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Tag: 3D Movies

  • James Cameron Pushes 3-D in China

    Love it or hate it, 3-D moviemaking has some huge support from powerful players in the movie industry and it won’t be going away anytime soon.

    James Cameron’s Cameron Pace Group announced today that it will be launching a venture to push 3-D moviemaking in China. According to an Associated Press report, the company will be partnering with two Chinese companies to offer 3-D movie technology and production services. The venture will be based in Tianjin, China, where Cameron Pace will work with the state-run Tianjin North Film Group and the Tianjing Binhai Hi-Tech Development Group. There is even mention of a possible deal with China Central Television, a Chinese state-run network, to create 3-D television in the country.

    Cameron Pace Group is looking to take advantage of the fast-growing Chinese movie market. The AP quoted Cameron as saying China is “an enormous untapped market” that is ripe for a transition to 3-D. The story also points out that, following a slowdown of U.S. movie revenues, the industry is looking to quickly jump-start the Chinese movie market.

    This follows an announcement by the Chinese government in March which stated that it would allow 14 more foreign movies to be played per year, as long as those movies are in 3-D or on IMAX. The Chinese government places tough restrictions on the number of foreign movies that can be played in China, as well as how much revenue foreign companies can make from the ticket sales.

    It’s good for companies such as Cameron Pace to be able to expand their services to the untapped movie market in China, yet I cringe at the thought of 3-D movies being the gimmick American cinema is known for. High prices for tickets to 3-D movies might have saved Hollywood from disaster the past few years, but the theatre business model is still in trouble. As Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan points out, audiences are lukewarm about the 3-D trend. Larger high-definition TV sets, 3-D TV sets, and better home audio systems are all lowering steadily in price, making the movie-going experience available in the home for many in the West.

  • Global Entertainment Industry Sees Growth

    The world has been long addicted to media-driven entertainment, since the time of black and white TV, and now with digital content making it’s way into every mobile device, plasma screen, music player, satellite phone, video game console, etc., the demand is growing, which bodes well for the forecast of the global entertainment industry. According to a study by Global Industry Analysts, the digitization of media content has profoundly changed how entertainment is delivered, driving industry growth, which is expected to hit 1.5 trillion dollars by 2015.

    Regardless of the recession, entertainment industry revenues remained consistent in their expansion, in part due to the level of escapism provided to the consumer. Though, there has been a shift in what modes of entertainment people have been setting aside budgets for. Mainly, cheaper media such as movies and video games were at the forefront, while live entertainment, such as sporting events and concerts, have not been as popular.

    Video games in particular have been gaining traction, regardless of the toughest recessionary periods. This has been due to a larger amount of game formats, across a greater number of platforms, catering to a larger audience. The online capability of traditional consoles, which support massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG’s), along with downloadable games for mobile devices have also changed the way games are being distributed.

    Cinema has also gained ground with the growing popularity of 3D screens, and cinema multiplex chains have been likewise expanding, to accomodate more moviegoers. The worldwide box office hit $32 billion in 2010, up from $30 billion the year before.

  • Every 3D Movie Ever Made

    Every 3D Movie Ever Made

    Sony may have taken a beating over in their PlayStation 3 department, other arms of the Sony entertainment octopus has apparently been busy cataloging every 3D movie ever made in order to release a nifty infographic. While I’m not sure if the graphic was made to offer support for the style of movie-making, or if to inform the public about the upcoming swoon in regards to interest for the film gimmick, something that’s already shown its head, as audiences for the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently demonstrated.

    The information in Sony’s graphic, besides listing all of the 3D movies, is fairly educational. It offers a distinction between the various methods of producing 3-dimensional films, and, in fact, the actual number of ways to simulate the third dimension is surprising. According to the graphic, there are 11 different methods listed to achieve the desired effect. Also of note, the graphic reveals the first film to use 3D was actually a 1903 short film called, L’arrive du train: Lumiere Short, and according to Sony’s research:

    This original short was probably shot flat, and was probably re-shot in 3D as late as 1915. Due to the lack of proper display technology, the film was probably shown on a modified Stereoscope, one person at a time.

    Nonetheless, it still counts as a 3D film. With that in mind, here’s the graphic in question, and you can view it in its entirety by clicking the following image (it’s over 10 MB):

    3D Movies

    One of the biggest trends that stands out is the trend-like life 3D movies enjoy. As pointed out by Slash Film, 3D movies make a comeback in regards to popularity every 30 years or so:

    The 1920s, 1950s, 1980s, and 2010s all mark periods of interest in 3D cinema, and with the exception of the current 3D bubble, each has been followed by sharp drop-offs in 3D filmmaking toward the end of each of those decades.

    As for the current 3D bubble mentioned in the quote, perhaps the lackluster response to the latest PotC movie indicates it’s begun in earnest. Considering the absolute disdain critics have the for the technique, it’s surprising the current trend lasted as long as it did, but then again, that’s another conversation entirely because it deals with studios trying to charge as much for tickets as they can and 3D movies provide them with a reason to do so.

    The SeeMikeDraw blog covered this subject beautifully:

    3D movie pitch

    Booyah, indeed.

    The troubling/interesting thing is the amount of 2011 movies that have and will be presented in 3D. By a glance, the only year where as many 3D films were produced was 1953. Of course, if the current crop performs like the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, the trend could be over — at least until James Cameron makes Avatar 2.