by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
The digital revolution has finally come to fruition in the movie industry after the early progenitors wrestled with the initial expense of retooling, and the controversial artistic aspects of making the conversion. The proof would be if filmmakers and audiences would accept the upgrade to digital projection. For exhibitors, the end-game would be drastically lowered costs to getting films to the theaters.
The new digital systems have the capability of using a closed satellite network to transmit encrypted movies to the digital projectors which are equipped with hard drives to save the movies. Of course, this means the cost of shipping canisters of film around the country either by truck or overnight mail would be eliminated. More significantly, the cost of printing the films would also be negated, drastically lowering the overall cost of making films.
Clearly, the transition has been fraught with naysayers. Some directors, such as Steven Spielberg, preach the gospel of film for its nuanced artistic properties. However, other filmmakers such as James Cameron and George Lucas, have helped to pioneer the development of digital technology to the point that now they exclusively use digital cameras for shooting film and editing the final product.
The bottom line is: Progress in any technology is a runaway train. Now, digital projection has come to Jacksonville at AMC Regency and Orange Park (Cinemark and Regal theatre are close behind) with one theater at each location digitally projecting The Bridge to Tarabithia. Last Thursday I viewed this film shot by Disney using digital cameras and projectors to exhibit the film. The film is bright and ultra-clear, like Imax. In other words, to me, it was a great improvement over film, and the filmmaker was able to use light shading and other subtleties effectively, and with artistic freedom, much of which takes place in digital editing during post-production. .
Frankly, if I had not known the film was being projected from a digital projector, I would have not known the difference. When I asked the people leaving the theatre if they knew the film was being digitally projected, they said no, and were surprised to learn about this change. All the people I asked loved the film itself, and had no complaints about the new technology.
Of course, there are those filmmakers who will always prefer film, and that should be their prerogative. However, the pressure to bring down the overall cost of making movies will eventually force these holdouts to switch to digital filmmaking. As with all new technology, one must adapt or die!
To facilitate the implementation of the digital conversion in movie theaters AMC Entertainment, Cinemark USA, and Regal Entertainment Group have formed a joint venture headed by former Lowes’ CEO Travis Reid. These three leading exhibition companies have inked an equal partnership to create Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, LLC (DCIP). The company is headquartered in Bergen County, NJ.
DCIP’s mission includes procuring equipment, arranging financing, and negotiating usage agreements with studios and other content providers. Each founding member of DCIP will have an equal ownership interest.
More significantly, DCIP along with Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Pictures recently announced a joint venture that will evaluate and implement the most efficient form of digital delivery for digital cinema. The joint venture marks a first-time collaboration between studios and exhibitors to develop the most cost-effective form of digital content delivery through satellite feeds or by digital distribution.
“Utilizing digital distribution technologies to support digital cinema seems like a natural progression and complementary way to roll-out of projection systems that are currently in-place. We are excited by the opportunities we will have to identify and develop the most effective, cost-efficient means for delivery of our films,” said Darcy Antonellis, Warner Bros. Executive Vice President, Distribution and Technoloy Operation.
As an attractive by-product of this new distribution system, the new equipment limits the number of people who handle the product, which increases the security and supports the fight against piracy. The bottom line, like with my experience viewing a digitally projected film is that moviegoers will not know the difference. Look how fast the public embraced DVDs.
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