Combining the two topics of theatre and economics has been interesting and we have managed to find a great middle ground. We have found that 3D theater has been gaining popularity the past few years; especially with groundbreaking titles like Avatar coming out. The history of 3D theater and the technology that has evolved with it has changed quite dramatically. Along with it, many questions arise. Why has it become so popular? Why does it cost more money to see a 3D movie? Does it cost more money to make an actual 3D movie? Is this helping the entertainment business grow and make more money? Do people prefer it to the regular 2-D movies? And finally, is this going to become the new norm? 3D technology is slowly but surely moving into the household.
When did 3D even make its first appearance or when did the idea first emerge? “Like the electric car, the 3D process has been around for more than 100 years.” (Otto, 1). This seems strange because 3D really hasn’t seemingly gained much popularity until just recently. It was said to have been “First pioneered and patented by William Friese-Greene in the late 1890s.” (Otto, 1). But, they did not have the technology that we have today. The whole process is completely different from when it was first started because, not only do we have digital technology, but because it required two projectors and now, today, it only requires one projector. Heineman (as he is quoted in this article) states: “older 3D technology involved the use of two film projectors, one that projected a left eye image and one that projected a right eye image.” (Steenhuysen, 2). Obviously, the 3D technology has advanced quite a bit; but not enough where you do not have to wear those silly glasses!
Since the new Avatar movie and its great popularity in 3D, this form of entertainment has taken the industry by storm! Obviously, it was not that popular in the past because there were not that many 3D movies being made. But now it seems like every commercial you see it is advertising that particular movie in 3D. Personally, I just don’t understand the need for 3D. Not only does it cost more to see a movie in 3D but just wearing the glasses are uncomfortable. I took a really quick 2 question survey among my friends and peers just asking whether 1) they would prefer to see a movie in 3D or 2-D and 2) would they pay the extra money to see a movie in 3D. The answers were unanimously against 3D. Many of them said that it didn’t make sense to have the movies in 3D and many also agreed that the glasses were uncomfortable to wear and just made viewing time less enjoyable. While the average college students here may not want to see the movie or pay the extra money it is quite popular amongst other people in general.
Avatar, and director James Cameron, can take credit for that hype. This movie raised the bar for so many different aspects of the film industry. The new technology and cameras they were using and the technique of viewing the movie. Yes, you still have to wear the silly-looking glasses when viewing the movie but it “requires audience members to wear polarized glasses.” (1). People have complained in the past about having headaches after watching a 3D movie but with these new glasses they had the audience wear they have also said, “It is a vast improvement on the sometimes headache-inducing techniques that relied on cardboard cutout glasses with red and green lenses and rose and fell in popularity in the 1950s.” (1). And yes, we all remember those glasses that we had to wear when entering the theater that just really did not make the movie better. In addition, they have developed a new, lightweight camera for when they filmed the movie. “His camera rig is now lighter — up to only 50 pounds — and the two camera lenses can dynamically converge on a focal point with the help of a computer, which is crucial for sweeping camera moves and action sequences.” (1). Obviously, this helped when they filmed the movie because then they could carry or maneuver the camera in ways that they could not before (having it in an awkward spot, having it hung for a longer period of time, etc.). Finally, it raised the bar on capturing the action needed for the movie. The new technology they used was able to “creates computerized images from real human action.” (1). This was great because, obviously, aliens are not real and having the actors in a costume and make-up would not really capture the image that he wanted for his movie. He wanted the aliens to look a certain way in this movie and he could create them using new digital technology. Judging by the box office records and the overall performance of the film, it is safe to assume the public’s response was rather positive.
We observed the three dimensional thrill sweep through movie theatres all through the last year. More expensive 3D movie tickets triggered an emphasis on 3D showings, bringing forth more profits for theaters throughout the nation. In March 10th of this year, the Motion Picture Association of America released a press release making reference to the newfound success of three-dimensional technology and its importance to the long-term success of the movie industry. Bob Pisano, president of the MPAA, mentions in the press release: “Digital technology is the foundation on which 3D has been built. Together, digital presentation and 3D hold the promise of a dramatic game change in moviemaking and movie going. The global film audience is voting with its feet, and those feet are planted firmly in the direction of local cinemas that have the latest technology.” Having the “latest technology” is the driving force, and it was here that we decided to take a look at this evolving force as it begins moving into the household. 3D television has seemingly gained more steam in the past year and a half than it ever had before. The spike in popularity of hit 3D movies like Avatar has the nation buzzing about the technology, and the business world is listening. Samsung and Sony are leading the push for production of household 3D TV sets in the United States, with Toshiba not far behind them. Time Warner and DirecTV have caught the 3D fever and have launched 3D networks in ESPN 3D and Discover 3D. In a nutshell, the functionality of 3D televisions revolves around tricking your brain. As Jonathan Strickland explains: “…by showing each eye the same image in two different locations, you can trick you brain into thinking the flat image you're viewing has depth. But this also means that the convergence and focal points don't match up the way they do for real objects. While your eyes may converge upon two images that seem to be one object right in front of you, they're actually focusing on a screen that's further away” (1). We mentioned the “silly glasses” you must wear to get the full 3D effect when watching this content, and it’s not much different with household technologies. Strickland continues: “The LCD lenses in the glasses alternate between being transparent and opaque as the images alternate on the screen. The left eye blacks out when the right eye's image appears on television and vice versa. This happens so fast that your mind cannot detect the flickering lenses. But because it's timed exactly with what's on the screen, each eye sees only one set of the dual images you'd see if you weren't wearing the glasses” (3).
Understanding how the technology works, we set out to interview area experts about the technology and its impact on our immediate market. Mr. James Thomas, a senior home theater specialist at Best Buy, spoke about the buzz being created by home theater technology. When asked about the marketing efforts of his company centered around the current technology, Mr. Thomas explained how Best Buy has significantly picked up its marketing of the technology “because it is very profitable and brings a lot of customers into the store.” Going into the local Best Buy stores we noticed quite a number of people frequently huddled around the 3D demos, eager to experience the technology first-hand. With previous technological trends, we had similar experiences in the way excitement was being generated surrounding the technology. Much like the latest Apple products, we suspected there would a group of individuals who just had to own the technology upon its release based merely on its potential. Mr. Ted Hinden, a home entertainment consultant for the same company, confirmed our suspicions as he explained: “early-adopters have had the technology in their hands, and are most excited about the buzz in recent months, as it will be the driving force for the release of more content.” Both Thomas and Hinden explained the differences between customers who might be more likely to pick up one of these handsets. Thomas mentioned: “Families with children and movie lovers love 3D and are willing to spend the premium to make the family happy, whereas older couples generally do not see much benefit in it. For some it is rather inconvenient, especially if they have to wear 3D glasses on top of their normal glasses.” After conducting a brief survey, we confirmed what Mr. Thomas had mentioned. 3D appeared to be a hit mostly to the younger crowd, especially the students we surveyed on campus. Some of the older folks we spoke to were rather indifferent about the technology, with some wondering about whether it was worth the money, and others confusing it with high definition television.
After conducting our research along with interviews and surveys, we found the prevailing sentiment to suggest that 3D technology is here to stay and it represents the (not so distant) future of home entertainment technology. Both Hinden and Thomas spoke about the profitability of this technology, and as we know, money makes the world go round. With this in mind, providers are only going to supply more and more 3D content, subsequently driving up the demand for the technology, and eventually bringing down the cost, which is what will propel the technology into more households around the nation. As Hinden said: “for the longest time, 3D has been looked at as the future of home entertainment technology. The future is now here and it is only a matter of time until 3D televisions are a part of our everyday lives.”
"Avatar Raises the Bar on 3D Technology - Entertainment - Movies - TODAYshow.com." TODAYshow.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales - Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32127705>.
Steenhuysen, By Julie. "For Some, 3D Movies a Pain in the Head | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 09 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6080XO20100109>.
Strickland, Jonathan. "How 3-D TV Works” 23 June 2009. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3d-tv.htm> 14 October 2010.
http://www.reelzchannel.com/article/816/a-tour-through-the-history-of-3-d-movies
Mr. Ted Hinden. Home entertainment consultant, Best Buy.
Mr. James Thomas. Home theater senior specialist, Best Buy.
http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/television/article103454.ece
This was an awesome research project because your teams certainly looked at 3D from many different perspectives including historical developments, costs and the pros and cons of the technology for producers and users. Supporting evidence was also thorough and appropriate. The amount of information that your team collected and organized into the final report clearly showed a major effort to provide details, examples and explanations. The information also helped to lead a good class discussion about the growing popularity of 3D entertainment.
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