The evolution of cinema

It was in the mid-1800s, a little after photographic equipment was invented, that the concept of ‘moving pictures’ began. Photographs and drawings were placed in specially designed motion devices whose revolving apparatus gave the viewer an illusion of motion. The phenomenal inventions and discoveries during the same century, such as sound recording, electric light, the Kinetoscope, a ‘peep show’ viewing device and ultimately, the world’s first film projector called the cinematograph, helped pave the way for modern day cinema.
The early 1900s saw the development of coloured movies and cartoon animations, the onset of commercial radio broadcasting, the advent of ‘talkies’: movies with integrated sound and dialogue, the establishment of ‘Hollywood’ and the invention of the world’s first television. By the mid 1900s, movie theatres were abundant in most parts of the world and cinema-going became a favourite pastime of both the old and young. Cinema technology was pretty straightforward and basic up till then. Movies were shot using cameras that incorporated a standard 35mm celluloid film. Upon completion, multiple reels of such film would be spliced together by a projectionist, and through a complicated shutter-and-light sequence in an analogue projector, the movie would be displayed onto a projection screen at a cinema. It is worth noting here that traditional film distribution meant that the movie had to be printed onto several reels which were then physically transported to various cinemas worldwide.
It wasn’t until the 1990s, with the proliferation of computer engineering, broadband telecommunication and the bounties these offered, that the concept of ‘digital cinema’ came to into being. Digital cinema technology works in a simple and efficient manner. Movies are initially stored onto computers, an increasingly simple task if the movie is shot using a digital camera to begin with. This soft copy is then distributed to cinemas, through satellite transmission and high-speed broadband connections, directly to a digital projector which then processes the file and displays it on digital projection screen. Compared to this, traditional analogue technology seems like an arduous and unnecessary process.
In layperson terms, digital cinema projection basically means that the traditional 35mm film containing the movie is replaced by an electronic copy, contained on a storage device, such as a high-capacity external digital drive. It also means that a digital projector is used instead of a conventional film projector.
There are currently two types of digital projectors, according to an international specification standard set by Digital Cinema Initiatives LLC, a joint venture of Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Brothers Studios. First is the digital light processing projector and the second type is the digital projector. Cinemas all over the globe are making the gradual shift from film to digital projection, since the latter, with its unique advanced technology, guarantees unparalleled picture quality. Electronic or digitised movies are not at risk of fading or getting scratched, they provide high definition, stable, non-grainy images and offer a sound quality that won’t deteriorate over time. In addition, digital cinema brings with it various other benefits that far outweigh the extremely high initial investment that’s required to install digital projectors, most importantly the significantly lower distribution costs, faster and greater market penetration, increased control over piracy, and finally, increased flexibility in terms of programming by providing the ability to show alternative content, such as live streaming of sports events and musical concerts.
We are living in what has been officially labelled ‘the digital age’, with the concept of ‘digitising’ infiltrating all aspects of our existence. For cinema and movie buffs, this means a completely immersive experience – digital cinema has in turn given rise to 3D projection technologies that far eclipse those from the days of yore. Remember the green and red glasses? The move has begun moving towards an increasingly ‘real’ experience – who knows, in a few years, we may enter a world of ‘holographic’ cinema. Until then, lie back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!

The writer is manager of Royal Palm Golf and Country Club’s new AudiPlex private cinema. He can be reached at [email protected]