Frozen 3D Bungle?! (1 Viewer)

[Mark Booth]

Well Mark, you're wrong. Saying (again) that "3D is dying" is just plain silly. 3D is "dying" when 3D films are not released on movie theatres and on Blu-ray. Fact is that both are available.

I'm not saying it's dying, I'm saying it was never really alive. At least, not the way studios wanted it to live.

Some reading for you:
3D hits all-time low

2014 box office will be hurt by diminishing popularity of 3D movies

A dying format? Percentage of gross from 3D reaches new low

3D films loosing their appeal as UK ticket sales slump by a third

3D TV is dead

3D TV faces uncertain future

Why 3D TV went from CES darling to consumer reject

Seems to me this is definitely a case where perception = reality. I didn't write those articles, I'm just linking them. I would appreciate links to any articles that discuss how 3D is thriving and growing.

Mark

 

[Ejanss]

I'm not saying it's dying, I'm saying it was never really alive. At least, not the way studios wanted it to live.

Some reading for you:
3D hits all-time low

2014 box office will be hurt by diminishing popularity of 3D movies

A dying format? Percentage of gross from 3D reaches new low

3D films loosing their appeal as UK ticket sales slump by a third

3D TV is dead

3D TV faces uncertain future

Why 3D TV went from CES darling to consumer reject

Seems to me this is definitely a case where perception = reality. I didn't write those articles, I'm just linking them.

Uh, yeahhh....May I ask why you're linking them from last JULY?

(And while we're at it, what this even remotely has to do with disk pressing problems?)

 

[MatthewA]

Because unless they've happened to go up since then, the data in those articles is still valid. Perhaps the opposite is the case in other countries, but I've seen no proof of that.

3-D is a band-aid on a larger problem, just like it was the last two times they tried it.

 

[Matt Hough]

Has anyone else noticed that the bonus feature "Breaking the Ice: The Real Making of Frozen" has disapeared from the release? I downloaded the digital version with iTunes extras and it wasn't included. This makes me think they're saving all of the behind the scenes bonus features for an "Ultimate Collector's Edition" type of release that hopefully would include the 3D version of the film and the live concert the actors put on. Just my thought.

I think this is the best proof yet that Disney has other, more elaborate plans for their most successful film (and first Oscar winner as Best Animated Feature for their in-house animation studio) in years later on. It just makes NO sense that a movie this popular wouldn't be given an all-stops-out special edition with an elaborate behind-the-scenes look at the movie and the 3D version of the film in the same package.

 

[ahollis]

Reality: 3D never became as popular as the studios would have liked. 3D ticket sales have been steadily dropping for 2 years. More and more audience members have grown tired of wearing glasses to see a movie. 3D televisions sales have peaked and started to decline as well.I'd say that 3D is dying but, frankly, it was never really "alive" in the first place. It's going the way of the red/blue anaglyph glasses of yesteryear.Mark

As a member of the theatre exhibition industry your wrong. The tickets sales have been steady. Not growing but steady. There is the same number of films announced for 3D this year as last. Both Frozen and Gravity did excellent 3D business as did several others including The Hobbit 2 and Despicable Me 2. The only thing that will stop the 3D business is an increase in the 3D surcharge. That is the one and only complaint I get from our guests. Not wearing the glasses. As for as Home 3D, your right. It is a niche market and will never grow anymore than laser discs did back yonder. But the film companies will continue to release their wares in 3D. I think Frozen will appear in the US in 3D eventually. Why now I can't answer.

 

[Jason_V]

I finally canceled my US preorder and picked up the UK 3D version. I may be double dipping in the future, but I'd be okay with that.

 

[Jari K]

Seems to me this is definitely a case where perception = reality. I didn't write those articles, I'm just linking them. I would appreciate links to any articles that discuss how 3D is thriving and growing.

Internet is full of articles, blogs, reviews, opinions, so-called-facts, lies, propaganda, truth, etc. You link bunch of articles that mainly supports your pow, that's how the internet works.

"Reality" is this:
a) 3D films are being released on movie theatres. Many of them are shot with "3D in mind" and certain 3D film just won several Oscars. Some 3D conversions are actually very good now (e.g. Oz) and even some of them are shown on movie theatres.
b) 3D films are being released on Blu-ray. If the film was 3D in movie theatres, it's probably going to be released in 3D also on Blu-ray.

You need to remove points "a" and "b" if you want to call 3D dead - or like you put it - "not alive in the 1st place". So I would say that it's you that's missing reality.

Further more, you can probably find many 3D doom-and-gloom articles even here in HTF. I don't see that this Frozen thread is the right place. After all many us are hoping that the 3D Blu-ray is also coming to the U.S. You don't, which is just fine.

As for as Home 3D, your right. It is a niche market and will never grow anymore than laser discs did back yonder. But the film companies will continue to release their wares in 3D.

If people want 3D dead, it should start dying on movie theatres.

 

[Towergrove]

Seems to me this is definitely a case where perception = reality. I didn't write those articles, I'm just linking them. I would appreciate links to any articles that discuss how 3D is thriving and growing. Mark

Sure. Some reading for you:http://www.stereoscopynews.com/hotnews/history/market-a-trends/3567-global-3dtv-market-2014-2018-report-released.html

 

[RolandL]

So, Disney is not releasing this in the US with total population of 318 million, but is releasing it to other countries with less? I guess they must buy more 3D titles than we do.

120 million Mexico
064 million UK
047 million Spain

 

[Ronald Epstein]

So, Disney is not releasing this in the US with total population of 318 million, but is releasing it to other countries with less? I guess they must buy more 3D titles than we do.

Apparently, from what I am starting to hear, this may very well be the case.

3D is not selling well here in the States. I have credible fear that we may
be witnessing a huge downward trend in studios releasing 3D here.

However, it seems to be selling well in foreign markets.

Someone brought up in this thread (may have been ahollis) that the studios
may simply just release their 3D product overseas and allow United States
consumers to import it from there.

Don't take this as gospel yet, but this seems to be the talk that is being
whispered around. Again, it's only speculation based upon poor sales
here in the U.S.

 

[Johnny Angell]

As a member of the theatre exhibition industry your wrong. The tickets sales have been steady. Not growing but steady. There is the same number of films announced for 3D this year as last. Both Frozen and Gravity did excellent 3D business as did several others including The Hobbit 2 and Despicable Me 2. The only thing that will stop the 3D business is an increase in the 3D surcharge. That is the one and only complaint I get from our guests. Not wearing the glasses. As for as Home 3D, your right. It is a niche market and will never grow anymore than laser discs did back yonder. But the film companies will continue to release their wares in 3D. I think Frozen will appear in the US in 3D eventually. Why now I can't answer.

IMHO, if 3D is niche market in the US, it's because the studios have contributed to making it that. Apply a $10+ surcharge to most 3D software, make the equipment much more expensive (though that has improved) and you will have a niche market. It's almost like the studios don't want the home market to succeed.

So, Disney is not releasing this in the US with total population of 318 million, but is releasing it to other countries with less? I guess they must buy more 3D titles than we do.

120 million Mexico
064 million UK
047 million Spain

This has been going on for some time and not just with 3D. Often US customers get the shaft compared to all others when considering availability and price. I just bought the Spain collection of the Complete Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes for $60 some dollars. That's not available here and if it was it would probably be twice the price.

 

[Towergrove]

Apparently, from what I am starting to hear, this may very well be the case.

3D is not selling well here in the States. I have credible fear that we may
be witnessing a huge downward trend in studios releasing 3D here.

However, it seems to be selling well in foreign markets.

Someone brought up in this thread (may have been ahollis) that the studios
may simply just release their 3D product overseas and allow United States
consumers to import it from there.

Don't take this as gospel yet, but this seems to be the talk that is being
whispered around. Again, it's only speculation based upon poor sales
here in the U.S.

You mention poor sales. Do we have any proof that sales are poor or less than the studios would like based on sales numbers that have been released? Have the studio heads mentioned poor sales publicly in any press conferences? Or is all of this speculation??? Have sales number been released???

 

[Ejanss]

You mention poor sales. Do we have any proof that sales are poor or less than the studios would like based on sales numbers that have been released? Have the studio heads mentioned poor sales publicly in any press conferences? Or is all of this speculation??? Have sales number been released???

IT'S ALL SPECULATION.
One or two disks, both mastered/pressed at around the same time, with rumors of factory troubles, miss their dates in the US, and all of a sudden It's The End of the Industry.
I'm sorry to keep harping on this--and oh, believe me, I wish I didn't have to--but seriously, people: Listen to yourselves.

We can understand the bloodthirsty, never-say-live glee of the 3D haters wanting to believe their lil' quixotic dream, but whet's explaining the almost determined fatalism of the pro-3D people wanting to believe it beyond all more logical explanation? Can we only enjoy it with a cloud of death hanging over it, rushing to accept the fate that, oh well, the studios all said it was coming? Have we become such neurotic home-theater hypochondriacs, at the very mention of 3D or streaming?
It missed a date. And oh, they didn't tell us they screwed up, they must be up to something.

 

[Jason_V]

Have the studio heads mentioned poor sales publicly in any press conferences?

I sincerely doubt any studio would mention poor sales or a disappointment in 3D in a press conference. That would be like putting a dagger in the heart of the technology.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I'm sorry to keep harping on this--and oh, believe me, I wish I didn't have to--but seriously, people: Listen to yourselves.

Elanjss, I would take your own medicine.

Nothing is being said publicly.

...and there are no disc defects.

I am simply saying, as far as the 3D home market is concerned
(and I am not talking theatrical), there are whispers of poor sales
domestically.

We now have three studios who have withheld 3D versions of
recent releases domestically (Free Birds, Stalingrad and Frozen).

Can't be disc defects blamed on all three fronts. Personally, I
think there is a common thread here.

And Jason is right. I don't think it would be a good idea for any
studio to come out and publicly admit it.

Yes, I would definitely still call this speculation until someone comes
out and officially explains the situation.

 

[schan1269]

IT'S ALL SPECULATION.One or two disks, both mastered/pressed at around the same time, with rumors of factory troubles, miss their dates in the US, and all of a sudden It's The End of the Industry.I'm sorry to keep harping on this--and oh, believe me, I wish I didn't have to--but seriously, people: Listen to yourselves. We can understand the bloodthirsty, never-say-live glee of the 3D haters wanting to believe their lil' quixotic dream, but whet's explaining the almost determined fatalism of the pro-3D people wanting to believe it beyond all more logical explanation? Can we only enjoy it with a cloud of death hanging over it, rushing to accept the fate that, oh well, the studios all said it was coming? Have we become such neurotic home-theater hypochondriacs, at the very mention of 3D or streaming?It missed a date. And oh, they didn't tell us they screwed up, they must be up to something.

A 3D Don Quixote...I would buy in for that.( technically I already have. I just don't use it)

 

[Ejanss]

We now have three studios who have withheld 3D versions of
recent releases domestically (Free Birds, Stalingrad and Frozen).

Can't be disc defects blamed on all three fronts. Personally, I think there is a common thread here.

Given that two were independent films, I don't. Three indie films that decided to cut their mass-market losses--especially with one of them badly, badly received, and hoping to throw itself on the cheap, undiscerning parent-kid market--wouldn't raise suspicion, but the big-studio one seems to be the Minority Report.
Oh, and you forgot Disney's The Pirate Fairy which was mastering around the same time as Frozen, and started all the "giving up" suspicion in the first place. Did the studio "cut their losses on both", or did both titles hit the factory the same screwed-up week? We'll never know until they tell us. Which, as noted, they probably won't.

The "They're giving up!" theory is all educated speculation with a self-recriminating touch of pessimism, the "Disk problems" theory someone somewhere said he heard from some rep somewhere from Disney's own retail outlet is ONE piece of unverified information. I'm sorry, but the one piece of unverified information trumps it. If you can't prove anything, you can't prove it isn't real, and it's on the table.
We're just mad that Disney isn't saying anything, but what they're not saying, we're just putting our own deep-issued words in their mouths. For whatever reasons you might also like to speculate.

 

[FoxyMulder]

I don't think Disney have a lot of faith in 3D anymore, just look at the latest Tinkerbell feature, the last one was released in 3D but the latest one is strictly 2D. I don't think there are any mastering issues, i think Disney ultimately would love streaming to be the dominant format as it gives them more control over content at lower costs.

 

[Ejanss]

I don't think Disney have a lot of faith in 3D anymore, just look at the latest Tinkerbell feature, the last one was released in 3D but the latest one is strictly 2D. I don't think there are any mastering issues, i think Disney ultimately would love streaming to be the dominant format as it gives them more control over content at lower costs.

(Oh, fer the love a' Sisyphus...It's like they deliberately start it back to square one after I explain it. )

The Pirate Fairy--which is actually the FOURTH title for the movie, and likely the fourth storyline--had been around the studio forever. For the last two years of Disney trailers, I know I've had to watch green-and-blue Tink splashing Vidia in the face under three different titles and three different plots, and I don't know how many were in storyboards before then....And the first two didn't even have pirates in them.
Everyone went into paranoia mode when Disney took back "Secret of the Wings" for a year to put 3D into it, but here It would be safe to say that Disney did not have confidence in this title in 2D or 3D and just want to purge it as a finished movie and get it out there for sale. But--like Free Birds--you can't go wrong just getting it out there in 2D, and hoping for those kiddie-blind-buying parents at TargetMart to just nudge it past your lowered profit line.

And that's just if you don't believe in the theory that it was hitting pressing at the exact same time as Frozen, with a release date one week later than the other.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Everyone went into paranoia mode when Disney took back "Secret of the Wings" for a year to put 3D into it, but here It would be safe to say that Disney did not have confidence in this title in 2D or 3D and just want to purge it as a finished movie and get it out there for sale. But--like Free Birds--you can't go wrong just getting it out there in 2D, and hoping for those kiddie-blind-buying parents at TargetMart to just nudge it past your lowered profit line.

Then one could argue it would make more sense to release in both 2D and 3D and try to make additional money off the title, not that i care, the Disney guys think 3D is about depth, they always forget about the popout and the FUN of popout.