Puss in Boots was a delightfully charming and funny movie and the first truly worthy sequel in the Shrek franchise. (Shrek 2 was ok, but it doesn't hold up to multiple viewings like the original does. I never actually saw Shrek 4, but the reviews suggest I haven't missed anything.) Like the original Shrek, Puss in Boots blends traditional fairy tales, pop culture, strong characters and adult humor to tell a story which is both familiar and completely original. Puss in Boots is basically a Western-style betrayal-filled heist film with just a piquant of Godzilla. But this is not a review site and this is not a review, I am writing about this movie because it perfectly demonstrates both the inherent strengths and weaknesses of 3D.
3D is great for literally adding depth to the background of your world through the use of long shots. 3D is also good for interesting camera angles with a cluttered foreground. And, 3D can make for interesting chase sequences through the use of close follow or POV shots. Puss in Boots does all of these things well. However, where 3D fails is also where it is used the most: fast-paced action. When characters or objects move quickly across the screen, 3D turns into a blurry mess. The same thing happens when the camera moves too quickly which is often necessary during action sequences. Remember that 3D is an illusion created by simultaneously displaying two images side-by-side and a movie itself is an illusion caused by displaying numerous stills every second. When you are watching a 3D movie, your brain is trying to synthesize hundreds of slightly offset images every second into a single coherent HD 3D video while simultaneously listening to the audio, keeping track of the plot, evaluating the movie as a whole and trying to remember whether or not you payed the phone bill. When the characters are flying through the air, dodging whizzing arrows, while the camera spins a 360, my brain says, "Fuck it, I'm going on break! Watch this static and call me when things slow down." Puss in Boots, which at times was down right beautiful in its use of 3D, was heavily dependent on rapid action which was frequently blurred.
So, now I present the No Spoiler Tags Rule of 3D for both viewers and filmmakers. First up, viewers...
1. If the studio won't pay to make shoot it in 3D, I won't pay to watch it in 3D. 3D conversion is not capable of delivering as sharp an image as true shot in 3D making any blurring effect even greater, but it is cheaper, not for you, for the studios, you pay the same price either way. If you don't know, if it's real or a conversion go to realorfake3d.com. [Note: Because of how they are made, computer generated animated movies are automatically real 3D.]
2. If I wouldn't see it in 2D, I'm not going to see it in 3D. Between the extra cost, the uncomfortably of wearing an extra set of glasses, and the aforementioned pluses and minuses of the medium, 3D usually winds up being a neutral experience for me, rather than a true selling point. If it looks like it's going to be a terrible movie in 2D, it's going to be a terrible movie in 3D. I'd prefer they add an extra dimension to the characters than the screen any day.
3. If all the ads are about the 3D, I'm not going at all. This one applies to all movies, not just 3D ones. If a trailer is all text or audience reaction shots, if they won't show you any of the actual movie, it's probably because they have something to hide.
For the filmmakers...
1. Don't move the camera. Before anyone is allowed to make a 3D film, they should be required to watch Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder. Hitchcock was known for excellent camera work. What's striking about Dial M for Murder, which was shot for but not released in 3D, is that the camera almost never moves. The contrast between Dial M for Murder and the rest of Hitchcock's work is even more apparent when you compare it to Rope, another one room movie where the camera is in constant motion. When camera moves are necessary, they should be slow and parallel to the action on screen. Many rapid moves against the flow of the action is bound to leave your audience watching a grainy blob.
2. Don't use gimmicks. Throwing things at the audience is more likely to annoy than thrill your audience. Towards the beginning of Avatar (The Non-Airbender) there is a shot of a man playing golf into a coffee cup, a shot that has no purpose other than reminding the audience that the movie is in 3D, I responded with an audible groan. (The same shot had been used several years before in the 3D version of Journey to the Center of the Earth, but no one saw that and they were better off for it.) We know the movie is in 3D. We're wearing the uncomfortable glasses.
3. Keep it slow. As discussed before, 3D doesn't work well with rapid movement. Particularly, close to the camera and perpendicular to the screen. If you absolutely must have something moving at top speed, (and I know I just railed against this in rule 2) it is best to aim it towards the audience, as that is the direction least likely to experience the blurring effect.
4. Keep it bright. 3D projectors aren't as bright as 2D ones and the audience are all wearing sunglasses. Take your dimly lit castle in 2D and show it in 3D and now your watching a black screen. Buy some extra light bulbs when you're shooting in 3D.
Whether you are a 3D viewer or filmmaker, follow these rules and everything should be just fine. And if you need an example of the highs and lows of 3D, watch Puss in Boots.
No comments:
Post a Comment