Oscar Nominations mark a new era in 3D

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences 2012 Oscar nominations have been announced and two 3D favorites are being recognized.

Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” tops the list with 11 nominations, and Wim Wenders’ “Pina” has been nominated for best documentary feature.

Other important 3D films—Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” and Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams“—were not nominated, and “Pina”, Germany’s entry for best foreign film, was crowded out of that category by stiff competition.

Oscar nominations along with the accompanying recognition and campaigns will raise the profile of any film. In the case of these two ground-breaking films it adds gravitas to the field of 3D filmmaking and proves that the popular success of “Avatar” was not a fluke but the beginning of a new golden age in 3D cinema.

Advertisement

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

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”.

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

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.)