As Sony announces it's going to run courses to help filmmakers understand how to make 3D movies without giving the audience a headache in the process, the jury - even post-Avatar - still seems to be very firmly out on the technology, even if it's increasingly becoming a moot argument.

For, right now, more and more productions are heading down the 3D road, and any director who doesn't have requisite clout is probably wise to keep quiet on their thoughts over the 3D craze if they want to keep their options open for the future.

Most directors, including those we're going to highlight here, seem fairly realistic about both the pros and cons of the format. But nonetheless, it's interesting to see the range of positions that come forward nonetheless. Here's how a few of Hollywood's more prominent directors have been seeing the 3D craze of late...

3D ADVOCATES

James Cameron

The keenest protagonist of 3D as the future of film making, Cameron is also the only director to date who's actually had a convincing stab at making it work outside of an animated movie. As has been repeatedly pointed out, though, Cameron committed to the process right at the start of filming of Avatar.

As such, every shot and set-up at least had 3D in mind, and this contrasts nicely with the sloppy retrofitting craze that's going on at the moment. Clash Of The Titans has taken most of the flack thus far for banging on unconvincing 3D in the edit suite, but it's not alone. Cameron, amongst many others, has been critical of 3D being treated as a last minute, post-production decision, and our feelings mirror his: if you're going to go down a 3D path, then do it from day one. A fudge might earn some extra box office dollars while there's still some novelty to it, but it helps nobody in the longer term.

Robert Zemeckis

Zemeckis has long been a fan of making use of cutting edge technology, and he's also the only mainstream director right now with two consecutive 3D films already under his belt (three, if you count the work that's subsequently been done to The Polar Express). There were times too in his underrated and commercially slightly disappointing A Christmas Carol where the technology really delivered too, although this helps cement the view that 3D is at its best in animated movies.

Zemeckis' next feature, his remake of Yellow Submarine, is almost certain to be in 3D too, but again, at least he's a director who's shown he can make effective use of the technology.

The Beards

Both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have, as you might expect, expressed extreme enthusiasm for the 3D format, and in the case of the former, it's little secret that work is being explored on converting the Star Wars features for a 3D release. When we get to see the fruits of this labour remains to be seen, but as any dedicated Star Wars fan will tell you, Mr Lucas rarely misses an opportunity to sell you the same thing all over again.

Steven Spielberg, while still deliberating over his next project post-Tintin, raved about Avatar and the 3D work in that, and has indicated that he believes this is the future direction for film. Furthermore, he too seemingly has plans to convert certain movies in his back catalogue.

Martin Scorsese

Scorsese's upcoming 3D movie, The Invention Of Hugo Cabret, could be as intriguing a litmus test for 3D technology as Cameron's Avatar. Scorsese's argument is that 3D can and should be used to enhance dramas and such like as well as big blockbuster films, and thus he's putting his next film where his mouth is and giving the idea a run.

This is arguably one of the most interesting 3D projects in development as a result, too. Because in the hands of the man who's arguably America's greatest living film director, there really is the potential for something quite special. It'll be fascinating to see how well he deploys the technology.

3D CRITICS

Michael Bay

One of the few big blockbusters directors - perhaps the only one - with the power and clout to say no. Bay has been openly critical of 3D while discussing plans to shoot his third Transformers movie in the format. Granted, that's in specific relation to adding 3D as a post-production process, but that's exactly where the majority of Hollywood 3D projects are heading. Bay told Deadline Hollywood that "Right now, it looks like fake 3D, with layers that are very apparent. You go to the screening room, you are hoping to be thrilled, and you're thinking, huh, this kind of sucks."

Given that the schedule is too tight to bring in 3D from the off now, Transformers 3 looks like being one of the few major blockbusters right now that'll not be released in 3D. That could, of course, still change, but it's hard to detect too much enthusiasm from Bay for taking that path.

Christopher Nolan

As we've already reported today, Nolan had the opportunity to shoot his upcoming movie, Inception, in 3D, and he declined. Warner Bros is no doubt keen for him to tackle the next Batman film utilising 3D technology too, but again, Nolan has banked so much currency with the studio that if he says no, then that's likely to be that.

However, while it's not known if Nolan has a massive problem with 3D, what is clear is that he's seemingly having more fun with the possibilities of the IMAX format. He shot, of course, several scenes of The Dark Knight with IMAX cameras, and has talked up the idea of doing a full feature using the technology. That, for our money, is a more interesting idea than adopting 3D, although it's not unfeasible that he might tackle both.

Whichever way he goes, though, you simply don't detect too much enthusiasm from him for going down a 3D route.

Jason Reitman

Granted, Reitman hasn't, to date, helmed the kind of big blockbuster that a studio would be keen to release in 3D anyway, but the helmer of Up In The Air and Juno has been fairly transparent on his feelings towards the 3D bandwagon. In an interview with Movie Retriever, Reitman said, "I hate 3D. After about 20-30 minutes, I'm always like, 'Okay. I get it.'"

He's one of the few directors to be that candid in their thoughts on 3D moviemaking. But we suspect that quite a few people out there might just agree with him...

Uwe Boll

We don't actually know what Mr Boll's position on 3D is. We're simply keen that he masters the art of 2D filming first before anyone gives him any more toys to play with.

Louis Leterrier

The director of the much-maligned of Clash Of The Titans isn't a fan of the 3D bolt-on that was done to his film either, it appears. He told The Hollywood Reporter that "It's funny, that is one of the things I was saying to them. Don't make it so much like a ViewMaster -- so ... so puffied up. Listen, it was not my intention to do it in 3D; it was not my decision to convert it in 3D."

Our hope here is that the jolt of criticism that's surrounded the Clash hasty tack-on of 3D, in spite of the commercial rewards it's reaped, does at least encourage studios to avoid making such last minute decisions over the format.

What are your views on 3D? Has it won you over yet? Leave your thoughts in the comments below...