How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love 3-D
I am not afraid to admit it: I’m a fan of 3-D movies. At its best, 3-D can add a texture and layering to the visual narrative that a skilled director and editor can spin into magic. At its worst, though, 3-D is annoying and painful. I admit that I have seen some horridly bad 3-D movies recently, but the technology is still growing, and getting better all the time. After a recent tour of 3-D cinema equipment manufacturer 3ality Technica’s headquarters and an interview with their CEO Steve Schklair, I’ve seen where that future of 3-D is headed, and it’s looking very bright. ...
What I learned during my tour of 3ality Technica, though, enlightened me as to why some movies work with 3-D while others (excuse the pun) fall flat. It comes down to two different factors: how the film was created (filmed in 3-D or converted) and how it’s projected (active or passive). ...
In the United States, 3-D TV programming is a novelty at best. In the United Kingdom, however, BSkyB is experimenting with live 3-D sporting events, and broadcasting them in the pubs of London. They have sponsored 3-D nights, with free glasses provided, and according the Schklair, they are constantly sold out: “They even have an iPhone app that lets you locate the closest three pubs playing your game in 3-D based on the GPS data.”
There are still a lot of 3-D haters out there, and I’m not saying they have no reason to distrust 3-D. It’s off to a shaky start, mostly because the technology needed to properly render it has lagged behind the medium’s true capabilities. But the point of 3-D is not just to bring a sense of depth, but to bring us along into the movie, to feel a part of it in us. Bad 3-D makes this feel like a hollow goal, but when you get the good stuff, you’ll never forget it. I’m looking to a summer full of the good stuff.
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