London, Nov 17 (ANI): Digital cinema "will eclipse" celluloid as early as 2012 in the UK, analysts have said.
According to HIS Screen Digest, two-thirds of cinemas are already digital -marking the impending end of a format that has been used for 120 years.
"Avatar was the catalyst for the change," the Daily Mail quoted David Hancock, an analyst with IHS Screen Digest as saying.
"It drove screens to 3D - and therefore made cinemas upgrade to digital.
"The digitisation process started 10 years ago - it slowly took off in 2005 and 2006. Distributors are saving money: these days films are moved between cinemas on a hard drive costing 150 pounds, which can be reused," he said.
With celluloid, films cost 700 to 1000 pounds each, so if a film opened in 1,000 screens, the cost to distributors was huge.
Demand for celluloid "peaked" in 2008, says IHS, when the world used 13billion feet of film.
By 2012, we will use as little as four billion, and by 2015, the film will no longer be used commercially, although libraries storing old celluloid releases will continue to exist, and private projectors will exist to show them.
To "switch" to digital might not mean that the technology disappears - directors can still use celluloid to film, but it will be projected digitally.
Many directors favour the "warm" look of celluloid, with directors such as Stephen Spielberg having spoken out in favour of the format.
"There is an emotional attachment to celluloid," Hancock said.
"It does produce a particular, recognisable effect. Digitally shot films are cleaner and neater, and some film-makers are against that," he added. (ANI)
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