A guest post by the New York Film Academy
The 3D Film Industry – Why The Only Way is Up
We’re currently a few years into the latest – and most prominent – resurgent in stereo 3D film. Thanks to Moore’s Law, and with a little bit of commercial viability, the industry for 3D film exploded on a mainstream scale back in 2009, with its biggest boost arguably owing to the breakthrough success of Avatar’s 3D release.
Although the run up to this pinnacle has been a steady one over the last decade (or even the last century if we’re looking at the bigger picture), sadly consumer confidence is just overcoming a lull.
So why did movie-goers become disenchanted with what is otherwise a blossoming medium? What is the situation now, and what is the long-term prognosis for the industry?
Why 3D Films Wobbled
The technology with which to shoot high-end 3D footage has never been better, and has been showcased masterfully on a number of occasions. Avatar notably brought jaw-dropping 3D footage to the forefront of the world stage and James Cameron’s determination went on to be handsomely rewarded at the box office.
But if we’re being honest with ourselves, Avatar was not a great film in and of itself. Better examples would be titles such as Wim Wenders’ extraordinary Pina (2011) and Pixar’s charming Up (2009), both of which proved that solid material can be supplemented and massively enhanced by quality 3D presentation.
We’re currently a few years into the latest – and most prominent – resurgent in stereo 3D film. Thanks to Moore’s Law, and with a little bit of commercial viability, the industry for 3D film exploded on a mainstream scale back in 2009, with its biggest boost arguably owing to the breakthrough success of Avatar’s 3D release.Although the run up to this pinnacle has been a steady one over the last decade (or even the last century if we’re looking at the bigger picture), sadly consumer confidence is just overcoming a lull.So why did movie-goers become disenchanted with what is otherwise a blossoming medium? What is the situation now, and what is the long-term prognosis for the industry?Why 3D Films WobbledThe technology with which to shoot high-end 3D footage has never been better, and has been showcased masterfully on a number of occasions. Avatar notably brought jaw-dropping 3D footage to the forefront of the world stage and James Cameron’s determination went on to be handsomely rewarded at the box office.But if we’re being honest with ourselves, Avatar was not a great film in and of itself. Better examples would be titles such as Wim Wenders’ extraordinary Pina (2011) and Pixar’s charming Up (2009), both of which proved that solid material can be supplemented and massively enhanced by quality 3D presentation.
Somewhat predictably however, these early mainstream successes created something of a gold rush. 3D films were thrust through the pre and post production conveyor belt with neither care nor attention.
A case in point is Wrath of the Titans (2010), a lackluster film that was hastily converted from 2D to 3D at the behest of Legendary Pictures who saw the success of Avatar halfway through filming. The resulting film was released while the buzz was high, and therefore earned its keep, but the cinematic results were shocking.
A slew of similarly half-hearted 3D films followed, so numerous that audiences quickly lost faith in the technology when the technology itself wasn’t ever the problem.
“What happened to 3-D? It may have died from a case of acute septicemia; too much crap in the system.”
This quote from Daniel Engber of
Slate was a pretty accurate surmisal of the situation, but that was nearly two years ago.
Thankfully, things are getting better.
Why Audiences Should Be Excited Again
Frankly speaking, we’re over the dirge. The mainstream studios managed to capitalize on the initial buzz following the latest resurgence, but were quickly reminded that you can’t fool audiences for long – smoke and mirrors does not substitute good filmmaking.
As such, we can expect a better integration of ever-advancing RealID and IMAX 3D technology with genuinely good cinematography. In fact, we’re already seeing a more careful and measured implementation of stereo 3D effects, so well done for weathering the storm while we let Hollywood get the ‘let’s make everything 3D’ bug out of its system!
But an even more exciting prospect for cinema-goers who still yearn for 3D film is that technology is becoming increasingly available to indie filmmakers, both in terms of overhead cost and more flexible distribution options to get the project out there.
In addition, although cinema is the topic of discussion here there are plenty of other areas in which 3D is set to thrive (sports and video gaming to name a couple).
The net result is that the 3D marketplace will be populated by a richer choice of content, and its also the reason that…
Filmmakers Should Be Even More Excited
The good news is that the 3D film industry is nowhere near as doomed as the naysayers suggest – BoxOfficeQuant separated the figures from the hysteria in this great blog post, which is well worth a read. So as a filmmaker, there’s never been a better time to get into the industry, especially with technology costs consistently lowering.
In addition, it’s important to note that getting into 3D filming isn’t as daunting as it sounds. If you’ve got a few years of experience in traditional filmmaking, or have degree-level training at a reputed institution such as the
new york film academy game design school, you’ve already got the base knowledge you need to get ahead in 3D.
A good reason to consider picking up this skill is that it can increase your marketability. As a
recent example, IFC Films picked up Werner Herzog’s documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, particularly because it was filmed in 3D. In fact, we can easily envisage a world in the very near future when the value of a film is greatly hampered by being only shot in 2D. Ergo, having at least a base knowledge of 3D shooting techniques – even if the filmmaker isn’t planning on using them – may be hugely beneficial to his or her career.
Exploring Further
It’s a big world out there, especially when it comes to developments in tech and best shooting practices. Convergence 3D is a great port of call from which to navigate the 3D world – a good starting point is the
info center, but if you have any questions or interesting points of discussion, dive straight into
the forums… the water’s fine.
