In Hollywood, technology is king. The digital age changed not only the way special effects are used, but also the way films could be shot, edited and exhibited. Yet that is nothing compared to recent developments that have the potential to change the way movies themselves are perceived by the public. Directors James Cameron and George Lucas are currently pushing for advancement in the development of 3-D technology, whereas a potential technology Sony is developing could literally allow a film to get inside your head.
Originally, 3-D films were produced in the 1950s in an attempt to lure audiences back into movies and away from television. The format received a boost in the early 1980s when installments of the \Jaws"" and ""Friday the 13th"" franchises were filmed in 3-D. By and large 3-D is a product of a bygone era when it was used mostly as a gimmick for bad horror or sci-fi films, even though Robert Rodriguez brought the format into the public eye once again in the third installment of ""Spy Kids.""
Then all of a sudden James Cameron came out and said his next film is using the technology. In fact, Cameron claims that he has created such a bold leap in 3-D technology that he refuses to release the film until 2007, when he hopes that 1,000 movie theaters will have digital projectors as opposed to the current reel-to-reel systems that won't be able to handle it. George Lucas has also jumped on the bandwagon, saying that he's planning on releasing all six ""Star Wars"" films in 3-D in 2007 as well.
Though 3-D has always been kind of gimmicky, it's an interesting notion if it is done by filmmakers who have a good handle on special effects. James Cameron has always been one the best directors in terms of advancing special effects, and it will be interesting to see what he can do. That's more praise than can be given to George Lucas, who for all his bragging and gloating has made the new ""Star Wars"" films look like cartoons rather than digitally-enhanced live action.
The other new technology that could be on the horizon is one that is still in development, but it has the potential to totally change the perception of films. Sony has applied to patent a theoretical method to transmit sensory data directly into the human brain, such as images, tastes and sounds. At this point in time the idea is yet to even enter the research phase, so it would be quite a while before the technology was tested, yet alone adopted in general.
There's a not too subtle creepiness about the idea of sensory data being beamed into the mind, as it brings to mind images such as the mind control tactics in ""The Matrix"" or ""A Clockwork Orange."" Granted, the proposed technology is nothing to the extent of those fictional examples, but it's a tad unsettling nonetheless.
Even when you get past that notion and admire its technological implications, it's still apparent that they should have no place in film. Transmitting direct signals into someone's brain is no different than telling them what to think. Film doesn't need to be directly channeled into the mind for people to have a connection with it.
Dan Marfield's column runs Mondays in the Cardinal. He can be reached at ddmarfield@wisc.edu.
