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Topic: When was the last day 35 MM was run in your building?
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Paul H. Rayton
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 210
From: Los Angeles, CA , USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 09-18-2011 03:58 PM
While some customers may claim to "not want to watch a movie on video", the facts are that 1) DCI-compliant projection is significantly better than mere "video", with, in round numbers, 4X the data rate of even Blu-ray discs; 2) younger folks -- who are a significant part of the moviegoing audiences these days -- don't really give a rat's patootie "how" the picture is projected, plus they were raised watching MTV and videos, they barely know what "film" is, and they probably prefer electronic imaging because that's what they are accustomed to; 3) with the drop in print and film use in general, Eastman Kodak is, soon enough, not going to be able to afford to manufacture film at affordable prices, so prints will get to be mighty expensive; and 4) in short order, distributors will not even have film prints for you, so you'll be either running something electronically ... or out of business.
So, other than that, your customers can "prefer" to watch film all they want, but (with some quite rare exceptions) they'll have to go in to mid-city NYC, at MOMA or AMMI, to see it projected that way! It's a sad situation for traditionalists to accept, but it's comin' at you like an express train comin' down the track, and you better hope you are not tied down on to those tracks! Just in the last week, even the Arclight Hollywood went 100% digital, and there will be more conversions next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. Can't you hear the drumbeat?
It's boiling down now to an example of a corollary of Gresham's Law, with what's a cheaper technology driving out a more expensive technology. There can be plenty of discussion about whether digital is truly less expensive at the exhibition end of things -- but to the studios, who make those movies and who now do NOT have to purchase all those prints, and the concomitant shipping -- yes, it's less expensive. By far. Remember the story of the sign seen in the repair shop? "Fast, Cheap, Good -- choose any two". The story may be apocryphal, but the situation is seriously comparable.
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Mike Blakesley
Film God
Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-18-2011 11:29 PM
quote: Richard May
With the majority of folks coming to our theater being older people, they do know the difference.
So they know the difference, but what's their complaint about digital? It's not jumpy enough? They miss the scratches? The splices? They want to count the changeover cues? (OK I'll give you that one...I miss them!)
The first time I ever watched a digital movie was at some large city theatre, not sure what city. I knew it was digital going in. I was HOPING I would hate it, because at the time I was dreading the conversion, wondering how we would ever afford it, etc. (That was when conversions were like $125,000 per screen without even thinking about 3-D.)
Well...the movie started and I could not find anything wrong. The picture was sharp, clear, steady and in focus from corner to corner. I didn't see any pixelation. After about 2 minutes of trying to find something wrong, I forgot about my internal debate. I enjoyed the movie and forgot I wasn't watching it on film.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 09-19-2011 01:18 AM
quote:
I do see a point next year when the VPFs dry up when a significant number of screens will remain film. and the speed at which the conversion progresses will come to a grinding halt...
So, why the big push for digital conversion if the bottom gonna fall out of the VPF thing, and how will the VPF thing dry up (if this one can be closely answered..)?
Are the converted cinemas gonna take it in the end real bad?
"Boy", all of a sudden, all of those 35mm machines that were dumped off at STRONG suddenly may have the return value on them after all for resale when these digital unit repair bills really start to pile up and the VPF money dries up to keep them fixed. Then, those DCI units will be heading to STRONG for the recyle bin after the 10 year warranty expires.
quote: Richard May
they do know the difference
have you asked them of what the differences were?
(I know that I posted this one before, but have to add this one in in this topic...)
Like my wife went to see one of our digital presentations, and after the show, I asked her how she liked the movie in which she did confirm of that she did like it. Then, I told her that it was digital presentation..
.."It was?", she said.
The next day, her and ner neice came to a 35mm film, asked her the same question with same reply..and told her different that this was a film presentaion.....
..."It was?", she said.
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