3D films attracted crowds of spectators ten years ago in cinemas in Quebec, but the novelty effect seems to be a thing of the past today. Support for 3D projections has been downright in freefall for a few years now.
However, it is not the offer that is lacking. Last year, several Hollywood blockbusters were entitled to their 3D version when they were released in theaters, such as Dunes or the last Spiderman, just to name a few. However, viewers largely preferred to see these films in 2D. Less than 10% of people who saw these blockbuster productions in theaters in 2021 attended a 3D screening session; the rest have been saved by opting for the traditional type of images, in two dimensions.
These figures published last May by the Observatory of Culture and communications show the extent of the growing disinterest in 3D since 2012. At the time, for films offered in both 2D and 3D, no less than 57% of viewers chose the second option, although it was more expensive.
“Customers are not as new as we think. They realize that for most films that are offered in 3D, there is no added value in reality. It’s just an excuse to ask them for $3 more. And all this money goes directly into the pockets of the big Hollywood studios,” says Vincent Guzzo, owner of the cinema chain of the same name.
Less spectacular films
In 2008, the businessman had invested more than a million dollars to equip his cinemas with 3D equipment in order to be able to project the adventure film Journey to the Center of the Earth in this form. Like many in the industry, Vincent Guzzo believed that this technology represented the future of commercial cinema. And history partly proved him right with the release the following year of Avatar,by James Cameron, who was to represent the pinnacle of 3D.
A number of big-budget films would therefore also be offered in stereoscopy, as we say in the jargon. But these were to prove much less spectacular thanAvatar, which was specially designed for 3D technology. The genre ended up running out of steam. During the opening of his new Méga-Plex in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu last winter, Vincent Guzzo did not even see fit to equip the place with a three-dimensional system.
“Before, 3D films were made the hard way with two cameras. But today, they started doing that in post-production. The stereoscopic rendering is there, but it gives a less interesting result. As a good Quebecer, it often gives the impression of being a job “botchée”, and it’s not surprising that people are turning away from it,” says Robin Tremblay, who teaches at the School of Digital Arts, Animation and Design.
Despite an undeniable loss of interest among the public, some refuse to bury 3D once and for all. Vincent Guzzo even goes so far as to suggest that the release of the second part ofAvatar, scheduled for December, could revive it. “This is where it makes or breaks,” says the owner of Guzzo cinemas.