Movie time

To make it an even six movies in six days*, I went out tonight to watch Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D. Not only was this my first movie that I have watched in a theatre that was in 3D (not counting the short 'movies' you see at places like Movie World in 3D) and it was certainly a different experience. At the beginning where most of the scenes were in everyday environments, the 3D effect seemed really odd, but this was due to the fact that the actors were shown normally, and the surroundings were in 3D giving the blue screen effect. As the later scenes came on and there was a lot of CGI involved, the actors appeared more fitting to the environment and the 3D effect was greatly enhanced.

Another first for me in relation to cinema is the use of digital projection. To acheive the 3D for this movie, they have chosen to project it digitally. There were two things in particular that stood out for me with this form of projection. Firstly, and the most obvious difference, was the fact that the images were absolutely clean. They were sharp, clear, flicker free and most of all, had no scratches. The second thing I really noticed was the lack of projector noise. I like to sit a couple of rows down from the back of the cinema and in this position, you can usually hear the clicking of the shutter in the traditional film projector. Now most people would either not notice this or find it annoying. I however find that this, together with the flicker and scratches you get from traditional film projection, adds to the cinematic experience. But with the advantages that digital cinema offers, I guess it would be something that you can get used to over time. It's just not quite the same though.

*The other movies watched were (in order): Burn After Reading, Babylon AD, Saw V, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, and Brideshead Revisited.