'Life of Pi' & 3D: adventure is out there

The movie "Life of Pi" has made impressive box office returns in China. The excitement over 3D is reflected in the growing demand by Chinese movie goers, who expect 3D technology to be 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.

Ang Lee, Director of "Life of Pi", 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% of them are for 3D. And cinemas love to give 3D films much more screening time than 2Ds.