Watch: Modern 3D Is No Longer About Pop Out Gimmicks

As Hanuman gears up for its 3D release, Rays 3D senior administrator and imaging specialist Kiran NM shared fascinating insights with Gulte Pro’s Ram Venkat Srikar about what truly makes a quality 3D film. According to him, modern 3D is no longer about gimmicky visuals jumping out of the screen but about creating natural depth that enhances emotions and storytelling.

Kiran revealed that 3D conversion starts with meticulous rotoscoping where every character, hair strand, face feature, and object is manually separated. Since films are shot with a single camera, artists must create the second eye’s perspective from scratch, making the process highly detailed and labor intensive.

He explained that depth budgeting plays a crucial role in the conversion process. Different scenes require different levels of depth, and improper handling can cause eye strain, double vision, and discomfort. Managing interocular distance carefully is key to delivering a comfortable viewing experience.

Another major challenge comes during color grading. Three dimensional projection systems, silver screens, and 3D glasses alter brightness and color perception. Special adjustments are therefore made during the DI process to ensure audiences see the film exactly as intended.

Speaking about Hanuman, Kiran noted that converting an already released film is more difficult than working alongside the VFX pipeline. Since all visual effects were completed long ago, stereo effects had to be recreated and integrated manually, adding significant complexity to the workflow.

Having worked on films like Akhanda, Pushpa 2, and several international projects, Rays 3D believes the future of 3D extends beyond theaters into VR, AR, and XR platforms. Kiran expressed confidence that India is steadily emerging as a global force in advanced imaging technology and world class 3D conversion.