Posted on 04/24/2006 8:03:37 AM PDT by Mr. Blonde
"Titanic" director James Cameron, warning that Hollywood is "in a fight for survival," wants the movie industry to offer films in digital 3-D to counteract declining sales and rampant piracy.
"Maybe we just need to fight back harder, come out blazing, not wither away and die," Cameron said during his keynote address Sunday at the National Association of Broadcasters' Digital Cinema Summit.
"D-cinema can do it, for a number of reasons, but because d-cinema is an enabling technology for 3-D. Digital 3-D is a revolutionary form of showmanship that is within our grasp. It can get people off their butts and away from their portable devices and get people back in the theaters where they belong."
Cameron also took the occasion of the world's largest annual film and broadcast technology trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center to fire a few shots across the bow of the controversial practice of simultaneous movie and video releasing being promoted by entrepreneur Mark Cuban and "Bubble" director Steven Soderbergh, among others.
"We're so scared of piracy right now that we're ready to pimp out our mothers," Cameron said. "This whole day-and-date DVD release nonsense? Here's an answer: (Digital cinema is) one of the strongest reasons I've been pushing 3-D for the past few years because it offers a powerful experience which you can only have in the movie theater."
The director of the highest-grossing film of all time in nominal terms at $1.8 billion worldwide said he is considering a rerelease of 1997's "Titanic" in digital 3-D just as Peter Jackson is planning at some point for "King Kong" and, possibly, his "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. George Lucas also plans to rerelease his original "Star Wars" in 3-D timed to the space opera's 30th anniversary next year.
With filmmakers and exhibitors united behind the idea of enhanced cinema experiences, Cameron predicted that studios would become even more focused on both releasing new titles and rereleasing classics in 3-D digital cinema.
"We will reach a point in a few years when every major studio will ask how many of its four or five annual tentpoles should be in 3-D," Cameron said. "It will become almost a rule that all major 3-D animated releases will be made available in 3-D.
"Every year there will be a copy of timeless favorites brought back through (3-D) dimensionalization," he said. "The new wave of 3-D films will be the must-see films, the major releases from major filmmakers."
Cameron said that despite industrywide squabbling and fear-based decision-making associated with new technology, and even despite the fact that the major studios haven't cooperated in the past, the digital cinema rollout actually is happening.
"We're halfway through the looking glass," he said. "We're past the point where the fear of change is outweighed by the fear of not changing."
While most people associate 3-D with either animation or projection, Cameron said that there are a variety of stereographic processes that can be introduced while shooting, during postproduction, or after a movie has been archived.
Among the films testing the various 3-D waters are "Narnia" producer Walden Media and New Line Cinema's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," which is being shot live-action with stereographic cameras; Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf," which is employing 3-D-animated performance capture; and Walt Disney Feature Animation's computer-animated "Meet the Robinsons," which will be projected in 3-D.
The filmmaker said his interest in digital 3-D goes back to his love of movies and his love of making them for the big screen. "I'm not going to make movies for people to watch on their cell phones. To me, I'd rather go back to doing some more deep-ocean expeditions," Cameron said, referring to the handful of maritime documentaries he has made since "Titanic." "I don't want that grand, visionary, transporting movie experience made for the big screen to become a thing of the past."
> Digital 3-D is a revolutionary form of showmanship ...
Been tried. Not compelling.
Theatrical exhibition has lost it's edge, and may
never get it back.
The unwashed masses found VHS to be satisfactory.
Widescreen DVD via component inputs is a dramatic
improvement on that. If we manage to get a reasonable
HD home medium, it actually beats exhibition standards
in the typical popcorn box multiplex.
With the price of fuel, price of theatre snacks, and
uncivil audience demeanor, if I had any interest in
sending money to Hollywood, NetFlex-HD will make going
out to the theatre a nearly complete waste of time
and money.
It's dead, Jim.
You're makin' movies for polycarbonate now.
James Cameron doing an Aquaman movie? Sounds intersting, especially since Aquaman is one of the most uninteresting superheroes invented.
However, I have always been a fan of Cameron, throw the superflous love story out of Titanic and it's actually a pretty good movie.
Also, digital film making will make the art far more acessible, and we should more independent movies being made and released. Which is a double balded sword, I guess. We'll get some really good films, and likewise really horrible ones as well.
"double balded sword" should be "double bladed sword." I am having a hard time typing and apparently spell checking this morning.
3-D won't save this industry.
Maybe Aquaman will call on his frien THE GREAT WHITE WHALE!!
The SubMariner or Prince Namor would be a more compelling movie. I hope that Ben Afleck stars as Aquaman.
If Ben A$$lick is the star it should called "Sea Man" from the South Park episode "Super Best Friends"
Let's wet this guy down again.
Precisely. Cameron is proposing that lipstick will make the pig more appealing.
Until Hollyweird stops injecting left-wing propaganda into their films, they will continue on their path to destruction.
I don't know anyone who goes to the movies anymore, and I am calling on everyone I know to boycott the blasphemous film, "The Davinci Code."
"United 93" is definitely worth our time, but most of the films this spring look like a complete waste.
Sure, Jim, whatever.
Saving the movie industry?....hmmmmm
Well for starters, they need to stop remaking flicks that have already been done and come up with some original ideas.
Second, they need to stop pushing that liberal agenda, obviously the general public doesn't want to see political views in a movie (at least I don't)...
Thirdly, they need to stop making movies that are either too boring or way over the top.
I don't think it can be done, honestly. Too many weirdo's in Hollywood, with their own agenda's and messed up ideas, combining their morals and values (or lack of therein) do not make for good screening.
I heard a critic over the weekend say that he's asking his fellow critics to encourage people to see the film and decide for themselves what they think--without promoting their views/agendas...and when pigs (with lipstick) fly....
"The film" being United 93 in post 13.
The only movies that actually look decent to me, are the animated G rated ones.
Although I just went and saw The Sentinel this past weekend, and have to give it a thumbs up. Kiefer did a great job and so did Michael Douglas. It was a good story about Secret Service and Treason and didn't have the usual propoganda.
"...THE GREAT WHITE WHALE!!..."
Starring Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy in the feature role.
Thar he blows!!!!!
James Cameron: Read the classics and get a clue why people pay money for entertainment. Hint: Good story.
Thanks for the tip.
I am increasing getting BORED by digital special effects. If I wanted to watch a computer animated cartoon, I would watch something like Shrek.
The spectacle of old Hollywood will not be seen again.
And digital screened movies aren't "films". They are VIDEOS. The mind enters a different subconscious state watching a project film, which is a series of still images in a rapid sucession, vs. watching rapidly alternating scan lines refreshing from top to bottom.
You can watch videos at home and be quite comfortable. It is much harder to screen films at home. It IS a different experience.
I thought that was Barney Frank.
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