The movie Avatar may have been the talking point among movie goers for its silver screen wizardry a few years ago and Titanic 3D may have sunk a few records of its own in its new avatar, but what’s raised many an eyebrow, is a Sandalwood filmmaker’s attempt to convert over 200 cinema halls into 3D-enabled ones.
According to the Gandhinagar grapevine, producer Munirathna is in the process of converting 200 theatres across the state to allow 3D format screening. So, is this Herculean task that he’s taken on an act of charity or is it all done to aid the release of his next film? Munirathna, says, “While films like Titanic are being converted from 2D to 3D, ours was shot using a 3D camera. But since most theatres in Karnataka are not 3D compliant, we have decided to convert around 150 to 200 theatres to facilitate this. Normal screens will not give you the 3D effect and that’s one of the reasons why we are converting the
screens into 3D format.
IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE?
Converting about 200 theatres into the 3D format is no joke. KCN Mohan of Navrang theatre, says, “We wanted to be one of the first theatres to launch 3D compatible screens when Jogaiah released. We spent nearly 72 lakh on the conversion process and finally the film did not match up to expectations. Munirathna has proposed changes, but I am not aware how far it will work. Spending around 72 lakh for a theatre is impossible as even a pair of 3D glasses today costs around 300 each. Even a low-end version will set them back by 1 or 2 lakh. I am not sure how they will implement it.”
‘The 3D film will be affordable to all’
We have spent so much on the making of the film and if it’s not going to be evident when the audience is watching it, then there is no point,” says Munirathna.
While Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore and a few other cities in Karnataka have 3D theatres, Munirathna is planning to venture into other regions like Tumkur, Haasan, and Mandya.
So what really goes into converting a normal screen into 3D? Gee Mon Pullely, a 3D stereoscopic expert, explains, “To project a 3D film, you need a silver screen. A normal white screen and a pair of 3D glasses will not suffice. The silver screen has a polarized technology, which will help in giving a three dimensional image. Since you need a ‘left’ and ‘right’ image, you need another projector to get the desired effect. Since the technology has improved at a massive scale, you will require advanced 3D glasses as well.”
Considering that the makers are investing a lot in the film, how do they plan to make their money back? Not willing to reveal his expenses, Munirathna, says, “We will be releasing the films in two versions — 2D and 3D — and will be giving use and throw 3D glasses to the viewers as well. We are still calculating the cost of the ticket. Though it will be slightly higher, we will work around a price that is affordable to all.”
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