With 3D stereoscopic(3DS) cinema becoming ever so popular an output (thanks to the goliath "Avatar" that was released last year) perhaps it's necessary to address this grudge match in the making.
Film is a seriously old medium, in fact it borders on archaic taking into consideration that the only real advances that have been made are candy coatings such as CGI and high definition for consumers...wait, what am I saying? those are huge leaps but it's important to understand that advances in film are primarily directed at the home consumer market i.e. LCD television sets, Blu-Ray tech, and of course the role of our big brother - the internet.
Stereoscopic is not new, in fact it's been around since the 1920's but that doesn't make it any less important. You might be noticing lately that on average most new 3D animated films as well as CGI heavy films are either filmed in or converted to 3DS, does this present a paradigm shift in one of the biggest industries in the world? The answer is cloudy at best but taking into the account that 3DS home theater systems are being marketed, this suggests a definite maybe. The future of cinema doesn't rely on technology itself but as with most gadgets, the people that power it. Up until now the big boys (Disney, Dreamworks, Fox) have but stood in the wading pool but the big push is soon to come when beloved franchises such as the mammoth Star Wars saga begin their inevitable conversion to 3DS. This just shows that despite 3D being a novel experience, people are the ones that back it and what a huge backing it is.
So now I've told you why everything is so old but still so relevant, the question you might be asking me is "do I feel lucky"? Well not in those words but the point I'm getting at is that 2D and all it's history may possibly become obsolete. I hardly consider myself a purist when it comes to any aspect of society but this article should be especially poignant to those in the film industry taking into consideration that many years from now most of us won't be working in the way we used to. Cinema is an art form, a mass audience art form but only an art form if we treat it that way and many of us may not want to change from our medium. Cinema is also a form of escapism and it does it well because for 2 hours, you no longer feel like you exist in any form other than a viewer however all that is set to change. Transparency is how we escape our reality but just by using 3D glasses, we eliminate a large section of that transparency...I had a very difficult time watching Avatar - For a film that was supposed to technologically immerse me, I felt very alienated (excuse any pun) and this was due to the fact that I required a tool that was a constant reminder of how incapable I was at using the medium.
3DS definitely has a wow factor that will keep people coming back for second helpings however a clear definition between standard film and stereoscopic must be made so that we identify them as different mediums because the last thing we want to leave as a legacy for our future generation is "Casablanca in 3D!".
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something interesting to note, we've had 3D cinemas for ages, you know those ones that screen short 10-20 minute movies in themeparks. the reason it was not mainstream cinema until recently was simply because it requires digital projection, something most moviehouses worldwide didn't have the capability for, so the big guys like beuna vista found it unprofitable to go through the extra expenses for the conversion.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning that dorianne. Despite 3D first appearing in mainstream cinema, it was very prominant at theme parks. I feel this further reinforces my point of transparency as the last thing a rollercoaster tries to provide is an illusion of itself - this also can be a testament to the nature of the films that are viewed at theme parks.
ReplyDeleteTo be frank, I don't believe movies like Batman 3 should undergo the conversion to 3DS and rather let the medium cater for experiences that demand 3D. From a financial perspective, 3D tickets have a significantly higher fair and so the returns of making a conversion is highly justified on their part...unfortunately this also prooves that the industry runs on money rather than passion.
but doesn't most western/capitalist society founded endeavour boil down to that?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's as clean cut as that, at least in the entertainment industry. You probably know this but most film makers begin their career on a moral high note promising to deliver their best in the name of art. Those who remain working as independant tend to keep that philosophy but then you get professionals who are snapped up by higher powers and get the "If you don't make millions, then you'll never work in this industry again" speech from the higher ups. I guess everyone has to make a buck but some earn there money with seemingly more honourable intentions.
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