It has been noted - largely by the porn industry - that porn has really led the way with 3D TV. They have been early adopters of the technology.
The first 3D porn film opened in China over the weekend - to a rapturous reception. Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy cost $2m and uh - it sounds like they made full use of the extra dimension. "It will leave audiences feeling like they are sitting right there at the edge of the bed" said writer Stephen Shiu.
US soft porn mag Penthouse have bankrolled one of the first 3D TV channels to open in the US... and we've documented the introduction of 3D webcam chat in speciality British site Swinger's Heaven, another technological first, and then there's also the 3D version of classic sex instruction video The Lover's Guide.
Obviously the tech companies behind the glossy big 3D screens are playing down their association with the porn industries - preferring to highlight how great boxing matches and nature documentaries look on it, but I was at a talk by renowned British film-maker Mike Figgis over the weekend and he brought up the porn thing all over again.
After discussing the state of the British film industry, the impact of Youtube and the internet and how the funding machine in Hollywood works - someone asked about 3D films and Figgis was pretty scathing about the effect it had on film quality... He said film-makers were just beginning to build up a really interesting language of focus and camera effects and that 3D gave directors way less control because the centre of the image always had to be in focus allowing for much less director's input.
But he added that the tech had found its natural partner with the porn industry and that it really wasn't surprising that they have taken it up so enthusiastically..
Figgis said that the trend towards three dimensional images marked a shift back to the kitschy in film-making - an attempt to make films seem as real as possible, hiding the fact that they are highly manufactured products. Figgis said he preferred a more honest stance from film-makers where the artifice is foregrounded and films are seen more as works of art.
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