3D dazzles the silver screen, set to guide the Industry

Hollywood has seen a new Avatar on the horizon — 3D. The movie, which may become the gateway to the future, is already a fortune changer in India. All stakeholders, from multiplex to digital providers, to the Hollywood studios, which have a line-up of nothing less than 20 movies rolling out this year, are counting on bigger returns from 3D collections. This month Disney-Pixar comes right on the back of Cameron’s magnum opus with an all new 3D version of their hit Toy Story 1 and 2 in a unique double-bill combination pack of one ticket for two movies.

“We are focused on technology as a company and 3D is a complete family entertaining experience. Our last year’s release, UP did exceedingly well in 3D in India and was among our top four films of the year. We have four movies for this year (Toy Story 1, 2 and 3, Alice in Wonderland and Tron) and 15 new towns with 3D screens means that many more audience to tap. It is exciting that places like Amritsar and Anand are now ready to screen 3D movies, thus opening up new markets for us,” says

Sesha Kanthamraju, director marketing and distribution, Disney India. For Ranjit Thakur, CEO Scrabble Entertainment, the timing could never have been more right. His was India’s first 2K DCI-compliant cinema deployment entity which aimed to convert every multiplex in the country to the 2K digital cinema platform. Scrabble will act as an intermediary between content providers including major studios and independent distributors, and the exhibitor. Under a virtual print fee (VPF) business model, Scrabble will finance the exhibitors’ transition to digital by collecting a negotiated VPF from movie distributors and producers.

“Avatar has been a true ‘aavtar’ for Scrabble and the 2K digital roll-out in India. We will see many more Hollywood 3D movies that will be dubbed in Hindi and regional languages. It has set a benchmark for the future and changed our fortunes for sure,” says Thakur. Going by 30 lakh per screen for the digital system, Scrabble has sold Rs 55 crore of digital equipment with another 10 expected to be in the kitty, taking its annual turnover to Rs 65 crore.

With 35% of Avatar’s Rs 75-crore collections coming from 3D screenings, exhibitors are an excited lot. Thakur’s inquires have quadrupled and he hopes at least half of them get converted into business. “3D is the biggest reason today for any exhibitor to go digital even though their other numbers are not too great. Without 3D, the situation would be totally different,” says Thakur.

While PVR, he says has gone for the largest investment at Rs 3.2 crore for 3D conversion across seven screens, Cinemax follows with six screens in Mumbai and Gujarat. In fact, the whole chain is going digital and has set a timeline for the same but had to restrict the conversion to six to be in time for Avatar’s release.

“Getting it converted took 90 days because the silver screen which is required to play a 3D movie takes eight weeks to import and install. The cost was around 2.5 crore versus 2D, which would have come at 50% the cost. We were very confident that Cameron’s magnum opus would work like magic. We have recovered our investment in the screens in just three weeks of running Avatar.

For the first time, Hollywood has done 90-95% business for two weeks running even in places like Kandivili (Mumbai) and Ahmedabad. Hollywood has definitely been a saver for 2009 for the multiplexes,” says senior V-P, Cinemax, Devang Sampat.

While the investment may have been made to time with Avatar’s release, there is an interesting line-up of 3D films in 2010. But just between the three hits of 2009 — Hangover, 2012 and Avatar, Hollywood’s share in India has increased from 8% to 12% and if 3D is the new aavtar, the only way for it to go is UP.

Upcoming list of 3D titles releasing in 2010

1 Toy Story 2 (Disney)
2 Alice in Wonderland
3 Piranha 3D
4 How To Train Your Dragon
5 Kenny Chesney: Summer In 3D
6 Alpha And Omega
7 Shrek Forever After
8 Toy Story 3
9 Halloween 3D
10 Oobermind 3D
11 Smurfs 3D
12 Cereal Heros
13 Evil Dead: The Musical
14 The Hole
15 Beauty And the Beast
16 Paradise Lost
17 Black Friday 3D
18 The Legend Of Spyro
19 Drive Angry
20 Saw II