When the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie debuted, it earned big, but still below expectations, in spite of being the first in the franchise to go stereoptical. Of course, the previous Pirates release, one of the worst films ever made, could well explain that. But it doesn’t explain why, when Deathly Hallows and Transformers opened their doors for business, so much of the audience chose to see them the old fashioned way, without glasses or migraines (figures vary, depending on the source, but seem to float between a 2D/3D split of 50/50 and 70/30 for those films. I’d be mighty grateful if anyone could nail a definitive ratio).

The passing of the novelty period might have something to do with falling 3D audience share, but probably less than we’d imagine. More likely people are just hacked off with film makers using the technique in a slap dash, half-arsed fashion. Even theatre owners have some responsibility in this area. Michael Bay had to write an open letter to them before the release of Transformers asking projectionists “not to skimp on bulbs, a practice which saves money,” but results in a dim, dingy viewing experience. (See the link above).

Most directors are not James Cameron and they’re not willing to invest in the technology and expertise needed to bring off flawless 3D in same way he did with Avatar. Last year I visited the set of a small Cameron production, Sanctum, which was shot in native 3D down at the Warner Bros studios on the way to the Gold Coast. There, the director Alistair Grierson, gave me to understand just how much more difficult it is than traditional cinematography. Most of the so-called 3D releases we now see don’t actually bother with it. They convert a standard 2D shoot in digital post post-production. And the results look every bit as good as you’d expect from such a kludge (sarcasm warning, for the slower kiddies). The ticket prices, however, are still significantly higher.

Worse, at the back end of the distribution channel, where movies eventually go die on TV, the hopes of manufacturers like Samsung that 3DTV would open up a lucrative new income stream haven’t played out. People are even more reluctant to subject themselves to ridiculous glasses, eye strain and headaches at home than they are in the dark of a theatre (I’ll admit I totally got that one wrong a while back, when I thought that gamers might lead a larger, mainstream audience into 3D tech at home. Nope. Didn’t happen).

Cameron has sunk a lot of time and money into this technology, and we will undoubtedly see more from him in the future. But for now, I’m thinking the revolution is over. Again.