“The End of an Era Arrives as Digital
Technology Displaces 35mm Film in Cinema Projection”
What date will mark the "crossover point"?
January 2012 will mark the crossover point when digital technology overtakes 35mm.
What impact(%) in terms of decline this will have terms of 35mm by the end of 2012?
By the end of 2012, the share of 35mm will decline to 37 percent of global cinema screens, with digital accounting for the remaining 63 percent.
2015 - Predictions?
In 2015, 35mm will be used in just 17 percent of global movie screens, relegating it to a niche projection format.
What film (which was produced in 2009) "changed everything"?
The decline of 35mm is occurring at a stunning velocity, with the digital rollout starting in earnest just 18 months ago, in mid-2009. The trigger for this transition to digital technology was the popularity of a single movie: the seminal film “Avatar.”
“The release of “Avatar” in December 2009 represented the pivotal moment for digital cinema, with digital technology forming the bedrock of the modern cinema environment,” Hancock said. “Before Avatar, digital represented only a small portion of the market, accounting for 15 percent of global screens in 2009. After Avatar, digital’s share grew by leaps and bounds, jumping by 17 percentage points in both 2010 and 2011, compared to the single-digit increases during the previous years. This single film has driven up demand for digital 3-D technology at the expense of traditional 35mm celluloid.”
