The Future of Cinemas in the UK: incremental decline or growth

through innovation?

Skye Kempadoo

Module name:

Module number:

Name of course:

Date of submission: 16 January 2013

Word count:

Dedication

“He was sweeping you bastards! He was sweeping!”

The Last Picture ShowDirector: Peter BogdanovichBBS Productions, HollywoodDistribution: Columbia Pictures, 1971

Title etc2

Abstract

Title etc3

Contents

Title etc4

Introduction

This dissertation is an investigation into the question:

How are cinemas in the UK designed to replay a film and, depending on their design, how

are they upgrading or evolving to stay profitable for the future?

This is not an investigation into the films that cinemas show, but into the cinema itself: the

building, technology and adaptations of screening, how these have changed over the last

decade in the UK, and whether this provides any pointers to where cinemas may go from

here.

My initial hypothesis was that cinemas have survived by incrementally upgrading their

technologies to stay ahead of home viewing systems, but that future scope for this is limited

and cinemas may now have to evolve into a significantly different ‘species’ if they are to

prosper.

In addition to basic historic research into the history and change of cinema houses, I created a

simple survey questionnaire with which to structure conversations with supervisors and

projectionists working in major and minor cinemas and cinema chains around the country.

This was to ensure that really up-to-date views and facts were assembled. Most of the

information I gathered was over the phone, in person and from trawling industry publications

and commercial data including other surveys. See annex 2 for questions.

My interest in this field comes from my love of the cinema and the lack of coherent, focussed

studies of the forces changing the industry and the cinema experience. Will cinemas simply

continue to upgrade constantly their technology and ‘architecture’? Will this be enough to

secure their commercial future? Or are there opportunities for truly significant diversification

into a whole new type or types of commercial media entity?

Chapter 1 looks at the influence of film making technologies on cinemas. Chapter 2 looks at

attendance at cinemas over time, and whether variations can be attributed to technological

change. Chapter 3 looks at other possible forces for change affecting the industry. Chapter 4

discusses the possible implications for the future.

Title etc5

Chapter 1: The influence of film making technologies on cinemas

Film making technology has improved dramatically. The camera is now a high-resolution

device that can record reality in such detail that their functions can surpass the human eye.

Computer simulation has become so sophisticated as to mimic reality convincingly.

Projection technology has changed in step with these innovations.

Cinemas have been forced to adopt the new technologies to remain competitive – both with

each other and with growing home entertainment technologies. The effect of the changes in

the cameras that record the films for cinema has always been one of the main driving forces

for cinemas to update their technology. As big blockbuster films are produced using new

technologies, consumers want to see them in the technology they are created in, and cinemas

must respond to that demand or lose out to those that can. Recent obvious examples include

Avatar and The Hobbit.

The biggest ‘step change’ in technology in recent times has obviously been digital film

making. “The conversion to digital projection capabilities from the previous standards of

celluloid projection has been one of the most significant changes in film exhibition

technology in recent years”. UNESCO Institute for Statistics, January 2012.

Cinemas began to digitise projection in earnest in 2006/7 (?).

The number of digital screens more than doubled between 2007 and 2009. The UIS survey

shows that rapid conversions are taking place in approximately 60 countries, with some

representation on all continents. Nonetheless, the trend toward digital conversion has been

uneven. In 2009, 63% of digital screens were located in just three countries – the United

States, China and France.

In the UK growth has been . . . (what numbers can you find to show growth in UK by year)

Title etc6

This growth was confirmed by my call survey to cinemas and cinema chains across the UK

such as VUE Cinemas, Moray Cinema, Showcase Cinemas and Cornerstone Cinema. The

results of the survey showed that all cinemas upgraded to the digital system for receiving

their new films. This means they no longer buy reels of film, DVDs or Blue Ray (though

some still do have archived films and the old projectors in storage). Instead they get their

films directly from a licenced digital distributor of films who can transmit films in highest

definition to be downloaded or they receive the films via hard drive.

Most cinemas now use 2K or 4K resolution projectors though the Cornerstone Cinema still

has one 35mm projector screen room incidentally they were the only Cinema not 3D capable

but have a new Christie Projector and an older NEC projector. Also all the cinemas spoken to

have upgraded their sound system in some way depending on the venue, most of them now

contain 7.1 surround sound such as Dolby Profound sound systems. The reason being these

7.1 systems can replay films with very directional sounds and most blockbuster films are

made for the 7.1 sound systems. Almost all the cinema multiplexes have at least one 3D

capable projector. The Showcase cinema said that they had recently replaced some of their

screens and projectors so that they can play the new 48fps films because they have a standing

deal with Sony to keep them supplied with the latest in projector technology. This push for

48fps projectors is happening throughout the UK pressured most recently by the prospect of

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, illustrating again how important it is for cinemas to keep up-to-

date with projector technology to be able to play the latest films.

Some cinema chains have made a major effort to refurbish and improve their facilities such

as: “ODEON continued to focus on the refurbishment of the existing estate to improve the

customer offer. ODEON refurbished 7 UK locations in 2011 through a combination of

general site refurbishment and seat replacement programme. The historic Swiss Cottage site

was entirely refurbished and reopened in September 2011 with North London’s first IMAX

screen, new club seats in two screens, an Ambar offering and a Costa Coffee franchise. The

refurbishment has seen the location increase its attendance share significantly. Whiteleys

cinema screens were refurbished: the standard screens opened in December 2011 and in

January 2012 we opened “The Lounge”, our unique, luxury in-cinema dining offer with

reclining leather seating and at-seat service of food and drink.”

Another statement was made by Roger Harris Chief Operating officer UK and Ireland states:

Title etc7

“The benefits of the investments made to improve the customer experience in our cinemas

will continue to flow through to 2012. 3D, IMAX and isense programming represent

significant opportunities to drive box office and market share based on the 2012 film slate.

Now that the entire UK and Ireland estate has been digitised and the majority of screens have

3D capability, ODEON will benefit from greater flexibility in both advertising and

programming and from non-fi lm based events (such as sport, opera and theatre). The

alternative content slate continues to improve as new product is launched by distributors. An

expanded theatre slate and more sport are anticipated in 2012.”

ODEON and UCI Cinemas annual review 2011

What’s important to note here is that they have fully digitized all their cinemas and because

of this they are more flexible. They are now investigating new avenues to expand but have

not done so yet. This emphasizes the point I’m trying to make that cinemas are upgrading

their technology but not diversifying or evolving what they do. However it shows they have

intentions to diversify their services in the near future now that they have gone digital.

The advantages of digitization to cinemas across the country are: That with the increase in the

production of films in the twenty first century across the World cinemas can now keep up

with distribution of these films once they are in digital form or have been digitized.

Digitalization is basically a worldwide distribution system database that allows any cinema

connected to the system to pay for and download the films quickly and efficiently to any

cinema that has been digitized. For more information on the technical side of the distribution

and its history see annex 1. The systems impact on the cinemas across the World has been a

decrease in the time it takes for a film to get released from its country of origin to being

shown in a cinema near you. The effects mean that the loss of sales because of late releases

because of poor distribution are negated allowing the survival of smaller cinemas in the more

rural areas to stay competitive with the global market. Gone are the days when it takes a film

2 months to reach you after its release. This has also helped retain customers because it will

always be released in cinemas all over the world before it gets released on DVD and then

ripped by somebody and uploaded into the webs illegal film website market. This is a major

factor to consider before digitization because cinemas and film makers were panicking about

the massive losses in revenue due to pirate DVD and online streaming. Now they still lose

money to less DVD sales but not before they can reap the benefits of being able to very

Title etc8

quickly sell the film and distribute it globally and thus reaping the most of the box office

sales they should be getting.

Architecture

Historically cinemas were either constructed specifically for cinema or made from theatres.

Although some cinemas such as the Cornerstone Cinema made in the 1940s, were made by

converting a large building such as a furniture warehouse. It can be surmised from my visits

that most cinemas are made with almost exactly the same structure as they have when they

were first made with tiered seating and some with a balcony though this balcony design is

falling out of favour. The main changes to the architecture of the cinema are, that they now

more screens and are called multiplexes. Also the seating structure in the IMAX cinemas,

they have implemented a newer seating system in which the steeply tiered seating decks

system each tier is 4 feet higher than the one below meaning your view will never be blocked

by that pesky tall person in the front. This is only a few feet in difference from the other

seating tier systems of older cinemas but makes a huge difference to the audience because

everyone, no matter where they are, will have a clear view of the whole screen from corner to

corner.

Title etc9

Chapter 2: Change in cinema attendance

Things to work in here include:

The UK appears to have seen a decline in attendances reversed from around 2008 coinciding

with the expansion of digital screening. Figures for The USA, France, Japan and Germany

showing a similar trend. (Build graph to show these effects clearly in the UK.

The Unesco survey notes also that ticket prices showed a significant rise over the period to

2009. This reflects the higher demand and willingness to pay for the new technology and,

perhaps, the needs for cinemas to recoup the investment costs of installing it.

However, there appears to be a very interesting discrepancy between the growth in the

number of feature films produced and their consumption in cinemas.

(what data is available on this – numbers of films produced by year and cinema attendance)

Does this indicate (as Unesco notes) that “the public screening environment is increasingly a

special venue separate from other occasions and situations in which most feature films are

viewed.”?

This would suggest that these films are increasingly consumed elsewhere, presumably mostly

in the home environment. Home viewing technology caught up with cinema technology and

is again suppressing attendance levels.

Title etc10

(what data is available on growth of home systems?)

Certainly, figures for frequency of attendance at movie theatres suggest that seeing a film in a

cinema is an event that occurs on average but few times a year.

This graph shows that the UK wasn’t even in the top ten in 2006 to 2009. However as shown

in the table before this was the period in which admissions grew the most, especially in 2008

there was a 5.7% increase in admissions in that year alone. This period was when cinemas

first started really pushing for digitization of their screens.

It would seem likely that it is primarily the highly promoted, blockbuster feature films that

people go to see at cinemas where the effects of the latest technology and the large screen are

more attractive than home viewing.

(1) From International Blockbusters to National Hits Analysis of the 2010 UIS survey on

feature film Statistics Published by UNESCO ) (Source of above tables 6, 13 and 14 see ref 2

in Bibliography)

Chapter 3: Other forces for change affecting the industry

Apart from technological improvements in film making and exhibition, what are the forces of

change in the cinema industry?

Title etc11

Three main forces for change are considered here.

competition from home cinema systems

social change and preferences

population demographics.

i. Competition from home cinema systems

Because of the advances in technology, home cinema systems such as cheaper projectors and

surround sound systems are becoming increasingly common in everyday homes around the

country. People who own a projector or a large screen TV at home are unlikely to go to the

cinema at all, preferring to download films and watch them for free in high quality, stream

them or rent the DVDs and watch them at home. This is easier, cheaper and more convenient

for the everyday citizen albeit slightly illegal or unsociable. Also because the economic

situation that most countries in the EU and UK are in a recession the first industries to be

affected by recession are luxury items and services like going to the cinema. This means it is

much cheaper and easier to access entertainment at home. Thus cinemas are not as profitable

a business as they once were in the 1990s when they were the place to be on the weekends

with your friends and or family.

Proof of this happening can be seen in reviews by OECD a global watchdog and surveyor for

all kinds of useful internet, media and economic related information. These quotes are from

the OECD 2012 Internet Economy review.

“Digital content is arguably the most important driver of consumer Internet adoption with

related revenues – more than four times that of the combined online revenues from book, film

and newspaper industries, despite these other industries being much larger overall. The last

two years have seen significant growth in devices capable of accessing online digital content.

Sources of content are also expanding with social networking and new video and audio

services helping to drive ICT industry growth and create new business models. Indeed, the

switch to digital technologies has forced businesses in a growing list of sectors to rethink

their business models and adapt to survive.” (3) OECD Publishing READ, Internet Economy

OECD Outlook, Chapter: Digital Content)

Title etc12

“Devices such as set top boxes and gaming consols are also helping to drive this shift to

online entertainment. Cisco predicts that IP traffic will grow fourfold between 2010 and 2015

at an annual growth rate of 32%. Sandvine also reports that the majority of real time

entertainment traffic (54.3%) is going to streaming video and audio and that 15.6% of this

traffic is viewed on mobile devices and tablets being used from home via WI-FI.”

(4) OECD Publishing READ, Internet Economy OECD Outlook, Chapter: Digital Content)

ii. Social change and preferences

The second possible force for change is the changes in society in Europe, where people are

becoming less sociable and more reclusive in everyday life preferring to watch shows at

home game online or go out to party with friends. Most people are less inclined to go to the

cinema with family or friends very often because these individuals prefer to pursue their own

interests separately. People have different tastes and the availability of many other forms of

entertainment and events to go to have also influenced the cinema industry. (I don’t have any

proof of this but if you reflect upon the last ten years you can see it happening around you

and its consequences on today’s society.)

(need some evidence here if possible – what are they doing instead and how much?)

iii. Population demographics

(need some figures to make an argument here – what exactly has happened?)

Thirdly new cinemas need to locate themselves very carefully into high traffic areas such as

malls or town centres to get business because they need to be close to population centres and

nowadays, they are more likely to get more customers in these locations. Drive-in cinemas

are pretty much extinct: there’s only one in the UK. So are most Singleplex (one screen)

cinemas which have been forced to upgrade to survive because of the amount of multiplex

(an American phenomenon) cinemas offering the customers far more choice of what they

want to see and the fact that the average UK consumer is used to having a choice. Thus

cinemas on the outskirts of town have mostly died and centralized or suburban multiplex

cinemas have replaced them since the 1990s.

Title etc13

“Acland describes the motion picture theatre as an "essential location at which discourses of

global audiences are being worked out and applied and as "sites for the mobility and flow of

bodies, texts, and money." He associates these new theatrical settings with "shrunken

amusement parks," a logical next step in the convergence of the corporate entertainment

industry during this period. As Acland points out, in retrospect, this moment might also be

seen as the last gasp of the cinema as such. Since 1998, the emergent technology in cinema

exhibition has been digitalisation, which potentially obviates many of the

metropolis/hinterland relations that have traditionally shaped the cinema going landscape.

Internet distribution of pirated mainstream films and independent productions threatens to

displace–or at least radically alter–the importance of the cinema as a site of cultural

dissemination.”

This quote reflects cinemas role in society and the changes that both society and digitization

have had on the industry. Especially his statement that “this moment might also be seen as

the last gasp of the cinema” he felt that that was the point at which cinema was at an all-time

low and that it had to upgrade to survive. I feel that we are getting near to this point again but

this time cinema will need to evolve and diversify to survive.

(4) SCREEN TRAFFIC: MOVIES, MULTIPLEXES, AND GLOBAL CULTURE, Charles

R. Acland, Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2003, 337pp.

Chapter 4: Possible implications for the future

These three elements have forced cinemas to change. First they must stay ahead of the

changes in technology by keeping their exhibitions up to date and surpassing and far

outclassing the home projection systems. Meaning that people will still go to the cinema to

see the bigger film releases because a cinema will show it in the best quality possible. More

recently a further technology change, 3D, has also been a big cash cow for modern cinema

because very few households in UK have a 3D capable TVs or projectors and even so it isn’t

nearly as big as in a cinema or as high quality. Meaning they can’t compete at home and are

forced to go to the cinema to watch it in 3D. And thus more and more films are being made in

3D because of this factor.

Title etc14

Argument and Main Point

Despite these forces for change, currently cinemas are not evolving they are simply updating.

From my investigation it can be seen clearly that updating technology within cinemas is not

the same as evolving the cinema. The definition of updating is

“Make (something) more modern or up to date” (5)

Meaning that updating is simply upgrading to stay up to date with the current technology and

ahead of home entertainment systems and other competition.

Evolving implies something different:

“The gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form.”(6)

Most cinemas have not changed their function nor have they have they changed the service

they offer and have not diversified into a more complex entity since their invention. They

have simply kept updating.

A prime example of one of the most advanced cinemas to illustrate my point

Higher technology cinemas such as the IMAX have specifically designed a projector to show

70mm film, this combined with some of the best 3D projector technology available with the

best high definition surround sound systems and fit it into a specially designed theatre for

viewing films of any kind. When a film is shot on 70mm specifically for IMAX the result is

an extremely large clear imagery there are currently five screens in the UK that show 70mm

films. A perfect example would be the Hobit because it pushes the boundaries of what

projector technology in cinemas can output because it was shot at 48fps at 4K 3D resolution.

Resulting in extra clear 3D images the like of which most people have never seen. It’s almost

like cutting a hole in the back of the theatre into the World of film. Despite the clarity and the

feeling that sometimes you are staring into a characters face and seeing it in such detail that

you can see every hair follicle on his face and every pimple. The size and scale of the screen

and theatre still remind you that you are in a cinema. This is an example of the most up-to-

date technology and architecture within a commercial cinema.

Title etc15

Counter argument

A true evolution within cinema is happening

Through word of mouth I heard about Live Cinema this movement has been started in the

UK by The Royal Opera House and is currently allowing spearheading the initiative to get

Opera and other musical performances live streamed in 2D at cinemas throughout the UK.

Not all cinemas are offering this service yet and it isn’t clearly advertised. But Through

further research into the venues that offer these opera performances. I realized that

Cineworld, Curzone, Odeon, Empire, Apollo Cinemas and Vue offer these shows. It’s not

clearly shown on their websites and there is less advertising for them than a film. However

this is a huge step for cinemas one that has only happened since 2012-2013 that live

streaming of these performances has happened. This clearly shows that cinemas are

diversifying their services and trying to branch out into other forms of entertainment besides

film.

Also it tempts the question what will they live stream next? Football, talk shows, reality TV

shows, gaming tournaments? The mind boggles at the thought of the possibilities for Live

streaming and cinema combined. If cinemas started live streaming more content such as

sports or games it would allow cinema to tap into existing markets with millions of

viewers/fans. They would compete with TV or the internet while still having the advantage of

having the best viewing technology available. Live streaming has become increasingly the

way that much of multimedia entertainment online is being consumed. All over the World

and there was a sharp rise in its growth since 2010 in the UK as mentioned above and this

will continue to rise as more and more people choose to broadcast themselves online. This is

due to sites like www.twitch.tv, www.justin.tv or www.ustream.tv . All offer a mixture of

talk shows live gaming streams for different games streamed 24/7 and forming a multimillion

dollar industry. Each website has at least 10 million viewers and twitch is still growing at an

alarming rate. Cinemas could have a big role in the live streaming market in the next few

years but at the moment it seems they are testing the waters.

Other Available Technology

Visual clarity is essential nowadays but it isn’t the essence of what made cinemas successful

and profitable businesses. What this dissertation is taking a deeper look into is issues like:

Title etc16

What will replace cinema as we know it and create the ultimate “desert of the real”

experience (7) within cinema. How will cinema evolve to keep ahead of the rapidly adapting

home cinema experience? How do we make it so that. Seeing things within a cinema is

something that is so realistic or so immersive that you can’t see it anywhere else.

The answer to this is by adapting and evolving its economic function and its technology. An

example of this change and adaptation can be seen within a theory that: Soon within the next

five years we will see a new type of technological evolution and adaptation of cinema

available to the public. The emergence of a holographic cinema designed to view live feed

performances streamed in from around the World utilizing Pepper’s Ghost technology (8) to

create an illusion of a 3D holographic image. How this works is by using mylar film at a 45

degree angle, by using high signals processed by crystal projectors which project onto a

reflective screen which projects onto the mylar film creating an illusion which is not 3D or

hologram but looks like a combination of the two. Example: (9)

This is one of the applications of new technology found while researching for the cinema’s

evolution when analysed as a commercialized installation, regarding the technology changes

Title etc17

going on in the media industry and how they could impact society and the cinema industry

and its probable changes in the near future.

“Technology has become a central influence in a world where perpetual change is the norm”(10). By

this he mean that when new technology is created that is better than the existing tech of the

time it will usually be quickly adopted by the industries that can utilize it. For example home

landlines to cell phones to videoconferencing. This is how we humans evolve by instead of

physically changing ourselves we change our tools and our surrounding to adapt to the

current changes in society and environment. This technology is the next step of evolution of

the media industry and communications. Reasons for this statement: It does not require 3D

glasses to be worn. This gives it an advantage over the home users with 3D TVs because

most people find the 3D to be uncomfortable and can cause headaches after long exposure.

The uses for this technology when applied to a cinema context are many such as streaming

the 2012 Olympics from a cinema in your country’s holo-cinema. To things like watching

the performances of your favourite bands as they tour the World enjoyed from your own

country but seen as if they were right in front of you. So cinemas could essentially evolve

into media entertainment centres if they added this technology to one or more of their

screens.

However the real reason this technology will soon be implemented into a cinema type

institution is because it has the potential to be highly popular with the general public by

providing an exciting live streaming and re- experiencing events service and thus would be

highly profitable.

There is actually a UK company producing this technology called Musion. They have stated

in an interview with 3DFocus TV(4) that they are looking to partner with a large scale

distributor for their technology so that they can create these large scale events for the public

entertainment as they do own the patent for this technology but want it to spread worldwide.

The implications of the spread of this new technology globally and its impact on society are

potentially immeasurable at this stage because of its use of media as a tool for

communication on a global scale. It’s high impact to society if used for government

propaganda news feeds and talk shows and education could influence billions of people in

one day if distribution chains are set up in the right way. What makes this relative to cinema

is that they have the right kind of infastructure and consumer base to make this change

relatively smoothly by simply installing this technology and adapting their screening rooms.

Title etc18

Proof of this theory happening is that it has already happened on large scale performance

events such as: The Tupac hologram performing at Coachella with Snoop Dogg in April

2012. (5) The difference is it just hasn’t been institutionalized and commercialized like a

cinema. In a way this adds to the realism of the events because not only does it look like 2Pac

is performing in front of you as if you were there, it would feel like a real concert and not a

cinematic reproduction of one of his performances. However Musion is reaching out and

forming links/partnerships with large scale telecommunications networks such as BT,

Interblock Europe, N Concepts and Mani Industries. They claim to have already established a

network over five continents and thirty four different countries. Thus it is very likely the

average citizen in the UK and around the World will be encountering this technology or

derivatives of it very soon.

Conclusion

Throughout the course of my dissertation I have investigated what’s changing in the world of

cinema. The answer is the technology behind the scenes has been updated both recently and

over the course of time. The key to cinemas survival is constant technological updating.

However besides updated projectors, the digital distribution system and the improved

surround sound they haven’t really changed that much over last century. By this I mean they

still have the same structure with tiered seating a big screen and a projector. Just most have

Title etc19

extra screens these days to increase profitability and give the customer more choice. Despite

this, change is coming to the Cinema World as it dips its toes into the market of live

streaming to test the waters. Will it sink or swim that is the question? The cinema industry

has been a staple of modern life and will always be around for centuries to come but will it

become more than just a source of entertainment and a beacon of cultural output? My

thoughts are that it will begin to offer more services and evolve into more of a cultural media

hub used for broadcasting information to the masses.

But we are on the cusp of this change so it is not certain and cinemas have stayed the same

for a long time and they may be reluctant to change their age old formula. It has kept them

alive and profitable for some thus far. But if cinemas do evolve and diversify they could

become something truly great a pulsing centre of business, live news, movies, music, dance,

art, sports and gaming. It could become a place where you could go after work and choose

from a wide range of entertainment or information to view in 3D or potentially holographic

form.

Title etc20

Bibliography

1. From International Blockbusters to National Hits Analysis of the 2010 UIS survey on

feature film Statistics Published by UNESCO. Source UNESCO Institute for statistics

January 12th 2010 Quote located page 13-14 Source:

http://www.uis.unesco.org/culture/Documents/ib8-analysis-cinema-production-2012-

en2.pdf Accessed: 12/01/13

1.1 Tables 6, 13 and 14 are from the same source: From International Blockbusters to

National Hits Analysis of the 2010 UIS survey on feature film Statistics Published by

UNESCO. Source UNESCO Institute for statistics January 12th 2010 Quote located page 13-

14 Source: http://www.uis.unesco.org/culture/Documents/ib8-analysis-cinema-production-

2012-en2.pdf Accessed: 12/01/13

2. Digital Cinema: Source Wikepedia digital Cinema Techology Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_cinema Accessed 12/01/2013

2.OECD Publishing READ, Internet Economy OECD Outlook, Chapter: Digital Content,

Source: http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/science-and-technology/

oecd-internet-economy-outlook-2012_9789264086463-en Accessed 14/01/13

3. OECD Publishing READ, Internet Economy OECD Outlook, Chapter: Digital

Content, Source: http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/science-

and-technology/oecd-internet-economy-outlook-2012_9789264086463-en Accessed

14/01/13

4. OECD Publishing READ, Internet Economy OECD Outlook, Chapter: Digital

Content, Source: http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/science-

and-technology/oecd-internet-economy-outlook-2012_9789264086463-en Accessed

14/01/13

5. Updating definition: Quoted from: Free dictionary online Source:

http://www.google.com/search?

Title etc21

hl=en&safe=off&tbo=u&q=update&tbs=dfn:1&sa=X&ei=pMjxUMORBIuY0QWB1IDoBQ

&ved=0CC4QkQ4&biw=1920&bih=971 accessed 12/01/2013

6. Evolving definition: Quoted from: Free dictionary online Source:

http://www.google.com/search?

hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&q=evolution+definition&oq=evolution+def&gs_l=serp.3.0.0l10.140

50186.14055746.0.14057523.13.9.0.4.4.0.81.619.9.9.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.iAilXXQtqz4

accessed 12/01/2013

7. Baudrillard 2002. Welcome to the desert of the real.

Pepper’s Ghost technology, Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper's_ghost

Accessed: 10/04/12

8. Images of holographic projection , Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pSICZ_7hpho&feature=endscreen&NR=1 Accessed 09/04/12

9. Musion technology interview on 3DFocus TV Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2O7_bo1gps Accessed 10/04/12 Uploaded

21st Feb 2011

10. Reinventing Cinema a Perspective on the implications of the internet on the cinema industry by Ella Author Catherina Niemand, University of Pretoria, January 2003 Source: http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11082004-134651/unrestricted/00dissertation.pdf

11. The Tupac hologram performing at Coachella with Snoop Dogg in April 2012

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkBWsrCXZ3c accessed 03/10/2012

Title etc22

Annex 1:

You will have to re-write this yourself. You can’t just quote Wikipedia.

The Technology behind Digital Distribution Systems

“To match or improve the theater experience of movie audiences, a digital cinema system

must provide high-quality image and sound. Additionally, theater managers require video

server controls for managing and displaying content in multiple theaters, and movie

studios want their contentencrypted with secure delivery, playback, and reporting

of playout times to the film distribution company.

Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a joint venture of the six major studios, published a system

specification for digital cinema.[9] Briefly, the specification calls for picture encoding using

the ISO/IEC 15444-1 "JPEG2000" (.jp2) standard and use of the CIE XYZ color space at 12

bits per component encoded with a 2.6 gamma applied at projection, and audio using

the "Broadcast Wave" (.wav) format at 24 bits and 48 kHz or 96 kHz sampling, controlled by

an XML-format Composition Playlist, into an MXF-compliant file at a maximum data rate of

250 Mbit/s. Details about encryption, key management, and logging are all discussed in the

specification as are the minimum specifications for the projectors employed including

the color gamut, the contrast ratio and the brightness of the image. While much of the

specification codifies work that had already been ongoing in the Society of Motion Picture

and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the specification is important in establishing a content

owner framework for the distribution and security of first-release motion picture content.

Digital cinema conforming to the DCI Standard is referred to within the film industry as D-

Cinema while all other forms of digital cinema are referred to as E-Cinema.[citation needed] Thus,

while D-Cinema is a defined standard, though one that is still partly being framed by SMPTE

as of 2007, E-Cinema may be anything, ranging from a DVD player connected to a consumer

projector to something that approaches the quality of D-Cinema without conforming to some

of the standards. Even D-Cinema itself had evolved over time before the DCI standards were

framed. However, the current DCI standards were made with the intention of standing the test

of time, much like 35 mm film which has evolved but still retained compatibility over a

substantial part of a century.

Title etc23

In addition to DCI's work, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) released its

Digital Cinema System Requirements.[10] The document addresses the requirements of digital

cinema systems from the operational needs of the exhibitor, focusing on areas not addressed

by DCI, including access for the visually impaired and hearing impaired, workflow inside the

cinema, and equipment interoperability. In particular, NATO's document details requirements

for the Theatre Management System (TMS), the governing software for digital cinema

systems within a theatre complex, and provides direction for the development of security key

management systems. As with DCI's document, NATO's document is also important to the

SMPTE standards effort.”

(2) Digital Cinema: Source Wikepedia digital Cinema Techology Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_cinema Accessed 12/01/2013

Title etc24