James Cameron looks to China for 3D growth
As the appetite for 3D has cooled considerably since the heady days of Avatar, James Cameron, like others, is looking to China
CAMERON | PACE Group – the joint venture between James Cameron and Vince Pace, have formed an alliance in the Chinese city Tianjin to develop 3D film equipment and provide training for making 3D movies.
CPG have signed the deal with the Tianjin Hitech Holding Group Chairman Gong Jing and Tianjin North Film Group Chairman Wang Dafang, according to Bloomberg.
The huge population of China and apparent appetite for 3D movies have led many 3D production companies and movie studios to form a presence in the world’s second largest economy as audiences in America and Europe increasingly turn their backs on the format.
Only yesterday, Steve Schklair, CEO of CPG competitor 3ality Technica told 3D Focus that the company is ‘“deeply involved with china” because “China is the growth market” and “the 3D television market in the US is going nowhere”.
The reason for the growth in 3D in China has been attributed to the fact that cinema-going is more of a ceremonial occasion, the Chinese government are keen to push the format and the sheer potential of the size of the audience. However, the danger is the Chinese market is echoing the post Avatar market in the West. Already some films are being rapidly converted. For example, Painted Skin 2 was, according to a Chinese director, a terrible rushed conversion but still generated over $100 million in the domestic box office partly thanks to the 3D ticket premium.
If China is to succeed with 3D, let’s hope the country does not make the same mistakes the West has.
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