If the success of “Avatar” and the 3-D television sets hitting the market are any indication, we’re in the midst of a 3-D wave, as documented in Amy Chozik’s WSJ article today.Though these movies have been around since the 1920s, the technology is now starting to permeate the video-game and television industries. The question is: Will this last?
On one end of the spectrum, David Wertheimer, CEO and executive director of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California, predicts better audience experiences made possible with new technologies will make 3-D a staple of the entertainment industry. And on the other end, Daniel Symmes, co-author of “Amazing 3-D” and president of 3-D Film Preservation Fund, argues the current wave of 3-D is likely a fad and that audiences will grow bored. In separate interviews, the two spoke about the technology and its lasting impact.
Transforming the industry
Mr. Wertheimer said the trajectory in 3-D technology drastically shifted when digital cinema was introduced in 2000. This has led to the recent proliferation of 3-D, as seen with movies such as “Alice in Wonderland,” “Toy Story 3″ and yes, “Avatar.”
With the advent of digital cinema, movies no longer needed two perfectly aligned projectors simultaneously broadcasting two parts of the film for each eye.“Because it’s digital you can align it perfectly,” he said. “It’s a fundamental shift.”
The 3-D experience in the ’50s and ’60s was more of a novelty, he said. If the projectors were off by a little, it would strain the eyes of the audience who could also become nauseated and dizzy.
“The imagery was hard to watch for extended periods of time,” he said. This is why Mr. Wertheimer said 3-D came and went. But because digital cinema doesn’t require two projectors to achieve the 3-D effect, Mr. Wertheimer said the current wave of popularity is here to stay.
“As you see 3-D [today], you overcome this objection from the 3-D you saw back in the ’70s and ’80s,” he said. “That’s why today’s fundamentally different than before.”