Like a Kardashian in Beverly Hills or a Lohan in court, you can’t look anywhere nowadays in Hollywood without seeing 3D. And now, with the release of “Step Up 3D” comes a move in a new direction – the 3D Dance Movie.
The second flick in the Disney franchise is directed by Jon Chu, who had his feature debut with “Step Up 2: The Streets” and is also behind the web series “League of Extraordinary Dancers.” Filmed in 3D (no “Clash of the Titans” conversions here), it unleashes a flurry of dance moves and battles, as they are called, that triumph over the limitations of the human body, gravity and, with 3D tech, time and space themselves.
The 30-year old Chu talked 3D, technical difficulties and the return of dance with TheWrap.
Mixing dance and 3D doesn’t, on the surface, seem like the most obvious of onscreen marriages.
No, not at first. But I look at our movie and I can tell you our star is dance. We often talk about the choreography of what’s within the frame, but there’s also the frame itself. With 3D we knew that frame suddenly became an active participant in the dance. And since dance is the language of our movie, I knew going 3D would change the feel of it emotionally and physically.
Dance does seem to having a comeback of late.
Totally. It sort of had disappeared in the last 20 years, the music video basically died and a lot of our dance heroes, like Michael Jackson, have gone away. But we’re seeing a resurgence with “So You Think You Can Dance.” Then there’s “Glee,” which has really upped the ante by showing that narrative and dance can come together in a more organic way.
In “Step Up” we try to do the same thing because this is now a movement forward. I think there is a lot more that can be done with music, dance and storytelling. I think we’re in a golden age of where music, dance and storytelling come together in new and unique ways
So technically and creatively, did you find that new way on “Step Up 3D”?
I think so. We had the best choreographers in the world — people like Jamal Sims. People who’ve worked with Madonna, with Janet and with Michael. People who’ve done many many films and videos. When you’re given a new tool like 3D, you can say to them, “look you’re choreography has a new depth now. We can not just move with the choreography but into it.” Then you see a whole new spark in their eyes.
That kind of environment can only breed creativity, and that is really exciting to me. It was really a question of working with all our strengths and not using the technology to invent something but to express it.
How?
Shooting in 3D is hard, the cameras break down all the time, lenses crack, rigs have to be built. But I tried to use all the disadvantages and challenges to our advantage. Like, we let the camera ride a little bit long which actually plays into the strength of our dancers cause they can actually do all the moves and this isn’t a special effect, so we could show that off.
Did working in 3D change you as a director?
A lot and a little. Ultimately I think that storytelling is storytelling, in 3D, 2D, on screen or online. The only thing that counts is when that camera is on and you have that actor in front of that lens and you say “action” it’s the magic that happens between that actor and that lens – that’s where you deliver to your audience and you just have to keep focused on that.
Do you think 3D might have already peaked?
No, not at all. Whether it’s fantasy or action or animation, as long as the 3D is a part of the storytelling to me that’s where the power of it will be shown in its best. I think right now we’re just seeing the beginning of where other genres can take 3D.
