Digital cinema slow to reel in fans

[Adul]

http://news.com.com/2009-1023-935557.html

With the May release of George Lucas' "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones," the spotlight is focused on the promise of digital cinema. But the digital transition in cinema has not been smooth. A new Booz-Allen & Hamilton study suggests full acceptance of digital by the film industry may remain a distant possibility unless key players can redefine how they share revenues and can find creative ways to finance the multibillion-dollar cost of the changeover.

It seems like the people with the most enthusiasm for digital cinema technology are those making movies with it. A half-dozen of the films shown at this year's Cannes Film Festival were shot at least partially using this new technology, which stores video and audio as digital data so it can be manipulated and transmitted electronically. The most prominent was "Clones," whose director seemed as intent on spreading the word about digital cinema as he was on hyping his movie. Still, although "Clones" was shot digitally from beginning to end, few moviegoers actually saw Lucas' film in its digital form. When it opened in the United States, only 60 screens out of 5,000 displayed it using digital projectors.

 

[scauffiel]

I saw AOTC twice in a regular theater and dug it, but kept asking "Does it look out of focus to you?" Then I drove three hours to see it in digital and DAYUMM! Much, much better.

Matter of fact, I'm planning another field trip in a couple of weeks. 😀

It seems like the people with the most enthusiasm for digital cinema technology are those making movies with it.

Well, there's a no-brainer.

S.

 

[BigJohnKC]

Still, although "Clones" was shot digitally from beginning to end, few moviegoers actually saw Lucas' film in its digital form. When it opened in the United States, only 60 screens out of 5,000 displayed it using digital projectors

Um, every stat I read before and after AOTC came out said there were only 19 digital screens in the US, where do they get the 60 stat?? They may have worded this incorrectly, as I think I remember reading that there are 60 digital screens in the world.

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: BigJohnKC

Still, although "Clones" was shot digitally from beginning to end, few moviegoers actually saw Lucas' film in its digital form. When it opened in the United States, only 60 screens out of 5,000 displayed it using digital projectors

Um, every stat I read before and after AOTC came out said there were only 19 digital screens in the US, where do they get the 60 stat?? They may have worded this incorrectly, as I think I remember reading that there are 60 digital screens in the world.

Only 19 in the US? There are like 8 in CA alone... :Q

 

[sohcrates]

Originally posted by: scauffiel
I saw AOTC twice in a regular theater and dug it, but kept asking "Does it look out of focus to you?" Then I drove three hours to see it in digital and DAYUMM! Much, much better.

yeah, since it was filmed totally digitally it apparently had to be "dubbed down" so to speak over to normal i.e. crappy film....therein it looks kinda blurry (i agree)

Only 19 in the US? There are like 8 in CA alone

yep, MOST are in Ca! i saw Episode I at the theater in burbank when i was on vacation a couple years ago...wow, it was cool!