18/12/2002 - German Film Board publishes report into the impact of digital film projection and a five-year status report of German theatres

The German Federal Film Board has just published a new study into the introduction of digital technology in cinemas on its website. Although it is still relatively new, digital technology is having a huge impact on the industry. So far, 120 cinemas worldwide and 2 in Germany are using digital equipment for film projection. This is a 200 per cent increase on the beginning of 2001.
Entitled “Digital Cinema arrives…”, the study sets down the current status quo of digital film projection technology, lists the necessary standards, and the companies that are developing it. It also includes a full breakdown of the cost of installing the equipment, and proposes a number of training schemes that are currently under consideration. “Digital Cinema Arrives...” also suggests a number of new sources of income such as B-2-B transactions and the live screening of concerts and soccer games via satellite.
A second study is a comprehensive analysis of the state of German film theatres from 1997 to 2001. It takes into account a number of important criteria such as programming, seating capacity and the quality of the in-place equipment in order to see how they affect attendance figures, and the exhibitors’ consequent turnover. This year also saw the introduction of new criteria for evaluating the efficiency of German cinemas: including an examination of in-place audio and projection systems; ticket costs; and the response to investments in 2001.

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