Philosophy
"Movie Theaters Fight Back–With Satellite Dishes of Their Own"
by
Gary Susman
March 20th, 2013
Time
Instead of shipping expensive, bulky reels of film to your multiplex, they can now send movies encoded on hard drives—at less than one-tenth the cost. Satellite, which will allow theaters to download movies from a private network onto dedicated servers, should reduce distribution costs to a minimum.
The results may not please everyone. Small theater chains, independently owned movie houses, and indie-film distributors aren’t included in the coalition (at least, not yet). And a lot of theater owners may balk at buying one more piece of costly hardware after having barely weathered the conversion to digital projection. Over the past few years, that transition cost $70,000 to $100,000 per screen, and though the studios absorbed some of those expenses, many theaters either couldn’t afford to convert, or went bankrupt trying. The National Organization of Theater Owners estimated that the cost of digital conversion could ultimately darken as many as 10,000 screens, shuttering one in every four venues in North America. Of course, some cinemas (art and repertory houses, for instance) are keeping 35mm projectors, but celluloid exhibition – the way we saw movies for a century – will likely become a specialty business catering to a niche audience.
Still, film purists who prefer the grain of celluloid to the icy look of digital or the murk of 3D may find consolation in the prospect that satellite transmission will also allow theaters to show more diverse fare, beyond just movies. A popular series like AMC’s The Met Live, which simulcasts performances from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to a few dozen cinemas nationwide, might expand to hundreds of screens. Or you could watch major sporting events on a screen as tall as your house. That beats the living room couch, doesn’t it?
Small theater operators feel the change
Film projection booths are nearly dead
- "that's All Folks"...analog At Movie Theaters Is Nearly Dead
"The Last 35 mm Picture Show" A small-town Saskatchewan cinema goes digital by Vanda Schmöckel January/February 2014 The Walrus Woody Woodpecker and Sugarfoot were minding their own business when Dirty McNasty came along and ruined their day. The gun-wielding...
- Beginning Of The End...paramount Nixes Film Release Prints
"End of film: Paramount first studio to stop distributing film prints" by Richard Verrier January 17th, 2014 latimes.com In a historic step for Hollywood, Paramount Pictures has become the first major studio to stop releasing movies on film in the...
- Film Projection Booths Are Nearly Dead
Eastman has cut back and will probably discontinue motion picture film production so it will be left to Fuji and eventually it will disappear. This issue has already hurt the small town mom and pop theaters. "Digital projection has drive-in movie theaters...
- Told Ya...3d Is Dying
"Is 3-D Dead in the Water?" by Daniel Engber August 24th, 2010 Slate Another summer weekend, another 3-D blockbuster (Piranha 3-D), and yet one more round of industry speculation: Will newfangled stereographic technology save Hollywood? Or has the...
- Dvd Window For The Film Industry
This has nothing to do with art but more with profits...just another method to make lots of money. "Will 'Alice in Wonderland' start a DVD window revolution?" by Patrick Goldstein March 22nd, 2010 Los Angeles Times It's becoming increasingly...
Philosophy
The grain of celluloid or the icy look of digital?
Empty and dead.
"Movie Theaters Fight Back–With Satellite Dishes of Their Own"
by
Gary Susman
March 20th, 2013
Time
Instead of shipping expensive, bulky reels of film to your multiplex, they can now send movies encoded on hard drives—at less than one-tenth the cost. Satellite, which will allow theaters to download movies from a private network onto dedicated servers, should reduce distribution costs to a minimum.
The results may not please everyone. Small theater chains, independently owned movie houses, and indie-film distributors aren’t included in the coalition (at least, not yet). And a lot of theater owners may balk at buying one more piece of costly hardware after having barely weathered the conversion to digital projection. Over the past few years, that transition cost $70,000 to $100,000 per screen, and though the studios absorbed some of those expenses, many theaters either couldn’t afford to convert, or went bankrupt trying. The National Organization of Theater Owners estimated that the cost of digital conversion could ultimately darken as many as 10,000 screens, shuttering one in every four venues in North America. Of course, some cinemas (art and repertory houses, for instance) are keeping 35mm projectors, but celluloid exhibition – the way we saw movies for a century – will likely become a specialty business catering to a niche audience.
Still, film purists who prefer the grain of celluloid to the icy look of digital or the murk of 3D may find consolation in the prospect that satellite transmission will also allow theaters to show more diverse fare, beyond just movies. A popular series like AMC’s The Met Live, which simulcasts performances from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to a few dozen cinemas nationwide, might expand to hundreds of screens. Or you could watch major sporting events on a screen as tall as your house. That beats the living room couch, doesn’t it?
Small theater operators feel the change
Film projection booths are nearly dead
- "that's All Folks"...analog At Movie Theaters Is Nearly Dead
"The Last 35 mm Picture Show" A small-town Saskatchewan cinema goes digital by Vanda Schmöckel January/February 2014 The Walrus Woody Woodpecker and Sugarfoot were minding their own business when Dirty McNasty came along and ruined their day. The gun-wielding...
- Beginning Of The End...paramount Nixes Film Release Prints
"End of film: Paramount first studio to stop distributing film prints" by Richard Verrier January 17th, 2014 latimes.com In a historic step for Hollywood, Paramount Pictures has become the first major studio to stop releasing movies on film in the...
- Film Projection Booths Are Nearly Dead
Eastman has cut back and will probably discontinue motion picture film production so it will be left to Fuji and eventually it will disappear. This issue has already hurt the small town mom and pop theaters. "Digital projection has drive-in movie theaters...
- Told Ya...3d Is Dying
"Is 3-D Dead in the Water?" by Daniel Engber August 24th, 2010 Slate Another summer weekend, another 3-D blockbuster (Piranha 3-D), and yet one more round of industry speculation: Will newfangled stereographic technology save Hollywood? Or has the...
- Dvd Window For The Film Industry
This has nothing to do with art but more with profits...just another method to make lots of money. "Will 'Alice in Wonderland' start a DVD window revolution?" by Patrick Goldstein March 22nd, 2010 Los Angeles Times It's becoming increasingly...