Half Term Homework

1) Why is 3D coming back? When was this tried before, what drove this back then and what is driving this now?
2. What is "Digital Cinema" and what are the benefits to studios & audiences?
3. In what ways is P- D - E of film changing in the 21st Century (since 2000?)
4. Why is Avatar and Pacific Rim such key important films - what are the directors views on 3D?
5. What are the competing debates surrounding piracy and online film (cine literate vs risk adverse Big Dumb Movies, artistic 2D cinematography or 3D set pieces)

1) 3D was first attempted in the late 1930s. All through the 1940s and early 1950s, 3D films were being made, but the 3D appeal properly launched and was adopted by the audiences in 1952 after the film Bwana Devil was released. In late 1953, 3D production started slowing down at it was eventually forgotten about. The Robe, September 1953, cinemascope. Simpler and cheaper than 3D. In 1971, The Stewardess 3D came back. Re-issues in early 1970s, house of wax, spacehunter, jaws 3D. IMAX 3D digital projection of films, Disney's chicken Little. 3D enhances the narrative of the films now. In 2009, James Cameron's Avatar re-launched the idea of 3D which was what everyone said the future would be built upon. The movie that demonstrates everything 3d can do - which is only a minimal amount.

3) Large amounts of money is spent on digital distrubution to advertise new film releases, even if the film budget itself wasn't huge. The internet is a huge resource in terms of advertising films. Trailers are the cheapest form of advertisement and the most effective. Marketing in the 21st century has become more sophisticated due to developments in technology, mainly the internet and other social media. Blu-ray and DVD have contributed largely to the exhibition of films in the 21st, profits made from DVD sales help the film industry get their money back. The invention of cable and satellite television allows audiences to watch films at home which could result in film piracy. Test screenings allow film-makers to see the quality of their films before they are shown to the public and to see if anything can be changed/improved.

4) Avatar and Pacific Rim are important films because they define what 3D cinema stands for; In 2009, James Cameron's "Avatar" was released and set the bar of expectations for 3D films. Many critics and a vast percentage of the general audience who saw the film said that "Avatar" wasn't just the future for 3D films, but the future for cinema as a whole. "Avatar" became the film that properly defined 3D. James Cameron is persistent on the development of 3D cinema and sees it as a positive commodity. Pacific Rim on the other hand was referred to as the film that initiated the decline of 3D cinema. The director of Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro, was reluctant on using 3D in this film because he thought it would take away the quality of the film and derive the audience away from the narrative. True enough, he was correct; certain CGI effects used in the film were distorted when shown in 3D and the quality of the film was tampered with. Guillermo del Toro decided to show Pacific Rim in 2D also so that audiences could decide for themselves whether they preferred 2D or 3D cinema.

5) Film industries are the ones who are responsible for leaking films online - not the consumers. However, it is the consumers' own fault for giving in to piracy and continuing to illegally watch films online.