Muppets and Avatars

Yes it’s finally coming soon to a cinema near you. The much hyped, much anticipated, much banged on about 3D sensation Avatar. Read the first reviews here. Love or hate 3D, you have to go and see it. Will it be a triumph of spectacle over narrative and CGI over character development? Or simply a darn good film. Either way its anticipated box office revenue will ensure a profitable end to a very profitable year at the UK box office.

This year has also proved that smaller independent cinemas can no longer delay converting to digital. With a slate of 3D titles lined up for 2010, and, at least in the short term, serious profits to be made with this format, no venue can afford to ignore the winds of change any longer. And at the other end of the artistic spectrum, with only one 35mm print of The White Ribbon in the UK, even those cinemas who balance their books on specialised titles, can’t afford not to convert.

So what deals are on the table for the cash strapped UK indy? Well the UK Digital Funding Group has gathered pace and screens are joining together to barter for a favourable Virtual Print Fee deal for all. And the light of public funding is shining from Europe for all those cinemas who screen European titles, as the European Commission prepares a funding stream that aims to help cinemas acquire digital projection. Read the full story here.

On a wider note, I’ve just hot footed it back from the Future Projections conference in London which explored new ways of presenting the moving image. As pubs and restaurants start to use film as a bait to bring in more custom and the traditional separation of leisure activities crumble away, new business models and new ways of presenting film are beginning to emerge. And as student numbers decline in the UK, bums on cinema seats are set to also decline on week day nights unless venues start thinking creatively about how to fill them.

But you know, as excited as I am about the change in the air and the brave new future of the moving image, right now I’m more excited about heading off to my nearest and dearest old art deco cinema and sinking into that old red velvet seat to watch, what I’ve no doubt will be a sold out screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol in glorious 2D.