2009, the year of 3D
Zoe Winterson, associate director at Pearl & Dean, looks at the 3D revolution as it continues to gain speed …
So far, 2009 has set a benchmark for 3D success on the silver screen. With numerous releases, such as UP and Ice Age 3, distributors have certainly increased their investment in the medium, as have the cinema chains providing the technology appropriate to display the latest generation of technology. It is this growing support which has meant that what was once viewed as a gimmicky technology associated with b-movies and 70s horror sequels is now a well respected format for developing and deepening the cinema experience.
And as each of the major cinema chains in the UK space – Odeon, Vue and Cineworld – have now all committed to developing 3D capacity in their cinemas, the medium has been made far more accessible for the wider UK audience.
On a site-by-site basis, 3D films have been generating three times more in revenue than their 2D equivalents with 30 per cent of adults insisting they are more likely to watch a film in 3D (according to CAA Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation research). By the end of 2009 there will have been over 20 major releases, ranging from recent animated launches Monsters vs Aliens and Coraline, to Titanic director James Cameron’s hotly anticipated return to the cinema with sci-fi opus Avatar.
In conjunction with the investment from film makers, film producers like Disney and Warner Brothers are also bringing modern 3D cinema to the masses with the production of 3D versions of Toy Story, Bolt and certain scenes in the Harry Potter series. Undoubtedly a major attraction for producers is that 3D films are more difficult to be pirated from the stalls, as Jeffery Katzenberg president of DreamWorks Animation noted earlier this year.
However, film producers are not alone in their interest of the medium, advertisers and brands have also noticed the onward march of 3D. Pearl & Dean has recently created its own 3D version of the iconic Asteroid titles, which now runs before 3D movies. Brands looking to truly engage with cinema-going audiences have capitalised on the medium too. O2 recently created the world’s first 3D, interactive game for audiences, which was powered by Tangibal Media, a company that produces 3D interactive projected games for both cinema foyers and the big screen.
The game involved steering a ship through an asteroid field, with the left side of the theatre steering left by raising their arms, the right side steering the ship right. If the ship hit an obstacle, the screen visibly judders and 3D sparks appear. Another advertiser which recently used the technology to engage with audiences is Nickelodeon, which created 3D titles celebrating the tenth anniversary of its iconic cartoon Spongebob Squarepants. As well as ensuring that the on-screen advertising matches the overall 3D experience of the film, advertising companies can really reach out and engage potential customers through the big screen.
As the film industry responds to increased demand for 3D experiences in cinema by creating an ever more varied and accessible product, the medium is likely to grow further in the future and spill over across differing types of cinema experience. For example, many cinema chains such as Vue have recently begun screening live events such as concerts, allowing audiences to share the experience of a music event from the comfort of their local multiplex and multiple channels at the same time. Take the 3D concert test by band Keane, which was filmed at Abbey Road studios and streamed live to a cinema screen at Vue West End, as well as to a Sky HD channel and to the internet simultaneously, allowing all of those involved to experience the full impact of the performance.
This multichannel test of the technology worked perfectly across the different media and has underlined the potential for 3D to work equally well through the medium of the web. In a time where the ‘multimedia schedule’ is key, creating an opportunity to connect across multiple touch points, 3D not only allows for this engagement by successfully combining cinema, TV and online, but does it in a hugely impactful and memorable way.
As audiences continue to show interest in the 3D format, triggering a considerable impact on box office figures, it looks likely that brands will increasingly take full advantage of the extra dimension it can add to advertising and the cinema experience as a whole. And as the 3D revolution continues to gain speed, it doesn’t seem beyond the realms of possibility that in the future we will begin to see 3D film premieres beginning to emerge online, allowing film fans to share the action across the globe.