Last night in Los Angeles, blockbuster behemoths James Cameron and Michael Bay hosted a panel to talk 3D and show off about 15 minutes of Transformers: Dark of the Moon footage using the technology. One can read write-ups from a number of sites (Screen Rant, Bad Ass Digest, HitFix, JoBlo, /Film, and Collider), but the most interesting thing to take away is Cameron’s agreement that the main fault of 3D is the hampering of brightness. With Avatar and the Pixar films, I used to be a 3D supporter, but the clear lack of quality output with the technology in the majority of films has caused me to turn tides. The main reason is the dimming of the image brightness. Check out what Cameron had to say below.
“Brightness is the biggest problem” facing 3D theatrical exhibition, Cameron agreed. There are projectors that can show 3D movies at brightness levels that make them look terrific, he claimed, but theater owners don’t use them right. “They turn the bulbs down,” he said. “They think that they’re saving money, but they’re hurting business.”
If theater owners can’t get some sort of regulation going to fix the problem, I can’t see audiences continuing to support the format. Nonetheless, James Cameron has been hard at work on his 3D conversion of Titanic. If no one else can show us the true power format, it has got to be him. The second highest grossing movie of all time with see a re-release on April 6th, 2012, for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic setting sail. The film, which picked up 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. But I’m really most excited about Billy Zane in 3D. Check out more details from the press release below.
Said Cameron, “There’s a whole generation that’s never seen ‘TITANIC’ as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be ‘TITANIC’ as you’ve never seen it before, digitally re-mastered at 4K and painstakingly converted to 3D. With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike.”
“This new presentation of Paramount’s top-grossing film is particularly special because 2012 is the 100th anniversary of our studio. Paramount has had the pleasure of introducing audiences to some of the all-time classics of cinema during that century of moviemaking and we cannot think of a better way to mark the occasion than with this re-release of ‘Titanic’,” said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.
Commented Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen and CEOs, Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman: “Our 30-plus year relationship with Jim Cameron and Lightstorm has been enormously rewarding, from ‘Aliens’ to ‘Avatar’, and the global phenomenon of ‘Titanic’ remains one of the greatest sources of pride in our history. We are pleased to allow a new generation of audiences to experience the film in its brilliant digital restoration in 3D.”
Will you see Titanic in 3D?