Luckily, and despite leaving the theater to face the dismal, slushy landscape of post-Snowpocalypse DC late this week, I have yet to exhibit any of the tell tale symptoms of Avatar Syndrome. However, I have been pondering the future impact of the box office phenomenom after being blown away by both the obvious and the more-nuanced features of the 3D technology used in the movie. Sometimes it was the depth given to a doorway, or the differentiation noted between hands raised in prayer in the fore- and background of a zoom shot. At other times, it was a barely noticeable beadlet of sweat, or the subtle depth given to something as simple as a leaf. At all times it was extraordinary, and it is not difficult, even for a self-proclaimed rationalist such as myself, to see why some have been so emotionally impacted by the world James Cameron has created.
With everyone from the English Premier League to the fashion house Burberry to ESPN and the producers of the Harry Potter and possibly the James Bond franchises getting on board with the technology, it is possible that the reach of Avatar will go far beyond box office success and will have an even greater impact on movie-making and technology in general. (Anyone worrying that the above list is not quite Anglophilic enough will take solace in the fact that even US-based ESPN is planning on using the technology to broadcast World Cup matches).
Besides the alarming impact this could have on the aforementioned masses bed-ridden with debilitating bouts of Avatar Syndrome, there could be some opportunities to put smiles on peoples' faces as well with many companies involved in the requisite technology being publicly traded. Although this should by no means be taken as investment advice, and though the initial Avatar-linked wave might be over, it looks like 3D tech is here to stay, and for those with the means and the strong stomachs in a volatile investing environment, that could mean healthy investment opportunities.
No comments:
Post a Comment