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Author
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Topic: Digital Cinema = The death of theaters?
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Kyle Butler
Film Handler
Posts: 47
From: Belton, TX
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted 09-12-2010 10:45 PM
Interesting topic brought up at a recent conference for second run theaters looking to go digital.
Many theaters have had the same 35mm equipment for years on end with a substantially small expenditure to keep them running.
If there's a problem with film, it can be fixed by way of splice tape, duct tape,rubber bands, etc. Even the most expensive components of a film system can be replaced within a reasonable amount of time without pushing the budget too much.
With the right projectionists and practices in place, its hard to lose a show with film.
Digital is a horse of a different color.
Within the 5 years of operating Digital cinema, our theater has lost 18 shows, and a total of 8 days of operation. We've installed and pulled every major brand of projector/server. Installed and tore down 2 silver screens per 3D auditorium. We've increased our monthly budget to incorporate increased xenon bulb costs, meanwhile, replacing those bulbs 425% more often than before.
Fast forward a few years later, and we've cut the budget. Bumped the hours we run our lamps. Stopped worrying about the "small" issues with picture presentation (Dirty silver screens, bad masking, Image positioning, 3fl light levels etc)
Everyone knows it isn't cheap to go to the movies, but we do it anyways. Why? The circuits claim its the same as going to a concert, or a football game. Its a premium experience. The question is, as the equipment ages and technology progresses, are the exhibitors going to maintain and replace anything? Or have we already set a bad example of what digital cinema can be?
(Poor upkeep, sub par standards (ive never felt like 2k was appropriate for "the big screen")
If you ask me my opinion, id say that home theater technology will surpass what can be had at a theater in less than 15 years time.
I know similar ideas have been posted in the forums, But everyone usually agrees that 35mm will make a comeback in this case. This is about the suggested "end" of movie theaters.
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Kyle Butler
Film Handler
Posts: 47
From: Belton, TX
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted 09-12-2010 11:16 PM
Excellent points ron.
Ill take the offensive on them though to stir things up ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
1)The same can be said for digital. Just look at the Iron Man 2 fiasco. Our prints were unlocked at 8pm, giving us just enough time to build em and screen them before the midnight showing. The digital copy didn't arrive until Thursday, and the keys weren't active until 11:45pm, Just 15 minutes prior to the showing. hardly enough time to check for problems. and its not the first time ive had problems with the distributors screwing with our screenings.
2)I can't argue with that. I work with 4 other projectionists, and not a single of them does a thing. I honestly feel like the picture would be projected on the ceiling, with no sound and in the wrong format if i wasn't there. Digital certainly takes the monkeys out of the booth and puts them in concessions where they belong ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
3)Can't argue with that one.
4)We still have an incredibly hard time getting drives to us. In some cases, its taken less time and less work to receive replacement reels, or prints altogether than to get a hard drive to us on time.
5) Holdovers are definitely much easier on everyone with digital. As long as they actually get those keys out to us! (could just be our bad luck)
6)Good point
7)Good point
8)For the most part that's true. However, it seems that the distributors are using VPF'S, shipping costs, hard drive costs,production and intermediate costs as a new "Well, this is why we can't send you a copy"
9)With our few film showings left, we just call down and ask if we've sold. We don't start it until someone shows up. Not as convenient as a good ol "stop" button on a server,but not bad.
Amen to 70mm
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Ron Curran
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 504
From: Springwood NSW Australia
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 09-13-2010 04:02 AM
I forgot …
10. Assembling film trailers can be a bitch, paticularly here in Oz where the law requires us to attach the ratings tag to every one. We have to find a frame line, cut off the advertising approval stuff, check the OFALC database (lots of fun) for the right classification, find a tag, splice it the right way (yes, I have been guilty of classifying an M film as rated W) and assemble it with a couple of others. More joy still if you're changing them on the bottom platter. When a show is running, its easy to risk a frontal labotomy from the middle platter while you're in prayer mode on the bottom one. With digital it's a breeze.
Conversely, I can do all this while a film is running. I cant load a digital file while a digital feature is showing.
Kyle, glad you agree on the 70mm thing. Sad though. I know many people who won't go to a 3D movie but I never heard anyone say they wouldn't go to a 70mm show. Our industry certainly knows how to shoot itself in the foot; just as well it is too dumb to load a gun.
When we get a D for showmanship, I will be keeping the film gear in place, just as we are with e-cinema.
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Kyle Butler
Film Handler
Posts: 47
From: Belton, TX
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted 09-13-2010 07:33 PM
quote: James Westbrook
I thought a 4K lamp was warranted for 1200 hours...maybe 900...
Nope. 600 at most (at least for LTIX) They have 3 different models in the field ranging from 500 to 600 warranted hours.
quote: Louis Bornwasser
The 8000 pound gorilla in this is the "theatrical window." According to the Wall Street journal, (see post elsewhere on site), there is a proposal that cinema will only get 3-4 weeks of exclusitivity.
If this is true, film vs digital won't matter much except to those who spent all their money. Louis
Absolutely. That was something that was brought up. The combination of decreased showmanship, lagging technology, and the smaller release window could do it. It's going to make more sense to shorten the window now too. with 35mm prints costing several thousand $$, the studios and distributors wanted to keep the prints in circulation for as long as possible to increase the profit margin for each print. With digital, there isn't a huge difference financially if movies are pulled in 5 vs 5 months.
quote: Edward Havens
The death of cinema has been predicted since the birth of cinema. Radio was supposed to kill cinema. Television was supposed to kill cinema. VHS was supposed to kill cinema. Cable was supposed to kill cinema. Laserdisc was supposed to kill cinema. The internet was supposed to kill cinema. PPV was supposed to kill cinema. DVD was supposed to kill cinema. Widescreen televisions were supposed to kill cinema. Gaming devices like the XBox and PlayStation which can also be used as an entertainment portal were supposed to kill cinema.
Cinema's not going anywhere anytime soon. It's just evolving, like it always has.
Valid point, but i feel like things are a lot different this time around. VHS, radio, and DVD'S never killed cinema, because it's always been a better experience to see a flick on the big screen. Bigger,better picture, bigger, better sound. Nothing could compete with it. However, were moving to a time when a lot of people have decent home theaters with 1080p and sound that's sometimes better than what can be had at a lot of theaters (sadly). This time around, cinemas are going to have to compete with whats available to the average Joe by upgrading and replacing equipment. This was rarely done before. The only 35mm "upgrades" our theater has invested in, in the last 2 years are technalight kits, which don't cost a lot. Upgrading or replacing DC equipment can be extremely overwhelming with the high cost, and issues with DCI(DCI equipment on loan has to be installed and in use per contracts). Combine that with the shrinking release window, and increasing prices, and i think people will start waiting a month or two to see it at home.
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 09-13-2010 08:41 PM
4K lamp warranties (Rated life) vary with the model as much as with the wattage. For instance, Ushio has three 4KW lamps for the NC2000C. The one with 17,000 lumen output is a 500-hour lamp. the one with a 14,000 lumen output is a 1000-hour lamp. The one with just a 11,500 lumen output is a 1,500-hour lamp. That is all from one lamp manufacturer and in one specific projector.
The Sony 4K lamp (4200-watts, technically) is a a 500-hour lamp and gets about 18000 lumens. There is just the one model of 4K. However, there are 3K and 2K lamps for the Sonys and they get more traditional hours
However, the substantially higher cost of an explosion in DCinema projectors (Damage to the reflector, often glass, UV filter, 3D color wheel, folding mirror, integrator...etc...tend to make one not want to push a lamp like in a film system where often, even after a catastrophic explosion, can be brought back on line, with a dinged up reflector. It is a real rare bird of a film projector to be damaged by a lamp explosion.
Another issue with DCinema projector lamps is that there is no shutter to mask a flickering lamp...any flicker in the lamp immediately shows up on the image so what is acceptable in a film system is often considered much worse in a digital one.
The net results, keeping a DCinema system lamped up is going to cost more than an equivalently illuminated film system.
Steve
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