A new brand of motion pictures

"Avatar" has become a movement. It's no surprise that the largest-grossing film worldwide was produced using 3-D technology that is setting a new standard in cinematography.

The 3-D experience takes a moviegoer to a whole new realm of visual advancements. In "Avatar," the action and scenery not only becomes more real and vivid but also the colors and sounds turn more dramatic and alluring. Previous films over the years have appeared in 3-D, but they were not as popular. For the coming months, however, 3-D films will be the rage.

The highly anticipated remake of the children classic, "Alice in Wonderland," directed by Tim Burton and starring heartthrob Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter will venture to theaters in 3-D. Already generating buzz, the movie will no doubt use 3-D to enhance visuals when released the first week of March.

A new decade means that in the upcoming months and even years, 3-D films will become the norm. Other films this year to debut in 3-D include "Toy Story 3" and "Shrek Forever After." Looking toward 2011, predictable blockbusters, such as the next installments of the "Harry Potter" series and "Twilight" phenomenon will also debut in 3-D graphics. Films in 3-D will explode since these enhancements can be included in animated stories, comedies, dramas and thrillers alike.

Besides impacting the filmmaking industry, 3-D films affect another culture - piracy. For now, 3-D films appear to be a temporary antidote to the illegal downloading and distribution of copied films. Home-viewing of 3-D films is virtually absent because no one has the resources to do so; however, electronic giants like Samsung and Sony are planning on 3-D compatible devices. Still, smaller sizes of home entertainment devices cannot parallel the wide-screens at the theaters, making the 3-D market fresh and untouchable. As 3-D enters the mainstream movie market, it will be sought-out by moviegoers for at least some time.

Overall, 3-D technology delivers audiences with a memorable type of magic. From 3-D glasses to engagement of the audience, these films may maintain a value unsurpassed to the motion picture culture. As 3-D movies continue to have a fan base, we can only expect that films in the works at mega-studios such as Pixar will dominate the weekend box office and potentially downgrade some harms of piracy.

At least, if 3-D movie specials become standard, it won't cost the extra bucks as it does now.