MichaelB wrote:
digital projection is becoming increasingly common in British cinemas across the board, thanks in part to generous grants from the UK Film Council to subsidise the equipment. My wife dragged me to Mamma Mia! the other night, in one of the smaller screens in a Brighton multiplex, and that was digital - as was 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in a smallish arthouse venue a few months ago.
I'm finding the burgeoning onset of digital projection quite frustrating, to be honest. When in London a few months ago, I spent a day at Curzon Soho catching up with new releases, and every one (
Heartbeat Detector,
California Dreamin' &
Let's Get Lost) was digital, causing me to think twice about paying such steep prices to see things at that venue again. One major problem is that I don't like 'digital glare' - the majority of projections I've seen have been unnaturally bright, and by the end of that particular day my eyes had begun to ache. I usually check with the cinema first now, so if there's an opportunity to see a film on 35mm later I'll just wait.
Also, what I've heard about the Digital Screen Network is quite alarming - the system doesn't seem to be providing the opportunity for non-multiplex cinemas to show an increased number/wider variety of films (the obvious benefit of less expenditure on striking/transporting prints and the resultant potential for greater flexibility in programming). Apparently the UK Film Council stipulated that only the largest auditorium of many cinemas should be kitted out with digital equipment, so programmers are understandably reluctant to book more 'niche' films that would have to play in a screen often reserved for bigger/safer financial draws. Also, a fixed fee has to be paid to the outfit who originally provided the equipment to cinemas (can't remember what they're called) whenever a film is projected. The UK Film Council didn't cover the costs in the first place, so distributors are having to pay an additional fee just to get their films screened. AE, Soda and others will be understandably reluctant to send a digital 'print' for one-off screenings as the cost of paying the flat fee against potential admission returns means that the effort won't prove viable - I've noticed that digital projections are still largely block-booked (usually a handful of screenings over two or three days). It seems to be utterly counter-productive, and I can't see a single benefit - the fact that it's getting increasingly difficult to see films shot
on film in 35mm across the arthouse circuit is a real pain.
Apologies for the rant, but I'd be interested to hear from anybody who knows more about this than I do (also, please correct me if I'm wrong about certain things).
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