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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Set Visit Preview and 4 Awesome New Posters!Paramount to Release Brighter Digital Print of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON; Is It About Quality or Commerce?
by Jason Barr Posted:June 23rd, 2011 at 5:37 pm
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Perhaps as part of Hollywood’s ongoing attempt to convince moviegoers that 3D films are truly worth the inflated cost of admission, Paramount Pictures and director Michael Bay are doing their part to increase the projection brightness for the upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Earlier in the week, Bay contacted chain theater owners asking them to turn up the brightness on their projectors when showing Dark of the Moon in 3D so as to make the pic “look brighter and sharper.” Now, the studio is shipping out an enhanced digital print of the film to around 2,000 theaters with the purpose of projecting the film at nearly twice the standard level of brightness. So, are Paramount and Bay’s efforts coming from an altruistic concern for higher quality projection or are they simply an attempt to assure 3D’s relevance? Decide for yourself after the jump.
We learned that Bay reached out to chain theater owners via the New York Times. In that report, Bay talks up the visual merits of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, saying:
“If this was having my name on it, I was determined to make it technically perfect. We’ve spent an enormous amount of time making sure the eye is transitioned from shot to shot.”
Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore did his best to argue that increased brightness efforts are in the best interest of the consumer (while simultaneously pushing Dark of the Moon), adding:
“The consumer has had a reaction to bad 3-D and subtle 3-D. They’re tired of sitting in a theater thinking, ‘Wait, is this movie in 3-D or not?’ Well, with ‘Transformers’ people are going to leave saying, ‘You absolutely must see this in 3-D.’ ”
As for Paramount’s ultra-bright print of the film, Variety broke the news of the studio’s unprecedented move adding that the print would only go out to theaters using the RealD 3D technology. The report claims that the enhanced Dark of the Moon print has been graded at 6 foot-lamberts. By comparison, the typical 3D standard brightness is almost half of that with IMAX dual-projectors averaging approximately 5.5 FL.
So far, all of this sounds well and good for the consumer who has long been getting the shaft on projection brightness for 2D pics and 3D pics alike because of this simple equation: brighter projection means that bulbs burn out faster which means that they have to be replaced more often which, of course, increases operation costs for theater owners. However, when you take into account Deadline‘s report that the studio forced theaters who wanted to show the film’s June 28th early screenings to show it in 3D and/or IMAX or not at all, you have to question how concerned they are with the quality of projection vs. how concerned they are with making sure the people most excited to check out the film (a.k.a. the people attending the early screening) have to dish out the extra cost of admission to do so.
I know there is a lot of ill-will towards 3D films as being studio money grabs and while the inflated box office numbers certainly play a role in the technology being used in seemingly every project with a potential explosion, I tend to think that this particular case is driven by concerns of both commerce and quality. After all, if moviegoers truly do have their 3D experience enhanced by the increased brightness, won’t that foster their faith in the technology? If so, it’s a positive for both Paramount who will gladly rake in the increased ticket revenues and for moviegoers that are interested in the highest quality 3D projection available.
With all of this in mind, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on Dark of the Moon‘s enhanced print and the motives behind its release. Sound off in the comments.
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Related Links
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- TRANSFORMERS 4 and 5 to Shoot Back-to-Back; Jason Statham May Star
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I have seen only 1 other movie in 3d and that was meet the robinsons which looked great like a computer generated diorama, so I have faith in this although it will be at IMAX so im hoping it is a little more engrossing
I will go see it in 2D. Sorry.
Amen.
Anyone else pay $15.50 for a single ticket to see Super 8 in “IMAX?” Not actual IMAX, but the “mainstream” version of it (IMAX).
I didn’t pay $15.50 to see Iron Man 2 in “IMAX” last year, so what gives? And will there be a surcharge for 3D now as well?
Oh, I went to an AMC multiplex in the Denver metro area.
I’m just curious how much inflated ticket prices will, well, inflate net grosses – and why no one (in the media) seems to be noticing the rapid ANNUAL increase in ticket prices.
I meant to say I did see Iron Man 2 in IMAX last year the single ticket price was not as high as the IMAX Super 8′s.
I see no reason to watch this film in 3D.
i see no reason to see this movie.
i see a point to see this in 3D, It was shot in 3d and do you really want to be scratching your head going “wow, that shot would if looked cool in 3d.” do you?
^yes
Commerce course. Look at the movie itself. It’s one big commercial for toys and American cars. They’ve heard the backlash against 3D, and have seen how it’s not helping some movies’ box office numbers, so they want to act like they’re doing something… all to increase their profits. They don’t care about quality.
It was PARTIALLY shot in 3D. Michael Bay has admitted the film was shot with a mish-mash of Alexa 3D & film. Portions of the film will be genuine 3D while others will be Post-Converted.
I can promise you though there won’t be a solid story.
people talk a lot of sh*t for a movie they haven’t even seen don’t they
Fanboy much?
shitbag troll much?
Im not a fan of 3D to be honest. But im interested to see how they have pushed it with this film, they are hyping it to be a whole leap ahead of other 3D which i strongly doubt will be much different to what we have seen in Avatar, even so im curious. Turning the brightness up is a good move as that is one of my main issues against 3D, its usually far too dark and the colors are dulled down ect. The bigger concern is if the actual film is good surely?
This is just confusing. He “reached out” to theater owners to turn up the brightness? WTH? Like any of the theater owners are really going to babysit the 9 dollar an hour projectionists.
And as far as the different print, now you are just fragmenting the movie even more. 2D, 3D, Imax, Imax 3d, Real D 3D, etc. How many people even know which theater uses “real D”? . I sure don’t, and I love movies.
I’ll wait to hear what everyone says about the 3D quality before seeing it in 3D. I don’t care about the extra price. If it’s a cool experience, it’s worth it to me. But if it’s a sensory overload headache, no thanks.
3D isn’t really on my radar until the Hobbit comes out.
I go see this in 3D.
This is a 3D movie. Made with 3D cameras and SHOULD be seen in 3D.
Period! End of story.
No, actually i am not a fanboy I actually talk sh*t left and right about the 2nd film in the series as well as almost every other film Michael Bay has made but at least he’s making movies and not talking sh*t about other people’s work over the internet which once again they have never.
3D for this movie? Absolutely.
Yeah, Bay is such a douche for trying to get cinemas to up thier brightness so audiences actually get what they are paying extra for. Man, the audacity that guy has, daring to make my cinema experience better!!!
What an A-hole.