[By CLIFFORD COONAN, Variety]
Highlights include Cui Jian 3D concert movie
Chinese shingle 3D China is bullish about the outlook for three-dimensional movies in the world’s fastest growing major territory, and underlined this belief with a fistful of ambitious 3D projects at the Beijing Intl. Film Festival this week.
Later this year, it will release its 3D concert movie about legendary musician Cui Jian, China’s Bruce Springsteen.
The 75-minute movie revolves around two concerts Cui gave at New Year last year at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing. Cui is best known for “Nothing to My Name,” a song widely seen as referring to the Tiananmen Massacre, and has only been rehabilitated by the government in the past few years. He appeared alongside The Rolling Stones when they played in Shanghai a few years back.
“After the success of ‘Avatar,’ more and more people realized that there is a whole new world of experience to be had in 3D movies,” said 3D China’s prexy, the technology and Internet entrepreneur Bai Qiang.
“On top of that, the Chinese government is also pushing for Chinese filmmakers to explore new technology, including 3D movies. That’s also going to contribute to the boom of the 3D movie industry,” said Bai.
As well as the Cui Jian movie, 3D China also has a 3D movie about the art of one of China’s most famous classical painters, Zhang Daqian.
The group also unveiled plans for a 3D fantasy epic set in 1844, called “Outlaw,” for which the group plans to built a special effects stage that can then be used for other productions. The shingle also plans to tie in some theme-park aspects and video games to “Outlaw,” and the group is focused on selling the movie overseas as well as to the Chinese domestic market.
The number of 3D cinemas has already jumped 14-fold in the past three years, and as this continues to happen the marginal cost of putting in a 3D screen compared with the premium charged for a 3D ticket makes it a very attractive proposition, said Bai.
However, the eco-system is lacking – 3D designers, cameramen, motion choreographers, scriptwriters, directors etc. are missing, he said.
“This is where an aggregator like 3D China comes in. We can help bring the best Hollywood talents into China in the most cost-efficient manner to work on the most appropriate projects,” said Bai.
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