The only cure for the movie theater???s faltering situation would be a dramatic cut in ticket and snack prices, and the introduction of 3-D. One or the other alone won't do it -- only by marrying these two plans together will you ever be successful.
Unfortunately, because the marketing execs, directors, and Hollywood producers will never understand the fundamental laws of economics, supply and demand, my advice will never get taken.
Here is my forecast for the next 10 years:
1. 3-D movies become more common.
2. 3-D movie tickets become more expensive.
3. Movie attendance increases as people flock to theaters to have a ???movie-theater only
experience.
4. Movie execs get excited at the sudden renewed interest in movie attendance and decide to capitalize on it by raising prices AGAIN.
5. Sony, LG, and Samsung realize that the market is perfect for the introduction of a 3-D home theater system.
6. Sales are slow at first, but gradually take off as more and more people create theater seating and viewing into their living rooms.
7. Movie theaters begin complaining of lower revenues. Prices on tickets are raised to cover the deficit.
8. Movie theaters worry about becoming obsolete. Ticket prices are raised to $100.
9. George Lucas Jr. decides he needs to save the movie industry by reintroducing Star Wars AGAIN on movie screens, this time with a ???new??? technology that allows you to ???smell??? the movie.
10. The entire process goes back to the beginning and starts over again.
- 1
- 2
Another Dimension
Email To A Friend
Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.
Some of the larger studios are so convinced that 3-D is the key to their future profitability that they are willing to share the financial burden of helping North American theaters convert to digital by replacing their current projectors with 3-D ones. So far there are only about 1,400 3-D ready screens—including IMAX theaters—in the United States and another 700 around the world, mainly in the U.K., France, Germany and South Korea. But Zoradi believes the number is now approaching "a critical mass" that will soon be big enough to justify 3-D-only releases. (Typically, 3-D films like "Bolt" also have to be released in 2-D to make them cost-effective.) "Without question, we're close to a meaningful tipping point," Dan Glickman, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said at the Singapore festival. "The technology is a genuine revolution in the experience of enjoying a film."
A key difference between today's 3-D films and those of the past is that the third dimension has become a central part of the storytelling. "In the past, the technology was used for moments and gimmicks," says Greg Foster, chairman and president of filmed entertainment at IMAX Corp. "The 3-D was rather gratuitous. So, for example, you would have a spear coming at you and it would be thrown dead-center screen because that was the only way you could experience the 3-D. Now the entire frame is in 3-D and you're able to experience the 3-D environment from beginning to end." Filmmakers appreciate the new artistic opportunities; when the DreamWorks Animation team decided recently to "re-tackle" in 3-D Tai Lung's escape scene in "Kung Fu Panda," 70 percent of the shots turned out differently from a cinematographic point of view, explains Katzenberg. "And the scene was 11 seconds longer, so everything changes," he says. The "Kung Fu Panda" sequel will be produced entirely in 3-D.
Ever the optimist, Katzenberg believes that in five to seven years all movies will be made in 3-D. Others are more cautious. "I don't think 3-D is the cure for everything that ails the movie business," says Foster. "You have to pick the right movies. Not everything is suited to 3-D." He says that, inspired by the success of "The Polar Express," IMAX tried to make a few more 3-D movies, which didn't turn out nearly as well. "That's when we realized we have to be a bit more discerning about our decision-making process when it comes to 3-D films," he says. Among those that have since made the cut: "Under the Sea 3D," a documentary about marine life narrated by Jim Carrey and coproduced with Warner Bros. that is scheduled for release next month.
Yet it's only a matter of time before 3-D technology is so prevalent that it's even available at home. Companies like Samsung and Mitsubishi have started rolling out "3-D ready" TV sets, which refresh images at high speed and use either rear-projection models or plasma TVs. "Glasses-free" sets by Philips—which operate like a holographic greeting card—are in development. DreamWorks Animation and PepsiCo will each air 3-D spots in the Feb. 1 Super Bowl as part of a joint initiative that includes distributing 125 million pairs of special 3-D glasses to American households. Still, most professionals agree it will take years before the technology can achieve its full potential. Those who have invested in a 3-D future are gambling that it's no trick of the eye.
© 2009
- 1
- 2
Discuss