Avatar’s Success, A Boost for 3D
Film & television makers and video game developers are always quick to adopt new technologies. The success of James Cameron’s 3D epic film Avatar has definitely changed the future of television and cinema and brought respect to the 3D technology – on tv and in a theater near you!
Cameron’s Avatar has boosted respect for the 3D technology, which was once ridiculed for expanding its boundaries into television and home entertainment. Avatar has grossed more than $2.1 billion worldwide on box office revenues and is still climbing past the previous record-holder Titanic, also directed by Cameron.
In the coming weeks and months, new films in 3D include Clash of the Titans, Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3, Jackass 3D, Saw VII 3D, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and Tron: Legacy. The 3D films have also ignited a revolution in other forms of entertainment, including video games. Nintendo has recently announced a new 3D handheld console television broadcasting and home entertainment system. Canadian major electronics store Future Shop has announced that it will start selling 3D TVs with 3 models manufactured by Samsung. These models are compatible with high definition technology and include features such as internet streaming.
In the movie industry Avatar has proven to major film studios and producers that the 3D technology is capable to generate significant profits. Avatar has opened doors for the 3D production to be taken seriously. The movie producers and studios have realized the economic potential of 3D on TV to the fullest. The flow will be right through the industry from the manufacturers to the theatrical distributors. Looking at the increasing box office attendance in North America, major U.S. theatre chains have recently announced a price hike for 3D movies from 20 to 26 %.
The 3D technology has a readymade audience in the younger generation. Most of the children’s entertainment is based on 3D, which means that the industry has already got the population of kids growing up who are completely used to the technology. Theatre owners in Canada are keen to get the new “Stereoscopic” technology established by filmmakers like James Cameron to bring a superior movie experience to their audience. The times are changing and 3D is indeed very exciting for the movie lovers, cinema owners and the entire industry.
The main attraction of the 3D is its immersive experience that the audience gains. You can compare this with listening to a song on a basic player, and then on a state of the art installation. Your expectations naturally go up when you listen music first on a mono speaker and then on a good set of stereo speakers and then surround sound. The experience becomes more immersive, something that the 3d cinema is attempting to do through a visual experience. As a result the mainstream filmmakers are already embracing the new technology, and now even the television broadcasters are looking to catch up with 3D technology. The Sky network in United Kingdom has become the first in the world to launch 3D programming, with others expected to follow.
