India's Bollywood Opts for Low-Cost Digital Cinema

Makarand writes "While Hollywood is yet to figure out who will pay for the costly $100,000 digital projectors required for the digital roll-out of films, the Mumbai (India) based film Industry (called Bollywood) is settling for cheaper projectors of a bit lesser quality available at one-third the price, to proceed with their digital roll-out. Industry officials call this cheaper version of the digital cinema the 'E-Cinema', in contrast to the 'D-Cinema' which Hollywood is waiting for. Over 1000 films are made each year in India and just 1 film in 12 makes a profit. Transporting conventional celluloid prints to remote towns gives video pirates plenty of time to copy and make prints. Digital cinema will cut down on piracy and help the industry to increase its profits."

Comments

Less piracy

[CyrusD]

There is absolutely no way that digital cinemas would curb piracy!

What about low budget Indie Film Makers ?

[shashark]

It's strange that noone has really talked about Low Bugdget Independent Film Makers in bolloywood/elsewhere who see India/Indian Diaspora as a market. They would benefit immensely by this, as they work on shoe-string budget and are always in need of alternatives to cut down on costs.

Last heard, a low budget Indie movie "Hyderabad Blues" about an Indian returning from states went on to become a surprise hit and made more money than other movies. This is what makes Low-Cost Digital Cinema exciting. Low cost digital cinema lowers the barriers and lets your reach more people per dollar. This is what the article should be about.

Not the 20 mafia-funded, casting couch expert producers (everyone other than perhaps the police knows bollywood is mostly a conduit to route underworld money) who anyway have to route black money, but hundreds of Indie film makers who have a new story to tell and spend their own dollar on it.

Me ? I don't watch big budget bollywood movies. I hate to spend my dollar to fund poppy growing Afghanistanian warlords.