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Author Topic: Small theater operators weigh digital conversion Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-01-2011 10:30 AM                        I have been involved with a number of film festivals and am presently knee-deep in a stack of HDCAM tapes. Any decent festival will have a list of acceptable formats. In the last year, I have seen HDCAM, Digi-Beta (dying), Beta SP (soon to be dead), 35mm, and 16mm (mostly for student films and "experimental" films...not common at more "mainstream" festivals). The mix of tape to film varies by festival. Those that show titles that are early in their release cycle tend to have more tapes. Same for those that concentrate on documentary or low-budget titles. Festivals that show more mainstream narrative features (especially late in the release cycle) and/or classic titles tend to get prints. I have never heard of anyone asking about screening a DCP at a film festival. Not that any of the ones that I have worked for could. Presumably it would make video-based shorts programs much easier than a batch of tapes in various formats and frame rates. (My recent discovery is that having two HDCAM decks makes shorts programs much, much easier and smoother than trying to do a mixed-format program with only one deck.)  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 05-01-2011 11:05 AM                     it's too bad that Landmark hasn't made much of an extra effort to add DP systems at it's Bethesda Maryland location, unfortunately May 6's opening of the 3D Werner Herzog documentary 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' isn't presented as such, thankfully AMC Hoffman in Alexandria Virginia IS in 3D - maybe if and when "Cane Toads: The Conquest" (3D) gets released, Bethesda or E Street will have a 3D system.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 05-05-2011 02:36 PM                        Bobby quote: Jonathan Goeldner was the last to post I really have to agree with the others saying digital doesn't add much in the way of increased attendance. Here locally, the Central Mall 12 has better attendance than the Carmike 8. Yet the Carmike 8 is a far better designed, equipped and operated theater. Only 1 of the 12 screens at the Central Mall theater is equipped with digital projection and only 2 are equipped with 5.1 digital sound. The rest are stereo/mono. Plus the mall theater's customer traffic has more in the way of noisy teens, compulsive cell phone users and other distractions. If "digital" had as much marquee value as one would expect many would just avoid the mall theater. But they keep going there because it's in the mall. quote: Jonathan Goeldner was the last to post I don't know if what I am saying here is at all related to digital or not. But the grosses are higher on individual films at the Carmike 8 than the Central Mall 12 on a consistent basis. At least according to Rentrak reporting. The Mall theater has 4 more screens and that is where extra income comes in their year to date is higher than Carmike weather it is extended play or just more movies than can play. It could be a combination of the two or maybe more selection. A theater is a total package of what is offered and I know the Carmike is going to be better run, but the convince of the mall (if you want to call it that) more screens, and longer play all play a part of what is there. At times you look a theater and wonder how it is so busy. Some poorly run theaters have great business and other times you look at a real quality operations and wonder how they keep the doors open. Usually quality wins out but not always. Carmike has certainly cleaned up their act ove the last 10 years and that should keep them growing. It isn't so much hit and miss with them anymore.  |  IP: Logged

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