His work remains the inspiration for RealD’s modern cinema systems. As a result of the acquisition, Lipton worked as chief technology officer at RealD until 2009. The Smithsonian Institution honored Lipton for the invention of CrystalEyes in 1996.ĭevelopment for these projects was funded by Stereographics Corporation, a company Lipton created in 1980, until RealD Cinema purchased the corporation in 2005. One example is a pair of glasses with shutters that open and close in sync with the screen to deliver imagery to the viewer, dubbed CrystalEyes.

The multi-talented creative held 68 patents related to 3D technology. Though the early technology was far from perfect, the concept resonated with Lipton and inspired a life-long career dedicated to the craft. As a child, Lipton was among some of the first audiences to see 3D films in theaters. Lipton was also at the helm of experimentation with three-dimensional technology for filmmakers - an interest that began in to his youth, when he would draw comics with red and green crayons to view with make-shift 3D glasses. His writings were ultimately aggregated into a compendium called “Lipton on Filmmaking” in 1979. In the years that followed, Lipton continued to contribute columns to entertainment magazines. Writing wasn’t new for Lipton, seeing as he secured a job at Time magazine shortly after graduating in 1962, before moving to an editor position at Popular Photography. Throughout the 70’s, Lipton wrote two books for independent filmmakers, the first titled “Independent Filmmaking” (1972) and the second titled “The Super 8 Book” (1975).

Lipton also entered into the studio system during his career, receiving a production assistant credit on the 1975 best picture winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” It was here he was launched into the film industry and began working on experimental shorts like 1969’s “Doggie Diner and the Return of Doggie Diner.” Through royalties, Lipton generated enough money to move to the Bay Area in California, where he became cohorts with a diverse scene of independent filmmakers. Lipton received a co-writer credit on the track, which was an instant hit among listeners.

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