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After the phenomenal success of “Avatar” at the box office, major studios are setting up their slate with 3-D films. The attraction of a 3-D environment draws more ticket sales, and since tickets for a 3-D showing can be $3 to $4 more, studios see this as an extremely lucrative enterprise — a new gold mine to be excavated. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The film industry is, after all, an industry, and money must be made — but consumers must be warned that not all 3-D films are created equal.
“Avatar” revolutionized 3-D techniques, and a major component of its production was how the 3-D effects would come into play. The recent “How to Train Your Dragon” was created with similar tools, and these films were always planned to be in 3-D.
However, other recent films such as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Clash of the Titans” were converted to 3-D as an afterthought, once principle photography and post-production was finished. Disney and Warner Brothers saw the new market and quickly shipped their films off to be converted to 3-D using a computer system that charges a measly $100,000 per minute of film. However, the result of this process is fuzzy and resembles the 3-D of old, where everything feels less like an immersive environment and more like a pop-up book with cardboard cutouts.
While consumers only need to be wary for the next few months — most summer films were planned with 3-D in mind, such as “Toy Story 3” and “Tron: Legacy” — they should be cautious of just what they’re getting into before purchasing tickets. “Avatar” spent several months perfecting its 3-D experience, while “Clash of the Titans” was shoddily crafted over a mere six-week period.
There have been many adjectives used to describe the 3-D experience in “Alice” and “Clash,” and none of them are complimentary. They include “fuzzy,” “nauseating” and “irritating.” 3-D is an amazing new tool — one that can enhance a film’s viewing and bring it to incredible heights — and studios are just now learning how to best utilize it. And as these techniques develop, ticket buyers should be aware of the best way to see it. If a film is converted post-production, it is probably best to find a 2-D screening. We, as viewers, vote with our dollars. If we reward those that quickly churn out 3-D products, assuming we will see them regardless, our own reward will be more sub-par 3-D
