Blakeley1

MadeleineBlakeley
26January,2015

1.Alexander,Helen,andRhysBlakely."ThatsAll,Folks:WhattheEndof35mmFilmMeans
forCinema."
NewStatesman
.NewStatesman,8Sept.2014.Web.25Jan.2015.

2.Thisarticleanalyzestheimplicationsofthemotionpictureindustry'stransitionfromfilmto
digitalformatsforboththeproductionandviewingofmovies.Thearticlecomparesandcontraststhe
debatesbetweenadvocatesof35mmfilmandthosewhohavemadethetransitiontodigitalfilming.
Digitalfilmingisalmost90%cheaperthanshootingwithfilm,andhighqualitydigitalcamerasare
extremelyaccessible.Theatresseekingtofilmliveperformancescouldproducehighquality,lowbudget
tapingsthatrequireminimumpostproductionandeasilygeneratesubstantialprofits.Thisarticlealso
discusseshowthetransitionfromfilmtodigitalrepresentstheindustrysevolutionintoamoreweband
streamablecontentbasedindustry.Withthefilmandtelevisionindustriestakingadvantageofnew
technologiestoimprovecost,quality,storage,andproductionoffilms,Broadwayisleftbehindtoeat
thepioneeringdustoftheseevolvingindustries,assaidbyTimSarnoff,theheadofthedigital
productionsdivisionforTechnicolorYouhavetobeverypragmaticinthisbusinessmovewiththe
timesandprovidewhatyourclientsneed.

3.Theothercurrentbrightspotforthestudiosisthebattleformarketsharebetweenstreaming
servicesincludingNetflixandAmazonPrimeandtheirtelevisionbasedrivalssuchasHBO.Thishas
vastlyincreasedthecostofsocalledoutputdeals(inwhichthestudiosselltherightstoshowtheirback
catalogues).Thedigitaleconomy,itseems,isfinallyshowingHollywoodsomelove:overthenextthree
years,Netflixaloneisexpectedtopaysome$5bnforaccesstomovies.Allinall,then,Hollywoodis
notdoingtoobadly,buttheindustryisstillachingtocutcostsandthisiswheredigitalexcels(Helen

Blakeley2

AlexanderandRhysBlakely).Overlaidon[thecheapcostsofdigitalproduction]isthegrowing
importanceofglobalboxofficereceipts.Digitaldistributionmakesitfeasibletolaunchamovie
simultaneouslyontensofthousandsofscreensacrosstheplanet,fromCartagenatoKolkataand,
whileyoureatit,onplatformssuchasiTunesandonaeroplanes(HelenAlexanderandRhysBlakely).
Turningonasixpenceisnecessarytosurvivethedigitalrevolution(HelenAlexanderandRhys
Blakely).Youhavetobeverypragmaticinthisbusinessmovewiththetimesandprovidewhatyour
clientsneed(TimSarnoff,headofthedigitalproductionsdivisionforTechnicolor).

4.TheNewStatesmanisamagazineestablishedin1913,andhaskeptrunningsincethen.The
authorsofthisarticleareHelenAlexander,whoisisaresearcherandwriterbasedinLosAngeles,and
RhysBlakelywhoisanLAcorrespondentfortheTimes.Thissourcecontainslittlebias,asitexamines
bothpointsofviewfroma35mmfilmcentricviewtoadigitalcentricview.

5.Iwillusethisinformationtoemphasizehowthefilmandtelevisionindustriesareevolving
andmovingtowardsotherplatformsandtechnologiesastheybecomemoreavailable.Iwillcomparethe
actionsoffilmandtelevisioncompaniestothoseofBroadwayinordertoprovideaclearexampleof
Broadwayslackofevolutioninaneverchangingworld.PerhapsBroadwaysstrugglesdonotcome
frominflatedbudgetsandmusicals,butfromtheinabilitytoexpandtheircontentacrossmultiple
platformsandbringinprofitsthatallowthemtoproducelesstraditionalcontent.