Short Cuts

Films like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Toy Story have already beenreleased in this way at a few cinemas, and George Lucas promises that thenext installment of his series will be created entirely without film shoton digital cameras, run through the gamut of digital postproduction on soundand audio, and finally projected digitally into cinemas. What does this allmean? Today at the time of release hundreds of prints are made for eachcinema, adding a distribution cost which can go up to 2 or 3 crores for asingle film. With digital technology, there would be no need for a print 8211;instead the signal could be beamed to individual cinemas via satellite, orusing a system of optical disks.

Strategically, it also allows distributors to modify release strategiesovernight, reacting to market feedback almost instantly and increasing ordecreasing the number of cinemas showing a film accordingly.

Already in the United States, Network Event Theater NET, based in BeverlyHills, CA, provides e-cinema programming to more than 40 on-campus theatersacross the United States. The company has advance screenings of films fortest marketing, along with live interviews with cast and crew members. Sogetting feedback for a film from a whole range of audience members beforethe release of the film will be possible. And in India with such a vastdifference in provincial cultures, with this technology it is alsoconceivable to tailor a film to specific regional tastes, cutting adifferent version for urban and overseas audiences than for the cowbelt, asit were.

On the quality side, it also means that the less pleasant movie experiencewe are all used to seeing scratchy old prints that are dirty, have breaksand jerks in it, will be a thing of the past. Every screening will be ascrystal clear as the one on the night of the premiere. Correspondingly,sound will be truly digital as well.

In addition, eCinema will bring in a whole new dimension of entertainment inthe cinema. Sporting events such as cricket matches will be easily broadcaston huge screens, creating a whole new kind of entertainment. Plus liveevents like film awards will finally be seen the way that the films they arecelebrating are seen. And the next Ricky Martin concert in New York may alsobe showing live in 50 screens across India.

eCinema may add elements to the cinematic experience that we can only dreamof now there may be smoke and laser additions planned as a part of thescreening. Then there may be smells and scents triggered off to accentuatewhat is playing on screen. The next Border or Saving Private Ryan would becomplete with laser bullets screaming through smoke, the smell of gunpowderhanging in the air, and the next Taal would have us literally transportedthrough the fog of Chamba towards Aishwarya Rai, with the scent of grassafter the rain wafting by.

Imagine what kind of repeat value that is! That, to me, is the most excitingaspect of the technology 8212; it increases the range of colours on adirector8217;s palette giving greater control over the cinematic experience.But the proliferation of this technology also means we all run the risk ofbeing subjected to the abuse of the medium as makers use just the noveltyvalue, 8220;the sound and the fury8221; of the technology to sell tickets.

Hopefully well within the next hundred years, we will be able to use eCinemato tell stories as well.