3D Motion posters capture illusion of speed

NASCAR racing is all about speed. And sometimes, the illusion of speed is hard to capture in a two-dimensional medium. The folks at Motion Imaging have done just that with their new series of 3D Motion Posters showcasing the top stars and cars of NASCAR in lenticular art.

So, you ask, what exactly is lenticular art? Well, to best describe it, remember those little cards that were often used a prizes in Cracker Jacks? The ones showing the baseball player at bat? When you moved the card up-and-down or side-to-side to change the angle of view, it looked as though the batter was actually swinging at and hitting the ball. That, my friends, is lenticular art.

Motion Imaging has enhanced that decades-old concept with cutting edge technology to make the cars in its posters appear as if they are actually speeding across the poster. And no, you don't have to move the 16" x 20" plastic poster back-and-forth. Just slightly changing the angle of view does the trick.

"While lenticular printing is not new, the ability to produce quality 16" x 20" posters is," said Keith Myers, vice president of motorsports for Motion Imaging. "Motion Imaging has worked relentlessly to improve the technology and printing processes to produce high quality, plastic posters with brilliant 3D imagery. The great thing about the technology we use is that it not only gives you motion, it also gives you depth. It actually produces the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional image. It even depicts the shadow of the car behind it as it goes by. It gives the viewer the feeling that they can actually reach into the printed piece. 3D Motion Posters literally bring NASCAR to life."

3D Motion Posters are now available in the NASCAR.com SuperStore. Motion Imaging will donate a portion of 2004 poster sales to Victory Junction Gang Camp.

In addition to the 16" x 20" versions, 3D Motion Posters are available in 8" x 10." A 4" x 5" magnet is also offered.

"We wanted to keep it very uniform for our first year, so each size features the same image," said Myers. "Each poster will feature the driver's image, name, and car number, along with the car going by."

SUPERSTORE •   Buy 3D Motion Posters

With more than 20 licensing agreements in place, Motion Imaging has a roster that includes NASCAR's top dogs, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Dale Jarrett, Elliott Sadler, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Sterling Marlin, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Scott Wimmer, Kyle Petty, Jeff Green, and the King himself, Richard Petty.

"It's a terrific line-up," said Myers. "Right now, we have 17 of the top 20 drivers. We'll be adding Kasey Kahne to the group shortly, and we're looking at Carl Edwards for 2005."

And speaking of 2005, Motion Imaging-which is also a licensee of such notables as the NFL, MLB, and Nickelodeon -- has some aggressive plans for next year.

"We have some big things in the works," Myers confided. For example, we're planning to introduce a series of plastic drinking cups with 3D lenticular art. We may have a car that actually speeds all around the outside of the cup. This is a marvelous technology that opens us up to a world of possibilities."

Myers noted that until recently, replicating larger art in a lenticular medium was cost prohibitive.

"For years, it was just way too expensive to produce in poster size," he explained. "In the past couple of years, we've been able to get the costs down to a point where we can offer them to collectors at an affordable price. Most paper posters are retailing for around $19.99 these days. If you'll notice, our 16" x 20" 3D Motion Poster-which is made of a durable heavy-gauge plastic -- is available in the NASCAR.com SuperStore for only $9.99. That's half the price of a paper poster. That's quite a deal."