Think Fast

As moviegoers race to see Fast Five this weekend Deadline reports that Universal Pictures wants to take the franchise in a new direction, calling "Fast Five" a "transitional movie"

Regarding Fast Six

From this point on the series will be less about street racing  so that "car driving ability [is] just a part of the movie, like those great chases in The French Connection, The Bourne Identity, The Italian Job" says studio chairman Adam Fogelson.

Fogelson adds that part of the appeal of this franchise is that "the business has gone so far towards CG action every weekend, that we really believe creating a movie with real action and real cars will be amazing stuff to people excited by seeing something real."

Bravo! Judging by the Friday Box Office numbers Universal has every reason to smile...Deadline also adds that Dwayne Johnson wants in on the action of "Fast Six".

One thing "Fast Five" is missing is 3-D....

The Los Angeles Times reports that the suits actually was considering doing the conversion process on the film. Before they ponied up the cash though, they decided to test the process on a scene from the last film, 2009's Fast & Furious

"The test was not great. It was discombobulating and we discovered that the things that we find exciting about 3-D just didn't apply to a 'Fast' film. The way we shot the movie and, more importantly, the way we cut it does not lend itself to 3-D" says Universal co-chairman Donna Langley

Langley refers to one of the issues with 3-D - fast editing. The hyperkinetic, quick cut editing techniques and shaky cam aesthetic that modern filmmakers use is anathema to both the technology and audience comfort. Long takes with limited movement of the frame tend to work much better and reduce eyestrain.