Business Wire - Market-Leading RealD 3D Cinema System to be Installed in 200 Vue Screens (in the UK)

February 23, 2009 01:42 PM Eastern Time  

Vue Entertainment and RealD Announce Exclusive Digital 3D Partnership

Market-Leading RealD 3D Cinema System to be Installed in 200 Vue Screens

LOS ANGELES & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vue Entertainment, the UK's leading developer and operator of state-of-the-art multiplex cinemas, and RealD, the world's leading outfitter of 3D-enabled theatres, announced today that Vue Entertainment will add 200 RealD 3D screens to its circuit.

The rollout of RealD 3D-enabled screens has already begun with an installation at Vue's flagship location in Leicester Square. Additional RealD systems are ready for installation immediately as new screens are added monthly at Vue cinemas.

"Vue prides itself on providing the most compelling cinema experience available and RealD 3D will give our audience a new and exciting way to experience movies," said Tim Richards, CEO of Vue Entertainment. "RealD 3D is the market-leading choice for its remarkable track record of providing a superior viewing experience, something we can't wait to bring to our many locations across the UK."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with Vue to bring tens of millions of moviegoers the unmatched RealD 3D experience," said Michael V. Lewis, chairman and CEO of RealD. "This alliance with the UK's leading exhibitor furthers RealD as the market-leader in the UK and is a reflection of our continued expansion across Europe."

RealD's next-generation 3D technology is deployed across the world's largest 3D platform in 34 countries with over 1,700 screens today and an additional nearly 6,000 screens under contract. Bob Mayson, RealD Europe Ltd. managing director and head of the company's recently opened European headquarters, added, "With a packed slate of upcoming films being released in RealD 3D, we're delighted to be working with Vue Entertainment to bring this global entertainment phenomenon to their circuit."

Vue has 62 cinemas with 607 screens and 134,413 seats which attract over 32 million customers a year. The company is the largest operator of modern multiplex cinemas in the country. It is also the market leader in the critical London market and has the second largest market share in terms of box office in the UK.

CURRENT.com.au - 3D TV is not standing out; Education is the key

CURRENT.com.au  -  3D TV is not standing out; Education is the key

By Grant Shepherd SYDNEY: Numerous consumer electronics companies are currently producing 3D televisions and many were unveiled at last year's International CES. But 3D TV has received both positive and negative press since the technology was announced, mainly in relation to how it will be received by consumers. Now a recent joint study conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Entertainment and Technology Center at the University of Southern California, has revealed that many consumers are interested in the new technology, but only after they have been educated on the product and experience it first hand for themselves. The study titled '3-D TV: Where Are We Now and Where Are Consumers?' outlined that 3D technology is well positioned to become a successful part of in-home entertainment, but the category will only grow as more and more people experience the technology for themselves and therefore become more interested in the 3D options available. The study compares 3D TV to other recent innovations like HD TV, where after a certain amount of time, sufficient exposure to the technology will allow consumers to witness the benefits and be more willing to change their viewing habits in the home. The technology has been around, in some form or another, for decades and has proven very popular, most commonly in movie theatres. According to the report, in the past 12 months, nearly 41 million adults in the US have seen a 3D movie in theatres. Of these, nearly 40 per cent said that they would prefer to watch a movie in 3D over 2D. 3D capabilities are also apparently becoming a major purchasing factor for many consumers in the market for new televisions, with 16 per cent of respondents showing interest in watching 3D movies or television shows on their home television. As well as this 14 per cent claimed that they were very interested in playing video games in 3D. These results reveal that 26 million households in the US are interested in 3D TV technology in the home. One of the biggest perceived disadvantages of many of the 3D televisions currently on the market is the fact that glasses must be worn to see the benefits of 3D. While companies are currently developing units without the need for glasses, many consumers responded that wearing glasses was not an issue. More than half of US adults claimed that wearing special headsets or glasses would not have an impact on their purchasing decision. Another interesting thing to come out of the survey, especially for manufacturers and retailers, is the fact that many consumers were willing to spend more for the technology. Roughly half of the respondents claimed that they would spend more for a 3D capable television and 15 per cent said that they would pay roughly 25 per cent more for the technology. Overall the report has demonstrated the huge possibilities for 3D TV in the consumer electronics market and Shawn DuBravac, CEA's economist and director of research, commented "when it comes to 3D technology, seeing is truly believing, today's offerings are changing the way consumers view video content, not unlike the early days of HD TV".

[Mon 23/02/2009 12:08:38]

ENGADGET - iPoint 3D brings gesture-based inputs to 3D displays

ENGADGET

iPoint 3D brings gesture-based inputs to 3D displays

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 12:37PM

Just in case you've been parked out under a local stone for the past six months and change, we figured it prudent to let you know that the 3D bandwagon has totally regained momentum. So much momentum, in fact, that the brilliant minds over at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have decided to bust out a 3D innovation that actually makes us eager to sink our minds into the elusive third dimension. The iPoint 3D, which we're hoping to get up close and personal with at CeBIT next week, is a technology that enables Earthlings to interact with a 3D display via simple gestures -- all without touching the panel and without those style-smashing 3D glasses. The gurus even go so far as to compare their creation to something you'd see in a science fiction flick, with the heart of it involving a recognition device (usually suspended above the user) and a pair of inbuilt cameras. There's no mention of just how crazy expensive this would be if it were ready for the commercial realm, but we'll try to snag an estimated MSRP for ya next week.

[Via Physorg]

FIJI TIMES - Everything in 3D

Copyright © 2009, Fiji Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.

---

Everything in 3D

 (Sunday, February 22, 2009)

Movie: My Bloody Valentine 3D

Director: Patrick Lussier

Writing credits: Todd Farmer, Zane Smith

Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Megan Boone, Betsy Rue, Kevin Tighe

Now showing: Village Six

Rated: R18

Genre: Horror, thriller, suspense

Rating: out of five

Believe it or not, this was my first 3D (three-dimensional) movie at the cinemas and even though I gave it a three out of five rating - gruesome scenes were nasty - the 3D experience was exhilarating and mind blowing.

Off I went to Village Six with senior Fiji Times writer Irene on Tuesday to catch the 12.50pm show.

We were given our 3D glasses as we passed the ticket booth and were shown to our numbered seats, somewhere in the seventh row.

The lights dimmed and the movie attendant advised us to put on our 3D glasses. This was it. I was more anxious about the effects of 3D rather than the movie - I read a few bad reviews about the movie beforehand but that didn't stop me from enjoying the special effects of 3D.

The first few scenes gave a brief about the murderous miner Harry Warden, one of six miners trapped after a collapse in the mine.

Harry is left in a coma after five other miners were killed by a pickaxe more than a decade ago. The following year, he wakes from the coma on Valentine's Day and goes on a killing spree first at the hospital then the abandoned mineshaft where he finds youngsters partying like nobody's business.

Dressed in his miner's garb, Harry kills everyone except King, Smith and Rue who escape a narrow death.

Ackles, on the other hand, is trapped inside and comes face to face with Harry, staring into the bug-eyed mask with fear.

He escapes Harry's wrath with the help of local authorities.

Ackles skips town and returns 10 years later on Valentine's Day to take care of family business - selling the mine among other things.

But the terror begins when bodies turn up axed and cut just the way Harry did and Ackles soon becomes the prime suspect.

But Harry's dead body is not in his grave like the old sheriff thought and the town lives in fear of another massacre.

As the movie progresses, new suspects begin to emerge.

There's the new sheriff, Smith who is now married to King.

He spends a lot of time trying to pin the murders on Ackles. I thought this was a form of deception used in murder movies to conceal the real killer.

Then the creepy Deputy Martin who constantly has looks that run shivers down the spine. He does pretty good facial expressions that scream 'I might be the killer'.

There's angry miners looking to settle the score with Ackles because of the mine closure and the disgruntled mine manager.

My Bloody Valentine 3D is a remake of the 1981 Canadian hit of the same name.

Only this time, most of the action happens right in front or your eyes. Believe me, there was a 3D scene I was impressed with - a bullet right past the face like in Smallville.

It came so close I could reach out and grab it just like C.K but all I could do was let out a low "wow" as it curved past. I hoped only Irene could hear that little kaicolo word.

My feet leapt from the ground a couple of times and an occasional 'shoot' blurted out whenever a nerve shocking scene came on.

There were instances where props made the movie less than perfect and scary - a toy-looking mine and dummy victims covered in blood.

But all in all, the effects of 3D were too good and it was good to note the improvement and development in technology. My first 3D movie will always be a memory because I came so close to touching the infamous Harry Warden's pickaxe.

My Bloody Valentine 3D has added humour to calm the scared nerves but it's a thriller that has heaps of graphic scenes, violence and nudity.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

---

Copyright © 2009, Fiji Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.

DAILY STAR - UK Feb 22, 09 3-D FILMS ARE STAND-OUT SUCCESS

DAILY STAR - UK

3-D FILMS ARE STAND-OUT SUCCESS

ABOVE: Steven Spielberg's Monsters vs Aliens will lead the way for 3-D movies

22nd February 2009

By Mike Parker in Los Angeles

DON'T duck...Hollywood is going 3-D, with at least ten new films due to leap out of cinema screens this year.

Fans got a taster when studios spent $3million showcasing the format at this month's Superbowl.

And movie maker Pixar has already announced all its future films will use the new hi-tech process.

The first 3-D blockbuster should be Steven Spielberg's Monsters vs. Aliens, starring Brit Hugh Laurie, Kiefer
Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon. It opens here on April 3.

But some lucky movie fans have already had a 3-D treat with Bolt, a tale about a dog that thinks it's a superhero.

The movie was released in the new format at 100 UK screens.

Titanic director James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar – starring Sigourney Weaver – and the Disney/Pixar action
comedy Up are also due later in 2009.

There will also be special 3-D sequences in two big summer sequels – Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
and Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen – showing at IMAX cinemas.

The original 3-D exploded on to the Hollywood scene in 1953 in films such as It Came From Outer Space but fizzled
out when people complained the blue and red glasses they had to wear gave them headaches.

The new 3-D method also uses specs but Spielberg's DreamWorks partner Jeffrey Katzenberg promised: "You will feel like you will be able to reach out and touch it."

And over the next two years even such classics as Citizen Kane will get 3-D updates.

TV TECHNOLOGY - The Challenge of 3D

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The Challenge of 3D

by Jay Ankeney, 01.27.2009

This is going to be the breakthrough year for 3D, or at least everyone in Hollywood seems convinced of it. There is even a major push to open whole new groups of 3D digital cinema theaters in anticipation of James Cameron's sci-fi spectacular, "Avatar," due to be unleashed in December 2009. 

And despite some surprisingly disparaging remarks from David Hill, chairman and CEO of the Fox Sports Television group, at this past December's 3D Entertainment Summit about the potential of near-term 3D sports broadcasting due to the costs of converting to live 3D TV production, several major experiments showing the feasibility of sending 3D through the ether have already been conducted. But although most industry insiders think of 3D as an acquisition format, editors know that the real challenge in adopting any new medium lies in post production. After all, we sit right at the bottom of the production funnel where all the magic really comes together. However, communication in "z-space" brings with it the need for a whole new grammar in visual storytelling, so throughout the year this column will be concentrating on the aesthetics of 3D as much as the technology behind it. 

THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE 

There have been several eras in cinema history when 3D slid off the screens as a passing fad, but today's capability of shooting each "eye" with HD cameras has enabled the success of modern live action 3D productions. One of the first to tackle this kind of 3D was James Stewart, producer/ director at Geneva Film Co. in Toronto, who shot the first commercial in digital 3D back in 2005 to boost the product launch of the Toyota Tacoma truck. 

DreamWorks' 3D production "Monsters vs. Aliens" will hit theaters in March. ©DreamWorks Animation

Stewart had seen some 3D tests NHK had shot at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and realized its potential to grab viewers' attention. But Stewart had to find his own way to make the medium communicate the way he wanted.

With no 3D editing software available at the time, Stewart cut his HDCAM tapes shot by cinematographer Peter Anderson in 2D on an offline NLE and then, after compositing the left/right images at FotoKem in Burbank, Calif., had to evaluate the 3D effect in a dual-projector screening theater at the Real D offices in Beverly Hills. 

"The main difference when you are cutting 3D is you need to be very aware of where the convergence point between the two eyes is going to be," Stewart said. "If you cut from a shot with negative parallax (in front of the screen) to a shot with positive parallax (in back of the screen) your eyes will have to snap from one to the other and this can be very irritating. Throughout a 3D film, your eyes are constantly converging and diverging as the material comes off the screen. So when you are editing you have to be conscious of how you are directing the audiences' eyeballs. Bad 3D, after all, can give the audience a headache." 

But Stewart is convinced 3D is the wave of the future. As he says it, "A child born in 2009 will grow up not knowing what 2D is." 

On the forefront of future theatrical 3D productions, Jim Mainard, head of production development at DreamWorks Animation, has been responsible for evaluating the 3D post processes the studio has chosen for releases such as "Monsters vs. Aliens," out in March, and next year's "Shrek Goes Fourth." 

One lesson Mainard has learned is to keep the proportions of the "stereo window" in mind to maximize the depth of the shots. 

"Because human eyes can 'toe in' more than they can 'toe out,' we've learned you can only put about 1/3 of the total perceived image depth behind the screen," he said. "The other 2/3 can be in front. So when we are controlling the 3D convergence during post production, we try to utilize this factor of human perception to create the impact of depth that best tells the story." 

Even the format in which the 3D film is going to be released can affect the impact of a given shot. Mainard refers to this as "edge conflict." 

"Suppose you shoot a foreground character in long shot and cut their heads off with the top of the frame," Mainard said. "In IMAX 3D this may be accepted by the audience because the giant IMAX screen exceeds their natural field of view. But on a standard-sized digital 3D screen the lack of the head can create a discontinuity in the audience's mind. So we have to make adjustments in post with the release medium in mind." 

As to predictions for the future of stereoscopic (glasses-dependent) 3D presentations from a studio perspective, Mainard thinks that within 10 years more than 50 percent of the major feature film releases will be in digital 3D. 

In fact, he feels the medium will be so dominant that people will have their own prescription 3D glasses made and will bring them to the theater. 

NO 3D GLASSES NEEDED 

Between now and the 2009 NAB Show we're going to be enthralled by the innovations manufacturers are going to be giving us for 3D post production. But for editors, many eyes will be on Avid and I've seen a demonstration of where this industry leader is going to be headed to provide 3D editors with the tools they need. 

Avid previewed stereoscopic 3D creative offline editorial technology at the 3D Entertainment Summit, according to Michael Phillips, solutions marketing manager at Avid. 

"We showed an integrated stereoscopic 3D offline environment where editors can continue to work in the Media Composer interface and watch the project in stereoscopic 3D in the cutting room," Phillips said. "Currently, large screen previews require a costly and time-consuming conform process in order to see the project in true form. Avid's approach is to allow offline editors to continue working in a 2D environment for the bulk of editing, eliminating the need to wear 3D glasses all day, but to view the project in stereo 3D on the client monitor in the edit suite." 

One final gem from that crucial 3D Entertainment Summit was a preview of an autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3D display on an Apple iPhone. It's an overlay called the Wazabee 3DeeShell and it was showcased at MacWorld last month. Mobile 3D on an iPhone is just one more example of the impact zspace visualization is going to have on all our communications.

Sponsored Link Clear-Com combines the reliability of traditional TDM-based intercoms with the flexibility and affordability of groundbreaking I.V.Core technology.

Listen to Jay's Feb. 2 interview about 3D technology on NPR.

Jay Ankeney is a freelance editor and post-production consultant based in Los Angeles. Write him at 220 39th St. (upper), Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or at JayAnkeney@mac.com.

Cable Assessing Standards for 3D

TV TECHNOLOGY

Cable Assessing Standards for 3D

02.20.2009

The cable industry's engineering association is taking its first steps towards developing a standard for viewing 3D TV over cable networks. 

The engineering committee for the Society of Cable Telecommunications and Engineers (SCTE), which oversees the society's development of technical standards for cable networks, has approved "3D over Cable," a project that will focus on identifying necessary or desirable changes to existing SCTE standard, including transport protocols, for carrying 3D content over cable networks. 

"Although 3D content is available today over cable, the long-term delivery of next generation 3D content will be strengthened by the adoption of uniform engineering and technical criteria," said SCTE Engineering Committee Chair Charlie Kennamer.  To that end, SCTE intends to 

examine new 3D television technology to develop standards that can be used by the cable industry to deliver a more immersive television experience." 

The 3D project will be handled by SCTE's Digital Video Committee (DVS), which will make recommendations on standards and protocol based on the industry's needs. DVS will consider not only cable industry activities, but other industry initiatives, including current work being done by the Society of Television and Motion Picture Engineers, which announced its own 3D standards efforts last summer. 

Approximately 160 cable operators, vendors and allied organizations are SCTE Standards Program members. 

VANCOUVER SUN - From video games to movies, 3D is on the march

VANCOUVER SUN

From video games to movies, 3D is on the march

 

 

BY CHRIS LEFKOW, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSEJANUARY 11, 2009

 

 

 

LAS VEGAS - People wear special glasses to watch 3-D television in the Sony booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show January 10, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 8-11 and is expected to feature 2,700 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 130,000 attendees.

Photograph by: David McNew, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - Two-dimensional television is so last year.

Viewing in three dimensions is everywhere at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) -- from webcams to video games to home theater systems -- and some TV manufacturers are betting it could be the biggest thing since high-definition and flat screens.

This year's edition of CES, the world's largest consumer technology showcase, even featured the first national 3D broadcast of a major sporting event, the US college football championship game between Oklahoma and Florida.

Some products -- such as the Minoru 3D Webcam -- may end up being little more than a novelty item, a description which pretty much sums up Hollywood's decades-long flirtation with 3D.

Heavy-hitters led by Japanese electronics giant Panasonic and Oscar-winning director James Cameron, are seeking to change that.

"Make no mistake about it, 3D is not a gimmick any longer," the Titanic director said in a taped message during a presentation at CES of Panasonic's 3D Full High-Definition (HD) home theater system.

"3D is ready for prime-time," said Cameron, who is putting the finishing touches to a 3D movie, Avatar, scheduled for release later this year.

More movie theaters in the United States are equipped to show 3D films in which action threatens to spill out of screens but bringing 3D into the home may still be some ways off.

One of things holding 3D back is the absence of a common standard for 3D content, which in turn is holding back the movie studios which will provide that content.

With its 103-inch plasma display and breathtaking visual effects, Panasonic's 3D Full HD home theater system received rave reviews but a spokesman said there is no firm date for bringing it to the US market.

"It depends on whether or not we can get a format established," said Dan Tarwater. "Panasonic is interested in being able to come to the marketplace with a standard in place rather than venturing out on their own.

"That will involve the cooperation of not only the hardware manufacturers but also the software side of things," he said.

Then there's the little problem of those glasses.

"I don't think it will be a mass market technology until content improves and manufacturers can come up with a way to do 3D without the glasses," said Paul Gagnon, a television market analyst at research firm DisplaySearch.

"There are some demos without glasses, but they have lots of room for improvement," Gagnon said.

The CES coincided this year with a major 3D initiative on another front, the broadcast of the Oklahoma-Florida football game in 3D to some 80 movie theaters in 35 US states.

"It's taken eight years," said Bud Mayo, chief executive of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp., a company seeking to turn movie theaters into 3D entertainment centers which would show sports, concerts and other events in three dimensions.

"We've invested hundreds of millions of dollars converting theaters all around the nation and built the satellite network that enabled this to happen," he said.

The 80 theaters showing the football game sold out but the jury's still out on whether the venture will be a success.

The future is less uncertain for 3D video games.

"This is the year 3D goes mainstream," said Ujesh Desai, vice president of GeForce desktop business at computer graphics chip specialty firm NVIDIA, whose demonstrations of 3D video games were a CES highlight.

"I think 3D has a great opportunity as a niche technology at first, for gaming mostly," agreed Gagnon.

John Jacobs, a notebook PC analyst at DisplaySearch, said the 3D video game displays were "off the charts impressive."

"But the challege to me becomes how big are those markets and how many resources do you want to invest?" he said. "The challenge is to go mainstream. But then Ferrari's not mainstream and they make a boatload of money."

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Regal Entertainment Earnings Report and 3D Outlook

• Reuters, Thursday February 19 2009

* EPS ex-items 18 cents vs Wall Street view 26 cents

* Q4 revenue $712 million vs view $726 million

* Shares fall 9 percent (Adds comments from conference call)

By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Regal Entertainment Group, the No.1 U.S. movie theater operator, posted lower-than-expected operating earnings and revenue on Thursday, but presented an upbeat outlook based partly on hopes for 3-D offerings.

Regal, whose shares fell 9 percent, said fourth-quarter net income rose to $30.1 million, or 20 cents a share, from $23.2 million, or 15 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding special items, profit was 18 cents a share, far short of analysts' average forecast of 26 cents, according to Reuters Estimates. Revenue rose 18 percent to $711.7 million, shy of the $726.4 million average forecast.

Still, CEO Mike Campbell said he was upbeat about 2009, based on a strong film slate and the rollout of several 3-D films, which are expected to command premium ticket prices.

"We believe the 3-D film slate, which includes approximately 45 future films -- that breaks down to 18 films in 2009, 16 listed films in 2010, and 11 films already listed in 3D for 2011 -- will create significant incremental margin opportunity," he said on a conference call.

Campbell said year-to-date industry-wide box office receipts were up 15 percent through the most recent weekend in February versus the same period last year.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Chris White said the revenue shortfall reflected lower-than-expected attendance. Regal said total attendance rose 15.8 percent, but White put the increase at 8.7 percent when adjusted for screen count.

"This came in below our comparable 11 percent gain in attendance-per-average-screen estimate," White said, noting Regal's core attendance trends have lagged the industry in recent quarters.

Campbell said a $1 billion plan to upgrade 20,000 screens, involving Hollywood studios and exhibitors including Regal, remained on hold due to tight credit market conditions.

Once outfitted with digital projectors, theaters can then add on 3-D capability.

There are now about 1,700 3-D screens industry-wide.

Regal expects to have a minimum of 232 3-D screens in time for DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs Aliens" release on March 27.

David Miller, an analyst with Caris & Co, said Regal may have to raise additional capital to finance the conversion if studios do not finance the conversion as expected.

NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS

Campbell said he would review National Amusements Inc's theater assets if they were put on the market, but noted that financing for such an acquisition remained difficult.

"Historically as a company, Regal has been a major acquirer of properties for two decades now, and as a result we have an opportunity to review most anything that is available on the market. That would include, you know, probably National Amusements," he told analysts on the call.

"But bottom line in this environment...clearly financing would be an issue," he said.

Regal ended the quarter with about $170 million in cash and a total debt balance of about $2 billion.

National Amusements is valued by analysts at about $500 million to $700 million.

Asked if Regal would consider buying any of National Amusements' overseas assets, Campbell said the company has been content to be a domestic operator. Regal would likely be "more conservative than not" in the current environment, he said.

Most of National Amusements' screens are concentrated in New England, the mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest.

Another possible bidder could be Cinemark Holdings Inc, according to analysts.

Regal Chief Financial Officer Amy Miles forecast 2009 capital expenditures in the range of about $85 to $100 million, with asset sales in the $5 million range.

For 2009, Regal expects to open three to five theaters, with 50 to 75 screens, and close 10 to 15 theaters with 75 to 100 screens. This would result in a theater count of about 545 and a screen count of 6,775.

Shares of Regal fell 95 cents to $9.35 on the New York Stock Exchange. (Additional reporting by Franklin Paul in New York; Editing by Ted Kerr)

3D movie screens coming online slower than the movie industry projected

TECHNOLOGY  BLOG

3D movie screens coming online slower than the movie industry projected

1:18 PM Mon, Jan 12, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Victor Godinez   E-mail   News tips

While there have been a few prominent examples of blockbuster movies being shown in 3D movie theaters, the trickle is about to become a flood, the New York Times reports.

But even if the 3D movies are on the way, the number of theaters capable of displaying 3D films is lagging:

"It's starting to look like there will be a lot of disappointed producers unable to realize the upside of these 3-D investments," said Harold L. Vogel, a media analyst and the author of "Entertainment Industry Economics." Filming in 3-D adds about $15 million to production costs, he said, but can send profit soaring because of premium ticket pricing.

Only about 1,300 of North America's 40,000 or so movie screens support digital 3-D. (Imax adds 250.) Overseas, where films now generate up to 70 percent of their theatrical revenue, only a few hundred theaters can support the technology. It costs about $100,000 for each full upgrade.

Studios require about 3,000 screens in North America for most new releases. Popcorn movies like "Avatar" or "Monsters vs. Aliens," a 3-D entry from DreamWorks Animation, typically open on more than 4,000 screens.

"The crunch has everybody scrambling," said Chuck Viane, president for domestic distribution for Walt Disney Studios. "We had expected many more screens to be available by now, no doubt about it."

One barrier in the near term for 3D theaters is the cost, both to upgrade the screens and to buy a ticket to go see the films (the NYT story says tickets to 3D movies will go for as much as $25 each).

While the studios and theater chains are apparently hashing out agreements to split the upgrade costs, I think $25 movie tickets are going to be about as popular as bird flu.

Even in the best of economic times, $25 for a movie ticket borders on the larcenous unless the purchase includes free hot dog, popcorn and beverage, and all teenagers are automatically immobilized via tazer if they so much as whisper during the movie.

But cost aside, the 3D movie theater trend might be derailed before it even gets rolling, thanks to 3D television.

And, unlike 3D theaters, some of these 3D TVs won't require bulky glasses.

Comments

Posted by Bob Johnston @ 9:36 PM Mon, Jan 12, 2009

I feel some recent quotes in the trades, in an effort to enhance the awareness and financial value of 3D exhibition, have been taken out of context and need clarification.

The estimate that 3D Animation Films cost "15 Million more" should not be confused with the costs of shooting a Live Action Film in Hi Definition 3D.

While the "$15 Million more" estimate comes from Jeffrey Katzenburg and Dreamworks in reference to the costs of a large budget Animated Film, the actual costs to shoot a Live Action film in stereoscopic HD 3D is only 15 to 20% of that "15 Million" for typical feature projects.

This generalized overestimations of actual costs for Live Action 3D will dissuade producers considering a 3D release for a typical 8 to 20 million dollar feature to relinquish the notion of originating their film in 3D, when in fact it will only value enhance and futureproof their film for future 3D delivery formats for nominal additional expense.

These generalizations only diminish the amount of potential future 3D content.

The Lionsgate release of "My Bloody Valentine-3D"
is an early example of the new cost efficient model of Hi Def 3D Live Action filmaking.

Bob Johnston
Executive Producer
Paradise FX
3D Producer for "My Bloody Valentine-3D"

--
Bob Johnston
Producer
johnston.rw@gmail.com

My Blogs:
http://3dproductionnews.blogspot.com/
http://filmmoney.blogspot.com/
http://3devents.blogspot.com/

Live 3D Broadcast of BCS Championship Game: It’s an Experiment

Live 3D Broadcast of BCS Championship Game: It’s an Experiment

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NPR to cover 3D filmmaking

NPR to cover 3D filmmaking

Posted using ShareThis

NBA in 3-D blog: Cinedigm's improvements show through - The News-Herald Sports : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio

NBA in 3-D blog: Cinedigm's improvements show through - The News-Herald Sports : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio

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Format war looms over 3D TV

• 14:42 11 February 2009 by Barry Fox

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month was overrun with companies demonstrating 3D television systems for the home. But despite the impressive viewing experiences on offer, the spectre of a lengthy battle between competing formats hangs over the latest shiny offerings.

TV studios and hardware companies alike are now building on the public's rediscovered love of 3D movies. Satellite broadcaster Sky recently treated press to examples of soccer games and boxing matches filmed in 3D by strapping two regular cameras side by side, and Panasonic last week started to make 3D Blu-ray video discs at its Hollywood factory.

However, anyone interested in a 3D system for the home must pick between three or more very different and incompatible technologies. At present, material designed for one system usually cannot be played on another.

Polarised views

One approach – already well established for virtual environments used by engineers and surgeons – involves a home theatre projector running at high frequency to deliver left and right images in rapid succession.

The viewer wears LCD spectacles that alternately block the left and right eye view to ensure that each eye only sees the correct viewpoint – timing is synchronised via a wireless link with the projector.

Panasonic's 3D offering uses a plasma screen to flash the alternate left and right images, and should be on sale in the near future.

South Korean firm Hyundai uses an LCD screen to display left and right images simultaneously, using a filter over the screen to polarise the two images differently. The viewer wears polarising spectacles to see 3D image.

This system is already on sale in Japan, where limited 3D TV broadcasts started last year, and has also been adopted by Sky.

'Confusing' situation

Experts say that the sudden appearance on the market of incompatible rival technologies could hold the 3D home movie back.

"With several competing technologies – and none of them adopted as industry standards – the fragmentation could seriously impede progress, generate confusion and slow consumer uptake," says Sarah Carroll, at consumer electronics research firm Futuresource Consulting.

The closest the industry currently has to a standard is Panasonic's campaign to add 3D playback to the Blu-ray standard.

If other manufacturers get on board, the move could lead to a single format for discs or broadcasts that any 3D or even 2D TV set can play. So far they have put development of competing technologies first.

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Bob Johnston
Producer
johnston.rw@gmail.com

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