captainsolo said:
The big issue is Smilebox; how to do it correctly, how to properly distort the image to create that sense of true depth, and also not infringe upon any rights because I'm pretty sure the process is copyrighted.
Smilebox is just a geometric distortion ... and simple math is not copyrightable (or patentable). So no need to worry on that angle.
To do such math, however, get a number from WidescreenMuseum's CINERAMA SPECIFICATION SHEET:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/cinerama_specs.htm
specifically, 146°, the slice of circular screen one would see as the theatre patron.
The rest is the viewer's distance from the screen and vertical seat position (good Cinerama theaters have stadium seating).
If math isn't big on your resume, just eye-ball it with some imagination. As you would probably use Avisynth to process the video, the Doom 9 forum has a start of what to try:
How to curve distort an entire Cinerama DVD image (Convert Letterbox to Smilebox)?
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=141190
The suggested plug-ins ("perspective", "debarrel", and "grid") in that 2008 thread should produce the same result(s) as my paint-program proof-of-concept.