The additional cost added to the ticket price of 3D films is not only a strain on the consumer, it’s also bad for the 3D film industry and jeopardises the future of 3D film production.

So why is there an additional charge?

Well, following the release of Avatar in 2009, the 3D film industry has seen a massive resurgence, causing cinema chains to invest in 3D projection equipment, but five years later and following a string of 3D blockbusters, the cost of that equipment has become insignificant.

But what about the glasses?

The glasses that are sold to in the cinema, either as part of the ticket cost or as an additional fee, are more often than not recycled, that is to say they are removed from the container outside the screen, wiped off and then resold, again and again!

The extra charge puts an unnecessary financial strain on cinema goers
Of course no one likes paying extra for anything and many families will be only too familiar with the extra strain this charge puts on a family outing to the cinema but the fact is the reason this extra charge shouldn’t be applied is far more significant than the cost implication.

There should not be an extra charge for watching 3D films

Good 3D filmmaking is an art and like many other filmmaking techniques, the best 3D can often be subtle, so much so that some movie goers may forget they’re watching a 3D film. This doesn’t mean that the 3D isn’t enhancing their experience but it has resulted in some people becoming indifferent to 3D. Removing the charge would allow these people to enjoy great 3D films without feeling they’re being ripped off.

Some people just don’t like 3D

There’s nothing wrong with that, for whatever reason 3D will never be for everyone but by removing the extra charge for 3D films, people who wish to watch the film in 2D could potentially go to the 3D showing and use special glasses to view it in 2D, freeing up screens and allowing cinemas to show a greater range of movies. This idea has been endorsed by noted 3D detractor Mark Kermode.

The charge will kill the 3D film industry

In the last five years we’ve seen some fantastic films that have utilised the potential of 3D as a powerful storytelling tool. Such films include Avatar, Hugo and Life of Pi but the fact an additional charge may be added for tickets to 3D films has meant that studios have churned out a seemingly unending list of films with poor quality or gratuitously implemented 3D, giving many cinemas goers a bad experience and a negative view of 3D. There is a simple lesson here, if people stop watching 3D movies, studios will stop making 3D movies.

Put simply, cinema chains charge extra for 3D films because they can, but as with Icarus flying too close to the sun, these company’s ambitions will inevitably be their downfall.

To summarise, the extra charge for tickets to see 3D films:

Is an unnecessary financial strain on the consumer
Promotes a negative view of 3D films
Encourages the release of poor quality 3D content
Jeopardises the future of the 3D film industry

Why is this directed at Cineworld?

Of course it is our hope that all of the large cinema chains will take notice of this campaign, we are targeting Cineworld specifically because they have demonstrated that they are one of the more forward thinking chains by removing the additional charges for booking online and allowing viewers to bring their own 3D glasses.

Cineworld currently removes the extra 3D charge for members of Cineworld Unlimited scheme who have been paying a subscription for over a year, but this isn’t enough!

Theirs is a great deal at stake here so I urge anyone who loves cinema and wants to see a continuation of innovative filmmaking to sign this petition.

Thanks
Will Carey – Cinema goer

www.change.org