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5. “Post-Converted” 3D Is A Cash Grab
Moviegoers have valid reasons to be skeptical of 3D post-conversion. During the initial resurgence of 3D in theaters, film fans were subjected to a number of rushed 3D post-conversions with distracting visual problems and overly-obvious “ghosting” (double-images). Further compromising stereo conversion integrity, studios forced cheap post-production 3D onto several subpar films in the hopes that premium ticket revenue would be enough to help earn back lost profits.
However, that doesn’t mean that quality post-conversion doesn’t exist or that it can’t come very close to native-shot 3D experiences. In fact, many films now utilize a combination of native and post-converted 3D before appearing on the big screen. The Avengers, John Carter, and portions of Transformers: Dark of the Moon were all post-converted into 3D. Unlike the notoriously bad eight-week process of converting Clash of the Titans, quality 3D post-conversion companies spend between four to six months converting a film – and over a year for older films getting a 3D re-release (Jurassic Park 3D for example).
Quality post-conversion is an extremely complicated process where large teams of 3D artists pour over each individual frame of a film – determining where to enhance the effect and where to back off, as well as adjusting the overall footage to make 3D viewing crisp and comfortable. In most cases, the companies meet with directors before and during post-conversion to ensure that their artists stay true to a filmmaker’s original vision.
There are obvious benefits to shooting in 3D, but many upcoming films have scheduled post-conversions prior to even shooting in 2D. This means that directors and cinematographers can plan three-dimensional shots ahead of time, mindful of how their film will appear in 3D, even though they’re using traditional 2D cameras. Upcoming films that were shot in 2D and will undergo post-conversion into 3D include: G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, and Thor: The Dark World.
Still unsure of how the post-conversion process works? Check out this clip of Attack of The Show visiting Stereo D.
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I’m not a 3D hater, and not a 3D fanboy either. I don’t think every movie needs to be in 3D, but some definitely benefit from it. I have two main complaints about 3D. One is that it seems to enhance the strobing/stutter of 24fps so it’s worse than 2D films in that regard (HFR 3D doesn’t have this limitation though – darn you Peter Jackson for spoiling me like that).
The second is that studios force 3D on us, and it can be hard to find 2D versions of a movie because theatres like to be able to charge extra too and will often only show the 3D version. One example was GI Joe Retaliation. It was delayed 8 months or so to be post-converted, so I did not want to support studio greed and refused to see it in 3D (I generally don’t want to support post conversions anyway). However, I had to really try hard to find a theatre that was showing it in 2D, and I live in a big city. I can only imagine what it’s like for people who can’t see 3D or get headaches from it.
It would be nice if there was a way to show 2D and 3D in the same theatre (e.g. glasses=3D, no glasses=2D), so people could have the best of both worlds, and wouldn’t have to complain any more. You could technically do it now by just putting 2 left frames in a set of glasses, but people would still complain about dimmed colours or having to wear them over prescription glasses.