cinemabon
09-17-2006, 10:06 PM
21st Century film finally arrives
In case you haven’t noticed, a small thin wafer, hardly thicker than a finger nail, and about four inches wide is about to replace ten to fifteen cans of 35mm film shipped every week from print houses and distribution centers in Los Angles to movie theaters both domestic and international. We’ve seen the warning signs already when the DVD loudly knocked on the door of video formats and DLP technology rapped on the projection room door just a decade ago. In case you haven’t noticed, the ‘blue ray’ disc has arrived, and its pronouncement will be the final nail in the coffin of traditional filmmaking.
As sound did for movies, so too will the blue ray disc revolutionize the entire film industry. No longer will a projector shine light through 35mm film and put that image on the ‘silver’ screen. The only part remaining will be the screen. What is blue ray technology? Blue ray refers to the end of the spectrum in shorter wavelengths, versus the current ‘red’ lasers used for the DVD format; add to that new lenses plus a new tracking system and you have “Kill, Bill!” in 1080i versus the current 480p for DVD. Side by side comparisons were night and day to test audiences, who welcomed the clarity and sharp picture from the new discs with, “Where can I buy one?”
Goodbye 35mm film. Cumbersome at best, heavy, bulky, easily scratched, torn, broken, and quick to fade, 35mm is about to be shoved aside, and whoa be those who do not heed the call. One blue ray disc can hold all the information contained in a 70mm print of “Lawrence of Arabia.” That’s continuous, no reels to change, nothing to splice, or break or even focus! Blue ray technology allows the distributor to bypass the printer, the print and the distribution costs associated with that aspect of the industry. With an incredible 25 to 50 GB capability (depending on single or dual layer disc), the blue ray disc is about to stand the entire world of film on its ear… and no distributor has even heard the shot… yet.
The same will be true with the projector, as Samsung announced the breakthrough only recently that the need for ‘high intensity’ bulbs with color wheels is being eliminated with the introduction of LED technology in projection. Using three ‘bright’ LED’s and three separate DLP chips, a projector (as of this November) will be able to run for 40,000 hours on one bulb versus the current 3,000 hours, and in the new high-def mode! This technology, coupled with blue-ray, will virtually eliminate the need for the old-fashioned film and film projectors.
Japanese manufacturers announced this summer that new tri-color chips in hi-def will allow filmmakers to use cameras that can record blue ray discs on location, making the shooting to editing process almost instantaneous.
Price! The ultimate killer to acceptance of new technology. Don’t rush out to get your new system… yet. The players are running around $800 to well over $2 grand, with the discs on the pricey side as well. The new Sony PS3 will have blue ray tech, if you want to shell out some $600 to $700 for the new game system, finally to be released in November. Games start at $70 bucks a shot! A far cry from $15 I paid just a decade ago for my new Donkey Kong.
The gun has sounded. The gate has opened. Now we shall see which horses make it to the finish line and which horses are still struggling with the old technologies, bringing up the rear as theaters will have to make changes in their systems. In the end, this new technology will herald the end of a rather out of date and wasteful one. With horrible memories of having to drive miles to the UCLA archives, carrying dozens of giant heavy cans to my car and dragging a print of “Jezebel” back to my theater, I welcome the new technology. I just hope the Japanese decide to build their factory here, hire me as a supervisor, and pay me a decent wage so I can afford one!
In case you haven’t noticed, a small thin wafer, hardly thicker than a finger nail, and about four inches wide is about to replace ten to fifteen cans of 35mm film shipped every week from print houses and distribution centers in Los Angles to movie theaters both domestic and international. We’ve seen the warning signs already when the DVD loudly knocked on the door of video formats and DLP technology rapped on the projection room door just a decade ago. In case you haven’t noticed, the ‘blue ray’ disc has arrived, and its pronouncement will be the final nail in the coffin of traditional filmmaking.
As sound did for movies, so too will the blue ray disc revolutionize the entire film industry. No longer will a projector shine light through 35mm film and put that image on the ‘silver’ screen. The only part remaining will be the screen. What is blue ray technology? Blue ray refers to the end of the spectrum in shorter wavelengths, versus the current ‘red’ lasers used for the DVD format; add to that new lenses plus a new tracking system and you have “Kill, Bill!” in 1080i versus the current 480p for DVD. Side by side comparisons were night and day to test audiences, who welcomed the clarity and sharp picture from the new discs with, “Where can I buy one?”
Goodbye 35mm film. Cumbersome at best, heavy, bulky, easily scratched, torn, broken, and quick to fade, 35mm is about to be shoved aside, and whoa be those who do not heed the call. One blue ray disc can hold all the information contained in a 70mm print of “Lawrence of Arabia.” That’s continuous, no reels to change, nothing to splice, or break or even focus! Blue ray technology allows the distributor to bypass the printer, the print and the distribution costs associated with that aspect of the industry. With an incredible 25 to 50 GB capability (depending on single or dual layer disc), the blue ray disc is about to stand the entire world of film on its ear… and no distributor has even heard the shot… yet.
The same will be true with the projector, as Samsung announced the breakthrough only recently that the need for ‘high intensity’ bulbs with color wheels is being eliminated with the introduction of LED technology in projection. Using three ‘bright’ LED’s and three separate DLP chips, a projector (as of this November) will be able to run for 40,000 hours on one bulb versus the current 3,000 hours, and in the new high-def mode! This technology, coupled with blue-ray, will virtually eliminate the need for the old-fashioned film and film projectors.
Japanese manufacturers announced this summer that new tri-color chips in hi-def will allow filmmakers to use cameras that can record blue ray discs on location, making the shooting to editing process almost instantaneous.
Price! The ultimate killer to acceptance of new technology. Don’t rush out to get your new system… yet. The players are running around $800 to well over $2 grand, with the discs on the pricey side as well. The new Sony PS3 will have blue ray tech, if you want to shell out some $600 to $700 for the new game system, finally to be released in November. Games start at $70 bucks a shot! A far cry from $15 I paid just a decade ago for my new Donkey Kong.
The gun has sounded. The gate has opened. Now we shall see which horses make it to the finish line and which horses are still struggling with the old technologies, bringing up the rear as theaters will have to make changes in their systems. In the end, this new technology will herald the end of a rather out of date and wasteful one. With horrible memories of having to drive miles to the UCLA archives, carrying dozens of giant heavy cans to my car and dragging a print of “Jezebel” back to my theater, I welcome the new technology. I just hope the Japanese decide to build their factory here, hire me as a supervisor, and pay me a decent wage so I can afford one!