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Author
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Topic: More d-cinema morons
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 02-23-2004 10:19 AM
It is for this reason that theaters need to concentrate on selling the movie-going experience, and not the movie. When they sell the movie, which is the most common tactic, they are competing head-to-head with tight DVD release windows, movie pirates, and any other possible alternate distribution method (sports bars).
If theaters sell the movie-going experience, then they concentrate on what should be their strength. Make the experience fun, enjoyable, care-free, and without any detracting moments.
Few home theaters will have 30-75ft screens, just make sure that large image is rock-steady and clean. Many home theaters will have good digital sound, so make sure yours is great and doesn't drop out at every reel change.
Most home theaters have better popcorn, so the best you can do is avoid the noxious fake butter topping and teach the staff not to serve the crappy stuff that tastes like styrofoam pellets and leaves you with a dull taste in your mouth until you can get home to brush your teeth. The soda is usually the same between home and theater, so there's not much you can do there outside of not scalping your customers for it.
Once you have the basic experience down pat, swing for the fences by offering something that people will rarely get or bother to do at home. Go above and beyond.
Want to know what those things are? Ask your customers, they'll tell you.
This is how to make D-Cinema better than HDTV or HD-DVD, in the home or any other venue. And you don't even have to wait for D-Cinema to do it. Do the above things with your current film operations, and I'll wager that your revenue will go up, as will your customer loyalty.
Then, when everyone finally stops bitching about who will pay for the costs of D-Cinema and actually starts doing something about it, your customers will still be coming in the door, and all that innovative and customer-focused thinking on your part that got them there will probably result in some ideas on how to capitalize on the investment in the new equipment.
There are many more aspects to customer satisfaction than resolution comparisons between D-Cinema and Film. I think it's very unwise to bash on D-Cinema, especially when many theaters do such a poor job projecting film.
As long as theaters fail to deliver an excellent movie-going experience, they are destined to be overtaken by others who can satisfy those customers better.
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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug
Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 02-23-2004 04:14 PM
From Digital Producer Magazine Feb 23, 2004.
>>> Phil
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The Digital Distribution of Movies
by John B. Virata
SingTel, Asia's largest communications company recently made the announcement that it successfully distributed a film, Infernal Affairs III, digitally over its Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network from Hong Kong to Singapore, bypassing the film printing and courier process entirely. While digital technology has permeated almost all aspects of filmmaking in the last decade, the digital distribution of films has not, with just a scant few releases making headlines. Star Wars Episode 2: The Phantom Menace was one such film that was distributed digitally to select locations in the United States.
According to SingTel, the potential cost savings are significant. The company says 99 percent of films that make it to U.S. theaters are shown on standard 35mm film reels, with a cost of each print ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 per theater. If a particular film was shown in 3000 theaters across the United States, the printing cost alone could reach about $6 million, the company says. Digital distribution of such a film, the company says, would reduce that cost to about $42,000. This is provided a theater is already equipped with the necessary technology to receive and playback the digital film. Singapore-based SingTel hopes to change the way films are distributed, and the company is hoping that it can attract the attention of moviemakers and film studios in an effort to woo them to distribute their films digitally, over its network.
DMN Executive Editor John B. Virata spoke with Ms. Hwee Boon Ng, managing director of Singapore Telecom USA about what this technology means for film distributors, filmmakers, and the movie-going public.
DMN: Tell us a bit about what digital distribution of films means for the Asian movie distributor?
HN: Transmitting movies files using SingTel’s ATM service means that Asian films can now be distributed to the rest of the Asia Pacific region and key markets such as the US and Australia in a faster and more secure manner, and at potentially lower costs.
DMN: What are we talking about in terms of cost savings?
HN: Using SingTel’s ATM service to send the movie files means that potentially, only one master of the movie file needs to be sent to each cinema or megaplex. The theaters that will be showing the movie can download the movie file from the central cinema server that stores the movie files. Digital media distribution can potentially cut the average total cost per US movie with 3,000 prints from $6 Million to $42,000, saving Hollywood movie distributors more than $1 billion a year in duplication, transportation and other costs.
DMN: What will this mean for the American movie distributors?
HN: The American movie distributors will enjoy numerous benefits such as increased speed of delivery, increased security and reduced costs. A Hollywood film can potentially be distributed and screened in thousands of theaters in the world as soon as the film is completed. There is no need to wait for the film duplication house to make thousands of print copies and rushing them to the theaters around the world via courier. Reducing time lag caused by duplication and traditional physical courier also means that the movies can be screened earlier, reducing the window for production and sale of pirated versions. As the movie file will be transmitted directly from the studio to the cinema servers, it reduces the number of intermediaries and potential risks such as thefts.
DMN: It is said that the digital distribution of films will lead to a reduction of piracy, of which the Asia region is a huge market for pirated films. Films that are distributed digitally are pristine copies of the original and are very tempting for pirates. How will this technology reduce piracy?
HN: SingTel’s fully managed ATM network, combined with the strong encryption systems developed by companies such as GDC prevents unauthorized use and thus eliminates the ability to pirate the motion picture. Furthermore, with the reduction in time to market with SingTel’s ATM service, simultaneous worldwide releases are possible, hence, making it challenging for pirates to duplicate and sell copies of the pirated movie in the streets even before the movie premiere.
DMN: What is the technology behind the data transfer? Are we talking about existing technology currently used for other applications or is this new technology that SingTel has targeted directly at film distributors?
HN: Movie files are digitally distributed using SingTel’s Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. The SingTel ATM service is most suitable for multimedia applications. In general, it is the service of choice if a customer demands multimedia support, high speed transport capability, network manageability and network accountability functions.
DMN: The Shaw Lido Cineplex in Singapore is the first to premiere a film that was transferred via SingTel's ATM network. How many theaters in Singapore are currently capable of showing movies that are distributed digitally?
HN: Currently, Cathay Cineplex is equipped with a DRP 1.3K projector. Over the next few months, another major cinema operator in Singapore, Eng Wah Organisation, will be equipping 20 of their cinema screens digitally and another for an outdoor screen. There will be about 22 digitally equipped theaters in Singapore by the end of 2004.
DMN: What about other countries such as China or the Philippines? At what stage are countries such as these expressing interest in the digital distribution of films?
HN: We have received good response in terms of indication of interests from the various markets, especially Hong Kong and China following the successful launch of “Infernal Affairs III” in Singapore. They are interested to find out how to leverage on SingTel’s ATM service to distribute films and live concerts.
DMN: What is the initial capital outlay for a theater to achieve the capability to display a film that came over via the SingTel ATM network?
HN: A cinema will typically need to procure a digital projector, such as those from Barco Projection Systems, and digital film servers, such as those from GDC Technology. The transmission for “Infernal Affairs III” was done using SingTel’s ATM, GDC’s servers and Barco’s projectors.
DMN: At what stage are American movie makers investigating technologies such as what SingTel is currently delivering in Asia?
HN: We believe that as Asia’s leading communications company recognized by industry experts, SingTel is able to add value to the American movie distributors who are interested to explore this cutting edge form of movie distribution especially to Asia where SingTel has unparalleled reach in terms of service coverage, infrastructure and support. Following the successful release of Infernal Affairs III, we have received queries from media customers who are interested to ride on SingTel’s network for their business needs.
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Pravin Ratnam
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 844
From: Atlanta, GA,USA
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 02-23-2004 11:40 PM
At one time, a lot of people were happy with VHS too. Some people would not understand my frustration with the format. Laserdiscs were not easily avialable to all. Also 20 inch TVs were more common in the VHS age. Now we got more big screen TVs and DVDs aqnd guess what - DVDs have become big sellers bringing more revenue to the studios than VHS ever did. You don't think quality subconsiously plays a part in that? Now those same people would rather wait for a DVD rental to become available than watch the VHS version.
While it's true not many are consciously bitching about technical quality of presentations, substandard projection does play a part in turning off the audience. Remember when the sound was too loud. I know some customers who would think twice about watching a movie because of the sound. Once the presentation becomes substandard, the audience member is not as immersed into the movie as one should be , and then that member becomes more sensitive to other non movie distractions in the theater, noticing the cramped seats, stale popcorn, or whatever. OK, it's just a theory that is not proven. Still I stand by my other points. I saw a couple of action movies in discount theaters on purpose after watching them in a good theater. Let me tell you. The impact of each action scene seemed to elicit less reaction from the audience than what I noticed in the good theater because the visual and aural cues don't work as well. If theaters would just maintain their projector bulbs, they would get more satisfaction from viewers. I know slow paced movies that seemed even more slow and boring because of the dull projector bulbs.
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