Interview with Jerry Bruckheimer

Recently Jerry Bruckheimer previewed and discussed his new 3D live-action/animated film G-Force. The 3D is being created using the multi-mode approach, utilizing both CG for the animated characters and In-Three's Dimensionalization for the live-action that was shot in conventional 2D.

Why is it important for you to make 'G-Force' in 3D, and what’s the difference between 3D today, and the way it was years ago?
Well, I think the technology’s so much better. You don’t get the fatigue you used to get with your eyes the way the projection is, the whole technology. We’re doing things that no other movie has done before as far as 3D goes. And so it’s so exciting that you can actually bring things out to an audience, especially since this is a kids’ movie, so it’s great. They love it, they grab at it, they have a blast when they see it.

But from the start, what sold you on the idea?
James Cameron invited me over to his place and showed me what he was doing with 3D and showed me a bunch of tests that he’d done, and it was really exciting — it adds another experience for the audience. And that’s what we try to do. We try to draw in as many people as possible and show them new experiences.

What did Mr. Cameron show you?
He showed me some tests that he did, not for his movie, just tests of various scenes that he’d done that he actually shot in 3D. Which I thought were superb. We actually didn’t shoot in 3D. Since all our animated stuff is done digitally, it’s easy to convert it to 3D, but the live actors were shot with conventional technology.

I’m curious if this 3D experience has influenced you to possibly take any of your other films in the future and go into the 3D medium.
Yeah, I would love to. You know, it’s going to depend on how quickly they convert the normal theaters into ones with 3D projectors. It’s gotten slowed down a little bit with the economy right now. So it’s not quite going as quickly as we had hoped it would be at this point.

Well could you see something like a 'Pirates 4' or any of your future films being in 3D?
It’s possible. It’s all possible.

Do you think the 3D could also get into the TV side of the business in a few years, or is it going to be too tough?
I think that’s a little harder, you know, but listen, anything’s possible. I was at the Consumer Electronics Show about three years ago and they were showing video games in 3D. You know, it’s fantastic, when you play these car racing games and it’s all 3D. But I don’t know if it’s hit the consumer markets yet. I haven’t seen it. It might be in Japan, but it’s certainly not here yet.

How important is that side of the business — when you compare the story, the director, the filmmakers you are working with — the technology side of the business?
Well, the most important thing is the story, the characters, the themes. You know, no matter how you dress it up, if those things don’t work, it doesn’t matter...whatever kind of bells and whistles you put on, 3D or otherwise. It’s all about the story and characters.

As a producer, when a new medium like 3D comes out, it must be really exciting, but at the same time it’s expensive and difficult to get. What is more important to you?
Well, anytime I can bring something new and fresh to an audience, it’s exciting to us. Anytime you can give a better moviegoing experience, if you do it right with the story and the characters, and then you add something on that’s new.

How long do you think it will take the 3D technology to become a major trend with the regular movies and when do you think that can happen?
I think that the economy has a lot to do with it, so if the economy turns in the next year or so, let’s hope it turns a lot sooner than that, it’ll happen fairly quickly. But again, it comes down to the economy. But, you know, fortunately for us movies have been up, attendance has been up for about the last three or four months, so that’s good. So maybe that’ll fuel the conversion to 3D projectors faster.

By Steve Weintraub, Collider