3D Anaglyph Video from Ordinary 2D Video

[RJ Johnston]

You're going to need 3D Anaglyph Red/Cyan glasses for this.

Now with the addition of Photoshop blending modes available on the Opacity effect in Premiere Elements 11, it's easier than in PRE 10 to create 3D anaglyph videos from ordinary video clips. Several of the blending modes will work for this, but "Linear Dodge" is what I use.

1. Place the same video clip on the Video 1 and Video 2 tracks. Delete the audio from one of the clips. Offset by 1 or 2 frames either the Video 1 clip or the Video 2 clip. It makes a difference which one you offset inwards, and depends on how the camera is panned or the direction objects are moving.

SNAG-0004.jpg

2. Set the blending mode on the Opacity effect for Video 2 to "Linear Dodge (Add)."

3. On the Color(RGB) adjustment for Video 1, set Red to zero.

4. On the Color(RGB) adjustment for Video 2, set Green and Blue to zero.

Here are some scenes from a 3D anaglyph video I created. The source video for this was from a Samsung mini-dv (standard definition) camcorder. You need 3D red/cyan anaglyph glasses to view:

SNAG-0009.jpg

SNAG-0010.jpg

[Chuck Engels]

I broke out the 3D glasses that came free with my Blu Ray burner, this is awesome RJ
Going to try this myself !!

[RJ Johnston]

Just think of all the potential 3D video you have taken already and didn't know it.

It helps if the camera is on a tripod as you pan left or right.

If there isn't any motion to create a 3D effect, you can give it some depth using the Motion effect to shift one of the videos a few pixels to the left or right using the x property. Don't change the y property.

Sometimes you can change the scale property ever so slightly on one of the clips.

For stills, I can use the Image Mapper effect from NewBlue Video Essentials III. With a lot of effort, you can get really good 3D effects.

[Steve Grisetti]

Cool effect, Robert!

I wonder if you could take two camcorders, side by side, and shoot a scene and then use your method to make true 3D.

[RJ Johnston]

Cool effect, Robert!

I wonder if you could take two camcorders, side by side, and shoot a scene and then use your method to make true 3D.

Yes, I've done that. I actually have two idendical HD video cameras to do that. But getting the camcorders perfectly lined up is tricky. Setting up in Premiere Elements works the same except there's no need to offset one of the tracks by one or two frames.

[RJ Johnston]

In case someone reads through this, they might like to know that the preferrred blending mode is "Screen" and not "Linear Dodge" as I mentioned in an earlier post. I was reading some articles about creating stereoscopic images in Photoshop, and Screen was the blending mode used.