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Topic: First digital film?

Stephen Furley
Film God

Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002

posted 04-07-2014 12:54 PM

What, and when, was the first film to have a generally available digital release?

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Jeffry L. Johnson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 809
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-07-2014 03:00 PM

If you don't count STAR WARS: EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999), then Disney released TARZAN (1999), TOY STORY 2 (1999), and BICENTENNIAL MAN (1999).

I think BICENTENNIAL MAN was the first digital cinema release in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

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Mark Ogden
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 943
From: Little Falls, N.J.
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-07-2014 03:06 PM

You'll have to define your terms a little better. Do you mean "generally available to anyone with a digital projector who wanted to show it that way" or "generally available to any moviegoer anywhere who wanted to SEE a specific movie digitally projected".

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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

posted 04-07-2014 04:23 PM

quote: Stephen Furley
What, and when, was the first film to have a generally available digital release?

quote: Jeffry L. Johnson
I think BICENTENNIAL MAN was the first digital cinema release in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

The first digital release in my area was Bicentennial Man, it was advertised as the first digital motion picture presentation with "All Digital Projection and Sound with DLP cinema"

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 04-07-2014 04:43 PM

I think Star Wars Episode 2 was the first title where there was a nationwide digital release. I don't know how many digital screens it had, but I know I watched it a the Metreon in San Francisco. I can't find any breakdown of the number of digital screens by year, but in 2000 there were on 15 nationwide.

This Wikipedia article gives some of the history of digital cinema, but doesn't have any info about early releases.
Wikipedia Digital Cinema

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-07-2014 05:13 PM

The Phantom Menace had a very, very limited digital release in the U.S. The locations were hand picked by Lucasfilm and not many got the possibility to see it in all-digital. They presumably did some shows in Europe too.

The first DLP projected movie I've seen was Toy Story 2, which had a very limited run on some first generation 1.3K prototype machines in a few select sites. Kinepolis Brussels was one of them. In 2003, the Belgian Kinepolis group put a 1.3K Barco machine in every theater and from there on, there was a regular digital program, branded "Kinepolis HD". You even had to pay a premium to see something in 1.3K DLP. The first movie with a widespread Digital release on this platform was Finding Nemo.

I still remember the ugly screen door effect of those 1.3K machines, reminds me of the look of current Digital IMAX installs while sitting too close to the screen.

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-07-2014 05:15 PM

quote: Justin Hamaker
I think Star Wars Episode 2 was the first title where there was a nationwide digital release. I don't know how many digital screens it had

I suppose the real answer depends on your definition of "nationwide" or by breaking down milestones (i.e. first non-test, first shown outside LA or NY, first with more than 100, more than 1000, first 2K, etc.). Whatever the case, my data indicates there were 56 Digital Cinema engagements of "Star Wars: Episode II" in North America.

The Digital Cinema Engagements of "Attack of the Clones"

quote:

The Digital Cinema Engagements Of "Attack Of The Clones"

Compiled by Michael Coate

Posted May 7, 2005
Updated August 15, 2005

Digital Cinema presentations of "Attack Of The Clones" were held at the following theatres. The movie was released on May 16, 2002 (except where noted).

UNITED STATES (Released May 16, 2002)

ARIZONA
Peoria: Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18
Yuma: Main St.

ARKANSAS
Rogers: Malco Towne Cinema 12

CALIFORNIA
Carlsbad: UltraStar La Costa 6
Chula Vista: UltraStar Chula Vista 10
Irvine: Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21
Los Angeles (Baldwin Hills): Magic Johnson Theatres at Crenshaw Plaza
Los Angeles (Century City): Loews Cineplex Century Plaza
Los Angeles (Hollywood): Mann Grauman's Chinese
Los Angeles (Park La Brea): Pacific The Grove Stadium 14
Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks): Pacific Galleria Stadium 16
Poway: UltraStar Poway Creekside Plaza 10
San Diego: AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego: Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18
San Diego: UltraStar Del Mar Highlands 8
San Francisco: AMC 1000 Van Ness
San Francisco: Loews Cineplex Metreon
San Jose: Century 22
Santa Monica: AMC Santa Monica 7
Universal City: Loews Cineplex Universal Studios CityWalk

COLORADO
Denver: UA Denver Pavilions Stadium 15

CONNECTICUT
Hartford: Crown Palace 17 & Odyssey
Trumbull: Crown Marquis 16

FLORIDA
Lake Buena Vista: AMC Pleasure Island 24
Pinellas Park: R/C Movies 16 at Parkside Mall
West Melbourne: CinemaWorld 16

ILLINOIS
Chicago: Loews Cineplex McClurg Court
Schaumburg: Loews Cineplex Streets of Woodfield
Skokie: Crown Village Crossing 18

KANSAS
Olathe: AMC Studio 30
Wichita: Dickinson Northrock 14

MARYLAND
Annapolis: Crown Annapolis Mall 11

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston: Loews Cineplex Boston Common
Framngham: GCC Framngham 16
Randolph: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Randolph

MICHIGAN
Birch Run: Emagine Cinema Hollywood
Southfield: Star Southfield 20

NEVADA
Las Vegas: Century 18 Sam's Town
Las Vegas: Century Orleans 18

NEW JERSEY
Edgewater: National Amusements Edgewater Multiplex
Elizabeth: Loews Cineplex Jersey Gardens

NEW YORK
Farmingdale: UA Farmingdale 10
New York (Manhattan): AMC Empire 25
New York (Manhattan): Clearview Ziegfeld

OHIO
Springdale: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Springdale
Valley View: CineMark at Valley View

TENNESSEE
Memphis: Malco Cordova
Memphis: Malco Majestic 20

TEXAS
Big Spring: Ritz
Plano: CineMark at Legacy

VIRGINIA
Merrifield: National Amusements Lee Highway Multiplex

WASHINGTON
Seattle: Seattle Cinerama

CANADA (May 16)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Richmond: Famous Players SilverCity Riverport

ONTARIO
Oakville: AMC Winston Churchill 24
Vaughan: Famous Players Colossus Woodbridge
Waterloo: Galaxy 10 at Conestoga Mall

INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRIA (May 16) ("Star Wars Episode II Angriff Der Klonkrieger")
Vienna: UCI Kinowelt Millennium City

BELGIUM (May 17) ("Star Wars Episode II L'Attaque Des Clones")
Brussels: Kinepolis Brussels

BRAZIL (July 1) ("Star Wars Episodio II Ataque Dos Clones")
Rio de Janeiro: UCI New York City Center
Sao Paulo: UCI Shopping Jardim Sul

FINLAND (May 16) ("Star Wars Episodi II Kloonien Hyokkays")
Helsinki: Sandrews Helsinki

FRANCE (May 17) ("Star Wars Episode II L'Attaque Des Clones")
Grenoble: Grenoble Nef Chavant
Paris: Gaumont Aquaboulevard

GERMANY (May 16) ("Star Wars Episode II Angriff Der Klonkrieger")
Berlin: UCI Kinowelt Zoo Palast
Cologne: Cinedom Koln

HUNGARY (May 16) ("Star Wars II. Resz A Klonok Tamadasa")
Budapest: UCI Palace

ITALY (May 16) ("Star Wars Episodio II L'Attacco Dei Cloni")
Milan: Arcadia

JAPAN (July 13)
Gunma: Tokyu 109 Cinemas Takasaki
Hiroshima: T-Joy Higashi Hiroshima
Nerima: T-Joy Nerima
Niigata: T-Joy Niigata Bandai
Osaka: Toho Kitano
Osaka: Toho Umeda Scala-za
Tokyo: AMC Ikspiari 16 at Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo: T-Joy Oizumi
Tokyo: Toho Nichigeki Plaza
Tokyo: Toho Hibiya Scala-za

MEXICO (July 1) ("Star Wars Episodio II El Ataque De Los Clones")
San Lucas Tepetlacalco: Cinemex Mundo E

NORWAY (May 16)
Bergen: Bergen Kino

SLOVAKIA (May 16)
Bratislava: UCI Bratislava

SPAIN (May 17) ("Star Wars Episodio II El Ataque De Los Clones")
Barcelona: UCI Cinesa Diagonal
Madrid: Kinepolis Ciudad de la Imagen

THAILAND (May 16)
Bangkok: Bangkok Major Cineplex Central Rama 3

UNITED KINGDOM (May 16)
Birmingham: Warner Village Star City
London: Oasis Ritzy
London: Odeon Leicester Square
Manchester: UCI The Filmworks

Source: starwars.com, newspaper advertisements.

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-07-2014 05:36 PM

For what it's worth, this list is incomplete (at least regarding the International listing), as Kinepolis Group in Belgium alone was playing Attack of the Clones in DLP in at least 9 of their locations, although some of them were still on 1.3K machines at that time waiting for the Barco DP100 units to arrive.

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Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

posted 04-07-2014 05:40 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
For what it's worth, this list is incomplete

Does it really matter?

The first digital release was not Episode II.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 04-07-2014 06:11 PM

Terry, no one is claiming Episode II was the first digital release. What we are trying to arrive at is the first digital release which was offered wide enough that a significant number of people had the opportunity to see it. To that end, I think Episode II is much closer to the mark than Episode I or Toy Story 2 - both of which were came out when there were only 15-20 digital screens nationwide.

If you want to start getting into truly widely available, you're probably going to have to look at the early 3D films like Chicken Little in 2005. Or maybe Polar Express in 2003.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-07-2014 06:47 PM

You need to define "widely available to a lot of people" for the purposes of the question. That's very vague. I mean, "a lot of people" live in L.A. alone.

I suppose an easier thing to pinpoint might be, when was digital available in all 50 states?

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 04-07-2014 08:07 PM

Hawaii movie theatres did not get to show movies in digital until 2006 when the Dole Cannery 18 had a exclusive showing of 300 in that format. This was the first time I saw a movie projected in digital and I was very impressed with the presentation. Since that time, Hawaii's movie theatres started to slowly add more digital screens and now, all of it's commercial movie theatres are digital.

-Claude

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-08-2014 12:02 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
this list is incomplete (at least regarding the International listing), as Kinepolis Group in Belgium alone was playing Attack of the Clones in DLP in at least 9 of their locations

I suspect you're confusing "Episode II" with "Episode III."

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-08-2014 02:38 PM

You're absolutely right... I happen to confuse those crappy prequels from time to time. [Wink]

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-08-2014 04:05 PM

quote: Justin Hamaker
What we are trying to arrive at is the first digital release which was offered wide enough that a significant number of people had the opportunity to see it. To that end, I think Episode II is much closer to the mark than Episode I or Toy Story 2 - both of which came out when there were only 15-20 digital screens nationwide.

I agree with your point, but want to emphasize that the installation numbers during the first year were much smaller than 15-20. It was still single-digit in the U.S. during 1999 ("Star Wars: Episode I" x4, "Tarzan" x3, "Toy Story 2" x6, and "Bicentennial Man" x6).

quote: Justin Hamaker
If you want to start getting into truly widely available, you're probably going to have to look at the early 3D films like Chicken Little in 2005. Or maybe Polar Express in 2003.

The numbers were still under 100 in North America during 2003-2005. In '02 the numbers topped 50 for "Star Wars: Episode II" and in '05 topped 75 for "Star Wars: Episode III" and "Chicken Little," but at this point there were still several major markets not represented with at least one digital-projection-capable theater.

quote: Mike Blakesley
I suppose an easier thing to pinpoint might be, when was digital available in all 50 states?

I think the first movie to get released with a digital projection presentation in at least one theater in each U.S. state (and each of the lower-tier Canadian provinces) was "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" in 2009.

I believe the first movie to have more than 1,000 D-Cinema presentation in North America was "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" in 2007. At this time there were still four U.S. states and a few Canadian provinces without at least one digital-projection-capable theater.

So, I'd say the takeaway would be that it took about a full decade for D-Cinema to really gain any traction.

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