Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible View Post
Smoke,
I have to agree with Wooch on this. The manufacturing infrastructure of 3D is developed, and already improved upon. In every area of 3D from the glasses(passive and active), to the television(and everything in between), from post production to video and broadcast, they are already working on how to improve it in every way.

The studio side is a different story. They need to change their focus from releasing everything in 3D, to making 3D a special event. It is apparent that the consumer is reaching a tipping point. It has now settled into a consistent 60-40 ratio with 2D versus 3D, so 3D is beyond the gimmick stage, and shows no sign of failure. What is certain on the studio side is 3D is not the success they wanted it to be. One thing is for sure, certain studios are doing better with their 3D releases than others, so this may not be an industry wide trend, but just a reflection on how the studio is handling their 3D releases. Bad post production 3D will get panned and not do well on the market. Good 3D, story, and overall experience will make money.

One thing is certain, the studios and the consumer electronics industry really made a goof up on this one. In this economic climate, you cannot charge a hefty premium, and expect folks with little or no money to buy it up. This was the right technology released at the wrong time.
I think the 60-40 split is more an outcome of the fact that 3D screenings continue to charge higher ticket prices than the 2D screenings. I think that if consumers are given a choice between 3D and 2D, more of them would opt for 3D if the ticket prices were the same or closer than they are right now.

I see this as no different than when 70mm and six-channel "stereophonic" sound were initially pitched as roadshow events, and eventually settled into neighborhood movie theaters. Granted, not every theater equipped for 70mm projection received 70mm prints on a regular basis. But, once 70mm went beyond the roadshow stage with reserved seating and higher ticket prices, it became relatively just another enhancement.

A better example is probably Dolby Stereo, THX, and digital sound. Those enhancements changed how people experienced movies, but theaters did not charge extra for those screenings with the enhanced sound. I see 3D heading in that direction by necessity.