Is this the beginning of the end of 3D?
What most people felt all along, finally starts to become public. RealD’s stocks collapsed last Friday. Within two months, stocks fell from $35 down to $15. Is this the beginning of the end of the hype?
Most people I know in the film and VFX industry don’t like stereoscopic 3D. It’s always been the big names(i.e. James Cameron, Scott Ridley, Peter Jackson) who pushed it. Evangelist James Cameron even states it benefits every movie.
Gore Verbinksi and ILM made a clear statement by deliberately making their 3D animated feature Rango not in stereoscopic 3D. And this was an animated feature! Those were the first to adopt 3D, because these films give the filmmakers far more control in this aspect, so this is a big message.
3D has always been a novelty. Now people have gotten used to it, and don’t care to pay the 2 extra bucks for the 3D tickets anymore, and rather spend it on popcorn instead. Anyone I know personally is saying this. The clear split in the 2D vs 3D sales on the last Pirates of the Caribbean film tells it too.
To be honest, I saw the last Pirates film in stereo. And in all irony it was a lot better than any of the other 3D films I’ve seen. Because I didn’t really notice it was 3D. Most of the other 3D films I’ve seen could not resist to use some form of in your face gimmick. I think the novelty is gone for the filmmakers too, and now maybe they start to use it in a proper way that doesn’t annoy you as much.
I can’t wait for the days the studios stop advertising their newest film by putting “in stereoscopic 3D” all over the posters. I don’t want to watch 3D. I want to watch a good movie.
