Many of you know that I have been one that hasn’t been in any hurry to switch to Digital Projection. I like film. I’m very comfortable with it. I know that I can put on an excellent presentation with it, and can fix any failures whether it be from equipment breakdowns or human error very quickly.
As I have stated before, during the past 41 years that I have owned and operated my theatre, I have never lost a show. Even with film, I have refused to install a platter system due to the increased risk of loss with only one projector.
I have always been slow to adapt to new electronic technologies, and I have always needed the help of my younger staff members to help educate me on how to operate such equipment whether it be a new computer program, security system, HVAC controls or whatever. Once I fully understand them, I’m fine. It just takes me a little longer to get it all together. I find the new digital projection systems a bit scary, but I know I’ll get used to them eventually.
Now I can’t wait to make the switch. Why such a sudden change of heart you ask? Presentation of course! Recently something has happened that I have not had a problem with for many years… poor print quality. Go back 40 to 45 years when I was first in this business, it was not unusual for 2nd run theatres to get film prints in less than desirable condition. Think about it. There were about 13,000 theatres back then and everyone was a single screen. Most films were released with only 300 to 500 prints for the entire country. Movies didn’t open in every market on the same date. They started out in the largest cities, then medium size cities, small cities, then small towns and neighborhoods in the cities. The same prints were used over and over again. By the time they got to the end of the run they were pretty worn out.
Then came the multiplex, and everything changed. Instead of a film playing in only one theatre in a given market, it would play in several multiplexes surrounding any given area. As more and more plexes were built, the need for more and more prints arose until it was the norm to have anywhere from 2500 to 6000 prints in service. Back when those 13,000 theatres were all single screens, most were sub-run, but with the growth of the multiplex most are now first run. Now with 39,000 screens at a little over 6,000 sites probably not more than 500 sub-run theatres exist. So with so few sub-runs and thousands of prints available after the completion of the first run cycle, there have been plenty of prints available for 2nd run, many having only been run at one theatre and often for only 2 weeks. Due to this fact, most prints over the past several decades have been in excellent condition.
HOWEVER, recently, over the past several months I have received a number of badly scratched prints, damaged DTS discs, improperly torn apart prints stuffed into cans as though they were going to the dump rather than to another theatre.
Is this a coincidence, or are we purposely being given bad prints to encourage us to want to make the switch to digital? I find it difficult to believe that to be the case, but regardless it is making me rethink waiting much longer.
I’m lucky that I don’t need to seek financing, and can do it as soon as I want to and I have begun shopping around looking at what’s available. I still find it hard to accept that film will be gone by the end of 2013. As a booker and theatre owner I talk to the film sales people and branch managers all the time, and I can’t get any of them to confirm when film will cease to be available. They say: “film will still be around for a while yet” but won’t say what “a while” is. If it’s going away by a certain date, tell us so we can prepare. It’s almost like they want the small exhibitor to wait until it’s too late so that they will be forced out.
I know many small theaters that will not be able to make the switch, and I feel sorry for them. It will be a great loss for many small communities as well.
Forums 
