When we reported that the AVENGERS movie would be shot in 3D, I pointed out that the CAPTAIN AMERICA and THOR movies would actually only be converted to 3D - - that is, they’re still being shot traditionally. THOR’s already finished shooting, so that makes sense - - it’s not like they can go back and re-shoot the thing, now. The deed's done. But it might puzzle some fans as to why the CAP movie, which is shooting right now, isn’t doing so with stereoscopic cameras. It turns out that Joe Johnston, the director, has some very good reasons for opting out of using those; reasons he recently revealed to the Coventry Telegraph.
Apparently, the 3D cameras were just too cumbersome to work with! They limited his crew's mobility, they didn't allow them to fit the equipment into tight spaces and it'd take 45 minutes to just change the lenses... which is really the last thing you want on an action picture like this.Interestingly, those problems sound very similar to the problems the Wally Pfister (Chris Nolan’s director of photography) and his crew had using IMAX cameras to shoot THE DARK KNIGHT. The added inconvenience of that, of course, was that those cameras are incredibly loud, too. == TEASER ==
I’m sure many of you are going to point to AVATAR as a successful example of using 3D cameras. Regarding that, Johnston actually had an interesting piece of inside info. Apparently, the blue alien movie did some 3D conversion of its own.
Here’s how he broke it down…
"Everyone touts Avatar as the new standard for 3D. It's beautifully done to be sure, but it wasn't entirely shot in full 3D. The filmmakers wisely chose to shoot about 30 to 35 percent of the picture in 2D and convert. I challenge anyone, myself included, to watch the picture and spot the 2D conversions."
Cost was also a factor. If they opted to shoot CAPTAIN AMERICA in 3D, the money needed for that would have to be taken out of other things in the budget. So there’d be “fewer sets, fewer extras, fewer vehicles” and that'd be really awful. A modestly-scoped Cap is the last thing anybody wants.
Keep in mind that Johnston’s been making movies for more than 20 years. He knows what he’s doing. His crew's going to do an additional pass on every setup to get the proper data they need for the 3D conversion. So relax. Judging by his comments, this definitely won't be a slapdash job done at the last minute.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here.
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