Katzenberg Takes Aim at 3D Conversions

DreamWorks Animation Inc. CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg went on the offensive against poorly-done 3D conversions that he said would create a backlash by audiences and put Hollywood on the wrong path. While Katzenberg did not name specific films, many in the audience at the 3D Entertainment Summit at the Universal Hilton knew which titles he was referring to when he said that converting conventional 2D films into 3D could not be rushed. “The conversion process is time consuming,” Katzenberg told the audience of some 300 industry professionals at the third annual conference. “The more you rush it the crummier it looks.” Katzenberg has been one of the leading supporters of 3D films, making his Glendale-based animation studio the first to deliver all its films in the format starting with last year’s “Monsters vs. Aliens.” DreamWorks Animation is releasing three films in 2010, a first for the studio. The studio chief’s main objection was against conversions not part of the creative process and done quickly to take advantage of the popularity in 3D films. The format is an opportunity of a lifetime for the entertainment industry that is put in jeopardy by bad films that carry a higher ticket price, Katzenberg said. “To ask people to pay a premium for that is a failed adventure,” he added. Preceding Katzenberg at the conference was Charlotte Jones, a senior analyst with ScreenDigest, who gave an overview on the 3D in theaters and in the home. Since 2005, there have been 60 feature films released in 3D, with half of those coming out in 2010. Globally, some $5.5 billion in revenues have been brought in by 3D enabled screens. This year, 25 films will be released on 3D Blu-ray discs, Jones said. More than 20 percent of all screens worldwide have been converted to show 3D films, proof that the format is no longer a niche but had substantial penetration in all markets, Jones said.