PERCEIVING 3D CINEMA IN A HIGHLY TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Article by Rennie Cowan
Is 3D technology something new, or is it simply improved and here to stay, and do we perceive it that way? Interestingly enough, the stereoscopic 3D movie process was patented in 1890 by a British pioneer filmmaker named William Friese-Greene. Though his projection system was rugged and impractical, the final result was real 3D. The first 3D camera rig was developed and patented in 1900 by Frederick Eugene Ives and it can easily be done today by rigging up two camcorders to a simple $10 tripod. By 1915, the red-green anaglyph glasses came into play and it was possible to watch 3D movies by wearing simple anaglyph glasses. The 3D film The Power of Love premiered to paying audiences in 3D during the month of September, 1922, but the process of 3D itself dwindled to the wayside (Wikipedia.org).
These early tests and emergences didn’t realize mainstream 3D until the dawn of the 1950’s largely due to The Great Depression. In 1952 the golden era of stereo movies began with Bwana Devil (Wikipedia.org). Labeled as the first true 3D color movie, The House of Wax 3D was released in 1953, only months later, and found huge success. The gimmick of 3D itself was successful and the effect of 3D (in your face) was always advertised above anything not necessarily the quality of the 3D image. Even if 3D movies lacked the same kind of quality that a 2D movie in a different theater room could offer, the effect of seeing everything “in your lap” as it was described on movie posters was what was being advertised. Of course, Vincent Price was a chiller to watch, and so was his spine-tingling performance (Wikipedia.org) . Today, the unparalleled quality of the 3D image is being taken seriously by some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including James Cameron and it is drawing in audiences by the droves.
If the entertainment industry uses past experience to measure what will be the future of 3D Cinema, then it would be easy to ascertain that 3D is just experiencing another rush of excitement, soon to leave; out with the old, in the with the new. Ask any average moviegoer and at least one out of every three people will express that 3D is a present fancy but in reality it is Hollywood’s third attempt to make 3D Cinema work.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but the main issue is that Hollywood has discovered that there is more revenue for Hollywood pictures when they are released in 3D. The fourth installment of Final Destination which was presented in 3D grossed more than its predecessors (Boxofficemojo.com). The same is true with the seventh installment of the dwindling Saw franchise. The producers decided to gamble on a 3D release using the catchy title Saw 3D and now, it is one of the most successful Halloween season movies of all time.
Today, strings of success movies are being released in 3D and grossing far more than they would have if not produced in 3D. Looking at Avatar which is now the highest grossing motion picture in movie history, 3D cinema is no longer a flash in the pan or a gimmick but a hot money-making item that is changing how audiences need and want to see movies. There are basically two types of 3D viewing possibilities, one is computer generated 3D which is mainly used for gaming and is done by the use of CGI. And then there is the other type which is stereoscopic and it is shot in such a way as to require the viewer to wear a special type of eye-wear (polarized or shutter glasses). This article will mainly discuss the later, stereoscopic 3D technology used in Cinema.
One of the oldest mediums in Cinema History, stereoscopic 3D, has suddenly found great success, even more success than the 3D heyday of the 1950’s. Technology is moving head-first with it, forcing every television brand to upgrade to 3D; forcing electronic retailers to carry the 3D product and accessories. Hollywood has not seen such burst of excitement over 3D technology since the release of Bwana Devil in 1952 (Tripatlas.com). 3D technology has already seen a golden age and a distinction, yet in this new, highly technological society it is being perceived as a new advancement and that the only way to truly enjoy a movie visually is to watch it in 3D.
While ticket sales at the box office increase due to this old and newly perceived advancement, the survival of movie exhibition is holding on tight to the process. IMAX and Disney get much credit for pushing 3D technologies into the forefront of moviegoers. During the 1980’s, Disney theme parks found lasting success with the George Lucas produced Captain EO starring Michael Jackson (Wikipedia.org). Most IMAX projectors, if not all of them, can project 3D images. In the 1990’s, IMAX was producing short 3D films for theater exhibition, testing the waters with audiences with shorts like T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous directed by Brett Leonard.
Today, by the use of the RealD 3D mainstream projection system, full length features are being presented in both IMAX and in traditional movie theaters with traditional screens. Avatar and Toy Story 3 is no exception. IMAX announced this year that they are developing a 3D digital camera that will make the growing expenses of 3D Cinema filmmaking very affordable (Wikipedia .org). IMAX, Sony and Discovery Communications are joining forces to produce the very first fully broadcasted 3D Television Network. The channel will air 3D product from many different genres including adventure, space exploration, natural history, science and motion pictures (Wikipedia.org).
Television sets, both plasma and LCD, have already began incorporating the 3D technology and within the next three years it is estimated that 3D TVs will be standard. Now this doesn’t mean that you will be forced to watch everything in 3D, only that your TV set will fully support the 3D format for your viewing pleasure. You can actually control 2D and 3D options. The Network is scheduled to launch in 2011. ESPN has also announced that they expect to launch their own sports-themed 3D Network (G4tv.com).
Emerging technologies are focusing and supporting a 3D switchover (3D Movie Making, pg. 7). The marketing mind-set is that the only movies that generate outstanding box office numbers are 3D blockbusters like Avatar. The Daily Variety once printed an article about the profitability of 3D cinema and wrote, “3D stands for dollars, dollars, dollars” (3D Movie Making, pg. 4). The release of the animated 2D film The Polar Express was not nearly successful in box office gross as the 3D release of The Polar Express (released only one year later). It isn’t necessarily that audiences know what they need and want, but that the market in Hollywood is driven for what brings in the highest cash cow. What audiences need and want is what makes them buy the tickets, and because of this, the entertainment industry has thrown itself head-first into a complete switchover from 2D to 3D cinema.
3D technology with all of its’ wonder and hoopla in today’s movie theaters isn’t with obvious criticism of the difference in quality. It is true that the polarized and active shutter glasses dim the image of the movie. 3D images also do not always play at the monitor’s full resolution because of this darkening of the ambient light. The home viewing experience also has its downfalls. 3D images are best watched in an upright position to eliminate color changes, or the image can fall off altogether (and sometimes disappear). There have also been many reports that watching 3D images on a TV screen for an extended length of time can cause headaches and nausea (www.gizmag.com). Not exactly the best image to project during a major technological turnover.
The major health issue involved with 3D technology is whether or not it is damaging to the eyes. Some parents will not let their children play the Nintendo 3DS which is a handheld three-dimensional console. Nintendo only recommends that children under the age of seven refrain from playing the Nintendo 3DS (Twitteling.com). This handheld console does not require glasses like 3D TV sets; most, if not all, gaming devices do not require special glasses. However, the concerns over children and 3D gaming are the same with 3D Cinema. If 3D Cinema is not healthy for children under the age of seven, then how does 3D cinema affect them? For the most part, there is no hard evidence that wearing 3D glasses for extended periods of time can cause damage to the eyes other than the usual complaint of the “The Avatar Headache” (Technobuffalo.com).
The current prices haven’t made 3D TV sets readily available in homes across the nation, but within the next 3 years the number of homes will increase rapidly. If 3D eyestrain is the only health concern second guessing this technological switchover then IMAX, Sony and Discovery Communications have nothing to lose. The perception of the emerging 3D technology is that Cinema is not about telling a story anymore or making the audience cry, it is about visual completeness in 3D (3D Movie Making, pg. 3).
The flat projection of 2D Cinema is mediocre, futile and a thing of the past. The thought of setting up a projector side-by-side to screen a movie is rudimentary not to mention the loss of quality when watching 3D films on older projectors. Today, it is all about seeing 3D as clear and as real as possible despite the dimming of the picture. It is all about being in the movie, not just seeing it. Cinema is now focused on what the viewer experiences in the visual medium as completely three dimensional, and even if it isn’t, it is being perceived as something new.
With this perception in full light, Cinemascope is a thing of the past as 3D production is at work with the advent of 3D digital filmmaking by the use of advanced cameras. It will become simpler and cheaper to shoot in 3D in the very near future. It is a positive change and a motivating factor for the Studios to finance 3D movies. 3D TVs, 3D Networks and 3D gaming consoles are selling. Only the strong will survive in this game, and if you are not willing to except 3D technology as something that is here to stay, then you will become one of those purists hanging onto the past not unlike the rapid change from subtle celluloid to High Definition.
If you are working in the entertainment industry and you are only experienced with 2D filmmaking then you may find yourself unemployed. Going back to film school would be good idea because this change resonates in the new world of 3D cinema. 3D cinema is also boosting the profits of today’s Horror movies. To list only a few most recent and very successful 3D horror movies: Saw 3D, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D and Piranha 3D, the success rate for Horror movies exhibited in 3D is looking strong.
Perceived as something new for this generation of entertainment enthusiasts, 3D is certainly bringing in new and inventive ways to make and distribute a movie. The picture quality is undeniably better today in 3D than it was with earlier predecessors like Bwana Devil and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). With the likes of advanced 3D digital projectors and advanced eye wear like polarized and shutter glasses in conjunction with CGI and Dolby Digital sound, there are few complaints other than the average “Avatar Headache” (News.bbc.co.uk).
During the 1950’s, it was common knowledge that movies shown in 3D were lower quality, but it was the gimmick that was for sale not the quality. Today, no longer do we need to sale a gimmick or rig two projectors side-by-side to exhibit a cheesy 3D movie. 3D technology is being taken seriously and every television manufacturer is making the switchover permanent. And it is now essential that every (or most) major Hollywood release be in 3D, or ticket sales could suffer. The most important detail, however, is that 3D cinema may very well save the life of movie theaters in general. Not unlike the dwindling box office sales during the early 1950’s due to the culprit known as television, cinema has to be bigger and better (Wikipedia.org).
In an age when anybody can stay home and watch the latest releases via Netflix streaming or simply order the latest Blu-ray disc off of amazon.com it isn’t hard to imagine the better possibility of staying in the comfort of your own home. Cinema must continue to grow and develop its technologies, whether it is 3D Cinema or large format/high resolution IMAX screens, going to a movie could be a thing of the past for any average American family.
Home Theaters are rapidly advancing and have been well in use since the early 1980’s. An old favorite like Jaws 3D may find its way out of the vault soon for a Blu-ray release for those Home Theater enthusiasts. But if we can forgive 3D cinema for being in our faces, pardon the pun, then we may salvage the existence of movie theaters and enjoy a larger perceived world at the Cinema (Horror-movies.ca).
Article by Rennie Cowan
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