Star Wars creator George Lucas predicts 3D filmmaking will eventually take over at the movies the way colour replaced black and white.

But George and fellow technology pioneers James Cameron, the maker of Avatar, and DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg said digital filmmaking is only in its infancy and will bring vast improvements to how movies are made and seen.

The three spoke at a digital-film panel at CinemaCon, a Las Vegas convention for cinema owners.

The hour-long discussion touched on new filmmaking tools, enhancements to cinema sound and how badly presented 3-D movies can sour audiences on digital 3-D films in general.

Cinema owners applauded heartily when George said home systems or portable video devices will never replace the cinema as the best place to see films.