As anyone who watches 3D movies knows there is the shot in 3D and converted to 3D offerings. Studios looking to cash in on the 3D craze and surcharge fees notoriously converted films to 3D much of which resulted in a vastly inferior product when compared to shot in 3D.
While this undermined the process, films such as “Avatar” showed how immersive and epic films shot in the new 3D format could be while “Clash of the Titans” for example was a glaring illustration of how a conversion could actually undermine the finished product.
In the recent years, 3D conversion has gotten better but still lags behind films that were lit, shot, and planned for 3D and used the proper technology on set to get the correct experience.
As anyone who saw “Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” in 3D will tell you it did not offer that much to really get excited over, which is largely why Disney halted the conversion and release of other films in the series so they could focus their efforts on the new films.
Interestingly enough we have learned that “Revenge Of The Sith” and other films will be shown in 3D at the upcoming Star Wars Fan Fest in Anaheim, CA this April.
This leads me to think about what we can expect when the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” arrives in December. JJ Abrams turned to 3D in the latest “Star Trek” film and did a fairly good job with it. It was not as eye-popping as “Avatar” but ushered in a new era for the series.
With the new film being shot in 3D, we will get the opportunity to see the amazing “Star Wars” universe in a new way, one where the dark, lived in universe is presented in a more immersive way.
This should bode well for the combat sequences as I would love to see a massive space battle in 3D but I do worry that it could compromise many of the more moody aspects of the film. It was reported that Ridley Scott had to film elements of “Prometheus” in bright light to take advantage of his 3D cameras, and then darker the scenes in post production.
I am sure Abrams and the wizards at ILM are more than up to the task but as a fan, I want to see 3D that truly offers a new and exciting element to the film and not simply added on as a marketing ploy or as it is the new standard for many FX heavy films today.
The early footage shown to fans has looked very good and I am excited about what is to come, especially when you consider that the best stuff has been held back from eager eyes. I just hope that in the end, the 3D process enhances the return of “Star Wars” rather than serves simply as a method for keeping up with the Jones’s.
