While heuristics have evolved over decades for the capture and display of conventional 2D film, it is not clear these always apply well to stereoscopic 3D (S3D) film. Further, while there has been considerable recent research on viewer comfort in S3D media, little attention has been paid to audience preferences for filming parameters in S3D. Here we evaluate viewers’ preferences for moving S3D film content in a theatre setting. Specifically we examine preferences for combinations of camera motion (speed and direction) and stereoscopic depth (IA). The amount of IA had no impact on clip preferences regardless of the direction or speed of camera movement. However, preferences were influenced by camera speed, but only in the in-depth condition where viewers preferred faster motion. Given that previous research shows that slower speeds are more comfortable for viewing S3D content, our results show that viewing preferences cannot be predicted simply from measures of comfort. Instead, it is clear that viewer response to S3D film is complex and that film parameters selected to enhance comfort may in some instances produce less appealing content.
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