Last March, a first-ever digital movie web cast with film ¡®Magicians¡¯ was introduced in South Korea. The Magicians directed by Il-Gon Song¡¯ was filmed with one, long tracking shot and caught quite an attention when it was distributed over web network.
The each scenes of the movie (1hr.36min. total length) was shot like a live theatrical play; having limited time and space with just single takes from beginning to end credits. One significance of this film was that it shot with multi digital cameras, relieving pressure on wasting film or worrying over the cost. The whole filming process was a high success and done without any camera tricks (one long take).
The other significance besides the filming process is in its method of delivery. The Magicians is the first digital-cinema film made for the web cast over the internet networks for South Korea. In other words, it¡¯s significant in way it was distributed (digital transmission via internet) and simultaneously made available for paid screenings just like traditional theaters.
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First ever South Korean made digital film, ¡®The Magicians¡¯ |
Digital films, internet distribution to anywhere in the world
As you can see from the film magicians, digitalized films offer many advantages over the traditional analog (35mm) films and its bound to rewrite the course of history for movie industry. The digitized image technology offers superior image and audio quality, its like comparing your regular TV to 1080i HD TV technology.
Filming and distribution cost savings will be substantial; it could bring huge affect to the related industry too. According to the multiplex theater chain CGV, cost of making a digital film is less than half ($100,000) over the traditional filming cost.
Moreover, copying traditional 35mm films for distribution to each screening theaters cost two to three grand each. A film like ¡®Monsters¡¯ which opened in 600 theaters nationwide cost over $1.2 million, an average film which opens in 400 theaters also cost over $800,000 just on the copying expenses.
Digital films do not require high maintenances like that of the traditional film and does not cost to discard. In addition, steps for transferring it to DVD or modifying to other formats such as IPTV, WiBro is done much easier. An affiliate from Lotte Cinemas¡¯, ¡°The new technology, give the local and independent filmmakers the chance to exhibit to a much bigger audience. Those films that do not get a chance under the 35-millimeter distribution model will get a fresh chance. The digital cinema industry could give South Korea another export industry for the country.¡±
KT looking to profit from ¡®Virtual Print¡¯
Up until now, the digital cinema business related equipments (digital film projector, digital server, digital infrastructure)in Korea was provided primarily through KT (Korea Telecom) leasing them to multiplex cinemas. And on the 18th past, signed MOU with other theater chains (Lotte Cinema, Cinus, MMC) to get deeper into digital cinema business.
Through this contract, KT will furnish all digital related system and tech support and theaters on the other hand will provide the new medium to the public. In order to upgrade to digital cinema system¡¯s infrastructure the cost for new digital projector or DLP (Digital Light Processor) will be about three time that of customary analog systems. KT will offer kind of rent to own lease program to make the transition less burdensome on the theater chains. KT¡¯s head of business solution Jang-mi Lim said, ¡°as one of our profit generating models, first there is a ¡®virtual print fee¡¯ that will be charged to each theaters. We will lease out the digital equipments and then offer a service fee that is much less than that of traditional film leases.¡±
KT will setup digital systems in over 100 contracted cinemas by year¡¯s end, establish central management system, and initiate pilot test services. IT also plans to put in more than 500 (30% of existing theaters) digital ready screens nationwide in year 2007.
The business is focused beyond just providing the digital projectors but on it¡¯s product ¡®virtual print fee¡¯ to bring up and rescue the digital cinema business sector that¡¯s in struggle currently.
With our new convergence era, a digital film can be beamed to theaters via satellite or broadband network, Digital cinematography promises to bring movies not only to local theaters but even into our home in near future.
