Hudson in the New Yorker
The online version of the New Yorker just posted a video by Sky Dylan-Robbins about the plight of independent movie houses trying to transition to digital equipment: "A Crossroads for Independent Cinema." The film, which explores the ramifications of abandoning the century-old technology of film, features Hudson's own Bruce Mitchinson and Fairview Cinema 3, our hometown theater just over the border in Greenport. Gossips even makes a cameo appearance.
Just read the New Yorker article and watched the video. What I'm not sure of is, has the fundraising to save Cinema 3 just begun about 6 months ago? The article states this has been in the works for about a decade now. The conversion that is to digital. I've been to a couple of the fundraisers already, but maybe Bruce should have started these fundraisers about 5 years ago? If not sooner? It's a shame he can't get a few grants to help convert to digital.
ReplyDeleteThat was an excellent video!
ReplyDeleteReally great video and article. Nice cameo appearance Gossips ,from the New Yorker ,no less!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the work you have done to organize and promote the 3 really enjoyable events to help the Fairview Cinema 3, so far, with "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Odds Against Tomorrow" at Basilica.
Went back and watched the video again to fully grasp what the message really is. It's the large theater chains in partnership with the movie industry getting rid of the competition. The independent theater owners like Bruce at Cinema 3. And the movie industry saving a billion dollars a year. 35-mm film packages cost about $1,500 to create while the digital package is less than $200. 1 billion doesn't look like a large number until you put it this way: It's 1,000 million. Now that sounds like a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteThe video says there are still 3,300 movie screens that have not been converted to digital yet. Why can't Hollywood help these independent theater owners with the money? If these new digital machines cost about $60,000, it would only take $198,000,000 to convert the final 3,300 screens. So Hollywood would only have this year $802,000,000 in savings. Terrible! But they would keep 3,300 more screens showing digital and earning back some of their investment through the
movie rentals.
The video also said that in the first hundred years of 35-mm, projectors had to be upgraded maybe once or twice. These new digital projectors will only have a 6-8 year life and need to be upgraded. Not sure if that means spending another $60,000 per machine or if upgrades are cheaper. If they aren't, that could mean another investment 6-8 years later for Bruce of another $180,000. Bruce says in the video, "I'll worry about that then!"
Not sure I found the video great or excellent. I found it informative and very upsetting that an industry that Bruce has dedicated his life to, stating he's been with Cinema 3 for 40 years now, is trying to put him and obviously all the independent theater owners out to pasture! Just my 2¢!