The San Francisco / Bay Area's Club for Stereo Photography Enthusiasts



3-D Video

This article describes ways to shoot, edit, and save your 3-D video in a format that’s compatible with the club’s 3-D HDTV. We’re still experimenting, so please share your own findings at a club meeting.

Shooting 3-D Video

Many Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society members use the video mode of their Fuji W3 camera. It records high-definition (1280×720), 24 frames per second 3-D video that’s saved as .AVI files. Fuji W3 video files can be edited or screened at a club meeting without modification.

Some Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society members reported success shooting with dual video or video-capable dual DSLR/mirrorless cameras, and synchronizing the streams in a video editing program.

Editing 3-D Video

These applications will let you get creative with your video with cuts, titles, and sound. All of these programs require a Windows computer of recent vintage.

MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus

http://www.magix.com/ca/movie-edit-pro/
Requirements: Windows 7, 8, or 10 (32- or 64-bit); 2.4+ GHz dual core processor; 2GB RAM (8GB recommended); 4GB hard drive space
Cost: $99

  • Recommended by Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society members
  • Well-documented, with sample videos online
  • Edits both 2D and 3-D video

Sony Vegas Pro

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro

Requirements: Windows 7, 8, or 10 (32- or 64-bit); 2 GHz processor (multicore or multiprocessor CPU recommended for HD or stereoscopic 3-D); 4GB RAM (8GB recommended); 1GB hard drive space
Cost: $600

  • Well-reviewed
  • Used by professionals
  • Better support for editing with 3-D displays than MAGIX

Stereo Movie Maker

http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/stvmkr/
Requirements: Windows 98SE to 10
Cost: Free

  • Created by Masuji Suto, author of Stereo Photo Maker
  • Lightweight system requirements
  • The price is right

My FinePix Studio

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/myfinepix_studio/
Cost: Free download, also included on CD-ROM with a Fuji W3 (be sure to download the latest version)

  • Cumbersome editing process best suited to short, simple 3-D videos

3-D Video Resolution and Format

Videos are shown on the club’s 55 inch LG 55LB6500 3-D HD television, and must be compatible with the set’s software.

If your 3-D movie is a single-take video from a Fuji W3, it doesn’t need any additional processing. Copy the .AVI file from your Fuji’s memory card and submit it to the meeting’s projectionist (instructions below).

3-D videographers who are editing their movie should output the video to match these specifications to ensure smooth playback when projected:

Format

Side-by-side: Left channel on the left. Choose the “half-width” format that reduces the width of each channel by half, so that both fit in a single 16:9 canvas. The result will be a single 1280×720 or 1920×1080 video file that displays two squeezed left & right channels. When played, each channel will be stretched to its original width.

Resolution

16:9 aspect ratio, 1280×720 (smaller file size) or 1920×1080 (full HD). 24 or 30 frames per second (30 frames per second recommended).

Videos with other resolutions or aspect ratios will be stretched, squashed, or otherwise mangled by the HDTV to fill the screen.

File Type

.MP4, or .AVI. .MP4 files offer excellent quality with lightweight file size, and is recommended if you’re exporting from a video editing program. .AVI files, like those produced by the Fuji W3, are also acceptable. File formats other than .MP4 or .AVI may not play correctly on the HDTV.

Duration

Please limit the duration of your video to five minutes or less so that all exhibiting members have a chance to screen their 3-D video.

Submit your 3-D Video

Send your video to the competition director no later than the Friday before the next Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society meeting. The 3-D HDTV is fussy about video formats, and submitted 3-D videos must be tested before the meeting.

Videos submitted the day of the meeting (on a USB thumb drive or otherwise) are not guaranteed to play on the 3-D HDTV. A computer will not be available at the meeting to re-format your video. Videos brought to the meeting will be played after videos that have been tested, time pending.

To submit your 3-D video for an Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society meeting:

Email: Send your video to the competition director
Dropbox: Send an email to the competition director and let the director know you want to upload your video to Dropbox. The director will reply with login information. (Dropbox.com is a free file sharing service that’s handy for large files like videos.)

Enjoy the Show

Video clinics are non-competitive and open to all members, regardless of skill level or experience. All members are encouraged to experiment and share.


Post Categories

Post Archives

Read All Posts


Make a Contribution

The Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society connects stereo photographers in the East Bay and across the globe. Your donation keeps this all-volunteer, not-for-profit community active.