digital cinema updated
TRANSCRIPT
Section B: Audiences and Institutions
Films are made up images printed on to acetate negatives.
These are then “spliced” together to form a reel of film.
These are then feed through a projector at a constant speed of 24 frames a second which makes the pictures appear to be moving.
Digital cinema uses bits and bytes (strings of 1s and 0s) to record, transmit and reply images, instead of chemicals on film.
The whole process is electronic so there is no printing or “splicing” involved.
Digital cinema has grown rapidly in the last 10 years.
Star Wars: Episode II, the Attack of the Clones (2002) was the first big budget live action film shot entirely on digital video.
However, transferred to 35mm film to be exhibited in cinemas
Film makers were far from convinced that digital was the future of cinema.
Advantages Digital technology can store, transmit
and retrieve a huge amount of data exactly as it was originally recorded.
The quality of digital film does not deteriorate.
Analogue technology (film) loses information in transmission and generally degrades with each viewing
Digital information is a lot more flexible than analogue information
A computer can manipulate bytes of data very easily
E.g. ease of editing using a program such as iMovie/Final Cut
This saves time and therefore saves money.
Digital cinema affects the three stages of film-making:
Production – how the film is madeDistribution – how the film gets
from the production company to the cinema
Exhibition – how the cinema shows the film
How has digital cinema changed:
ProductionDistributionExhibition
Prepare to feedback to the class
1.Production New digital camera technology
rivals traditional film for quality Digital camcorders using a high-
definition format called HD-CAM are much cheaper than standard film cameras.
Virtually no processing necessary before the editing stage
Tapes can be re-used many times – unlike film
Footage can be viewed on immediately on set
Production time is cut and so are costsBY HOLLYWOOD STANDARDS
DIGITAL VIDEO COSTS VIRTUALLY NOTHING
Example:Attack of the Clones$16,000 on 220 hours of digital tapeWould have spent:$1.8million on 220 hours of film
2.Distribution Film prints are very expensive
(£1500-£3000 per print) Expensive to ship heavy reels of
film and then to collect them when film finishes its run
Digital films are basically big computer files
Can be written to DVD-ROMSent via broadbandTransmitted via satelliteVirtually no shipping costsNot much more expensive to show in
100 cinemas as 1
Because of cost you have to very cautious about where films are played – unless it is a guaranteed hit it is a risk to send film to a lot of cinemas
This is one reason why there is such a limited choice at multiplexes
Films can be opened simultaneously all over the world
3.Exhibition A good analogue film projector
produces a clear, crisp vibrant image but every time the print is projected the film is damaged.
A digital projector produces a high quality image and sound every time.
The 1000th view is a good as the first!
High quality, low cost home exhibition
BluRay HD Television
DisadvantagesPiracy – much easier to make
illegal copiesPirated copies may be of a much
higher quality than beforeNeeds to be more advanced
encryption systems
With much cheaper home entertainment technology and professional cinema technology - will people still bother to visit cinemas?
Hollywood Independent
The digitalisation of the film industry has affected Hollywood Studios and Independent film makers in different ways.
Opens up competition to Hollywood through decreased production and distribution costs
Could break Hollywood hold on exhibition in Britain
DIGITAL CINEMA IN THE UK 2005The UK Film Council is investing
£12m of National Lottery money into a DIGITAL SCREEN NETWORK
‘Digital distribution is significantly cheaper than 35mm and will allow a richer diet of films to be distributed’
John Woodward