Qhue
Tranny Chaser
- 7,654
- 4,630
End of film: Paramount first studio to stop distributing film prints - latimes.com
I can see why they were stealthy about abandoning film for all the various nostalgia reasons etc. but honestly its time had come. Digital projection has come a long way in just a few years and the cost of a good digital projector for even theaters 6-18 in your local 18-plex is less than the cost of maintaining a 35mm projector at this point. Plus you don't have to worry about shipping the film, storing it, keeping it nice (high quality projectionists died off a while ago) and the cost of printing the damn stuff in the first place.
I know a lot of people will be distressed by this, especially the film festival crowd who always cheer when they hear that a 20+ year old film is being presented on 35mm and boo when they encounter digital projection of same, but as digital projection can now achieve the clarity previously only afforded by 70mm mega-prints I think everyone except die hard nostalgia fans will turn around.
The funny thing is that while 3DTV seems to be deader than disco and people are becoming very passe about 3D movies in general it was the push of 3D and the associated premium ticket prices that really allowed this process to move as rapidly as it did.
I can see why they were stealthy about abandoning film for all the various nostalgia reasons etc. but honestly its time had come. Digital projection has come a long way in just a few years and the cost of a good digital projector for even theaters 6-18 in your local 18-plex is less than the cost of maintaining a 35mm projector at this point. Plus you don't have to worry about shipping the film, storing it, keeping it nice (high quality projectionists died off a while ago) and the cost of printing the damn stuff in the first place.
I know a lot of people will be distressed by this, especially the film festival crowd who always cheer when they hear that a 20+ year old film is being presented on 35mm and boo when they encounter digital projection of same, but as digital projection can now achieve the clarity previously only afforded by 70mm mega-prints I think everyone except die hard nostalgia fans will turn around.
The funny thing is that while 3DTV seems to be deader than disco and people are becoming very passe about 3D movies in general it was the push of 3D and the associated premium ticket prices that really allowed this process to move as rapidly as it did.
