Does the Cinema really need a 4th Dimension?

The whole concept of bringing an additional dimension to the world of cinema is nothing new – 3D cinema has had several revamps over the last 50 years.  Almost half of digital cinema screens in the UK are digital 3D screens, with 1,655 screens in total, with Gravity being the most popular 3D film of 2013.  

BFI Statistical Yearbook 2014.  Source

After trying to match the record-smashing success of 2009's Avatar, which generated $2.97 billion worldwide, becoming the highest grossing film of all time, the last 5 years has seen a string of films attempting to recreate James Cameron's success.  

The percentage of people opting for 3D when a 2D
option is available. Source

The number of 3D films released in the UK were up in 2013 than 2012, but only by 3, and that was only a small percentage of the total films released at the UK Box Office (46 3D films out of a total of 298 - BFI Statistical Yearbook 2014: p10) However, this declined in 2014 with only 28 being released.  it seems that the number of people going to see 3D films are also declining, suggesting people are becoming more selective.  

Box Office 3D sales are also in decline. Source

Research at the University of Utah looked into whether watching 3D generated anymore of a psychological response than the its 2D counterpart.  Showing 4 clips of films, which intended to provoke fear, amusement, sadness and excitement.  Other than a few more sweaty palms from watching a particularly exciting scene of The Polar Express, there appeared to be no difference in reactions.  

Sheila Crowell, the author of the report of the study said that, "both 2D and 3D were equally effective at exciting emotional responses, which also may mean that the expense of producing 3D films is not creating much more than novelty". 

Therefore, if 3D has proven to be no more than short-term novelty, then what makes the film industry think that 4D will be able to do any better?  Well South Korean firm, the CJ CGV, Asia's largest multiplex chain, thinks it can.  The conglomerate owns almost 700 screens in South Korea alone, including what is currently the largest screen on the continent. Developed with its subsidiary CJ 4DPlex, 4DX was born.  

It's aim is to not only stimulate your eyes and ears, but your other senses too, with a whole variety of different effects, including motion seats, which heave, roll and pitch whilst your sat down, and environmental effects like blowing wind and scents towards the audience and creating lightening with special lighting effects.  This could be argued that this brings another sense of 'spectacle' to films, which is not only a visual 'spectacle', but a 'spectacle' which forces you to use all your senses in order to further immerse the viewer into the film, to fully embrace the escapism that viewers often look for in films.  

Although already having small 4D films in places like Disney World, whilst using them on rides, 4DX celebrated its commercial debut back in 2009 the the South Korean release of Avatar. Since then, the conglomerate now operates 150 auditoriums in 30 countries, with the U.S. seeing it's first one last year. Now the UK has it's first with the launch of a 4DX cinema in Milton Keynes at the end of January with spy film Kingsman: The Secret Service.   

The technology has been greeted with mixed reviews, with some saying that not all the special effects were that 'special', with the smoke and scents hardly made a difference, "While they were strong in the back room near the blowers, they were barely noticeable during the film. In fact, we'd go so far as to say they seemed not to be turned on at all during our screening."  Another critic has argued that, "4DX is a gimmick at best and distracting at worst" but recognizes that "if you're the kind of person that enjoys the occasional big-screen 3D movie to set the experience apart from the what you'd get at home, you'll probably get a kick out of 4DX".  

However, despite the doubts, Cineworld, who the South Korean company has licensed it's technology with, plans to open up 4DX cinema's in Sheffiled and Glasgow this year, and a further four or five each year nationwide.

The screening of each 4D film is a joint venture between the cinema, the distributor and CJ CGV, meaning that the converted film has to get the all-clear from each party before the profits are split 3-way.

It's certainly promising to hear that distributors are continually searching for new and exciting ways to make the viewing experience a unique one in order to create that 'spectacle' that directors and distributors strive for. Particularly because Choi Byung-hwan, CEO of 4DPlex, says that the LA 4DPlex studio receives regular visits from movie producers and actors because "they are interested to see how their film is converted". Apparently, one of the fans of the 4DX technology is Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron, who said he wished he had known about the technology sooner. 

However, there has been no more notable interest from people in the industry since last year and considering 3Ds track record, it suggests that 4DX's prospects don't seem bright. An issue with the technology at this early stage is whether filmmakers will take the technology seriously and see it as a sustainable distribution format, and therefore creatively use it to produce a film that benefits from this type of technology rather than using it as a gimmick to sell tickets. Like Avatar made use of 3D, 4D technology needs a film like this in order to establish itself as a worthy platform.

In order to do this, the technology may need to get past a few hurdles, including the view that stimulating more than just your vision "may stunt creativity by inhibiting viewers from tapping into their imagination."  Also, at a higher price of twice the average cinema ticket, people may be more inclined to spend their money they know will gurantee an enjoyable experience, rather than risking their hard-earned cash on something that may not be.

Nevertheless, the 4DX technology seems to be gaining momentum within in the industry with over 200 feature length films having 4DX technology being tailored to them, including The Hunger Games and Puss in Boots in the U.S and in 2013, 4DPlex adapted 58 films in its conversion labs in LA, 42 of which were from Hollywood.