2012 Marks Digital Projection Takeover

With half of all cinema movies now produced in digital format, traditional film is in crisis: the world is saying goodbye to celluloid and welcoming digital.
In 2012 Hollywood will wave farewell to 35mm celluloid film which has been used for over a century in cinemas around the world and the New Year will mark the take-over of digital projection as the most common method for displaying new releases.
According to recent research carried out by David Hancock, an analyst for IHS Screen Digest, a media research firm: "Demand for 35mm cinema film is projected to fall from a peak of 13bn feet a year (2008) to as little as 4bn by the end of 2012."
It is understood that in the US there will be no more "mainstream" celluloid usage by the end of 2013. Meanwhile Mr Hancock predicts that across Western Europe the change will be complete by the end of 2014.
Celluloid film was patented in 1889 by George Eastman, when Queen Victoria was on the English throne, at a time when Coca Cola was incorporated in Atlanta and in the same year that Hitler was born. Since then 35mm film has fought off competition and challenges and managed to hold on even when technology conversion to digital began in 1999. However, inevitably, the digital revolution has now turned to cinema.
This January there will be more digital-cinema screens in the world than 35mm film screens since the digital conversion began over a decade ago. According to the report celluloid was used in 68% of global screens in 2010 but will be over taken by digital in January when its share is set to decline by 37% and by 2015 will account for only 17% of all screens.
This news comes at a time when Technicolor revealed plans to close film-processing laboratories in Madrid and Rome, and to cease the production of cinema prints in London.
This will leave just one film industry lab in the UK, Deluxe, still handling show prints, and expected to take over the work dropped by Technicolor.
Technicolor's output of show prints, the reels of film needed for traditional cinema projectors, fell from 5bn feet in 2005 to 3bn feet last year.
With British screens also set to hit the 50% digital 'tipping-point' in the next month, observers have been waiting to see which of the two UK companies would pull out first.
Indeed many would claim that there has been certain “swiftness” to cinematic digital revolution as two years ago digital projection accounted for only 15% of the world’s cinema screens.
Mr Hancock accounts for the "sudden" shift with the success of one film- Avatar in 2009. The science fiction film became the highest grossing film of all time. It is argued that it marked the way for 2011 becoming a key year for the cinema switch over – as a 3D-led growth spurt for digital screens saw cinema circuits choosing to convert their screens.
Although not greeted with universal acclaim the rise of digital projection and indeed 3D has proved to be a cash cow for studios. Walt Disney topped US box Offices when they re-released cartoon classic The Lion Kind in 3D. Meanwhile James Cameron is hoping for continued success when he re-releases Titanic in 3D.
It would seem that 35mm has served the industry well for over 100 years but it can no longer fend of digital cinema. 2012 is the time to say thank-you and goodbye to celluloid with actors, directors and producers left to remember 35mm film wistfully.
The job will be left to Art House cinema to view celluloid with curiosity in a bid to keep traditional film alive.
(LB/GK)