Today I am writing a small piece on the latest technological craze in film and asking your opinions on whether 3D is a good thing or not. This particular blog was inspired by a recent Newsweek article titled ‘Why I Hate 3-D (and You Should Too), I’m not opposed to 3-D as an option. I’m opposed to it as a way of life’.
I remember sitting in a bar in New York about 2 years ago and having a debate with some fellow professionals about 3D and why I didn’t think it was going to catch on or would be fraught with potential issues further down the road – versus—their opinion which was “embrace it, it’s here to stay” and “it’s the next generation for film, like DVD’s was to VHS” … Well, here we are 2 years later, and 3D films are going “bang for glory” with every studio, as it seems the industry itself, and many more independent film makers talking about making their films 3D. Now we can debate why we are here, but I think it is clear that the success of one ‘Avatar’ as the biggest grossing film of all time, is one of the main reasons why, in typical hollywood fashion, everyone has jumped on that band wagon, hiked their theatre prices, and set in motion a less than comprehensible argument for films to be made with this medium in mind.
There are some questions which remain, and include, (1) Are these studio executives and indy film makers correct in their decision? (2) Have they bought into their own hype because a few films have made a few billion dollars (in part because of the over inflated ticket prices)—and so become a self fulfilling prophecy, and (3) Can this medium, (including 3D TV) survive all the hype?
I recently posted the same article on my facebook page and got a few replies, all of which seemed to mirror my own sentiments and that of the Newsweek articles author. See Below
“I can’t think of one "serious" movie that would ever benefit from 3D and it would be a shame if we all had to pay extra for a movie with a great story and great acting simply because the director decided that, to keep up with new projectors, or to sell the movie, it had to be made in 3D.”
“while I agree that the whole 3D craze is utterly ridiculous and that (in my opinion) in most cases, no serious director would use it unless the story, script, or some other part of the "movie" itself was weak and warranted it, I certainly think its useful and extraordinary as an option, albeit a rather limited option I hope and one that doesn’t become the norm or a necessary part of any future movie.”
“A good film works as a thoroughly immersive experience anyway without having to rely on headache-inducing sticks being poked in your eyes. When I saw ‘There Will Be Blood’ for example I felt the overall technology had taken such a leap without resorting to gimmickry that I felt completely ‘in the moment’ and privileged to be viewing it. No 3D film has achieved anything near that experience as yet.”
What are your thoughts, feel free to email me.
