Will Avatar save the 3D format in the film industry?

The upcoming film of the Avatar franchise, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, is highly anticipated.

It’s ridiculous to believe that a sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time could possibly be a gamble, but it actually is.

Avatar first graced the screen 13 years ago. The cinema landscape, meanwhile, has been transformed by shrinking audiences, burgeoning competition from streaming services and dwindling investment in original ideas.

James Cameron has not yet revealed the budget for The Way of Water, but admitted it is a ‘very expensive’ project.

According to the veteran filmmaker, The Way of Water would have to become the ‘third or fourth’ highest-grossing film of all time to break even.

But something else may be at stake in this game of unclear balance sheets and capitalist stupidity: the future of 3D movies.

It’s almost impossible to talk about 3D movies without mentioning Avatar, meaning it’s like the 1940s classic ‘Citizen Kane’ for all 3D movies, requiring a simple lens to appreciate. is

But it was far from the first attempt to harness the true potential of 3D.

In fact, filmmakers have experimented with 3D projections since the early days of cinema, which enjoyed a brief heyday in the 1950s.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is a combination of many breathtakingly beautiful scenes (IDB).

(Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant 1954 thriller Dial ‘Em for Murder’ was considered to be the height of this trend).

Although it had drawbacks such as expense (prints required twice as much as film and often required two projectionists) and incidences of motion sickness.

By the 1980s, the kinks had started to disappear, but with the rise of iMax screens, there was a possibility of their resurgence.

During the 1990s and 2000s, the popularity of 3D movies increased dramatically.

Many children’s films and genre trends have been made in 3D, including ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’, ‘Superman Returns’ and many other blockbusters and classics of the past, such as Star Wars, Titanic, The Lion King 3. Dimensionally resized and presented on large screens.

Naturally, there was opposition to this format. They (opponents) argued that it was an attention-grabbing ploy. It was possible but the gimmick was taking over the multiplexes.

Avatar was the first film that seemed to completely dispel the skepticism of what it was, a big hit blockbuster project that was developed with the 3D experience in mind. .

The inclusion of 3D did justice to the stunning scenery and plant life of the world of Avatar, ‘Pandora’, even critics of the story of Avatar and its central plot had to praise the technical prowess of the film. Finally, the emergence of 3D had appeared in full swing.

But the public’s love affair with 3D proved to be as short-lived as a summer affair.

A few other notable projects to come in this (3D) format included Peter Jackson’s ‘The Habit’ and Alfonso Coronez’s ‘Gravity’, the latter of which was considered another high point for the format.

But as Avatar hit theaters, enthusiasm for 3D began to wane even though 3D films are arguably more popular than ever.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ hits theaters worldwide from December 15 and 16 (IDB)

As Cameron said in a recent interview with Yahoo, the number of 3D screens worldwide has increased from 6,000 to 120,000 in the last 12 years.

He said: ‘It (3D film) has reached the level of consumer choice.

‘If people like it they can watch it in 3D, if not they can watch it in 2D.’

However, it has been years since the release of a film in 3D became part of the discussion.

Blockbusters are never shown in 3D for the sake of critics, not even multi-billion dollar movies that are being released in 3D.

It seems that these (films) no longer have real artistic impact. This format is now just part of the whole racket – an optional ‘add-on’ option like whether you want sweet or salty popcorn, or what size your drink should be.

Personally I don’t think ‘consumer choice’ should really have anything to do with art.

Given the time, money, and technical art involved in The Way of Water, I’m not convinced that Cameron fully intended it either.

Of course this can’t help the format as most of the biggest 3D releases have been filmed without the third (Z) dimension in mind.

It’s often cheaper and more efficient for studios to convert movies to 3D after shooting is complete.

The quality of this change in format varies greatly, as the poor end of the spectrum resulted in 2010’s Clash of the Titans giving people a chance to laugh.

It was a film whose terrible 3D cut was rejected by the film’s director, Louis Leterrier himself, and which some critics even accused of being an attempt to thwart the 3D revolution.

Other causes of decline quickly became apparent, including high ticket prices, often poor film quality, and those 3D glasses.

But the format never completely lost its potential.

Away from the glare of Hollywood, some filmmakers have successfully experimented with 3D for creative purposes.

Legendary French auteur Jean-Luc Godard used 3D for his 2014 film Goodbye to Language.

shot with custom-built cameras and broke many of the long-held visual traditions of 3D filmmaking.

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Chinese director Bi Gan released ‘A Long Day’s Journey in Tonight’ in 2018, a unique dream-like film that switches to 3D for an hour-long tracking shot halfway through the film.

What should not be underestimated is the value of 3D as a USP (Unique Selling Point) for cinemas.

Streaming services pose a growing threat to the theatrical movie experience: Avatar: A 3D screening of a film like The Way of Water can give viewers an experience they can’t imagine at home.

During the 2010s, there was a brief period of demand for 3D televisions that quickly faded.

(The BBC and Sky soon abandoned 3D programming and production on 3D TV has since ceased entirely).

It remains to be seen whether Way of Water will save the 3D format from extinction. Some may of course argue that it doesn’t need to be saved, but there is more at stake than ticket sales.

With the lush visuals of Avatar around us like a giant celluloid bearhug, we or other filmmakers may know why 3D films should be made.

This is not a fight for short-term financial gains, but the spirit of 3D.

If Hollywood really wants people to think of 3D as more than just a funny sales gimmick, it’s going to need more than stereoscopic glasses.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ has been hitting theaters since December 16.

(Editing: Abdullah Jan)