Movies

Popularity of 3D fails to fuel film industry

As everyone knows, 3D movies are quickly becoming a standard at the box office.  Hollywood says that 3D is becoming popular because it gives a more immersive experience, and with movies such as Coraline and Avatar they’re correct.

However, these movies are great because the filmmakers chose to make their movie in 3D, using special equipment and taking the time — and money — to ensure a great 3D experience. Movies such as Alice in Wonderland and the upcoming Clash of the Titans, on the other hand, are turned into 3D in post-production, giving a flimsy 3D experience.

Because these movies are technically 3D, movie studios and theaters can charge a premium for the experience, giving a bigger profit and more box office revenue. Obviously, anytime Hollywood can make extra money, they will — even if it means the movie suffers from a lackluster 3D experience.

And while this leads for a short-term profit, in the long run, it’s Hollywood who will suffer.  I’m already jaded to 3D movies, because I’ve paid that extra $2.50 too many times for something that was almost unwatchable.

I’m not the only one who has a problem with the growing trend for 3D. James Cameron and Michael Bay have voiced their concerns with the shift in filmmaking. Bay tried to shoot Transformers 3 in 3D, only to find that the cameras aren’t as high a quality as they should be; to correctly make a 3D transfer after the film is complete, it would cost somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000 a minute. Cameron said that Avatar was a successful 3D movie only because he planned for it from step one; movies that try to do a quick 3D ‘upgrade’ end up with a flawed product that no one wants to pay extra to see.

However, there is a silver lining to all of this 3D upgrade nonsense.  We have been treated to some truly great 3D performances so far, and although they’ve been few and far between, they are the way of the future; all of the major companies are coming out with 3D TV’s and 3D Blu-Ray players, and the new Nintendo DS is going to be in 3D.  Camera companies are coming out with different ways to take 3D pictures as well, so it seems that whether we like it or not, 3D is here to stay for a while.

Hopefully, the studios get the picture and start making true 3D masterpieces and don’t just funnel out garbage like the current trend.

[email protected]

2 Comments

  • Journalism that slanders 3D like this needs to stop! Get off the bandwagon of saying Alice didn’t look fantastic. It did. The 3D was done in a different way, but Disney knew they were going to do 3D all along and they budgeted/ planned for it. The laymen would have a very hard time pointing out the flaws in stereoscopy. We may have been spoiled by Avatar, but we’re not going to wait 5 years for each movie.. I have yet to see clash, and what I’m hearing isn’t good, but as far as Alice goes the film looked good! The story….eh…

    Also note, that Cameron is going to convert his own 2D film, Titanic into 3D.

  • Personally I am sick of 3D. I don't like wearing the glasses, much of the whole experience distracts from the movie, and I don't care about mind-blowing visual effects — I care about the emotional experience of seeing a good story with good acting. I avoid 3D.

Leave a Comment