Fuck The 3d Bandwagon
polycounter lvl 10
3d has been around for a long time. I remember the 3d disneyland Honey We Shrunk the Audience or whatever. It's been around. In mainstream, on and off, but definitely on for the last 4 or so years.
Then what happened, Avatar? The masses see Avatar, which has beautiful cinematography and brilliant designers that brought a world to life, and it has "3d" pinned to it. It seems like everything that was aesthetically brilliant about Avatar gets attributed to its "revolutionary" 3d, even though all they really did was move the lenses on the camera closer together, to get a less "gimmicky" and more subtle look than we're used to. So, for about 3 years before Avatar pretty much all animated movies were turning 3d, I recall the end of harry potter 5 was done in 3d, and they were already driving me crazy. Now AFTER Avatar, when it was already driving me crazy, it's impossible to catch a break. Everything is in 3d.
Everything. Alice in Wonderland was gone back over to create fake 3d. When they see the extra cash they rake in just from the price mark-up (4-5$ more for "the glasses," give me a break), let alone the masses who crap their pants for an "IN 3D" slapped on any movie title, who can blame them?
So my point is, why are people so nuts for this? And more importantly, why are they so nuts for this right now, when this shit has been around for ages? It's not that the technology got significantly better after Avatar. Besides, after 5 minutes I forget that I'm watching it in 3d, half the time it's more of a nuisance if i'm trying to focus on details, and it takes me a month to recover from the hole that's burned in my wallet.
You can imagine my frustration when I take my family to see Avatar, I walk out and my dad looks amazed (a good sign for me), only to hear him say "the technology these days is incredible..." I'm thinking "I know right, think how long this would take to render," or "what a awesome time we live in that we can throw together such rich scenes," but nope, it was the 3d that amazed him. Where is my gun?
Then what happened, Avatar? The masses see Avatar, which has beautiful cinematography and brilliant designers that brought a world to life, and it has "3d" pinned to it. It seems like everything that was aesthetically brilliant about Avatar gets attributed to its "revolutionary" 3d, even though all they really did was move the lenses on the camera closer together, to get a less "gimmicky" and more subtle look than we're used to. So, for about 3 years before Avatar pretty much all animated movies were turning 3d, I recall the end of harry potter 5 was done in 3d, and they were already driving me crazy. Now AFTER Avatar, when it was already driving me crazy, it's impossible to catch a break. Everything is in 3d.
Everything. Alice in Wonderland was gone back over to create fake 3d. When they see the extra cash they rake in just from the price mark-up (4-5$ more for "the glasses," give me a break), let alone the masses who crap their pants for an "IN 3D" slapped on any movie title, who can blame them?
So my point is, why are people so nuts for this? And more importantly, why are they so nuts for this right now, when this shit has been around for ages? It's not that the technology got significantly better after Avatar. Besides, after 5 minutes I forget that I'm watching it in 3d, half the time it's more of a nuisance if i'm trying to focus on details, and it takes me a month to recover from the hole that's burned in my wallet.
You can imagine my frustration when I take my family to see Avatar, I walk out and my dad looks amazed (a good sign for me), only to hear him say "the technology these days is incredible..." I'm thinking "I know right, think how long this would take to render," or "what a awesome time we live in that we can throw together such rich scenes," but nope, it was the 3d that amazed him. Where is my gun?
Replies
I feels you.
*hugs* dun crai
That "actor wrapped in to the suit with dots on it jumping around in front of the green screen / or blue screen" AKA "3d visual effects with chroma key" has been around for approx more than 11 years, it was perfected 5-6 years ago (approx). And people have been nuts about it ever since! You just came to realize "oh damn!! People are nuts about it!!"
lol, wat?
"Polycount is NOT your blog. If you have a topic of reasonable discussion to post, then by all means, please post away and let the intelligent discussion begin. However, these random posts of "I ate cookies today" or "My car is blue" or whatever really need to come to an end. They provide no topic for discussion and are generally useless and become filled with lolcats and such anyway. "
as i said, this is meant to be a discussion, not an anecdote about cookies
I saw an ad for the news about those 3d TVs they've been working on. Apparently that's going to be available for rich people within a couple years too. I doubt that's going to catch on though.
I'm wondering if 3d is more effective for kids or something. I remember seeing Captain Eo when I was little and my memory of it is that it was even better than Avatar in terms of how much stuff appeared to be coming out at you. But it was over 20 years ago, so I could easily just be remembering it as better than it was.
Actually a Best Buy not too far from me got them in a few days ago, about $2500 for a 50" screen (or $3000 for 55"). Not that bad of price considering the size of the sets and how new they are. I wont be buying them anytime soon though
The reason people care about the tech more now then they did before is because it wasnt as widely available before. Sure, you could go to theme parks and see it, but that was about it for most people. Hollywood started pushing it as a way to get people back into theaters, and it worked.
also i did not answer my question. my question was why are people, as in the public, so nuts for this. the extra cash is why the film makers do it, but that is obvious. what confuses me is why i've heard "i can't wait to see it in 3d" more times this month than i have 20 times over in my lifetime
w
t
f
a sport in 3d? that can't be the most entertaining thing to watch i don't think. especially one such as football. maybe golf or something less paced, and a more consistent focal point
i'm neither for nor against the whole 3d thing.
ill watch a movie once in a while in 3d, if i feel like it, but yea i agree it's a bit overdone.
watch them re-release movies in 3d, like they did HD.
Free Willy in 3d? hot god damn!
Yes 3D has been around a long time, but back then it was really more a gimmick than anything. Now it's back, although in a rather tame manner simply because the industry is taking it seriously as a new avenue to a visual medium, hence the sudden slapping of "3D" label on everything that has a screen on it. They have yet to even find a fixed standard in cinema "3d", everyone's got their own solutions that have yet to be fully developed.
I for one am psyched to see what they can do with this technology with our overall improvement in horsepower over the years, and I wonder exactly how far they can take it.
Though the glasses kept slipping off my nose, damn my small asian face.
you've also now said twice that "because it's there" and "money" are the reasons why people are nuts for this. "because it's there" is not a reason to like something, and paying money is a reason to not like something. i don't follow your logic. i'll restate this for you one more time:
i am confused why, after all these years, the public suddenly demands 3d and is so willing to bite into what is in many cases clearly a gimmick to get money. something about them saying "IN 3D" like this is a totally awesome new concept almost offends me, but it's becoming quite clear that the rest of the public doesn't share this sensitivity.
i just found this article, it kind of helps clarify my frustration with this fad, mainly the quote that 3d should "be a filmmaker driven process, not a studio driven process."
http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/02/21/james-cameron-explains-why-hollywood-is-screwing-up-3d/
Because the public is [size=+1]REALLY DUMB[/size] and will like what they are told to like.
How come Disney is still a powerful brand even after pumping out total garbage for a decade? How come Call of Duty: World at War sold bajillions even though it wasn't considered anywhere near as good as Modern Warfare? Why have I even heard of the name Hannah Montana?
Anything targeted at the mass market is targeted at people who don't think.
3D has been selected as something to target the mass market with.
There really isn't anything else to say.
especially with a fast paced game like football[soccer]. i dont want to get a sense of nausea as the camera tries to keep up with the ball and all players on screen.
the replays would be pretty sick in 3d, i must agree.
TV, cause being stuck way the fuck up in a cold-ass stadium fucking blows compared to chowing down on snacks on my couch in my living room in front of my 63" tv... and the bathrooms in my home are a LOT fucking cleaner and there's no line. That being said, fuck 3d. I see no point in needing a gimmick to watch my shows, all I care is that the signal being broadcast is clear and in a high enough definition (which it isn't, COMCAST)...:poly124:
Whatever the reason is made you spend that extra money on the glasses to see Avatar.
Many people say this, but I've yet to meet one person who admits it's true of himself. Somehow, everyone else is a sheep, led around by their faceless corporate shepherds, but the author... He's always the exception to the rule, his keen intellect placing his taste and discretion above that of the unwashed masses. It seems we're individually all a bunch of freaking Einsteins when we're talking about the ignorance of our fellow man, who are collectively lucky if they don't shit in their own hats every morning.
The thing is, I go to movies, so I'm also part of the public. So are you, mate. Everyone here is, to some degree or another. And I'm sure there's some budding genius out there who can't abide the ignorant groupthink of video game art nerds who are up all night arguing about 3D movies on the internet. We're all someone else's sheep. Now which field did you want to graze in tomorrow?
There's no accounting for taste. You like what you want to like, for your own reasons; other people are doing the same.
As for the useless hype chatter about OMG IT'S THREEDEE .... well, you can always ignore it and have a good day in the end !
But I feel you. I dislike it too, and wish I could turn the thing on/off anytime during a movie. Maybe that's the next tech step ?
The thing is that you have to really search for a place that will not be showing it in 3d. This normally means going to the crappier places.
Same here.
I for one happen to like the 3D-thing though. Just wish I didn't get a new pair of glasses every time. Goddamn. I have like 5 now...
But yeah there's a big difference between good 3D and gimmicky 3D. Alice in wonderland is a good example of gimmicky 3D (although I really liked the 3D effect for the cat... but that's one of my favorite characters ever so eh. Biased. )
As for 3D technology.... this really is just the beginning, Avatar was a statement in how 3D movies should be done, and people would give it props where it deserves it, although I personally found the script to be a total Ferngully ripoff.
The glasses is all they can commercialize at this point in time, who knows whether next time we wont need shades? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Singapore readily has the 2d available in every cinema that offers the 3d version, something that really does please both sides.
It's probably the glasses causing that effect. Most have a dark tint to them.
If you hate seeing movies in 3D, go see one at an IMAX theater, they are 100x better...
stereovision will never bother you again!
I've had a theory going for a while that goes with what you just wrote. The masses are idiots. Crowds of sheep, zombies on stampede. But individuals are smart, sensible people. It's just, you take a bunch of clever people, shove them together in a group and force some kind of marketing ploy, or socially viral fad on them, and suddenly it's livestock mania all over again. I think we function very, very differently in groups than we do alone, and this is reinforced by the media.
Actually, come to think of it, it's proven that I'm right to some extent. I recall watching a program on TV that had a group of people.. I think there were five or six of them, in a secret experiment, where one was a traitor and would try to subconsciously affect the others. Usually, it just takes two out of those five or six to agree on an opinion, or whatever, and the peer pressure will eventually win everyone else over. Even if none of them except the "traitor" had that opinion to begin with.
Of course, if you ask all those people seperately once the experiment is revealed, they'll all claim they were thinking the opposite until they began thinking everyone else in the group had a different opinion, and that made them think maybe they were wrong. It's probably something similar to that that makes generic blockbusters as successful as they are.
I don't make a habit of the cinema but when I do, I like it to be a real experience. Avatar and Up, to name a couple, were amazing in 3d. Sure there's going to be loads of rubbish films jumping on the 3d bandwagon, the same with any successful media or product. I definately see this as a new beginning and it will be interesting to see how it gets integrated into our homes ...then without the need for glasses ... then holographics ... then ...
The thing is though imo the 3d done in Avatar is done in such a way that is actually tasteful of all things. Its simply used well in the movie as a effect rather then a simple gimmick.
The coolest part I think is when the dropship first enters Pandoras atmosphere and you see the cockpit and out the cockpit the jungle. Its simply amazing. Now imagine a game with a GUI in 3d similiar to the HUD display in the dropships cockpit. The next mechwarrior game should make a note of this.
Believe it or not, there's thinking that goes both ways on this. We're not that bright as individuals, but pretty intelligent as a crowd, as long as the crowd is relatively diverse and uninfluenced. There's a summary up on wikipedia, check it if you're curious:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds
The tricky part is that you have to evaluate all that knowledge individually. If you actually do put everyone in a room together, dominant personalities and peer pressure can override an individual's input. The 'sheep' thing, the herd mentality, is definitely real in those kinds of situations. I just don't think it applies to choosing to see 3D movies
the effect was subtle but noticeable, i never had any headaches or anything like that during the movie or after.
The only reason i`m probably not going to see a movie in 3d again is because of the price
If someday we can have tech that lets us focus on what we want in 3d, i will be very excited. Until then, i dont think 3d gives a better experience than 2d. I'm just glad we saw the movie in 2d first, because i dont think i would have enjoyed it nearly as much, nor would i have gone back to see it again if i saw it in 3d first.
[edit] Also seriously guys, knock it the fuck off with the "this isn't ur blog lol" posts. I'm going to start randomly banning people who do this, as it is much, MUCH more annoying than "blog-like" posts ever were. You've been warned.
i have a friend who's got the same issue.
in fact, 4% of the world population can't see 3d / any depth whatsoever.
That's just a stat i read somewhere, so it's probably not all that accurate, but that's quite a few people if it is
The only thing that annoys me is when the director and or producer decides that the storyline and scripting isn't as important as wowing you with effects, I hope that trend dies quickly.
i mean when it comes to millions of object coming at you and that sorta stuff
I'm not a fan either of this bandwaggon to announce and proclaim that "OUR MOVIE WILL SHOW IN DIGITAL 3-D!!! ISNT THAT AMAZING!!" when trailers air. One one hand, i find myself saying "big fucking deal... there have been a lot of movies in 3d. I kind of expect people to do it now," and "why is this piece of garbage being put into 3d?" I personally do not want to go to a theater to put on glasses and watch a movie. When i wore glasses (under the 3d glasses), it was very uncomfortable.
I dont know if the hollywood stooges just think "well they did it, we have to now! no one will want to see our movie in 2d!!" I hope the trend doesn't stick, but if it does - lets hope the tech gets better quickly. They need to make a 3d movie, that doesn't require glasses - then it'll wow people.
You could also argue that 3-d movies have been around for a very, very long time if you consider theater
Movie makers wanted theaters to upgrade their projection hardware to digital projectors. Movie theaters did not want to spend money to do this.
So, movie makers began releasing movies in 3D, but only digital format. This forced movie theaters to upgrade because consumers wanted to catch the 3D buzz.
Personally, I don't like 3D movies.* But my right eye is weaker than my left so I get a huge headache with the 3D glasses on. However, the fad will only last a couple more years, so just hang in there.
*Footnote: When movies are actually 3D, like that movie Strange Days, then I'll enjoy them.
The public is impressed with almost anything they have never seen before. This doesn't make them dumb, it just makes them easier to impress. You don't like it because you are looking at it from a different point of view, and notice all the flaws and things that don't look real to you. If you work with 3d all the time the sad reality is that you are going to start to see things people that don't use 3d at all, won't see. Also your expectations are going to be way higher than the average Joe. Things that give the scenes away as cg will break the experience for you. The reality is most of the public doesn't know any better and even if things look cg they can enjoy it to some degree. In I am Legend I enjoyed the movie until I saw the cg creatures. They just didn't feel right, the way they moved, etc, it annoyed me for example. I enjoyed Lord of the Rings, but in the Two Towers I noticed some compositing errors.... Some elements looked poorly composited... Because of what I do I also notice things and look for mistakes.
I don't believe the public demands 3d at all. Someone tried it, it sold well and others are starting to try it to see if they can make money.
If I remember correctly James Cameron tried it with some documentary work of the Titanic and that got released in 3d and some other films. I imagine he tried this to see if this would sell to the public and make money, and to test it out to get it right.
Watching the UFC in 3d with nice speakers should be awesome! It be nice if they can figure out how to deliver the 3D experience without those annoying glasses.
$2Gs + for the TV
$450 for a single pair of glasses
$?? for a specific bluray player that plays specific 3d HD movies.
damn that's a lot of dough.
Either way, i tried it out at the Sony showroom downtown here, and i have to say, it was a better experience than imax for me.
at Avatar, i got a headache about 30 seconds in, and i just let myself get used to the pain. With the TV though, it was pretty nice, and i felt minimal / no pain.
a burning wallet, however, would make up for the missing pain.
If you go to an omni theater, not sure if you know what I'm talking about, you get to see a film it's like a first person shooter view, except the screen is huge. You can get motion sickness from watching the screen, it feels like you are flying through the environment. the movies I saw were 2d only but you are surrounded by a huge panoramic view, and the sound is really good.