The Amazing Mandelbrot Set is the world's first comprehensive catalogue of animations and images of the Mandelbrot Set. Here are its features:

Running time: 210 minutes
Language: English
Format: NTSC All region DVD

THE DEEP ZOOM PROGRAMS

The main attraction of the DVD is the deep zoom programs, running a total of 104 minutes in length. Each of the two programs works like this:

From an introductory menu displaying the full Mandelbrot Set, you can select one of 12 animated zooms. Each zoom is identified by a descriptive name ("Belgian Lace," Mad Botany," etc.) and a pointer showing its location on the complex plane. Once a zoom is selected, you are taken to a submenu displaying three sample images and the final coordinates of the zoom. (This information allows you to explore the same region using any number of freely available PC-based fractal generators.) From the submenu, you can play the zoom or proceed to the submenu of the prior or next zoom on the program.

The zooms average 4 minutes 20 seconds in length. When a zoom reaches its final destination, you are returned to the submenu.

The visual quality of this collection is unsurpassed by any animated fractals in existence. Using a combination of subpixel interpolation techniques, these renderings are free of pixilation jitter--so they don't look computer-generated as fractal animations typically do. Instead, they appear as photographic pull-ins into a seemingly impossible level of detail. In addition, each zoom employs a distinctive color palette to enhance the overall experience, and each one is accompanied by a soundtrack of iterative musical themes composed in the spirit of fractal geometry.

TUTORIAL

The tutorial is a 15-minute animated explanation of what the Mandelbrot Set represents, and how it is displayed. Complete and thorough, it is nevertheless easily understandable by anyone familiar with introductory algebra.

Building upon basic concepts such as the number line and simple functions, the tutorial uses a step-by-step approach to demonstrate how the infinite complexity of the Mandelbrot Set arises from a simple process applied repeatedly. Combining narration with animated examples, each step is easy to follow. However, since it moves at a quick pace, the tutorial contains 50 chapter points--making it simple to to return to the beginning of each newly introduced concept.

A slightly revised version of the tutorial, with illustrations, is available here.

FRACTAL VIDEO AMBIENCE

This feature allows you to turn your TV into a conversation piece with an endlessly looped program of segments from the deep zooms. It is suitable for parties or any other situation where background eye-candy is desirable.

IMAGE GALLERY

The Image Gallery is a slide show presentation of 100 still images taken from the deep zoom programs. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and these stills were selected with that criterion. By default, each image lasts 6 seconds, but each has its own chapter point so you can pause or cycle backward and forward through the program.

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