The Impact of 3D on Cinema

As general cinema attendance is falling, filmmakers and directors are shifting their focus on ways to engage audiences and draw their attention. With streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime at the touch of a button, cinemas are trying to find ways to revitalise the cinematic experience – and that comes as 3D. 

The 3D film allows the audience to emerge themselves in the action of the big screen rather than watching it as an outsider. 3D films are technologically impressive as proven by director Robert Rodriguez releasing a round of 3D films including Spy Kids 3D: Game Over which launched the audience into an action film they could enjoy in a new way rather than in standard 2D like previously before.

Perhaps the most rememberable 3D film was The Polar Express (2004) which saw a quarter of the films box office sales being in 3D. This opened the eyes of filmmakers to see the financial bonus of 3D films and the increase in ticket sales. 

However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, cinema ticket sales have fallen. Due to being closed for prolonged periods of time during the pandemic, cinemas struggled to regain their footing in the new post-pandemic world where streaming has become so readily accessible. In recent years, the cinema has introduced IMAX and 4DX which enable the audience to experience extreme sensory cinema with moving seats, smells and even spraying water with 4DX. IMAX offers wrap around screens to submerge the audience into the film. 4DX and IMAX can also be offered in 3D to enhance the experience even more. 

3D cinema has come a long way in the twenty-first century, especially in the last decade with the introduction of 4DX and IMAX. With the rate at which these technologies are advancing, it is not unreasonable to think that at some point in the not-so-distant future, viewers are able to sit down and enjoy the 3D experience from the comfort of their own homes. 

With cinemas bouncing back from the pandemic and slowly regaining their audiences, the next decade will be crucial in determining the future of the film industry and whether audiences have outgrown the cinema in favour of at home streaming.

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