Jeffrey Katzenberg attributes poor performance of 3D films in recent months to industry mishandling the medium
It has been one of the most remarkable developments in Hollywood ? the transformation of 3D technology from an 80s relic to the forefront of 21st-century blockbuster film-making. But with a number of recent high-profile films having delivered poor results for screenings in the format, one of Hollywood's most powerful figures has expressed anger at the way he says the industry has mishandled the potential of the medium.
In a new interview, Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of 3D powerhouse DreamWorks Animation, said Hollywood only had itself to blame after it was revealed that more US filmgoers have been choosing to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean and Kung Fu Panda films in 2D, breaking a previously unbroken rule that 3D screenings always deliver higher box-office yields.
"It's really heartbreaking to see what has been the single greatest opportunity that has happened to the film business in over a decade being harmed," Katzenberg told the Hollywood Reporter. "The audience has spoken, and they have spoken really loudly.
"I think 3D is right smack in the middle of its terrible twos. We have disappointed our audience multiple times now, and because of that I think there is genuine distrust ? whereas a year and a half ago, there was genuine excitement, enthusiasm and reward for the first group of 3D films that actually delivered a quality experience. Now that's been seriously undermined. It's not in any fashion, shape or form the demise of 3D, but until there are 3D experiences that exceed people's expectations, it's going to stay challenged."
Katzenberg insisted DreamWorks, which produced Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D, was one of those producing high quality sterescopic content, but said others had not maintained such a high standard.
"We're not the problem," he said. "We have made five films now in 3D and have built this amazing reservoir of knowledge and tools. Nobody else has made five 3D movies back to back.
"On every account for us, 3D is a win. It's not nearly as big a win as it should be, and it's certainly not the win it was headed toward being, and that's really heartbreaking to me because we have managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory as only Hollywood can do."
The backlash against 3D has been fuelled by shoddy 2D to 3D conversions, where extra depth is created via a postproduction process rather than the film being shot in sterescope using special cameras. Audiences have complained that the result can be a "cardboard cutout" effect, whereby actors appear superimposed on the screen, rather than embedded in it. Last year's Clash of the Titans remake received considerable criticism.
Forthcoming 3D films include Transformers: Dark of the Moon, for which director Michael Bay enlisted the help of James Cameron, whose box-office behemoth Avatar received rave reviews for its use of the format. In July, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, comic-book adventure Captain America, and Pixar's Cars II will all arrive on UK screens in 3D. All are also available in 2D, for those who prefer it.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jun/10/hollywood-3d-profits-jeffrey-katzenberg
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