Author Archives: decantu

Peter Gabriel releasing 3D Concert Film

Posted on by
Reply

Interesting review in by Paul Reynolds in Consumer Reports (of all places) yesterday raving about Peter Gabriel’s new concert film [click here to read].  Peter Gabriel is the kind of artist that is ideal suited for exploring a new media and it sounds like he’s living up to that promise with this orchestra-based concert.

The review speculates about the potential box office performance considering the track record of recent concert films such as Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and Glee on Tour.

I guess for Consumer Reports that’s an apples to apples comparison but it’s really an indication of how much this business is still in its infancy, lumping together content by format rather than, say, content.  A more appropriate comparison would be the pioneering 2008 U23D film from 3ality, directed by the ridiculously talented Catherine Owens.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Peter Gabriel comes up with! Here’s a link to showtimes from Mr. Gabriel’s website, and here is a bit more about the show as well as the new album it’s supporting.

Toronto: Hotbed of 3D innovation

Posted on by
Reply

Toronto continues to evolve as an important hotbed of 3D technology and business.  This articlein Variety highlights some of the companies leading in the field and mentions the 3D Flic consortium at York University–which hosted the recent Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D conference.  The conference was a great success and one of the highlights for me was Graeme Ferguson–co-founder and co-inventor of IMAX–crediting a good science education in Ontario public schools for inspiring and enabling innovation.

The Toronto International 3D Stereoscopic Conference at the TIFF Lightbox, Toronto in June.

Coming soon: Scorsese, Coppola, and Spielberg direct 3D

Posted on by
Reply

Three of Hollywood’s most respected directors–Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg–are joining the ranks of Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders and Ridley Scott in directing features shot in 3D that go beyond the typical action/adventure/animated fare.

The Wall Street Journal has a thoughtful and though-provoking article here (by Michelle Kung) on the impact this new wave of films could have on the emerging 3D film genre.

“You now have some of the greatest filmmakers in the world stepping into the format to tell their stories,” says Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation chief executive and 3-D’s most indefatigable evangelist.

FANTASTIC illustration from Wall Street Journal article: http://on.wsj.com/qs0nY0

 

Like the picture says, use your red/blue 3D glasses at home and enjoy the illustration “in an added dimension”.

It’s just a fad #2

Posted on by
2

One of the first “movies” ever, the Lumière brothers’ L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat or The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station.  It was probably shot in 1895 and first exhibited in 1896.  From the beginning filmmakers played with 3D–trying to break the proscenium wall of theatre with the new technology of film.

Louis Lumière later re-shot this in 3D (either in 1903 or 1935 depending on what account you believe).  There’s a lot more research to be done on the history of 3D!

RESOURCE: 3DUniversity.net

Posted on by
Reply

The 3D@Home Consortium has put together a very thorough and detailed website called 3D University.net.  The site pulls together a lot of various information including entries on how 3D works, formats, a glossary, and a list of upcoming 3D release.

3D at the Box Office: by the numbers

Posted on by
Reply

The blog “Box Office Quant” has an excellent post on “The Rise of 3D” from January 26, 2011.

“Since the Polar Express delivered us into an era of 3D revival in 2004, critics have been popularly proclaiming 3D as a dead medium walking. But what do the numbers show? Well, it appears the demise of 3D has been somewhat exaggerated.”

Using well-footnoted data, author Edmund Helmer slices and dices the numbers to show how and why 3D is incredibly profitable.

10 New Rules for Saving 3D film

Posted on by
Reply

“Enough with the gimmickry, price gouging and 2D conversions” Fantastic piece from MacLeans.ca by Brian D. Johnson June 30, 2011.  Some highlights:

“Abolish 3D ‘conversion.’ […] Movies shown in 3D should be designed and shot in 3D.”

“Unless you’re shooting a porn movie, stop pimping out 3D as a special effect. Enough with the poking, jabbing and zooming. Look, we walk around in 3D all day long without noticing. Breaking the fourth wall with a gun or a spear takes us out of the movie.”

“Cut the tempo of fast-action scenes in half. That third plane of motion complicates everything; it makes our eyes work harder, and more independently. Give them a break.”

“Take a cue from Werner Herzog and make 3D a tool for documentary revelation.”

“Make movies in 3D, not for 3D.”

“Get creative. 3D was miscast as a marketing gimmick wedded to the action blockbuster. Why not use it to open up the art house? […] There’s no telling where that third dimension might lead if it were married to emotional depth.”

Link

XPAND is marketing 3D capabilities for educational purposes.  The copy is long on exuberance and short on data, but it’s an intriguing idea.  Look! Scary dinosaurs coming to get you, plus pretty girls don’t look dorky at all in 3D glasses.

screen shot of XPAND page

TRAILER: Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”

Posted on by
Reply

My favorite trailer for Werner Herzog’s first film in 3D.  This is a bold and moving documentary about the very, very extraordinary ancient cave paintings recently discovered in France.

This is Herzog’s first film in 3D and the first serious/art/independent film I’ve seen.  It gives an early glimpse at what is possible using 3D as a broader storytelling tool.

(YouTube video plays after a short ad.)

Jeffery Katzenburg speaks

Aside

The June 9, 2011 Hollywood Reporter interview: “Jeffrey Katzenberg on the ‘Heartbreaking’ Decline of 3D” 

As the summer movie season 2011 got underway the first two big blockbusters–Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 2–both saw their 2D versions outperform 3D versions.

In a very frank interview Katzenberg talks about the opportunity and disappointment of the current crop of 3D films.