Part I of II – The Pitfalls of Passive 3D
Mention 3D to the average person and outside of movie going experiences, their reaction will be one of indifference if not downright disdain. But 3D is a technology that refuses to totally die away. It rises Phoenix-like from the ashes every twenty years or so trying to gain a permanent foothold in homes and theaters. But inevitably it is pushed back to the sidelines as the tech needed to support it is too clumsy, too distracting from the normal viewing experience, and too limited in it’s application to truly enhance passive forms of entertainment.
In the sixty odd years the tech for displaying 3D has changed very little. Some form of glasses is needed. And those glasses always employ some form of filtering that darkens the projected image. Which gives rise to the biggest ongoing criticism of 3D movies. Not even today’s technology has been able to remove the need for filtering optical gear much less resolve the dimming issue. The need for glasses is the biggest technical hurdle that holds back 3D. People that do not normally need eye wear and those that do are united in their disdain for having to wearing 3D gear.
Then there is the medium in which 3D is employed. It can either be used for passive or active viewing such as movies or gaming. The two forms of entertainment may share many of the same components but the experience for the individual is markedly different.
Watching a movie is a one way – sender/receiver or action/reaction type of experience. It can be a solitary venture but it is more often a social experience, be it within the comfy confines of home with other family members or with a temporarily bonded social gathering sitting together in a darkened theater. The bond between the receiver and the sender is tenuous and can be broken easily by a myriad of distractions or the material being presented failing to engage.
In an absorbing movie all the elements are working in unison to establish and maintain that link to the audience. The elements used to accomplish that are a blend of science of art. Things like writing, acting, music, directing, and special effects. Movies that work best are those where those diverse and unique talents have been seamlessly blended together to support telling the story of the movie. All elements that go into making a movie should be utilized in ways that best serve the story. One actor hamming it up puts the focus on him as an actor rather than the character he is playing or the work of the other actors building their characters. Music that does not fit a scene can undermine or destroy the emotional thrust of the movie. Special effects that are shoddily done or, just as bad, overdone will hijack the viewer’s attention. Any of the elements not being used properly to support the story lessens the impact of the story or in the worse case scenario ruins or clashes with it. That is key. and not call attention to themselves.
So the use of 3D in a passive experience is tricky at best. Regular film does a decent job of creating an illusion of depth. 3D can heighten that but not seamlessly. Its implementation often works at cross purposes. On the one hand it offers a different viewing experience but with the cost of placing another barrier between the screen and the audience. In my experience, 3D for movies works best when enhancing the creation of a new world or a world existing in a heightened sense of reality. Â CGI animated cartoons are the best example of this. A few recent live action films like Life of Pi and Hugo have managed to incorporate 3D into their visions as an indelible part of their package. Feel free to chime in with others you feel worthy like The Creature From The Black Lagoon etc.
The bulk of our viewing experience is done in the realm of 2D and until 3D can rid itself of the technical crutches it needs – coupled with the fact that most movies do not need or are not designed with 3D as an essential element, passive 3D viewing experiences will remain, in my opinion, a niche market.
But what about in the arena of Active 3D Media Experiences? Â Are the same constraints and forces at play there? And do these factors impact our tolerance levels of the tech needed to support 3D gaming?
Check back for part 2 of this article and we’ll delve into the different dynamics that drive Active 3D and it’s future possibilities. On the horizon, there are new technologies that may break Active 3D experiences wide open.