The 3D film revolution could be over before it's begun, according to new research by UK market research company Ipsos Mori.
Indicating that 3D is falling out of favour, the study found that less than a third (29 per cent) of 13-17 year olds rated a 3D film as excellent, down from almost half (48 per cent) last year.
And it's not just teenagers who are tiring of putting on the glasses. Just 28 per cent of women aged 18-34 also rated a 3D film as excellent, down from 41 per cent in 2010. A total of 1,700 people were surveyed.
Following the release of James Cameron's Avatar in 2009, there has been a rash of 3D films from Hollywood.
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However, while Cameron had envisioned his box-office-busting opus as a 3D film from inception – even designing a new camera to revolutionise 3D effects – other releases have added 'faux-3D' in post-production to capitalise on the trend. The latter produces an inferior 3D experience.
Cinemagoers are charged more to see a 3D film. Ipsos Mori's study found that more than 54 per cent of those surveyed did expect to pay an extra £2-3 for a 3D ticket. Encouragingly for cinema owners, 62 per cent of those who expected to do so were also happy to do so.
The British Film Institute has commented that viewers are becoming more choosy about the films they decide to watch in 3D, as opposed to rejecting the medium.
This means that film fans would probably be more inclined to spend extra on a 3D film if the 3D quality is brought up to scratch.
