The New York Times waves the yellow flag.
Ripples of fear struck Hollywood last week after Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which cost Walt Disney Studios an estimated $400million to make and market, did poor 3-D business in North America.
... "The American consumer is rejecting 3-D," Richard Greenfield, an analyst at the financial-services company BTIG [said] ... Consumer rebellion over high 3-D ticket prices plays a role, according to analysts - as does the fading novelty of the funny glasses. ...
To tell the truth, I was never enamored of the funny glasses.
More truth: I spent a year looking at every 3-D release that rolled down the digital highway, Avatar, Christmas Carol, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, etc. and etc. The DreamWorks features have (for me) the best 3-D going. Jeffrey's crew knows when to punch it, and when to dial it back. DWA's 3-D effects work, I think, to heighten story more than other 3-D presentations.
And still the format leaves me cold. Every time I don the goggles and sit there in the dark I flash on my childhood, sitting on my bed looking at View Master pictures, pushing the little lever, snicking another 3-D color slide into place.
I think the time is approaching when audience resistance to higher 3-D prices equalizes ticket prices between dimensional and flat-screen cinema. Over the next decade, the format will run its course, and Hollywood will be able to suck less revenue out of audiences' wallets. (In the U.S., it's already happening.)
The lesson here is that more razzle dazzle won't drag audiences to the multiplex; better, more innovative stories will.
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14 comments:
What I like is digital projection. Go see a CG animated movie projected in film, and it doesnt look as good.
But stereoscopic costs more and helps prevent piracy, so studios like that.
More importantly, it cut's physical distribution costs by 66%.
Physical distribution costs?
What can I say? 3D makes my head hurt and I don't like that it darkens the pictures.
Agreed the digital projection of animated movies is great. Clear and bright like watching a giant Blu-Ray. But the 3D projection I gave up on a year ago because of the dark picture and insane ticket prices for it, ridiculous.
They scam people with the buying of the glasses. Make a universal format and folks that bring their own silly glasses can save 4.00 dollars. Maybe that will get people back to forking over 17.00 for a single 3D ticket.
how self centered of the single moms without medicare and the unemployed people in foreclosed houses to not support this great technology
You think over the next decade the format will run it's course? I think it will more likely be by next summer! Hollywood has no patience.
I think digital cinema is here to stay (Bye, bye, 35mm film.) I just have my doubts about 3-D becoming the coin of the realm.
Physical distribution includes cost of film prints and transport. Digital cuts that cost tremendously.
For me, 3-d causes headaches, the glasses hurt my nose, and every pan with characters turns into jitter vision.
it needs to get better or go away.
The 3D revival will be declared over (by the media) when either Pixar or Dreamworks announces their next movie will be released in 2D only.
Some will continue to get made since the infrastructure to show them remains in place, but if the A-list animated features drop it that will be regarded as a conclusive shift.
3D looks like ASS. The image on the screen is darkened too much by the Buddy Holly glasses.
Its a schlocky gimmick, made by the studios to suck more money out of your pockets. And Katzenburg is one of the schlocksters at the helm.
If you stop going to see 3D, they will stop making it.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are three different 3D display systems out there, the worst is XpanD 3D which they (Unfortunately) use at the arclight, it uses the active shutter system which causes the flicker Vincent probably had, it also makes the glasses much bigger and heavier.
The best by far is RealD, the glasses are lighter and the light drop off is minimal.
The surcharge for 3D just is. Not. Worth it. Maybe if they charged 50 cents extra instead of $2.00 they would sell more tickets.
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