By Jeff Bertolucci
December 21, 2009

There’s little doubt that James Cameron’s much-hyped Avatar will be a hit during its theater run, but what impact will the sci-fi epic have on 3D entertainment in the home?

“Avatar,” which cost north of $300 million to make, uses state-of-the-art 3D filmmaking techniques to create a visually stunning alien world. The spectacle, rather than the story, is the selling point here, and you can bet that Hollywood will churn out similar fare to capitalize on the 3D craze.

3D at Home?
But will the 3D trend extend to home entertainment, too? In recent months, the consumer electronics industry has been working behind the scenes to build the framework for 3D in the home. The Blu-Ray Disc Association this week announced specifications for creating full 1080p 3D Blu-Ray content. The first 3D-enabled Blu-ray players will likely debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Meanwhile, major TV manufacturers are hoping 3D TV becomes the next big thing. Sony, for instance, predicts that 3D sets will compose 30-50% of all the TVs it sells in its 2012 fiscal year.

Avatar’s Impact on 3D Blu-ray
Blu-ray’s movers and shakers are optimistic that “Avatar” will whet consumers’ appetites for home 3D.

“While I have not seen the movie yet myself, I have read enough rave reviews to believe that it could transform a lot of skeptics into 3D believers,” writes Pioneer executive Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, in an e-mail interview with PC World US.

“We have always said that Blu-ray, as was DVD before it, is a content-driven business. With many of the studios now putting enormous resources and creative energy into 3D for the theater, it’s only a matter of time before consumers will be striving to achieve a similar experience in their own homes,” Parsons adds.

Avatar’s 3D: Gimmick or Godsend?
Granted, “Avatar” packs a visual wallop. But 3D movies are hardly new. “House of Wax,” a 1953 horror flick with Vincent Price, had a 3D version, as have other movies over the past few decades. So what’s different this time? And how will the new 3D revolutionize home entertainment?

“3D is not some sort of gimmick in this new generation of films — it’s being used to completely change the storytelling experience. I read one Avatar review yesterday where the reporter said that after the film ended, he felt as if he had actually visited the location of the film instead of having just watched it from a distance,” writes Parsons, who says he’s heard similar reactions from viewers of recent 3D films like Disney/Pixar‘s “Up.”

The hope is that 3D Blu-ray can create the same immersive experience, and that new, high-quality 3D movies like “Avatar” and “Up” will create consumer demand.

Early Adopters (Guinea Pigs)
But are 3D flicks enough to drive home adoption of 3D entertainment systems, which would require a significant consumer investment, including a new HDTV set, a 3D Blu-ray player, a few pairs of 3D glasses, and (for a truly immersive experience) surround-sound speakers?

“If the published content is engaging enough, and the experience is fun enough, I think the next time consumers are ready to buy a TV, they will seriously consider one that can reproduce 3D on Blu-ray,” write Parsons, who stressed there’s no guarantee that recent 3D flicks will appear on 3D Blu-ray anytime soon. (But it’s a safe bet they will at some point.)

Blu-ray with 3D would certainly appeal to early adopters first, the same risk-takers who invested in HDTV a few years back. If it succeeds there, 3D Blu-ray would then migrate to the mass market.

“A good number of the early adopters may be ready to move their first HDTV into another part of their homes, and upgrade to a newer, better set with 3D. Most U.S. households have more than one SDTV in them, so I think HDTV can follow a similar path,” Parsons adds.

OK, but what about those clunky 3D glasses?   We’d have to wear those at home, right?

Yes, but that may change eventually. “There are a lot of technology hurdles to get over first,” Parsons writes. “Glasses will probably be part of the equation for quite a while. Perhaps making them less clunky could be a market opportunity for some companies.”

By JR Raphael
December 18, 2009

Susan Boyle may not have won the top spot in “Britain’s Got Talent,” but the big-voiced Brit has just achieved a far more impressive feat: Her video has taken the title of most watched clip on YouTube in 2009.

YouTube released a list of its most popular videos of the year, taking into account aggregated views from all over the globe. And while Boyle’s inaugural television appearance was the most harmonious of the bunch, the other hot commodities were no less theatrical.

Here’s the full list of YouTube’s most watched videos of 2009.

5. Evian Roller Babies With more than 27 million views under its belt, this creative commercial for Evian water certainly grabbed the world’s attention. No word yet how many diaper changes were involved.

4. New Moon Movie Trailer Surprise, surprise: A lot of people watched the trailer for the Twilight saga’s New Moon movie. Thirty-one million, to be exact. Granted, even more people probably gazed at the assets in Christian Serratos’s revealing PETA ad — but that’s another story altogether.

3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance YouTube helped a small wedding make a big splash this year. Jill and Kevin, a couple from Minnesota, busted a move as they walked down the aisle — in fact, the entire wedding party got pretty jiggy, nuptially speaking. The wacky dancers went viral, attracting thirty-three million eyeballs over the course of ’09.

2. David After Dentist A drugged-up little dude soared high on the YouTube charts, pulling in 37 million views worldwide. David, a seven-year-old boy, spouted off all sorts of nonsense following a trip to the dentist. Do his amusing antics warrant the massive merchandise and public speaking business that’s sprung up since the video’s success? God no. But at least they kept that Fred guy from being in this year’s top five.

1. Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent As promised, the saucy Miss Boyle belted her way into YouTube’s most-watched spot for 2009. The clip of Boyle’s first appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent” garnered a whopping 120 million views across the world. Who’s the master of the house now?

Blizzard Entertainment Inc. and Legendary Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the eagerly-anticipated major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning Warcraft universe. Raimi has, in the course of his career, clearly demonstrated a genius for developing and adapting existing fictional universes for mainstream audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original content.

Raimi directed the Spider-Man trilogy, which has broken box-office records around the world and garnered five Academy Award nominations. Known for his imaginative filmmaking style, richly drawn characters and offbeat humor, Raimi wrote and directed the cult classic, The Evil Dead and produced 30 Days Of Night. He most recently wrote and directed the supernatural thriller, Drag Me To Hell.

“At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story,” said Raimi. “I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen.”

Charles Roven’s producing talents were recently seen with last summer’s blockbuster The Dark Knight, which grossed in excess of $1 billion, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two. His body of work also includes the widely acclaimed Batman Begins and the sci-fi classic 12 Monkeys. Roven, with Atlas producing partner Alex Gartner, will be producing with Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary’s chief creative officer Jon Jashni, Raimi and Raimi’s producing partner Joshua Donen. Raimi’s partner, Robert Tapert, will be an executive producer and Blizzard Entertainment’s senior vice president of Creative Development, Chris Metzen, a co-producer.

“Partnering with Sam Raimi exemplifies Legendary’s mandate of marrying the highest quality intellectual property to world-class filmmakers” said Legendary’s Tull. “Sam’s passion for ‘Warcraft’ is undeniable and we know that he will create an incredible film worthy of Blizzard’s phenomenal franchise. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Warner Bros. and continuing our successful relationship with Chuck in bringing this rich new world to the screen.”

“Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life,” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We’re looking forward to working with him to achieve that here.”

“Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft has become a second home for millions of players and Sam’s experience and talent make him the perfect director for this remarkable and action-packed world,” said Atlas’ Roven. “Alex and I are proud to be working with Sam and re-teaming with our friends at Legendary and Warner Bros.”

The film will fall under Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. “Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known. We have enjoyed great success with our partners at Legendary, and this is an incredible opportunity for us to work with Sam on a project that is so eagerly anticipated by so many,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft universe is a rich fantasy setting that revolves around the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994, Warcraft has developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products including novels, action figures, apparel, comic books, board games, and more. World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment’s subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than four million in its first month.

Further details about the upcoming Warcraft movie, including cast and targeted release date, will be revealed as development progresses.