we present experiments
and results of subject testing in a stereoscopic environment, similar to that of a theater (i.e. large flat
screen without head-tracking). In particular we wish to empirically identify thresholds at which different types
of backgrounds, referred to in the computer animation industry as matte paintings, can be used while still maintaining
the illusion of seamless perspective and depth for a particular scene and camera shot. In monoscopic
synthetic imagery, any type of matte painting that maintains proper perspective lines, depth cues, and coherent
lighting and textures saves in production costs while still maintaining the illusion of an alternate cinematic reality.
However, in stereoscopic synthetic imagery, a 2D matte painting that worked in monoscopy may fail to provide
the intended illusion of depth because the viewer has added depth information provided by stereopsis. We intend
to observe two stereoscopic perceptual thresholds in this study which will provide practical guidelines indicating
when to use each of three types of matte paintings. We ran subject tests in two virtual testing environments,
each with varying conditions. Data were collected showing how the choices of the users matched the correct
response, and the resulting perceptual threshold patterns are discussed below.
In this paper we present experiments and results pertaining to the perception of depth in stereoscopic viewing
of synthetic imagery. In computer animation, typical synthetic imagery is highly textured and uses stylized
illumination of abstracted material models by abstracted light source models. While there have been numerous
studies concerning stereoscopic capabilities, conventions for staging and cinematography in stereoscopic movies
have not yet been well-established. Our long-term goal is to measure the effectiveness of various cinematography
techniques on the human visual system in a theatrical viewing environment. We would like to identify the
elements of stereoscopic cinema that are important in terms of enhancing the viewer's understanding of a scene
as well as providing guidelines for the cinematographer relating to storytelling.
In these experiments we isolated stereoscopic effects by eliminating as many other visual cues as is reasonable.
In particular, we aim to empirically determine what types of movement in synthetic imagery affect the perceptual
depth sensing capabilities of our viewers. Using synthetic imagery, we created several viewing scenarios in which
the viewer is asked to locate a target object's depth in a simple environment. The scenarios were specifically
designed to compare the effectiveness of stereo viewing, camera movement, and object motion in aiding depth
perception. Data were collected showing the error between the choice of the user and the actual depth value, and
patterns were identified that relate the test variables to the viewer's perceptual depth accuracy in our theatrical
viewing environment.
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