Digital 3D Cinema: Digital Cinema's Missing Novelty Phase

This essay looks at the delay in the conversion of motion picture theaters to digital projection in terms of digital cinema's lack of novelty value. It argues that proponents of digital cinema turned to digital 3D to supply that missing novelty value and notes that theater conversions increased dramatically after the release of Avatar in 2009 and Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3 in 2010. After reviewing problems with 3D exhibition, it argues against the likelihood of 3D becoming a new norm.