James Cameron (L) and Zhang Yimou (R),[Photo: globaltimes.cn]
Just when it seems demands for extra dimensions have cooled, 3D movies are surfacing again. Since James Cameron's "Avatar" first brought the 3D trend to the world in 2009, the influx of 3D films has hit China hard.
Starting with the most obvious, 3D "Titanic" made an impressive 737 million yuan ($117 million) at the box office in the Chinese mainland within the first two weeks of release. James Cameron will now cooperate with a Chinese movie company for a 3D production of "The Art of War."
3D "Madam Butterfly" was well received at the second Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) and will follow up with a 3D movie version by the end of 2012. Ang Lee, a Chinese Oscar wining director, has planned to produce his first 3D movie "Life of Pi." Chinese directors such as Zhang Yimou have expressed interest in filming in 3D. CCTV even launched a 3D channel early in 2012. Is 2D's future in China flattening out?
Selling points
On April 24, as part of Beijing International Film Festival, Cameron spoke at a forum about the development of 3D film technology at the China National Convention Center.
"The real question everybody needs to ask…is why we like 3D. Why is it so powerful?" asked Cameron. He explained that the appeal lies in the temporary suspension of the brain's ability to distinguish between the real and unreal. "When we watch a flat image on screen, we know that's symbolic information." But a 3D film offers "a window looking into reality."
Cameron believes 3D enables directors to tell a better story, because of increased involvement from the audience. Cameron's opinion is echoed by Edman Chan, general manager of 3D company RealD in Asia. Chan said that the number of 3D movies produced in Hollywood is increasing over the years.
"Directors around the world are all very enthusiastic about 3D," Chan said in a phone interview with the Global Times. "For directors, it can improve their story telling ability. As long as directors can shoot a 3D movie, they will. 3D imitates what we see in life."
Chan believes that 3D provides mutual benefits for both producers and directors. "Producers consider the future market when they are making 3D movies," Chan said. "This will be widely spread in the future. It's only a matter of time. 3D movies produced today will [have a place in the market], when producers sell them to TV stations."
Cameron agrees that watching 3D programs at home will be the future trend. In the forum, Cameron said that TV manufacturers, like LG and Sony, are producing 3D TVs, thus requiring more 3D programs, such as sports, entertainment, music, and more.
China is at the beginning stages of spreading digital technology, making it easier and faster to develop 3D domestically than in Europe or the US. Julian Napier, director of 3D Madam Butterfly, said that audience members in China are generally more receptive.
Napier told the Global Times that while Westerners are hesitant about 3D, the Chinese audience "embrace it without question," a good sign for Napier, who has worked with 3D for almost 10 years.
Western audience needs to be convinced that 3D movies are not just about technology but also good story telling. Napier believes 3D films can do both.
Stumbling blocks
Though filming in 3D attracts many ambitious directors, the high cost of the technology is intimidating. "For a 3D film, the budget increases about 25 percent, compared to a 2D film," said Chan. "A director needs to be technologically experienced before shooting a 3D film."
Cameron is optimistic about solving these problems. He said his company is now working on reducing the cost of shooting a 3D film and making the process as similar as possible to 2D, giving all directors a chance to experiment.
Despite the confidence directors and producers have for a 3D future, some Chinese movie critics are unconvinced. Yu Xin, a movie critic who uses the pen name Tubingen Mujiang, told the Global Times that he still prefers to watch films in 2D, "except when a particularly good one is released."
According to Yu, 2D already achieves the desired effects, and most 3D films are unnecessary. Films like Hayao Miyazaki's cartoons are better in 2D than in 3D.
On a physical level, Yu dislikes the discomfort of watching films in 3D.
"I feel dizzy and tired after watching it for a long time," he said. "And I don't enjoy the feeling of the glasses [weighing] on my nose."
Unfortunately, watching a 3D movie without glasses is not yet possible. "It's a very complicated technology, the glasses [aspect] will not be changed anytime soon," Chan said.
Chan said that due to current limitations of 3D technology, 3D films are dimmer than 2D films.
"Coupled with the glasses worn when watching, less than 30 percent of the original light reaches our eyes."
But many patrons say they prefer watching movies in the traditional format, because they think 3D films place too much emphasis on visual effects. However, if the same film was shot in the two forms, most will choose a 3D version.
In a survey done by Sina Weibo, 48.5 percent of the 99 participants who participated chose to watch the 3D version of "Kong Fu Panda 2." In a survey conducted by sojump.com, an online survey site, over 57 percent of the participants would prefer watching 3D over 2D.
Perhaps this is why old but popular films, like "Ringu" and "The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven," are all being remade into 3D versions.