Shanghai Science and Art Exhibition presents 7D films

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Shanghai Science and Art Exhibition presents 7D films

By Song Wenjing (CNTV) 09:54, September 03, 2013

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Free 7D movies at International Science and Art Exhibition in Shanghai allow viewers to shoot screen monsters with infrared guns. (CNTV)

The International Science and Art Exhibition in Shanghai is introducing some jaw-dropping 7D films. Visitors to the exhibition have had a chance to watch and take part in three interactive movies, that combine traditional film technology with computer games.

All three of the 10-minute-long movies are about war and adventures, and only six people can watch them at one time. They were filmed in 3D, and technology in the special screening room allows viewers to smell fragrances related to what is happening on screen. Viewers can also feel wind, rain, and their chairs shaking along with the action. They also have an infrared gun so they can shoot at the evil characters on screen and collect points like they would playing a computer game.

Some people waited hours to see one of the movies.

"It’s a lot of fun, and very breathtaking. I don’t have a gun to play with when watching films before, now I have one. And the chairs shakes as well."

"I have never seen this type of movie before. I was quite nervous, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack! I’ve never felt like that before, like I was actually inside the movie."

One filmmaker tells ICS his company plans to make more of the movies in the future.

"We want to adapt these production patterns to broader fields like making scientific and educational movies other than purely fighting evil forces. This would make these things more interactive and make children more interested in learning," said the project manager Zhang Zhiqing.

Zhang refers to the films as 7D movies. But one film analysts say the 7D label is more of a promotion than a real change to the film industry. Professor Ge Ying from School of Film and TV of Shanghai University said, "What these movies improve, like the shaking of chairs, water spraying or smell, is really just a little point that linked to the movies and has little to do with the movie content.

"I think a key breakthrough should be about really adapting the technology into the flow of the stories, and that’s mostly matched with the development of movies."

The exhibition will run until next Monday, and visitors can watch the so-called 7D movies for free.

（Editor：DuMingming、Chen Lidan）