Paramount Stops Distribution of Film Prints

Jack Lynt · Jan 20, 2014

Los Angeles Times: End of film: Paramount first studio to stop distributing film prints

The decision is significant because it is likely to encourage other studios to follow suit, accelerating the complete phase-out of film, possibly by the end of the year. That would mark the end of an era: film has been the medium for the motion picture industry for more than a century.

baoliun · Jan 20, 2014

Only 8% of US theaters have film projections. in UK all major cinemas are 100% digital.

jax_rox · Jan 20, 2014

To be honest, I'm surprised that studios are still distributing film prints. I can think of one cinena still projecting film here and that's a traditional IMAX theatre that needs to project film to be able to utilise the huge screen correctly.

That said, they also have digital projectors.

mus · Jan 20, 2014

I thought every studio officially stopped... oh well, I guess they're about to

Michael Bergner · Jan 20, 2014

I thought there was an exclusive deal with Kodak in 2013 of certain studios buying further film stock?

AudioPostExpert · Jan 20, 2014

I'm a little surprised they're stopping quite so soon. I don't know what the figures are, but there must still be a significant number of 35mm only cinemas around the world. Maybe it's fewer than I thought though or a least few enough for it to be borderline profitable, considering the high cost of 35mm distribution.

G

mus · Jan 20, 2014

Michael Bergner said:
I thought there was an exclusive deal with Kodak in 2013 of certain studios buying further film stock?

They might still be shooting some movies on film, but they are trying to make theatrical releases digital only

mad_hatter · Jan 20, 2014

I guess "The Hateful Eight" might be Tarantino's last film then...

Quentin Tarantino said:
"Part of the reason I'm feeling [like retiring] is, I can't stand all this digital stuff. This is not what I signed up for. Even the fact that digital presentation is the way it is right now - I mean, it's television in public, it's just television in public. That's how I feel about it. I came into this for film. I hate that stuff. I shoot film. But to me, even digital projection is - it's over, as far as I'm concerned. It's over."

LINK

I remember this from when "Djano..." was being released. He'll still be able to shoot film though, so long as somebody manufactures it.

In the article linked above, it suggests there will be a "global cutoff" for film projection in 2015. Only time will tell...

mus · Jan 20, 2014

Tarantino's an idiot. I remember seeing some interview with him when he was bashing digital, and he said film isn't really movement, it's a movement illusion created by taking 24 pictures a second.... so apparently digital doesn't do that. Somehow digital magically records video without taking 24 to 30 to 60 pictures a second.

sfoster · Jan 20, 2014

Makes sense as all post production now is done digitally. They still shoot on film though, before going to a digital scan of the image, so film isn't dead. Just the film projector.

knightly · Jan 20, 2014

We haven't shown a film print at my theater in over 2 years. I still have to run our single remaining projector at least once a month to keep it lubricated in case we have to use it for anything.

jax_rox · Jan 20, 2014

Michael Bergner said:
I thought there was an exclusive deal with Kodak in 2013 of certain studios buying further film stock?

IIRC, that was for archival material. Film is still the easiest/cheapest/best method of archival.

I fear that film will soon be literally dead. As long as someone manufactures it, and there's labs open to process it then you'll be able to shoot it. But I see a not too distant future where there will be no more labs, and no more manufacturers...