There were two articles on the Guardian site today about 3D movies. The first on James Cameron’s “Avatar” mentions that:

“…a gimmick as old as film-making itself. In the past the success of this illusion has likewise proved illusory – but this time, we are assured, the landscape is different.”

It also mentions one reason why the studios might want to push this technology:

“On a more prosaic note, stereoscopic cinema is also largely innoculated from the threat of piracy, that perennial Hollywood bugbear. You can’t pirate a 3D image by smuggling a camcorder into your local multiplex.”

Now I’m firmly of the opinion that 3D movies (and by extension TV) won’t truly take off until it can be done without the aid of special glasses. I have my reasons for believing this. The first is an entirely practical one; as a glasses wearer it’s awkward to have to wear a second pair of glasses over the top of my normal ones.

The second is a financial one; if they make the viewing glasses too cheap (to allow for customers walking off with their pair) then they’re not going to fit very well or will fall apart very quickly. If they make them more robust then the cost of this “shrinkage” might be too great. I’ll admit that this doesn’t seem to be a problem at the moment, but 3D movies are still the minority of releases at the moment.

Another reason I have is a creative one. All the 3D movies I’ve seen (either in 3D or just the 2D version) have at least one “gotcha” scene where something or someone leaps out of the screen towards the viewer to make them jump. The fact that you can spot these even in the 2D version shows how obvious they are. If you’ve got a good story to tell it shouldn’t matter whether you make it in 3D, 2D, colour or black and white; or whether you film it in authentic period costume or just use a bare set. A good story will transcend all of these and capture the viewer’s imagination regardless.

But, then again, with a whole generation (or two) brought up on high technology this time round 3D might be here to stay.

The second article is about a remake of “Yellow Submarine”, which is unnecessary for a wholly different reason.

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