3Ality Technica CEO Steve Schklair has firm views on the emergence of a new production language for 3D. “You have not seen it yet, but there are films coming out where you will start to see,” he affirmed. “Every time I do a session somebody asks me what my favourite 3D movie is, and the only ones I can point to are still animated films. “I have yet to see a live action film where the 3D language is used to make a better story,” he added. “Hugo maybe starts to approach that, but nothing like where The Great Gatsby, The Hobbit or Stalingrad might take it. This is when you start to see 3D making a better story.” Has the slowness with which this language has emerged impaired the emergence of new talent, and reduced training opportunities? “Yes it has,” said Schklair. “It has had a negative effect on the business to many extents. Right now it is not a debate of, do we make these films in 3D or not, because 3D has produced better box office for now,” he added. “It is, do we shoot these films, or convert these films?” Highlighting the creative use of 3D outlined in Carolyn Giardina and Adrian Pennington’s book Exploring 3D: The New Grammar of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press), Schklair said: “This is only possible when the director is actually directing the film natively in 3D. You are not going to get filmmakers truly crafting with 3D by post converting. The debate over conversion and shooting is going to be the next battleground.” – George Jarrett
