The biggest debate in 3D filmmaking is, and has always been, whether post conversion efforts are worth the time or if native 3D filmmaking is the only way to go. The argument for native 3D has been the more strongly supported argument for a while now, but a new featurette for Gareth Edwards' upcoming Godzilla film has made probably the best argument for 3D post-conversion processing ever.
Cinema Procinal has the video on their official YouTube channel, which features several key figures from the film's production. The film's director is the most enthusiastic about the entire process, which is best summed up in one of his initial thoughts in the video.
"I think it's better, because you have more control. When you convert it afterwards, you can push things back, pull them forwards, shape things more, and you can finesse it a lot more in post."
Producer Thomas Tull had an even grander statement to make regarding the advancements of technology that have made this film possible, stating that:
"In the end, when you see the finished product, you're gonna see Godzilla in detail and in movement that were not possible 15 or 20 years ago."
Mr. Tull's claim seems like an obvious dig at Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, but is it as easy of a dig as we think? After all, Jurassic Park boasted computer graphics in 1993 that still hold up to this day. To accurately compare the Godzilla of the past to Gareth Edwards' Godzilla, we'll need to consult footage from the former for comparison to the latter. Here's footage from one of the 1998 film's chase scenes, presented as evidence.
Judging that footage by the cinematography alone, we see that we have a very limited view of the character. It's almost as if the filmmakers were either hampered or uncomfortable with presenting the creature outside of a certain range of focus. From a special effects standpoint, the older Godzilla looks more like a modified tyrannosaur model than a more imaginative, or even traditional, take on the character. Godzilla '14, on the other hand, looks truly monstrous in scale and in actual detail. It nods to the style of the original film, while doing its own thing with the character.
Finally, there's a little bit of new footage included in this segment, including a hint towards the film's ending. At least, that's what it looks like at 01:43 into the video, as Aaron Taylor-Johnson looks exhausted and beaten up as a gigantic (possibly nuclear?) flash goes off in the background. We also get more of a glimpse at Muto, the "other" monster in the picture, as it stomps around and knocks over a fire truck. Cap everything off with some new establishing shots of Godzilla from the water, and a sampling of Alexandre Desplat's score for the film, and you have a nice look at next weekend's possible box office champ.
Godzilla opens in theaters next Thursday night.
