Champ

Digital technology is perhaps the biggest change that has happened to filmmaking since talkies. It is set to change the way films are being made, distributed and exhibited.

This technology holds the potential to offer a paradigm shift for cinema. It not only dramatically reduces the costs and opens new revenue streams, but also conceives unlimited scope for creativity.

Like any other successful enterprise, money is triggering this change in the show business. Just to give an idea: One hour’s worth of 35 mm film costs thousands of dollars. One hour’s worth of digital HD tape costs less than $100!

Further, by opening up the tools of media production and distribution to a broader segment of the general public, digital technology has sought to democratize the means of production and exhibition to foster grassroots creativity.

In the distribution segment, a digital film can be directly transmitted from production centre to a digital theatre over a satellite link. Moreover, the new 4K digital projectors (4096 x 2160 pixel resolutions), costing $60,000, displays images at four time bigger resolution than the existing high-definition displays.

Also, the film has multiple levels of encryption which protects it from piracy. The digital movies not only look and sound better, but also reduce the cost of distribution, eliminating the need for making expensive prints and the need to rent, deliver, collect and store prints. It is also much easier on digital to manipulate the last minute programming at a theatre. If a film is a successful and deserves more theatre screening, it would need just a few clicks on computer to do so.

However, not everything is positive about digital cinema.

Currently, there is no standard format for digital technologies around the world. Everyone is working to their own specifications.

“Identifying the need for a single technological standard for digital cinema, major studios have formed an organisation called Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) which is formulating a strategy for this transition.” Source: www.indiantelevision.com

While this is beginning to be addressed by the industry, it is going to be a number of years before a standard is agreed.

On the contrary, traditional cinema allows film to be played all over the world without any worries about compatibility. It doesn’t matter if you are in a first world or a developing country—all you need is a film and a projector and the show starts.

Moreover, the new technology is heavily tilted in favour of production houses. It brings huge profits to them, but it changes little, business wise, for a cinema hall owner. Unless new business models are evolved, there is little investment expected in digital infrastructure by the theatre owners.

In his attempt to explore new revenue model director “Steven Soderbergh unveiled a unique plan to make digital movies for simultaneous release in theatres, on television and on DVD.” He also offered to explore the possibility of sharing video and TV revenues with theatre owners if the theatre owners do not protest simultaneous releases. Soderbergh and 2929 Entertainment have signed a pact to take this project ahead. (source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/)

The new technology will take some time to establish; new business models will take more time to emerge. But howsoever long it might take, there is little doubt that the future belongs to DIGITAL.

References:
howstuffworks.com
rediff.com
indiantelevision.com
www.abs-cbnnews.com
www.news.com
Some books and journals