IBC DCD live-blog - session three (business plans)

Steve Perrin (UK Film Council) - We're here to talk film, not technology. Two issues - standards (DCI is not end but beginning of end) and who's going to pay.

Chuck Goldwater (AccessIT) - newly promoted, Chuck refreshingly did not claim "DCI compliance" (he is much too smart, not least having been Mr DCI) but "designed to conform to the DCI Technical Specification." Gives overview of their US exhibitor and distributor deals. From 2300 screen chains to 8 screen single multiplexes. Interestingly they are now also signing up independents on the distributor side. "Who will pay?" EVERYONE - in proportion to benefits. Stressed that there is no luxury of learning on the job any more. Finishes with three humble observations, last of which is - take the first step, the water is getting warmer.

Denise Hsu (Technicolor) - Realises that people are not in the mood for another TDC hard sell. Instead has several slides about print issues and total cost of ownership for diggtal cinema, done in the sort of text-heavy style that Edward Tufte rightly critisizes for burrying important information and being unreadable. I'm sorry to say that she then she goes back into hard sell mode. Apparently Technicolor is the "only company that can handle both 35mm print and digital distribution." Riiiiiiiight...... At least she didn't re-use the slide claiming Technicolor is rolling out digital cinema in the US with an exhibitor that doesn't exist any more.

Bernard Collard (XDC) - presents "Draft 1.0" of Who will pay for Europe. Gives examples of different distributors for the same films in different European territories. 41 countries in Europe, of which XDC has installed 240 screens (1.3K and 2K), which accounts for 80% of installs in Europe. 170 movies have been "peocessed" and over 200,000 screenings held.

Gwendal Aufret (Eclair) - Talks brifly about a VPF-based plan for 2,500-4,000 screens in FIGS and Scandinavia. Apparently the former stands for France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Talk about ambitions of truly Napoleonic proportions! It will be an interesting one to follow.

Nothing too interesting emerged in the Q&A session.