'Life of Pi'& 3D: Adventure if out there

Noted director Ang Lee's latest effort "Life of Pi" has hit the big screen on the Chinese mainland. The 3D production that tells a boy's magic adventure has created quite a buzz ever since trailers were released.

The excitement is also reflected in the growing demand among Chinese movie goers, who are expecting 3D technology coupled with the best films in the world.

A young boy named Pi is the only person to survive when a cargo boat goes down. He finds himself on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a Bengal tiger and a hyena.

"Life of Pi" is based on the novel of the same name by Canadian writer Yann Martel.

Kids, animals and water are all known as the hardest to shoot. And Ang Lee put them all together in a 3D film. And though the director says it was more difficult than he had imagined, he believes 3D could be the way of the future.

Lee said, "I think 3D is suitable fit for all films, but not all at present. Currently, it costs a lot, and machines are too big for easy operation. Plus, post production is complex. So basically, action films and big-budget commercial films are capable of making 3D nowadays."

By the end of last year, there were over 8,500 2K screens across China. 60 percent of them are for 3D. And cinemas love to give 3D films much more screening time than 2Ds.

Xu Meng, operations manager of UME International Cineplex, said, "We're showing 'Life of Pi' on four of our seven screens. This will go on until blockbuster '1942' and 'Last Supper' hit the market. Attendance for the limited release last night was up to 70 percent, second only to Titanic."

Avatar lit the fire for 3D fever. And the movie remains on the box-office revenue throne on the Chinese mainland. The 3D-converted Titanic that sailed into the Chinese market early this year took almost 1 billion yuan, putting it in the third place.

And that success led to the return of three-year-old "2012". The 3D version has been fueling high expectations since screening on Tuesday.

Bi Chenggong, Playwright & Film producer, said, "3D is more of a trump card for block-busters to win more screening time from small budget films. At present, most cinemas in China can screen 3D films. They love to show as many 3D films as possible, because 3D tickets are more expensive."

It seems inevitable that more and more 3D films will be playing on China's silver screens. Big-time Hollywood director and businessman James Cameron doesn't want to miss out.

This summer, his new joint venture landed in Tianjin with the mission to bring the world's leading 3D technology to China.

As far back as 2009 when "Avatar" went global, China was its top overseas box-office taker.

Film director James Cameron said, "China is such a rich potential market that is growing so rapidly. The consumer base here really wants high quality and they perceive 3D the highest form of entertainment. So this is the natural place for us to be doing this."

Lee said, "In the past when color films came out, people thought they weren't as serious as black-and-whites. But that's not the way it turned out. So as 3D technology becomes more mature and convenient and people all recognize this language of film, it will be suitable for all movies."

Reporter: "For audiences with glasses like myself, it may be not quite convenient to wear too many pairs at a time for watching movies. But with the technology improves, we may someday take it off. Of course, 3D is not a short-cut to success for any film. But it surely helps filmmakers to live up to their dreams and offer us a better watching experience."