The future is here my friends. Sony Digital has just singed a deal with Regal Cinemas (they had already recently signed a deal with AMC Theaters) to install 4k (far beyond “high Def”) digital projectors in all of their 6700 screens across the USA. This is a HUGE deal.
This isn’t just a shift in picture quality… this will revolutionize how films are distributed to theaters, which will in turn change programing at theaters.
The way things are now, using film, a movie has to have an expensive film print made for each and every movie theater screen it’s going to show on and be physically shipped to each theater. It’s a HUGE money and time consumer and it drastically limits what films can and can’t be shown.
With 4k digital projectors, the possibilities become greatly expanded:
– Movies don’t need a physical print
– Movies can be securely downloaded by each theater
– An infinite increase in the number of theaters able to project 3D
– Small Indie films can be added to a data base like any other movie and made available to theaters
– Theaters will have a massive amount of flexibility in choosing what they want to show and when
The list will go on and on. This will mark the most significant change in the movie theater industry since sound was introduced. I’m not exaggerating… this changes everything.
AMC Theaters are supposed to start rolling out the new 4K digital projectors by the end of this year, with an approximate 11,000 screens installed across the US by 2012. Wow.
What are some of the other benefits you can think of that will come from this switch to digital projection? (source: Hollywood Reporter)
im sure that all the money the theaters save will be passed down to the customers, right?
very exciting – should open the door a lot wider for indie filmmakers. are there digital video recorders that can record at that high resolution? how much does one of these projectors cost?
It seems like all the theaters where I live (central Illinois) have already made the switch to digital projection. It’s been like 3 years since i’ve seen a new release on film. though we don’t have AMC theaters out here. makes sense.
Yeah, I hadn’t noticed since I haven’t been to the movies in a while, but when I went to see Star Trek at AMC they started showing movies now in IMAX. I wonder if these projectors will be similar in picture.
Maybe with the money they save they could hire more ushers to actually bounce those people who talk and text on their cell phones. Also, perhaps bring the concession prices down so a popcorn and coke doesn’t cost 12 dollars. Maybe offer more variety snackwise also. I also agree with what was said regarding different films during slower periods. I really like the idea of decreasing price after a movie has been around awhile.
Heres an idea:During the slower box office months, why not rerelease some of the bigger hit movies either from this year or prior years, even classic titles. Proven movies that people are interested in instead of the garbage that studios dump into post summer and post holiday months, just to fill theater screen space. It seems as if when a studio has no confidence, it puts movies there and barely anyone goes anyway. Granted, there are still a few films that are of quality released during those times on occasion. But this way, at least the studio doesn’t have to offer us space filler garbage during those months. The ideal situation, in my opinion, is to offer quality product all year round.
I also like the idea that was said to rerelease the previous chpater in a franchise leading up to the opening of the next.
Five Changes I can see coming with this:
1. Flexable Theater assignments. Increase the animated movie theaters in the afternoon for kids, swap out with more adult movies for the midnight shows. Or when a movie is rated as R or NC-17, but gets re-cut to make the lower rating they want, theaters could show both the PG-13 and the R versions based on demand. (or get rid of a paris hilton movie for another film when only one person buys a ticket for the entire weekend)
2. More indie movies will have a chance. Theaters can download as many options as they want and convert a few theaters during slow nights to more indie films. I may actually get to see the anniversary. Tuesdays are currently one of the slowest nights, theaters can do Indie Tuesdays with little risk to their revenue.
3. Re-release and event nights. When ST2 comes out, theaters could bring back Star Trek the week before so people can rewatch on the big screen before the sequel, or show the SW trilogy as a marathon once or twice a year for those movies that are worth re-watching on the big screen. OR Oscar winners the weekend after after the winners are announced.
4. Live events like concerts could be streamed directly to theaters for one night only events
5. More high quality pirate copies. Someone will figure out how to get the digital copy out of the theaters
This will need new forms of contracts and agreements between theaters and studios over which movies they have access to
just thought of one more.
When I was younger, there seemed to be more second run theaters that would show movies at reduced rates, most of them went out of business, but regular theaters could keep some movies on for one or two showings a week after their main runs at reduced rates. Wont effect ticket prices for new releases, but could provide cheaper showings for people willing to wait.
Regarding the possibility of prices dropping at the cinema ticket counter: no. Not gonna happen.
I don’t have a personal need to label ‘regular business practices’ as ‘greed’, so I’ll just say that it makes sense for the cinemas to keep prices as they are, because whatever a film costs the film company to make and distribute has nothing to do with the cinema’s cost to show it. All it means is that movies -should be- cheaper to bring to the local screen…and that *maybe* more opportunities will be created for ‘fringe’ movies to be produced and shown, as well as a more diverse selection.
Oh, and it also brings us closer to where I’ve felt we’ve been heading for years: simultaneous openings. (Cinema, online download, brick-and-mortar.)
This is good news! Anytime the quality can be upgraded is always a plus. Speaking as someone who has had a couple bad experiences at theaters due to old projectors, I can tell you this is good.
I actually attended Return of the King at one theater “Unnamed” and the bulb was very old and there were artifacts all over the screen during playback. I naturally complained about this at theater when leaving, and when I got home sent a scathing email to there head office!
The response was very fast, and they explained the theater was using an older bulb and it would be replaced immediately!
In return I was rewarded with free movie tickets and an apology. Its a shame that others will hold there tongue when they are being cheated or suffer poor service. When paying high ticket prices I expect quality!
For the huge distribution benefit of lowering costs, as well as the lower production costs digital offers over film, we (the consumer) will not see any change or benefit when it comes to pricing. Reason being, we live in a society based on greed, err, profit! LOL. The fact of the matter is, theatre chains do not make much money on the movies themselves. They make the money on the consumables – that’s why popcorn and all the little goodies we munch during the show, are priced ridiculously high.
Fact is, these corporations have share holders interests at heart, not consumers. With that, the picture may be better, the distribution may get faster and easier, but the consumer will not see a drop in theatre prices.
Funnily enough, my friend and I were just talking about this mid-week. He says digital is coming across the board, but there’s the old school mentality about pirating that still plays into their minds. Only time will tell if what I say is true, but I do believe proof is in the pudding.
Anyone who thinks movie theaters will LOWER food prices is crazy, just because distribution may be less expensive, movie theaters will absolutely not lower food prices, that is where the money comes from for the theater. Prices may not go up, but they sure as hell won’t be going down.
Overall though, I see this as a good thing for movies.
doubt the delivery will be over the internet for every theater, more than likely they’ll be shipped hard drives, that’s the way digital works at the moment.
They probably will not benefit indie films as the distribution channel is still the same, just a different medium used.
Will be good for 3d, and major sporting events.
& ticket prices will not come down.
The benifit is better quality projection and sound
Hey Geoff,
I’ll guarantee you the theaters will download the films. Most news broadcasts and tv stations do it this way now through secure networks.
The distribution channels will be the same… HOWEVER… without the need to spend $10-$30k on a print for a movie, the financial risks for a distributor become greatly reduced and thus open up the doors to take chances on smaller films. It will make a difference.
I’ll have to agree with you on prices dropping… although I hold out hope it MIGHT make a difference.
John,
I agree about the reduced risk, but having seen the majority of UK theaters go somewhat digital I can say that I’ve not seen anything play on them apart from major releases and the Olympic Games.
One thing that may allow smaller releases to happen is the sheer saturation of digital screens, although I still think the distributor will milk the bigger releases.
Don’t get me wrong, this is good – very good indeed for indie film, and the prospect of being able to show a film without all the yarbles of making a print (at better than print quality) is epic.
the RED camera is 4k right?
It’s the digital revolution in action. This has been a long time coming. So all I can say is, finally!
If movies are made into downloadable digital copies wouldn’t that make piracy easier? I know they say it will be secure downloads, but someone always figures out a way.
I would assume that the downloaded movie will only play in the 4K projectors and will not play anywhere else.
“Theaters often have high prices because the cost of prints are part of their budgets.”
OK. I’m confused. Because from what I’ve always understood, the cost of prints is borne by the production company/distributor. One of the reasons it’s so hard to bring an ‘indie’ film to a massive audience; not the actual production costs, but the cost of the physical distribution. (I heard a cost of $10,000/print once.)
Anyone having any genuine industry (read that: production end) experience or insight care to fill us in?
I am not “anymore” in the industry, but it looks like to me, that production costs will go down, which means the movie theater should get a bigger % of the ticket sales where as they might lower there food prices. This is all my huble opinion.
What i think is the biggest benefit is that digital does not degrade like film does
WOW!
Great news John but don’t you feel if its digitally available to the theaters, the threat of piracy increases & in this case the print will be very clear…and not the CAM quality.
I maybe wrong…But what is the exact process of a film being downloadable to the theaters?
If it is password bound, a hacker can be a real threat.
This is really good… and bad.
John’s pros are right on. The price of prints are extremely high, and the risk of damage is always in the forefront of a projectionist’s mind. A digital projector is literally POINT AND CLICK.
The only economic con to this situation is, as a former projectionist at an AMC theater, that AMC does not turn off their digital projectors at the end of every night. They just leave them on so that they don’t have to reboot every morning. It’s a huge waste of energy and knowing the way that my theater was managed – this may not change with the new digital turnover. But you never know…
I must say I’m a little sad – the job of projectionist is now going to be as easy as every other job at the movie theater. Before it took a very responsible type of person to be allowed to work in the booth. Now any dolt who can push a button will be allowed to work up there. It’s too bad, because I learned a lot about responsibility working in the booth and now that job will become thankless.
i really don’t see this affecting the average movie goer on an individual basis. first, i highly doubt any price drop will happen. second, i went to star trek two nights ago. the theatre was packed, we exchanged our ticket for another 40 minutes later then we have to sit through 25 minutes of commercials and we have no food because the prices are just outrageous. it’s becoming increasingly pointless to go to the theatre because we all have large screen tvs and digital images and i can rent the movies at the variety store of $2.00. except for the factor of seeing the film RIGHT away, i find the movie theatre quite an annoying experience.
i don’t the average movie goer is going to be suddenly in love with visiting the overpriced theatre just because they now have digital, hi-def downloadable films.
The difference is that price may go down. The price of prints are very high compared to that of a digital copy. Theaters often have high prices because the cost of prints are part of their budgets.
“The difference is that price may go down.”
Sir, if you REALLY believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.
The price will never go down, the theater will just get a larger profit margin.
Possible low price but this will mean no more bad prints with scratches and miss audio. Digital takes away all the possible problems that can happen to a 35mm film print from shipping and over use.
Antonio, I am interested in your bridge–
Prices will never go down, unless studios stop paying actors 20 million dollars per movie, and theaters get a bigger cut on opening weekend—though I seriously doubt that would even lower prices…maybe the price of popcorn?
what it really menas is that all those bootlegs will be better quality.