3-D Anniversary Special

Discussion in 'Doctor Who' started by Allyn Gibson, Feb 11, 2013.

  1. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The BBC announced an Anniversary Special in 3D today.

    It's unclear if this is the special filming in April or if this is a separate special.

    If it is the special filming in April, the post-production work to make it 3D would make sense of why it's filming so early.
     
  2. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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  3. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The BBC article wasn't clear since it was talking otherwise about new commissions, while the anniversary special was commissioned with series 7. :)

    I'm trying to wrap my mind around the idea of a cash-strapped BBC wasting money on a 3-D television special. This news does make sense of the many oddities surrounding it -- why it's only an hour (so there's less film and less FX to deal with), why it's filming in April (long post-production time).

    I have the fear that it's going to be more of a showcase for the world of Doctor Who in 3-D (the console room, Daleks, that sort of thing) than an actual story, though.
     
  4. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    TBH, the delays and shrinking seasons have left me not caring any more. I'll enjoy it when it's on, but...

    At least Game Of Thrones is back at Easter as well, so the year's TV isn't a total loss.
     
  5. Turbo

    Turbo Changeling Premium Member

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    Unbelievable. Yes, let's waste money on a stunt instead of producing an actual 90-minute special or more episodes of the series.
     
  6. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    So just to be clear the 50th Anniversary Special is..."Dimensions in Time II".

    Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
     
  7. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Dang, if the story is shorter because it's in 3D, that sucks!

    Mr Awe
     
  8. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    So, for those of us who are ignorant about 3D TV, if you don't have a 3D TV, it will have no effect on you right? No distortion or degradation of qualty if veiwed on a regular TV?

    Also, do 3D TVs really work? Do you actually see a 3D effect?

    And yea, if they only made it 1hr, so they could afford to 3D it, that really sucks. I guess it's future proofed, but, man, what a bummer.
     
  9. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I don't want to see Matt Smith's face zooming straight to me.
     
  10. OmahaStar

    OmahaStar Disrespectful of his betters Admiral

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    Go into your local Best Buy and they have 3D sets on display. They look like shit. Then you put the glasses on ... Oh, btw, you generally get one pair of glasses with it, and extras are $150 per pair.

    Unless you are at the "sweet spot" exactly the right distance away, and not off to the side by so much as a centemeter, it looks sort of 3d-ish. If you're trying to watch it with someone else, neither will have a good experience watching.

    The technology isn't there, the tv screens are too small, and it's basically full of suckitude.

    To pay the outrageous amount of money it will cost to produce this sucker in 3D for the tiny amount of the audience who actually has the ability to watch it ... well, frankly, it's insane.
     
  11. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    They're also going to be showing it in cinemas, thereby getting people in the UK who've already paid for it via the License Fee to pay for it again.

    Ka-ching!
     
  12. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Paying for a 60 minute TV episode, well I never!
     
  13. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I'm one of the biggest Doctor Who fans in the world. But I doubt even I'll ever bother watching this in 3d.

    Oh, and I agree it should be 90 minutes.
     
  14. OmahaStar

    OmahaStar Disrespectful of his betters Admiral

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    Paramount has done it many times in the UK with Star Trek episodes. Granted, it's usually two episodes, so about 80 minutes, but still.

    There are also theaters that show classic Who (none around here, dammit!). It's not *that* uncommon.

    Still, why is it in 3d? Why not spend the money on making it longer and giving us all the Doctors?
     
  15. Candlelight

    Candlelight Admiral Admiral

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    3D post production shouldn't take too long. The show is cut 2D, and only finished in 3D.

    I worked on a show with a season of 20 3D episodes and we did it all in the space of 10 months - they're only doing 1 episode!
     
  16. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    They've paid for 3D cameras and have to amortise the costs?

    It's going to be a bigger budget version of a Christmas Special, self-contained and designed to be followed by a casual viewer.
     
  17. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    No, it's being shot with 3D cameras.
     
  18. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    *shudders*
     
  19. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    Heh, so really, no different than a 3D DVD on a regular set wit Glasses. I had exactly the same experience with the Freddy Krueger movie that has the 3D scenes and with a 3D version of Night of the Living Dead. If you have on the glasses, and sit in exactly the right place, you kinda get the effect, if you'renot lined up exactly right and the exact right difference, no effect (other than being able to see the picture clearly), and uwatchable without the glasses on.
     
  20. StalwartUK

    StalwartUK Captain Captain

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    What a waste of time and money. No doubt the special will be more about screaming "Look, it's in 3D!" than even trying to tell a decent story. It'll be decisions like this to obsess over gimmicks such as 3D that will kill the series.