I'm re-thinking

.. the whole definition of cinema.

Digital projectors allow a whole range of alternative content such as live shows, sporting events and gaming to be shown on the big screens traditionally reserved for the feature films. So where does the definition of being a cinema begin and end in a venue whose big screen experience could be anything from Gone With the Wind to live ballet to mass gaming? And why should venues be tied into block booking anymore, or long programming periods when there are no physical prints to book or cart around the country? Are distributors still relevant in a system when expensive 35mm no longer have to be struck and directors/producers could go straight to bookers and venues with their films?

3D anyone? Well, for me the whole notion conjured up thoughts of bad 50s cheesey films or family friendly shows at Universal Studios. I was firmly entrenched in the frame of mind that the whole thing is a cheap gimmick with limited shelf life. All singing all dancing 3D titles maybe rolling out of the major studios, whether there’s the screens for them or not, but is it really the future of cinema? (If you want to find out more check out this story from the New York Times). Well some are saying big budget movies are the tip of 3D iceberg and that one day all films and all TV will be 3D. Meaning that this in your face format is the future and good old 2D will, like dear old black and white, be banished to the realms of nostalgia.

One last thought to add to this blog entry. If/when Britain opens up and invests in digital and the day arrives when films can be downloaded into venues in the blink of an eye – what will this mean to the way we all, as exhibitors and programmers, work. Death of the programmer? Festivals curated through facebook polling? And if a venue can upload just as much content as it downloads, can it also embrace the roles of producer and distributor. And if we do, what happens to the industry when these three separate roles, which define the way we do business, start to disintegrate?

More importantly, how do I draw this down into a three year business plan?