“Avatar” director James Cameron is in South Korea today. Talking at a technology forum in Seoul, he said film makers and TV producers can't be afraid to shoot in 3D.
"Avatar" is the highest earning film at the box office, taking in more than $2 billion.
It was one of the most expensive movies to make with a budget of at least $300 million, due in part to its 3D filming.
Cameron says it will be cost effective for TV producers to learn to shoot in 3D in the long run.
[James Cameron, Director]: English
"By doing it (converting 2D into 3D) afterwards, the film maker is robbed of the creative moment of working in 3D. It's a little bit like asking a film maker to make their film in black and white and then 'we will turn it into color for you' afterwards."
He says the cost of shooting in 3D will fall and there's not going to be the time or the money to covert 2D into 3D.
Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics released 3D television sets earlier this year and Japan’s Sony Corp will enter the 3D fray this summer.
But growth is being slowed by high costs for content makers.
[James Cameron, Director]: English
"Koreans like to adopt technology early, very early, and be right at the leading edge of the curve. So the Korean consumers could actually help drive 3D TV and I know that there's a project right now to do a satellite 3D channel. So, you've got the channel, you've got the sets, what we need to do now is… the missing piece is content."
Manufacturers hope the change to 3D will be a big a boost for the industry. The expect to sell 15 million 3D TVs over the next three years.
