The Influence of the 3D Technology on the Film Esthetics and the Changed Film Experience of the Audience

If the 3D technology is to survive the sensational effect and the new 3D boom, a certain motivation is required concerning its content. This paper tries to prove that there is more need for reconciliation between the technological possibilities of 3D and the newly acquired esthetics by referring to the pragmatic concept of dispositif of the French philosopher Jean-Louis Baudry. The 3D technology is part of a triangular relationship with the film experience and the (new) different textual modes or film esthetics. We study the relationship between those interactors and how these relationships are problematic for generally made assumptions about 3D. We especially try to focus on the question in what possible ways the 3D technology can change the film experience and how this affects the cognitive relation with the content. We focus here on our own small conducted audience research and complete and compare our findings with other relevant studies. We lay out a connection between different platforms in which 3D is used and point to their importance. Next, we try to search all the ways in which 3D can serve and influence the cognitive process of a story and a film in a useful way. With the help of a numerical genre analysis of all 3D films ever made until now, we can see that 3D was mainly used to support a more ‘realistic’ vision. However this kind of 3D use has not yet proved to have a perceivable psychological impact on the content. Finally, we summarize the three main sorts of dispositifs or configurations in which 3D can take place to clear up for once and for all the misconceptions about the universal remedy that 3D appears to be. You just do not simply add stereoscopy to an image without changing (slightly) the context of the overall functioning of the cinema experience and the cognitive process.

Published

2010-10

Content type

Original Research

Keywords

3D, stereoscopy, content, 3D technology, 3D film experience, 3D film esthetics, dispositif, added value of 3D, 3D and realism, uses of 3D, story involvement in 3D, suspension of disbelief, 3D genres, 3D audience study, changed film experience, new film esthetics

DOI

10.5594/M001361

ISBN

978-1-61482-944-7