3D history

For every $100 million made on a Blockbuster, $30 million is made profit as a result of 3D Merchandising. Though many would think that 3D is a recent fad it dates back to a chap named

Charles Wheatstone, who invented 3-D anaglyphs in 1838, paving the way for the eventual development of 3-D entertainment. Which in turn, allowed the 3D glasses provide depth and a sense of three dimensions to two-dimensional images. They reached a height of popularity in the 1950's with the advent of the first 3D blockbuster films.

3D glasses work by presenting two slightly different perspectives of the same image. To take advantage of traditional red & blue 3D glasses, one version of the image is filmd in red, the other is blue. The 3D glasses present a different perspective to each eye, tricking the brain into forming one three-dimensional image.

'House of Wax' released in 1953 was the first 3D Movie with stereo sound and full colour. It was made by Warner Brothers, the second Hollywood studio to join the 3D market.

Since then, 3D has been marketed at least 5 times as a new cultural phenomenon. The most succesful being the most recent with the recent release of Jim Cameron's latest film 'Avatar' starring Sam Worthington.

The year 2009 marked the 3D fever in the film industry where major film studios focused on 3D movies. A total of 10 3D films were released that year.