Gearing up for digital cinema in Australia: despite numerous international developments, there has been little commentary concerning how the Australian film industry perceives the future of digital cinema in this country.

Publication: Metro Magazine

Publication Date: 22-JUN-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Australian Teachers of Media

Digital cinema is the replacement of 35mm celluloid film with digital files that are shown on special high-resolution video projectors in cinemas. These files can be sent to theatres in the form of digital tapes or disc, by fibre-optic cable or by satellite.

In England, the UK Film Council is set to develop 250 digital screens as part of its Digital Screen Network. In the US last year, Landmark Theatres announced plans to outfit 177 screens across fifty-three sites with digital cinema technology. In China, the China Film Group has established fifty-four digital sites with plans to expand with another fifty by the end of 2004. Closer to home, Singapore's Digital Exchange program will outfit twenty digital cinema screens by the third quarter of this year.

Digital cinema is yet to hit the media spotlight or be tabled in policy research in Australia. Yet, from conversations with some of the heads of film in Australia there is an outlook that digital cinema will be in operation, in some form, in the near future. So, the question isn't so much whether digital cinema will eventuate but how it will be applied, and, whether our industry will take an assertive or responsive role in shaping its fruition.

Motivations, Opportunities & Concerns

The Australian film industry is well aware of the opportunities presented by digital cinema. By far the most widely discussed benefit is the reduced cost of manufacturing and distributing digital files compared to celluloid film prints. Here, distributors stand to gain the most. Each celluloid film print costs several thousand dollars to create. If enough theatres were equipped with digital projectors, billions of dollars would be cut out of distributors' cost structure. Peta Ascham, Marketing Director at Buena Vista International (Australia), says 'the savings in the cost of 35mm prints will be a driver of digital cinema in Australia'. With the soaring production and marketing costs of studio films these savings may come at a decisive time for this sector.

Digital cinema is also likely to have benefits for exhibitors. Digital files will be less open to deterioration than film prints. 'You go to a film that's been up for ten weeks and its bound to have some scratches or dirt marks, it's just the nature of the beast', says John Iozzi, Managing Director of Village Cinemas Australia. 'Whereas with digital, in theory, its seven thousandth screening should look as good as its first.'

It is also likely to reduce the costs and complexity of cinema advertising, which should boost revenue for exhibitors. Iozzi says, 'The opportunities digital affords to advertising going forward are significant in terms of cost and flexibility.'

Digital cinema may also create novel opportunities for new types of cinema venues. 'Digital cinema could open up the opportunity for smaller boutique, high quality neighbourhood...

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