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Topic: The digital revolution
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-06-2011 04:32 PM
Many of you have noticed over the last couple of years there has been a lack of updates to the website. This is because about 30 months ago Film-Tech was offered a challenge by one of our clients to design and build the world’s first TRULY automated projection system, and we have been working non-stop to perfect it. Everyone on these boards has heard this claim regarding digital projection since the 1990s, but to date it has never become a reality. Granted some theaters have had varying degrees of success with partial automation, and some even claimed they didn’t need projectionists anymore, but in reality the projectionist position was simply pushed over to the manager as another responsibility as a way to disguise it.
Two years ago Film-Tech achieved that challenge when the Studio Movie Grill City Center opened which can be seen here. Those initial systems were very complex, but they performed exactly as ordered, and have continued to perform perfectly for the last 2 years. Essentially the systems act as if there was a dedicated projectionist upstairs every day, turning on breakers, starting shows, tweeking volume, pushing content, etc. Since then we took that concept and have greatly streamlined it into what is now referred to as the Film-Tech Digital Cinema system (DCS), which since has been installed in various other beta testing locations in these last 2 years. Today marks the end of our beta testing for the DCS and these systems are now officially available to the general public.
This brochure will explain most of the major bullet points, but as with any new product, there are always questions and we are happy to answer them. I ask you please place those questions in this thread.
For the diehard film buffs, please don’t forget that I am one of the biggest film buffs around. In fact my entire technical crew is comprised of hard core film nuts and we have always strived for the highest quality possible. That level of quality all boils down to one word, presentation. It is a word everyone on these forums knows well. It is what this community stands for.
Sadly, the reality of digital post-production is quickly settling in. I don’t have to explain that the general release film prints available today simply are not what they used to be. Movies are now completed digitally at a lower quality than used to be commonplace with negative cutting, and exporting digital to film only loses more quality, of which the labs are paying less and less attention to. At this point in time the better presentation, assuming the system is setup properly, actually comes from DLP projection. That statement in no way means that digital is better than film CAN and HAS been in the past, but when all of the factors are taken into account for film vs. digital today, in 2011, that is the truth. To make matters worse, a few of the major studios are already planning on a January 2013 date to stop producing mainstream 35mm prints, and most manufacturers have already ceased production of 35mm projectors. The end is near. There is nothing stopping it. THAT is the reality my friends.
Regardless of film or digital, the one thing we can all agree on is that at the end of the day, the product on screen is what is most important. Putting on the best possible show is what drives people to theaters, and we must provide an experience that cannot be achieved at home for our industry to survive. Many of you will agree that keeping a minimum number of fully trained projectionists handling the film in the booth is the best way to ensure a quality film presentation. This is no different. By eliminating the need for theater-level training and automating all of the daily tasks, we are able to control and ensure that quality is kept at maximum. It is with presentation in mind that Film-Tech introduces the DCS to the industry. The DCS represents an end-to-end system designed to control installation and operational costs, but at the same time ensures the quality of the presentation is not compromised.
Please ask any questions you have on the DCS in this thread and leave discussion of the digital revolution here.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 02-07-2011 02:45 AM
quote: Brad Miller
January 2013 date to stop producing mainstream 35mm prints, and most manufacturers have already ceased production of 35mm projectors. The end is near. There is nothing stopping it. THAT is the reality my friends.
..I can suddenly see either a flood of cinemas going out of business, or someone or some venue offering digital units to these cinemas at an excellent rate so that they can stay in business..to get all the screens converted over to digital at the above target date.. Otherwise, "Hollyrock" is going to suffer in a huge percentage way with less revenue coming in due to the major shutdown of cinemas that can't afford the conversion on their own.
Definitely takes "two to do the tango!"
quote: Brad Miller
However in the real world, corporate officers are finding ways to operate more cost efficiently, and that means lower paid projectionists (which are typically less qualified) and/or "double duty projectionists" (manager/projectionists or concessionist/projectionist). That's the problem.
And sadly, the way the product quality is coming out these days (and the junk that is coming out this year in a whole) and last fall when the industry lost 5% in revenue, a lot of large circuits went into panic mode to trim the 'fat off the payroll pig' so to say, and kicked out the upper paid people that does booth for the less paid floor monkeys to do the same task, and some of the upper paids faced reduced hours, demotions to floor, or simply faced a layoff.
-Monte
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done wrong are both bad and need to be avoided. No amount of technology will change that. Theatre owners and managers need to care about presentation quality, regardless of whether they are showing VHS or Imax.
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