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DreamWorks Animation bets big on digital 3-D

As I was reading through the most recent issue of “Tales from the Laughing Place” magazine (Which — FYI — features a spectacular selection of articles on Epcot & its history. If you aren’t yet a subscriber of this high quality quarterly, this is one issue that you should probably go out of your way to pick up. Anyway …), I came across a most interesting quote from Imagineering Ambassador Marty Sklar. To wit:



“When Michael Eisner, Frank Wells and Jeffery Katzenberg came in [1984] they were intrigued by … the 3-D film ‘Magic Journeys.’ They … considered doing theatrical films back in the mid-80’s after seeing ‘Magic Journeys’ and the impact it had on our guests.”


So why didn’t these former Warner Bros. & Paramount executives actually greenlit a 3-D theatrical release after they came on board at the Walt Disney Company? Perhaps it was because Michael, Frank and Jeffrey remembered the mediocre ticket sales that “Comin’ at Ya!,” “Jaws 3-D” and “Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone” had racked up. This trio of films were part of an early 1980s era attempt at reviving the 3-D film format that basically went nowhere.


Or perhaps Michael, Frank & Jeffrey’s reluctance to attempt a 3-D theatrical release can be explained away by the numerous production problems & cost over-runs that were associated with “Captain EO.” Whatever the reason, these three Disney execs never followed through on that particular notion.


But clearly at least one member of this trio continued to puzzle at the commercial possibilities involved with a 3-D theatrical release. Not the old red-and-blue lenses, gives-you-a-headache-if-you-watch-too-long type of three dimensional film (i.e. ” … not your father’s 3-D”), mind you. But something new and far more ambitious.


Which is why Katzenberg — in his role as CEO of DreamWorks Animation — took the stage yesterday morning at ShoWest. He was there to convince all of the exhibitors who were gathered at the Paris resort in Las Vegas that Jeffrey had actually seen the future. And that digital 3-D was going to the biggest innovation in movie-going since ” … the advent of color 70 years ago.”


DreamWorks Animation is really betting big that digital 3-D will be the wave of the future. Starting next year, all of that studio’s films will be released in a format Katzenberg is calling “Ultimate 3-D.” Mind you, DA will still be creating 2-D prints of such upcoming releases as “Shrek Goes Fourth” and “Monsters vs. Aliens.” But only on an as-needed basis.



Copyright 2008 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved


Speaking of “Monsters vs. Aliens” … As part of his keynote address at this year’s ShoWest, Katzenberg treated exhibitors to a clip of this March 2009 DreamWorks Animation release. During which the President of the United States (voiced by Comedy Central‘s Stephen Colbert) attempted to communicate with an alien spacecraft. Which then didn’t respond all that well to his “Close Encounters” -like musical overture.


After this brief scene from “Monsters vs. Aliens” was screened, Katzenberg pointed out that this particular DreamWorks Animation release had — right from the get-go — been envisioned as a digital 3-D production. Not like — say — WB’s “The Polar Express,” Paramount’s “Beowulf” and/or Disney’s “Chicken Little” & “Meet the Robinsons.” Which had started off life as 2-D CG films, only to then be turned into 3-D releases in post-production.


Mind you, Jeffrey was quick to credit “Polar Express” & “Beowulf” director Robert Zemeckis — not to mention Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook — for proving that there actually was an audience out there that would be interested in seeing 3-D digital motion pictures. “If not for (Robert & Dick’s) pioneering and pushing in 3-D, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said.


And speaking of turning 2-D movies in digital 3-D productions … Just as Disney did with “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D,” John Lasseter himself is overseeing the digital 3-D conversion of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.” Which will be released to theaters, respectively, in October of 2009 and February 2010 as part of the promotional build-up for “Toy Story 3.” Which — under Pixar vet Lee Unkrich’s direction — is now being produced as a digital 3-D project.


Which — it should be pointed out here — took a lot of animation industry vets by surprise. Given that it had always been assumed that this June 2010 Disney * Pixar release would be a 2-D CG film too, just like “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” before it. Particularly since the folks at Emeryville have always seemed to look down their noses at digital 3-D, feeling that Pixar movies don’t need gimmicks in order to reach their audiences. That the stories & characters featured in their films were strong enough to move moviegoers without having to add anything else to the mix.



 Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved


So what changed Pixar’s tune? Well, I’m told it was the gaming footage that this CG studio has been creating for “Toy Story Mania” that ultimately made the folks in Emeryville change their minds. Animating Buzz, Woody and the gang for this new Disney’s California Adventure & Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction reportedly really opened Pixar’s eyes when it came to the sorts of performances that could be gotten out of these characters in the digital 3-D format.


So if — come June of 2010 — you really like what you see in “Toy Story 3” … Well, you can then thank Robert Coltrin and Kevin Rafferty. The two Imagineers who originally dreamed up the idea of building a ride-thru shooting gallery for DCA that would then feature the “Toy Story” characters.


So what do you folks think? Do you think it’s wise for DreamWorks Animation to go “Ultimate 3-D” with all of its upcoming releases as of March of 2009? And — for that matter — are you at all enthusiastic about seeing “Toy Story” & “Toy Story 2” in Disney Digital 3-D?


Your thoughts?

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