‘Future of film industry is digital’

He added: “The digital revolution is changing the way people live and work and consume content,” adding that films are now being distributed through the Internet and on devices like PDAs,cellphones and computers.

Barjatya had digitised Rajshri Media Ltd by launching Rajshri.com,which he claims gets more hits than the BBC website. The company had also launched its 2006 production — Vivah — worldwide through the Internet.

The website,which largely offers free content to users and survives through advertising revenue,has channels dedicated to children,six different Indian language film industries,a job-search portal for aspiring actors,an astrology portal as also a portal dedicated to Baba Ramdev.

It also has a formidable presence in and distribution chain in social networking sites like Orkut,Facebook and Twitter.

One of the latest ventures by film entrepreneur Shiladitya Bora,who also happens to be a MICA alumnus,was supposed to be based on the 35 mm format. But now the plans have changed.

Bora,the person behind last year’s Ahmedabad International Film Festival,recently launched a film society titled ‘Sunset Boulevard’ in multiple cities.

The society’s plan was to organise weekly screenings of world cinema and independent regional Indian cinema entirely in the 35mm format,beginning mid-April. When the society was launched,a multiplex in which to screen these movies was not yet identified.

Bora,who signed a MoU with Cinemax on Thursday afternoon,said the lack of infrastructure made it impossible to stick to the 35mm format plan.

“We will now convert all the 35 mm reels into digital format. This will not change the content,but the thing is that the existing infrastructure has moved beyond the 35mm format,” he added.

Barjatya concurs that filmmaking is all about storytelling,and all that really changes is the technique. He cited examples of the 3-D formatted Avatar,and the recent Indian film LSD,which were shot using digital cameras.

“The technique or format in telling a story may change,but filmmaking is all about telling a story,” he said.