SXSW 2012

The history of 3D movies has been a long but not necessarily distinguished one. Originally devised in the late 18th century in the very early days of movie making, it has had several bursts of popularity every decade since the 50’s but never became part of the mainstream. That is until 2009 when Avatar blew apart box office records with its use of the technology. Now it seems every major Hollywood release comes with a 3D version attached. Is this just a passing fascination with the possibilities of the latest technology, or is 3D a useful storytelling device that every filmmaker should be able to utilize? If it is the latter, then how can independent filmmakers fully exploit its possibilities? Producer of Avatar, Jon Landau, is taking a break from production on Avatar II and III to discuss the future of 3D in film and answer these questions and more.