Just last year, it seemed 3D movies . Conversion is cheaper, but leaves room for human error — lag time between frames that our eyes pick up. And less-than-seamless results can leave us with headaches.
“You are forcing a square peg into a round hole, essentially,” Puchko said of the process. This fall’s “The Martian,” “The Walk,” “Pan” and others were filmed with 3D cameras.
Even screening 3D films requires special care, as they need a lot more light than regular 2D reels. Polarizers and 3D glasses dampen light, requiring more efficient digital projectors to make up the difference. If not, guess what, it’s harder on the eyes. But theaters have been updating equipment for a few years now. And they’re working on perfecting something even better: laser projectors. IMAX has started using lasers to provide brighter, sharper colors and more detail than even digital projectors can, making the picture easier to watch. (Seriously, laser projectors are gonna be awesome.) There’s also talk of glasses-free projectors, now in very early stages, for people who are turned off by 3D specs.
Don’t worry about 3D taking over every screen, though.
“I’m not one that says, ‘Every movie should be in 3D,'” Marcoly told HuffPost. “I think that’s a mistake that was made when 3D started out.”
Directors, however, have different opinions on which genres are a good fit for 3D. The format has always fared well with animation. Big spectacle films, like many of Hollywood’s recent and upcoming 3D offerings, are good choices, too. It may be harder for us to envision ourselves watching more intimate films wearing those silly glasses. But some directors want to give it a shot. Wim Wenders is preparing to release a 3D drama with James Franco and Rachel McAdams in December. (A drama!) “Amelie” director Jean-Pierre Jeunet told The Hollywood Reporter he believes 3D “is much more for quiet movies.”
In any case, Hollywood seems to be finally addressing the question moviegoers have been asking themselves for years: If it doesn’t add anything to the experience, why should we pay an extra $5?
To anyone with doubts, Marcoly’s response is simple.
“You know,” he said, “you’ve got to try it again.”
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