More than just a dramatist and storyteller, Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain”) is an innovator in the vein of James Cameron and has always been quick to test new filmmaking technologies. Lee has been eager to experiment with early motion capture technologies, as he did the mo-cap himself for his movie “The Hulk” and the exceptional 3D and CGI used in his acclaimed “Life of Pi.” More recently, the filmmaker embraced things like 3D and high frame rates in his films “Gemini Man” and “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” However, in a recent interview with IndieWire, the director said he’s soured on the technologies and won’t return to them anytime soon, specifically 3D.
“In general, not only my two movies, 3D in general … so bad,” Lee said of the technology not being adequately done or presented to audiences. “The filmmakers are bad. The theaters are bad. The whole ecosystem is bad. It’s not made for [3D]. I refuse to complain, to blame it on the medium… it’s the audience and the industry, [who] were not prepared.”
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Lee also criticized how 3D movies are exhibited in theaters, which has long been an issue, “The theaters are stingy. It’s really dim; you can’t see it. It’s flickering, and the 3D. People do a poor job, [it] gives you a headache, it’s purely bad. You can’t blame the audience for not liking it because it’s bad. And they’re asked to pay more money.” He even tried to help fix the problem with new 3D projectors, “That’s why I developed new projectors. It’s four times brighter. It’s a new language a filmmaker has to pick up; audience has to get used to it, it just takes time.”
Those experiences have led to Lee pausing his use of the format. “It’s too hard, especially after the two movies. The 3D is just too hard. I’ll go back to the regular way, the old way of making movies. There’s a great story to be told and a lot to explore. I’m still working on it. But it won’t be in 3D.”
Lee also told Variety he’s hopeful of getting his Bruce Lee biopic (backed by the Lee family) up and running sooner rather than later after casting his son, Mason Lee, in the part of the famed martial artist and film actor, who tragically died young. “Neither of us getting any younger,” Lee said of his potential next feature film. “So I hope I get to make this movie soon.” The director indicated that he’s unlikely to shoot that film in either 3D or using a high frame rate, which shouldn’t be surprising given his comments above.